Better out than in

A friend made a comment today that got me thinking. (dangerous I know) So, I was wondering, (if ya'll wouldn't mind chiming in) at what age your kids either did or will do the following activities... ok so survey says..... How old was/ or will you child be when you let them.... play outside with no parental supervision- sleep over at a friend's house - wear make-up - have a bed time later than 7:30 - go on a date - there are no right or wrong answers here, just curious.  Everyone is different and what works for one may not work for another, so no answers will be judged.. I am just wondering where I fall in the averages :)

Sometimes I read this comic strip and I really think someone has been peering in my windows...

Well the late night home work fight arguing with no end in sight final grades up ahead can't slow down ..I have no time so I gotta keep rollin these 4 kids running round , soccer gonna bring me down keepin up with marching band, all I want is a cappucino.. but gotta keep rolling Ooh I'm driving my life away, and all this week is half days, for Green ooh I'm driving my life away, looking for a a nap day for me Well they all play at least one sport, don't you think that should be easy? add a few hundred instruments, tutor, girl scouts, soccer and karate weren't they all just babies? Hey I need me another cup of coffee can't slow me down, gotta get back to the high school in a fast way band practice finished early ooh I'm driving my life away, maybe a chauffeur is the only way? Ooh I'm driving my life away, every day is groundhog day for me

Sister-friend (n) - definition : A friend who is more than a friend. A friend who is family. Someone who sat by you in the seventh grade through all that Jr.high awkwardness.  A person who drove you around in her Jeep when your car broke down.  Someone who consumed her weight in taco bell lunches with you.  The person who stood up at your wedding, flew all over the country to see you, and still sends cute Thanksgiving cards. The person who's family claims you even when yours doesn't.  Someone who calls just because, picks you up when you are down, and knocks you down a few pegs when you are a little too full of yourself.  Someone who would wait out in the cold for an hour with her husband and 3 small boys, just to walk around with you in an overcrowded holiday light display. THAT is a sister-friend and THAT is Dixie  (totally the Webster's definition.. no REALLY!)   (and has anyone else noticed that I'm the only one who has aged in any of the...

I knew this day was coming... I still was so unprepared.... Teaching my son how to drive YIKES! Whereas we are still a bit away from the driver's license it seemed a good time to take him out and start getting him used to all the ins and outs of being a driver. He actually did very well..  ( i taught him everything I know :) :)) This is how Connor handled it... This is how mom handled it.. any questions??

Today I witnessed one of my best friends who I have known as long as I can remember, get married. I cried. Not just because I am a big giant sap.. but because she was so pretty and so in love. THIS is the face of love it was beautiful and touching, and you just knew by looking at her, that this is exactly where she belongs.  I wish her and her new hubby all the happiness in the world. Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Patel I love you Jenny!!!

Now that you have exploded your stomach with food, now here is an opportunity to explode your brain... and I really love this guy! Soo funny! I can't figure out how to make the video's show up... sooooo go here and here and especially HERE (in honor of Black Friday) :) and then google it to find a bazillion more.. he is AWESOME! Happy Thanksgiving!

Over the 15 and down the 8, To grandmother's house we go; But first stop for pies oh how time doesn't' fly Thru the traffic jams and slows.. , oh!  Over to Yuma and thru Gila Bend, Oh, how this drive does blow! Kids all need to pee, Garrett's too short to see, The train that went by as we go. OH Over this trip and thru my nerves, NO more car games I can play; Oh, what's that I hear?, "Katie's bringing the Beer!" Hurrah for Thanksgiving Day-ay!

Tired weary Amy brings you (drum roll please)   The wonderment of middle of the night T.V. Get your credit cards ready kids, because we are entering the amazing world of late night infomercials. The products that I never knew I needed, but surprisingly think I do now. Like for instance, the SLAP CHOP however the guy in this commercial is probably going to give me nightmares, but man will I be dicing some tearless onions! Then there is the IN-STYLER now at first I thought, "Well that's amazingly ridiculous", and then I thought, "I wonder if it works?", and THEN I thought "Gee that looks cool"  however I know I would use it once get frustrated because I tied my hair into a giant knot and never use it again. The PILLOW-PETS on the other hand.. TOTALLY getting one of those.  Then there are the infomercials that are just TOO good to be true like the instant face tightener serum and the pillowcase that makes you l...

Things overheard in my house...  all of which uttered by one or more of the Eagle children "Is there an evil minion school?" "It's cool how they can harmonize off key together, that takes talent" "Whats the difference between a shank and a shiv?" "Ok lets say hypothetically, what would happen if you put jello powder in the keurig?" "Clean until you're sure she's gone, then stick the rest in the closet" "I'm thinking of so many things right now that my head hurts." "By fencing do you mean with swords, or like selling watches?" "Ask if we can go swimming".. "it's raining outside"... "ok, I'll ask" "How old do you have to be to retire?"... "why?"..... "I'm thinking I might retire" "I'm burning calories.. you should try it" "Just blame Smokey, she'll believe that" "No seriously ...

It started with a video that I posted on my face book.  Then I got this text.... "your little brother has a great voice" So then I posted this picture and asked who people thought was older, myself or my brother and was told that he looks 14!! (umm Connor is 14!!) then MY OWN FLESH AND BLOOD had to ask my uncle which one of us was older. OMG people!! Is it that hard to tell!!???

After a rather.. "I'm gonna go eat worms"  kinda week.. I figured now is as good of time as any to make my thankful list.  :) I have many friends who have been posting every day for the month of November what exactly they are thankful for.. Beings that I already have a gig for the days of November, I figured I would share all my thankfulness right here. I am thankful for : (in NO particular order) My amazing friends My better than the best kids Jazz music Guinness My pets cheetos peppermint hearshey kisses bacon my brain (even though warped) watching the same movie for the 8000th  time being random not being judged my church family kids (not just mine, but MOST kids :) ) that my friend will be visiting at Christmas that I will get to see Dixie next week honesty hope coffee peppermint coffee creamer lazy days (though I don't have them often) my hubby (most days):) painting the word futterwacken my brother cartwh...

Well no big turkey win this year, but I will call this year's turkey trot a HUGE success. First off the kids did great! They had fun, tried their hardest, but most of all... Garrett ran the WHOLE race.. FACING FORWARD!!! (ran the whole thing backwards last year.. it took FORever. :)

Staring down the barrel of Christmas was stressing me out. I finally determined a sure fire solution on how to alleviate some of that and make the process of suffering through the dreaded holiday a little more bearable. I have assigned my children various holiday duties... taking the stress off of me, and maybe locating my holiday cheer in the meantime... Tanner has been assigned the task of decorating (accept for putting the tree up.. of course I will do that.. I mean can you think of anyone better for the job?) Paige will be baking an assortment of Christmas goodies. Connor is in charge of taking the Christmas card photo. Garrett is in charge of writing the Christmas letter.. Smokey is in charge of shopping.. done and done

The person who brought you peanut butter and ham casserole and other delights has finally made it mainstream. Tanner was chosen to work with a chef, a nutritionist and two other students from his school as part of the healthy choices school lunch initiative that our school as well as many other around the country are participating in.  Tanner and his classmates are representing  San Diego Unified School district in a recipe competition.  Their creation will be first presented as an option for lunch at our school in early December.  Once the recipe is finalized it will compete against other schools across the country. The top 3 will head to D.C. for the finally competition with the winning menu item being featured in cafeteria's across the country.  Tanner is very excited. Today his hit the test kitchen and they created a fabulous chili dish. I had some, it's good.. I like it :) GO TANNER! :)

July 1st Staples in LA That's right... New Kids on the Block WITH the Back Street Boys!!  Does life get any better?? I submit that it DOES NOT!!  I am also guessing MORE tour dates will be released, (most likely soon) and I would guess that the odds of them coming to San Diego are very good.. so we could even hold out til they release more tour dates... Sooooooooooooo who's in?? you could see this or this or even this (all pictures I took at concerts (Hollywood and San Diego in 09)btw or make me go alone (then I just get Danny to myself.. *swoon*) sooooo???? oh you know you want to....

Every year (well for the last 4 any way) our school has it's gala and auction.  This is usually our big fundraiser of the year, and this year it went SO well. It was tons of fun, and I am so very thrilled that I got to be a part of it. Great food, great emcee :) and a super great time!  Huge thank yous to everyone who helped make this possible.  Our little school raised over 27,000$ and that my friends is pretty dang impressive. :) I already showed you the lovely painting I bought (generously donated by my friend and favorite artist Padgett), but here are a few other faboo photos from our fun little event.

Well it's almost upon us.. Thanksgiving, which means I'll be getting a Christmas card from Michelle the day AFTER Thanksgiving :), which means I need to start getting my Christmas cards ready, WHICH means that I should have a photo of my family to put in said Christmas card. I don't.  It is not for lack of trying. I've even had an appt.. or 12 to GET photos.. but something ALWAYS has come up. Between marching band, soccer, whooping cough, pink eye, the flippin Navy, plague of locusts, flood, famine, pirate pillagers et al.. I have no family photo. Soooo here are some Christmas card options.. A) Have all of my children draw a caricature of themselves B) Send a picture of the dogs (in santa hats of course) C) use one of these....   think anyone will notice???                                                             ...

which is good because I have a lot of them! I like to talk. A LOT. You may have noticed? No?? I even try to focus on NOT talking. It never works! I think part of my problem is I am easily distracted. So I will walk into the meeting/event/dinner/ what have ya.. PLANNING NOT to talk.. then I get sidetracked by shiny lights, or colorful objects and BOOM I forget that I'm concentrating on not talking, and then start talking, and then once I start talking I can't stop talking.  I know I know it's annoying, but I seriously CAN'T help it! I think this is why I married a mute. Ok he's not mute, he just doesn't talk much.. hmm I wonder if he talked much BEFORE he met me.. I should look into this.  Maybe I subconsciously try to surround myself with quieter people so that I can talk more and it not seem out of place, or MAYBE I'm completely nuts! No wait.. that's not it. So when it's quiet and I am rambling on, when you can't get a word in edge wise...

I am a mere 9 minutes before midnight, and dangerously close to messing up my amazing Nablpomo streak, and I can't let that happen... sooooooooooooo Look!!  I bought this AWESOME painting at the gala, painted by my favorite artist. I love it!!

My daughter is a pretty smart and talented little girl. (shh don't tell her I said that, it'll go straight to her head) She gets straight A's.  I actually had a teacher hold her after class on Friday. She made Paige call me and tell me to come inside to talk to her JUST so she could tell me how great she thinks Paige is. True Story! When she's not in school Paige has a bevy of extracurricular activities to keep her occupied.  She Ice skates, she plays soccer, she's in band, girl scouts, and involved in an amazing youth group. So how does she do it?  How can she keep her great grades and all her busy activities and still hold it all together? Impossible you may say!? The other night on our way home from youth group( which was immediately after soccer,) I asked her if she had any home work to do.  She told me she had a test in humanities she should study for. About an hour later I asked her if she had studied because now it was time for bed and her reply wa...