Dear Blog,
I am recording my answer here so I am sure never to cave in a moment of weakness (which I seldom experience). "NO!"

Instead I will book an appointment for Demi with the best therapist--I figure as long as I am going to get the blame for depriving her of her childhood wish it is never to soon to start helping her learn to cope.

It seems to happen around this time of every year, for 2006 the call came to me while I was at the ball game Friday night-- I guess she thought if I was excited the Cards were winning she could catch me off guard and get a "yes", twisting a yell of "yes, yes" to Pujols hitting a home run sending man on first and third in to score for a "yes" to her constant and usual question of "can I have a dog".

Last night I believe it went like this..."Dad said, if you say yes, I can get a dog".

I say "NO"! Again.

And, they haven't let up since that phone call. Father and daughter trying like hell to break down mom.

And, the answer remains-- "NO!"

What was that Maddi called me as she woke from surgery, aaahhh yes "meanie head". I guess I am that after all.

Listen I just don't feel like caring for another mammal. Especially one that was not sprung from my loin. Dogs are babies that never grow up...they never grow up enough to take themselves to the bathroom, they never grow up enough to serve themselves breakfast, lunch, dinner or a Scooby snack, the can't be told to go take a shower and brush the hair...

To remind Demi we once owned a dog you are all invited to the telephone pole on the side of the house for a Skeeter Bug Memorial, it is 10 years late but, better late than never. I'll be serving cookies and punch to all mourners.

Sincerly,
The Meanie Head Mom

Thursday: The suite life, not the "Zach and Cody" kind but the Cardinal kind, compliments of Dan. It was a most pleasant way to experience my first time to the new Busch Stadium-- I know kind of late in the season to experience but sometimes great things are worth the wait. As "suite" as the accommodations were the game on the other hand lacked any "sweet-ness". I declared it as painful to watch as Demi's softball games were this past season. I even inquired if MLB had a run rule so the misery of watching this so called baseball game could end--Dan declared me as the bad luck charm. The Cards losing so bad it was almost embarrassing to admit they are our hometown team (4-9). We left at the 5 inning (when the score was 1-9) .

Friday: However I have to say if I was in fact the bad luck charm the Cards proved otherwise tonight as I was once again at the ballpark. I enjoyed my second visit to the ball park with Maddi, her friends and moms. The Cards did well, proving there worth of talent (5-10). Now I must say the Midwest weather has taken a turn to chilly but, not to the extent that Maddi is featured in the photo...come on kid-o, the parka was fine but with it zipped to the chin and the hood snug around the face... by the looks of her you'd think we were back in Alaska. Oh yes and gloves, two rights (which I guess are better than two lefts).

Now here's crossing our fingers we make it to the playoffs, dreaming bigger and wishing for the World's Series!

Who would have thought that gas @ a $1.99 a gallon could be exciting to me-- but it does, and I can almost accept this price. Under two dollars feels like a deal.

I am now off this morning to fill up my tank, I just hope the little blue Toyota makes it to the gas station-- she's thirsty!

It has now been a week of my return to faithful exercise.

On Saturday I happily reverted to my healthy eating habits--lots of fresh raw veggies, fresh fruits and NO sugar/sweets. Yesterday I cut caffeine from my life. I am on the track to burn out with a rebound headache.

Someone, p-l-e-a-s-e, have a cookie and a diet coke (leaded) for me.

While I suffer through my hankering for something sweet and a leaded diet coke I gaze romantically at my size 6 pants...

Six o'clock already
I was just in the middle of a dream

She over slept and was in a panic, my baby girl who prides herself on being timely and well prepared for the world of middle school..."I can't stand Mondays, it is so hard to wake up"

and so I sang to her as I booted her out the door

It's just another manic Monday
I wish it was Sunday
'Cause that's my funday
My I don't have to runday
It's just another manic Monday

Maddi and Nikki enjoying the LHS Homecoming banquet as the 8th grade band guests of the Marching Band, all excited to play in the pep band for the football game--till the night was canceled due to rain (and a lot of it!)

Alee, Mary and Liz excited the band performance was canceled due to weather, snapped a photo to remember the time they got enjoy a football game--then it too was canceled  

Alee looking groovy for the LHS 2006 Homecoming dance themed "Jungle Boogie" 

The gang is all gathered and ready to head to dinner at Blueberry Hill on the U. City Loop 

It is Homecoming weekend.

My daughter attends the same high school I graduated from, which in itself seems kind of freaky.

Freakier is today I feel 16 again, well maybe not. My hair is short, just as it was 20 plus years ago and I am wearing a T-shirt with the name of my alma mater affixed to the front. I am going to the football game tonight. I may need to get drunk first--then again if I feel 16 maybe I look 16 (wishful thinking friends) and I would get pulled aside for one of those random breathalizer tests.

Now wonder why I don't care about going to the high school reunion I am in high school--all over again.

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and then.... the RAIN came, and the whole thing was canceled.

Discipline: activity, exercise, or a regimen that develops or improves a skill; training

M: Mom you know Wednesday is coming and you know what that means?

J: I didn't say what Wednesday I was going to start back to eating healthy and exercising, I just said on Wednesday.

M: Mom you have to think of exercising and getting back on the tread mill as homework.

So my Maddi was right-- think of it like homework, you have no choice, it has to be completed.

So that is exactly what I did!

Just as I was making my way to the tread mill Noel called and invited me to walk the Grant's Trail and I couldn't pass on the offer. We walked for 60 minutes.

I felt great!

I called Julie to invite her to walk the neighborhood with me tomorrow morning. I think if I have a walking buddy I will feel the obligation to stick with the plan.

I'll walk all this week and then add in the floor exercises--I believe Alee added a few more sheets to the folder since she made it for me last year.

Maybe, just maybe I'll be wearing those 2 pair of size 6 pants I got into till this past February.

Noon, rain starts.
One o'clock, coming down in buckets, running through the Target parking lot looking for car--found it and looked like a drowned rat.
Satellite TV is out-- guess the weather man didn't get my memo that I would be "out of the office" on Sunday (which means all I want to do is brush up on my couch potato techniques).
Four o'clock off to the grocery store, dam it started raining again! Got a bum bag and my groceries started "raining" down onto the parking lot--I am now pretty good at chasing rolling cans. I deserve some kind of discount on my next shopping trip for that hassle.
Satellite still out so I am going to crawl under a cover and read a book.

It was the first of many LHS Marching Band weekends to fill up our Fall calendar.

Alee and her friends enjoyed performing there competition routine "Images" for half-time show. Liz made it back from her varsity softball game in time to perform, in her ball uniform.

Saturday was the first competiton of the season, Belleville East Marching Invitational-- were the band can proudly say they not only took "best music" in the AAA division but they took first place in the division and were the Grand Champions of the competitions. Great way to start off the season! While the band took home three trophies I took home a farmer's tan on my arms and sun kissed cheeks (kissed bright red).

Maddi skipped the first band weekend, slumbering with friends Friday night and voluntering at the Siteman Cancer Research Center Tennis Ralley on Saturday.

Demi took in the football game Friday night but headed to the Forest Park Balloon Races with Uncle Brett on Saturday.

Thank God he designated Sunday as the day of rest because, the minute I get home from church tomorrow I am considering myself "out of the office".

What a busy weekend!

Friday: Had a date with the hubby, lunch and a movie (Hollywoodland)

With it being, literally, the only calendar free day between now and Homecoming (Sept 23) to shop for Alee's Homecoming dress we headed to the mall. Alee found a wonderful number for only $34.50 at Forever 21 that is quite retro in look. Perfectly fitting the dance's theme of "Jungle Boogie". I refused however to purchase the $79 Jessica Simpson shoes at Macy's. They were cute I'll give you that, but I just couldn't.

Then we hit the book store to spread more money around town and purchased the book The Book Thief (Demi immediately alerted the middle school librarian the school didn't own the Accelerated Reading test; two days later the librarian emailed her back saying she ordered both the book and the test for the school).

Then we tried out dinner at Noodles & Co. So-So is my take on the place. It could just be what I ordered.

Kevin continues to help Brett finish his basement in preparation for his ready made family to join him in the house.

Saturday: We packed up the overnight gear for us girls (Kevin was working) and headed to Camp Wartburg for Maddi's confirmation retreat. Nothing like sleeping next to a snoring woman (who by the way swears she doesn't snore). In other words I took in little sleep. The girls burnt the night away in giddy girl style.

Sunday: Two of my little shining stars had gray clouds inhibiting there glimmer--other wise known as slumber funk! By the time the retreat was over I was banking on Frued's theory that teenagehood is just a state of temporary mental illness as there hormones try to find the balance that fits there bodies. We survived yet another female teenage day. Prayer my friends, that is what I believe it takes to survive raising girls!

To escape I headed with a friend to see the John Mayer/Sheryl Crow concert. We indulged in a frozen margaritta~I needed it BAD! Question, why does Sheryl Crow look fabulous in trendy hip clothes but if I tried to pull that off I would like I raided my daughters closests? Anyway, Thanks Lisa!

Monday: If I am to take the time today to fixate on 9/11, well I am almost to tired to do so. I can give a brief moment of reflection. Forgive me.

The last few days at this house seem like something from the pages Ken Kesey's book One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.

I believe I would be Chief, the chronic, I am in this "ward" for life--come good or bad. I know you were thinking I would be Nurse Rached caring for all my young charges with the proverbial iron fist but not this week, oh no, this week I'm Chief. Somewhere between Monday and Tuesday night I have been driven to insanity.

What drove me there? Fashion. Not my fashion. Maddi's fashion. Fashion crisis.

Maddi would be like McMurphy, she isn't crazy by any stretch of the imagination but she is looking at life in this house as kind of an institution that is a nice break from life; a place to relax, have a few free meals, erupt in a little power struggle ( I guess there are moments when I am Nurse Rached) and...have a nightly fashion melt down.

If I recall properly the patients in Cuckoo's Nest existed nicely in there hospital issued garb.

Monday Maddi sat in her room till nearly 11pm in full fledged emotional melt down over what to wear to school Tuesday. Only to wake on Tuesday morning presenting herself in the kitchen wearing running shorts, a T-shirt, hooded zip-up sweatshirt and Nike sneakers. Aaaaaahhhhhh! All that for a bum be comfortable outfit.

Dare I reflect upon what her room looked like in the aftermath of the meltdown. Demi described her room as "the jungle". An appropriate and acceptable description.

Then last night what should have been an easy pull of the new shirt from the closest--purchased for school picture day--returned us to the place we left off on Monday night.

Maddi has a passion for ladies handbags. She owns more purses than I care to count. So when I suggested humorously, with a touch of seriousness, that she scrap finding a shirt that made her feel good and just hold a beautiful handbag in front her chest...well invision best you can a 13 year old female in the prime of raging and bursting hormones. Enough said!

Fast forward...Maddi woke this morning wearing nothing that danced across the room in the frenzy trial run of fashion picks. However the choice was quite satisfactory. A handpainted bead necklace that once belonged to her grandmother draped around her neck added just a bit more touch of color to her top of choice. The loose curls that enveloped her face were a sweet touch for school picture day.

I report tonight she has drifted off to sleep minus any dramatic course.

Peace has returned to our lil'nest.

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Now I don't know about you but I am sure to rest much easier tonight just knowing that Suri Cruise's physical presence has been introduced. Praise be to Vanity Fair. Really this country can rest easy, no the world, no the universe...that is it the universe has not been rotating on its axis properly till now in its anxious waiting to see the little Tomkat.

So there you have it two reasons I'll have a good night's sleep.

gute Nacht meine Freunde.

Observation...

It isn't that Alee is 16 and learning to drive.
It isn't that Maddi is 13 going on 14.
It isn't that Demi is now in middle school.
You know what made me realize my babies are all grown up?
They all register a cup size.

When I shared this observation with Kevin I saw him tremor with a bit of dread. He doesn't fair well when I bring to his attention the changes in his daughters.

Forever daddy's little girls.

There is nothing that warms my heart more than when one of the girls has a father/daughter date. On this evening it was Demi enjoying an evening at (the new) Busch Stadium for a Cards vs. Pirates game. The Cards may have lost but the evening was a winner!