Relaxing on the Redneck Riviera.

I think we’re approaching ( approached?) mid-year, so it’s time to review those New Year’s resolutions. Mine, reading to Katherine every day, has been fairly well accomplished. I can’t say it has happened every day, but I’ve done a better job of making it a priority and that’s what counts, I think. Also, I’ve been teaching her to make her own books. I make little books out of white paper stapled together, and she draws and (sometimes) writes a few words. Her best effort so far, I think, is her Fripp Island Memory Book. She drew all of her favorite things from our vacation and I wrote the words next to the pictures. Lots of fun, and something I’ll hang onto for a long time. Here are a few of my favorite pages. Please remember, she told me EXACTLY which words to write.

COVER: (Click to enlarge photos)

The title of the book, as you see, is “Fripp Island’s favorite adventure of love.” I’m not sure where she gets this stuff from, but I am just thankful that Jesus didn’t make an appearance in this book, either in name or in picture. She tends to like to write about love and Jesus. I suppose I should be thankful that she likes to talk and write about love and Jesus but most of the time she is putting Jesus in some pretty awkward situations that I’m not altogether comfortable with. (Jesus at Wal-Mart, for example?)  So , yeah, I’m glad she didn’t bring Jesus into the Fripp Island book.

Below is the back page, showing a pretty darn good picture of the back of Aunt Trudy’s beach house, and Ally the Alligator below the porch. This looks ominous but is actually one of our favorite things to do at the beach- sit and play on the porch while watching for Ally to swim by. Just to make sure the kids don’t start to think of Ally as a pet, I told them that Ally eats small children. I think that was effective.

Upon her husband’s announcement that he has been having an affair, this is (in part) what Jenny Sanford said:

“Psalm 127 states that sons are a gift from the Lord and children a reward from Him. I will continue to pour my energy into raising our sons to be honorable young men. I remain willing to forgive Mark completely for his indiscretions and to welcome him back, in time, if he continues to work toward reconciliation with a true spirit of humility and repentance.”

I think this is the Southern Lady way of saying, “I would kick him in the balls, but I have too much class.”

Check out TPO’s latest post about the cutest, best choir in America. LOVE THEM.

See them here.

And here. Check out how much FUN they are having!!! 

Day 2 of Weight Watchers and I remember why I love the plan. I’ve had a little bit of indulgence each day: a Pizza Hut Personal Pan Pizza ( Veggie) one day, and some Reese’s Pieces and a glass of wine today. But in general, my food choices are pretty good. Lots of fruits, veggies, yogurt, etc. So far, so good.No exercise yet, but it’s going to ramp up very, very soon.

Day 2 of Cheer Camp is also going well. Today, Katherine learned to flip her hair. On the last count of each move, she puts her hand into her hair and does a little ‘flip.’ It’s both endearing and disturbing, all at once.

Cheer Camp: $80

New Sneakers: $10

Video of Katherine cheering: Freaking priceless

How much booty shaking should be going on in a five year old’s cheer camp? Little to none, I say. But the girls that run cheer camp? They think that cheering is all about the booty.

Fine with me, so long as Katherine doesn’t ask me to buy her shorts that have words on the butt. No “Juicy” for my little girl.

Also, the cheer instructors (heads of the cheer-ocracy?) told me when I picked Katherine up that tomorrow she needs to be wearing socks and sneakers. Yea…ummm, she doesn’t own any sneakers. I hate socks, and refuse to buy summer shoes that require them. I’m hoping that somewhere in her hand me down bags there is a pair of sneakers that will fit her. Otherwise, I guess it’s a Target trip for me. (I know. Doesn’t that sound just awful? )

Since my daughter announced that she is going to spend cheer camp cheering for the Gamecocks (GROSS) I’ve been trying to indoctrinate her in the proper team to cheer for- the Clemson Tigers. Tomorrow is her first day of camp, and I decided she needed a Clemson t-shirt to wear. Then I imagined that I could make cute little pony tail ribbons in orange, white and purple, and maybe even buy her a cute little white skirt/skort to go with it. Too cute. Only problem? No Clemson t-shirts ANYWHERE in town.

I spent the better part of two hours searching for one and came up with one orange boy’s sweatshirt. Hello, WalMart? Girls like team sports, too. AND, it’s 98 freaking degrees outside. How about a t-shirt instead of sweatshirts?

I halfway considered buying some Clemson scrubs that were at WalMart  and using them to make a dress, but then realized that A. my sewing machine is broken and B. I am putting too much effort into a cheer camp outfit. A cute little short/shirt combo will be fine for cheer camp, right? Sure. And if the other kids are all outfitted in their favorite team attire, she’ll be OK. I’ll die a little inside but she will be FINE.
(If her first day of cheer camp attire is this big of a deal, imagine what the first day of Kindergarten will do to me. Just sayin’.)

Lots of bloggers have Wordless Wednesdays, where they post photos that speak for themselves. I’ve never been good at letting anything speak for itself because I have too big of a mouth to be quiet, so I’m posting this on a Sunday when I can feel free to add all the words I want.

Below are a few pictures from the nature preserve that is my brother-in-law’s brother’s beach house. ( You catch all that?) It’s an amazing spot with wildlife you just don’t see on a normal beach. Check it. (More beach photos to come later in the week, if I’m not too famished from all the dieting to post.)

My BIL, the nature expert. He identified lots of cool stuff for us and was great at telling the kids all about it. He looks like some sort of field guide here, holding a beautiful Welch that just moments earlier had spit water at us before retreating into its shell. Pretty orange, eh? Go Tigers.

Aunt Kimmie and Katherine checking out the hermit crabs, before Katherine decided that she was totally freaked out by the hundreds of oyster shells waiting to slice her open. No idea where she got that fear from. None at all. ( oops.)

Katherine, totally thrilled to be holding the Welch.

Charlotte hanging out on the rope swing. We MUST get one of these at home. Hours of entertainment, I’m sure. (That’s Grandmom Cheryl in the background, there. I cut her out of the picture only because she was wearing her bathing suit and while she looked kick-ass fabulous in it, I know that I would beat the poo out of anyone that posted a picture of me, on the internet, in my swimsuit. )

Thanks to Richard and Tabitha for letting us crash your home, especially since you weren’t there at all.

I signed up for WW Online last night. I will begin tomorrow morning.