MANNY"S TEX MEX
Team Mom Dione.... 
Goofing around 
"I'll wipe the Queso, Messy Daddy"
BROOKIE LOVES IT TOO!
Today Brooklyn and I joined Carrie, Presley and Sam along with her friend Shelley and her son Austin for a day at the Dallas Arboretum. They have kids days on Monday and Tuesday every week through the end of May with all kinds of activities as well as a petting zoo, face painting and sing a long time - and the weather is perfect this time of year. Very first thing was FACE PAINTING - not sure how that was going to go over with Brooklyn seeing she is soooooo shy but she was a trooper and picked a green (verde - she knows her colors in spanish) Butterfly and it was so cute. Then off to sing along time which she also loves - she does that at storytime at the library. She liked the petting zoo but not fond of the HUGE frogs that shot water. T
here was so much to do and it was so BEAUTIFUL - what a fun filled morning and afternoon and still home in time to get kids from school - we will definately go back anytime. The only thing we didnt have was a picnic lunch - Next Time! 
Ouch - mosquito bites all over her legs and she had medicine on all of them, so I asked her what she used and she brings me this tube of "Anti Itch" cream. EEEWWWWWW - wrong cream, Scott and I laughed hysterically at her - when I explained to her what "that" cream was for she was quite grossed out. She was wondering what the odor control was all about. It was to funny not to share.
I am not sure he was feeling so "Lucky" this morning. He is 18 years old (how long are they supposed to live?) and DOES NOT like kids touching him. Brooklyn doesnt care, she proceeded to decorate him this morning. She took all of her diving rings for the pool and one at a time put them on the cat. The whole time he was going "mmmeeeeeooooowwww" like it was the end of the world. Even after Scott helped him out by taking them off Brooklyn put them right back on. She loves her Kitty - even though he doesnt like her.
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POOR Scott - what a birthday he had. We had reservations to try a new trendy restaurant in Addison - Go Fish and then to meet up with a bunch of his co-workers at the Piano Bar (we haven't had that type of going out night in a long time. He went and played golf Saturday morning and when he got home he told me that his tooth was hurting - well I guess so his face was HUGE - completely swollen - he looked like a chipmunk. I sent him right on to an Emergency Dentist which resulted in a root canal - the dentist couldnt believe he was still standing with his tooth in that condition. So we ended up cancelling our night out on the town - his face was way to swollen and the three of us (me, Scott and Brooklyn) took on a movie at the studio movie grill (where it's dark) - we saw "Forgetting Sara Marshall" - FUNNY! It wasnt what he planned on but we still had a good time. We also did brunch at The Cheesecake Factory (his favorite) Sunday morning which made it all better. The dentist said the swelling would go down by the end of the day Saturday and Sunday night it was still huge. Hopefully its down by Monday or he may be going back to see the dentist again.
"Happy Birthday Daddy"
Well now I have 3 teenagers (I am really getting OLD - except for my 2 yr old Brookie - who keeps me kind of young) - Thirteen is a big birthday at our house - we did it with both the boys and now with Bailey - we had a big stretch limo pick her and about 10 of her friends up at school - and WOW does that make them important. From school we headed to Frisco to pick up Hayley (a long time friend who goes to a different school) - then to Double Daves for pizza. We hung out there for about an hour and then the limo took them all back to our house for the beginning of a very long night - SLEEP OVER! Actually they were pretty good. It is so fun for me to watch her with all of her friends - she is such a strong personality. They are more and more interesting as they mature (well kind of mature - we did have the start of a food fight when we did cake). She banked on gifts and money and giftcards- Thank you everyone. So now we are done with limo parties for a while but I think she is already planning her "Sweet 1
6 Party" - I am scared she expects it to be a GRAND event (she watches to much MTV). 
Across the street from our new house is a big beautiful pond - and we are just starting to see ducks swimming in it in the early morning at least until all the construction guys get there. Fun for kids to feed the ducks right? - so we save up our bread crusts and old buns for weeks. In our pjs we head over, we get half way over there and I guess the ducks see us coming and GONE, AWAY THEY FLY - bummer! Fun ruined - so NOW........... we are going to FEED THE TURTLES - yeah! Do turtles eat bread? Not real sure it was all still floating when we left - hopefully one day the ducks wont be scared and we will be able to feed them - but for now we settle for turtles.
The statistics AMAZE me - it is so sad how poorly some people are living (even here in the United Sates) - I feel very fortunate to have the life that I have - with having Blane in the hospital for 6 days in December I really realize how having access to medical care is so important therefore, this is the first time that I (we as a family) have taken part in making a donation to the American Idol Gives Back Fund - I feel that the money really ends up where they say it will. I hope that anyone who is able also donates to help make a difference.
It is easy and a tax write off and we all need as many of those as possible. http://www.americanidol.com/
It feels good to know you are making a difference in someones life.
2008 Beneficiary Organizations
$20 - Provide a day's worth of nutritious hot meals and snacks for 3 kids in a U.S. feeding program.
$50 - 5 nets or enough Malariapills to save 100 kids from Malaria in Kenya.
$100 - A year's worth of food for one orphan in Kenya.
$250 - Books for a year for 3kids at a U.S. after-school reading program.
Children's Defense Fund -- For 35 years the Children's Defense Fund (CDF) has worked relentlessly to ensure a level playing field for all children by lifting them out of poverty, protecting them from abuse and neglect, and ensuring access to health care, quality education, and a moral and spiritual foundation to help them succeed with the help of caring adults and communities. Begun in 1973, CDF is a private, nonprofit organization supported by foundation and corporate grants and individual donations and does not take government funds.
The Children's Health Fund -- Founded in 1987 by singer/songwriter Paul Simon, and pediatrician/advocate Irwin Redlener, MD, The Children's Health Fund (CHF) is committed to providing health care to the nation's most medically under-served children and their families through the development and support of innovative medical programs, response to public health crises, and the promotion of guaranteed access to appropriate health care for all children. They partner with major academic medical centers to deliver health care to disadvantaged children and families in both rural and urban areas across the country.
The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria -- Bono has campaigned in the United States and around the world on behalf of the Global Fund with his two organizations: ONE, which lobbies governments, and (RED), which targets the private sector for contributions. The Global Fund is the world's leading funder of programs to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, which together kill over 6 million people per year. Created in 2002, the Global Fund has approved 450 grants to programs worth $7 billion in 136 countries. Of this, $2.3 billion has been committed to AIDS programs in Africa. As of December 2006, Global Fund-financed programs had put 770,000 people on antiretroviral (ARV) treatment; distributed 18 million insecticide-treated bed nets to combat malaria; and detected and treated more than 2 million TB cases, which are rising sharply due to co-infection with HIV. All Global Fund-financed programs support 2 million orphans around the world.
Make It Right -- In December 2007, Brad Pitt launched a national fundraising campaign to help New Orleans recover from the lasting devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina. MAKE IT RIGHT is committed to building 150 houses in the Lower Ninth Ward, and ensuring a green, affordable, sustainable and replicable community to serve as a model for further rebuilding throughout the city.
Malaria No More -- >Malaria No More's mission is simple: to end deaths due to malaria. Although it is preventable and treatable, malaria continues to kill more children in Africa than any other disease, claiming more than 1 million lives a year. Malaria No More works to raise the profile of this crisis among the public, policymakers, and businesses, while engaging the private sector to provide life-saving mosquito nets and other critical interventions to families in Africa. Through the support of Idol Gives Back 2007, Malaria No More has protected more than a million mothers and children from malaria to date in Uganda, Zambia, Angola, Madagascar, and Mali.
Save the Children -- Save the Children is the leading independent organization creating real and lasting change for children in need in the United States and around the world. Save the Children's U.S. Programs focus on underserved rural areas, where one in five children lives in poverty. Partnering with schools and community organizations, Save the Children provides high quality early childhood education services for children from birth to age five and literacy, physical activity and nutrition programs for children in kindergarten through eighth grade, benefiting over 35,000 children nationwide. Save the Children' work in the United States also includes emergency preparedness, response and recovery. When a disaster strikes, Save the Children deploys trained teams to help displaced children and families and provide more secure environments. In addition, Save the Children works with local, state and national governments to ensure that the unique needs of children are integral in emergency response plans.
