Murder High Class of 1985 Reunion

My friend, Sheri, hosted a Murder Mystery Dinner for her husband, David's 40th birthday. The theme was the Murder High Class of 1985 Reunion. We were each assigned a character with background info and even given different instructions throughout the night. We were also given play money with which to bribe and/or extort each other with. At one point, one of us in the class is murdered and naturally, one of us did it. At the end of the night we each had to guess who did it,( Hint: It wasn't Col. Mustard in the Conservatory with the candlestick.) and we also voted on best dressed, best actor, and revealed how much wealth we ended up with. We had the BEST time!

My assigned character was Mallory Majesty, the prom queen. She is very wealthy, thanks to Daddy who owns the small town she lives in. Basically, she can't let go of her glory days as a beauty pageant winner, but really holds tight to her title of Prom Queen. She is married to Mike Majesty (Mac), who was Prom King and works for her Daddy at his power plant and is bribing the presidential hopeful to pass a bill that is bad for the environment, but will make him an instant millionaire. Mallory makes Mike wait on her hand and foot and constantly reminds him that he wouldn't have a job if it weren't for her daddy. Mallory doesn't miss many photo ops and always with that pageant smile.

The Murder High Class of 1985 Senior Pictures.

Mike Majesty's senior picture.

As if my hair could have ever done that.

Mallory and Mike, complete with tiara/crown and sashes

Beware of the glare of Mike's shoes.

Cindy Crawfish, the class flirt, and Judd Jensen, Class Stud

Terry Johnson (Hall Monitor) and Molly Ringworm (Drama Queen) with her Emmy

Sally Sax, Marching Band and Danny Drums, Band (I keep thinking Slash of Guns 'N Roses.)

Cindy, Sally, Nancy Nixon (Class Vice President), Mallory

Mallory making Mike wait on her hand and foot and Mike expressing his love for her through his eyes.

Cindy and Mallory

Not one to let a camera flash without her in it.

The 3 friends that "ruled the school"

Judd, Mike, and Joe Nebraska, (The Jock)

The girls of Murder High

Myra Keaton, (Math Team Cheerleader), Sally Sax, Natalie Nebraska (Cheerleader),Pamela Abdul (Pom Pom Squad), Mallory Majesty, Bailey Babble (Class Gossip), Cindy Crawfish, Bobbie Bright (Valedictorian), Nancy Nixon, and Molly Ringworm and her Emmy.

Naturally, Mallory wanted another picture with her other best side.

The Host and Birthday Honoree, Nick Nixon (Class President) and Nancy Nixon. Mallory just knew they would want her in their picture. After all, what's a picture without the Prom Queen.

Ruining Mallory's perfectly good reminiscing about prom, Steve Spielson (Visual Arts) had to go and get murdered.

Turns out Molly Ringworm was the murderer. She hit him with a blunt object...perhaps her EMMY?!

Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture of everybody. Being the self-indulgent, controlling, socialite Mallory Majesty was work, incredibly fun work, but still work. Besides Mallory wants to be in front of the camera, not behind it. (My cheeks still hurt from all that pageant smiling.)

It truly was a great time with great friends!!
Thanks!!

Hometown Hoedown

The children had themselves a hoedown at school last week. Nice to see my school tax dollars hard at work. Actually, it's a fun way for the kids to get exercise during the PE hour. We certainly never did anything that fun. So, anyway the kids were supposed to put on the western duds to help get into the spirit of the event. Now, I know you're thinking, "I bet they have loads of western clothes..they live in Texas, after all." Well, I don't. Just like when I lived in Mississippi, I didn't have a hoop skirt, the recipe for mint julips, or a cotton gin in the back of my closet. Fortunately, since it was the night before, I was able to pull some stuff from the closets and put together an outfit with a western vibe to it. Let's face it, a bandana and pigtails go a long way. During the hoedown, the kids danced to the Hannah Montana "Hoedown" song and then the Cotton Eye Joe. The Cotton Eye Joe and I go waaaaay back, so when the PE teachers made the parents get out on the floor and dance it, I was so prepared.

Armed and dangerous.

Armed and fabulous.

Holland's Economic Lesson #1

When you have so many Barbies that they no longer all fit in the drawer, it's time to let some go. Remember it's not personal, it's just business.

Team Holland vs Team Hungary

Grey had his first soccer game Saturday. (Last week's was rained out which is pretty standard for the soccer season in Houston.) It was a bit of a romp and not in a good way for us. Team Hungary put the hurtin' on Team Holland to the tune of 7-2. Naturally, you say, put the loss behind you and focus on next week. Well, we discovered that there are only 2 teams in this division. You got it, we play Team Hungary every game. Mac says to just look at it as a 8 game playoff series. Somehow, I'm not encouraged by that.

I think this picture of Grey and Assistant Coach Mac sums up the general mood of Team Holland.

Holland

I think it brings out the blue in her eyes, don't you?

World Cup Soccer, Upwards Style

It's time again for soccer, and we are playing with the Upwards league again. Grey will be playing in the 4th-6th grade division. This year the teams are named World Cup style....after countries. What country did Grey get, you ask? He is on........ Team Holland

He didn't find it as amusing as the rest of us did.

More Than Good Intentions This Year

In order to avoid this scenario again, (January 2009)


I loaded up my unsuspecting kids as soon as they got off the bus and took them to get their flu shots. They handled it very well.
No bribery required, not even the chocolate kind.

Schlitterbahn 2009

We promised the kids that we would take them to Schlitterbahn in Galveston before school started. So, the Friday before school started we loaded up and headed down there. I know it seems like we waited until the last minute, but it wasn't as crowded because most schools had started and it was tax-free weekend so lots of people were shopping. I am a firm believer that timing is everything.

We got there as the doors opened and then let those same doors hit us on the way out as they closed. We had a blast!!

Waiting in line for a ride.

I would comment on my hair, but I think I have sufficiently covered the horrific effects of air drying on my hair in prior posts.

Grey took on the Boogie Bahn which was boogie boarding the waves. Not as easy as it looks.

Hang ten, Grey.

Not to be shown up by a 9 year old, Mac takes on the Boogie Bahn for himself.

Holland and I sat on the bleachers, in the shade, eating Dippin Dots.

Holland and her personal tube chauffeur

The lazy river was anything but lazy. We rode the rapids and the waves around and around and around. It was a lot of fun, but a lot of work to try and stay together.

Holland and Mac ridin' the Guada Loopy.

Mac, on the left there, not only tried that blue side, but went back up and tried the middle pink slide, the one where the guy in the pic is checking to make sure everything he started with at the top of the slide made it with him to the bottom, either that or he's working out a wedgie. Grey took the blue slide on the right.

As scary as this ride was, nothing was as scary as our drive home. We drove straight into a severe thunderstorm. Lightning was striking everywhere around us, and Grey kept his eyes peeled for a funnel cloud. As we hit the Beltway, the bottom fell out. We got to one of the big bridges just as the sky turned dark as night, the rain hit even harder and we were crossing the bridge at 35 mph with our hazard lights on. Just as we got to the very top, we heard a loud BOOM and watched as lightning struck the streetlight less than 10 feet from us. We saw sparks fly down around us. FREAKY!

I am so thankful for that streetlight, because otherwise WE would have been the tallest thing on the bridge, and I wasn't sure how our insurance company would feel about a second claim involving lightning in 3.5 years. I'd hate to have our file labeled, "lightning prone".

Friend

Friend (noun)- A person attached to another by feelings of affection or personal regard.

We just call her Deanna.

We Got Spirit, Yes We Do....

This summer Holland got to do a week of Upwards Cheer Camp. They cheered, they danced, they waved pom poms; Holland was in heaven.

Here's her squad, The Diamonds.

(She's the 3rd from the left.)

At the pep rally, Mac won the spirit stick. Surprised? Me neither.



Holland, Deanna, & Terry

Holland, representin' the Diamond Squad and Deanna, representin' the Blue Unicorn Squad

Gimme an A-v-e-r-y and an A-d-i-s-y-n and a D-e-a-n-n-a and a H-o-l-l-a-n-d

She's got spirit, how 'bout you?!

First Day Of School

And just like that, we are back into the school days dance. I have discovered that as I have gotten older, I really like routine, and you don't get any more routine than when school is in. I don't really mind getting the day rolling before 7:00 am. It's a sickness, really.

"their backpacks were hung by the front door with care,

in hopes that the bus soon would be there...."

First day in the first grade.....I hope Billy Joe McGuffy isn't in her class....

(Veggie Tales flashback)


Fourth Grader, nuff said.

I wanted a pic with the kids for posterity.

(Excuse my attire and hair...I was gym mode.)

Holland and Ms. S.

You won't see a pic of Grey and his teacher. Those days are over. However, he does like her so far...of course, it's only been one day.

After taking two 4-hour naps, Texas awaits the kids' return.

Close, But No Cigar

I have been asking Holland if she wants to get her ears pierced. Yes, you read that right, I have been asking her not the other way around. I don't know why, but I have been wanting her to get them pierced. Maybe I want to secretly share unicorn earrings, I don't know. Anyway she has been adamant about not wanting it. She'll tell me, "not every girl has her ear pierced." and I come back with, " But your friend, Avery and Tiffany and Terry do.." And she says, "that doesn't mean I have to.."
The role reversal is a little weird, I admit.

Anyway, on this day, I had her convinced and she was excited, sort of, about it. She picked out earrings that matched her friend Avery's, sat in the chair, and held onto the bear. I even had 2 girls ready to do it, so she could have both ears pierced at the same time.
So, the girl went over the paperwork with me, and talked about cleaning them to prevent infection and so on and so on. I kind of tuned her out because, well, this wasn't my first ear piercing rodeo.
Then the girl had to run check another customer out and while she was gone, my carefully laid plan fell apart. Apparently, all Holland heard in the girl's speech was the word "infection". And with Holland, it only takes a single word to make her come unglued, and that was the magic word. The tears started, she started asking about what we do about an infection, would we go to the doctor, what, what would happen..... I brought in my back-up salesman, Grey who tried to distract her from thinking about it and was actually pretty successful until this 9 yr old girl walked over to lend her unsolicited support. I'll refer to her as "miss anti-helpful." Miss anti-helpful says, " Girl, when I got my ears pierced, you could hear my screams at the other end of the mall.....but I was happy afterwards."
I looked over at Grey, who just looked down and shook his head. We threw up the white flag.

There would be no piercings that day. Sure, I could have forced the issue, but I want it to be a good memory. Besides, she is going to be one of the ones that chooses my nursing home. Better not to have any traumatic memories for her to draw upon when that day comes.

All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth....

It's really the only season in life when missing your two front teeth is considered cute.

The Hurricane Evacuees Reunion

We met up with my good friend from college, Emily and her clan at the Kemah Boardwalk for some Joe's Crab Shack dinner, a couple of rides, and some reminiscing about our hurricane experience. This was our first time to see Kemah since Ike put the hurtin' on it last September. Of course, I figured that the Landry's family/corporation were going to have it rebuilt quickly. They're not one to let a dollar of profit get away for too long. If only the rest of the Ike victims could receive that kind of attention......
I will now step down and away from my soapbox. The best way to describe Kemah was, "HOT". As any Houstonian knows, we have 2 seasons; Summer and August. This is why the daytime in the summer in south Texas should be spent indoors or IN a pool, lake, ocean, bathtub, basically submerged in a liquid, and sweat doesn't count. So, we ventured down to the water to catch a breeze. We'll definitely be coming back to Kemah....in the fall.

The heat was no longer a factor for Holland once Lindsey arrived. It was like no time had passed since they saw each other.

Me and Emily

I wish we had taken this picture earlier, before Humidity ran its sticky fingers through my hair.

We had a great time, McKnight's!

Same time, next week?