Fashion Models:
Courtney

Here he is.

Courtney's cat.

The one I told her she couldn't have.

The one her daddy let her have anyway.

The one she named Banana.

Banana Pancake, to be exact.

Banana, for short.

We took him outside.

It was his first time outdoors.

His first time to feel the grass and hear the birds.

He just sort of stood there.

He was kinda freaked out.

A bit of a scaredy cat.

I took these picutres ... not because I think he is so cute.

Not because I love him to pieces.

Not because he is so sweet that I just want to pour maple syrup all over him and eat him up!

Not even because he is the 11th member and an essential part of our happy little family.

Nooooo ...

I took these pictures ...

So I could practice using my ...

Canon Rebel XTI.

The one I got ...

5 months ago ...

The one I got for ...

CHRISTMAS!

On the upside ... It took me a lot of pictures to get these four - and they're not all that great. I learned A LOT about what NOT TO DO, in the process of taking these four measly pictures. But ... I'm not giving up. I'm going to learn how to use this camera - learn all of its functions and dials and buttons and knobs and ... settings. I'm determined to learn it - I know I can do it!

(MamaGeek and Kami - So ... what do you think? Am I on my way to being a real photographer - like you guys? Can you see those whiskers?)

Photo Story Friday
(Sorry - can't get my PSF photo to load ????)

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

Okay ...

So ...

I have this cute little deck off of my second story bedroom that I like to go out on to be by myself.

I go out there to drink my coffee.

I go out there to look at the birds (no I don't - who has time to look at the birds - ACK!).

I go out there when I need to have a quiet place to think.

I go out there to read a book or a magazine.

I love my little deck and it is normally very peaceful.

That is ...

Unless one of my kids searches me out ...

These are sticky notes plastered to the inside of one of the doors that leads out to my nice little, peaceful deck.

Let's take closer look - shall we.

This is a term of endearment my older daughter's have resorted to calling me.

Instead of ... Mom or Mother or Mama or Mommy ...

They call me MEH. Scream it out loud - go ahead. That's what it sounds like when Courtney or Chloe are looking for me in my house, "MEH!"

Okay ...

Let's see what Courtney found so important that she had to disturb me on my quiet little deck and use my expensive sticky-notes to write me this long message.

She has been begging me for weeks, "Please MEH! Can I have a puppy for my Birthday. Please. Please. Please."

She is not getting a puppy!

Now get on outta here and let me look at the damn birds!

-

Daughter came home from Texas State over the weekend.

She crawled into bed with me, woke me up with her funny laugh and smelling of Tacos.

I lost her in the house later in the morning - sent her a text saying ... "Where are you. Come spend time with me."

She sent me a text back saying ..."We're... playing hide and seek. You have to come find me :)"

I love her so much.

I want her always to be my little girl!!

-

We are a LOUD family!

Not only are we LOUD because there are so many kids in our house that talk A LOT - play LOUD music and games and TVs - but ... we are just those sort of LOUD people - you know!

My husband is the quietest of the bunch.

Then Little Billy.

Then Chloe.

But ...

Me and Courtney and Alexis got the LOUD personalities and LOUD voices - the LOUD gene. LOUD!

Courtney is the LOUDEST of the whole On The Upside family.

She is!

She is theatrical!

She is flamboyant!

She is dramatic!

And ...

She talks LOUDLY!

It's her trademark.

Her signature trait.

She is LOUD!

One day recently, she was telling me, "Sometimes ... my mind ... YELLS at me," she was so serious.

I said, "What do you mean? You hear ... voices?" I was secretly a bit worried about this odd statement.

She said, "NO - it's my thoughts. They YELL at me, like when I'm trying to go to sleep - and I have to tell them - STOP - STOP YELLING AT ME!" she explained - LOUDLY.

I say, "Does that work?"

She says, "NO ... not until I do what they say."

"Are they screaming at you to do bad things?" I ask.

"No," she says, "Just normal stuff - like if I'm thinking about things I need to do - like my homework - my mind is YELLING for me to do it - you know?"

I said, "Yes, Hon," just so the poor thing wouldn't think there was something seriously wrong.

On the upside ... I wanted to say ... "That's what they call - karma - Sweetie! Now you know ... how we feel!"