Why the hell didn't I think of that???

There are a few items that I have found in my life, that the minute I see it I think...."why the hell didn't I think of that?" Such a simple thing...yet once discovered, something I can't live without.

When my daughter turned 10 she asked for an American Girl Doll. Now if you have never heard of these dolls, then you are not alone...but you are in the dark. I had heard about them but assumed they were your typical, run of the mill doll. NOT. These are beautiful, expensive, popular, expensive...did I already say expensive...dolls. And they are such a money maker that it's one of those...Why couldn't I have thought of that...ideas! Is there a Canadian Girls Doll out there? Hmmmm.......

Brooklyn designed hers to look just like her from the skin color, to the brown eyes to the shade and length of her hair. She cost a whopping $100 and I thought...how ridiculous to pay that amount of money for a doll for a 10 year old to play with for a few months until the novelty wears off. But the more I thought about it.....I decided if she wanted to still play with dolls then I would get it for her because before I know it my 10 year old will be 16 years old and wanting to play with boys. If she is still playing with the doll at 16...I'll start to get concerned then!

So her American Girl doll came and she named her Alyssa. Along with the doll came a magazine. Now the AG magazine for a 10 year old is equivalent to the Sunday Target ads for me!! She locks herself in her room, sprawls across her bed and starts scrolling through and circling everything that she wants. You seriously can get ANYTHING your little heart desires for your doll. One look at some of the prices of the items she circled and I almost had a mini stroke. The only thing I could possible afford for her was a hair brush! But Sucker that I am (and Sucker with a capital S) I caved and bought her an outfit for Alyssa that cost almost as much as my wedding dress. The only good thing is that whenever her aunt or Godmother asks what they can get her for a gift...I always have a list of clothes, accessories and pets that Brooklyn has complied in hopes of furnishing her American girl, Alyssa's, rockstar lifestyle!

This week for Spring Break we flew to Chesterton, Indianna to visit with Tracy, Scott and the other Webb kiddies. Saturday we decided to leave the boys with Scott and take the girls...Brooklyn and Sydney...into Chicago to the American Girl Store on the Miracle Mile in downtown Chicago.

She was sooooo excited. I lost track of the number of times she told me "Thank You mommy for taking me here." Then she looked at me and said..."I never thought this day would ever happen!" We strolled through the store looking at all the Historical Girls and all the Girls of the Year. There are sections dedicated to each girl with all the clothes, furniture and activities pertaining to each girls specific year. It was all overwhelming! There was a photo studio where you could have a studio session with your doll and get a photo package. There was a whole library of all the AG books and movies for you to purchase. There was a hair salon...for the dolls. You could choose your style and then have a stylist create the updo.

There was also a doll hospital. We checked it out, because if you recall from facebook posts awhile back.....little brother Madden decided to use Alyssa's bum as his canvas to reveal his hidden artistic abilities!!!

Upstairs...yes, I said upstairs meaning that there are 2 whole floors dedicated to the dolls...was where you could purchase all the outfits and accessories for your custom created doll. I forwarned Brooklyn that I wasn't going to spend a months salary in here and that she could pick out one thing. She already had decided earlier on what she wanted. Matching pajamas. For Christmas she got the Sweet Treats doll pajamas and I guess wanted something for herself!

I bought them a size larger than what I normally would for her because for the price I paid for them... they are going to fit her until she leaves for University. I don't own anything, even from Victoria's Secret, that came close to what I paid for these pink p.j's!!

The night before, Tracy and I had checked the availability of lunch spots at the AG Cafe, but unfortunately (or fortunately for our wallets) there were no open spots left. When we got there, Tracy sneakily wrote our names on the waiting list for the 11am brunch. At 10:50am I get a call from her (since we were seperated in the store) that there was a no-show and we were going to eat there. Brooklyn near peed her pants on the spot she was so excited. So we plowed through everyone and made our way upstairs. Adorable isn't even a good word to use to describe our eating experience. The AG dolls had there own hairchair attached to the table. We got to choose from a varity of items on the menu, plus a drink and a super cute dessert plate. Sydney and Brooklyn had the best lunch ever and well Tracy and I really enjoyed ourselves too.

So I can honestly say Brooklyn's first...and probably ONLY...American Girl Store experience was surely a memorable one. The girls played the whole rest of the week with their dolls!

I won't write another blog about it, but let me tell you about this place called Build-A-Bear........

All 3 kiddies now have a Build-A-Bear. Brooklyn named her Bear....Coco. Dallas named his Polar Bear....Pokey and Madden just got his first Monkey and named him Bananas.

That about sums it up and should be my nick name when it comes to pleasing my kids with these money making ideas.... Bananas.

Bananas Sucker Webb!!!













Buy me some peanuts and cracker jacks...

Ahhh......baseball season is here again. Oh how I have a love/hate relationship with it! Hate because of the many hours I spend at practices....between 3 kids it totals about 9-10 hours a week. That's NOT including actual game time. Then there are the fundraisers, additional helmets, socks, belts, etc that have to be purchased. Also the grass and dirt stains that I have to deal with after the games. SERIOUSLY... who decided that white pants were a good idea for 7-8 year old boys??? Love...because come on...it's the All American sport (even though we are Canadian!) Those Saturday afternoons, cheering on the kids, stuffing your face with concession food, gossiping about the other moms (no Sharks, Hurricanes, Red, Bulls or Muckdog...moms, of course!!!)

Dallas seriously started playing last year. Got on a great new team with fabulous coaches and improved so much. At the end of the regular season, he was chosen to play on the All-Star team and even though he practiced 12-15 hours a week plus an hour of private batting lessons...it was soooo worth it in the end when we went to Chattanooga, Tennessee and the team placed 7th out of 52 teams in the World Series.

World Series

Pinellas Park Sharks #10

Hurricanes #10...2011

This last photo was taken at a Rays game at Tropicana Field. Dallas' batting coach Bob Wilson...has a son who plays for the Angels...hence, we were able to see him for a photo op. Dallas was in awe!

Sister Brooklyn has also been playing her fair share the last few years. She started off as a Pink Lady....pigtails, without a care in the world if she caught the ball or not in outfield , skipping with her helmet on..bat in hand to home plate, then swinging with all her might. My heart skipped a few beats that year since it was her first time playing and man...did all those other girls look sooo much bigger and sooo much better!!



Pink Lady up at bat!





More concerned with her hot dog than playing!



Bulls Softball #10...2011



Their first game of the season...their first win!

NOW...we have to add little Mad Man to the list of ball players in the house! Week one wasn't so great!! It was also opening day at the field and he took one look at all the bounce houses set up and off came the helmet and he headed straight for the bounce house. One track mind! This past weekend was much better. He actually made it into the dugout and put his helmet on and waited in line to bat. I considered that an accomplishment and had he wanted to leave then I would have! Baby steps. Next week we would try again and hope to actually make it onto the field. BUT....as luck would have it, he was in a baseball kinda mood and he swaggered up to the plate, took a couple swings, hit the ball off the tee and ran his little heart out around the bases. Bottom of the first and he was playing 1st base...which was a great thing. He was thrown the ball after each play so he was constantly on the move. Bottom of the 2nd...he played 3rd base and didn't get the ball once. This is what happens when a 3 year old doesn't get the ball at all....

Time to sit and play in the dirt!


DON"T FORGET TO SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SCREEN
AND TURN OFF THE MUSIC BEFORE CLICKING PLAY!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Yesterday Papa was nice enough to buy us tickets to a Spring training game. Toronto Blue Jays vs. Tampa Bay Rays. Being the multi-cultural Canadian/American family that we are....we were so confused as to who to cheer for!! So we just clapped and cheered for every play and every out!



Mmmmmm.....peanuts!!

Shaw's nickname is the Mayor of Pinellas Park...because seriously folks there isn't a soul he doesn't know around here. We cannot go out to eat, go shopping, stop at a store without bumping into someone he knows and saying hi. Same went for yesterdays baseball game. And guess who he knew? The pitcher for the Blue Jays. Him and Dallas ran down to the fence and hollered out to Jesse Litsch #51, former Boys and Girls Club member when Shaw worked there years and years and years ago! He was nice enough to sign a ball for Dallas!

So as annoying as 10pm bedtimes are on school nights due to 7:30pm game start time, as aggravating as those grass and mud stains are on white ball pants and the obscene amount of money we spend on concession food.....I wouldn't change it for all the peanuts and crackerjacks in the stadium! 

40 Days and 40 Nights....

Day 2....and I'm having MAJOR issues. I'm breaking out into a cold sweat, followed by hotflashes. My skin is all splotchy and I can't stop scratching. I have a tick in my eye and my lower lip is raw from chewing it.

 I'm going through Facebook Withdrawl.

 I have never, ever given anything up for Lent...ever. I once tried to give up soda, but 2 weeks into Lent we went on vacation and a gulped back a 32oz coke like my throat was on fire. Every year my mom...being the ever so faithful Catholic ex-nun... ALWAYS gave up candy, sweets and chocolate. I remember her making desserts for the rest of us to enjoy after dinner but she never ever caved. Come Easter Sunday...she devoured anything sweet that was placed in front of her.

Leading up to this Lenten season, I was thinking of different things that I could give up. I thought about dessert and chocolate BUT I'm going a cruise in one week and how can you resist those beautiful dessert bars on the cruise ship. That would just be setting myself up for disaster. Then I thought maybe fast food...but my life revolves around baseball these days and some days we have just enough time to get home from school, get homework finished and head off to the baseball field. Those days a drive through McDonalds or Wendys saves us.

Last year my facebook friend Kathy gave up facebook for Lent. I thought to myself....well, she can do that because she musn't be addicted to it like I am. Maybe she is, maybe she isn't. But she did give it up for 40 days and 40 nights. We welcomed her back Easter Sunday. I thought maybe I should do the same this year. The more I thought about it, the more I thought...I can do this.

I posted on Tuesday night that I was perhaps going to log off for a bit and got many, many fb messages saying not to do it! Awww......you love me people!! Then I got some people saying....I bet you can't do it. And those are the people I'm going to prove wrong!!! (Sarah and Robbyn!!!) LOL

Hello, my name is Rachelle and I am a fb addict.

I turn it on it the morning and read the news from when I've shut it down the night before. Then I minimize it and continually throughout the day walk by my laptop...which is conviently sitting on my kitchen table...tap the mouse to maximize the screen, and see who posted anything new....10 minutes later I do the same thing. My kids have told me on many occasions to get off the computer...or the 'puter as Madden calls it. Funny thing about him. His new independance in the bathroom when he's doing his duty. He's pushes me out of the door so he can have alone time and tells me to "go back to da 'puter."

Anyway....day 2 and I'm sooooo craving to log on and see who's posted a funny status updates, who shared a new youtube link, who created a new photo album, who's birthday it is, who invited me to an event or see who poked me, tagged me or deleted me!! If I could just click "like" one more time......

How am I going to show people my fabulous photos from my upcoming cruise? Or our upcoming Spring break trip to Chicago? Guess I'll just have to blog faithfully to release my inner ramblings.

But WAIT.....how is anybody even going to know that I'm rambling on here....since I can't post it to facebook!!!!  

.......Aggggghhhhh.......

But I can do this....only 39 more days.

Like Charlie Sheen says "Winning"...whatever the heck he's rambling on about these days...I'm not gonna cave in....I'm winning!!





P.S......Blogging is NOT a form of Social Networking...in MY rockstar world.