ivyyyyyy, ivy crocket!

For over 6 months now she's insisted on wearing that toy fruit basket on top of her head. I fear what will happen when said basket is too small for her head, I'm thinking an upgrade to the 14 pc. veggie basket will be in order.

Bowling & Jowling (That'd be catchier if it rhymed).

Today we went on an afternoon Thurs-date to Brunswick Alley & Arcade. We bowled and watched Ivy play Dance Dance Revolution and watched Geoff play that one game where you hit the tall thing with a hammer and it lights up if you're really strong, you know the one. At the end of our visit we cashed in our 27 tickets for  a Jolly Rancher sucker and one of those suction froggy-poppers. It was such a fun time, and that means a lot coming from me because I used to hate bowling. I once cried as a kid because my family made me go bowling. The things first-world kids go through!

 My dislike for bowling does not stem from the fact that I'm awful at it (well that might be a major contributing factor), it's because I never liked the idea of a sport that required me to have my backside face my bowling peers. Talk about vulnerablility! And also I'm pretty self-consious about my backside.

While I'm on the topic, you should hear my inner dialogue while I'm up to bowl. When I bowl poorly, I very quickly swivel around, red-faced, only to see encouraging smiles and I think, "Don't make eye contact! Also don't look too disappointed or you'll look like a poor sport!" 

Then theres the one time in the game when I may actually bowl pretty well, and that's even worse, I tell you what. I slowly turn around, red-faced, to see people clapping and giving me the thumbs-up. That's when the anxiety sets in. I think, "Don't look too excited! Hold back the egyptian walk Stacie! Hold back the river-dance and the kick-ball-chaines! Don't even get yourself started with the back-handsprings! Most importantly, don't let them see you smile Stacie!" (How glad are you that you don't live in this over-thinking, self-consious and anxiety-ridden head? Add delusional to that list, because I don't know how to do back-handsprings.) 

Anyways, today I was able to let the frowns and competitiveness and jazz-walks and hollering and most importantly the smiles all come out, and I broke 200 and got a Turkey. (Actually 98 and no turkey, but who's counting?) I blame it all on my little family of jowlers and nose-pickers, they make me really happy. Happy enough to bowl without breaking out in hives, even.

craproom < craftroom

We've lived in our house for almost two years. That means that for almost two years we put everything we didn't know what to do with into an extra bedroom, and shut the door. I think that classifies us as hoarders or something, but I don't know. Anyway, no need to submit us to A&E anymore. A few weekends ago we cleared the room, had a garage sale, and Geoff got working on the floors and furniture assembling. I'm really excited about this new livable, workable, and walkable space. It feels great to simplify and get rid of everything we don't need. I hope I can keep it that way, otherwise this could be a vicious cycle. Wish me luck, because I don't think I can handle another garage sale.

 Anyways, I don't really like calling it my craft room because, well I don't really do crafts (actually I did glue that glitter onto those letters..so... there's that). It's more of a "catch-all" room for all my half-done projects, work, sewing machine, mail, clutter, and you know, stuff. (Oh crap maybe I really do have hoarding tendencies!)

Children's Museum of PHX.

Last weekend we went to the Children's Museum of Phoenix with some friends. (Free First Friday night) 

It was our first time there and it was totally worth the hour of standing in line outside on the sweatiest night of the year. I'll credit that to the sweaty DJ who played hits like, "The Candy Man" and danced for us. 

We loved it so much we went back 5 days later with 5 cousins from the White side and Grammy. Papa White even snuck away from work and met us for lunch and played a while. I made sure to bring my camera this time around because this is one of Ivy's last play-dates with the Wilson kids before they move on Saturday. I'm sure if Ivy knew that was the case she would have pouted the whole time. Kinley is Ives' favorite babysitter of all time, she is such a good cousin and friend and little mom to Ivy! She'll be missed by both of us, as will the rest of the Wilson fam.

I may have to get ourselves a membership, there's so much to do! (Any East Valley-ers have a membership? Do you go as often as you thought?)

Mo' from Show Low.

Ivy loves hanging with her 3 girl cousins on the Lang side and can't wait for one more girl to join their posse in just a couple months. Cousins are the best!

Boww now now nowwww Bow now now nowwwww..

Sadly my Sisters and Mom and I had one of our last complete GNO's for a while last night. Other than two birthdays to celebrate, we had a farewell for my oldest sister Lynsi who is moving out of state somewhere in a week. I'd tell you where they're moving to but they don't really know either. (No, they're not in the witness relocation program ;) It's exciting but sad and we will surely miss her and her awesome husband and their five hilarious kids. Anyways, we went to Barrio Cafe where we ate a bowl of our favorite guacamole in record time and even passed this video around the table. You can imagine how rowdy things got.

We moved the party to DQ afterward where we ate reeses blizzards with "extra chunks" courtesy of Lynsi. What would we do without you girl? We love you!

Lang-cation to Show Low 2.0 (as told by our phones).

It's a good thing both of our families know how to vacation, otherwise we'd have no coat tails to ride on all summer. This past week we got to go to Torreon with Geoffreys family again. Cuzzy time, rollerblading, skateboarding, snacking, storm-watching, four-squaring, yahtzee-ing, corn-holing, go karting, bowling, running, mantle jumping, balcony jumping, and tetris playing were had. Can't wait till next year. Thanks Frank and Joni! :)