Getting ready to watch Dancing with the Stars – she had a table set up to judge. Then she performed!
Ready for school this morning
Yesterday all dressed up in her new fall clothes and on our way to Church
Crazy Lilly!
Have a great week everyone!
Don’t let this title fool you. While I do go shopping for myself, it is usually for the house – so not really for me. Somehow it seems like I spend all my money on Sofia (mainly her wardrobe).
Take today for instance, I had been good and saved my birthday money. So we went to the mall today. I have not been to the mall in months and months. But it was something to do after the game this afternoon (Roll Tide Roll). So we go to the mall and it went something like this:
I mean just look at her! How could I say no? By the way that massive pile of clothes behind her is the “to be Ebayed” pile.
The new Bling Shoes
Rainbow Wolfie
By the way, ROLLLLLLL TIDE ROLLLLLLL!
Sofia’s school carnival was tonight and we had a great time! I met some of the parents of kids in her class and it was not eve that hot outside. Of course she had a few meltdowns at the end of the night but overall, a great time!
LOVE them MUCHO MUCHO!!!! J.Crew (brand new) for $4.99!! While I do not see myself needing them much in AZ perhaps the right thing to do would be sell them on eBay. But I just can’t bring myself to do it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So I took the day off and it has been great! I took Sofia to school, came home cleaned the house, got dressed, went to school to have lunch with Sofia, went to the school book fair (can we say $25 gone) and now I am at home finishing up some tasks before I go pick Sofia up. She loves it when I can make it to parent pick-up and she doesn’t have to go to the afterschool program. The majority of the moms in my neighborhood (and at this school especially) do not work so anytime I can pick her she loves it! I made a few observations today while at school :
Don’t get me wrong, I am happy with Sofia’s school and it is the best school system around, but I sort of wish were in some little small town in 1981 and no one was worried about bad stuff happening and Halloween could be celebrated followed up with a big Christmas party. Ah, the good ole days.
Here is my little sassy gal on the way to school this morning
Friday is a PE day so tennis shoes are a must (much to my dismay)! Her shirt says “dots are the new pink”! We got this at that cute store called Little Miss Matched. Headbands are also her favorite thing right now. I bought some monogrammed ones from Etsy I am waiting on.
Have a great weekend everyone, I am going to try to get back on track with my blogging – I have been a big ole slacker!!!
last night – tucked snuggly into her own bed
this morning (and most mornings) – self-tucked into my bed!
So sorry I have been a random blogger lately. Trying to get things in order here! I have to pick Sofia’s school picture. I can’t believe how grown up she looks! I also think this might be the only non-smocked school picture she has!!
I think I am going with #1. What do you you think?
Hope everyone has a great weekend! Roll Tide!
There have been only a few toys over the last 5 years that have really seemed like money well spent. Well I gotta say, this dollhouse was! Sofia got it and all of the furniture and people for her 3rd birthday. So we have had it for nearly 3 years and she still plays with it. Sometimes as a dollhouse, sometimes as a hotel for dogs (post Hotel for Dogs the movie of course!). This particular house was the Fisher Price Loving Family version. It has held up really well (considering the earthquakes and things that often occur) and it is just fun to play with. Hey, it beats playing horses every day!
Why yes, I do love to play dollhouse sporting my Lilly Pulitzer shift dress!
The last few pictures show the results of the earthquake.
Run, don’t walk to QVC if you have a girl that is just getting interested in American Girl dolls. They have several great items that are set up on the easy pay option – which means they will bill you in 2-4 payments instead of one lump sum. Hurry on over!
Today was the first day of Nutcracker practice for Sofia. She only had Angel practice today. I also got both of her costumes. She likes the Angel the best.
Sofia also wanted to share some of her latest drawings
on the left is a puppy, on the right is an Alaskan Husky and a girl walking it on a leash.
Sofia is enrolled in (and attending) Mega Midweek Fun at our church at it is just the BEST! Each Wednesday night she is there from 6:15-8:15 and they have Missions, Music, Skills and Recreation classes. In her skills class she is making a blanket (you all know she loves her blankets). It is one of those kind that you tie in knots all down the sides to connect 2 pieces of fabric. Anyway she is all over that!
But perhaps her favorite part – which makes me very happy – is the music part. They are learning to sing Michael W. Smith’s “A New Hallelujah” - which they will perform for both church services in a few weeks. She sang it for me tonight in the car and she did so GREAT!!! I can not wait to see her sing at church. It is also a really great song, so here it is and enjoy!
Of course each Wednesday Sofia has Musical theatre before going to church and this week’s performance was too a song from Jungle Book. I must say I wonder about her enthusiasm some weeks!!
I tell you what, there is a whole lot of nothing going on around here! Just some random stuff:
and that is about it!
This is a picture of my friend Janet’s husband, Rick and his 2 kids who he has not seen in 4 years. Please read the story below and if you have any media connections and are able to help in any way, please contact Janet or Rick at the information below.
Help Rick get his children!
Category:
Description:
August 26, 2009
This is my Story and I am looking for help to put Pressure on Israel to let me see my two boys that I have not seen for over 3 years.
My Israeli Arab Muslim Wife has Taken my two Boys to Israel 6 Years Ago Never to Return. It’s been 3 Years since I have seen them and the Israeli Family Court has made it all too easy for her to make this possible. They have awarded me Custody rights to my children, but I cannot go to Israel to make sure it is enforced as my now ex-wife Ranya (In America Only) has had the same Court issue me with a “No Exit Order” while I was there for a third time attending a separate hearing, in the Sharia Court, relating to the actual divorce. This “No Exit Order” forbade me from leaving Israel. Two Emergency Hearings were held on this issue and her lawyers convinced the judge that I would not only stop support payments, but that I had an overseas bank account and I was a rich American. There was no evidence to support this and I submitted all appropriate W2 forms, paystubs etc. to prove it, but the judge still didn’t believe me. One month later, the court finally ruled I could leave if I provided a $100,000 cash guaranty as well as two court approved Israeli citizens who would sign as my guaranty and who could afford to pay $4,000/m. After nearly losing my job and being bulldozed by my Ranya’s lawyers, to pay her $300K and $6K/month, I had No Option but to Escape Israel as I was also told by the judge that I was not legally allowed to work in Israel in the event that I could not satisfy these guaranties. I have not returned since, but I am desperate to find a way to travel there to see my children and to resolve this issue in the Israeli Courts.
If this isn’t enough, the Israeli Family Court, 6 months after I left, awarded Ranya over $5,300/month spousal and child support even though they had my salary and 3 years of my W-2’s which showed that what they awarded her was equal to my entire take home pay. They still awarded me Custody Rights to my children, though, in American and Israel. Small victory, but I have no way to get it enforced as I have to be there to fight in court. Soon after, Ranya filed a petition with an Oregon Court to get this Israeli Court Order (Only the Part related to the money of course) enforced, but she lost largely due to the way I was treated in Israel. I suppose the fact that she never had to attend a hearing or even call in didn’t help her case. An Oregon Judge also gave me a divorce, but the Israeli Courts do not recognize this Judgment from the U.S.
Now I understand that the practices of Israeli Lawyers, Courts, judges and Citizens may not be all that newsworthy, but I would like to explain a little further how Israel has and is mistreating and violating the rights of, not only myself, but American Government Officials from the U.S. Embassy who were trying to help me gain access to my children under the Hague Convention. In April 2008, the U.S. State Department and the U.S. Embassy were helping me with my Hague Case to gain access to my children. They made several attempts to contact my children by telephone and were able to talk to my oldest son once as well as his grandmother. During this conversation, the U.S. Embassy asked to make a personal visit to the grandparents home to see my children and make sure they were OK, however, the grandmother refused. The U.S. Embassy informed me a month later that because the family was being uncooperative, they were scheduling a cold visit to my oldest son’s school. In June 2008, the U.S. Embassy sent 3 Employees to visit my son’s school and when they arrived on the school grounds a few young boys came up to them to ask who they were. One of the employees, who is the Israeli Arab woman who had spoken to my son over the phone previously, informed the kids that they were from the U.S. Embassy and they were there to speak to Dean Myers. The woman then asked the fair haired boy, wearing a baseball cap, if he was Dean and he said yes. The woman then said that they were there, on his father’s behalf, to speak to him and make sure he was OK. My son began to cry and at that point a teacher arrived. They identified themselves to the teacher and let her know why they were there and asked for permission to speak with Dean. The teacher said she would allow it after she gets permission from his mother and they all went inside the school to contact her. At this point everyone was civil, but that all changed when Dean’s mother Ranya showed up. She refused to let them speak to my son, called the police and accused these people of trying to take our son. I do not know exactly what happened from there, but I do know that I received a phone call at 2:00am, from Ann McGahuey (US State Department – Office of Children’s Issues) letting me know that there was a problem and that I needed to assist in getting two U.S. Embassy employees out of jail. I was told I needed to fax a letter, indicating that I authorized the visit, and a signed copy of the custody agreement to the police station and the office of the U.S. Embassy. For some reason, they showed up with an English translation of the custody agreement. This helped in getting them released from jail and getting the charges dropped, however, neither the U.S. Embassy (Elisa Greene) nor the Office of Children’s Issues (Ann McGahuey), in Washington DC, will tell me what happened. Worse yet, the harassment, by Israeli police, scared the U.S. Embassy so much that they will no longer help me seek access to my children under the Hague Convention. The final report that I received also left out anything to do with their employees being put into jail. When I tried to find out what happened, I was told not to ask, that it was not pertinent to my case and that they will no longer help me seek access to my children. I was shocked to hear that the United States allows this kind of thing to happen to it’s citizens and US Embassy Employees. I felt like Elisa Greene was totally over her head and afraid of the consequences of what had happened and that she wanted to hide this from her boss. Is this not the job of the Hague, but to Help Parents who have been left behind? How is it that the U.S. Embassy allows this harassment? How is it that Israel treats their closest partners and biggest supporters like this and we do nothing?
I have not seen my children in over 3 years and phone conversations are not only at a minimum, but monitored. On two separate occasions, the family didn’t allow me to speak to my sons for 6 months and many gifts and Birthday Cards have been returned to my home. I even have emails, from her attorney, telling me that my children, who very much Love me and want to see me, will continue to be kept from me unless I pay substantial amounts of money, which by the way are not consistent with either Israeli or Sharia Law. Since August 2006, I have written many news agencies, worked with the U.S. State Department and U.S. Embassy, attempted to contact several Congressmen and Senators (John McCain & Jon Kyl) and I am now working with an attorney associated with an Israeli Father’s Rights Advocacy Group. So far, I have had no success in even getting my story out there.
My two sons, Dean and Adi Myers (9 yrs & 6 yrs respectively), do not understand why I don’t come to see them. All I am asking is to have the opportunity to travel freely in and out of Israel and get the opportunity to fight for my rights to my kids in accordance with the Court Order issued by Ashdod Family Court. I also believe it is important that Israel be made aware that they cannot treat Americans, U.S. Embassy Representatives and U.S. Government Officials the way they did in my case.
Thank You for taking the time to read my story and I look forward to hearing from you.
Rick Myers
4820 W Tulsa St.
Chandler, AZ. 85226
Cell: 480-221-0214
Email:
Location:
Chandler, AZ
Nothing much happening at our house these days. Just waiting for the heat to be gone!!!
On her way to ballet
Lilly
Summer time fun in a wash bucket!
