Cool and the Gang

Certainly it's not obvious by looking at this photo that I need to point out that I represent Cool, and the rest of the hoodlums in the picture are the gang? Ha ha guys! just kidding! sort of... Okay okay. This past weekend I had the great privilege of hanging out with one of my nearest and dearest friends, Mindy and her daughter Cora. I'm thinking we are going to make this an annual thing because Jason has his overnight fundraiser called the "Roller-thon" (which is actually where he and I met-romantic eh?) and so last year I did the same thing, I went to Mindy's house to stay the night and talk my head off while she was forced to listen because I held her captive in her own home. We also make yummy food and dessert and watch limitless episodes of "The Office" because she owns them on DVD. Usually I try leaving her home with one of those accidentally stashed in my overnight bag but she catches me every time. I think she has an alarm on them. If you are wondering what any of this has to do with the picture of me with my gang... doesn't anyone have patience anymore? What is this world coming to? I'm getting to that! But first, for some pics of our fun night with "Minny & Corwa" as Dawson says.

For dinner we had stromboli. Dawson and Cora ate chips with cheese and most of the cheese ended up as a moustache which I found to be hilarious.

"Cheese" they said. Get it?

Then Cora cheesed for me:

So I ask Dawson for an adorable pic like Cora's. What does he do?...

This. He takes after his father.

After dinner Dawson found Cora's wagon stashed with toys. He was in heaven.

I laugh every time I watch this and see Dawson throw the toy back out that Cora so purposefully put back on top.

Then they both empty the wagon and Cora hops in.

See, my son is a safe driver, looking behind him for any obstacles.

Then he ditches her.

And she's stuck. But isn't she cute stuck?

Then it's Dawson's turn. Yeah, you think that's hard Cora, try lifting him!

Afterward I tried convincing Dawson to let Cora give him a hug:

I explained that she was poking him in the eye, which technically isn't classified as a hug in the hug regulations rule book and she gave me this:

Closer... I guess?

She and I should model. Surely there's a magazine out there entitled "Dysfunctional", that way my picture could be used.

Now Mindy and I had to put the kids to bed so that we could have dessert. You didn't think we would share it did you??

Before they were willing to go to bed, they opted to climb the stairs a half dozen times because that seemed fun at the time. I, on the other hand, find eating dessert to be more fun. So I asked them politely to hurry this process along.

Because... dessert was Apple Dumplin's as Mindy says it.

She started to ruin them by sprinkling cinnamon on the top! Augh!

So I corrected her and she gave me that TEENY-TINY sliver of apple dumpling there in the top left corner of the dish. I'm still hungry.

We had those with ice cream, then stayed up talking and watching the office until Mindy fell asleep on the recliner and I was left laughing out loud alone. So we called it a night.

The following day we headed to Hacienda to meet up with my friends from college!

This was chaotic mayhem, even if I must say so myself. All of us with all of our kids, trying to eat and talk and tell our children to please behave and we want more chips!

And believe it or not, I found out something new about my friend Kate. She actually doesn't even like Mexican food. How long have she and I been eating at Hacienda and every time we go she gets a salad. So I finally asked her about it and she said she goes for the chips and salsa.

Danielle's daughter Sydney is even cuter in person. Holly had on a pair of jeans that made her butt look cute, and therefore I had to have a pair. Jen Freeman had me feed her (is she 8months Jen?)daughter so that she could take her 2 boys to the bathroom and her daughter absolutely LOVED me from that point on. Jen Knisley filled me in on her love life and she would like me to announce on my blog that she is single. Is there any reader here that I can hook her up with? And Michelle came late because she was donating blood and didn't bother paying attention to the actual meeting time that was listed in her email she got from Kate. However, in her defense, the person who receives her blood will end up being very funny and outgoing. The 2 qualities I love about her.

And after all the chaos, Mindy and I got another picture together because we forgot to the whole night before:

Sorry about that Cora, I'm an amateur okay?