Flashback Friday

It's Friday. We made it. All of us. That's cause for celebration and a new installment of flashback Friday.

It was 1992. My mum, seester, and I went to Disney World for the first time with a group from church. I celebrated my 12th birthday in the most magical place on earth. I also celebrated big hair and glasses, long skinny bird legs, and no boobs. Poor 12 year old MK- already 5'6 in the 6th grade and wearing size 8 shoes. And no boobs.

Let's take a look back via poorly scanned photos, shall we?

I must admit that seester and I are looking pretty good with Mr. Hot Pants/Fanny pack stranger over there on the left.

Oh.

And big bows.

Let's not forget the big bows.

Or the fact that I waited impatiently for the Sheriff to sign my autograph book while some little 4 year old took her sweet precious time. 

Good heavens at the length of those shorts.

(Mine, not Mickey's.)

Pretty sure I pushed those kids out of the way to get to Hook first.

That's an actor at MGM (now Hollywood Studios) on the bench next to me. This was and still is my fave Disney park because of all the movie memorabilia. I'll never forget walking into a store that sold clothing and props from movies- I looked through piece after piece and found a pair of pants worn by Marlon Brando in Guys and Dolls. I unzipped the hanger bag and touched the pants. I touched a piece of film history that Marlon Brando once wore on. his. body. I'm pretty sure that shop no longer exists because I didn't see it when we were there, but I'll never forget touching those pants.

So there ya have it- more awkward pics of me as a pre-teen.

I hope you all have a lovely weekend! Ours is packed full of Christmasy events that all center around a meal.

Color me excited.

Flashback Friday

With the start of a new school year and a new 2nd grader at our house, I started thinking back to my days in 2nd grade, and it hit me. This was the year something significant happened to me, and no I'm not just talking about getting in trouble for talking too much in class and having to sit out in the hallway as punishment.

I'm talking about glasses.

You see, when 2nd grade began, I was already well aware that I couldn't see a darn thing on the chalkboard in the front of the classroom, and it didn't matter where I was sitting. I could stand directly in front of words and it just looked like a messy blob of chalk. I guess it embarrassed me that I had problems with being able to see, because instead of telling anyone about it, I snuck binoculars to school in my backpack. Yup. Sho did. I'd pull them out discreetly in class, take a quick look at the board, and read enough of whatever it was that I was supposed to read to get by.

Those of you who went to public school know that not too far into the school year, these nice ladies would come around with their giant machines and we'd get out of class for a little thing called 'vision screening', and it was on one of these days, in the 2nd grade, that it was finally determined that my eyesight was completely and totally pitiful.

This is a 2nd grade MK, pre-vision screening-

(It even looks like I'm having trouble focusing on whoever was taking the picture. Or maybe my awesome popsicle stick art was weighing my head down.)

and this is a 2nd grade MK, post-vision screening-

Bless my heart.

And those massive frames.

And those turquoise sweatpants.

That don't match my sweatshirt.

And one of the most valuable Barbie's I've ever had that I TOOK OUT OF THE BOX, thus diminishing her value.

But I was 8, and when you're 8, only crazy people leave Barbie's in a box.

Fast-forward to spring-

I replaced the Barbie with a kitten.

And the red bow with a white one.

Shout-out to Maxwell Elementary.

I wish I knew where that t-shirt was...

And here's proof that all I did in this year of my life, besides get massive glasses, was pose for pictures with stuff in my hands.

***

So, to my brandspankin' new 2nd grader, I say this:

Have fun,

be kind,

learn lots,

and if you can't see a bloomin' thing,

tell us.

For goodness sakes.

Thanks, hubs, for snapping our pic as we headed to school on Monday.

And remember the morning my little man had?

Here's a pre-bathroom trip pic of him with his new teacher, and a post-bathroom trip pic.

What a difference a trip to the loo can make, am I right?

Flashback Friday

Happy Friday to ya! Before I get to today's flashback, I must first state to the blogoshpere, and to the universe, that I am currently wearing a pair of white jeans that haven't seen the light of day in 6, yes SIX years because the faculty at my school is taking our annual photo today in black shirts and white jeans. I assumed that since I haven't purchased white jeans since Justin Beiber was still you-tubing that perhaps I'd have to stand in the back in a pair of khakis, which I was fine with. However, I knew I'd kept these babies around in the chance that someday I could shed those 70+ pregnancy pounds and once again flit about in a pair of white pants.

All of the pounds have definitely not been shed, but these things are on me and zipped with only minimal muffin toppage, so get ready.

I'm about to flit about.

In white jeans.

Moving on.

Today's flashback Friday post is a look back at the first time I had the privilege to do Into the Woods. The year was 1995 and I played Cinderella. My director was Linda Bonds (shout out to ya, Mrs. B, if you happen to be reading!) and I was a sophomore in high school. I loved this show. Correction, I still love this show. I was also heavily into traditional scrapbooking at the time, so without further adieu, I give you a glimpse into MK's scrapbook, circa 1996.

If you attended Hillcrest between the years of 1995-2011? then you're well aware that the Milky White from this production went on to roles in every single theatrical production after this one. Not quite sure when he stopped making appearances, which is why I have a question mark next to the year, but he's famous. Totally famous. And this was his first show.

Yes, I cut out a pic of Jack and stuck him in a beanstalk.

Yes, I totally cut those trees out by hand.

I also cut the letters by hand since this is pre-cricut invention.

Isotoner house shoes and a black Ironman watch.

Awesome.

School begins for us on Monday and rehearsals for Into the Woods, Jr have been underway for a week now. Good-bye Summer, hello crazy busy hectic Fall schedule. I hope that all of you had an awesomely wonderful week and that you have a fabulous start to the school year. If you're already IN school, then I hope it's going swimmingly!

Don't forget- my trunk show is tomorrow for the new line of Matilda Jane. If you'd like to see the goods in person, my trunk keeper will be here from 2-4, and if you're not local but would like to place an order, you can e-mail me at funnygirl33180(at)aol(dot)com. You can view the first release of this collection online now, and here are a few of my faves-

www.matildajaneclothing.com

Flashback Friday

Let's call this post 'The Big Bang Theory', shall we?


I've said it before and I think it bears repeating- "Those with naturally curly hair should not have bangs". I give you exhibit A:

See them? Those wispy little sad-and-not-a-clue-how-to-be-bangs bangs? I was 12 in the picture above, and old enough to know better. I had enough bang mishaps in elementary school to fill 6 yearbooks, and yet... I asked for them.

Again.

Silly girl.

At least I was the master of 'my bow is taller than your bow'.

And 'my socks are redder than your red socks'.

And 'my chest is flatter than your chest'.

Oh wait...

Fast-forward 4 years.

I got wise, grew the bangs out, and then...

I cut them.

Again.

Why.can't.I.learn?

There I was, trying to change the world, when I was really just distracting folks with the craziness on my forehead.

Shame on me.

Fast-forward 12 years.

(sigh)

I got scissor happy.

Again.

This time, I figured I couldn't go wrong, what with the invention of the flat iron and such.

Still....not great. The redeeming factor in the photo above has to be the Tony winner who agreed to pose with me, despite my crazy bang.

See this one? It's actually a happy photo, where I'm pointing at Patti's boob and thinking,

"I just saw this amazing show and my bangs have never looked better!"

Flashback Friday- a tribute to Dad

Happy Friday, friends! I've been a bit MIA from the blog this week while enjoying the sunshine and whatnot with my kiddos. Swimming, chalkin' up the driveway, swinging, and water gun fighting were all on the itenerary this week. The water gun fight was even impromptu, which is the best kind, and all 5 Mathews were drenched before a truce was called. We're soaking up every second of our summer, but today is Friday, and you know what that means...

Since Sunday marked a special holiday that honors our Dads, today's Flashback Friday is all about my Dad. To the father who's always called himself my #1 fan, here are some of my fave shots of the two of us. And a couple with that other sibling of mine... ;o)

***
My very first Easter.
I'm pretty sure my thoughts at the moment were, "I'm gonna lay here all still and pretend to sleep, but when they leave the room I'm totally eating that bunny".

Love the Converse shirt, Dad.
And the stache.



 Pretty sure mum had just told us to look directly into the sun and smile.



 First beach trip as a fam of 4.
Here's proof that E got more than just her daddy's genes.
Nice legs, Dad.

 One of my all-time fave things to do when I was 5/6.
As you can see, I'm contributing a WHOLE lot.
Once again, nice legs Dad.

 Sixth grade trip to Washington, D.C.
We paid a visit to the FBI, but as you can clearly see, the real crime is what's happening above my neck.

 First Oscar party in 1997.
Thanks mum and dad for letting me turn your house into an awards show slash banquet hall. And for loving the Oscars because I love the Oscars. And thanks, Dad, for holding a fake Oscar and taking a picture with me. Also...thanks for letting me get contacts. Good GRAVY, thanks for that.

I must also give a shout-out to my baby daddy, because the kiddos and I...well we loves him a lot.

Thanks for being such a fine baby daddy, hubs.

I'm extremely blessed to have these two men in my life, as well as the sweetest Grandaddy and Father-in-law on the planet.

God is so good.

Happy weekend to ya!

Flashback Friday

Happy Friday friends! Today's Flashback Friday takes us back to VBS in 1996. I was a teacher in the preschool class and hubs- well he was in the 6th grade. Here's the whole lot of us on the front steps of our church that summer.

Since it might be a little hard to spot the hubs and me amidst the sea of faces, here's a closer view with arrows and whatnot.

Who would've ever thought that a 16 year-old soon-to-be-junior in high school would end up marrying a 12 year-old who'd just finished his 6th grade year?

God did.
That's who.

I'm getting a little mushy today because hubs and I celebrated 5 years of marriage on Saturday. Our big day was a little eclipsed by Dorothy and a munchkin, but that's what happens when you give birth, twice, right before your anniversary. After the big party, we had a lovely dinner and even went to a show at the theatre where hubs proposed, so it was pretty cool to end up at the very place where he decided, "I totally like it so I'm gonna put a ring on it".

That morning, I got the biggest surprise of all however, when a box arrived via UPS and I had to sign for it. This was inside, and I'm still in shock.

Well done, hubs.

I haven't taken it off yet.

Not once.

And happy anniversary to you. I'm so glad God's plan involved that 16 year-old soon-to-be-junior in high school and that scrawny little just-finished-6th-grade boy. Here's to many more years of fun surprises. And jewelry. I'd be open to that too.

Flashback Friday

Howdy Friends! It's flashback Friday time! Today's pic is from May 30, 2010, almost exactly 2 years ago, in honor of miss MM's birthday. This was taken by seester immediately after arriving home from the hospital with our little M squared. Our first official pic as a party of 5.

Yes, I'm trying to use my 5-year old as a shield to cover my swollen.up.self.

Yes he has pajamas that fit. He just chooses not to wear them.

Yes, the blanket in E's lap was actually covering MM 2 seconds before this was taken. Only home for 3 minutes and already she's stealing from her younger sibling.

The craziness of the couch cushions is still alive and well today.

And just 2 seconds after that photo was taken...

...well, picture time was pretty much over.

***

I'm back to completing my endless list of party prep projects. Say that 5 times fast. I'll be back next week with loads of pics, but I'll leave you with a sneak peek...

Happy weekend to ya!

Flashback Friday- a tribute to hubs

In honor of the hubs birthday, and the fact that he's stepping a little unwillingly through the door marked, "late twenties, enter here", let's take a look back at a few moments from his pre-twenties, shall we?

Ahhh...baby Clay.

A little TOO much of baby Clay, hence the cute lil' sticker.

Sweet little cheeks.

All 4 of them.

A wee bit older now and he's already mastered the Blue Steel while simultaneously digging something from the recesses of his ear.

Just plop a couple of pigtails on '1986 Easter Clay' and call him Mary Martin.

Am I right or am I right?

Oh the socks...

and the precious bow tie...

and the Peter Pan collar...

and the interior of the castle he seems to be standing in...

Why hello pre-pubescent Clay.

Love the knock-off Tevas.

And color-blocked Umbros.

And braces.

And thick, muscular legs.

Yummy.

And since I currently have no other pictures of adolescent Clay, let's skip ahead a few years...

Ah.

Much better.

Dashing, isn't he?

And hubs isn't lookin' too bad either.

Love the coveralls.

Again, yummy.

And because I feel that far too few people on the earth were witness to hubs afro days,

I give you...

Afro Clay.

Is there any wonder why I pounced on that?

I know, right?

Tan and toned, with a head FULL of hair and a fabulous decorator to boot.

I mean, just look at those beautifully styled shelves.

And that necklace.

And the way he holds that hair dryer.

Sheesh, how'd I get so lucky?

Happy birthday week to you, hubs.

And if it makes you feel better,

you don't look a day over 27.

Swear it.

Flashback Friday

It's Friday, and you know what that means...

time to dig into the past and show the internets some vintage goodness.

This week, we celebrated 3 years of Eliza and since I wasn't blogging back when I was birthing babes, I thought I'd share with you how petite I was.

This picture was taken on May 14, 2009.

I was scheduled to be induced the next morning, so I had a final voice lesson with one of my students who was a graduating senior. Elaine was so sweet, she didn't even make a face as she stood next to my monstrous form.

She just smiled.

Fast-forward just a few short hours and one crazy-fast car ride to the hospital, and baby girl is in my arms.  Because sometimes, when we make plans, God points at us from heaven and laughs.

**Eliza's birth story is a post in itself, so I'll save those details for later. For now, let's observe a few things from the picture.**

That XL maternity shirt is stretched to its limits and I can assume that if shirts could talk, it'd be crying, saying,"Really? REALLY?? What did I ever do to you??" At this point, I was down to 2 shirts and 1 pair of pants that fit. Thank goodness it was summer and my fat sausage-like feet would squeeze into a pair of flip-flops.

Perhaps I should've stood behind Elaine so as to not completely cover her up.

My favorite thing about being pregnant was when strangers would stop me and ask how many were in there.

I assure you that there are no marshmallows stuffed in my cheeks.

This is what happens when you spend 9 months saying, "I'm eating for two", and then you eat your food and everyone else's at the table. Then you eat you family too, because you're still not full.

***

This week also marked the 37th anniversary of my parents- "Happy day to you, Tim and Phyllis!" I can't tell you what a blessing it is to have parents who are still married to each other, unless YOUR parents have been married for that long cause then you'd KNOW how awesome it is.

Here they are. My parents in all of their 1974 glory. 

No, they're not on the movie set of Beach Blanket Bingo, although my dad does favor the character of Bonehead quite a bit. (hat on the beach?- check. Cut-off's?- check.)

Doesn't Tim have killer legs?

Doesn't Phyllis have killer abs?

Love you both! Happy 37 years to you! I pray that someday, hubs and I will be celebrating 37 years!

Flashback Friday- Mother's Day edition

Happy Friday friends! Today's Flashback Friday is all about my Mum's! God not only blessed me with an awesome mum, but an awesome mum-in-law as well. What's that? You'd like to see some photos of them from way back when? Well I thought you'd never ask!

First, here are a few of my favorite pics of me + mum, starting when I was just a wee babe. Meet Phyllis, circa 1980. She's one of the original Girls With Glasses, FYI.

Yes, we used to dress as Pilgrims just for the heck of it.

circa 1982, the age of the perm.

Please take note of how cute I am.

circa 1983

Perm was chopped off.

Please take note of how cute I am.

Since this post is really about MUM, I'll be skipping photos of my unfortunate pre-teen stage so that my awkwardness doesn't distract you from the subject at hand.

ahem.

Circa 1998

Mum and I are dressed to the nines for Oscar night.

Have I ever mentioned the fab Oscar parties we used to throw?

Another post, another day...

Please take note of how thin I am was.

2007

Wedding Day

Mine, not theirs.

Nothing sarcastic to add here because, quite frankly, we be lookin' good.

And now, since I need to include my mum-in-law in this post as well, here are a couple of gems I dug up from an Alberta Baptist Christmas party, circa 1989.

As an added bonus, both my mum AND mum-in-law are there together.

 I mean, what are the odds?

Don't you love their sweaters?

Pardon me, sweatshirts?

And stone-washed jeans?

And light bulb earrings?

On purpose.

Welcome to one of the original 'tacky Christmas' parties.

Cathie, no need to thank me for including you too.

You're totally welcome.

Love your jeans.

And high-top Reeboks.

And since I'm a good daughter-in-law, I'd like to really pay tribute to my MIL by posting my very favorite pic of her.

Carol, I bet you're regretting your decision to let me organize all of your photos for ya...

Oddly enough, I found an eerily similar pic of my mum.

Love you, mum.

Is it really any wonder that hubs and I turned out like this?

Happy Mother's Day to you, Phyllis and Carol.

We love you LOTS!