Scripted Reality

If I've mentioned it once I've mentioned it 100 times - I have some of the best friends a girl could ask for, spread out all over the United States.  We talk every day, either through Facebook or phone, and they know me better than some of my family does. The only strange part of our relationships is that for some of us, we've never actually met in person. 

They are my imaginary friends, as Jay puts it. Women I met online while pregnant with Sami and who've I've now known for over five years.  Last summer Sam and I spent a weekend with five of them in Minneapolis (click here for that recap) and this year we hoped to do the same. 

Now, Sam LOVES the kids as much as I love the moms. She had a blast last year and talks about her "birthday twin" Ally almost every day. She has pictures of Ally in her room, pictures of Ally and her dogs in our bathroom, and when Ally sent her a birthday invitation, she carried it with her for a week. She and Ally have only met once but let's face it, she's awesome just like me and knows good friends when she sees them. And for her birthday, she asked for one thing - to go see her birthday twin in Dallas.


Sam, holding a card from Ally

Anyway, with the help of frequent flier miles I booked Sam, Addi and I on a plane to Texa in July. Then I held that information as a surprise over the girls until they did all their chores, then tortured them relentlessly with it. When it came time I recorded the girls reactions. As a heads up, Addi asked my dad where the "surprise" was and my dad said he buried it in the backyard. You'll need that information when you watch the first recording here.

Then, since they looked so confused in that video, we had a do over, linked here. It went a little better and I don't really feel bad about coaching them on how to act to make me look better... Isn't that what reality TV is?

The girls have gotten more and more excited each day, and who can blame them.  I can't wait!