summer fun

First of all, I'll update on swim lessons: they are not my favorite thing. Yesterday was worse than Monday, but today was better. Well, better after the initial meltdown that lasted from about the time he woke up until the time I walked him into the shallow end of the pool! His sweet teacher told him he could just play today--no swimming or going under. So he did get throught the "lesson" with no crying. Progress!!!


We hung out with my parents and brother and sister-in-law tonight. Here are a couple of pics from the fun:

These days, Leann either cannot think about food or is starving-no in between. This was her first plate tonight! I'm so not judging. I say eat when it feels good! I love you, Le!

Poppy says he's saving for a real pool... No kidding, Ben asked my mom if she had a pool for him, and she said no. So he tried to be resourceful. The dog bowl was fine with him! He sat in it for about 30 minutes!

Finally, here are a couple of pictures that I have taken of my boys at bedtime this past week. Sometimes they get so quiet and I wonder why. Well, apparently, sometimes, they need to accessorize before they get their beauty sleep!

swim lessons-day 1

UGH! Andy started swim lessons today. He likes to swim and does all the usual stuff-splashing kicking, floating-while we are in the neighborhood pool. He's never really been afraid of the water. However, Andy changed his outlook on water today. He cried the entire time. I sat on the opposite side of the pool, where he couldn't really see me, and I could still hear him. The lessons are an hour long, and at about minute 37, he spotted me and ran away from the teacher to get to me. He was in trouble for that, but when I sat him down to gently, lovingly (ha!) tell him that he would be returning to the pool with his teacher, he was shaking. I do not know what came over him, but I think he was truly terrified. Still, I made him get back in the water and do one more activity with his teacher. I wasn't sure if I should be furious with him or heartbroken for him. I know he has to learn to swim, and I cannot teach him. But is it okay for me to force him to "face his fear?" I think I'm right-just keep going, even if he is scared to death? The more he goes, the more he'll understand that he's fine????? I am feeling like a bad mom right now. When I put him to bed, we prayed especially that God would help him have courage to go under the water and not cry. I, myself, am praying that his sweet teacher will find enough patience to get through these next two weeks! Hopefully, I'll have happy reports tomorrow.

By the way, while he was "cleaning" his room this afternoon, Andy found a toy (that he has only had for a few weeks) and he said, "Mom! Look what I found! I have been looking for this for several years!" :)

favorite farm animals

This morning in the car, the boys were having a conversation about farm animals. It went something like this:

A: My favorite farm animal is a horse.
B: My favorite farm animal is a cow.
Mom: What do cows give us? What do they make for us?
A: Chicken!!! (pause...) No, wait, that comes from pigs.

Ha!

back from vacation!!!

Well, we made it home from our back-to-back vacations! We spent a few days in Galveston and then came home just long enough to get ready for a camping trip with the WHOLE family.


Galveston was great! This was the first time either of the boys had seen the ocean, and they were totally impressed. All the kids had a blast playing in the sand, collecting shells (then tossing them in the water), jumping in the waves, and just hanging out. Ben has no fear when it comes to water. He wanted to walk further and further into the waves alone! Someone had to be holding his had the whole time. I think Andy's favorite part was burying his feet and ankles with sand and then breaking free. We stayed at a house with a beautiful view of the Gulf (I know, it's just the Gulf, but it's still cool to sit on the porch and smell the ocean). We had a great time!

For the Fourth, we went camping in West, Texas. There is nothing in West, except the Czech Stop. Which we visited and spent $$$$ for lots of yummy kolaches! But, it is close to Hillsboro, so we did a little shopping. Mostly, we just hung out. This is the first time that all of mine and Kevin's family have traveled together, and it was just so fun! I took only 1 picture while we were camping:

This is my sweet neice, Mika Baylee. I love this picture for many reasons...first, she lost one of her baby earrings, so Lori put her own earring on Mika. So she had this big, heavy earring on one side of her head. Second, she loves her mac-and-cheese. She had it everywhere! Third, I think this picture tells a lot about her personality. She is very sweet, but is not one bit ashamed of flirting a little to get her way. She pretty much had every boy on the trip wrapped around her little finger!

And last, but certainly not least, I'M GOING TO BE AN AUNT (again) !!!!!

My baby brother and his wife are going to have a baby! I am just so excited I can hardly see straight. I know everyone probably already knew this news, but I wanted to say it anyway. Because I am SO excited!

ben is funny!

While he was supposed to be napping, Ben was apparently having a fashion crisis. The red you see around his waist is actually a pair of shorts! He squeezed his whole self into one leg! I went to his room because I could tell he was sort of griping about something (I assumed he had just woken up grumpy). When I opened the door, he says, "Momma, I can't get the belt on!" I told him I would help him in just a sec--I had to grab the camera! But no worries--I got the belt secured and he can now tote around his Ninja Turtle sword. All is well!

We are leaving tomorrow for a few days in Galveston with our friends Lonnie, Adrean, and Brooklyn. Fun!!!

Fort Worth Cats

Last night, we went to a Fort Worth Cats game. We had so much fun! The boys had more fun playing than actually watching the game, but Kevin and I managed to watch a tiny bit.

naptime!

This is what I found in my bed when I came home from the grocery store.....And they didn't even flinch when I took the picture.

fun pics

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so I will let these speak for themselves...

answered prayer???

Last Saturday morning, Andy asked me if we could ask God for a frog. I told him, sure, you could pray and ask God for that. A little later, the boys were playing and I heard Andy say, "Ben, stop talking to me! I am praying right now!" I looked at him and he was sitting with his sweet hands together and head bowed. When he finished, I asked what he was praying about and he said, "For a frog. And a cat. I want 2 pets." Oh, great! So Saturday night, we were outside playing in the backyard, and Kevin found a frog!!! Andy really wanted to bring him inside because he was pretty sure that God had sent that frog to our house! I had to explain that the frog would much rather live outside in the soft grass than in our house in a box. I told him I was sure God would keep sending the frog back so we could visit. Was that the right answer???

In other news, during the summer, I just pretty much let the boys dress themselves. Yesterday, they chose to wear cowboy boots (with no socks) and hats. Makes since, being that it was only about 400 degrees out. Here they are eating snowcones with Nana (Poppy didn't make the pictures!):

sorry, judy!

Okay, I know it's been a while. We have been SO busy having fun, I haven't had time to write about it. We've been swimming at my mom's community pool (hers is way better than ours) and in the little one in our backyard. The boys aren't picky when it comes to playing in the water. Andy had his four-year check-up this week, and got FOUR shots. He was so sad! He kept screaming, "But I'm not sick!!!" Ugh! It is so hard to hold them down for that! We've been to the bookstore. Twice! I have read two whole books already this summer--I am so excited about getting to read grown-up books silently! Maybe we will start having D.E.A.R. time here at the house!

I am trying to convince Ben that using the potty is WAY better than going in his diaper, but he disagrees. That is pretty much bumming me out. I have been taking him about every 20 minutes to try, and nothing happens...until, like, the minute I put his pull-up back on, then he's all, "I teed in my underwear!" He says it very proudly, like it was what I wanted him to do all along. I really thought Ben would be a breeze, since he has Andy setting the example and all. Andy even goes at the same times as Ben, for moral support, I guess.

Last night, we went to see Kung Fu Panda. It was funny, and the boys loved it. They were so good. Andy's been to a couple other movies, but this was Ben's first. My favorite part of the night was when Ben sat on the edge of his seat and started belting out, "What time is it? Summertime! It's our vacation..." He loves that song (from HSM2). It was funny! He pretty much sings and talks all day long, even while lying in bed. He just talks/sings himself to sleep.

Okay, I promise to try to think about blogging more often. I don't want to disappoint my loyal following!

bittersweet

So, today was the last day of school for what I think may be the best class ever grouped together. I am so sad. Not every day was perfect, but we had so much fun. Even the bad days were bearable, because I just love those kids so much. They are a group that knows how to get along-they were caring towards each other and helped each other out. You just don't get that every year (or even most years). But, I realize that they have to move on. I had nearly gotten to the point where I was ready to send them on to fourth grade. My time with them was awesome, but I knew they were ready to move on to bigger, more challenging things. However, at our awards ceremony yesterday, as we recalled all the fun times we had, I started unravelling a little. And when I woke up this morning, I knew I was not going to need any mascara today...it would have been a waste! I am so proud of this group. They work hard because they know they should. They make good choices because they have learned that it's the right thing to do. This is in NO way a reflection on me--most of them came to me with those things already in place. But it sure is cool to get to be a part of their lives everyday as they discover who they are and how to solve problems without asking me. I am so sad. But, even with all my tears today, not one of those little angels cried. They were more than ready to say goodbye. Now, I am sure that when the newness of summer wears off, they will start thinking, "Boy, I miss Ms. D. I wish I was back in 3rd grade!" Yeah, right.
Now, I must say, that I DO love summer. I am so glad to be home with my boys all day!!! They are so much fun, too. So, this is the "sweet" part. Summer is fun! Popsicles, water guns, sidewalk chalk, the pool, crocs, no ironing (except on Sundays!). YAY!
Happy summer!

Some fun, Some not!

So, I will start with the good stuff...

First, this has been a FUN week at school. Tuesday was Ultimate Game Day (I missed this because I was home being very sick)! The kids reported to me that it was mega-fun. Wednesday was TAKS football. Third grade took home the first place trophy for the first time ever! Thanks, Coach Estes! The cheerleaders also did an excellent job, I might add. Today, we walked to the park near our school and let the kids picnic and play. They were so good and had such a blast. We were worn out when we got back to the building! While we were at the park, this sweet (?) birdie decides to hobble to my shoe and perch for a while. I was quite popular for a few minutes with all my third grade friends. Then Parker tells me that Corey is pretty sure the bird has rabies (he could "just tell"), and that got me a bit paranoid! Then, I sort of felt like the bird was looking at me with his mean eyes, so I freaked a little. I ever-so-gently nudged him from my shoe. Then he climbed onto my backback and pooped! Yuck!

And now the not so good...

I had to go to COURT today! I did not know I would be going to court and talking to an actual JUDGE, or I would have at the very least redone the messy ponytail on my sweaty head (picnic today, remember?). A couple of weeks ago, I got a ticket. Well, 2 tickets, but one was Kevin's fault because he forgot to put a new insurance card in my car. The other was the police officer's fault for catching me driving 54 in a 40. So, already, you can see I am the victim here! Well, when I got to the FW Municipal Building, I go to the window and she says, "You have 3 tickets. One from November that hasn't been paid." ??? Oh, yeah. I mailed that in and checked probabtion on the back, and "they" (the powers-that-be in this great city) hadn't sent out the bill to pay them for it yet. UGH!!! So, while I thought I had already served my probation for that one, I was wrong. Now I am on probabtion AND I have to take Defensive Driving. I sat in the courtroom for an HOUR and TWENTY MINUTES! And I really wanted to tell that judge how MAD I was that it had taken them so long to get me a bill for the old ticket, and how, technically, I should be able to do probation now for this new ticket.......But I was a GOOD CITIZEN. I pretended to respect the judge's suggestion that I do both probation and the "driver's safety course." I think I even said, "Thank you, sir." Again, UGH!!! Why does it have to be such a hassle?

Well, that turned into a bit of a rant. But I feel better. I think I may have cleansed myself of this hatred toward city government. Wait...no, there it is. Still there. Thanks for listening. I mean reading. Or skimming.

So, who wants to take defensive driving with me??????

Fun Facts about Frogs

So we found this little guy in our yard tonight...

The boys started telling me all the things they know about frogs. Here are some insights from Andy:

They love to eat grass, sometimes. But mostly they love frog food.

They jump very fast, but walk very slow.

They can be still for a long time.

Sometimes they scare you.

And Ben tells me:

Frogs live in the ponds with their "mudders."

And now you know all about frogs.

3 different things

Well, I didn't want to write three separate posts, but I have 3 things to talk about:

1. Am I a loser??? The boys are at my parents' house all night tonight, and all Kevin and I came up with was dinner (at P.F. Chang's-yum!), Barnes & Noble, and home. And when we got home, Kevin went to the bedroom to read while I sat down to watch the season finale of The Office. Ummm...does this mean I am getting old? Okay, who am I kidding, this is how I have always been! But, am I a loser?

2. Our third graders went on a field trip to Casa Manana this week. I wrote a reminder on the board a few days ago: "Casa on Thursday--bring a sack lunch." So on Wednesday, as I reminded the class about bringing a lunch, one of my confused kiddos says, "Why do we need a lunch? Can't we eat there?" I say, "No, we are eating at the park. They don't serve food." He says, "But, that's what they do..." I'm like, "Huh???" He says, "Taco Casa. They make food there." "Ohhhhh...now I'm with you. Yeah, we are actually going to Casa MANANA. It's a theater." I've said it before, I'll say it again...I love my class!

3. So, the 2 or 3 of you that read this blog already know this, but Emily rocks! She is just the best kind of person. Someone you know you can depend on, even at the very last minute. And she doesn't make you feel dumb for not knowing everything, or anything, in my case, about A/V equipment. (A/V equipment make me think of Napoleon Dynamite, which makes me laugh.) And so, not only did she make sure movie day happened for third grade, she also generously agreed to coach our football team. And she even knows what she's talking about. She said something to them about a running play, and I was thinking "What the heck is a running play? Don't they run on every play???" Well, that's why she's coaching and I am helping the cheerleaders.
So those were the three things I wanted to say.

the ref

Ben has this toy whistle he bought at Chuck E. Cheese. It sounds like a real whistle--loud! He recently rediscovered it, and today has started using it to let us know when Andy has done him wrong! Tonight, each time Andy took a toy from from Ben or ran him over, Ben would blow the whistle at him. He did it like 10 times in an hour. It has been cracking me up! The nice thing is, he hasn't been running to me to tattle on Andy. I guess the whistle is enough punishment! So, Kevin and I think maybe we have a little referee in the making!

Random thoughts

So, life around here has been a little slow, which is actually exactly the way I like it. We had no big plans for the weekend, so Kevin, the boys, and I spent all of the weekend together. We haven't done that in a looong time! Friday, we got to spend some fun time with our friend Parker. My boys pretty much think he hung the moon! Saturday was just family fun time, doing laundry, shopping, blah, blah, blah. Kevin took the boys to Wal-Mart at around 8 p.m. on Saturday night (yeah, he's totally on top of it, guys) to buy my Mother's Day gift--a new electric griddle (yes, it's what I asked for). We make pancakes about once a week for dinner, so it's going to come in very handy! My real present is sitting in the garage. I got a new car!!! I was pretty much sick of paying way too much at the pump for the Expedition. I drive about 50 miles a day!

So, today was back to school for the boys and me. Andy's class took a field trip to the zoo, and Kevin went with them. He's such a cool dad!

There are only 16 days of school left! That seems impossible! I love, love, love my class so much. I am looking forward to summer with my boys, but I am sure I will shed some tears on the last day of school this year. My class is just so awesome. They impress me everyday, and I will miss sharing days with them.

And now, in honor of Mother's Day, the top 5 reasons I love being a mom:

5-The smell of baby lotion on freshly bathed skin

4-Bedtime stories

3-Just listening to the things the boys say to each other when they think no one is listening (like when Ben was tiny and Andy tried to teach him to say "Merica Nidol," which is what Andy used to call American Idol)

2-Chubby baby feet, clean or dirty

1-The way a kiss from me nearly instantly silences their cries

Oh, I love these BOYS!

Happy 4th Birthday, Andy!

I cannot believe that this baby is four years old. It seems like I waited forever for him to be here, and now I can't remember life without him. He wanted to have dinner at Double Dave's tonight. And now that Andy is 4, he is no longer free! Bummer!

Buzz and Batman

Don't let these innocent faces fool you...

They are ready to strike!

Fun in the sun!

Today was GORGEOUS! The weather was perfect, and the wind was pretty much non-existent. (Windy days are no bueno for people with allergies--Kevin and Ben!) I didn't take many pictures because I had my hands full trying to help Andy learn to pedal and steer (at the same time) his new "big-boy bike!" He did a great job, but really was only interested in making it to the playground. I think it's gonna be a while before he wears the yellow jersey! He had no interest in getting on the bike to ride back to the house. "It's just too hard!"




And one funny thing from Andy the other morning in the car...He takes off his shoe and says his big toe hurts when he bends it. So I say, "Okay, let me rub it for a minute." He says, "Well, I think I just have had too much sugar this week. I had a sucker yesterday and a Dr. Pepper, so now all the sugar is stuck in my feet. And it hurts." Ummm, I don't know what he is talking about, unless he has confused all of my talk about too much sugar hurting his teeth with hurting his feet. He makes me laugh every day.

Parties R Fun!

This morning, we had Andy's birthday party at Jumping Party. I didn't think I was ready for the whole having a party somewhere else, but it was awesome! No pre-cleaning, no clean-up!!! The kids had a blast! Andy doesn't actually turn four until Tuesday, but he's been saying that he's four for about 2 weeks now, so who cares??? Here are some of the highlights:

Andy LOVES to climb and slide and climb and slide...Ben only ate the icing!
Collin showed Mika how to use the "blower thingy"
Two of my favorite Power Rangers!

A super fun day! Andy told my mom tonight the the best part of the party was playing with his friends (awwww). Yes, indeed!