Watts Life

Pinewood Derby

2012-01-28T14:43:00.000-06:00

The "W" racer with a jet engine--designed completely by Weston

careful placement on the track

This Week

2012-01-27T21:34:00.000-06:00

Jeff worked in Dallas until Wednesday, and his time there seemed to be very productive.
I was also productive, taking on some little projects around the house--a first stab at cleaning out the garage, feet on the highchair, deep-cleaning of leather furniture, a small painting project, a pantry organizing project, Spring Break trip planning session, fridge clean-out, ordering a couple of parts for a couple of kitchen appliances, unpacking several neglected boxes in the loft.
Max missed school and martial arts on Monday because he was running fever and complaining of ear pain over the weekend.
Weston had a trial run with his Pinewood Derby car.
Dr. confirmed an ear infection in Max's other ear and tested him for RSV. Thankfully, that came back negative, and she is giving Max a conditional reprieve from antibiotics. He is taking allergy medicine and a decongestant to try to clear out some of the fluid.
Clay finally got his dot up on the first line of the growth chart, which allowed him to escape blood testing and not have to come back for a weight check for a month!
Ruth met a reading goal and has been planning a party for tonight to celebrate.
I started (and continued) the second week of workouts for the Couch to 5K plan. (Jeff and I are not following the weekly schedule but are moving a bit slower. We started on week 1 right after the New Year).
It rained and rained and rained!
Weston caught a coon in his trap--the first he has caught at our house.
My van wouldn't start when it was time to go get Max from school on Wednesday, and of course, it was before Jeff got home from Dallas. Thankfully, my wonderful neighbor was available to come give me a jump.
My van wouldn't start on Thursday, when it was time to go to CC. And, of course, Jeff was at a meeting in Marble Falls. But, he was able to wrap up the meeting quickly, come home and give me a jump, and follow me into town to take the van in for a new battery.
Max had the mother of all fits yesterday afternoon at CC. He was tired and his emotions just got the better of him, and he couldn't control them (and neither could I). My CC friends were very supportive and didn't make me feel like a horrible parent. And, when Max had played himself out, he crashed and woke up with a much more pleasant disposition.
An old family friend, who we haven't seen in a long time, came by for a nice visit.
Clay was snotty, poopy, fevery, and sort of sad, as he worked on bringing in a new tooth.
Jeff received the first completed course for Strong Academy for the fall semester from a professor he hired to develop the curriculum (from syllabus to power point slides to quizzes), and it is awesome.
I consciously decided to use sunglasses as a headband to keep the head squeezing down and the cool factor up.
First time making our own pasta...but not the last.

Grapevine weekend

2012-01-22T21:40:00.000-06:00

Encouraged by our relatively successful night away a couple of weeks ago, the ramping up of another travel season for Jeff and the offer of grandparents to babysit, Jeff and I decided to slip away to Grapevine for the whole weekend.

We dropped the kids off with Mimi and Grandpa on Friday afternoon, and then made our way to the Killeen airport in two cars. We left the van there for me to pick up on Sunday afternoon, since Jeff would be staying in Grapevine for a few days, promoting his school, and I would be flying back. We enjoyed uninterrupted adult conversation and very few potty stops as we proceeded from there to Grapevine.

Our first destination was the Texas Star Dinner Theater, where we enjoyed a wonderful meal and a comical who-done-it, acted out amongst the dinner tables. We had such a great time, we weren't surprised that both shows of the weekend had been sold out. After dinner, we made our way to our hotel, not far away.

We slept in on Saturday, which is such a novelty since we have little kids at home, who struggle to wake up on school days, but never fail to see the dawn's early light on weekends. When we were finally up and about, we grabbed a muffin from the market in the lobby, and then headed over to Grapevine Mills for a unique movie theater experience. It was a dine-in theater, with a full menu of tasty food and drink options. Dine-in theater we had experienced before, but what made this one unique was that all of the seats were fancy recliners with their own tables and waiter call buttons. We saw the movie The Descendants, which was certainly not the best movie I've ever seen--though definitely not the worst, either. Overall, though, the experience was quite enjoyable.

After the movie, we wandered back over to the hotel, where we donned our swimsuits and spent some time in the hot tub, before having a nice little nap. When it was time to choose a dinner venue, we settled on Javier's in Dallas. The food there is authentic Mexican and delicious, and the atmosphere is charming. One review we read said "it is a place to go to see and be seen." Just standing in the parking lot full of $100,000 cars made me feel like a bit of a celebrity. I didn't see anyone I recognized as famous, but I'm sure glad all the other patrons saw me. I'm sure they were all very impressed! (smile.wink.)

We finished dinner and headed downtown for the next fun event on our agenda: an improv comedy show called Ad-Libs. Though we were among the more sober audience members, we still found the show to be very funny. We were actually sort of thankful for the crazy crowd, because our table was right up front and center, and we were afraid we were going to be picked on. However, the actors found plenty of other people to pick on and left us alone to just enjoy the show. We admire improv actors so much for their ability to come up with all sorts of hilarity on the spot, and we always enjoy seeing improv live.

This morning we breakfasted at the Old West Cafe, before heading over to the airport to await my flight. It was such a fun weekend and a much-needed time of reconnection for us. We are so thankful to Jeff's parents for making it possible for us to get away, and we hope it won't be too long before we can slip off on another adventure.

(Apparently, when my children aren't with me, I also forget that my camera is with me. I don't have a single picture from the entire weekend).

What's Up, Doc?

2012-01-18T22:51:00.001-06:00

Here's a glimpse at my calendar for January:

Jan. 5--Max pediatrician 9:30
Clay weight check 9:30
Ruth orthodontist 3:00
Jan.6--Weston audiologist 9:30
Jan. 9--Mandi doc 10:30
Jan. 17--Jeff dentist 8:00
Max dentist 8:30
Weston ENT 10:30
Jan. 18--Ruth dentist 12:30
Weston dentist 1:00
Mandi dentist 1:30
Jan. 24--Max pediatrician 9:30
Clay weight check 9:30

I have never spent so much time in waiting rooms.

(And, in case you're curious, Max was seeing the pediatrician for an ear infection and will be going back in next week for the follow up. Clay has gained a few ounces but still isn't on the chart. He will go back next week, and if he still isn't on the chart will undergo a few blood tests just to make sure there isn't any problem lurking under the radar. Ruth got green rubber bands put on her braces. I was having my knee injury from Thanksgiving looked at before starting an exercise program. Weston had a hearing test with the audiologist, who recommended he see the ENT. The ENT said that Weston doesn't really have hearing loss, but that he hears like someone with fingers in their ears. The ENT also discovered a sinus infection and put Weston on antibiotics and nasal spray to hopefully clear out some of the fluid in the ears before reevaluating early next month. And the whole family was cavity-free!)

This Ol' House

2012-01-17T21:20:00.001-06:00

As I've mentioned before, new house does not perfect house make. So, we've been dealing with a couple of issues this week. Not long after we moved in, a tile popped off the staircase and broke. Recently, several more tiles popped off and some grout started coming up. I should back up at this point in the story for some background info. The man we originally hired to do the tile did a TERRIBLE job. He and Jeff had a heated argument, he was fired, and the next thing we knew, one of our hot water heaters was missing. (Now, I don't know for sure that he took it, but the timing was crazy suspicious). Anyway, Jeff hired a couple of other guys to come over and fix the first guy's mess. They did fix it, to the best of their ability, but warned us at the time that it might not be a permanent fix. Unfortunately, it lasted an even shorter time than they thought. So, they were here today, re-fixing it. They are still not fully confident that this is going to do it, but we are keeping our fingers crossed, because the worse case scenario is that we have to rip out ALL of it and start over.

We also recently started having some dryer problems. We called someone to come check the exhaust vents. When he got here, he couldn't find the exhaust vents. BECAUSE THEY AREN'T THERE! Apparently, the vents were put in place while the masons were putting the stone on the outside of the house. Something was placed over the top of the vents to prevent stone and mortar from getting in, and then the roof people came along and roofed right over the vents, without ever realizing they were there, and without ever cutting a place for them in the roof. WE HAVE BEEN RUNNING OUR DRYER ALL THIS TIME WITHOUT HAVING IT VENT OUT. Of course we're having dryer problems! I am just so very thankful we didn't catch the house on fire. Now, we are waiting on a call back from the roof people to see when they can come cut some vent holes for us. And then, of course, we will have to have the vents vacuumed out.

And, I just found out that something weird is going on with one of our garage doors! Ugh!

But even with all this, I still just love our house so much! It's not perfect, but it is ours. And it's a beautiful, wonderful, perfectly happy place to be!

The Party

2012-01-14T22:50:00.001-06:00

Birthday Boy

downhill racer

Taking a whack at the pinata

Tow Mater sandwiches for lunch

talking Tow Mater

Max-sized tent

Tow Mater cake--it's almost too much to take in!

Intensely Four

2012-01-12T22:52:00.002-06:00

Hey, Mac-O. Today we are celebrating four fun years with you! You have grown up so much this year, and I don't mind telling you this has been my favorite year with you, so far. There are many words to describe you, Max. You are smart, funny, cute, silly, competitive, helpful, sweet, energetic, fast, athletic, muscular, sneaky, creative and charming. But I think the word that fits you best is intense. Whatever you are feeling or doing, you are all in. You are intensely passionate about everything, which is something I absolutely love about you--and also something that sort of drives me crazy at times. I believe that, in addition to getting you into some trouble, this intensity will serve you very well during the course of your life.

You became a big brother in May, and you take that job very seriously. You are always helping with Clay, and making sure we are taking good care of him. You play with him and love on him. You read to him and sing him songs. You love him SOOO much, and he is lucky to have you in his life!

You started preschool in the fall--three days a week. At first you weren't too sure about it, mostly because I think you thought you were missing out on something fun at home. But it wasn't long before you were telling me that "it would really be better if [you] could go out for two recesses, rather than just one," which meant you wanted to be able to stay at school longer on the days you were there. You don't give me many details about your days there when I ask, but if I pay attention, it is easy to pick up on all that you are learning there. You have learned all the letters and the sounds they make, many of the numbers, lots of fun songs and several Bible stories. You can also write your name with the letters in the correct order now. Your classmates are always very excited to see you, and your teachers brag on you all the time. One of your teachers even told me last semester that she often uses you a model of good behavior for your classmates to mimic.

You became obsessed with Tow Mater this past summer, when we saw the real truck they patterned the movie character off of on our Route 66 trip. You now have a plan to own the "real" Tow Mater when you grow up, along with a blue dump truck, a shredder and a cement truck.

We enrolled you in martial arts this week, after seeing that you had watched and memorized almost every move from Ruth's classes. You definitely have a need to be active, and we are hoping this will give you an outlet for some of that energy.

You are still our most finicky eater, sometimes gobbling down insane amounts of food, and sometimes not even taking one bite. You love almost all fruits and many veggies, grilled steak (your words, not mine), pizza, sausage, venison and pretty much anything sweet. You call every meal lunch and every meat chicken. And you may well be the thirstiest person I have ever known.

You love to play sports, climb trees, shoot (play) guns, build tracks for your trains and cars, draw pictures, squirrel things away, go adventuring and make up stories. You are a whiz on your grandparents' ipads, just naturally knowing how to get it to do what you want. You are still attached at the hip to Charlie Beetle, but when we opened up moving boxes, you found Popeye (a stuffed dog), and he has been tagging along with you and Charlie quite a lot since September. When you want to be extra-sweet to Clay, you bring him your special friends to play with.

It has been so much fun watching you learn and grow this year. You are really starting to seem more like a big boy to me. I am often very impressed with you, and I'm always so proud of you. You are such a neat person, and I'm thankful that I get to be your mom. I love you so very much! You are my very favorite four-year-old! Happy Birthday!

Love,
Mom

Dating

2012-01-09T00:00:00.003-06:00

Jeff and I left ALL the kids with my parents yesterday and made our way to San Antonio. I had some backlogged birthday gifts to cash in: September's sleepover, November's musical date and January's dinner out with no kids. We checked in to our river-view room at the Riverwalk Westin and then headed out for some river strolling and awesome people watching. (I am not even kidding when I tell you we saw Elvis)! Our goal was to try to visit some places--preferably serving Mexican food--along the river that we hadn't been before. The weather was absolutely perfect for our little walk-about and for patio dining. We came across the Mexican Manhattan restaurant in a less-travelled corner of the river and decided to have drinks and appetizers. The drinks were delicious, and the nachos were some of the most unique we have seen. They were also pretty tasty. After that, we had to pick up my jacket at the hotel, where I managed to nearly rip the pocket off my pants while retrieving my room key. After a wardrobe change, we were back out on the Riverwalk, taking in the sights and enjoying the weather, the lack of children to corral, and each other's company. Eventually, we came across another place we wanted to try: Las Paloma. We shared an excellent shrimp dish and enjoyed some unique cocktails. Shortly after we finished eating, I realized my phone was missing, so we retraced our steps to the hotel and the previous restaurant. Thankfully, the restaurant had the phone and I could relax once more. Our final eating destination for the evening was The Esquire Tavern, which purports to be the oldest bar on the Riverwalk. It was a very cool, old building, with beautiful fixtures. We tried some drinks we had never had before and then had a very yummy fried apple pie with Bourbon carmel. The dessert was really wonderful, though I wasn't really crazy about the drinks. We had a good laugh about eating and drinking our way down the river. We had primo patio tables at each location, which made the whole experience super-fun. After dessert, we decided to take a ride on one of the river boats. It was such a lovely evening.

This morning, we slept in and then went out in search of a place along the river offering a nice Sunday brunch. We found just what we were looking for at Las Canarias. Once again, we scored a perfect patio table. The brunch was truly amazing, and we stuffed ourselves completely. Our main reason for being in San Antonio this weekend was to see Les Miserables at the Majestic Theater. We had seen the show once before, in college, and it was wonderful once again. We love San Antonio and have gone often, but this may have been our favorite trip there. We are so very thankful to Nana and Papa for taking on our crew so we could have this time together!

View of the river from our balcony

Right outside the hotel

Trees all aglow

Night view from the balcony

8 months

2012-01-05T21:07:00.000-06:00

My Little Bitty is 8 months old. He is getting better at executing a proper crawl, but he still reverts to the army crawl when he really wants to get somewhere in a hurry. However, what he would really like to do is get up and walk, I think. He has an awesome bear stance, which he can turn into a perfect sitting position. This kid has a crazy big appetite, but it isn't helping much with the weight gain. He weighs 15 pounds, 10 1/2 ounces, but he still hasn't found his place on the growth chart yet. He has set a Watts kid record by producing a tooth in the last week, outpacing the others by a good two months, at the earliest. Maybe with the addition of teeth, he will be able to add steak to his diet and put on a few pounds. He has outgrown the 0-3 month clothes and is even wearing a few 6 month onesies. But most of his wardrobe still consists of 3-6 month stuff and size 2 diapers. He had a great time splashing in the water at Great Wolf Lodge, but he also enjoyed many a nap poolside. He is very good about playing quietly by himself and is just the most content little guy. But, he also loves to interact with his siblings and pretty much anyone who will stop and talk to him. He has the cutest little laugh and he feverishly kicks both feet when he's excited. What a special little blessing he is!

Great Wolf Lodge

2012-01-05T00:27:00.000-06:00

We were looking for a little get-away for just the six of us while Jeff was between recruiting gigs, and a little vacation to the Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine fit the bill perfectly. It is a hotel/indoor water park, with something for everyone. And we all had a blast!

Welcome to the lodge

View from the lobby

Ready to play

Splish Splash

Lazy River

First time down the green slide

Just coming off the slide

It doesn't get much better than boats and guns

Wolf tail accessory

Copying big sister

Flaunting the tail

King of the lily pads

Clock tower story time

Max and Violet

Warming up by the fire

Four cuties and a big bear

Origami wolf

Water Baby

Ruth (in the turquoise swimsuit) about to get soaked...

...by this deluge!

All tuckered out

years ending and beginning

2012-01-03T21:32:00.000-06:00

2011 brought us a new baby, a new house and a couple of new job opportunities, as well as many adventures. We were blessed in so many ways! The last couple of weeks were full of food, family and fun. And 2012 has us on another adventure, which I will write about soon. I hope you all had a wonderful 2011, and I pray that 2012 will be full of blessings for you.

Dinner Conversation

2011-12-21T19:20:00.001-06:00

Ruth: You know what sounds good to me? Wedge Salad.

Weston: Wedgie Salad?! Who would want to eat a wedgie salad?

Max: Actually, I am having a wedgie right now.

And that's dinner at our house, folks.

The Watts Boys Visit the Doctor

2011-12-19T20:48:00.002-06:00

At 2:00 am, Max woke up SCREAMING that his ear hurt, followed almost in the same breath as, "Oh, and I had a bad dream about bad guys whispering bad words in my ear." He had no fever and calmly submitted to my middle-of-the-night mommy doctoring. Only after I got him drugged up and back to bed did I stop to think that his ear pain may have been completely bad-dream induced. When he woke up this morning, he mentioned again that his ear was hurting, but he wasn't upset and didn't seem to really feel bad. I took his temperature, which was exactly normal. After a short debate with myself about whether or not to send him on to school, I decided to let him tag along with Weston and Clay, who were already scheduled to see the doctor this morning. My main objective was to have her tell Max he was fine, so I could go ahead and take him to school after the appointment. That's not exactly what happened. The doctor took one look in his ear and jumped backward, proclaiming it the worst ear infection she had ever seen.

Weston was there for his six-year check-up, where we talked about his hearing (which Jeff and I are a bit concerned about), found out he has a Staph infection in his nose and gathered up his yearly stats. He weighs 74 pounds and is 53 inches tall. How is it even possible for me to have one son who is so far off the charts on the top end and another who can't even seem to get his dot on the chart in the first place?!

Speaking of whom, Clay had his weight checked again while we were there. I was certain his weight would have jumped up in the past two weeks, since he has made peace with the spoon and is heartily eating a wide variety of foods. There was an increase (about 5 ounces), but it was slight--not enough to put him on the chart. The doctor still isn't really concerned, but she does want to keep an eye on it and make sure it doesn't start dropping.

So, three prescriptions, one audiologist referral, and another scheduled weight check later, we left the office to do our time at the pharmacy and run some errands in the soupy weather. It wasn't my idea of a perfect morning, but Wendy's was giving away free Frosties with the purchase of a combo meal, so there was definitely a silver lining. So thankful I didn't send Max to school today, and thankful that both Max and Weston will now be on the road to recovery under the influence of the antibiotics.

Weekend

2011-12-18T20:00:00.002-06:00

We had lots of fun this weekend. It started Friday afternoon with Ruth attending a neighbor friend's birthday party and Jeff and Weston taking advantage of the lift on the burn ban by burning a huge pile of dead cedars. As evening approached, we all got ready to go out. Jeff and I dropped the big kids off at Ruth's martial arts school, where they were having a parent's night out. Jeff and I (along with Clay) took this opportunity to have a date night. We made our way over to Johnson City, where we had dinner at the Silver K Cafe. The food was good, not great, and the service was so-so at best. However, we had a great time anyway. This was a much-needed night out for us, and one of the things we talked about was how we could make that happen more often. After dinner, we headed back to Marble Falls to pick up the kids. They had been hoping to stay until midnight, but at 10:00, we were out of activities and frankly, rather tired, so we went ahead and called it a night.

On Saturday, everyone slept in until at least 9:00, which may be the first time in about 10 years! We brunched on Texas-shaped waffles and then took care of some household chores, before heading over to Llano to pick up the kids' deer meat. From there, we made our way back over to Johnson City. We shopped, looked around in an art gallery and tasted some wines. The amazing thing was, I tasted a wine that didn't make me want to gag. In fact, I actually liked it. So, Jeff bought a bottle on the spot. He has been waiting for me to grow up for a long time, so that we can enjoy the occasional glass of wine together. It was truly a red-letter day. We had an early dinner at Pecan Street Brewing, which we all enjoyed very much. The service was excellent and the food was delicious. I suspect that will not be our last trip there. Jeff and I had planned the trip back to Johnson City after our date night, when we saw the impressive light displays and the carriage rides being offered. It just seemed like something the kids would enjoy, and that was certainly the case. We were finishing up our dinner when the carriages began their routes, and the kids just about exploded with excitement, as they watched through the window. The line was long, but the wait was pleasant. The weather was perfect and there was plenty of grass to run around in. After our carriage ride, we headed home for hot chocolate and a movie.

This morning, we got up and went to church. Then, we had lunch at Long John Silver. It was the kids' first time there, and it may now be Weston's new favorite place. After lunch, we made a stop at Lowe's and a stop at Wal-mart, before heading home to work on some projects around the house. It was a really fun and relaxed weekend.

Bonfire

All bundled up

Carriage ride

Millions of white lights

Dear Weston,

2011-12-16T15:00:00.000-06:00

Once again, I am behind in getting you your yearly birthday letter. I would say that your birthday just falls at a busy time, but really, all the time seems to be busy, and I just need to slow down and put down my thoughts for and about you before the time slips away completely.

You are six, which just amazes me! I often have to remind myself that you aren't as old as I sometimes think. You are such a big guy, and excelling so much academically, I sometimes forget your real age.

Speaking of academics, you are constantly blowing your dad and me away with you amazing gift for working with numbers. You just get Math. Your reading is also pretty phenomenal. You are currently reading The Swiss Family Robinson Great Illustrated Classics book, with 16 chapters and over a hundred reading pages. You sometimes still struggle with motivation, but never with ability.

You thoroughly enjoyed the process of watching our house being built. And, you followed countless contractors around, asking countless, thoughtful questions. I have no doubt that you could build your own house, if you were so inclined. In fact, "builder" is still in your top three job choices. Also included are engineer and president.

You started Cub Scouts in September, and you absolutely LOVE it. You enjoy the activities in the book, but even more than doing the activities, you enjoy checking them off your list. You are a very goal-oriented person, who likes to follow the rules. And you really appreciate structure. This makes you a really hard and good worker, which we all appreciate. Your contributions to the household are truly a great asset. And you are always so proud of yourself when you can help out in some way or accomplish some task that is set before you. Some of your chores include: taking out all the trashes in the house and taking the big trash can up to the street on trash day, emptying the dishes from the dishwasher, putting napkins out for meals, and keeping your room and bathroom straight. You almost always tackle these tasks, and any others we give you, with enthusiasm. And you are always asking if there is something you can do to help.

You started losing teeth this year, but that hasn't slowed you down much on eating. You truly enjoy food. And some of your favorite things include: cheese enchiladas, shrimp, crawfish and other seafood, oatmeal, smoked sausage and pretty much any carb-heavy foods. You are not big on veggies, but you will sometimes eat them to impress your sister, who is a big veggie eater and whose opinion you value more than anyone else's. Sometimes when I watch you eat, I think we should have put three fridges in the new house for your teenage years, rather than just two.

You recently learned how to shoot a gun, and you bagged your first deer at the ranch just a few days after your birthday. You have also become interested in trapping. You got a couple of live-traps for your birthday, and you have caught a cat and several coons. You love to go out and check your traps first thing every morning. You are not afraid to get your hands (or your shirt, jeans or face) dirty, so these activities suit you just fine.

Besides hunting and guns, you are also interested in football and have watched many games with Dad this fall, trying to learn all the rules of the game. You also like to cook and are helping out more and more in the kitchen. You like taking pictures with your camera. And you still love long-neck dinosaurs.

You like playing punching games with Dad and wrestling with Max, but truly, you are a gentle giant. You are always writing letters, drawing pictures and coming up with neat gifts for the people you love. You give the sweetest hugs and compliments. And you pray from your heart in the most sincere way. Your heart is as huge as your body. And it is a blessing just to know you. I am so thankful that I get to be your mom! These last six years have been some of the most fun of my life. I love you so much!

Love,
Mom

Boys in My House

2011-12-15T10:41:00.000-06:00

Boys in my House

Author: Erin Jo Kilmer

There are boys in my house – and Spiderman shoes
And 200 papers in various blues.
There's Bob (he's a builder) and Thomas the Train,
There's a fireman coat to wear in the rain.
They have cars on their shirts and frogs on their hats
There's a glove and a ball and a red plastic bat.
There's dirt on a face and a smudge on a nose;
Grass stains on knees and sand between toes.
There's bathtime at night with bodies to scrub,
And when we're all done there is dirt in the tub!
There are bandaids and bruises and curious bumps,
There are smiles and laughter and sometimes there are grumps.
There are odors most icky; there are boogers so green
There are more yucky things than I'll ever get clean.
There are piles of laundry; there are stories at night;
There's bedtime and bathtime and dinnertime fights.
There are cars and there are trains and there are books about trucks
There's Scoop, Lofty, Dizzy, and Travis, and Muck.
Sometimes there are bugs, and sometimes there are frogs;
Sometimes they are lions, or dinos, or dogs.
There are cute little vests and darling neckties
Dragged right through the mud – oh what a surprise!
There's running and climbing and jumping and falling
And laughing and crying and hugging and brawling
And rolling and losing and finding and creeping
And whining and stealing, and sometimes there's sleeping.
There are tantrums and time outs and extra loud noise –
There's love in my house shaped like two* little boys.

*I didn't write this, but I found it on Crystal's blog and thought it was absolutely perfect! And, of course, we have three boys in our house, but the little one isn't quite in this category yet--though I know it's coming. I just love my boys so much, dirt and all!

Favorite Things

2011-12-11T22:53:00.001-06:00

It's been a while since my last "favorite things" post, and I think it's time for another. So, without further ado, I give you a few [more] of my favorite things:

My new favorite chair, as you know. Bought at Evridge's, made by Mayo.

Yes, I have a favorite trash can.
That little lip, where I can tie the bag so it doesn't slip, makes me happy.

Hands-off shower cleaning. Now that's awesome.

Many a fun hour has been spent playing this game.

A new favorite in our household. Light and crunchy.
Delicious by themselves or covered in your favorite dip.

Made the inside of my dishwashers shiny again.

Perfect addition to coffee, chai or simply a glass of ice.

I'm not really an app person, but this one makes life so much simpler.
Emily (Google Maps navigator) has replaced Lee (my former stand-alone GPS).

Watts Homeschool language program, and, in my opinion, the easiest way to learn a language.

This writing program constantly impresses me.

LOVE Junior Brown. Hoping to see him live soon.

So proud of my hubby for all his hard work on this.
Can't wait for classes to begin, hopefully in the fall.

I have gotten some great deals here, and everyday
I look forward to seeing what the deal of the day is.

So many good ideas, all in one place. Seriously addictive.
I only let myself look at it on weekends.

This is another app I really enjoy having on my phone.

My new favorite book. Could. Not. Put. It. Down.

We have a kitchen full of stainless steel appliances.
These are my new best friend.

These have seriously saved my sanity.
No more toothpaste squeezed out on every surface of the boys' bathroom.

*I'm not getting any advertising bucks out of this. Just sharing my thoughts. Please leave a comment, telling me about some of your favorite things.

Becoming a Yellow Belt

2011-12-07T22:22:00.000-06:00

Squealing, Clapping, Smiling

2011-12-06T15:23:00.001-06:00

My new furniture arrived today! Woohoo!

A place for everyone to sit

My husband loves me THIS much! If you need me, I'll be right here.

7 Months

2011-12-05T23:06:00.000-06:00

The little guy is seven months old today. And he's still little. He weighs 14 pounds and 15 ounces, putting his dot just below the lowest curve on the percentile graph (which is the 3rd percentile). He is better on height, almost a giant, really, at the 25th percentile. He has recently started solid foods, in a manner of speaking. Actually, when anything comes in the direction of his mouth on a spoon, he works himself up to a very theatrical gag, and very few spoonfuls make it across those pursed lips. However, he has agreed to occasionally munch on Baby Mum Mum rice crackers. The doctor isn't really worried about Clay's weight, because he is generally healthy and is hitting all the right milestones at all the right times, but she does want to keep an eye on him, so we'll continue going in for regular weight checks and keep trying to shove the food in. Clay is still wearing 3-6 month size clothes and size 2 diapers. He is sitting up really well on his own and is still army crawling and inch-worming along, but not performing a proper crawl yet--though he definitely has no trouble getting where he wants to go. He is just the cutest thing ever, with his sweet smiles and oh-so-happy belly laugh. We love this adorable little bundle!

Adventures in the Wild West

2011-12-04T23:23:00.001-06:00

Our adventure begins on the Friday after Thanksgiving...

Unable to resist the Siren song of Black Friday, Jeff began his shopping around 6:00 am. Of course, his only destination was HEB, and his only goal was to buy milk, so we could hit the road. So, with the milk purchased and the Thanksgiving leftovers packed up, we headed west. Our first stop was Evridge's furniture store in Brady, where we purchased a sofa and the coolest chair ever. They will be delivered on Tuesday, so check back later for pictures. Having done that, we made our way to our ultimate destination: the family ranch. We got there in time to don our camo, set out some live traps and track down a javelina for Weston to take a shot at. He hit the pig, but it ran off in the brush where we couldn't find it.

tiny hunter

camo boys

baiting Grandpa's trap

the mighty trapper

getting it set

unsuspecting javelina

taking aim

Saturday was Weston's birthday, so we let him set the program for the day. His first priority was to check the traps. Sure enough, he had caught a coon, which was probably the best birthday present he could have gotten. After checking the traps, we decided to head for the house for breakfast. With temperatures dropping and moisture levels rising, we urged my father-in-law to get us home quickly, especially since we were all piled up in the open-air Ranger. He found a relatively smooth patch of dirt road and hit the gas. With two adults and a kid in the front seat and three adults, each with a child on her lap in the back seat, we were probably overloaded. My attention was turned to keeping myself and my seat partner warm and dry, and the next thing I knew, Max and I were sailing through the air and landing in the brush. My knee was hurting, but my main concern was for Max. The rest of the group was there with us almost instantly, and my father-in-law took quite a tongue lashing from a scared-but-not-seriously-injured Max about driving too fast. While Jeff checked Max for broken bones, my sister-in-law was checking on me. After I caught my breath, I was ready to get up. She and Jeff flanked me and helped me up, which I declared made me feel dizzy. And then the world went black. I passed out right there in the middle of the pasture and woke up 10 seconds later, completely confused about where I was or what I was doing and wondering why on earth my stomach was so cold. (Jeff had raised my shirt a little hoping the cool air would revive me, which I guess it did). It was a crazy experience. They finally got Max and me loaded back up in the Ranger, and I then spent the rest of the day with my left knee iced and elevated. And we did go on to have a nice little birthday celebration for Weston.

before the accident, with my little camo buddy

Weston's birthday coon

birthday breakfast

deer hunting toy

Weston loves longnecks

Sunday was uneventful. It was cold, so we spent most of the day inside, playing games and drinking warm drinks. The kids went out hunting with Dad and Grandpa, but didn't see much. At 6:00 am on Monday morning, Ruth entering our bedroom, saying she had just thrown up upstairs. She then went on to throw up several more times in our bathroom. Just as I got her settled on the couch, Max entered the room, following her example. Max was back in the game very quickly and spent much of the day playing outside. By the afternoon, Ruth was feeling better, too.

log rolling

fun in the sandbox

feeling good and looking good

Tuesday was Ruth's half-birthday, so it was her turn in the limelight. She went walking with her aunt, and found a lucky horseshoe, and while hunting with her dad, she shot a little six-point buck. While she was walking and Clay was napping, and with the rest of the group otherwise occupied, Jeff and I got out the hand guns for a little target practice. After practicing for a little while, I finally got a bullseye, which I was very proud of. I have shot the guns before, but this was the first time I really felt confident about what I was doing, and it made a difference.

a-hunting we will go

lucky girl

happiness is walking a dirt road with your brother

bullseye

playing with the spent casings

half-birthday buck

horse lights for the half-birthday girl

beautiful west Texas sky

On Wednesday, Weston followed Ruth's hunting example and bagged a six-point of his own. He was so very proud of himself. Needless to say, we should have plenty of meat to eat for a while. During lunch, Jeff and the biggest kids were entertaining themselves by working math problems. Ruth and Weston were enjoying it so much, they didn't want to stop, so after lunch Ruth started giving Weston lessons in division. It was so cute to watch. Later in the day, we decided to see if we could spot the little elk family that has taken up residence on the ranch. Last year, my father-in-law had shot a bull elk, thinking there weren't any cows around. But, it has since been discovered that there is, in fact, a cow, and she now has a calf. They are all usually pretty elusive, but we managed to see all three of them within an hour. They are such beautiful creatures and seem to know instinctively that they are more majestic than the other deer on the ranch. There is a strict no-kill policy on them right now to see if they will continue to breed, so the only shooting we did was with the camera.

hunting with Grandpa

Weston's buck

division lessons

division

mama elk

big daddy

The big event for Thursday was a trip into Marathon. We shopped in both of the stores in town, before having drinks at the White Buffalo bar and dinner at the 12 Gage restaurant, both inside the historic Gage Hotel.

Gage Hotel

Gage decor

unlikely bar patrons

12 Gage

Inside the 12 Gage

Friday was cold and wet, so we spent a bit more time inside. However, the kids still found some time to play outside and even help Grandpa with some backhoe work.

reading with Mimi

backhoe business

good helpers

On Saturday, the tummy bug caught up with me, so I spent most of the day in bed or curled up on the couch, sleeping and reading. I felt pretty lousy, but I did manage to finish an excellent book, which I highly recommend: Unbroken. It's the amazing, true story of Louis Zamperini, a one-time Olympian and WWII soldier and POW. You must put this book on your to-read list--near the top.

This morning, we gathered up all the traps and buttoned up the hunting cabin. We stopped by Granny Wanda's on our way through town and then pointed our little convoy toward home, stopping twice for lunch (at my boys' request) and once at the deer processing place. Even with the few illnesses and accidents, we had a wonderful time out west.

all hunted out

visiting Granny Wanda

Watts out west

Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T21:16:00.000-06:00

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and we hope yours was wonderful as well. We have so many things to be thankful for, we couldn't even begin to list them all. One of the things we are very thankful for is our amazing extended family, and we were so blessed to get to spend the day with many of them today, and even to get to talk to a couple of them who are currently living overseas. The Lord has blessed us abundantly, in so many ways, and our hearts just overflow with thanksgiving, much like our Thanksgiving table overflowed with food. We always have a themed Thanksgiving, and this year's theme was Southern comfort food. So, our spread included lots of traditional Thanksgiving favorites: fried turkey, two kinds of dressing, sweet potato casserole, cheese grits, green bean casserole, potato casserole, mac and cheese, congealed salad, fruit salad, rolls, and several yummy desserts. I think the rolls and sweet potato casserole are my favorites, but everything was delicious. I'd love to know what your favorite Thanksgiving food is and if you have any special traditions. I'll leave you with a few pictures from our special day.

Our Little Bitty was smaller (in weight) than one of the turkeys
and not much bigger than the other one.

You know it's going to be a good day when
you start with a big pot and a fire extinguisher

The Spread--not even including the desserts!

Clay got to enjoy some yummy rice crackers for his Thanksgiving meal

There was lots of lap-sitting...

...And some serious nap-taking

Hunting Party

2011-11-19T22:33:00.000-06:00

We had a very fun birthday party for Weston today. Lots of friends and family helped us celebrate his six years. He had a hunting theme, so everyone wore camo, including me, which was a first.

The Cake

Birthday boy

Camo watch

Head to toe camo

Camo baby

"Target Practice"--bean bag toss

Pin the antlers on the deer

Antler covered deer

A new gun

All the boys loved the live trap gift

Pinata

Hiding out in the new camo blind

Even my nephew had his camo

Camo ninja

Doing Hard Things

2011-11-14T21:44:00.001-06:00

Jeff and I have been having a perpetual conversation with our kids about doing things that aren't easy, things that don't come naturally and things that may be outside their comfort zones. Do HARD things, we tell them. As a homeschooling mom, I know exactly when my kids are being lazy during the school day. I know when they aren't trying. I know when they are taking the easy way out. So, I push them a little: Do HARD things, I remind them. Because it's when we do hard things that we grow and learn. And it's in those things that we feel the most pride and sense of accomplishment. And when we have those feelings, we want to do harder things.

It's interesting how I can never lecture my kids without feeling the sting of the lecture as well. And, I have to admit that in the past few years, I have not really gravitated toward doing hard things. In college, I majored in the hardest thing I could think of, and I kind of burned out a little. I'm not saying I haven't pushed myself beyond my known limits since that time, but I have not actively and intentionally pursued things that are hard on a regular basis. Oh, I took on the two most daunting rooms in the house today--Max's bedroom and the boys' bathroom--and I went to Walmart with the kids, at 5:00 pm. But, that's not really the kind of hard I'm talking about. And, so, in a never-ending effort to model for my kids the behavior I wish to see in their lives, I have made a conscious decision in the last few months to DO HARD THINGS. I am trying to choose to do things that are outside my comfort zone from time to time. And, I'm trying to do things that don't necessarily come easily or naturally. That's part of what tutoring a CC class was about for me. And I'm so glad I took that on. It has been such an amazing experience. And I already see several more opportunities to take on a few new hard things. My hard things may not be your hard things, because we've all got different hurdles and different thresholds and different mental blocks. But, I think we all need to be doing hard things, whatever those things may be. (That said, I do think a person can take on too many hard things at once, which certainly isn't advisable). It's easy to do what's easy, but it's sometimes challenging to motivate ourselves to do what is hard. I read a quote the other day that inspired me to just go ahead and take up some new challenge: Don't wait to feel motivated; just get started, as though you are motivated, and the motivation will come. That thought carried me through some of the less desirable tasks I had on my to-do list today, but it also pushes me to go ahead and pursue some hard things in my life. What hard thing will you do?

Fredricksburg

2011-11-12T22:55:00.000-06:00

We spent most of the day in Fredricksburg. First, we enjoyed the lovely drive between here and there, part of which was on a rustic, unpaved county road, which completely thrilled the boys. Then, we spent some time on the grounds of the National Museum of the Pacific War. The kids enjoyed looking at the model aircraft carrier and climbing up on some of the big guns, while also taking in the gorgeous weather. We had lunch at a fun cafe, which is famous for it's pie, in general, and it's pie-on-a-stick, in particular. Unfortunately, after our delicious sandwiches, we were too full to try the pie, but we have that on our list of things to try another time. After lunch, we made our way to "The Combat Zone," for a thorough run-down and demonstration of most of the U.S. and Japanese weaponry used during WWII, as well as a reenactment of one of the battles of the Pacific. We were all issued ear plugs on the way in. It was a fascinating (and LOUD) show, and Weston was particularly enamored with the program. The biggest explosions and the automatic weapons were his favorites. It was especially moving to see this on Veteran's Day weekend, when many vets were in the audience, including one WWII vet they honored at the end of the show. We are so very thankful for those soldiers, past and present, who have fought and continue to fight for our freedom.

We left there and headed over to a more mom-friendly activity, which was the antique show at the fairgrounds. I found many things that charmed me but, alas, came home with no treasures. Fredrisckburg is such an enchanting little town, and I hope we are able to visit again soon.

The big guns

Gunner Max

It could be a wild ride

Plugged up

Ear plugs in and ready for the battle

Amphibious tank

Bang!

The Combat Zone

Half

2011-11-06T20:06:00.001-06:00

Clay had his half-birthday yesterday. Can you believe it?! In the past month, he has started munching on his toes...and just about anything else he can get in his mouth. He is also mashing his gums together to produce some really great faces. As with the other kids, there is much outward appearance of teething, but nothing to show for it yet. He is still wearing size 2 diapers and 3-6 month onesies, but with the cooler weather, we have found out that he still needs a 0-3 month size in pants. He's just such a little bitty guy. He is sitting up better and can even get into a sort of sitting position on his own from his belly. As you know, he has become mobile. He is still more comfortable with the army crawl than with regular crawling, but he can flat get around. He will get up on his hands and knees and rock back and forth for quite a while before giving in to the easier method of mobility. He LOVES to jump and bounce and be held high in the air and jiggled around. And, his belly-laugh is getting more and more hearty and contagious. He has moved out of the pack-n-play in our room and into his crib in his own room. Unfortunately, his sleeping through the night has become less consistent. He has just started going to the nursery and Sunday school at church. And everyone who is around this kid--whether at church, CC or just the grocery store--adores him. He is so genuinely happy and easy-going, and such a charmer! I couldn't decide on just one picture, so you are getting several. Happy half-birthday to my sweet Little Bitty Baby!

munching on the tootsies

sitting like a big boy

playing in the crib

silly face

happy guy

Saturday in the big city

2011-11-05T21:05:00.000-05:00

We went in to Austin this morning for a crazy, hilarious, and slightly frustrating family photo shoot, a birthday/half-birthday feeding frenzy at one of the Brazilian steak houses, and some interesting, but unproductive furniture shopping. Now, having had all the fun we can stand for one day, we're all exhausted and headed for bed.

Some questions about the library

2011-11-03T21:36:00.000-05:00

Why is the library's website set up to be more secure than my bank's?
Why does the librarian hoover over me asking if she can help, and then when I actually need some help, she sends me to the front desk to get my question answered?
Why is there a limit on how many books I can check out at one time--especially since I have to pay a fee if they are late or lost?
Why will they not allow my husband to check out books using my card? Even if he offers to call me so they can verify that I gave him permission?
Why all the hubbub to get a video out from under lock and key, if it is damaged in critical plot areas that force me to have to skip ahead or turn it off completely?
Why have they stopped being open on Saturdays, when people have more time to actually go there?

Don't get me wrong, I love the library, and will most definitely continue to be a regular there. But I just don't understand why it has to be so hard to use in some ways.

Home Improvements

2011-10-31T15:22:00.002-05:00

In the last couple of weeks, we have had some nice home improvements. They may not mean that much to you, but I'm thrilled.

This is the inside of the dishwasher. See how shiny it is? Up until Friday it was solid white.
That's how hard our water is. Thank you Dishwasher Magic for making it shine again!

The fantastic water softener that has made our lives SOOO much cleaner and less filmy.

New keyboard and maps in the homeschool room

Blinds, glorious blinds. Now I don't feel like the cows are spying on me,
and I'm not forced to wake up with the sun in my eyes!

My much beloved old-window-turned-new-mirror

Shell Decor

We now have many pictures on the walls, including this awesome one my in-laws gave us.

Party Weekend

2011-10-30T22:00:00.002-05:00

Some of our neighbors instituted "Friday Fun Night," which is a standing neighborhood party on Friday nights. So, when in town or otherwise unoccupied, we all show up with food and drinks and hang out, either in someone's home or just kind of out in the street. We've been to two out of the three, and it's been a blast both times. There are tons of kids, close in age to ours, so our kiddos love it, too. So, that was Friday's party. And you already know all about Ruth's spa party yesterday. And today, we had a birthday party for Jeff, in which Jeff did all the cooking and a good bit of the cleaning up. It's weird to me, too, but that's just what he likes to do for his special day. The meal was fabulous, as usual! And this is just the beginning of our big party season. We have several friends and relatives with birthdays this month, a couple of half-birthdays, Weston's birthday and Thanksgiving. Woo Hoo! Let the good times roll!

Spa Party

2011-10-29T20:56:00.001-05:00

Ruth hosted a house-warming party for herself today. She invited the girls from her CC class, and they spent the morning giving each other indulgent spa treatments, including manicures, pedicures, facials, massages and new 'dos. Then, Ruth served a fabulous lunch she pretty much made completely on her own: Tomato Basil Soup, Caesar Salad, Chicken Salad Sandwiches, Pink Lemonade and Ginger Cookies. Everything was absolutely delicious, and the girls (including me) had a blast!

Soaking the tootsies

Doing the 'Do

A splash of color

Pretty lady

Oatmeal Smoothie facial

Beautiful girls, ready for lunch

On the Move

2011-10-26T21:43:00.000-05:00

Clay has figured out mobility, and there will be no stopping him now! His efforts are still a little rudimentary (as you would expect), so he goes along sometimes forward, sometimes backward and always in inchworm fashion--up on hands and knees, then flat and flailing, then up again. It's really the cutest thing to watch! And, he is absolutely thrilled with himself, as you can see.

Up...

...And down

Better than I am

2011-10-25T16:40:00.000-05:00

My kids make me a better person than I am. It's true. When I want to pout and sulk because I think things haven't gone my way, I remember that I absolutely would not let my kids get away with that, and I snap out of it. When I want to yell and scream, and maybe even cuss, I remember that I would not want to hear those things coming out of my children's mouths, and I censor myself. And when I want to run away, crying, because I'm afraid--like I wanted to do today when Weston found a snake out by the garage that I needed to kill myself because Jeff wasn't here--I muster up some courage and I make myself appear brave, (even though my heart was beating wildly and my hands were shaking like crazy), because I want to be better than I am for my kids. I want to maintain a good example before them, so that they'll know how to behave. I'll admit, I do sometimes blow it. I yell and scream. I tremble and cry. And I even pout and sulk. But, before long, I ask myself the question I often ask my kids when I'm disciplining them, "What kind of person do you want to be?" They usually want to be a better person than they are being at the time, and so I say, "Choose to be that person." Thanks in great part to my children, I am learning to choose to be better than I am.

The last few days

2011-10-24T21:02:00.002-05:00

Friday

Weight check for the Little Man. Up two pounds since last visit, but doc still wants to keep an eye on it. We'll check it again in a month.
Jeff reserved tickets for us to go see Les Miserables in San Antonio in January.
Plumbers here (again) and have hopefully solved the worst of our lingering plumbing problems.
Party planning.
Last of the paperwork signed for our house to be officially ours.
Perused a local furniture store. Found things I liked, just not the things I am most in the market for.
Dinner at Cooper's in Llano.
A nice visit with my in-laws and mess-free piña coladas

Saturday

I GAVE MYSELF THE DAY OFF! Clay and I spent the day shopping in Marble Falls, and we had a lovely (quiet) time.
Found a sofa I love. Not so crazy about the price tag.
Dropped off an old, sentimentally valuable window frame at the mirror shop for a little update.
Bought a fun new purse and some fabulous insulated cups.
Met up with Jeff and the kids for a picnic in the park, fulfilling my Oct. birthday gift. The weather and setting were perfect, and we all had a blast.
Movie night with the kids.

Sunday

Church and Sunday school.
Lunch at a new place in Horseshoe Bay.
Mini adventure to see the Horseshoe Bay lighthouse.
FroYo with the fam (that's "frozen yogurt," for those of you, like myself, who may not be up with the latest lingo). I made my taste buds smile with pumpkin and cake batter topped with granola.
Forced Jeff to go look at the sofa I loved so much, and promised him I would look around online for a better price.
Poked around in some of the remaining boxes in the garage and determined that my butterfly shower curtain has disappeared off the face of the earth.
Made cookies with Ruth.
Read some of "Little House in the Big Woods" to Weston.
Poetry reading with kids during and after dinner, followed by a whole bunch of Shel Silverstein books being purchased from Amazon.

Today

Strong Academy site inspection. (Strong Academy is an online, two-year, college-level school for entrepreneurs that Jeff is working on starting. One of the first steps towards becoming official is this site visit from the state. The office passed inspection. WooHoo!)
(Finally) Washed most of the shells we collected on our visit to South Padre a couple of years ago, so I can decorate with them. Longed to be walking on some beach, somewhere.
Received my new window frame mirror and may have swooned.
Made sugar scrubs for Ruth's upcoming spa party.
Enjoyed having the windows up all day.

From where I sit, it's a beautiful life. I hope the last few days have been wonderful for you as well.

Do the Math

2011-10-20T21:09:00.003-05:00

1 pukey baby
+ 1 girl with an eye injury
+ 1 skipped three-year-old nap
+ 1 boy with a seriously loose tooth
+ 1 kitchen-and-husband-covering explosion of piña coladas
__________________________________________________
2 much drama for one day

Sweet Tuesday

2011-10-18T21:31:00.002-05:00

On Mondays, Max goes to preschool from 8:15-3:15, while the older two are doing their school work here at home. We usually try to squeeze in a few errands and a trip to the library after we pick up Max and before Ruth has to be at her Martial Arts class at 5:15. That class ends at 6:00, and we either have to try to scarf down some fast food before Cub Scouts at 6:30, if Jeff is out of town and I have all the kiddos with me. Or, we rush home to eat before everyone is at their breaking point, just in time see Jeff and Weston off to Scouts, if Jeff happens to be in town. Cub Scouts ends between 7:30 and 7:45, so it's just about bedtime when we get home. On Wednesdays, we repeat the whole scenario, just leaving off the Cub Scout meeting. On Thursdays, we are at CC from 8:30-3:45, and then Ruth has piano lessons from 4:00-4:30. Fridays have Max back at preschool. And, here lately, we've also thrown in a Friday field trip, an out-of-town weekend trip, a Saturday birthday party, a visit to the orthodontist and a neighborhood get-together. I feel like I'm running all the time!

Ah, but then there's Tuesday. We have no extracurricular activities planned on that day, and I feel like I can breath. That's my day to get stuff done around the house. To actually cook a meal for my family--maybe even trying a new recipe. To prepare the material I will be presenting in CC on Thursday. To exchange emails with long-time friends. To plan upcoming birthday parties. To do a little online shopping. To take a walk with my family in the evening. To read books to my kids before bed.

Don't get me wrong; I love our full and busy life. But, I'm so thankful for Tuesday, that wonderful day of rest!

Batting Practice

2011-10-13T23:51:00.001-05:00

No one was hurt, and the house didn't burn down. Thank goodness.

For some unfathomable reason, my three-year-old decided to pick up a rogue piece of conduit he found outside and take a walloping swing at the power panel for the water well. This knocked the cover right off, and mechanically-minded big brother came over to help replace it. Not knowing how it was supposed to go, and possibly not paying a great deal of attention to what he was doing, he got the metal cover in the wrong place and caused a nice big spark and sizzle. He quickly dropped the panel cover, and he and his younger brother ran away, without so much as a scratch or a burn on them. After watching a few minutes for more signs of fire, and seeing none, they decided to come in the house and report "a little spark." It took quite a while to get the whole story. And by the time I did, we had no more running water in the house--the reserved water in the tank having been drained by the hasty shower given to the boys so I could send them to bed. I delivered a lecture that brought even big sister to tears and apologies...and she wasn't even outside!

After seeing a rattlesnake out here in the spring and losing about two weeks of sleep over ever letting my kids play outside again, I decided to give my children's safety completely to the Lord, knowing that He can do a much better job of watching them than I can. I'm thankful I made that choice. He was definitely watching tonight.

Published

2011-10-11T14:03:00.000-05:00

Remember back in May 2010, when Ruth was the PSIA state champ for Creative Writing? Well, the 2011-2012 PSIA handbook arrived a few days ago, and Ruth's winning story is published there as a teaching tool for others competing in the contest. I'm sure it won't be her last published work, but it is her first, and I'm just so proud! She no longer competes in Creative Writing, but has moved on to Ready Writing. She will also be competing in Music Memory, Spelling and Poetry Interpretation this year. The district meet will be in March, so stay tuned for more PSIA updates in the Spring.

*Click on the photo for a larger, more readable version.

Moody Gardens

2011-10-09T21:52:00.000-05:00

Moody Gardens

"Do you see what I see?"

Emperor Max

Looking at the lobster

The petting pool

Paddlewheel boat

Aboard the Colonel

The only picture of Clay from the entire weekend

Sitting in a (replica) termite mound

The leg bone's connected to the foot bone

Entertaining the crowd "under the sea"

Three little tree frogs

*Check out my photo blog in the coming days to see some of the pretty stuff from the gardens.*

Five Months

2011-10-05T21:42:00.000-05:00

Wasn't it just last night that I was posting that Clay was four months old?! Where does the time go? My Little Bitty is growing up way too fast! This month finds Clay in a size 2 diaper and 3-6 month clothes. It also finds him rolling around all over the place, trying to push up into a crawling position, doing a little sitting on his own and standing and jumping in his exersaucer or when he's being held. He has also been enjoying one bottle of formula a week during the time that I'm tutoring at CC. And, he has become fascinated with studying his hands and feet. This kid is contagiously happy and an absolute delight, and I'm so thankful I get to be his mommy!

Sweet 5-month-old boy

Clay's favorite toy

Lady Killer

My life is hilarious

2011-09-29T22:01:00.000-05:00

To someone. Not necessarily me.

So, I've been without a washer and dryer since we moved into our new house. I'm not really sure how a shipping company "loses" something as large as a washer and dryer, but, whatever. So after much ado, the new washer and dryer were delivered today. And left stacked on top of one another. Curbside. (Actually in the driveway, but still a ways from the house). While I was at CC. And my husband is out of town. We knew it was a curbside delivery, but these much-anticipated appliances were supposed to be unloaded into the back of my husband's big, bad truck, which he left at the curb--blocking half the driveway--for just this reason. When I arrived home, around 6:30 this evening, I found the washer and dryer staked on top of one another, as I mentioned before, on the ground, right behind that big, bad truck. Just as it was starting to rain. And the baby was crying. And 2/3 of the older children were losing all control of themselves. Knowing I couldn't even begin to move the machines (especially with a dolly with two flat tires), I set about trying to wrap them in tarps. In my teacher clothes (flowing skirt, ruffly, white blouse, but, thankfully, not the high-heels I had worn to CC). With no way to avoid the little mesquite tree right by the driveway. As the rain started to come down harder and my skirt continued to get stuck in the tree, I realized that what I really needed was another set of hands to secure the bungee cord. I ran up to the house, to find that my instructions of "take a bath" had, for once, been executed without the least bit of hesitation. Slick, naked children, I surmised, were not going to be all that helpful, after all. So, back out into the now somewhat heavy rain I went, all alone, to face this beast in my driveway. Finally, with my white shirt soaked almost completely through and graying from the constant brushes with the nearby truck, I inadvertently snagged one end of the bungee cord on the truck, which allowed me to reach all the way around and secure the tarp. What must the neighbors be thinking?! As soon as I got back in the house, the rain stopped and hasn't returned yet. (Though it is making sounds like it could). Absolutely hilarious.

One little froggy sitting on his own

2011-09-28T21:26:00.000-05:00

Out and About

2011-09-25T21:45:00.000-05:00

Outing #1

On Wednesday, our CC group had a two-part field trip. The first part was to H*E*B. And when I told the kids that's where we were going, they commented, "H*E*B?! Really?! We always go there, so how is that a field trip?" I think they were pleasantly surprised. We toured the store with some of the staff, and we got to pet a lobster, check out some of the more interesting items in the meat case (chicken feet, anyone?) and receive some goodies at the end of the tour. Plus, we received some good reminders about nutrition and hygiene.

As the only kid who had ever actually tasted (and loved) cow's tongue,
Weston couldn't really see what all the hubbub was about

The beautiful H*E*B princess

Cheesin' it up!

The second part of our field trip was to the Pogue Sculpture Gallery and Foundry. It was really impressive to see this local artist's studio and to have his apprentices walk us through the process of bronze sculpture making. It was absolutely fascinating--for kids and adults alike!

Everyone's favorite--the clay horse model

Finished zebra sculpture
(You can see the model for this below the horse's front hooves)

Outing #2

Thomas the Tank Engine was in Burnet today, so we met up with grandparents for lunch and then made our way over to say hello. The crowd wasn't nearly as large as it was last year, so the kids got to do more of the things without waiting in lines. Max especially had a good time.

Thomas the Tank Engine

Max is happy to see Sir Topham Hatt

Posing with Toppin Hat (as Max likes to call him)

All the boys are ready to ride

My lovely seat mate

Working in a game of golf

One of Max's other passions: climbing

All the way to the top!

Time to climb

You know what happens when you ASSUME, don't you?

2011-09-22T21:41:00.000-05:00

Okay, I've never built a house before or moved into a brand new one--not by lots of years. So, I didn't really know where to set my expectations. Unfortunately, I set them a little high in a couple of key departments. First of all, I thought, "Everything is new, so it must all be in working order." Not necessarily. My repair/replace list is already pretty long. My second thought was, "It's brand new, so it will start out clean and will, therefore, be easier to keep clean." Wrong again. There is a tremendous amount of dust and debris, and I haven't even gotten anything truly clean in the first place yet. So, I am now entering a phase of resetting my expectations. I'm definitely not disappointed with the house. I love it so much and am so very happy to be here! I'm just changing the way I think about my brand new house. I'm also realizing I might have been a bit hasty to offer to host Mom's Night in October. Hopefully, my girls will overlook the flaws and we can just enjoy hanging out--whether the windows are clean or not. ☺

Little Bitty Baby

2011-09-19T21:15:00.000-05:00

This has been my nickname for Clay since he was born, and at his (late) four-month check-up today, I found out that it is justified. He was in the 50th percentile for height (25 1/2 in.), but only 10th percentile for weight (12.15 lbs.). At this age (and actually closer to the true 4-month mark), Weston was the same height but weighed 3 pounds more, and Max was an inch shorter but weighed 2 pounds more. Dr. Madrigal wants to monitor Clay's weight to make sure he doesn't fall below the 10th percentile, but otherwise she couldn't have been more pleased with Clay's health and accomplishments. And, she and her assistant both commented that Jeff and I make very pretty babies. I didn't disagree with her!

So it must be rain

2011-09-18T20:45:00.000-05:00

It looks like rain.

And, it tastes like rain.

So, it must be rain!!

So thankful for this wonderful blessing today!

Because, OBVIOUSLY you can learn better in a RED chair with a TRACTOR seat

2011-09-17T21:12:00.000-05:00

He gets my vote, too

2011-09-16T22:25:00.000-05:00

Today, Max was at preschool, Jeff had taken Ruth to the doctor and Clay was sleeping. So, Weston and I were having lunch together without the rest of the group. We were sitting next to each other at the bar, and pretty soon, Weston leaned over and said, "I kind of like that it's just you and me here, having lunch together. It's kind of like a date." He expressed several more times during lunch how cool he thought it was that we were getting to have lunch together--just the two of us. Then after lunch, eyeing the apples in the fruit bowl on the island, Weston stated, "Today just seems like the perfect day to make an apple pie." So, the next thing I knew, we were in the throes of pie-making. And every few minutes, Weston would say something like, "It sure is fun making an apple pie, isn't it?!" or "I really like making an apple pie--especially with you." It was just pure sweetness and melted this momma's heart! I savored every minute, knowing that my moments like that are fleeting. Kid of the Week, indeed!

wearing sister's apron and hat, peeling apples

the finished product

Kid of the Week

2011-09-15T22:17:00.001-05:00

Our CC campus has a "Kid of the Week" every week. Parents and tutors are always on the lookout for especially good behavior from the children, and when they see it, they can let the director know that they think that kid deserves to be kid of the week. The kids receive a little certificate and are recognized in the morning assembly. Today's "Kid of the Week" was Weston. He was actually nominated twice, by two different moms, for outstanding behavior last week. Our director was kind enough to share those nominations with me. And, now, I will share them (braggingly) with you. I'm very, very proud of Weston!

I have been meaning to write about my Kid of the Week pick. Weston is my pick. While all our children have wonderful manners, last Thursday Weston went beyond the rest. While some got excited about the coming snack or activity, Weston never forgot his please and thank yous. He was exceptional at waiting his turn and raising his hand to speak. As we moved through the auditorium, he kept quiet and did not speed through, and he opened the door for others. Plus, he keeps a wonderful smile on his face the entire day.

I recommend Weston Watts for kid of the week. He listens well, is helpful, plays well with classmates of all ages, and is a good sport. He participates in discussion, and does not follow others when they forget rules or to be respectful, instead, doing what he knows is right. I appreciate his understanding temperament.

Picture this

2011-09-13T23:39:00.000-05:00

Okay, picture this: A cow tried to slip into my garage tonight, so I rushed out--baby in arms--to shoo it off and close the garage door. The shooing works, the garage door closing doesn't. Still, I consider it a victory and head back inside.

But then, picture this: I see another cow darn-near up on the front porch munching on one of the boys' plastic bulldozers.

Now, picture this: This city girl rushes out the front door (sans baby), newly confident in her shooing abilities, only to find that this cow is not to be shooed. She just stands there, looking at me, and munching on the bulldozer.

And, finally, picture this: The city girl, in her flip-flops, running through the dirt and sand and brush and cacti, after the cow that stubbornly refuses to put down the toy.

And not a camera in sight. But, I swear, there must have been a hidden camera somewhere. When that big, brown cow finally dropped the dozer and I was able to fetch it, I laughed out laud all the way back into the house. I absolutely cannot believe this happened, not only in real life, but in MY real life.

One month down

2011-09-12T23:56:00.000-05:00

We have already completed a month of school for this fall semester. Wow! Time certainly does fly when you're having fun! And even though we moved during this month, we tried to stick to our school schedule as much as possible, just to keep things flowing. That is not to say we haven't had interruptions. But, one of the things we enjoy about homeschooling is the flexibility.

Ruth has had the opportunity to do some interesting cooking and craft projects for History, as well as read some fascinating books. At the moment, she is working her way through the Civil War, a time period that really captures her attention. She has done some wonderful creative writing and written some beautiful poems in Writing. She finished a Spelling workbook leftover from last semester, putting her a couple of books ahead of where she "should" be. She has done some neat experiments in Science. She has been very focused in Math, vowing not to get behind like she did last year. She is reviewing her Latin from last school year, in order to make sure she has a really firm foundation before starting the book designated for jr. high and high school students. And she is doing her English Grammar lessons almost completely on her own, without the least bit difficulty. She is also enjoying her piano lessons, and just today she began a Martial Arts class. And, of course, she loves our one-day-a-week CC classes. Instituting a timer has made her a very good manager of her time, and our school days move along at a brisk, but thorough pace.

Weston still has days where he enjoys his school days more than others, but he is making progress daily. His favorite classes are Writing and Spanish. I am using the Writing with Ease book with him this year, and it's really perfect for his needs and abilities. And, it is all literature-based, so he has even been inspired to explore some books and stories that he had not been interested in before. For Spanish, we began the semester with some simple vocabulary books from the library, which he absolutely loved. In the last couple of weeks, he has moved to the computer-based Rosetta Stone program, which he also enjoys, but which has a bit of a learning curve. He finally finished his 18 poster and has gotten to move on to Great Illustrated Classic books. He is on his first of these now: Swiss Family Robinson. He does a good job in Math and is capable of doing more and more of the work on his own. He is also really enjoying his CC classes and looks forward to them every week. And, today, he started Cub Scouts, which he has been eagerly anticipating for months. (Plus, Weston has had on-site training in plumbing and masonry, since he has taken it upon himself to pull up a chair and ask all kinds of questions when these guys have been working here at the house).

We are super-proud of our kiddos and all that they are learning and doing! And, we are thrilled to be part of the daily process!

Ruth's Wednesday schedule

Westons' schedule

Ruth's "Crystal Palace"

Los Colores--Weston's very own book

An experiment in air pressure

Check the pantry for critters

2011-09-08T21:58:00.000-05:00

When I came home from a meeting tonight, I had the munchies, so I stepped into the pantry in hopes of finding a snack. This is what I found instead:

I guess we are going to have to call an exterminator!

Meet the neighbors

2011-09-07T21:09:00.000-05:00

I spied these two about 20 ft. from the kitchen door

This was taken from the living room, facing our main driveway

This ol' girl just came right up to the house!

Four Months

2011-09-05T21:16:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure how this happened, but Clay is already four months old! He continues to be super-happy and even-tempered. He sleeps well and eats well, and he rolls and scootches all over the place. He has just started reaching out for objects and people he wants, and he puts EVERYTHING in his mouth. He still wears size 1 diapers, and he just started wearing 3-6 month clothes. He is very social and loves to mimic the sounds he hears from the people who are playing with him. He is so much fun and super-cute! We think we'll just keep him.

A happy, blue-eyed boy

Most common position: hands or other objects in the mouth

first meal in the new house

2011-09-01T22:12:00.000-05:00

A house full of stuff

2011-08-31T22:26:00.000-05:00

It's official!

Favorite box of the day.
(That's an almost six-foot-tall, bubble-wrapped giraffe, poking his head out for a peek at the new place).

Home is where your stuff is

2011-08-30T21:31:00.000-05:00

The movers started at nine this morning, made two trips to the storage building and then picked up most of our stuff from my in-laws' barn. That means our stuff is living at our house now, just waiting for our bodies to join it!! We should be there by the end of the week! Yippee!

Wired

2011-08-26T21:22:00.000-05:00

BEFORE

AFTER

This week at our house

2011-08-25T22:16:00.000-05:00

closet rods

pantry shelves

bookcase shelves

towel hooks

tile and tub in master bath

mirrors and pulls

sink in powder bath

propane tank

coke machine

coke machine wand

That's how he rolls

2011-08-25T07:48:00.000-05:00

Well, Clay is officially rolling now. He rolled from his tummy to his back right around the time he turned 3 months, and he has been working on going from his back to his belly. This week he has finally perfected the move, and he's just rolling around all over the place. I tried to get a video, but I guess he's camera shy. Every time I would hit "record," he would just lay there, looking at me. I did manage to snap a couple of still shots. I can't believe how quickly he's growing up!

almost over

pretty proud of himself

First Day of Preschool

2011-08-22T19:59:00.001-05:00

O, happy day!

A special cubby

Lucky Number 13

2011-08-21T22:26:00.001-05:00

Tomorrow, Jeff and I will celebrate our 13th anniversary, though we got an early start by going out to dinner last night. We had dinner at The Overlook at the Canyon of the Eagles Resort. After dinner, we took a little walk around and discovered a teeny (but still deadly!) rattlesnake. Then, we took in a beautiful sunset from the rocking chairs on the terrace, while listening to some fun, live music. We follow the traditional gift chart, though we sometimes put our own creative spin on it. The gift for year thirteen is lace. I wanted to get us square dancing costumes, but it didn't work out. So, we got ourselves a new-to-us, grown-up-only car: Lacey, the "lace" car. She's a standard, so she came with free, learn-to-drive dates for me. And I thought being married to Jeff was a wild ride! :)

Seriously, I truly do feel lucky to have had thirteen wonderful years with my amazing Sweetie. I am so blessed, and I'm looking forward to many more fun-filled years together.

the happy couple

The Overlook

the view of what's left of Lake Buchanan

an uninvited guest

Lacey, the "lace" car

Countertops and other necessities

2011-08-20T16:45:00.000-05:00

the long bar with the cooktop

kitchen countertops (they aren't as grey as they look here)

a truer picture of the color (and a super-cute baby)

homeschool desk

desk in Clay's room (we're expecting him to start writing just any day now)

utility room counter and sink

boys' bathroom

master bathroom

master sink

The oh-so-important potty (not to be confused with the "potant potty," which is what Max calls the Port-a-Potty outside). This is the upstairs bathroom.

One of three floor drains. This might not seem like a "necessity" if you haven't met my boys. But trust me on this.

shower head in master bathroom

tankless water heater (this is the replacement for the one that was stolen a couple of weeks ago)

Gotta have AC!

If all goes well, we should be moving into our house Labor Day weekend! That's two weeks, people! Woohoo!

Best seat in the house

2011-08-19T14:08:00.000-05:00

Clay has a new seat that gets him up off the floor and allows him to be more a part of things around here. He really enjoys interacting with all of us from an upright position, and he's having fun reaching for toys on the tray. I can't believe how big he seems, sitting up like that!

Roller Shoes*

2011-08-18T22:08:00.000-05:00

*This is Max's super-cute name for roller skates.

House Update

2011-08-12T08:21:00.000-05:00

We are getting very close on our house, and it's fun to watch the finish work being done! We now have working electricity, railings and tile on the stairs and in the loft and "observatory," a secret staircase that leads to the "observatory," tile in the master shower and locking door handles on all outside doors. It won't be long now!

Railing and working lights

Double ovens

Front door handle

Tiled stairs and metal hand rail

Tiled loft

The other end of the loft

Secret staircase

Pendant lights above bar

Entrance to master shower

They say it's your birthday...

2011-08-11T23:40:00.002-05:00

...It's my birthday, too! And what a fun day it's been! My sweet father-in-law made me breakfast this morning: biscuits and sausage and fresh-squeezed orange juice. I have received a ton of love via Facebook, e-mail, snail mail and phone. Max made a minimalistic drawing of some dolphins for me. Weston wanted badly to give me a savings bond (like he often gets for his birthday) but, when told by Jeff that it probably wouldn't work out to get me one, decided to give me one of his dollar bills, a few candies and a sweet, sweet drawing of him and me holding hands. Ruth made homemade pineapple bread pudding for me last night, and then gave me a handmade ribbon necklace, a lei, a pink pen (with pink ink!) and the cherry out of her Cherry Limeade today. My in-laws gave me a beautiful wooden bowl and a couple of cute signs to hang up in the new house, and my father-in-law had a dolled up bottle of Bailey's for me. My awesome sister, brother-in-law and nieces/nephew? sent me a Sonic gift card. I also got some cash from Jeff's grandmother and from my grandparents, and some new straps for my Switch Flops from some other sweet relatives. And the Lord sent a nice little rain and a beautiful sunset, which were true blessings. Dinner was eaten at River City Grill, with extended family, overlooking Lake Marble Falls. And another party is planned for the weekend at my parents' house.

And my crazy, creative and super-sweet hubby gave me a mystery gift that promises to keep on giving (wrapped in an old copy of our house plan)! He gave me a child's magnetic calendar (you know, the ones with all the picture magnets, depicting holidays, special occasions and other interesting things). Then, he gave me twelve envelopes, each marked with a month, and instructions to open each envelope on the first day of the month specified--and not before! (Super-fun, but also a bit maddening)! Apparently, he has taken some of the magnets from the calendar and put them with homemade coupons, so that there is something special for each month, until my next birthday. I was allowed to open the "August" envelope today, which contained an "It's my birthday" magnet for the calendar and a hand-written coupon good for a kid-free date night at the time of my choosing! I can't wait to see what the other envelopes contain!!

I didn't really mean for this post to be about all the things I got for my birthday, though I do truly appreciate them all. I just feel so incredibly blessed to have so many people in my life who love me and care about me. I was made to feel truly special today, and my heart is so very happy! Thank you all for making these 34 years so wonderful!

First Day of School

2011-08-10T23:37:00.001-05:00

We kicked off our official school year a little early this year, hoping to maybe take some time off a little later. (Besides, it's hotter than blue blazes outside, so we might as well be sitting in the air conditioning, trying to improve our brains). It was a bit of a rough start for our younger student, since he still seems to be on vacation time. But we're easing in, and I expect by next week, he'll be more in the swing of things. Ruth had a great day, and even finished a little earlier than expected. Overall, it was a good start.

For those of you who might be interested, here is what's on tap for this year:

Ruth (4th Grade, with some 5th grade work thrown in, as well): Math, Writing, Modern History, Latin, Elementary Physics, Piano, Grammar and Spelling. We are also looking into getting her into some sort of sport.

Weston (Kindergarden, with a bit of 1st grade Math): Reading, Writing, Math and Spanish.

(Max will be attending preschool three days a week this year, beginning in a couple of weeks, so stay tuned for more on his school adventure).

We will all also still be participating in our CC group, which will start up again in September.

Three Months Old

2011-08-05T23:08:00.001-05:00

More Lights

2011-07-27T20:34:00.000-05:00

dining room chandelier (with scaffolding in the background)

pantry

above kitchen sink

master vanity

back porch

garage lights/doors

technically not lights, but do let light in

Lights in the darkness

2011-07-25T23:25:00.000-05:00

The electricians have been working hard out at our house, installing light fixtures, fans, switches and outlets. However, work came to a screeching halt today, when they discovered that the wire needed to finish the job was missing. Further investigation revealed that it had, in fact, been stolen. We're talking $700 worth of insulated copper wire. Some of which had to be pulled out of the conduit. The crime has been reported (and the boys were thrilled to see the sheriff out at our house!), but we feel sure the wire will not be recovered. We had to go ahead and buy more so that the project can continue to move forward. It is absolutely sickening. On a happy note, though, our light fixtures look great, and really give a polished look to the house.

garage motion light

reading light above window seat

loft fans

front porch lights

front porch fans

The voice that leads me

2011-07-22T22:53:00.000-05:00

I am completely directionless. As in, I wouldn't know "north" if it bit me on the nose. Not surprisingly, I am terrible at finding places for the first (or second, or third) time. Driving somewhere unfamiliar used to stress me out completely before the advent of the GPS. I can't tell you how many times I have been white-knuckled and on the brink of tears, talking out loud to myself to get where I was going. Ah, but the GPS takes all that stress away. My GPS voice is named "Lee," and he's Australian. I trust him completely. If he says turn, I turn. And I never question him. He knows where I'm going, and I'm more than happy to let him lead the way. And even though he knows how long the whole trip will take and what all the twists and turns are, he only gives me a manageable amount of directions at a time. It never occurs to me that he might take me to the wrong place, though he might occasionally take me by a way I didn't expect. And if I get off the path he lays out for me, he can quickly redirect me and still get me where I need to be. His voice is such a source of comfort, and if he is silent I know it's because I need to just stay the course. However, during our vacation, "Lee" stopped talking completely, and I panicked. How would I be able to manage without him?! I can get by when I'm going somewhere familiar, but I don't want my outings to be limited to the familiar.

Today, I needed to go somewhere unfamiliar, so I carefully turned to "Lee" to see if I could, by some means, get him to talk to me. It turns outs the voice mechanism had somehow been disabled, most likely because of some human error. All I had to do was engage it, and "Lee" was again getting me where I needed to go.

As I drove along, reveling in "Lee's" voice, I realized the amazing amount of faith I put in "Lee." And this led me to realize a wonderful parallel to my spiritual life. The Lord knows the way to where I'm going. He has the whole trip all planned out, though He just gives me the directions I need right now, without showing me the entire roadmap. And that's really all the instruction I can handle. One turn at a time. He may take me down a path I didn't expect, but He always gets me to the destination. I may veer off the course, but He can easily redirect me. His voice is such a comfort. And, if I've obeyed His voice, I can rest in the silent times, knowing that I just need to stay the course. There is a different silence, though, brought on by human error--disobedience and sin. This silence requires me to take some action. It makes me have to spend some time with Him, to figure out what the problem is, to re-engage His voice in my life. I want to put my faith in Him completely. I don't want to question His leading. I just want to listen to His voice and go where He tells me to go.

Sonic Drinks

2011-07-22T09:05:00.000-05:00

Thank you Sherry and Sweet Blessings for rocking my world with this! It is absolutely perfect and will have a special place in my new home. I love it so much!

Biker Dude

2011-07-21T23:01:00.000-05:00

It has been a week of scraped hands and knees, gravel driveway-induced bloody noses, and various other bumps and bruises. But with great determination, Weston has survived this rite of passage and has joined the ranks of the two-wheel bike riders. Woohoo!

Color Our World

2011-07-20T17:57:00.001-05:00

While we were on vacation the painters and concrete guys visited our house and transformed it in many ways. Aside from touch-ups, the wood surfaces are all stained, the walls and ceilings are painted and the concrete is stained as well. We are really pleased with the way everything looks, and we're excited to see it one step closer to being finished!

front porch, front door and a peek inside

kitchen

looking up to the loft

looking down into the living room

The medically perfect baby, et. al.

2011-07-19T19:09:00.000-05:00

Today was check-up day for Ruth and Clay with the pediatrician, and we managed to work Max in for a few immunizations he needs before we can enroll him in preschool. Because Ruth and Clay were both new patients, and because two sets of immunizations were involved, we ended up being in the doctor's office about three hours. Everyone got a clean bill of health, and the doctor declared Clay to be "a medically perfect baby." Here are the stats: Ruth weighed around 78 pounds and was about 4 ft. 7 in. tall. Clay weighed almost 12 pounds and was 23 in. long. But, what I really want to brag about is not the kids' health. They behaved wonderfully during the three hours we were there, and the staff just could not stop praising them for their good behavior. The kids also received many compliments for speaking to the adults intelligently. The doctor and her assistant were impressed that the kids asked probing questions and that they fully engaged in their communication with the adults. I am so thankful that my kids are healthy and intelligent, and that they are learning to conduct themselves well around others. I couldn't be prouder of these kiddos!

We did it!

2011-07-13T23:47:00.000-05:00

8 people
10+ bags
1 van
5,469 miles
Countless memories

Santa Monica

2011-07-11T00:09:00.000-05:00

The official end of our Route 66 journey on the Santa Monica Pier

We made it!

four great travelers

boogie board fun

riding a wave

build it up just to knock it down

beach baby

This is the life!

The End of the (Mother) Road

2011-07-09T01:35:00.000-05:00

We made it to Santa Monica today, thus completing the Route 66 portion of our trip! (Though not completing the adventure, as we will stay here for a few days and then make our way back to Texas sometime next week). And, boy did we get our kicks!

We began our day in Lake Havasu City, AZ this morning, where the temperature was 111 degrees, and we ended the day in Santa Monica, CA in jackets and sitting under heaters (ironically while watching the kids swim in the pool)! We ate lunch at Barstow Station, which is a food court/shopping area where the dining rooms are train cars. Guess who loved that?! We also visited the Watts district in L.A. (an appropriate place to end our journey, don't you think?) and saw the very interesting Watts Towers.

a much-needed nap in the van

Barstow Station

lunch in a train car

Dream big

Watts at the Watts Towers

Watts Towers

some details of the towers, which were 34 years in the making

the artist's signature--initials and imprints of the tools used to build the towers

Santa Monica

looking toward L.A.

Ruth and Weston bellying up to the bar

happiest baby ever

Grand Canyon to Lake Havasu City

2011-07-08T01:15:00.001-05:00

Oh what a beautiful morning!

Brave Ruth sitting near the canyon

Twisters in William, AZ

Having a soda at Twisters soda fountain

Delgadillo's Snow Cap in Seligman, AZ

A super-fun place to have lunch

No apology needed

kids at Snow Cap

Max and 'Mater

tickled traveler

The real London Bridge in Lake Havasu City, AZ

Holbrook, AZ to the Grand Canyon

2011-07-07T02:11:00.000-05:00

World's largest petrified log

Miss Ruth

Such a big guy

Big Weston

The most famous sign on Rt. 66 (according to our guide book)

Riding the jackrabbit

Giddy up

Trick rider

Standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona

Meteor Crater

Weston at the mile-wide crater

checking out the crater

the whole gang at the Grand Canyon

majestic view of canyon

breathtaking

one of many similar outdoor guests at our hotel in Grand Canyon National Park

the very hungry elk

Albuquerque, NM to Holbrook, AZ

2011-07-05T23:52:00.000-05:00

Hotel El Rancho in Gallup, NM

beautiful player piano in El Rancho

fireplace and staircase in El Rancho

Lucy's room

Ronald Reagan's presidential suite

One of the many famous patrons of El Rancho

Weston and his beloved longnecks in Holbrook

Max with a baby longneck

petrified wood

monkey bar man

dinner at Joe and Aggies

a tribute to The Mother Road

the boys participating in a Native American dance event

Ruth and her favorite dancer

Wigwam Village in Holbrook

home for the night

All lit up

Tucumcari to Albuquerque

2011-07-05T00:48:00.000-05:00

How the children entertained themselves at the Tucumcari KOA

After the rain

Tucumcari Mountain

a peek at the moon from the porch of our cabin

A Route 66 fav (but closed for the day when we got there)

Ruth's favorite of the old signs

Upscale diner in Albuquerque where we had dinner

waiting for the fireworks

Happy 4th of July!

Amarillo, TX to Tucumcari, NM

2011-07-04T19:04:00.001-05:00

Yesterday was one of our shortest days in the car, by design. (But we had no internet connection last night, so that's why this is going up today). Because of our late night at the Texas show, we slept in and didn't get on the road too early. And, we knew we would need naps, so it was better to arrive at our destination earlier. The highlights of the day were seeing the famous Cadillac Ranch outside of Amarillo and having lunch at the Midpoint Cafe in Adrian, TX.

Cadillac Ranch

Artful caddy

The whole group amongst the cars

Half-way through the trip

The crust may be ugly, but the pie is delicious at the Midpoint Cafe

In honor of their 40th anniversary, for which this trip was a gift

Road Warrior

Iconic Route 66 in Tucumcari