Perfect Babysitter

Tonight, while I was working out, Jeff got the kids ready for bed. In the process, he excused himself to go to the restroom and asked Ruth to please keep Weston in her room. She did just the right thing. She built him a little pallet (out of cowgirl bandanas), covered him up and began reading him a story. You will notice that she is even holding the book open so Weston can see the pictures--never mind that she was sitting behind him and he was completely distracted with the balloon. What a perfect little babysitter! And what a sweet big sister! And, of course, Weston didn't go anywhere. He was happy as a little clam!

Gymnastic Finale

Today was Ruth's last day of gymnastics (and her second birthday party). She had a good time, but I think she's ready to move on to other things. Here are some pics of her finale.

Luckiest Gene Pool I Know

Well, Jeff talked to his mom this evening and found out that she hit the jackpot on the penny slots today and won almost $550. This is the most unbelievably lucky gene pool I've ever seen! It's amazing. I'm really glad I'm associated with these people, and I keep thinking that it's just a matter of time before the good luck starts to rub off. Congrats, Sharon! Treat yourself to something really special!

We Like To Party!

We had the first of Ruth's birthday parties today, and it was really great! She had a blast playing with all of her friends and fully embracing her cowgirl theme. Thanks to all who came and made the day special for her.

If You're Goin' To San Francisco...

...Be sure to get there and back in 15 hours. Jeff had a business trip to San Francisco today, leaving at 7 this morning and (hopefully) getting back at 10:00 tonight. (He sort of has a track record for delays on return flights). All this for a one-hour meeting. Ick. When Ruth and I were talking about where he was at dinnertime, she said, "You mean Daddy went all the way to California for a one-day vacation?!" Not exactly.

Playroom Found

Our playroom has been lost for quite a while. It kind of just became a dumping ground for all toys that we were too lazy to take upstairs or put away in their proper places. And, honestly, I was actually sort of afraid to go in there. But, you'll remember that the other day I had some major success in finding things in the play kitchen box that did not belong there. That box resides in the playroom, and so I was inspired to see what else I might find. And what do you know: I found the playroom! It's actually a very lovely room. I know it probably won't be long before it's back in complete disarray, but for now, everything is in it's place and some things have moved on to a new home outside of our house. And speaking of found rooms: Ruth spent the last two days (with strong prompting from the parents) finding her room, and it looks so good now. And she was so proud of her accomplishment. I just wish she would remember tomorrow how much she enjoyed it today. But, I digress. The point is we found two rooms in our house today, and that's really good news.

My Favorite Chore

Most of the things that get done around our house get done because they have to be done. And, frankly, some things don't get done at all, because I conveniently never have enough time to do them. (wink, wink). But there is one chore that I really do kind of love. And that's mowing the grass. I always look forward to getting to do that particular chore, and I always have--even when I was a teenager. There is just something about being outside and sweating (not profusly, but just enough to know that you are working) and the fresh smell and the clean look when your done. And it's so nice to do a job that gives you instant gratification and doesn't have to be repeated in ten minutes, like most of the chores around here! Oh, and I'm a push-mower girl all the way. I love to be down there in it, getting that beautiful green dye job on the rim of my old tennis shoes and cutting nice, tight circles around the trees. Oooh, I can hardly wait until it needs to be done again!

Don't You Just Want To Eat This Kid Up?

Lost And Found

Today, while trying to get things somewhat organized for Ruth's birthday party this weekend, I discovered that an essential bit of wardrobe for the stick-horse race was missing. So, I looked in all the dress-up bins in Ruth's room--although in retrospect, I'm not sure why on earth I thought it would be where it actually belonged. Then, I looked in all the nooks and cranies of her room. Then, I searched the nooks and cranies of Weston's room, as he has been known to take things from her room on occasion and deposit them in his room (or some other unidentified place). No luck. I looked in the playroom, the living room, and even my room, while periodically re-checking the party supply closet to see if I overlooked it. Nothing. So, when Ruth got home from gymnastics, I asked her if she knew where it was. Yep...Uh, maybe not. She looked in all the places I had looked-- and was also shocked not to find it where it belonged--and a few extra ones. After the kids went to bed, I decided to give it one more try, before I just chalked it up to that mystery place where the socks from the dryer go. You can't imagine what I turned up on my search. I found the living room coasters, which have been missing for over a month, in the bottom of the play kitchen box, along with one of my African napkin rings. I found Weston's Bible under the loveseat. I found a single flip-flop of Ruth's under the couch, the partner of which I threw away maybe six months ago because I thought it was a lost cause. I found two balls and a Portuguese picture dictionary under the cushions of the sofa. I even found a sippy cup in the yard. And finally, wedged between Jeff's guitar and the wall, over on the far side of Jeff's chair, where the sun doesn't shine, I found the cowgirl vest I was looking for. What a relief. I will certainly sleep better tonight.

My Favorite Thing About Mother's Day

The best thing about Mother's Day is getting to be Ruth and Weston's mommy! We had a wonderful Mother's Day weekend in Corpus, but the very best thing was just spending time with my sweet kiddos and my wonderful hubby! We had dinner on Friday night at Landry's on the Bay, and I had the Crab Feast, followed by an amazing chocolate brownie dessert. We also visited one of Columbus' lesser vessels, the Nina. On Saturday, we woke up very early, had breakfast and then went back to bed for a couple of hours. When we finally really got up, we went into Corpus, where we had a picnic on the beach, visitied the aquarium and then played in the ocean. Then, we bought fresh shrimp right off the boat and took them back to the campground to cook on the grill. We chased bunnies and frogs and our new hermit crab friend we found in the ocean. This morning, we went swimming in the pool and talked to the peacocks. Then we loaded up and made our way to San Antonio for lunch, where we dined outside at one of our favortie places on the River. When we got home, we were all exhausted and laid down for a two-hour nap. It was really a perfect weekend, made so special for me by my incredible family.

Mother's Day Weekend

As the mother of this family, I got to pick my adventure for this weekend. So, this afternoon, we're off to Corpus Chirsti for a fun-(and hopefully, sun)-filled weekend. We're staying at the KOA at Lake Corpus Chirsti, so we'll have our choice of salt water and sand, fresh water and whatever they have on the shore there or good, old-fashioned chlorinated water and cement. I can't wait! We are also planning to visit the State Aquarium and eat lots of yummy seafood. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, and I wish all you mothers the very best mother's day ever!

One Step Closer To Kindergarden

Ruth and I had an opportunity to visit her school today. She got to attend a storytime with the Kindergarden teachers, while I went into a parent orientation with the principal. And afterwards, we got to take a good look around. In her giving way, Ruth made a point of drawing pictures for the teachers before we went. She was absolutely thrilled with everything about the school, and she came home and immediately began playing school. She can't wait for school to start, and I can't believe we're just months away from that important milestone. I didn't cry today, by the way...but that doesn't mean I didn't want to. Such mixed emotions, I tell you!

How Many Times Has This Happened To You?

You're sitting in your office, taking care of business, when the FedEx guy shows up with a package for you. You sign for it and then open it up to find a lobster dinner for two--complete with two live lobsters!

Well, this happened to my dad today (really!), when one of his clients sent him a lobster dinner for two (really more like five) as a "thank you." The kids were thrilled with getting these "pets" in the mail, and for us, it was a matter of being in the right place at the right time (and some incredible generosity from my parents) since we were there celebrating Mother's Day, and they decided to share. It was shipped to them from Legal Seafoods in Boston, and it was absolutely wonderful. There were the lobsters, crab cakes, clam chowder, and miniture Boston cream pies. Yummy, yum, yum! Plus, my dad and Jeff grilled some pork tenderloin, whipped up some fabulous mushroom wine sauce, and some super-yummy red potatoes. It was an excellent Mother's Day party. It was also really wonderful to get to spend some time with two of my favorite women--and their hubbies.

Taking The Portuguese Thing To The Next Level

When I went to pick Ruth up from her gymnastic/preschool class today she handed me her worksheets, and I noticed they were covered with Spanish words, and I commented on it. Her teacher told me that Ruth had done a really good job with the Spanish and then went on to say that it must help that "her dad is Portuguese." Apparently, Ruth told her teachers and her whole class that her dad is Portuguese...and that she is part Portuguese. I almost fell over. This kid is too funny for words, and the things that come out of her mouth--oh my! She is well on her way to becoming fluent in the language, though, as she faithfully and enthusiastically studies her homemade flash cards. She's way ahead of me, I can tell you that. And she absolutely loves it.

Cinco De Mayo

It was a a day of parties for us as we celebrated this fun holiday. First of all, we hung up decorations left over from our Thanksgiving Fiesta. These consisted of Edwardo, the oh-so-serious mariachi man and a sombrero. We had a picnic lunch at the Arboretum with our good friends, the Oberprillers, and I see that they have already posted pictures on their blog. That's good doin'! Then, this evening, we met Tony and Meghan and Jackson at Central Market, where we watched a Puerto Rican dance group perform and heard some really fun latin-inspired music. And, of course, no Cinco De Mayo would have been complete without a stop at Amy's for some Mexican Vanilla ice cream. It was a really fun day for us, and I hope it was fun for you as well.

That's Good Doin'

Obviously, Weston is at a stage where he is constantly learning things and perfecting the things he has already learned. And Jeff and I spend a lot of time encouraging him and re-enforcing those things by saying things like: "That's good walking, Weston; That's good climbing, Weston, etc." So tonight, something was said about a lion, and Weston immediately began a round of ferocious roaring. Ruth promptly replied, "That's good doin', Weston." I loved the phrase for the way it pretty much covers all the bases, and I think I will incorporate it into my normal selection of compliments. You just read my blog--that's good doin'.

The Cold, Hard Facts

Ruth: How old is Cody? (my cousin, Ruth's idol)

Me: He's 18.

Ruth: But is he a grown-up?

Me: Yes, he is.

Ruth: But he still lives with his mom and dad.

Me: Right. But when he graduates from high school in a few weeks, he won't live with them anymore. You're pretty much a grown-up when you're 18 because that's usually when you leave home.

Ruth: Oh. I hope I never have to leave home.

Me: Well, that's part of growing up.

Ruth: But maybe the president will let me stay with you forever.

Me (chuckling): The president?!

Ruth: Well, yes. Isn't he the one who decides that we have to leave home?!

Me (chuckling all the more): No, sweetie. Mommies and daddies (and kids) decide that.

Ruth (with jaw on the floor, looking completely incredulous): You mean you decide that?!

Yep. The cold, hard fact-of-the-matter is Mommy and Daddy will kick you out. I'm sure in the not-too-distant future this conversation will take on a whole new tone when Ruth can't wait to be rid of us. I'm really glad that (for now) Ruth wants to stay with us forever! And I'm glad that the president doesn't have any say in this whatsoever!

Bring On The May Flowers

April was a rainy month for us, and so far May has been rainy too. But I thought that the rain was supposed to stop in May so we can all enjoy those flowers that the April showers bring. Apparently not this year. Seven out of the next ten days have at least a 30% chance of rain. Unfortunately, rainy, cloudy weather makes me feel very lazy--and it also keeps the kids from getting to play outside, which is kind of a bummer because that energy has to go somewhere. But we are making the most of it. Today, we were introduced by some friends to the Toys R Us Playscape, which was lots of free, indoor fun. This particular store has an excellent play area, and I know we will definitely be back. (Maybe as soon as tomorrow if current weather conditions persist).

Potty Talk

This was too good not to share! Many of you can just insert your child's name and make this story your own. I know I can. And speaking of the potty, we got out our little potty for Weston to start sitting on. He hasn't used it for it's intended purpose yet, but he does think it's fun to sit there half-naked, and that's the first step.

Potty Talk--A 3-year-old tells all from his mother's restroom stall. By Shannon Popkin

My little guy, Cade, is quite a talker. He loves to communicate and does it quite well. He talks to people constantly, whether we're in the library, the grocery store or at a drive-thru window. People often comment on how clearly he speaks for a just-turned-3-year-old. And you never have to ask him to turn up the volume. It's always fully cranked. There've been several embarrassing times that I've wished the meaning of his words would have been masked by a not-so-audible voice, but never have I wished this more than last week at Costco. Halfway, through our shopping trip, nature called, so I took Cade with me into the restroom. If you'd been one of the ladies in the restroom that evening, this is what you would have heard coming from the second to the last stall: "Mommy, are you gonna go potty? Oh! Why are you putting toiwet paper on the potty, Mommy? Oh! You gonna sit down on da toiwet paper now? Mommy, what are you doing? Mommy, are you gonna go stinkies on the potty?" At this point I started mentally counting how many women had been in the bathroom when I walked in. Several stalls were full. 4? 5? Maybe we could wait until they all left before I had to make my debut out of this stall and reveal my identity. Cade continued, "Mommy, you ARE going stinkies aren't you? Oh, dats a good girl, Mommy! Are you gonna get some candy for going stinkies on the potty? Let me see doze stinkies, Mommy! Oh...Mommy! I'm trying to see in dere. Oh! I see dem. Dat is a very good girl, Mommy. You are gonna get some candy!" I heard a few faint chuckles coming from the stalls on either side of me. Where is a screaming newborn when you need her? Good grief. This was really getting embarrassing. I was definitely waiting a long time before exiting. Trying to divert him, I said, "Why don't you look in Mommy's purse and see if you can find some candy. We'll both have some!" "No, I'm trying to see doze more stinkies. Oh! Mommy!" He started to gag at this point. "Uh oh, Mommy. I fink I'm gonna frow up. Mommy, doze stinkies are making me frow up!! Dat is so gross!!" As the gags became louder, so did the chuckles outside my stall. I quickly flushed the toilet in hopes of changing the subject. I began to reason with myself: OK. There are four other toilets. If I count four flushes, I can be reasonably assured that those who overheard this embarrassing monologue will be long gone. "Mommy! Would you get off the potty, now? I want you to be done going stinkies! Get up! Get up!" He grunted as he tried to pull me off. Now I could hear full-blown laughter. I bent down to count the feet outside my door. "Oh, are you wooking under dere, Mommy? You wooking under da door? What were you wooking at, Mommy? You wooking at the wady's feet?" More laughter. I stood inside the locked door and tried to assess the situation. "Mommy, it's time to wash our hands, now. We have to go out now, Mommy." He started pounding on the door. "Mommy, don't you want to wash your hands? I want to go out!!" I saw that my "wait 'em out" plan was unraveling. As I sheepishly opened the door, and found an open sink, I thought, Where's the fine print on the 'motherhood contract' where I signed away every bit of my privacy? But as my little boy gave me a big, cheeky grin while he rubbed bubbly soap between his chubby little hands, I thought, I'd sign it all away again, just to be known as Mommy to this little fellow.

(Shannon Popkin is a freelance writer and mother of three. She lives with her family in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where she no longer uses public restrooms .)

Portuguese Fever

Well, Jeff is finishing up his Portuguese class next Monday, but it seems that our whole house has caught the fever. We discovered a neat little Brazilian market, where they have a Portuguese storytime we are thinking about taking part in. We also bought a children's video in Portuguese that is somewhat like Seasame Street, and we are hoping it will be on a level that we can all understand. I am also thinking of signing up for the Portuguese I class this summer and Jeff is thinking about retaking the Portuguese II class. We also found out about an after-school Portuguese class for Ruth for the Fall. As you can see there is a lot of "thinking about" here and no commitments as yet, but it seems that we may all be learning to express ourselves in another language soon. Todo bom!

We're Back

We're back. We're refreshed. And our weekend was wonderful. We drove around Toronto in a little car that was slightly too big to be a roller skate for Jeff. But it was easily worth the six dollars a day we paid for it. We stayed up until midnight talking and laughing and being encouraged by good friends. We had brunch at a place called The Muddy Duck, where they had the most amazing orange juice machine and the teeniest juice glasses we'd ever seen, so we filled hundreds of them. And we didn't call our kids once, figuring (correctly) that they were having too much fun to talk to us and that if there was something serious that we needed to know about Alan and Bekki would call us. Mimi and Grandpa apparently didn't share the same philosophy, as they called twice during the weekend "just to see how things were going" and to offer their assistance (from Las Vegas) if Alan and Bekki needed anything. Fortunately for everyone, no assistance was needed from the parents or the grandparents. And the kids, as well as the Aunt and Uncle, had a really great weekend. They got to ride horses and pick dewberries, which they made into a cobbler and a pie. And, of course, they got to play with all the fun pets at Alan and Bekki's house. And Uncle Alan got to have his first diaper experiences, which may very well keep him from ever having children of his own. But despite this, I think this first babysitting experience went well for them, and I think they enjoyed it. (And maybe they will be willing to do it again for us sometime). I hope you all had a great weekends as well.

Life Looks Better When You've Got A Plane Ticket In Your Pocket

The last couple of weeks have been really crazy. Really. But today, I just felt an extra little spring in my step, and I think it's because Jeff and I are off to Toronto for the weekend and the kids are staying with Uncle Alan and Aunt Bekki. Yippee!

I Can't Belive My Luck

Generally speaking, my luck runs along these lines: If it weren't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all. But today must have truly been my lucky day. It was naptime and I was making my way home from the grocery store. About two blocks from my house, there is a three-way stop (where I had a run-in with the law a couple of years ago). As I approahed that intersection today, I noticed right away that there were two motorcycle cops on one corner and a police car parked on another. The cops were all out on the sidwalk talking to several children, and I immediately assumed that there had been some accident--maybe a child had been struck by a car on his bike or something. When I reached the stop sign, one of the cops waved me through, so away I went, thinking they must be closing down the road for some reason. A glance in my rearview mirror told me that I had mistaken the cop's gesture, and that he was actually trying to get me to pull over. "Oh," I thought, "they must be questioning people in the neighborhood." So, I pulled over, and immediately started apologizing to the officer for misinterpreting his hand signal. He was good-natured about it, and then explained that he was just in the area trying to enforce the speed limit. This was a lightbulb moment for me, because it was the first time it occured to me that he was pulling me over because I was breaking the law. This didn't bode well for me at all, since I just had a speeding ticket three months ago. But the cop was very friendly (and Weston was whining, ready for his nap), and so he just gave me a warning. Nothing like this has ever happened to me before. I seriously couldn't believe my luck. I definitely think it's time for me to become a little less lead-footed.

Today's Inspiration

Anyway
--Martina McBride

You can spend your whole life building something from nothing
One storm can come and blow it all away
Build it anyway
You can chase a dream that seems so out of reach
And you know it might not ever come your way
Dream it anyway

Chorus:
God is great, but sometimes life ain’t good
And when I pray it doesn’t always turn out like I think it should
But I do it anyway, I do it anyway

This world’s gone crazy and it’s hard to believe
That tomorrow will be better than today
Believe it anyway
You can love someone with all your heart, for all the right reasons,
And in a moment they can choose to walk away
Love ‘em anyway

Repeat Chorus

You can pour your soul out singing a song you believe in
That tomorrow they’ll forget you ever sang
Sing it anyway, sing it anyway

I sing, I dream, I love, anyway

Peonies Are Pretty

And they smell good, too.

Robin Hood

This afternoon we went over to the children's theatre to see Robin Hood, and it was really an exellent performace. This was our third show to see there and they have all been fabulous. Ruth had her picture taken with Maid Marion after the show, and when we got home she immediately got into costume and "became" Maid Marion herself. It was definitely a "happily ever after" day for us.

Oh What A Beautiful Day

We had an excellent day. We had a picnic at the Aboretum, amongst the cows. We had naps. And then we had dinner at Central Market, where they were having a salsa dance contest. And the weather was absolutely perfect.

Insurance Rep Resorts To Dramatic Scare Tactics

Blood-curdling screams were heard today in the Indian Oaks neighborhood, when it was presumed that a young girl and her brother were being massacred in the backyard. Upon further inspection, both were found to be alive, but still in great distress. Though they were not actually dealt a death blow, the young girl claims to have been brutally attacked by the suspect pictured above. He apparently grabbed her arm and began "poking [her] with his little feet." And, upon hearing her screams, her brother came to her defense by initiating his own scream. Apparently, their tactic worked, because the suspect rushed off in a blur, and both parents of the children came running. Both children are recovering at home tonight and seem to be doing fine. The suspect has not been found for questioning, and some believe the screaming may actually have caused him to have a heart attack on the spot. If you do see him, though, please report it immediately. If the screaming is any indication, he is a very dangerous criminal indeed.

If You Can't Say Something Nice, Don't Say Anything At All

The Heart Of The Giver

"The heart of the giver makes the gift dear and precious." --Martin Luther

My daughter has a giving heart and it is absolutely beautiful. It is rare that we play with friends or go visit family members or have people in our home or even meet people for the first time, that Ruth doesn't think of a gift to give. She makes things or finds things in her room (even things that may have been her favorite yesterday) to give away. It's the most amazingly sweet thing I've ever seen. Tonight we had plans to celebrate my mom's birthday, and all day Ruth was obsessed with finding just one more gift. She insited that we absolutely had to take Nana some flowers and so I let her cut some from one of my only blooming plants and put them in a vase. She also made a beautiful "seascape" in a jar with sand from her sanbox and shells she has collected. And she made a wonderful card, writing most of the words without any help from me at all and drawing these perfect little picutres all over it. I'm so proud of her for this giving spirit that she possess, and I can only hope to attain a portion of that quality in my own heart.

The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

Once a year, Ben and Jerry's gives away free ice cream, and today was that day! And if there's anything better than ice cream, it is definitely free ice cream. And this year Weston got to participate. (He's feeling much better today, by the way). It's astounding to me that you can give a kid the most microscopic bite of chocolate and he can end up literally covered from head-to-toe with the stuff. Amazing. Really. And what's even better is that he was already covered pretty much from head-to-toe with pizza sauce, since we had pizza next door before getting our free scoops. I really should have taken a picutre. But, trust me, it was beautiful. And thanks to him, we all got to wear a little bit home, making free ice cream night last just that much longer.

Sick And Tired

Weston didn't sleep well last night and woke up this morning around 7:30 with a 103+ fever. He ate almost no breakfast and was very clearly not happy. We dropped Ruth off at gymnastics at 9:00, and when we got home he went straight to bed. He slept and slept and slept, and I finally had to wake him up at 1:45 so we could go pick Ruth up from gymnastics. He ate almost no lunch and again made it clear that he was one unhappy little man. When we got home, he went straight to bed and slept until about 4:45. I bet you can guess what happened next. More crying and very little eating followed by sleeping, which is where we are now, except for the occassional burst of crying coming through the monitor. I think he is finally trying to get his molars in, and it's just making him miserable. I feel terrible for him, and the only thing I seem to be able to do that makes at least a little difference is to give him tylenol every now and then, and hold him when he's really upset. It's very, very sad.

Let's Get This Party Started

Most of you know it's never too early (or too late) to get birthday festivities underway in the Watts house. We're all about birthdays! And since Ruth's is coming up next month, we decided we better get started on the planning for the myriad of parties she's going to have. She picked her theme and menu, and made her guest list today. And we even went to the party store and picked out some of the necessities (at 50% off, thank you very much)! It's going to be a "cowgirl" theme this year, though cowboys will be attending as well, and I think it's going to be lots of fun. (Have I ever mentioned before that I love parties)?!

Shameless Sales Pitch

I had a Pampered Chef party this morning, and even though earlier in the week I was discouraged because I knew not many people would be able to make it, it turned out very nice. Thanks to those who attended. For those of you who couldn't come or for those of you who are just interested in fun kitchen products, you can check out the online catalog. I'm closing out my show on Tuesday, so if there's something you want, you can get it there by putting my name in as host. You can also sign up to host a show, if you want to have a party of your own. I love parties and I love kitchen gadgets, and maybe you do too.

And The Green Grass Grows All Around

Due to incredibly bad experiences with our last two hired lawn guys and a long-ago broken mower of our own, our yard has turned into something of a jungle. But this week we bought ourselves a new mower, and today I reintroduced our lawn to to concept of a "haircut." Mowing is actually one of my favorite chores. I love being out in the fresh air. I love the smell of the fresh-cut grass. And I especially love how neat it looks when it's all done. (And I'm sure my neighbors feel even more strongly about that last one that I do)!

Standing On The Edge Of Your Life

Do you remember the feeling you had when you were about a month away from graduating from high school? That I-can-do-anything, nothing's-too-hard-for-me, I-will-change-the-world-and-the-sooner-the-better attitude? I admit I hadn't really thought about it too much until recently. But, we have a cousin on each side of the family graduating in May, and I've been reminded of that amazing feeling. What a special time--standing there on the edge of your life, where the possibilities are truly endless. My cousin, Cody, will be entering the Marines upon his graduation, and I'm so proud of him. And Jeff's third cousin, (though we just count her as "cousin") Anna, will be going to American University in Washington D.C. where she will study International Business and will work as a tranlator. It's so very exciting...and inspiring! There's no reason we shouldn't always keep that same excitement in our hearts and that same can-do attitude. There is no mountain that can't be moved..."So, be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea, you're off to Great Places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So...get on your way!" (From Ruth's and my favorite book: Oh! The Places You Will Go by Dr. Seuss).

I Have A Dream

More of a fantasy, really. And in it I live in a gorgeous house, where a photo-shoot for Southern Living has just taken place. There are no toys scattered about, no stains on the carpets, no knee-high grass to be cut or doors with broken locks--just to name a few things that are missing. There aren't even any screaming babies. Everything is in order and immaculate. And there are fresh flowers on almost every surface, including the nightstand beside my bed and the counter in the bathroom that no one ever uses. And sometimes I get so caught up in this fantasy that I actually start to believe that such a place exists, and I find myself searching aimlessly on the internet for it. And then I'm always a bit disappointed that it wasn't there. And if it was, it definitely wasn't in my price range! And then * poof* the dream is gone and I'm back where I am, which really is great. You just can't get something this lived in in "immaculate." But still, it doesn't hurt to dream...

Paskettee

What Did You Learn Today?

Most days, either over dinner or just before bed, one of us will ask the group what we learned today. Ruth asked the question at dinner tonight. Here are the answers:

Daddy: Was on his way out the door to go to Portuguese class where he hoped to learn a lot.

Mommy: I learned that if you put a load of towels in the dryer but never actually turn the dryer on, the towels will become dry, but not in the soft, fluffy towel sense.

Ruth: Perfected the "donkey kick" at gymnastics and learned that Jeffrey, from her class, had the same thing as her for lunch (a burrito), but his came in a fancy Lunchable package.

Weston: Didn't have much to say, but did learn what a cow says today.

What did you learn today?

White Easter

We're Out Of Here

We're off to visit my grandparents in Haskell for the weekend, where the Weather Channel is currently predicting SNOW for Sunday and "WINTRY MIX" for Saturday. It's April. It's Easter. It's Texas, for crying out loud. Snow is supposed to be a distant memory by now. To say nothing of the cute little Easter dresses we all have to wear on Sunday, which are not the least bit suited for this kind of weather! But despite how it sounds, we are very happy to be going. We are really looking forward to spending time with our family, winter weather or not. I hope you all have a safe and happy holiday, and I'll check in with you on Sunday or Monday.

Shake, Rattle And Roll

Jeff's grandfather (Pawpaw) was apparently quite the singer/songwriter back in the day. He passed away a few years ago, and Jeff, suspecting that no one was using it, recently asked if he could have his old guitar. My in-laws brought it over today, and we are absolutely thrilled to have it. It's in great shape, and inside the case we found some old songs Pawpaw had been working on, written down in his own handwriting and a chord book published in 1919. Such a treasure, for sure! What we didn't know was that we would also be getting a surprising bonus. When Jeff first lifted the guitar out of the case, there was an awful rattling on the inside. Upon further inspection, he found the cause of the rattling to be...what? Any guesses? No, I'm sorry, you're all wrong. What we found inside were rattlesnake rattles--38 of them to be exact, some of them very large! We aren't quite sure why Pawpaw decided to keep them in the guitar, but guessing on that has kept us entertained all evening. I didn't know Pawpaw all that well, but he was clearly a unique man. Seriously, though, it's so neat to have such a family treasure--surprises and all.

Big K, little k. What Begins With K?

Kindergarden, krying, K, K, K. (Work with me here, o.k.)!

Today was RRISD's Kindergarden Round-up, where they invite incoming Kindergardeners to the school to register for the upcoming school year. So this morning, with much enthusiasm, we entered Ruth's elementary school for the first time. We filled out the forms and found out some useful information and then got back in our van to come home. And for some reason that I can't quite explain, I noticed some moisture forming around the corners of my eyes. I know it couldn't have been tears, because I have always sworn that I would never be one of those moms--you know, the ones who cry on the first day of school and [gasp] on the registration day for the first day of school. Now don't get me wrong, I'm so excited for Ruth to go to school, and I just think it's going to be so wonderful. But I will admit that I did feel a twinge of sadness as we pulled out of the parking lot today. I just can't believe my little girl is growing up so quickly. And I think I'm going to miss her, cheesy as it sounds.

Tonight, when I was tucking her into bed, I was telling her how proud I was of her and how excited I was that we had signed her up for Kindergarden today, and she said to me: "Yeah. It's funny because it seems like I'm still a little girl, but I'm not really." And that pretty much sums it up. I want to watch her fly, and I want to give her the freedom she needs to do just that, but I have to say that just the thought of letting her go is harder than I ever thought it would be.

Lost In Translation

We watched "Lost In Translation" tonight, and I have to say it was definitely lost on me. I think it was one of the most boring, most pointless movies I've ever seen. I just didn't get it. We had both heard it was good, but we both give it a big thumbs down! So, my recommendation is don't see it if you haven't, and erase it from your memory if you have.

More Fun From The Weekend

There was more to our weekend than just pictures in the bluebonnets. We played in the water, tried on silly hats, walked Grandpa's dog, did a little fishing, made Mr. Taco bowls and ate olives off our fingers. Fun, fun times.

Bluebonnets Pics, As Promised