The Lee's

'Bout Time

2009-11-15T21:29:00.010-06:00

Ok, so it has been a long time since I have updated my blog. I guess I figure my life is not all that thrilling and if you are interested, you can find me on facebook. I update that all the time. However, I decided to do a little updating on here for anyone who might actually check this thing on occasion.

We have been staying busy. Kerry has been working and doing a lot of running, which is what I call his new mistress. As a family, we are also trying hard to support Kerry in his running. We attend all his races and cheer him on as much as possible. I enjoy seeing him finish and feel he accomplished something he feels good about. I try to take pictures of each race, not really for memory sake actually. Kerry will use them to analyze his form and to also compare distances and times of other runners he competes against. He is in several running clubs and I will try to get several pictures of them as well and he puts them on his facebook.

Dalton is attending Kindergarten and after a rough few weeks, things have leveled off some for him. He still has trouble keeping his hands to himself at school, but at least he is getting out of the car without a screaming fit. He does a pretty good job staying on green at school and as stated before...him keeping his hands to his self is the main issue that gets him in trouble. He enjoys math the most and does very well in his other areas as well. He does not quite understand though why sometimes for homework he only gets to count to about 30. He would much rather count past 100 and go on and on.

Xander is growing like crazy and talking all the time. He loves to sing and try to be like his big brother, which at times is not so great. It would be much nicer if he'd pick up the better behaved qualities of his older sibling. He is quite the momma's boy most of the time, though he has learned to use daddy as an excuse to stay up just a little bit longer. After I get him in bed, says our prayers, and sing a song, he decides he needs a daddy song too. Pretty smart if you ask me.

I am staying home and chasing kids mostly. I have picked up the hobby of couponing and really enjoy getting a good deal. It is kind of addicting when you can get such great deals. I stock pile some things for donating to our church pantry at later dates, so I feel it is something good to do. I am sure I drive my friends crazy with all my emails about good deals and such. So far, no one has begged me to stop. I think they just roll their eyes and delete. Doesn't bother me...I'll never know. :)

Kerry and I did take a short trip to Cozumel in September for a scuba diving trip with some friends. My mom was gracious enough to watch the boys for us. Kerry had been taking classes to be certified, so this was an exciting trip and especially since I got to just hang out on the beach while everyone else went diving. I am absolutely terrified of water in that aspect, so I just went along for the ride. While Kerry enjoyed the diving, I think the plane we had to fly in from Cancun to Cozumel was the most thrilling part for him. I sat right behind the pilot. I mean, I could have given the guy a back massage without even unbuckling my seat belt. If we would have known the front passenger seat right next to the pilot was free game, Kerry would have jumped at the chance. Kerry was right behind the passenger and could see everything up close. It was the closest Kerry has ever been to actually flying a plane himself.

We keep chugging along here and will be attending more races the next few months as well as some Christmas programs and other school events, so maybe I can throw a few more interesting tid bits on here later.

Freebies

2009-07-22T11:40:00.000-05:00

Office Depot shows free supplies with rebates. Sale ends Thursday 23rd. If you don't need them for your own clan, we will be having a school supplies drive at church soon. So if you are willing to do the rebates, grab some supplies for the drive. (Last year Office Depot had penny and nickel sales on great supplies like crayons, markers etc. I will try to let everyone know when that comes around. I am all for stretching the dollar to get more for the supply drive.

http://officedepot.shoplocal.com/officedepot/Default.aspx?action=entryflash&

Rebates are one per household in most cases. Staples you can do online..not sure about Office Depot.

Staples also had some freebies this week. I cannot remember how long that sale was going on. It appears to be on till the 25th. If it is still going on and they are out, they may give you a raincheck, but you'd have to check on the rebates. You can also get a free backpack if you join their rewards program. Any backpack! So, get one for your kids or for a kid in need. The Staples just opened off of Bay Area and I 45.

staples.com for an ad

Walgreens has very cheap pens on sale as well as other items. .19 for a pack of 10. Also, if you shop there often, you can buy the G2 Gel pens (pck of 2) and get a Register Reward (like a walgreens coupon) back making the pens free. Use them for yourself or grab some for the church. Please keep in mind though the the register rewards will expire at some point. Also, if you think you might want to try to use that register reward to buy another pack of pens and get 2 freebies, nice thought, but they will not give you a second RR (register reward) if you use the same RR to buy the exact same product. You'll end up paying some for the pens if you try to use it for the same thing. However, if you decided to use your RR to get a few packs of the .19 pens, then you spent 1.00 and got a lot of pens for your kids or whatever. Do separate transactions if you want.

If you are indeed interested in these deals, I will try to start posting them in my blog. I am no a huge blogger, but that may be a better way to keep up with the deals.

I was also just told that the CVS deals from last week reset and you should be able to get 2 free spirals, 2 free glues, 2 free 5" scissors, and 2 free rulers if you use the extra care bucks. I have not validated this by purchasing again however. It was supposed to be for 3 days last week, but was stuff was still on sale in the stores. Which means the sales this week may also reset next week if you have already maxed out your deals card. If someone does this and gets the extra care bucks back..please let me know.

Good money saving sites
hip2save.com
moneysavingmom.com
hotcouponworld.com

Take a bow!

2009-06-14T17:06:00.002-05:00

Dalton has a flare for the obvious. If you have spent much time with him, you know he is quite good at telling you where you are, where you should be going even though you already know, or what is broken ect. It gets on my nerves a bit and I have had several chats with him about how he does not need to tell me to go b/c the light is green. I am thinking the car in front of me would not like me pushing him through the green light and that we should at least give people time to move their foot from the break to the gas. That of course is just one example of many.

Kerry deals with it better than I do. He will often look at Dalton and say sarcastically, Thank you Dalton! Usually, Dalton can catch some of the sarcasm and stops saying it..over, and over. He knows that we are quite aware of what is going on and no commentary is needed.

He did however totally catch us off guard. We have tried to remember what he was stating when Kerry once again sarcastically thanked him, but we just can't seem to remember because the finale was too funny. We remember falling over laughing when Dalton just flatly looked at Kerry and said, "You are welcomed Daddy. I will take a bow!"

What! Take a bow! Yes..he took a bow! A comedian could not have had better timing. Now, you may read this and think nothing of it...one of those you had to be there things, but ugh....we hurt after that. Makes me wonder when I will get the first call from his Kindergarten teacher next year. Oh boy!

How Sweet It Is!

2009-06-14T16:31:00.008-05:00

Kerry has been running in some 5Ks runs starting with the Brad Wims Fun Run. He was very proud to run for Brad and even place 2nd for his age group. That run kicked of several more runs in the following month. A couple of weeks ago, I was told about Dublin, Tx and how they still bottle the original Dr. Pepper using Imperial Sugar instead of syrups. I looked it up and notice there was a run coming up. Kerry seemed interested because not only would he get to run, but I would also get to celebrate my favorite drink. AAaaaahhhh, Dr. Pepper. Yes..how sweet it is.

So, we were off to Dublin, Tx this past weekend and Kerry had decided to run the 10K. It was the Dr. Pepper Bottling plant's 118th bday. Dr. Pepper, Tx, as they call it one day a year, were having a 2, 4, and 10 K in honor of a past advertisement of when to drink Dr. Pepper. 2, 4, and 10, which also had something to do with blood sugar level dropping or something. I was wrestling a 2 year old, so I missed that part. They were also having games, activities, a bike ride, free cake, and the best of all...all the free Dublin Dr. Pepper you could drink. Other than it being about 100 degrees...it was Heaven for me.

Anyway, the trip up was pretty good. We did get caught by a broken train crossing and after trying to find our way around it, found our way around just in time for the arms to come up. Oh well..that is just how our life goes. We stayed the night in Stephenville, did some driving around that night investigating Dublin, swimming, and just relaxing before Kerry's big run.

The next morning, off we go to Dublin. It was very hot! I did not even run a race and I was sweating like crazy. Kerry ran his race and did quite well. He finished 12th all round and 2nd in his age group. The awards were a bit odd however. As you ran across the line, they asked you if you had run the 10 K. (4k and 10k started at the same time, so some of the faster 10kers caught some of the leisurely 4kers). Anyway, if you said yes, they handed you a medal. Ok..worked for me. They did not have medals for winners like most races we have been to. Top 3 finishers in male, female, and masters received a small cash reward, a huge DP bottle cap that Kerry thought was a chip bowl, and bottled DP. Kerry, as an age group winner received some canned DP. Hey, I was thrilled with that.

We spent the rest of the morning and part of the afternoon doing tours through the bottling plant and DP museum, purchasing cases of DP, cashing in on free cups of cold DP, and finding some one to unlock our keys out of our van. Yes, you read right. Just so you know, it was not me. Kerry grabbed the wrong keys after returning my "large clump of keys" to the van so we did not have to deal with mine. It was actually quite humorous. I had just emptied the cash out of Kerry's wallet not long before that b/c they were not taking credit cards and I wanted to make sure I had enough money should I find something to get. So, while the boys and I waited in line for one of the tours, Kerry had a guy come unlock the van. While waiting, I thought to myself..hmmm..I don't think Kerry knows where his wallet is b/c I hid it. Well, if he finds it, he doesn't have any cash b/c I took it. Uh, oh... Luckily, the guy took credit cards and Kerry made it back just in time to stand in front of the nice cool fan before going into the tour. Even though it took longer for the guy to run our card then it did to unlock the door.

As I said before..it was soooo hot. Xander was sweating like crazy and at one point during the day I gave him a sip of my DP. Now you must understand, Xander has never had actual cola anything! I am not a health nut, I just don't think they need it b/c I know that I am completely addicted, so why start them that young. :) Well...I did not get my cup back after that and when we went into the bottling plant, they gave everyone a free bottle of DP. Xander was so excited. I told him to be careful b/c it was glass and he held onto that thing for dear life. Not sure if it was b/c I told him it was glass or b/c he thought I would take away his DP. He loved the stuff, but later called it apple juice. Dalton however...took one sip and asked for water instead.

So a fun time was had by all and we hope to do it again next year..but hopefully, it will be cooler.

Things I pondered today

2009-06-05T16:30:00.002-05:00

I had to go get Xander today from my mother's so I had 5 hours, round trip to think. Dalton was pretty much silent on the way there and isn't much of a talker when I try to chat and on the way back, the boys pretty much entertained each other. Soooo, I thought. Some of my thinking lead to my current fb status as I pondered on the economy, the struggles of some of my friends and family, and how blessed I am to be comfortable and secure in that area. There were however a few other thoughts.

Death...yes death. It seems to be something that pops into my head quite often when I drive I-10. With all that construction and traffic..what else would pop into my mind. Yikes! It could also be that each time I drive that route, I pass by the cemetery where my dear friend Lee is buried. It also didn't help that a song called "Holes in the Floor of Heaven" came on. I love that song b/c while it makes me sad some, but it also gives me hope to think that those whom I have loved so dearly and have gone to be with our Heavenly Father are somehow still there with me. The idea of Uncle Lee seeing my boys in all their successes and even orneriness makes me smile. He loved my children very deeply and I appreciated that. I often harassed him about going to the doctor and my statement would be, "Lee, I want you around to see my boys grow up!" So, while he is not here to see my children get into all sorts of trouble, he is still "here", in our hearts and influencing our daily lives by how he lived his, how he loved others, and how he gave his whole life in service to God. His favorite verse, Proverbs 17:17 and he did.

I also thought about excitement and how you show it. There are few things that I really want to happen and soon. One is a new cell phone. Ok...so that may be a little weak, but I am so out of touch with everyone when it comes to that. My current phone is really acting up so that is one thing I want to get fixed, but I also can't wait till I keep up with everyone, pray immediately when it is requested, meet someone when they just suddenly decide to grab a bite, or tell my friends what an awesome sale I just found. How silly is that, that I will be so tickled when I can actually do that? My reaction when it finally comes to play: smiles, lots of chatter and some serious attempts to email, etc.

Another exciting thing is that Kerry wants to move closer to NASA, so we are seriously pondering a move. I know of course, my plan may not be God's plan and I can tell you right now...it is not Kerry's plan either and that is to be moved by the end of the summer. Now I know...it most likely will not happen that way b/c we have a lot of work to do on this house just to get it close to selling, but I am still going to pray and work to move toward that goal. Well, we are going to go ahead and look at a few houses on occassion that peak our interest and I am excited. This made me think more about excitement b/c the house we are going to go look at is near "my" school I taught at and has nearly everything I want. I have definately had a little skip in my step since we have set up the appointment to see it.
When I was a teenager and I was excited about something, how I responded really depended on what the situation was. Getting a 1 in marching competition: jumping, screaming, hugging, tears...Ok, well, I was not alone, others were doing the same thing and we shared the excitement. Guy I had a crush on ask me out: smile real big, say yes, get details, hang up the phone then scream, jump, spin in circles etc. Hey..no one was watching. If a close girl friend was there, ok, we may both do it, but if it happen say in the school hall, I was cool as cucumber even though I thought I might pee my pants with excitement. I could not help but wonder, do we hold back our excitement now that we are older? I watch people win big things on TV and sometimes, they absolutely freak out. I want to laugh, but isn't it nice how they just don't hold back with how they feel. Maybe I should be more open to my excitement about things, less of a cool cucumber. Not real sure if I will do the screaming, spinning in circles thing I did as a teenager (at least in public), but maybe I will work on being more excited about things. Life, love, God ( I should be way more excited and appreciative of Him) and when my boys are excited about the bug they saw. I mean, I like to be excited about things. It is a high if you will. The sheer positive feelings you get from it are good for your soul. So...find something to be excited about today.

Spare the rod?

2009-05-04T09:53:00.007-05:00

Ok...so I was spanked as a child. I think I turned out just fine! I mean..I was not afraid of my parents. I never felt abused in the literal sense. I am sure in my own immature mind, I thought I was heavily "abused" if I did not get my way, but physically or emotionally..never! However, I knew that if I crossed the line, swats were coming. I also knew that swats at school meant swats at home, so I knew not to cross lines there too. It is either Jeff Foxworthy or Bill Engvall that says in one of his acts that there is nothing like the sound of a belt clearing belt loops. Let me tell you..he is sooo right! I would hear that and I was instant angel. I think that is a talent that not many can pull off these days.

I have noticed several articles about spanking in the last few months. One article I read stated that children who were spanked were far more likely to participate in violent, sexual deviant behavior as teens and adults. Hmmm...must have not yet reached that stage of my life! In my own experiences, it seems that with a pendulum swing in the direction of no spankings, we are seeing more discipline struggles now! I have also noticed a decline in school behavior. Schools are struggling with all sorts of disruptive behavior. Students are not concerned over any consequence it seems. I wonder if there could possibly be a connection!!?!?!

As a teacher, I would honestly have been devastated if I had had to spank one of my students. That issue usually became the job of the administrators. When I first started teaching, however, I had been having trouble with a class. I looked around the room and in sheer frustration asked, "How many of you get spankings at home?" Three kids raised their hands. A point to notice is that they were the most respectful, honest, well behaved and successful kids in my class. Hmmm, I thought. While grades are not always tied to butt bustings at home, behavior at school usually is. Not all children need spanking as a discipline. Some kids may react to a simple stern look, others need a more obvious approach. As a child, if you told me you were upset with me, I was devastated. My sister on the other hand needed more convincing. That is why I have found this Newsweek article so interesting. I think this principal may have something. He does not take the paddling he gives lightly, but notice the change in the school. The kids are not afraid of him, but they are afraid of his paddle. I also love the fact that he does not take the swats he gives likely.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/195119?Gt1=43002

Maybe I am wrong, but has there really ever been any research done to prove any of what they say spankings cause? I just know what I see. There are just too many functioning adults in society that were spank as children to convince me that spanking is wrong. However, I am seeing an increase in school issues as well as societal issues now that spanking is not the thing. Don't want to spank your child..fine!!! However, do not tell me that people who spank their children are abusive and raising complete heathens, unless you are going to change the definition of heathen and maybe define me and my husband as the new definitions because we were both spanked as children.

For your eyes only

2009-04-05T22:05:00.002-05:00

As a mother of 2 children, much less boys, I have zero privacy. I dream of the day that one of my boys is not right there to hand me toilet paper or offer to flush the toilet for me. It amazes me how they can both be completely involved in playing cars or something until I try to take a bathroom break then I suddenly have 2 tag-a-longs.
Since Dalton is getting older, I have decided it is important that I get more forceful about him allowing mommy privacy as well as being more modest himself. These conversations are quite interesting and usually end if me just finally saying something like, "Mommy is a big girl and can get dressed by herself." I have not had much luck, so last week, I told Dalton that he no longer needed be in the same room with mommy during those times and definately did not need to look at me. A simple "alright" was all I got.
Some time later, Dalton was sitting on my bed, reading a book while I was getting ready for bed in my bathroom. I had forgot my gown, so I walked into the "privacy" of my room, not even remembering him being on the bed, to get my gown. After all, it is my room. I turn around after getting my gown to see Dalton sitting on my bed with his hand over his eyes. It just looked so funny him sitting there trying to give me privacy. It cracked me up.
I guess the lesson is sinking in some. Now if I can just get him to understand that when I asked him to get dressed and he brings his clothes to where I am, that just b/c he covers his private parts with his hand as he tries to put on underwear, that does not mean is being modest. The concept of changing in privacy is still trying to sink in.

Spring Break

2009-03-25T18:33:00.005-05:00

The boys and I traveled with my mom back to my home town of Fritch, Tx. My siblings still live there as do my brother's boy, Lucas. Grandma was very anxious to see him.

I had been dreading this trip for awhile for several reasons, one is because Xander does not travel well. He can handle about 2 hours and that is it. The screams begin. He actually did quite well this time much to my relief. We left after lunch on Thursday and made it into Bowie, stayed the night there and headed to Fritch the next day. There were no major melt downs that occurred so now I may be the grumpiest one in the car from now on. I do not like to travel either. The second reason is family drama. Most families have them and my family is not void of its own little issues. For the most part, we survived. The drama was kept to a minimum.

(Aunt Rolie showing the boys where she works as an EMS.)

The trip brought a few interesting events I thought I might share. One of which was when we decided to go swimming at the hotel pool in Borger. The water was freezing in this indoor pool, so I just hung out in the hot tub as the boys stuck their feet in and splashed each other all around the tub. Dalton was the only one who got in...well sort of. Long story short, I had turned away from Xander (his Uncle Coby was beside him) to play with Lucas when I hear my mother screaming, "Get him, get him, get him." Sure enough I turn around to see NO Xander. My heart is gone at that point. Coby had turned on the tub just a few moments before that, so we could no longer see anything on the bottom. I begin my scooping motion thinking surely I will find something when I see a leg pop out of the water. Coby grabs Xander up by the leg, yanks him out, and stands him up. Xander looks at the hot tub, spits out some water, then pats his swim trunks and hair and says, "I wet". That was it..no tears, no fear, just he was now wet and wanted to splash some more. I however had to get my heart to slow down before I could fully function. (Xander hamming it up in Uncle Coby's stuff)

The boys had us rolling several times on the trip. My mom has decided I really need to write them down after they occur b/c I can't remember all the things the boys do or say that make us laugh when I want to. Especially Dalton. With his improved speech has come some quite interesting comments. The last night we were in town, we went to a resteruant with the entire family. It was taking forever! They had run out of food after we go there and locked up early, but promised us they had enough for us. I think they had to kill the cows and grow the veggies, b/c it took way too long. Anyway, during all this time, we chatted, laughed at Xander trying to make my brother and I exchange accessories (hats, necklaces etc) and just enjoyed each other's company. The young waitress came up at one point to check on us. She asked us if things were ok and if we needed anything. We said no and she begain to walk away when Dalton, looking quite shocked at our response flat out said, "Yeah....I need food!" It was quite hilarious. He must have thought we were all nuts to not need anything else. He mentioned it a few more times as time went on until finally it showed up. Poor kid!

We made it back safely in one day with Xander still in good spirits. The only problem with coming back in one day is Kerry did not quite get all the stuff he wanted to get done. He tried though. I had a nice mountain of laundry to fold when I got back. Ok..so he cleaned other things too. He was quite proud of his work on the den.

As a little extra show, I'll include this video. My sister enjoyed playing with the boys and teaching them how to jam. Mom has Sirius radio, so we enjoyed some classics. I like 50's and 60's so we kept it there most of the trip until Dalton wanted some bible songs.

Agree to disagree

2009-03-08T21:30:00.002-05:00

So...we get in the car to go pick up the boys from my parents after church and Kerry mentions to me that I had once again told a story that was totally incorrect. It seems that I was not there for the story, but I ALWAYS tell it like I was. The thing is...I disagree!

Years ago, before kids, Kerry and I lived in Lubbock in a small 900 sq foot house with no central air. We had a window unit in the living room and that was it. One day, Kerry decides to clean the unit. He says he remembers me not being there b/c the window unit was very heavy and he had to carry it himself. Anyway, somehow during this time, our cat Shadow had jumped into the window where the brace for the unit was. Kerry did not see him and when he put the unit back, he evidently shoved the poor cat out the window. Now, what you must understand is our cats have never been outside and we lived on a busy road. So, here is this already very skittish cat on our front porch, lots of cars going by, and no one knows.

This is where the story gets mixed up. He says, he heard this loud screeching cry, opens up the back door to see a very scared, wild eyed Shadow (that closely resembled gremlin eyes) come zipping into the house. I was at work and because he is such a good story teller I believe I was the one who found the cat. Umm, yeah ok.

That is not what I remember. I do vaguely remember him working on the unit. In my mind, I can even see myself walking into the living room and seeing the open window. Later, I hear this horrible cry from our back porch. I open the door and this wild black cat tries to run into my kitchen. I shut the door quickly thinking what in the world is that cat trying to do. I then think, oh my where is Shadow. I run quickly around the very small house calling for our cat and then dash to the door to let our cat in. How he got from the front to the back I don't know, but he was absolutely terrified. I can seriously see this cat freaking out on my back porch in my mind.

Ok...so which story is true? We gingerly argued back and forth on the story until I finally said.."Fine, we will just have to agree to disagree b/c I really can see this in my mind." I remember it... Well, that was not going to work. It seems, according to Kerry, that you cannot agree to disagree on..well..facts! Only opinions. However, if we cannot decide which story is fact, then would we not have an opinion? Thus I agree to disagree. I have made up my mind. I was there to at least let the cat in, so there! Until he can prove otherwise, then I guess my idea works.

Rodeo Days

2009-03-01T20:19:00.009-06:00

Both of the boys had rodeo days at their schools and were ecstatic about getting to wear boots. Dalton has enjoyed dressing up like a cowboy for Halloween and several rodeo days and Xander has decided that he wants to be like big brother. Dalton had outgrown his boots, so out we went to find some that would fit. He was so excited and kept strutting around the shoe store saying, "I like these. These fit great Mommy!" Xander kept a close eye probably wondering when it would be his turn. He ended up getting regular old tennis shoes, but he was thrilled with that.

I had forgotten about Xander's cowboy day and dug into Dalton's old boots for a pair to fit Xander. No luck, so off I went on one more shopping adventure. The next morning, it took Xander a little while to figure out how to walk in them, but he was so excited and kept saying, "Boots, boots, boots" as he walked around.

The day before, I had found small 24 inch stick horses at the Dollar Store. Two year olds with regular stick horses can get quite deadly so I decided to get some for the class. Xander did not get his till class the next day. His teachers must have given great riding lessons because as soon as we got out of the van, he grabbed it and took off riding. He was so cute stuck it between his legs and started running around. He even pretended to feed the horse on nice, fresh...carpet!
On Sunday, both boys came running into the kitchen asking if they could wear their boots, so off we went with two little cowboys. After we got home, I looked out of the kitchen to see both boys, still in their boots, enjoying the sit and spin. Even better is they were getting along!

I am about sick of this!

2009-01-14T21:59:00.002-06:00

Sick of what you might ask...I am sick of my kids and now my husband being sick. I don't have a clue what is going on here. I have done doctors with numerous antibiotics, but after about 2 weeks of being well, here we go again. I guess the worse part is that I keep missing work. It is actually much more work to plan for a sub, so that is irritating. Then, I only have these kids 2 days a week, so when I miss, I miss a lot and then have to play catchup. It is just driving me nuts.

I joked that if I get sick, I am checking myself into a hotel and then just sleeping. We know, of course, that moms just have to deal with it when they are sick. They don't get to whine and go crash some where... Nooooooo, they have to still be mom and do mom stuff. What a pain.

Ok, so I am totally venting. I am trying real hard to be kind, loving, nurturing, the whole let me get you a drink and a blanket thing, but sometime, I just have to take a breather. So, as my sick family sleeps, for a little while at least, I sitting here, taking a breather before someone wakes up with a sad little Mommy cry that melts my heart and makes me feel like a total butt for venting.

Wishing you all well and praying that we get that way soon. Have a good one!

Funny things my kids say

2008-12-17T21:26:00.003-06:00

We left on Saturday for North Carolina to see Kerry's best friend and meet his wife. As the trip drew closer, I started packing pretty early. I guess that is just how I get prepared. I mean, I had items in the suit case at least 5 days before. Kerry on the other hand can throw it all together pretty quickly. Guess that comes from all his past travels.

However, one thing I noticed is that before we actually walk out the door, we both verbalize our list of needed items:underwear, socks, pants, shirts etc. As I was going through my list, Dalton was standing beside me. I started off with the usual list processing it in my mind for both boys and myself: socks, underwear, shoes, pants, shirt, pj's, bra(for myself of course). As I came to bra in the list, Dalton repeated..Bra! Just being silly with him, I asked him if he needed a bra. He said no and said that Mommy's need bras. Ok, I thought, pretty good answer for a 5 year old.

This is not the end of the story however.

All of a sudden, he looks over at Kerry with a serious face and says, "When you get bigger up high, you need a bra!" We about lost it laughing b/c we first that he was talking about growing up when he said getting bigger. We had not idea he would be so..um...detailed. What an interesting concept for him to understand. I sometimes wonder what Kerry is teaching our kids when I'm not looking. :)

Things my kids say

2008-12-08T20:05:00.002-06:00

It seems that I am always behind and at times, I do not stop and enjoy my kids as much as I should. I honestly do not know how people, who I know are waaaaaaaaay busier than I am, do it. I was having one of those days. I just wanted to stay focused and get things done. My goal was to get the Christmas decorations done and the empty boxes stacked for Kerry to get out of the house. (On top of about 30 other things) I did not have time for chit chat!

As I was running around the house, the boys were playing and on occasion, checking to see if I was doing my duties. At one point, Dalton began following me around saying over and over again that he wanted a stocking hat aka Santa hat. I told him flat out, that I was not going to mess with the Santa hats right now because I was trying to find the living room floor.

Without missing a beat, my 5 year old look at me, pointed to the floor and said, "Mommy, it's right there..see right there!" I stopped with my mouth wide open as if I actually had something smart to say and then all I could do was laugh. He repeated, getting a bit concerned that I had yet to see the floor. I finally acknowledged that the floor had indeed been there and thanks for finding it for me! Without even realizing it, Dalton had given me a breath of fresh air for my day. I was less stressed, even though I still had lots to do, but at least I was not as focused on that and was more focused on the kids. Thanks son!

Santa's Little Helper

2008-12-03T22:52:00.006-06:00

Ok, I give up. I tried to post a link, but can't figure it out, so here http://www.freesantavideo.com/offers/video2.aspx?refer=STAFCOPY&sessionid=3ebd7ddc-98f0-4323-95bc-962c00edf6c8 just copy/paste, click or whatever and you should be able to see it.

Last year, I was sent a site to where you could add your pictures to elves that danced. This year, I found a new site that allowed you to add a picture to a video. This site above is of Dalton. It took him awhile to figure out it was him and then he wanted to watch it all the time. Later that night while watching Santa Claus is Coming to Town, he asked me if he was going to be on it. Guess he took it a bit more serious about being Santa' helper than I thought he would. :)

Merry Christmas!!

Birthday fun

2008-12-03T22:23:00.006-06:00

Well, Xander's birthday is coming up, so I decided to give him a small party with firetrucks as the theme. He is getting a blow up fire station playhouse (nearly 50% off!! )for his bday, so I thought, why not make it the bday play area.
Anyway, I looked online for invitations etc and finally decided I was going to make my own. So..I did! I must say, I am bragging a bit here. I am not one for creativity or good ideas in such areas, so I am a little proud of this one. Last year I had bought some fireman costumes on clearance figuring the boys could either dress up in them or wear them for Halloween at some point. I actually never dreamed I'd use them for this idea.
I took Xander to the Forest Bend fire station near our church and asked a fireman there if I could take Xander's picture in front of the truck. He said sure. I changed Xander into the costume and the gentleman met us in the driveway, grinning at Xander and his slightly over sized fireman's suit. He then asked me if I wanted him to move the truck out. I told him that that was not necessary, that one little pic was all I needed and we'd be out of the way. Fireman Juan, as we later learned, insisted on moving the truck out. They boys were thrilled. (Dalton was along for the ride.)
We spent a few minutes taking pictures and crawling through the truck, when Fireman Juan told me he was going to see if he had some stickers. I thought that was very sweet and I took pictures of Dalton in the fire gear as we waited. Fireman Juan was unable to find some stickers, so instead, he brought the boys each a water bottle and quite a large stuffed animal, which was a huge hit. I was just blown away b/c I was so nervous about bothering the department just by asking and here this man goes out of his way to completely thrill my kids. It turned out to be a fun trip, resulting in what I think is a cute invitation. One of my friends has already asked if she can steal the idea...which made me feel even better. So... here it is, one of my pride 'n joys in another little creation I am proud of .

Yep...thinking I may have to use this idea again sometime. Don't be surprised to see Dalton in a costume of some sort come June! :) Oh joy, another picture of one of the Lee kids.

Gone fishing or maybe just gone!

2008-11-24T20:55:00.004-06:00

So..we are at the doctor's office for Dalton's nasty infected toe that he won't leave alone. TMI, I'm sure.. I am calling it a boy thing, but since I only have boys, I really don't know. All I know is that is gross and he WON'T leave it alone. Ok, so here we are at the doctor's office. They have this very nice fish tank in the waiting room that Dalton runs to immediately. During our last visit, we watched as these bright orange fish took turns "kissing" each other. Since I have no idea what kind of fish they are, I don't know if they were actually kissing fish, but they seriously looked as if they were kissing. I found myself interested in seeing if the fish were still kissing, so I watched with Dalton. Besides, it keeps him entertained and not running around the waiting room petting each sick kids head. Those of you who know him and have kids understand what I am saying.

We had been there only a short time, when I noticed one of the fish seemed to be following Dalton. I thought this to be odd since it was my understanding this particular tank was like a 2 way mirror and the fish could not see out, thus making them less subject to heart attacks from kids torturing them through the glass. (I seriously think a nurse had mentioned that one time while I was there) We had also never seen the fish pay attention to people before, so this was a new thing. As we watched, we decided to do some experiments. Dalton weaved up and down and the fish did indeed follow. Dalton thought is was great and kept it up for quite awhile. The fish would not follow hands or fingers, only faces. So there Dalton was with his face near the glass, quite entertained and in one spot! Oh joy!

After some time, I stated out loud to Dalton that I was surprised the fish was doing this b/c I had really thought he wasn't able to see thought the glass. Dalton, really could have cared less about my statement, he was much more interested in making the fish weave and bob while trying to keep up with his face.

It was at this time, that a lady, who was as fascinated as we were with this game of chase, joined in with a theory of her own. I had heard her sounds of surprise from across the room when we noticed the fish following Dalton, but had not said anything to her. She politely stated that she did indeed think the fish could see though the glass. I smiled and nodded in agreement, thinking I had thought wrong about the tank. I mean, I am not an expert on tanks and have only dealt with a few, so whatever..right!!! It was just a cool fish. She then continued with her discussion.
"Have you seen Happy Feet?" she said.
I had.
"Well, you know when they capture the little penguin and he is behind that glass, he starts to dance for the people, so I guess they can see through the glass!"

I tried not to stare at her in disbelief that she was relating reality to a cartoon and I said something like..."Oh yeah! Maybe!" My mind was cranking as I tried to figure out why in the world she used a cartoon as proof. It was just strange to me. Why not just say, yeah, I have seen fish follow fingers ect.

Later, as I relayed the story to Kerry, he just looked at me and said.."Isn't that a cartoon?" Yes dear...it is and I have no idea why it was brought up.

So why write this in my blog? Well, don't know really. Maybe I'm the strange one since I was so fascinated with a fish in some tank I know nothing about. Just wanted to share I guess. Think I'll go watch Happy Feet.

Have a great Thanksgiving!

My Son the Movie Reviewer

2008-11-15T20:32:00.003-06:00

Kerry and I just don't get out much to see any of the latest movies, so we are slightly behind the times. We have noticed this even more so during our Sunday morning class as we have been discuss "Seeing God in Pop Culture". I am well versed in the children's movies we have discussed, but several others, I sit and have no clue. This may have been what prompted Kerry to bring home a rental from Kroger this evening. The movie is I am Legend with Will Smith. I am not so sure I will join him b/c I do not do well with "scary" movies, so he may be watching it alone even though I like Will Smith. The idea of the some sort of living, diseased thing chasing me in my dreams is not at all appealing.

Now for the point..Dalton was excited to see Daddy with a movie and was talking about how we could all watch it after Xander went to bed. Kerry told him that he would not be watching the movie with us. Dalton sat there a minute and then flatly stated, "Ok, I will go to bed and you and Mommy can watch the bad, bad movie." Kerry about rolled on the floor. So, there you have it, my son's first movie review for a movie he has never seen. I am Legend is a bad, bad movie. I guess he is getting the point when something inappropriate suddenly comes on TV and we tell him to cover his ears, cover his eyes, or we change the channel suddenly. Oh good..he is learning something!

I have FSS.

2008-11-14T22:35:00.003-06:00

Yes, it is true. I have FSS. It is a self-diagnosis really. I became knowledgeable about FSS after first moving to League City. Some people we had struck a friendship up with introduced it to us because they also have FSS. A lot of people have this condition I think, but most are great at hiding its symptoms. Do I have you curious yet? Is it deadly you wonder? Only if something falls on me, then maybe. FSS is short for Flat Surface Syndrome. It seems that if there is a flat surface in my home, items seem to find a resting spot there. Some surfaces are several inches to a foot high, especially when it comes to my teaching resources. How does it happen? I can't quite figure it out. No matter what I try, the symptoms seem to reappear in full force. Rolling your eyes yet? It is a humerous situation, but also frustrating. Why do I do it? Kerry does it too, so you can only imagine.

We do not live in complete clutter, don't get me wrong, but you don't want to venture into our offices. My office, which is the former dining room has piles of everything. Projects I want to do, presents for people, resources for planning, scrapbook stuff...the list goes on. Our dear friend Lee had the condition as well. We hardly ever saw his dining room table, which is probably why he felt so at home here. :) Now we have his huge libraries of music, books, and movies. We finally got bookshelves to at least get them off the floor, but now there are bookshelves in EVERYROOM of the house minus the bathrooms, which may come next. lol

I had been working on clearing out when Lee passed away and being his executors left us with a lot of his stuff in which we still are trying to determine what to do with some it. Thus, more irritations to my FSS. I often wonder if there is a tie to ADD b/c I often feel scattered even in a state of organization. I cannot stay focused on cleaning one room...I am all over the house. Same thing with chores. I talk to myself to keep telling me..get the trash, get the trash, get the trash, so that the trash actually gets out the evening before.

I have been to several peoples homes and literally stand in awe as their home looks so neat and tidy. I know they clean before we come and then do the standard.."Oh, excuse the house, it is such a mess." I'm thinking..Liar! :) But seriously, how do they do it. I mean, I don't have anything at my house b/c I don't know where to put my junk and that our house is still unfinished inside. I feel embarrassed by it at times. It would help if I could part with my teaching stuff. That would clear a huge part of the house out, but no way, too much $ invested in it.

I have read tons of suggestions from sites, books, magazines, people and have tried them all: organizers, filing cabinets, bookshelves, labeled boxes, and so on, but we still have a stacks that need dealt with, a new home etc. I guess if we had more time somehow, maybe, but unlikely. I am going to start clearing out and that may help, but it takes 2 and hubby dear likes to hold on to stuff b/c he may need/read/listen to it someday. Wish me luck as I don't think there is a cure for FSS but maybe some relief for its symptoms.

Is layaway just like the style of clothes...it'll come back around!?

2008-11-13T14:51:00.002-06:00

I was listening to the TV this morning as I ran around the house attempting to get a few things done before Xander realized I wasn't holding him (he is sick and wants Mommy) when I heard a news story about layaway. I stopped to watch b/c well...I like layaway. The story stated that Sears was bringing back layaway b/c they have noticed that a recent advertisement from Kmart having layaway has really brought people back to Kmart and to this shopping idea. It was fascinating to me b/c it told how layaway was started during the depression and BEFORE credit cards. Wow I thought, a time before credit cards. Now don't get me wrong....I have a few credit cards myself and use them all the time. My JC Penney card allows me to get awesome coupons if I spend 10.00, I get 10.00 off. I have a talent of spending right around 10.00, so that is a great deal for me..Go Clearance!!! However, we do our best to "slide" responsibly in this house.

Anyway, as I reflected on this story and a time before the almight plastic, the anchor woman stated she never remembered layaway b/c it was "before her time". What!!! How old is that chick..better yet..how old am I??? Her partner for the morning show grinned at her and stated that layaway was for individuals of his age to pay off items they wanted to buy. She was fascinated. Poor guy...and I thought she made me feel old. I was stunned when they said it had been 20 years since layaway was around. Not true I thought.

I decided that this thought deserved some facebook time, so presto...I have my status for the day. In doing this, I livened up a few people in conversation. Some of which remember layaway stating they thought several stores still had it and one...who is my younger sister's age (thank you very much) said she knew of several stores that had it. Awesome! I am not as old as I think and sad b/c so many people still don't get layaway. I mean, why should we when we can buy it with plastic and let it chalk up huge interests. Where would the instant gratification be?

Ok, so here is my plan for saving the economy: layaway and couponing. What do you think? It is at least a start!

One friend who wrote on my wall stated that that was how she learned how to save for things she wanted. I am sorry what...save? Do people still do that? Not at much as we should I think or we would not be facing a "financial crises" in America.

How quickly they learn...ok, some things.

2008-11-02T19:35:00.003-06:00

Have you noticed how quickly kids pick up on things? Last year, Xander was sick and missed his first Halloween. A few days later, I put on his costume to snap a few pictures for my sake mostly. He could have cared less either way, but I felt better. I had high hopes for a healthy Halloween this time around.

This year, I was excited to see what he would do. So, I dressed him up in a doctor suit Dalton wore a few years ago and headed off to Trunk or Treating at Southeast. We spent a few minutes inside before heading out to hit the trunks. At the first car, I ran ahead to snap a picture of Xander's first actual Halloween treating. It took only a moment for him to realize, "Hey, that lady just drop candy in my bag!" He spent the next 5 cars digging furiously in his bag trying to reach the candy until we finally gave him candy to hold. As long as he had his hands on some candy, he was happy. When we hit up a few houses in our neighborhood later in the week, he decided that those people were real cool as he was able to choose special things from some of their bowls. His choices were quite interesting as he chose the the block, aka box of Milk Duds and the ball, otherwise knows as a fudge ball covered in a wrapper that looked like an eye. Later, I had to make a dive toward him as he squashed his "ball" and had fudge all over his hands.

It was amazing how quickly the boys realized the ins and outs of the hunt. Porch light on is good, porch light off is a no go. Say Trick or Treat and thank you, then the lesson they developed on their own..the sprint ahead to the next light screaming, "Mommy, let's get some more candy!"

I have always been amazed at how quickly my boys pick up on things, yet have to be told 5 times to find their shoes, pick up a toy, or to stop beating up your brother. Is there a trick to getting them to pick it all up that fast?!? I wish!

The Lee Boys

2008-11-02T19:30:00.001-06:00

Well, I have not been on in awhile due to being so busy lately. I have added a few more hobbies..well sort of hobbies, which have started taking up some time until I get more organized. I am now couponing and working part time at Dalton's school, so I am behind in getting information on the blog.

Dalton has started Pre-K at Westminster Christian Academy. He is really enjoying and asks everyday, "Do I get to go see my teacher again?" He really likes it when "Mommy gets to teach the kids", b/c he gets to stay a little later and then I pick him up after 1:00. He is only going till 12:00, which means I still get to have my big boy part of the day. Someday, however, I wish for full day Pre K. :) Mainly those are the days when he won't stop "helping out" with Xander to the point Xander screams when he is looked at. While at school, Dalton is getting Spanish and music as well as getting to play on the playground. (that is a big thrill for him)

Dalton has also started baseball, so you can bet there will be some great stories coming up with that adventure. He is on a baseball team through the YMCA, which should get him some good socialization and help with coordination. His first few games were sort of sluggish. He does pretty well the first inning, but then gets distracted for the last 2. Thank goodness there are only 3. His last game this past Saturday, he really hustled to each base, which is what we have been working on. He favors his left, so we bought him lefty items, but we can't seem to find his batting arm. He will miss and then get a nice hit bringing the bat back to try again. Too bad he can't just bat backwards.

Xander has started the Vine on Tuesday and Thursdays. I will be working while he is there. I think it will be very good for him to be away from mommy. He is becoming Mr. Independent, but still wants to make sure he can see mommy. He loves books, cats, and planes. He'll hear one from inside the house and get totally excited just b/c one is flying over. He loves to go bye, bye and starts squealing with joy when he sees pretty much anything...rocks, birds, bikes on the ceiling in Walmart. We took him to an airshow thinking he would go nuts over airplanes...nothing! Then the next day, a plane flies over as we are getting in the van and he goes nuts. I don't get it.

They are both growing so much and I am still enjoying being able to stay home most days. I feel so busy now with just a part time, 8 hr a week job, that I can't imagine getting anything done if I went back to full time teaching. All those moms that do it all the time must be miracle workers b/c I constantly have a mountain of laundry on the couch to fold.

Amen!

2008-07-19T13:16:00.006-05:00

One thing I have noticed after having kids is that our meal time prayers have become pretty quick. This happened without much thought due to certain actions that were occurring. For example, if food is on the table during prayer time, there is the reach/grab move that ends up with kids magically having mouths full of food by the end of the prayer. That is better than the scream/point move in which if food is not on the table, kids are pointing at the food and screaming as if they have not eaten in days. We still plugged on however, in hopes they would catch on to the importance of prayer times as our "training" progressed. Dalton does pretty good and even will say a prayer every now and then.
I have noticed, though, in the last few days, that Xander especially has decided that prayer time is not so bad, especially if there is no option for the reach/grab. I decided I wanted to film it b/c I thought it was so cute and to show Kerry. To my surprise, he even gave me a bigger thrill by actually finishing the prayer with me.

Dalton decided to be a stinker. He cracks me up. He will be doing something cute with Xander and I'll peak in. If he catches me watching, he asks me to get the camera. However, if I do...all sweetness stops and he decides to watch the camera instead or beat up his little brother. Go figure!

Xander gets a trim

2008-07-19T12:45:00.006-05:00

Xander's first official haircut came from Daddy this past March. Xander was not thrilled and I had to try to hold his face so he would not get cut, but he kept squirming. I waited awhile before getting his hair cut again. One...because I was worried about his reaction the first time and two..he is just so cute with all that hair. However, when I was washing his hair the other day and noticed it hung down past his chin in parts, I felt it was time. So off we went to Great Clips.

The picture above is his latest cut. Notice how he is keeping and eye on the lady as if the make sure she doesn't slice him up. Now notice look he gave me! Wow..didn't think I'd get that till he was a teen. What was shocking was how he behaved! He literally did not move! I had more trouble with the 5 year, (who was getting a cut in the seat next to us) then a 19 month old. Dalton would be still for the camera however. Guess I should put a camera on him next time so he'll be still.

Well, we survived the hair cuts and hopefully since his hair grows so fast, this will be how he behaves every time he needs a cut.

Funny things my kid says.

2008-07-17T21:17:00.003-05:00

Dalton's speech has really improved this last year and with that has come some funny statements.

We had been out all morning grocery shopping and were finally heading home right at lunch time. As we were coming home, Dalton asked if he could play the Wii. I told him no, that he'd have to wait till after lunch. He followed me around the house repeating my regulations about waiting to play Wii till after lunch. "Yes" I keep saying, "after lunch."

Dalton's response: "Mommy, can you cook the food in the microwave to save time?"
Hmmm..smart kid. I almost fell over laughing. Guess what...I did cook it in the microwave. :)

....the next day...
Dalton came up to me telling me he had an "ouwee" on his finger and that he needed a kiss. I took his hand and gave him a healing mommy kiss. He looks at his finger, looks at me, then back as his finger and as he turns to walk away he says, "It's not better!"

Wow...how do you respond to that. All I could do as laugh.

Dalton dozing

2008-07-12T21:44:00.003-05:00

Here is a video of Dalton after a day of fun at the beach. He had played so hard and it was a little late for supper, but his bedtime was still an hour away.

Uncle Coby's Visit

2008-07-12T21:08:00.002-05:00

Coby and his girlfriend Bryanna came down to see Mom and Dad on July 8th. Before they headed to Orange(where Mom and Dad are living), the boys and I went to spend a few days in Galveston with them. We spent 2 days hitting lots of sun and came back exhausted, but is was fun.

On the first day, after getting settled into the hotel, we walked across the street and spent a few hours on the beach. I was surprised at how Dalton has taken to the water. He didn't stray off too far, but actually waded around without having someone right there. He of course spent lots of time playing in the sand and actually ignored the birds, which he usually takes off chasing. I have had to chase him down the beach to catch him b/c he kept running and running after the birds would take off. He'd look down the beach and lo and behold, there were more birds, so he just kept going. This time, we were closer to a walkway, so less space for birds to land I guess. Dalton did however discover that the Galveston water does not taste too good.

Xander loves being outside period, so he was thrilled to be at the beach. He played in the sand quite a bit, but did not like walking in the water without someone holding his hand. He was not quite sure what to think about the sand being swept out from under his feet when as the waves came in and out. He felt more secure if he was being carried, but after awhile, decided that playing in the sand with Dalton had better footing.

The next day, we spent about 5 hours at Schlitterbahn. Fun, but it got a big crowded after awhile, so we decided to head out. It was nice to actually chill out in the hotel with a delivered pizza that night. The boys discovered the balcony and of course the curtains. They ran around and around giggling like crazy. We just sat and watched...too tired to do much else.

One night we went to see the Rain Forest Cafe volcano erupt. It is neat to see, except I think the gas prices are even affecting them b/c it was not near as big of an eruption as in the past. I did get the boys to actually pose for a pic for me. Before we headed out of Galveston, we went to see the Titanic exhibit at Moody Gardens. I was excited b/c I had taught a huge unit on the Titanic for years in Lubbock. The boys could have cared less about it, but it was still a nice trip. We were given boarding passes with names of actual passengers on the Titanic and after the tour, you can see if you survived or not. My boys must have been gentlemen and gave up their seats to ladies, b/c both their passes were first class passengers who died. I was a 3rd class passenger who was one of the last living survivors to participate in Titanic shows etc. Of course, like it matter in the end...all Xander wanted was a drink and Dalton wanted to go eat.

The boys and I left and made it home just in time for naps. We all needed one!

4th of July weekend

2008-07-05T16:59:00.011-05:00

My cousin Katey came to spend this past week with us before she heads off to Ozark Christian College. After waiting for Dalton to get well during the first part of the week, we were finally able to get out and do a few things other than doctor appointments and speech work. On Thursday, Kerry took us to JSC and was able to give us a tour of some of the buildings. He wanted to show Katey some of the mock ups and the mission control rooms. It was kind of neat to be sitting in some of the areas looking up at the tour groups who were looking down at us wondering how we were able to get in the actual rooms. Best thing...we didn't have to pay 20 bucks!
On Friday, the kids and I took Katey to Orange to see mom and dad for the 4th of July. Kerry stayed home to get some work done. We arrived in time for a quick lunch then off to the water park. Unfortunately it started raining some, which since they were wet any way, you'd think it would not have mattered, but the boys were not thrilled and we ended up playing in huge wooden playground area next to the water park. It is a huge maze of stairs, so Dalton was thrilled. Xander had missed a nap, so he was pretty much in a daze and since his little legs were too short, he was carried most of the time. The play area had a huge tube slide that Dalton at first wanted to try until he got a good look at it. It was a very long slide. Katey decided to go down it. She said it went dark after the first turn. There about 4 turns to the entire thing. She wasn't sure she'd ever find the end. We didn't blame Dalton for not wanting to try it after her experience.

That night, we drove into Orange a little ways and saw a very good fireworks display. We were actually pretty close to where they were setting them off. I was quite surprised at how close we were. There was a small field and a parking lot between us and the fireworks area. I don't think I had ever been that close when watching fireworks. The video does not do it justice. Dalton was worried things would be loud and kept trying to get into the van to hide. After we convinced him they were just loud pops, he decided to sit and watch. He kept his ears plugged the entire time, but would ooh and aah, with the rest of the audience and holler out about colors and shapes he saw. He really liked it after realizing the sounds would not hurt him, even though they did set off every car alarm in the area. Xander, who usually squeals like crazy when he gets excited was in awe! He hardly moved for 1/2 of the show and did not make a sound. Slowly though, the missed nap and constant running and playing began to wear on him and he crashed in the middle. He was so out, he did not even wake up for the finale, which was very bright and loud.

The next morning, we decided to take Katey to Louisiana and hunt some gators. We had looked a few places the day before, but did not see any. Dalton told his Daddy that we had gone gator hunting but they were all hiding. We were lucky this time, however. We were about to walk away from an area along a dock when we spotted a young gator. He was right next to the dock and I was able to get some good closeups. A man fishing on the dock tossed a fishing line at him and the gator grabbed on. When the man started pulling the gator up, the gator thrashed a little causing us to squeal and start backing up quickly. Mom was heading out quickly with Xander in tow. Right about the time I stopped backing up and thought about snapping a picture, the gator let go and slid back into the water. I don't think I'd want to be on a dock with a bunch of squealing girls either. Dalton just sat there on the dock as if having a gator plopped on the dock next to you is an everyday thing.

Later we walked down the shore to get a closer look at a larger gator we had seen swimming around. He had been watching some fisherman along the other side of the shore line. He turned toward us for a short time I guess hoping we were going to toss a line. He looked rather creepy staring up at us as we took pictures. Hence the reason for the sign the boys are posing with. :)

Katey, the boys and I headed home shortly after that. It was fun, but we are a little pooped out. Fireworks, alligators, and more stairs than I care to recall makes for quite an exciting few days!

Night, Night

2008-07-03T20:41:00.004-05:00

When Xander gets tired, he will tell you when he wants to go to bed. Even if he is playing and his bed time comes around, there is no fight about it. He is so easy to put down, unlike Dalton, who is afraid he'll miss something. One night while putting Xander to bed, he actually said night, night back, so of course I had to film it.

Trip to Grandmama's

2008-06-19T20:27:00.009-05:00

The boys and I traveled to Orange, Texas on Tuesday. We were taking Dalton to stay part of the week. Xander and I came home the next day. While we were there we went to a real neat water park at Port Neches. It has a bunch of water spraying items and is free! That is the best part. You can just walk in, stay a little while and leave whenever without feeling like you wasted money. The boys loved it. It took Xander awhile to get used to it, which surprised me after his playing in the rain episode a few days before that. He get splattered a little and come running back to bury his face in my legs. Pretty soon, though, he found a coconut tree that he liked. There were coconuts that would fill with water and dump. He really avoided those for the most part, but did get surprised on occasion. At one point, the water stopped on one side of the park. Xander was not happy and began to scream. It started again and he got over it.

He did haunt some of the people at the park though. It seems that if he sees someone with food, he thinks if he hangs around, smacks his lips saying num, num, they will feed him. It actually worked a few times even with me running interference.

Mom called me today saying she and Dalton went back to the water park and to tell me that Dalton got it with a big bucket. It seems that this bucket fills with water. Once it starts getting full, little signs like weep holes and the water guns start shooting. Dalton was playing with a water gun and ended up getting dumped on. Mom was watching of course and wasn't about to give him any warning as to ruin her fun. He came running over to her saying "I got wet!" My statement would have been, well no duh, your running around in water! He avoided that area with the surprise showers from then on.
Here is Xander being surprised by some sudden showers. Sorry for the side view. I keep forgetting to put the camera right.

After Grandad got off work, we stopped by a place to let Dalton pick out his bday gift from them. The place was closed, but Xander didn't min. He noticed the riding lawnmowers and 4 wheelers and went nuts! He squeals with excitement at things and it is hilarious. I even have video of that, but will save that for later. I'm already addicted enough to showing off the kids with this blog thing.

Dalton bowling like Daddy

2008-06-19T18:33:00.004-05:00

Here is the video I promised with Dalton bowling like his dad. I think they both are addicted to the Wii.

Happy Birthday Dalton!

2008-06-16T20:28:00.011-05:00

Well, 5 years ago today, my oldest rug rat was born. He has been saying he will be "5 in June" for about 6 months now and this evening after cake, he told Kerry he was almost 6! Wow...they do grow up fast don't they. :)

We had a little party for him with just us tonight. The plan is to have some of his friends over for something later, but we wanted to do something on his actual birthday. We noticed that he was born on a Monday the day after Father's Day exactly 5 years ago, so that was neat. This is his first "repeat" according to Kerry.

Kerry bought him an ice cream cake (Dalton's choice) and we munched down on that tonight. He then opened a few presents and spent the rest of the evening playing trains, begging for his new Lightening McQueen clock, and playing Wii with Daddy. He is hilarious playing Wii. He tries to imitate Kerry and actually does a pretty good job b/c Kerry does get pretty animated playing the game. I'll have to add some video later of that. It is quite amusing. As you can see, Dalton enjoyed his ice cream cake very much. Xander was not too disappointed either.

One of his gifts was some bday money from Miss BJ. She always remembers the boys and he was so excited to get birthday mail. He wanted to put the money in his pocket, but I made him put in a little wallet so he wouldn't lose it. He carried the card and the money around all day.

His Aunt Rolie sent him a Lightening McQueen clock. He loves clocks and CARS, so he was in heaven. We had to put it up almost immediately and now he wants to hold it. He is not quite getting the concept of it hanging on the wall even though he begged us to do it so quickly. Now that it is there, he can't play with it. We were in the den playing trains and I could not see our clock, so I asked Dalton what time it was. Instead of just stepping over a few inches to view the den clock, he told me, "I have to go look on my Lightening McQueen clock. Off he went to his room. I just had Kerry tell me because I knew he'd have to watch it for awhile. It ticks! That evidently is very cool.

We got him some new track for his wooden train set. Some unique pieces were added so he could do different tracks. He will get a few more things later, but he was already going nuts to play so I'll hold off on the other until his friends are here.

I must say that even though the night was fun and Dalton enjoyed it, I was most proud that quite awhile after it was over, Dalton leaned over to Kerry and thanked him for the cake and presents. Not many 5 year olds would do that..unprompted! I could not help but smile and feel warm all over. That's my "big"boy!

The Lord has blessed me so much with my kids. Even on the days when Xander is screaming his head off...at least he is here to scream. On the days when Dalton is following me around repeating the same thing over, and over....and over, at least he is talking now! Thank you God for my children. Help me to teach them to be caring, giving, strong young "men" and to guide them to you. AMEN!

Father's Day with two future astronauts!

2008-06-15T18:52:00.008-05:00

We had a relaxing Father's Day. We went to early service b/c Kerry had to sit console for a few hours today. He came home and the boys gave him their cards and gifts. Dalton wrote his name by himself for the first time on Kerry's card. It took up most of the card, but it was neat. He forgot the O, so he had to "write it down there". It was on the lower part of the card below the N and about twice the size. I was tickled b/c he did not want me to hold his hand and help at all.

After the boys had a nap, Xander and I stayed home in the cool AC while Kerry and Dalton went to Ellington field. Dalton was thrilled that they got to park on the grass for some reason.

The Astronauts from STS 124 flew the shuttle home safely from the space station on Saturday and arrived back in Houston today.

People were able to go to watch the presentation at the airfield. Dalton was excited to see the astronauts he had watched on TV all the previous week. We watched the launch, some of the footage of an astronaut named Garrett eat, brush his teeth, and exercise. All while floating of course. We then watched the landing on Saturday. Dalton was excited about the outing and told me this morning that he wants to be an astronaut and float in space. I had not had a chance to tell Kerry about it, but on he way to the field, Dalton told Kerry that he wanted to fly in the shuttle, to go to space and float. That of course made Kerry very proud. Not only does he get the concept of how you get there and how it is, but he wants to be one...just like his Daddy! Maybe they will be the first father/son astronaut team. As you can see below, Dalton is already training for pilot!

Playing in the rain

2008-06-13T17:54:00.009-05:00

Thursday night, we all went to a friend's house for a get together. The hostess, Tamra, previously worked with Kerry and had invited the entire family to come celebrate the recent flights that took place. Tamra was advicer and mentor to several groups of college students that developed experiments to be conducted in zero gravity. The experiments took place on the C9. That is the plane that takes sudden dives and lets everyone float around in a temporary zero gravity type state. (I knew it as the vomit comet, but know I feel much more in the know.) Kerry, while he did not get to go on the flight, is hoping to help develop some experiments for students that will be accepted to fly in the future.
Anyway, while we were there, it started to rain. All the adults stayed under the patio while the boys decided to find alternative entertainment. They had a blast, especially Xander. He spent the entire time walking along the edge of the patio where the water was really dripping on him. Dalton kept sneaking off to help wash Tamra's truck since it was in the "car wash". She was much nicer than I would have been about kid smears on my vehicle.
We had a nice time even though I am sure all those people were waaaaaaaaay smarter than I could ever dreamed to be. You know..those smart, science types that make my little 5th science experiments look like pouring a glass of milk. One of the younger brilliant ones called me ma'am! I don't think my 5th graders even called me that. I almost laughed out loud until I thought...Oh great...I am a ma'am now! lol

Wednesday night, right before we were putting Dalton to bed, Kerry saw that we had a visitor out the window. I thought it was a rat! Upon closer look, it was possum. I was able to snap a quick video of it after he had munched on a bug. Dalton was thrilled. He came back to visit a few more times that night and entertained the cats for awhile, but this was the best I could get. He didn't seem to like me moving toward the window too much and would take off to fast. The video is dark and short, but you can hear Dalton say something about eating bugs as the thing runs away.

Lost friends

2008-06-09T22:57:00.003-05:00

I have found myself involved with several networking sites. One is Facebook and the other is myspace. I enjoy certain things about both and have issues as well, but I like being able to check out how friends and family are doing. It seems that technology is the only way many people stay in contact. I also like that my family and friends can hop on and check out how the boys are doing. I will always enjoy showing off my kiddos.
What is sad though is that I cannot find some past friends. I have actually been searching for one in particular for years with no luck. I hate that I have lost touch with these people, but also wondering why it is so hard to find them. I am not giving up, but it is disappointing.
Today we pretty much cleaned and played. I spent over an hour sorting greeting cards we inherited while the boys chased each other around the house. Other than that, we are avoiding too many outings with the price of fuel and hunkering down in the house due to the heat that we are already facing. It might be a loooong summer!

Too hot!

2008-06-08T20:36:00.002-05:00

Well, we spent this weekend just hanging out in the house, playing wii, and taking naps. Rough life I know, but it is just so hot already.
Dalton and Kerry are really enjoying the Wii. We just got a 2nd remote which is nice with Dalton. It's sensory was messed up for awhile. One game has cows that race and run over scarecrows.( I did not create it so, whatever) anyway, the cow can jump if up when you move the remote up fast, except for the new remote just kept making the cow jump over and over. Believe it or not, the fix was to smack the thing. Whola...no more cow on speed (as the support person said) She was quite funny actually when I called. I was smacking the remote and she said, "Harder Honey, like the baby is getting into something he isn't suppose to." This was after she double checked what I said after hearing..."The cow just keeps jumping."
We are hoping to get some bids on the kitchen, and if heart attacks don't follow, finally get started sometime this summer on the thing. I feel like I live in a construction zone/storage unit right now.
Hope all is well. Have a great week!

Dalton graduates..sort of

2008-06-04T22:04:00.004-05:00

Today was Dalton's preschool graduation from Ross. He spent the last 5 weeks attending a special class to work on some social skills and speech. He only went on M,W,F b/c of I did not want him to be taken out of The Vine class he was in.
His first day at the school was a field trip in which he got to ride the bus. When I picked him up, he kept telling me to go home b/c he was supposed to ride the bus. Anyway, even though he was there a short time, he was given the privilege to graduate. Kerry, Xander, and I all attended. It was very simple with a small reception afterwards, but Dalton loved it. He is not quite understanding the aspect of summer and keeps asking when he gets to go back to preschool. He is still asking about the brown preschool, which is the school he will attend next year.
After I picked him up from school, we spent the day with our neighbor Janice and her grandsons. They had a blast in her backyard and playroom. Xander found a slide he could maneuver well so he went over and over hollering "Weee" each time. I left my camera at the house, so I missed out on the pictures. I forgot about my phone. While we were there, Dalton ended up locked in the dog kennel somehow and could not get out. I think he had some help from his friend Ethan. It was pretty funny. I snapped a few pics with my phone, but haven't figured out how to deal with those yet.

Good Morning

2008-06-03T08:25:00.000-05:00

We are up and running as usual. Dalton is our early bird, so he was up before 6. This is a daily thing. We are trying to train him to leave his room without poking Xander, go potty, then go play "quietly" in the den. He is getting better, but still has to be reminded that sneaking up on mommy is not a good thing.
Xander is trying to rearrange our cd's and screaming when he thinks Dalton is going to touch him. One minute they are playing and I hear laughter. The next minute, I am releasing my nails from the ceiling after a blood curdling scream. Xander will be my fit thrower...oh what fun!
Have a great day!