The Piks

Determination

2012-02-02T16:44:00.004-06:00

pop-pa-roo-zer (pop' uh roo' zer) n. an air-filled bubble used in packaging materials that makes a popping sound when collapsed.

I think that is my favorite made up word. And I know this is my favorite popparoozer popper! She has quite the determination and perseverance!

The Classic Stomp

The Classic Stomp taken up a notch

The Two-Footed Stomp

The Mighty Jump and Stomp

The Smack It Good

The I'm Down on One Knee Begging You to Pop

The Face Smash (I've never seen this move work)

And to be used only as a last resort - The Bite and Rip

Aftermath of The Bite and Rip - plastic in your teeth

I think I got 'em all Mama!

This Is Love!

2012-02-02T14:59:00.004-06:00

For some reason I've decided that store-bought cards just won't do for Spence and Allie's Valentine class parties. And I used to be creative, but now I just steal all my ideas from the internet! Well, steal is such a nasty word. I use the internet to get some creative juices flowing, then I tweak other people's ideas. There! That sounds better! Here are some Valentines I just love (click the link in the caption to see where I found the Valentine):

Love this elephant!

Adorable butterfly!

Perfect for boys?

And my favorite, once I pretty it up a little...

So I'll be on the look out for heart-shaped pans! In fact, I think they're so cute that I might even attach some to Coleman's Star Wars Valentines I bought at... the store (gasp!).

That's One Way to Say It

2012-01-30T12:53:00.004-06:00

Here's something light and fun for your Monday!

What Coleman calls it: Diarrhea of a Wimpy Kid

What Spence calls them: Vanilla Wifers

What Allie calls them: Sloop Loops

What Spence yells: I lifted up the seat!!!!!!!

Of course there's a story behind that last one. Spence got into the habit of trying to go potty without lifting up the seat or removing the toddler potty seat. This created quite the mess. So I fussed, fussed, and fussed some more. Then I began charging him a quarter when he forgot to lift the seat. I think that's when he started remembering! Anyway, now every time he goes potty, he yells at the top of his lungs, "I lifted up the seat!!!!!!!" Doesn't matter if he's downstairs or upstairs or at someone else's house or if Allie is napping or anything else. He says it every time. Every time. Sad thing is, he still doesn't get it all in the toilet. But at least Allie and I don't have to sit in it when we go potty! I promise there's a story coming...

This morning we were at our Monday morning prayer group, Moms in Touch, where we pray for our school-aged children and their school. (This is an awesome thing to be involved in if you have kids in school!) Spence, Allie, and another little boy were upstairs playing, but during the middle of prayer time Spence came downstairs. The moms were divided up into two groups, and Spence headed over to the group I wasn't in. (I had my eyes opened since I heard him coming downstairs.) He walked over to a lady with dark hair, tapped her on the shoulder, and told her he had just lifted up the seat. He's looking straight at this lady, this Asian lady, thinking he's telling me that he lifted up the seat. The other moms were cracking up! Finally he realized she wasn't me and looked confused. But he quickly found me and informed me that he had lifted up the seat. Oh how that little boy makes me laugh!

Upward Action Shots... and More!

2012-01-29T20:49:00.004-06:00

Saturday was Coleman's 4th basketball game. He's doing great and we're all loving it! I cannot recommend Upward sports highly enough. I've been so pleased with the experience. Here are a few shots from the game:

They begin with a prayer

Shoot, Coleman!

I'm really hoping that Coleman develops a love of basketball. That was mine and Brian's sport, so I'd love watching my kids play all through school!

And give it up for my younger two. It's hard work attaining this level of cuteness!

Today Brian took Coleman to a birthday party at the skating rink. The birthday boy plays hockey, but I hear hockey skates aren't for everyone! Apparently Coleman and the other little boys had to go trade in their hockey skates for figure skates. Coleman thinks skating is for 8 year olds! But Brian said he kept at it and got better.

Hugging the wall for dear life!

Looks like he had fun!

How We Measure Love Around Here

2012-01-26T21:07:00.003-06:00

Spence is one of the most lovey kids I know. He loves to give me hugs and kisses, even in public, for now! He likes to tell Brian and me how much he loves us. It's always something different such as to the moon, or to a google. Then he reminds us, "But I love God more." My sweet boy...

So this morning I was telling Spence that he was going to learn about planets and stars at school. He said, "I love you to a black hole! To Jupiter!" He wasn't sure which was farther. Then Allie said, "I love you to $18!" I'm thinking that's a lot for her!

Monster Jam!

2012-01-22T22:08:00.001-06:00

Thank you Daddy for taking us to the Monster Jam!!!

Where Were We?

2012-01-16T12:16:00.006-06:00

Last week Brian found out that a couple he knew when he was a youth minister in The Netherlands was going to be close enough to visit over the weekend. We were going to just meet them for dinner, but decided to make a weekend out of it! It was really a fun family vacation! Can you guess where we were?

Buc-cee's was on the way!

Allie wanted to buy one of everything!

Our hotel

It was really nice!

And then there was the pool... 23 floors up on top of the building!

The kids loved it!

The pool was heated, but the hot tub felt better! You might see a landmark in the background... Tower of the Americas

But you definitely know this landmark... Remember the Alamo!

We wanted the boys to want to visit the Alamo, so the night before we left Brian showed them some fighting scenes from the John Wayne movie. They couldn't wait to visit the Alamo!

They were excited when we got to the Alamo, but we had to remind them that many people gave their lives there and we needed to show respect. They did really well, then we let them have their battle scenes outside.

Brian bought Spence this Davy Crockett hat, and as we were walking along the River Walk, one of the tour boat guides said to his passengers, "If you look over there you'll see a young Davy Crockett!" So funny!

We had a great family vacation in San Antonio this past weekend!

Happy Birthday Coleman!

2012-01-12T19:59:00.002-06:00

We have a 7 year old! No, we have the best 7 year old in the world! Love you Coleman!

Star Wars lego set from Daddy and Mommy

Star Wars toy from Grandma and Grandpa

Star Wars blanket from Nana and Poppa

Can you guess what Coleman is into at the moment? Ha! We're planning to celebrate his birthday after basketball season is over by taking him and a few friends to a cave. I'm looking forward to that!

Rainy Day

2012-01-09T12:00:00.002-06:00

It has rained and rained and rained today! Once it slowed down a little, I took Spence and Allie out to play in it. Gotta put those rain boots to good use!

It looked like so much fun that I was wishing I had a pair of rain boots!

Showin' Off His Skills

2012-01-09T08:56:00.002-06:00

Saturday was Coleman's first basketball game. I loved it!!! I couldn't believe this was a team of 6 and 7 year olds that have had 3 practices. Amazing! They dribbled, moved, played defense, shot, and rebounded. Coleman took 5 shots and made 2! Here are the videos of his first and second baskets!

You Make Me Smile

2012-01-06T21:13:00.004-06:00

How could you not smile when you look at this face? And this ensemble? I got a kick out of the snowman top and ice cream bottoms!

Are these two not the sweetest thing? I found them like this watching cartoons one afternoon.

Today at MOPS we played a game where everyone grabbed a handful of M&Ms. Then we were told that for each blue M&M we had to tell something that made us sad, for each red M&M we had to share something that made us mad, green was lucky, yellow happy, and so on with the other colors. The game was really fun, except for the blue M&Ms! I think most of the girls at our table ended up crying! But the yellow M&Ms were fun! I had three yellows, so these are the three things I shared:

Listening over the monitor to Spence and Allie playing together in Allie's room
Watching Coleman realize that Allie is upset and going over and rubbing her back
Spence asking me every night for a thousand google snugs (hugs and kisses)

Of course there are so many things that make me happy I can't even begin to count, like my wonderful husband that loves us and does so much for us, but I think since I was at a table full of moms with little kids, our children were on our minds. And lately I've been getting a little frustrated with my kiddos, so it was nice to think about the positive things. I was refreshed and ready to spend the afternoon with them outside. Yes, January 5th here in the lovely South was perfect park weather!

Gotta Have This

2012-01-04T17:52:00.003-06:00

I'm trying to be a little more crafty this year. I've already made quite a few new things to hang around the house, and this is definitely on my project list:

Isn't it adorable? And functional! When we moved into our house, my closet already had hooks in the wall to hang jewelry from, but it's not very practical. Some are so high that I can't reach them, and they aren't very pretty to look at! I could spend $30 and buy this here, but how fun will it be to hunt down the perfect knobs at a good price and make it myself! I wanted to share it here for you to ooh and ahh over, but also so I don't forget...

I posted my family rules print, so here are a few other things I've made:

I found this on pinterest and the lady had lots of free printables, so I didn't make this, just printed it out and framed it.

I also printed out this bird and used the fun scrapbook paper as a mat.

I don't think this one is finished. It was also a printable but I didn't like the colors, so I made my own and scanned it. I need to make it darker, and possibly turn it. I love it in the dining room!

All the frames were ones we had either hidden in a closet or hanging in our house with pictures I wanted to replace. So I didn't spend much at all for these! Olive You is hanging in our kitchen by the big window, the bird is in the hall by the guest bath, and Give us this day is in the dining room over the antique ice box (there's a bird print that I never really loved in that frame). I'm having fun doing a little redecorating for the new year!

Clean Slate, Begin Again

2012-01-03T13:11:00.004-06:00

Welcome 2012! I love a new year simply for the fact that I feel like I get a fresh start. I'm going to wipe the slate clean, forgive myself for putting on those extra pounds, not remembering to send out all the birthday cards, or letting my closet get piled up with junk. That all happened last year! Old news! Here are my goals for this year:

Make healthy choices and get fit (this seems to be a recurring one; maybe this year I'll get it right)
Find a place for everything and keep everything in its place (and not go ballistic when it's not in its place)
Love Jesus and others more than I did last year
Be more organized (and actually remember to look at my calendar each day)

I'm sure I could go on and on, but I think this is a good start. I've even got my weight goal for January set. I'll update you at the beginning of February. And when I meet that goal, I'm rewarding myself with a new pair of sunglasses! That's what I was thinking about when I dumped the leftover chocolate muffins in the trash this morning instead of eating them. Small victory - yay!

Here's something new I made (after I saw it on Pinterest!) to help remind our family how to act:

Anyone have any awesome resolutions to share?

Happy New Year!

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

May 2012 be your brightest year yet!

The Park With No Slides

2011-12-29T20:54:00.006-06:00

Rita tells the story of taking the boys to Yellowstone Park when they were little and after driving around for hours, they asked, "Where's the park? Where are the swings?" So Brian promised himself he wouldn't make that mistake with his kids! But he did. Today we told the kids we were going to Brazos Bend State Park. It didn't take them long to realize this was not your everyday kind of park. Instead of slides there were alligators! I think they got over the fact that there was no playground and enjoyed the wildlife! Coleman and Spence were running along the path making siren noises and having a great time. Those of you that know Spence know how loud he can be. At one point he was running around and this man walked past him and said, "Hey blue boots, be quiet!" I'm gonna have to steal that line!

The first gator we spotted

Walking along the path

Grandpa giving Allie a ride

Wii Wish You a Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T21:31:00.003-06:00

Doin' a little dance because he was so excited about his Wii!

Merry Christmas everyone! We are so blessed to be spending ours with lots of family. And Rita and Gale will be here until Friday! Yay!

Santa brought Coleman the complete Star Wars saga

And Spence got a Shark Ship

Allie got up a little bit later and was more excited to see Grandma and Grandpa than see what Santa brought (isn't that sweet?) so I didn't get a picture of her. But Santa brought her a Princess flashlight. She's quite easily pleased.

The kids singing in Church this morning (And just so you know, I was very pleased with the look on Coleman's face. It could've been a lot worse!)

I'll hopefully have more pictures to share later. Hope you're all having a very Merry Christmas!

Keeping Busy with Projects

2011-12-22T17:17:00.007-06:00

I started to write about all the togetherness that my kids and I are getting during this Christmas break. But you don't want to hear about how they continually try to kill each other and I go lock myself in the bathroom. So instead let me show you some of the projects I've been working on!

I saw this on pinterest and fell in love! (I wish I could find the girl's site where I got the idea and give credit, but for some reason pinterest isn't working for me right now.) I cut out the fork, knife, and spoon on the green paper, then layered it over brown paper. Then I wrote "let's eat" with a brown pencil. Brian and I bought the frame in Austin last year and it's been sitting in my closet just waiting for me to use it. I love how this turned out! It's hanging on the wall by my kitchen table.

Let's eat!

My next project is hopefully the answer to books all over the place in the boys' room and digging for Church library books every Sunday morning.

When I first got these canvas storage boxes I tried to have them keep all their books in them. There's just something about books thrown on a bookshelf or strewn across the floor that really irks me. Anyway, keeping all the books in the boxes was a little too much. Plus they could never find the book they wanted.

Now the boxes are labeld "Library Books", "Chapter Books", and "I Can Read Books." I'm hoping this will help keep them a little more organized and easier to find. I love fun little projects!

A Tweaked Tradition

2011-12-22T12:56:00.003-06:00

Every year I make Christmas cookies for the neighbors. I love picking out recipes and baking and passing them out. This year some neighbors came over to help and it was a blast! This has to be our new Christmas cookie tradition!

The kids rolling dough and making cookies (and a mess)

Allie and her friend thought it was play dough!

My friend made eggnog cutout cookies and I made raspberry almond thumbprints and these deliciouso Candy Cane Snow Balls. They are super yummy!

The Pikkula Family Christmas Card

2011-12-21T09:36:00.002-06:00

Christmas Ribbons Christmas

Shutterfly has classic, elegant Christmas invitations for your party.

View the entire collection of cards.

Happy Anniversary!

2011-12-19T19:35:00.003-06:00

Everyone knows 13 is the Pancake Anniversary, right???

So what better place to celebrate than IHOP? We'll try to have a quiet dinner just the two of us after Christmas when family is in town. But this was a perfect way to spend our anniversary! Thirteen years ago I never would have imagined how blessed we would be.

Season's Happenings

2011-12-16T12:32:00.006-06:00

Busy busy busy! There's been so much going on lately! Throw a stomach bug in the mix and things have been a little overwhelming. Spence, Brian, and Coleman all had the bug. Nana and Poppa were here, so we're praying that Allie, Nana, Poppa, and Mommy don't get sick. So far so good! Brian missed a day at work, then barely functioned the next day. Spence made it through his program Tuesday night, but woke up during that night throwing up. Coleman attempted to go to the Church program Wednesday night, but was rushed home where he later puked.

Other than the sickness, we've been having lots of fun around here!

Decorating ornaments at the MOPS Christmas party

Christmas card photo shoot (You'll see what she's holding up when you get the card!)

Waiting for Santa (and waiting, and waiting... for 1 hour and 20 minutes)

Allie was less than thrilled to see Santa!

Spence's school program

Spence is the shepherd behind the boy in the khaki jacket

Boot buddies ready for the Christmas parties at school!

Christmas program at Church (unfortunately Coleman was sick at home, and Spence was lying beside me on the pew)

My New Interest...

2011-12-12T14:46:00.005-06:00

...Pinterest! I still don't fully understand repinning and all that goes along with the addictive site known as pinterest.com, but I've spent enough time to find some great craft and gift ideas! I'm in this phase of getting rid of useless junk, so I can't justify buying someone else something that will be useless junk for them or that will sit around and collect dust. I love my kids' teachers and always want to get them good gifts, but when there are 7 teachers to buy for, I can't afford to spend a lot of money on each. So frugal, useful gifts were on the list for this year. Everyone washes their hands, right? Hopefully, at least.

Aren't these too cute? I saw this idea on pinterest (here's the lady's site) and used it not only for the kids' teachers, but for the 15 child care workers for MOPS. I used Softsoap, removed the labels and cleaned off sticky residue with Goo Gone, created my own labels then took them to Kinko's and had transparencies made, cut the labels to fit, rolled them up and inserted them into the soap bottle, then used the end of a plastic fork to stick to the bottle and get in place. Simple! Adorable!

In addition to the Christmas soap bottle, I made this one for Coleman's teacher. If you can't read it, it says, "Wash those germs down the sink 'cause being sick really stinks!"

This is my other great find on pinterest (find it on this site). Brian found this frame at a garage sale and we figured we'd eventually have something to put in it. I spray painted it, then used hot glue to attach the fabric wreath and ornaments. Love it! The one I found on pinterest had a big bow at the top, but I'm an awful bow maker.

And here's one of the cutest things I have in my house this Christmas. I didn't get her on pinterest! Don't you love the smile. And the tights. I love Christmas dresses and tights.

But she looks equally as cute wrapped in the Christmas tree skirt! What a sweety!

Christmas PJs Are Back!

2011-12-02T15:35:00.004-06:00

My weakness: Christmas pajamas! They are just so cute! For the last few years I had started thinking it was getting hard to find cute ones in Coleman's size. But this year I found some great ones online from Children's Place. Love the monsters! So sit back, sip some hot cocoa, and enjoy some Christmas PJ pictures!

At first I had envisioned a picture of them lying on the bed. Hmm. Didn't quite work out.

This one wasn't the right "pick" either.

Allie looks pretty adorable lying there. But her brothers are missing!

Maybe I should let them go crazy?

Two out of three isn't bad, huh?

A little more "cheese" than I was looking for.

Perfect!!!

The Last of November

2011-11-28T19:49:00.003-06:00

November flew by! It seems like just yesterday Spence and I were celebrating our birthdays, now I'm decorating for Christmas! But before there's anymore Christmas talk, take a look at our Thanksgiving picture:

What a bunch of turkeys!!!

We spent Thanksgiving with my parents and had such a wonderful time. My mom cooked the best dinner, then we walked down the street to feed the goats and see the other farm animals. Mom had taken Allie to the farm when she was there a few weeks ago, and the lady told Mom to bring all the kids by sometime. I have to admit I felt a little guilty around the turkeys since I had just eaten one!

Beautiful turkeys - they walked around together and gobbled the whole time.

Dallas the cow

Come here, dinner!

Feeding the goats

The kids got to feed the chickens and see where they laid their eggs. It was a really awesome farm!

I have so much to be thankful for: a wonderful husband and 3 great children, the best parents and in-laws in the world, a home, friends, food, a church, and a Savior who loves me and gave His life for me. Now I'm ready to get in the Christmas spirit!

Turkeys

2011-11-19T20:03:00.003-06:00

Thursday Spence and Allie had their Thanksgiving feasts at Mother's Day Out. I took peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for Spence's class. I'm sure that was part of the main course at the first Thanksgiving!

Spence and his buddy at their feast

Friday at Coleman's school all the First Graders participated in a Turkey Parade. Unfortunately, I was home in bed with a stomach bug, but Brian and the kids got to go. Brian told me one little boy looked at Spence and said, "Look! A mini Coleman!"

Coleman, Spence, and the turkey we decorated

Coleman and his best buddy from his class

Coleman's class

An Out of This World Party

2011-11-12T21:29:00.005-06:00

For once being lazy paid off! Last month when I started thinking about Spence's birthday, I could not muster any desire to plan a party, buy decorations, send out invitations, get my house ready, or any of the stuff that comes with throwing a party. I was able to talk Spence into going to Space Center Houston for his birthday, even though I told him he could only invite two friends. I thought I was pretty awesome talking a five year old out of a birthday party with lots of friends and presents.
So today the five of us, the boys' friend Matt, Nana and Poppa, and Candice and Paul David headed south to see what NASA had to offer. It was great!

On the tram tour

Learning all about Mission Control

Where astronauts train

That little blue spot on the steps is Allie!

Allie says, "Whoa, big."

Paul David, Spence, Coleman, and Matt

The boys let Allie (and her crazy hair) in the picture

Spence learning to maneuver in space

I don't think your hands are supposed to go in the helmet, Spence.

Paul David would make a great astronaut!

Allie would have on those space shoes if they weren't behind glass!

AWESOME kids' play area!

Happy birthday Spence!

Space brownies (because you don't bake and decorate a cake for a lazy party!)

Five!

2011-11-08T16:05:00.007-06:00

Yesterday was Spence's 5th birthday! Since we're going to Space Center Houston on Saturday instead of having a birthday party, we let him open all his presents first thing.

The night before his birthday, he could hardly wait to figure out if this was what he thought it was!

I'm five!

The big one is the Super Bat Cave from Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle Brent, and Aunt Dre. Grandma also gave him the Joker van. Nana and Poppa gave him the Penguin and Clay Face. We got him the Green Lantern house. He is a little obsessed with Bat Man at the moment! With Coleman at school and Allie at Nana's house, he played with his toys until 1:00 when I finally made him get dressed so we could meet some friends at Stomping Grounds (an indoor play area).

Spence and his friends at Stomping Grounds

His friends were so sweet to bring him a present! It happened to be a Bat Man toy he already had, so we went to Target so he could pick out something else. He and Coleman teamed up with their money and chose a big toy! I even let them take it into Double Dave's to play while we waited on Daddy.

Samurai Castle

Who needs a birthday cake when you've got CHOCOLATE CHIP PIZZA?!?!

And you know I had to go back and reminisce about all the previous birthdays...

November 7, 2006

1 year old

2 years old

3 years old

4 years old

My messy 5 year old!

I love you to the moon and back Spence! You are my sweet, loving, funny, unique, handsome little guy. Happy birthday!

Camping Weekend

2011-11-06T15:40:00.003-06:00

So I have to admit, after the night we had Friday, going back to being a house wife was a tad on the boring side! The boys left to go camping Saturday morning, and Nana took Allie home with her. (I couldn't have planned that better if I'd tried. Two year olds just don't grasp the concept of "falling back" an hour.) I sent Brian a text telling him that I was thinking of going sky diving or something. I needed an adrenaline fix! I did not jump out of an airplane, instead I went shoe shopping! Just as exhilarating!

Saturday afternoon Brian called to tell me that he'd just gotten a call from the wife of the guy who had his car. Here's basically what she had to say:

"You know who this is. Why'd you have to break into my aunt's garage and steal the car like a common thief? You almost gave my aunt a heart attack! You know what kind of people we are and that we were going to pay. My husband was in a really bad accident and is in a cast from head to toe. As soon as we got the money we were going to pay."

I'm pretty sure you could add in a few "blankity-blanks" here and there. We haven't heard anything else from them though, thankfully. And just in case you forgot, the garage door was open. The only garage door in the whole complex that was open. That's a God thing.

Enough of that! Here are some pictures from the guys' camping trip at Lake Livingston!

Guys' weekend! (Keller is behind Spence!)

The trip didn't start off so well for Spence, but after a few naps he felt better.

Cool tower

Daddy and the boys

Camping Buddies

Mixed Up With the Gypsies

2011-11-04T23:49:00.005-05:00

In all my 36 years, I've never experienced a birthday quite like today. But before I can tell you about that, you need to know the back story. None of what you are about to read is made up or embellished. It's all the truth, crazy as it might sound.

Last Spring Brian put his BMW on Craigslist after he bought his truck. After several people looked but didn't end up buying, he was getting really anxious to sell it. A young guy came by to look at it. He didn't have the cash, but sat down with Brian to work out a down payment and payment plan. Brian wrote up a contract and went over everything with him.

After the down payment, he came up with all these stories about why he couldn't pay. Someone in his family was always sick or dying. He left town for a month to stay with some of his wife's family in Dallas. All the stories were very convincing. But finally enough was enough, and Brian told him he was going to have to repossess the car. Soon after that conversation, we couldn't get in touch with them at all. They moved and didn't tell us where they were and also changed their cell numbers. Finally he called Brian to set up a meeting, but gave Brian a fake address of their new place.

Last week we found out that their former land lord lives around the corner from us. Brian walked over there tonight but she wouldn't talk to him. So he went to the house where the guy used to live to see if he left a forwarding address. The new tenants said no, but they called the land lord and explained the situation. She gladly gave the forwarding address of the guy's uncle since they owe her over $10,000 in rent.

So what do we do before my birthday dinner? Drive by the uncle's house to see if our BMW is parked outside! It wasn't. So after dinner we did a second drive by. This time a guy was standing out in the street talking to someone. Brian decided to ask if he knew the people that lived in the house. It turned out to be his house and he was ticked because people were always coming by looking for cars and rent money. He finally told us he knew the guy, who happened to be a gypsy, and described our BMW without us saying a word about it. This guy and the guy he was talking to were gypsies also. He told us he'd tell us where it was for $100! We didn't have any cash, but he went ahead and told us where the apartments were where we'd find it parked. He didn't believe us when we said we'd bring him the cash if we found the car.

We found the apartment complex, said a prayer that God would protect us and help us find the car, then drove around and around and around looking for the car. There were parking spaces and garages (all of which were closed). On the last row, there was one opened garage, with Brian's BMW parked inside! We were freaking out big time, and Brian started fumbling around for the key. He jumped out and I took over the truck. He went in the garage, backed it out, and we drove off without any confrontation. We went straight home and he cleaned out the garage and parked it in there! We decided to go back to the apartment and get the unit number so we could tell the land lord where she could find them. Then we took $100 to give the gypsy that helped us.

Brian called the police to let them know what happened. He had gone and told them about it a few weeks ago, but they couldn't do anything since it was a civil matter. They told him he should have called them before he took the car, but next time he would know. NEXT TIME??? He let them know there would be no next time! Lesson learned. But boy did it make for an exciting birthday! I married a guy that knows how to show a girl a good time. "Hey baby, wanna grab some dinner then go repo a car?"

As I look back at this story (I always proofread before I hit "publish") one sentence really sticks out. Never in a million years would I have predicted that on my 36th birthday I'd be writing, "Then we took $100 to give the gypsy that helped us."

This was all 3 hours ago and Brian's heart is still racing!

The Tooth Is Out!

2011-11-03T19:18:00.002-05:00

Yesterday morning Coleman came downstairs and said, "I pushed my tooth out with my tongue!" Since I've been named the designated tooth-puller for our house, I was thrilled! I had been wiggling it testing out it's readiness, but I was hesitant to yank too hard. I remember not wanting to lose any teeth after the first one. My parents could tell you many stories about me and my reluctance to have teeth pulled.

So we're all excited to have this milestone under our belts! And now our house has officially been visited by the tooth fairy! She left $2 under Coleman's pillow. Coleman asked, "How much did you get from the tooth fairy?" I told him probably 1 or 2 quarters. He said, "Wow, it's rised a lot!"

Today Spence (dressed as Batman of course) and Allie were riding in the stroller on the way to pick up Coleman from school and we had a funny conversation:
Mommy: Spence, can you believe you're about to be 5?"
Spence: Yes, I believe it.
Mommy: Ha! Well, it's hard for Mommy to believe.
Spence: Why? You have to believe it!

I guess I do have to believe it! It's coming in 4 days!

Since I shared something about Coleman and Spence, I thought I'd share this picture of Allie and me. I was wearing a hat because my hair looked gross. So Allie wanted to wear a hat also. Unfortunately, every time we left the house, she would forget it.

Trick or Treat!

2011-10-31T19:56:00.003-05:00

As I write this I'm staring at a pile of empty candy wrappers. We got lots and lots of treats. I mean the kids got lots and lots of treats!

Batman, Arf Trooper, and Shirley Temple ready for candy!

Allie sees her little friend out trick-or-treating

Walking with Daddy

Getting the hang of this trick-or-treating thing

Spence and one of his favorite neighborhood decorations

Time to dig in!

We hit the jackpot!

Church Carnival

2011-10-29T21:36:00.005-05:00

If my favorite fall activity is the pumpkin patch, then my kids' favorite is the carnival! They had a blast at our church carnival tonight. I'd love to share pictures of them playing carnival games, coming down the giant bouncy slide, riding a pony, taking a train ride, and me feeding Allie a red snow cone without getting it on her white dress, but I can't. Not because I didn't have my camera. And not because I didn't have charged batteries. But because I left the card in the computer after uploading the pumpkin patch pictures. Ahhhhhh! I almost went back home to get it, but I decided to just enjoy the night and get lots of pictures when they go trick-or-treating. We did get a family photo taken at the carnival, so I'll share that when I get it! And here are a few I took when we got home.

Batman, Shirley Temple, and an Arf Trooper (Star Wars guy)

Since my kids don't like their faces painted on, I decided to go for it!

Here's a better one of Shirley

Pictures from a Patch

2011-10-29T14:14:00.003-05:00

We were bribed to smile!

Sometimes I smile for free!

Pretty pumpkin dress from Grandma

See my loose tooth?

Proud of Those Bees!

2011-10-28T19:30:00.000-05:00

The Bees played in the championship game last night. They were up against the best team in the league and played awesome! They only lost by one run. So close! But they had a great season. Coleman learned so much and had a blast (even if he won't admit it). We'll see if there's more baseball in his future.

Coach telling them they should be proud of themselves

After getting his medal

A future baseball player???

Maybe once she's fully potty trained! There was an accident and Mommy forgot to bring extra pants.

Pumpkin Patch Season!

2011-10-20T15:54:00.002-05:00

Today Spence's class took a field trip to the pumpkin patch. Yes, my favorite place! And of course this is the "city" version of the pumpkin patch. Isn't his class adorable? He has wonderful friends and two awesome teachers!

This is his best friend, Roman. In a few years I imagine Roman's mommy and I will be telling all the girls to leave our boys alone!

When Coleman started going on field trips in Mother's Day Out I avoided going at all costs. But Coleman wasn't really the kid that wanted Mommy around anyway. Now I'm more inclined to enjoy a little one-on-one time with my kids and tag along for a field trip or two. Here we are chillin' by the pumpkins.

And I had to snap a picture of this on our way in to school this morning. Aren't they sweet?

If you can get past the sweet curls and fun shirt, take a look at her shoes! She picked those out this morning. One of the teachers was commenting on her shoes and I replied, "Spence prepared me for anything!" She's following in the green croc footprints, only Allie style!

Fall! Fall! Fall!

2011-10-19T09:14:00.002-05:00

Cooler weather is here (if only for a little while). I'm awakening from my heat-induced coma and ready to start blogging again! Also, we just got a new computer and our technical issues are solved! I'll have more posts soon!

Lessons From Little Ones

2011-09-30T12:35:00.002-05:00

I pray that I teach my kids half as much as they teach me. They give me such a deeper understanding of how God loves me and how I should respond to Him.

Praise the LORD, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the LORD, my soul, and forget not all his benefits— Psalm 103:1-2

Coleman reminds me that I should not be quick to forget all the blessings God has poured out on my family. It's been 16 months since Brian started his job and Coleman thanks God every night "that Daddy found a job." What a sweet, sweet thing. I pray that he always remembers how God blesses us.

The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever. 1 John 2:17

Spence helps me remember that this world is just my temporary home. His prayers are usually very short, but quite to the point: Dear God, Thank you that we love You, and that we're going to see You in Heaven.

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Psalm 139:13-14

Allie is a little ball of energy, but sometimes I find her sitting on the floor saying, in a sing-song voice, "God made me. God made me. God made me." And I think, "And what a wonderful job He did." He made each of us for a purpose, and my kids remind me daily that I need to be looking for Him in everything, even the small things.

"P" Is Not For Piks

2011-09-29T20:56:00.002-05:00

The "p" in this story does not stand for our last name. It stands for... well, pee. I was telling Brian some of the daily happenings and he said they were quite blog worthy. Sometimes funny things happen, but I think you probably would have to be here to think it was funny. So maybe it's funny, or maybe it's just funny to us. But at the least, something Brian and I will think back on and laugh about when our kids are fully house broken!

A few nights ago Spence was getting dressed for bed and thought it would be fun to see how many pairs of underwear he could put on. My first thought was to make him stop at ONE, but I figured it wasn't hurting anything so why stifle his creativity? I didn't do an official count, but I think he got about 6 pairs of underwear on. I really thought he would be uncomfortable and take 4 or 5 pairs off, but he didn't! He put his pajama shorts on over them and went to bed! The next morning while I was helping him make up his bed I realized that he had had an accident. So not only did he have wet sheets and blankets, but 6 wet pairs of underwear. Everything went into the dirty clothes and all was fine. Until about 2 nights later when he's getting ready for bed and realizes he has no clean underwear! I told him he could get the ones he'd worn that day out of the dirty clothes or wear a pair of Coleman's. He seemed quite traumatized, but ended up choosing to wear Coleman's. He survived. And I think he learned a valuable lesson: Don't wear more underwear than you need to, especially if you might wet the bed and your lazy mom decides not to wash clothes for a few days! I love letting reality be the teacher!

Since Allie's been in school, she's come home every day in the same pull-up that I sent her in. It's usually wet because she's just woken up from a nap, but I knew she wasn't going in it before nap. Her teachers and I decided she would wear underwear and they would put her in a pull-up for naptime. Today was the first day and she made it without an accident! She's doing so much better! I've decided that I'm just not the 3 day potty training method kind of momma. I'm so glad that works for some people, but it's not my style. She's doing well, but she has quite a stubborn streak. One day she was squatting on the dining room chair, pulled her pull-up over to the side, and peed all over the seat. That just screams, "You try and make me go to the potty. I'll go wherever I want. But I don't feel like being wet right now, so watch me pull my pants out of the way. How do ya like that?" I totally wouldn't be surprised if she said that.

So those are my pee stories. Maybe tomorrow I'll have some more baseball pictures!

Laughter

2011-09-28T16:35:00.002-05:00

Thank You Lord for laughter, without which I would have gone insane long ago. The kids always give me lots to laugh about!

Coleman: What do you call a car that's sour?
Me: I don't know. What?
Coleman: A lemonsine!!!

Coleman was asking about homophones and I was trying to remember the difference between homophones and homonyms, when Spence said, "What about M&Ms?"

The boys were also trying to come up with rhyming words:
Coleman: What rhymes with cat?
Spence: Hat!
Coleman: What rhymes with go?
Spence: So!
Coleman: What rhymes with road sign?
Spence: (paused to think) Soad sign!

And one day while sitting in the pick up line at Coleman's school, Spence wanted to get unbuckled to get something, but I told him no because we were already starting to move. A little later Allie told Spence, "Pencey! Don't unbuckle! Hear me?" She is totally a little boss!

Coleman wanted to share one last joke with you that he just made up:

What didn't the car run?
Because it didn't have any legs!

Choose Your Favorite

2011-09-24T20:33:00.002-05:00

Here is my list of excuses as to why I have not been blogging lately. You can choose your favorite!

Baseball has been taking up almost all of our time! Four days a week... Yikes!
I had to have a week-long session with Dr. Leman. Seems my kids' attitudes and behaviors needed some serious adjustments. Thanks Dr. Leman! (If you have kids you need to read Have a New Kid By Friday. I had read it a while back but needed a refresher.)
Our computer has been having problems.
Fall has arrived, but it's still stinkin' hot. So I'm busy sulking.

As for baseball, Coleman has been having fun. At last night's game, he got another hit! He made it to first base, then with the next few hits he was able to make it home. You should have seen the look on his face! He was super excited! You also should have seen the look on Brian's face! He was super excited! Nana and Poppa were also there cheering him on. Allie and Spence have already lost interest in the games. But they are enjoying climbing all over the bleachers and getting snow cone syrup everywhere!

Coleman had a game today also, but no hits. He and Brian had batting practice this afternoon, and tomorrow they are going to a teammate's house that HAS A BATTING CAGE WITH A PITCHING MACHINE IN HIS BACKYARD. Just so you caught that. Brian was going to take Coleman to the batting cages, but why when your teammate has his own! Cool!

Maybe we'll get some nice fall weather here soon and I can scratch excuse #4 off my list and get back to blogging more!

Base Hit!

2011-09-13T21:05:00.004-05:00

After two weeks of practice, tonight was Coleman's first baseball game! He was cool, calm, and collected, but I was nervous! The coach lets them try out different positions, so tonight he played center field and pitcher (who doesn't pitch since there's a pitching machine). He got up to bat 3 times and the first time he got a hit, but was thrown out at first. The second time he got a base hit! The third time he struck out. I loved watching him play! I was so proud of him.

Coleman is a Bee!

Putting his gear in the dugout

First up to bat

Coleman's personal cheerleader

This one was just excited about the snow cones!

Swing!

Hit!

On first base!

Playing pitcher

He might just make a baseball fan of me yet!

Welcome Back Fall!

2011-09-06T20:43:00.005-05:00

Today was the first day of Mother's Day Out for Spence and Allie! They had a great time, and so did I! I love this time of year - getting back into school and routines and cooler weather. And we actually have had cooler weather the past few days! It's been crazy because we went from having more than 40 days of temperatures over 100 to being chilly at the pool yesterday. This morning Spence thought he needed a jacket. It's been so long since we haven't sweated I think we all forgot what it feels like! Here are some first day pictures:

Welcome back to school!

Spence walked right in to his Pre-K room!

After dinner Allie was begging to feed the baby ducks. This is her favorite activity, and now that the evenings are nice it's pretty fun. Spence joined us, but Coleman and Daddy stayed home to practice baseball.

Walking Maestro while wearing Spence's socks and shoes

Look! Baby ducks!

These are the babies that are half-grown now. We call them the teenagers, so every time Allie sees them she yells, "Hi teenagers!!!"

Good night ducks!

You can see that Allie has inherited Spence's love for eccentric footwear. Love it! And that little sweetheart has been doing pretty well with potty training. There are still plenty of accidents, but we've had several occasions to celebrate. Overall I think it's going well.

Please pray for all those dealing with wild fires in Texas. There aren't any close to us, but there are some north of Houston, and many around my hometown in north east Texas. I pray we'll get rain soon, and for safety for all the fire fighters and volunteers.

Welcome To the Exciting World of Little League

2011-08-30T10:25:00.004-05:00

We're into our second week of First Grade and loving it! Yesterday was Coleman's first day of Little League. He's loving it. Me? I'm not so sure. He has three practices this week! This is going to be quite time consuming! And when it's over 100 degrees, a little unbearable to be at the ball fields. But I'm so proud of Coleman. He walked on that field for the first time yesterday with a team full of 2nd and 3rd graders who have been playing together for several years. He didn't get upset or discouraged. He just did what the coach told him to and had fun! I'll never forget 2 years ago in soccer when it was the 3rd game before we saw any action out of him! He's growing up.

Coleman (3rd in line) waiting to practice running through first base

Since this is our first time in Little League, I was unsure of all the gear Coleman would need. But I wanted him to be prepared for the first practice. He had a glove, and I was planning on getting him baseball cleats. So I asked the coach what else he would need. The reply: a protective cup. I'm not sure why I was so embarrassed to have to buy this, but it was a little strange for me. Yesterday after school the kids and I headed to Academy to purchase cleats, shorts, and a cup. I figured I should prepare Coleman for having to wear this. Spence was very interested in all things cup-related. He wanted to know how you pee with it on, if you glue it on, and what happens if somebody drinks out of it! Then at the store once I finally figured out which cup Coleman needed (ladies, there are lots of options), Spence wanted to carry it around! I was glad because I surely didn't want to carry it around! Well, I did survive the experience, just barely.

And now we have one practice under our belts. I just have to figure out how to keep Spence and Allie entertained for 2 hours and we'll be all set! Can't wait for the first game!

Allie hugging Spence and telling him she was sorry after she punched him today!

Astros Game

2011-08-24T21:28:00.005-05:00

Last week Brian took a day off and he and the boys went to an Astros game. It was a great way to say goodbye to summer and spend some guy time together before school started! Here are some fun pictures:

Bring On First Grade!

2011-08-22T10:08:00.003-05:00

Welcome back to school!

Today is Coleman's first day of First Grade! Where did the summer go? He was not excited about going to school, but there was no complaining either. I've realized that I cannot make these events into big deals for him. There was not much talk of going back to school or school shopping. The only new clothes we bought is the Star Wars shirt he's wearing today!

This is the best picture I could get of him before we left home. He did not want to smile!

Have a great first day Coleman!

Things That Are Snot Supposed to Happen

2011-08-16T16:27:00.003-05:00

Brian and I feel like we may have broken some sort of record. We were parents for over 6 1/2 years before one of our children cut their own hair! Spence put an end to that last week. He had been working on some little projects with paper, scissors, and glue so nicely all week. The thought crossed my mind that maybe I shouldn't walk out of the room and leave him alone with scissors, but obviously I ignored it. For the amount of hair I found on the floor, it doesn't look too bad!

Allie has been really snotty lately. This picture was taken one day after she woke up from her nap. She was not in the best of moods.

I can't always look beautiful...

It Doesn't Take Much

2011-08-16T16:13:00.002-05:00

One Friday night Brian and Coleman were playing a video game together, and Spence and Allie wanted to do something fun. So Spence put on his goggles and Allie grabbed her inner tube and I filled the tub up! They had a blast!

Spence lost his goggles earlier this summer and has been wearing my pink ones!

Allie looks like she's living the life!

Taking Time

2011-08-09T21:02:00.003-05:00

Bedtime can be a draining experience. Sometimes I wonder why it takes at least an hour to take baths, brush teeth, get pjs on, read books, say prayers, and get tucked in. I have to remind myself that this can be a fun time to spend with the kids and not get irritated when they're being pokey. I guess it was when they started sharing a room that the boys would ask Brian to lay on their floor after story time. Allie was a tiny baby so I was always taking care of her. It was a great chance for Brian to talk to the boys and find out about their day. It has become part of the nightly ritual now. Sometimes when Brian would go to the gym or have to work late, they would ask me to lay on the floor. I would say, "That's a Daddy thing." But then I started feeling guilty, so I decided my back could handle 5 or 10 minutes on the floor.

Their "thing" right now is wanting to hear a funny story about Mommy or Daddy when we were little. Or a funny story about them when they were younger. They love the one about Spence smearing diaper cream all over himself, or the one where Coleman was bribed to eat two pieces of corn, puked it up on the floor, then said, "Can I have my cookie now?" (If I weren't too lazy I might link back to those posts. They are classics. Check back later.)

Since Brian was having to work late tonight, I laid on the floor after story time. I told them a story from my childhood where we were driving back from Florida and I had a stomach bug and didn't quite make it to a bathroom in time. I was really surprised that they said that wasn't too silly. They're a tough crowd. Then I told them about the time Coleman's stuffed animal named Chicken saved the day. I had forgotten to put up the gate on the stairs and Spence tumbled down, only to land safely on chicken. They laughed and laughed! I really thought the poop story would win in their books. Then the conversation turned all philosophical. Spence was asking if we'd sleep in heaven, and I said I didn't think we would need to. Then they started asking about food. I told them that I imagined the food would be really good, and nothing would be bad for us. Spence hopes there are grapes in heaven. And Coleman hopes that they add sugar to food, but it's not bad for us!

Sometimes it can be hard not to rush through the day and try to fill every moment with some activity to keep us all busy. It's nice just to lay on the floor, talk about whatever, laugh, and enjoy each other. Good night everyone!

Summer Happenings

2011-08-08T13:07:00.006-05:00

We're in the final weeks of summer! And as you can tell from the lack of recent posts, it has been a busy one! I've been having a wonderful time working with Children's Church and Wednesday night Kids' Bible Club this summer. I've also been doing some planning for our upcoming MOPS year (Mothers of Preschoolers). Another lady and I are planning the Bible story and craft for the kids.

I'm pretty sure the kids will enjoy being back in the routine of the school year. Coleman and Spence start getting on each others' nerves when they spend too much time together. Coleman will start 1st grade on August 22. Then Spence and Allie will start Mother's Day Out after Labor Day.

Allie is still working on potty training. If I had my act together, she'd be trained by now, but I am just lazy. She's doing well though! Hopefully it won't take too long. Also, Allie still refuses to wear any kind of pony tail or clip in her hair to keep it out of her face, so I had to take her for a haircut today. I couldn't get a picture of her in the chair getting the few strands cut because she would only sit there in my lap! But I did get a before and after picture. And no, I did not comb her hair after. I wanted it to look like her!

Miss Messy Hair

Still messy, but she can see now!
She's eating Skittles and putting a sticker on her potty chart.

And just so I remember all about Allie's first haircut:
Date: August 8, 2011
Location: Great Clips
Stylist: Shentelle
Style: Trimmed bangs so her hair wouldn't be in her eyes
Cost: $5 (plus a $2 tip)
Behavior: She kept saying, "I get haircut!" But when we got there she didn't want to sit in the chair. She sat perfectly still on my lap, with a sucker of course, for the 3 minutes it took to cut her bangs!

And nothing to do with the haircut, but here's a funny picture from last week:

Why I have to put the sunscreen up... way up!

So that's what is going on with Allie. The boys are having a fun week also! They are attending a sports camp at our gym. Today they learned about basketball and tomorrow is football.

The boys (and Allie) are also enjoying a new toy they helped Daddy build. It's a ramp like one that Brian's dad built for him and his brother when they were little.

Hope you're having an awesome summer too!

Chicken, Airplane, Soldier

2011-07-26T20:45:00.003-05:00

Swim lessons are here! The boys are having fun and Allie and I are enjoying playing in the pool while they learn. Well, Spence learns when he decides to keep his head above water! Coleman is a great swimmer, so he's learning some new strokes now.

That's a band-aid between her eyes! She fell out of her chair today and thought she needed a band-aid to make it better. I don't think it made it better, but it sure did make it funnier!

Spence practicing his "chicken, airplane, soldier" (which is what his teacher calls the moves for the breaststroke)

Coleman working on his breaststroke leg moves

Little boy in the pink goggles!

Jump!!!

Pretty Sunday Dress

2011-07-24T19:33:00.002-05:00

My sweet smile

My cheesy smile

My giggly smile

Hope you had a smiley day too!

Hesitantly Hopeful

2011-07-21T21:48:00.003-05:00

I've been doing something nonstop for the last 6 1/2 years: changing diapers! And while I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to change all those diapers, I'm hopeful that this stage is coming to an end. Allie seems ready to potty train. I'm just hoping that her high intellect wins out over her strong will! The other day, as she was standing there naked, I asked her where big girls go potty. She pointed to the carpet and said, "There." When I said no, she walked over to the tile and pointed down and said, "There." Better, but still no good.

She's been going on the potty off and on for the past 3 months or so. But I really think it's time to buckle down and get her trained. So tonight we went to Wal-Mart and let her pick out some new panties. I picked up some cleaning wipes, stickers, candy treats, a bottle of insanity-be-gone, and a jumbo size box of patience. We're all set! I was thinking about trying a 3 day potty method, but we don't have 3 days in a row that we're home all day! Tomorrow I'm going to set the timer and lead her to one of the 6 strategically placed potties around our house. (We have 3 toilets and 3 potty chairs.) We'll see how that goes!

And just in case you've forgotten or you're new here, I. Hate. Potty. Training. Did you hear that Allie? Go easy on Mommy. Your brothers sure didn't!

It's Always a Great Day...

2011-07-19T22:04:00.001-05:00

...when this gang's together!

Paul David and Judson, we had a wonderful time at your house! Can't wait to see you again!

Colorado Vacation Slideshow

2011-07-09T17:37:00.001-05:00

Pictures from Cadillac Ranch, the cabin, Breckenridge, Royal Gorge, and Pike's Peak.

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Home Sweet Home

2011-07-09T15:46:00.007-05:00

We had an awesome family vacation in Colorado, but it's nice to be home! On the way to Colorado Springs, we stopped for the night in Childress, Texas. The next day we visited Cadillac Ranch, where an eccentric man with lots of money has half buried 10 Cadillacs in the ground and people spray paint all over them. There was no gift shop or anything, and the only souvenir we got was some spray paint on Coleman's shorts! It was really a pretty neat place!

We arrived in Colorado Springs Friday evening and visited with Uncle Brent and Aunt Dre for a while. The next day we left for a cabin outside of Breckenridge where we met Grandpa and Grandma. The cabin was actually more like a lodge. The paddle boats and pool table provided lots of entertainment.

On July 3rd we went into a town to see fireworks, but because of the dry conditions, they were cancelled. That was OK though, because on July 4th we got to play in snow! That was a first for me and my Texas kids! We drove into Breckenridge and took the gondola up the mountain. Gale, Brian, Brent, and Coleman rode tubes down the snowy mountain. Then we all played a little in the snow.

We stayed another night at the cabin then stopped by the Royal Gorge on Tuesday. I thought you just walked across a bridge and that was all. I was wrong! We walked across the bridge, ate lunch, bought souvenirs, watched a magic show, hiked through an old west town, took a cable tram across the gorge, rode an incline train down to the bottom of the gorge, and rode a merry go round. There was so much to do there that we ended up spending most of the day.

Wednesday, the five of us and Gale and Rita went to Pike's Peak. I was pretty nervous since the last time I was there I got pretty nauseated at the top. It's a little higher than Southeast Texas there. Like 14, 110 feet! We took the train up and all did well. On the way back home we drove through The Garden of the Gods. It was rainy so Brian and I hopped out of the car for a quick picture, but we didn't let anyone else get out!

We left Thursday morning and drove to West Texas and stayed with my uncle and aunt. I hadn't seen them in years, so we had a nice visit. We arrived back home Friday night around 8:3o, not a moment too soon! It was a long long drive, but we had a great time. After I recover for about a year I'll be ready for another vacation!

I Need a Vacation From My Vacation!

2011-07-09T15:17:00.003-05:00

2,500 miles and we're back! We drove to Colorado to see Brent and Dre. Gale and Rita came down and we had a wonderful Pik Family vacation! The pictures in the slideshow are from the drive, Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, the cabin outside of Breckenridge, Breckenridge, Garden of the Gods, and Pike's Peak.

When Spence Becomes President

2011-06-21T19:28:00.004-05:00

Coleman and Spence had a fascinating conversation on the way to Vacation Bible School today:

Spence: I want to be President when I grow up! I'll make everyone go pee like a girl!
Coleman: Presidents don't say silly things like that.
Spence: Oh. Then if I'm President nobody will say the "s" word!

I love these conversations! If only people saying the "s" word (which happens to be "stupid") was the worst thing the President had to deal with!

VBS has been awesome this week! We're on a Big Apple Adventure in New York City. There are taxi cabs, skyscrapers, and the Statue of Liverty (that's what Spence calls it) everywhere! We had 724 kids the first day, and probably more today. It's so exciting!

Another exciting thing: 9 more days until we leave for Colorado! Can't wait!!!

The Continuing Birthday

2011-06-19T18:38:00.006-05:00

We interrupt this birthday post to wish Daddy a Happy Father's Day! You are such a wonderful Daddy to Coleman, Spence, and Allie. They love you so much, and I am so thankful for everything you do for us and how much you love us. I love you!

Saturday was birthday party day! Allie picked out My Little Pony party plates and napkins. That worked well since we have lots of My Little Pony toys.

The cupcakes looked really cute, but didn't taste all that great. Luckily I had made Oreo Delight ice cream, so the party was saved!

Allie eating her ice cream

Grandma got Allie a new stroller

Poppa made Allie's doll a bed and Nana made the bedding. The lace around the pillow was hand made by Allie Vaughan's great-great grandmother, Dora Vaughan. So special!

Mommy was tired of Allie having to dress up like a knight or dragon. Now she has her own princess dress!

I made these pictures to hang on Allie's wall

June birthdays are great for the slip and slide!

What kind of birthday would it be without some Double Dave's? Allie loves her Dubby Daf's!

This is the outfit that Nana made for Allie. She wore it to church today and looked adorable!

More Birthday Pictures

2011-06-17T22:07:00.003-05:00

We had such a fun birthday today! After breakfast with Daddy at McDonald's, Allie had her two year check up. I was a little sad about her having to go to the doctor on her birthday, but she ended up not having to get any shots!

My sweet friend dropped by this afternoon with a present for Allie - a lovely sundress, adorable shoes, and a pink gingham bag. You can see the shoes and bag in the picture above. After nap time, we headed to the pool at our gym since Allie kept asking to go to the swimmin poo.

Ready for the pool!

Allie had a blast, and Spence did really well in the water. I think he's going to do great with swim lessons this summer! Coleman got to take a swim test when we first arrived, and since he passed, he could swim anywhere in the pool and not have to stay with me. There's no part of the pool that's over his head, so it was great. He spent most of his time going down the waterslide!

I got these two to do their best "cheeses" for me

Happy Birthday Allie!

2011-06-17T13:49:00.003-05:00

Two years ago we were welcoming our precious Allie Vaughan into the world! I'll never forget how shocked I was to hear my doctor say, "It's an Allie!" It took quite a while to get used to having a baby girl. But it didn't take long for her to steal our hearts. And we've never been the same! We love you sweet Allie!

Birthday breakfast with Daddy

Posing with her brothers and the doll they gave her

This is Baby Alive Whoopsie Poopsie! You give her a bottle and she pees. If you mix up the special "apple juice" she came with, she poops! We haven't tried to make her poop yet, not for lack of the boys asking though. They can't wait to try out that function!

As soon as we gave her a bottle with water and she started peeing, Spence said, "I want to water the plants with her!"

Allie's party is tomorrow, so there's more fun to come!

The Eve of Two

2011-06-16T20:56:00.003-05:00

Being one was lots of fun,

I'm moving on - that chapter's done!

Tomorrow morning when the sky is blue,
I'll wake up rested and I'll be two!

Every Artist Has Her Own Style

2011-06-14T15:00:00.002-05:00

Don't you love it?!?!

Cheeeeeeeeese!

This is serious Mom.

But I'll stop and smile for you!

I am in denial that this little artist will be two in 3 days!

Theology - Coleman Style

2011-06-10T08:58:00.004-05:00

Spence: Mommy, is God bigger than... (thinking really hard)
Mommy: Whatever you can think of, the answer is yes. God is bigger than anything!
Spence: Is God bigger than Goliath?
Mommy: Yes.
Coleman: If God was a skyscraper, Goliath would be a crumb!

First Summer Party

2011-06-08T15:06:00.003-05:00

Summer Time Fun!!!

Last Saturday we went to our first summer party - Judson's birthday! If Judson just had a birthday, that means that Allie isn't far behind! I can't believe these little babies are two years old. Every time we get them together, we try to get a picture of all 5 of them together. Last month we were at the zoo together, but Coleman was still in school. So here's a picture from the party! No, everyone's not looking or smiling, but they are all together. That's our goal!

There was one that was better, but Allie was striking a very unladylike pose.

Spence and the birthday boy

Allie wanted no part of the pool, but enjoyed playing with the water table

Kindergarten is Over?!?!

2011-06-02T08:56:00.003-05:00

Last day as a Kindergartener

I can't believe today is the last day of Kindergarten for Coleman! He was pretty sad this morning. He's worried about missing his friends. I'm sure he'll have a great summer though! Click here to see a picture from the first day of Kindergarten.

Coleman before the end-of-year program

Getting a certificate from his awesome teacher!

I've been really busy the last few weeks! Spence and Allie have been at my parents' house for a few days and are coming home today. I've gotten a lot done, but I think it would take the entire summer to declutter as much as I'd like to! Oh well, some is better than none. I'm really looking forward to seeing those little sweeties!

Last Day of Mother's Day Out

2011-05-20T13:18:00.002-05:00

Thursday was the last day of MDO for Spence and Allie. They were so blessed with wonderful teachers and friends and had a great year! I love their school!

Last day of MDO!

Remember the first day of MDO?

One of the supplies that the school asks for at the first of the year is a disposable camera. The teachers take pictures all throughout the year, then put an album together for each child and give it to us on the last day. Yesterday while the kids were at school I remembered that I would be getting the photo albums and could hardly wait! I had to flip through them both before we left the parking lot. I love getting to see what all they did at school and pictures with their little friends. We're looking forward to a great summer, then after awhile we'll be looking forward to a new school year!

It's Pool Time!

2011-05-15T21:15:00.002-05:00

Today was our first trip to the neighborhood pool. So much fun! And Coleman even gave Allie her hat back when we got there.

Candice has some great pictures from our trip to the zoo. Check them out here!

Fun at the Fun Run

2011-05-13T16:57:00.007-05:00

Wednesday Coleman participated in his school's Boosterthon Fun Run. It was a fundraiser for the school where the kids got pledges for running laps. They had a set amount of time and were supposed to run between 25 and 35 laps (each lap being 1/16 mile). A course was set up with cones and inflatable arches to run through. Coleman did awesome! He ran 35 laps and could have kept going. On the back of their shirts was a place for volunteers to mark their laps, so at the end of each lap they had to stop briefly to get a mark on their backs. I thought that would make it chaotic, but it really didn't. It went pretty smoothly. There was also a water station set up so the runners could get a drink when they needed. Fun music was played and everyone cheered the runners on! I loved it! The kids raised over $23,000!

Getting pumped up to run!

Coleman's cheering squad

Coming around the corner

Stopping to get a mark - gotta keep up with those laps to get all your pledges

One day they'll get to run too

Coleman and his best buddy from his class

A little monkey at the park

I've been a slacker this week, then blogger was down last night. So I have three posts today. Keep reading to find out what fell from our sky yesterday, and where we went today!

Cover Your Heads!!!

2011-05-13T16:51:00.002-05:00

We got rain yesterday! I can't even remember the last time it rained. What a wonderful blessing, which led to Allie wanting to wear a rain coat, which led to this adorable picture!

Perfect Day To...

2011-05-13T16:24:00.005-05:00

...meet up with friends

...take a train ride

...crawl through an underwater tunnel

...wave to a scuba diver

...pose with an elephant

...go to the zoo!!!

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T17:08:00.005-05:00

I love Mother's Day! I am blessed with the most wonderful mom. She is an amazing woman! And not only do I have an awesome mom, I have the best mother-in-law in the world! They are both there for me always to listen or offer advice and laugh at the crazy things their grandkids have done. They are truly a blessing in my life and teach me so much about motherhood. I couldn't ask for more.

And then there are my three little stinkers (see picture below). I look at them and can't believe how abundantly God has blessed me. Being a mom is my job. It's also my passion. Again, I couldn't ask for more.

Stinkers!

Silly faces

Three of my favorite people

Blessed to have my mom with me this Mother's Day!

Sweet and Sour

2011-05-07T20:45:00.000-05:00

If I had to assign a dipping sauce to motherhood, I would choose Sweet and Sour. That seems to describe being a mommy pretty well. There are moments of sweetness where I can't imagine loving these little people anymore than I do. They do and say the most precious things. Then the moment turns sour. Quite sour at times and I'm ready to find a wall and bang my head against it repeatedly. I'm pretty sure I need the sour though to fully appreciate the sweet. And honestly, I never fully understood how God could love me, with all my flaws and failures, until I became a mom. It doesn't matter what my kids do or don't do, become or achieve, I love them. And oh do I get frustrated and flustered and flabbergasted at times, but I love them. It's like no other love in the world.

This week was a little crazy, and so I guess I was going a little crazy. I found things hilarious that normally I might have chuckled at but not given a second thought. One of these instances involved a granola bar and Allie's hiney. I had let the kids eat granola bars in the car, and the next day when Allie was getting out of the car I noticed this:

It was stuck pretty good and I eventually had to peel it off. After, of course, I found the camera and chased her around!

Here's a more flattering picture of the princess:

Her first pony tail!

The older classes at Mother's Day Out have a Mother's Day Tea. It was Tuesday and I had such a fun time! I got to do this twice with Coleman, and this year I got to do it with Spence.

I like to say he's carrying on the weird gene!

I'll try to get a picture of me with all three kids tomorrow on Mother's Day. I can share about my gifts today, but I haven't taken pictures yet. Brian took the boys to pick up my present this morning. It is a lovely chest for storage in the computer room. While they were gone I took Allie and Maestro on a walk. We followed the signs to a garage sale, where there was a double jogging stroller for sale. I couldn't pass it up, so I bought it for myself for Mother's Day! I'm not a jogger (I'd like to be but I'm not sure my foot can handle it) but my regular stroller doesn't handle well on the cracked sidewalks here. So this will make it so much easier to walk to Coleman's school and the park. I might have to put it in storage until next October when it's cool enough! Actually, we're still having some nice weather. I'll take advantage of it while it's here.

Happy Mother's Day to all you Moms! We have the hardest, but most rewarding job!

A Rare Treat

2011-05-01T16:17:00.001-05:00

All 3 kids, in the same picture, smiling, looking at the camera, standing still, and loving on each other!

Garage Sale Find

2011-04-30T20:43:00.003-05:00

Can you believe we got these at a garage sale around the corner from us today? I've been wanting to get rid of the rocker and ottoman and put two chairs by the fireplace. It just wasn't a high priority, since I figured it would cost quite a bit of money. And it was not even on my mind when Brian called and told me to meet him at the garage sale to check out something. They weren't quite ready for an estate sale, but the guy let me go in the house and take a look around. I saw these chairs and thought they'd be perfect! Especially when he told me how little he wanted for them! We might have them reupholstered some day, but I think the red looks good for now. The wheels on the front have to go though! The boys must not have noticed those today or we might have had some kind of roller derby going on!
And I could use some advice from all you expert designers. Should the chairs be farther apart? Turned more? The only thing is the kids need to be able to get into the cabinets because that's where a lot of their toys are stored. Here's another view:

And I don't really want to get rid of the rocker and ottoman, but I don't have any little babies left to rock and feed! Oh the memories of 12:00, 2:00, 4:00, and 6:00 a.m. feedings in that chair!

Spence's Imagination

2011-04-29T13:36:00.006-05:00

Driving past Coleman's school on our way to a park today, Spence and I had a delightful conversation!

Mommy: Coleman's in there working hard and learning all kinds of stuff.
Spence: I hope he's not learning about alligators!
Mommy: Why?
Spence: Because Esther told me if you learn about alligators, you turn into one! And that's real!
Mommy: So if Coleman comes home and he's an alligator, I guess we'll know he learned about alligators today.
Spence: The first thing to happen is he'll have alligator sharp teeth!
Mommy: Then what next?
Spence: He'll turn green!
Mommy: What next?
Spence: He'll grow a long tail!
Mommy: What next?
Spence: He'll grow two feet in front!
Mommy: What next?
Spence: His nose will be long!
Mommy: What next?
Spence: He'll have bumps all over him!
Mommy: What next?
Spence: Then he's an alligator!

In case you forgot, Esther is Spence's imaginary friend. And it sounds like Spence knows enough about alligators to turn into one himself!

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T17:24:00.001-05:00

He became sin, Who knew no sin

That we might become His Righteousness

He humbled himself and carried the cross

Love so amazing, Love so amazing

Jesus Messiah, Name above all names

Blessed Redeemer, Emmanuel

The rescue for sinners, The ransom from Heaven

Jesus Messiah, Lord of all

Jesus Messiah, by Chris Tomlin

Easter Egg Hunts Don't Scare Me!

2011-04-22T22:51:00.004-05:00

If you have no idea what the title of this post means, click here. Or, if you're short on time, I'll just tell you that Coleman has had some bad experiences at egg hunts. At one point, I wondered if I would ever be able to take him to an egg hunt without it being a horrific experience for both of us! Well, luckily I think that phase has passed. And now I think about all those past egg hunts and the tears and screaming and actually get a laugh from it!

Since he was out of school today, he got to tag along with his younger siblings to our MOPS Easter Egg Hunt. He actually helped me hide some of the eggs, but enjoyed finding them too.

Save some for the other kids, Allie!

Say "Cheese" then we can eat the candy!

And what's the deal with Mommies? Or maybe it's just me. I always want a cute picture of the kids together on special occasions or events. I picked out cute springy outfits for the kids, and wouldn't you know Coleman wanted no part of the outfit I picked out for him! I'm afraid mean mom had to come out and she may have made some threats about not getting toys that were supposed to be in his Easter basket, or something to that affect. I can't really control mean mom. She's just really obsessed with dressing the kids all cutesie and getting a frame-able photo. I don't know what her deal is.

After all the energy mean mom expended, these are the best pictures she got!

And then Coleman went and put the clothes of his choosing back on before we left for the egg hunt.

This One Has No Title

2011-04-21T20:50:00.007-05:00

Hmm. Where to start? That's always the problem when I take a few days off! OK, here's something funny. I'll call it In Spence's Words.

Concerning the tag in his t-shirt:
It's distracting my back!

About misplacing his Bible:
I did put it in a special place, I just forgot where that special place is.

Hoping I won't discover his naughtiness:
Don't go in the kitchen Mommy! I accidentally stamped in there.

Yeah, on the door frame, wall, 4 cabinet doors, the island, the oven door, and the fridge. Some accident!

You can see he stamped all over his face and body too. (Too bad he'd already taken the tutu off!) And he's holding a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser in his hand, which he just used to clean up the mess he made.

Taking time out of his destructive schedule to love on his sister

One of Spence's little friends has come over a few times lately. Here are some pictures from her visits!

She asked if we had any princess costumes. When I said no, she went for the Clone Trooper!

And Allie is a knight

Aren't they adorable???

Last weekend the kids went to a birthday party at our gym. It was a rock climbing party! Poor Spence was too young to participate, but Coleman gave it a try.

Allie really wanted to do it!

So now on to Allie's latest accomplishment. For a while now, she's been saying "poo poo" and I'll put her on the toilet. She's never done anything in the toilet, until this afternoon! I caught her mid-poop, put her on the toilet, and let her finish her business. She was so proud of herself! Then after several attempts to have her pee pee on the potty, she did that this evening! Of course, as soon as we called Grandma and Grandpa to brag, she pooped on the floor. Oh well, I'm not expecting her to be potty trained any time soon. It's just exciting to see her figuring it all out! Way to go Allie!

This week I made little Easter gifts for the kids' teachers. This is the one I made for Coleman's teacher. They are flower pens! I thought they turned out pretty cute!

So I think you're all caught up on us! Hope you all have a blessed Easter.

Good night!

Story Starters

2011-04-15T20:02:00.005-05:00

There are several ways to start this story. I could first mention that Spence is slower than slow. Hurry is not in his vocabulary. And he's very easily distracted, as I'm sure most 4 year old are. Of course, if I'm being honest, I'm pretty prone to being distracted myself. Now where was I? Oh yes, how to start off this story.

It might be best to start it by telling you that our gardenia bush by the front door serves as our outdoor toilet. Anytime we're already on our way out and Spence has forgotten to go to the bathroom, I send him behind the bush. Gross, maybe. Time-saving, for sure.

I could also choose to start the story with the fact that Spence gets overly upset if I don't take him with me when I go drop Coleman off at school in the morning. On the rare occasion that he's still asleep when we leave, I come back to him whining and crying, "Why did you leave me???" I have no idea what's so fun about this trip. I guess maybe he just doesn't want to be left out of anything!

So now you're probably really wondering if I'm ever going to actually tell you the story. Here goes. This morning Spence was up in plenty of time to eat his breakfast then get ready to go with us to drop off Coleman. Most mornings he goes in his pajamas anyway, so I really think this whole situation could have been avoided. But it wasn't. About 20 minutes before time to leave, I told Spence to go upstairs and pick out his clothes. He did! He actually had his underwear, shorts, and shirt in his hands. Then he got distracted. When it was time to leave, I said, "As soon as I get Allie out of bed, we're out the door Spence." He starts screaming, "Wait! I'm not dressed! I can be fast!" But instead of starting to put on his clothes, he kept screaming about how fast he could get dressed. I headed out the door with Coleman and Allie. Spence had just ripped off his pajama pants and pull-up, so all he was wearing was his pajama shirt. He grabbed his clothes and headed down the stairs and toward the car, first stopping at the gardenia bush to go potty. As I was buckling Allie in, I spotted his half-naked self climbing in the car, still clutching his clothes! He got dressed in the car!

I have to admit that it is easy to get annoyed with him at times, but he sure keeps life interesting. I'm sure no one else in our neighborhood ran out of their house naked this morning and got dressed in their car. Probably no one reading this did either! And the thing is, that exact same scenario will never occur again. And if I tried to think up the wildest happening I could, it wouldn't even compare to the next stunt that little guy will pull! Yes, it's an interesting life I lead.

While I'm talking about Spence, I'll go ahead and share the "compliments" he gave me today while the two of us were sitting on the couch after reading a book:

Spence: I love your legs, Mommy.
Mommy: Oh, thanks Spence.
Spence: They're so bumpy! (I guess I need to start shaving above the knee.)

Spence: I love your cheeks, too!
Mommy: (a little worried) Why do you love my cheeks?
Spence: I love all the lines!

If he would have "complimented" my butt I would've grounded him!

Boot Buddies

2011-04-13T13:37:00.001-05:00

Only a Four Year Old Brother...

2011-04-12T20:49:00.002-05:00

...could start out a sentence with such a compliment, and end it with such a put down.

Spence: Allie, you're such a beautiful person, (then looking up at me) but she does things wrong.

Fun With Grandma

2011-04-12T10:37:00.002-05:00

Grandma, we always have such a fun time with you! Thank you for coming to visit us. You brought us each a special gift: books and dollar bills for Coleman, new boots for Spence, and clothes and a purse for Allie! And Spence is as much in love with the new blue boots as he was the green ones!

A very Spencey picture

Coleman and Spence really enjoyed their "dates" with you Grandma. They love spending time with you, just talking and eating lunch, without having to be told to "hurry up" or "no we don't have time to go there" or "it's Allie's naptime." It doesn't hurt that you let them pick out a new toy and buy it for them, but in a few months they won't remember the toy, but they'll always remember the time they got to spend by themselves with you. What a precious gift!

Grandma and Spence about to leave for their date

They were all super-duper excited to show you Daddy's new truck. And what a cool Grandma, sitting in the back with them!

Grandma, we already miss you! But when we get sad, we'll just look at this silly picture:

...and remember that we have the most wonderful Grandma in the world! Tell Grandpa "hi" for us! Can't wait to see you both in Colorado this summer!

Ant Attack

2011-04-11T08:57:00.004-05:00

Allie sat in an ant bed yesterday and is covered with more ant bites than I can count. I'm guessing she has about 150 bites. She was wearing a dress and it's just unreal how they climbed up her back and tummy and got down in her shoes. The ladies that were on the nursery playground with her told me she cried a little, then acted fine. Before we left church we got some advice from a friend who's a pediatrician. When I put cream on them, she says "ouch" but hasn't scratched them at all. I would be constantly itching all over! The nursery workers are always so careful to check for ant piles before they go out to play, and they are very good at watching the kids, so I know it was just an accident. Please pray that she will not start scratching, and that the bites won't get infected! We feel so sorry for her, but I think the only time she realizes there's something wrong is when we look at her and say, "Aw poor baby!"

Otherwise, we're having a great time with Grandma! I'll have a few pictures and adventures to share later!

Action Packed Couch Cusions

2011-04-07T11:33:00.007-05:00

When one gets to go out with Daddy and ride in Daddy's truck, one must let Daddy choose the outfit.

La la la... I can't hear you! That's what I say to moms who start telling me about their teenagers. The toddler, preschool, and kindergarten ages are enough for me to deal with at the moment. And yes, I know I'll be staring down teenagers before I know it, but I'll think about that another day. Not today. Today I'll think about all the bath toys I need to sanitize because Allie pooped in the tub. And maybe the spot on the boys' bedroom floor, because once out of the tub, she went and finished her business in their bedroom. I'll think about the crunched up Rice Crispies that I need to sweep up. I'll think about all the sippy cups that seem to have disappeared that I'll probably find under a bed, in the car, and behind the toilet. I'll think about how to deal with whininess, slow-p0keyness, and the dilemma of Spence never being able to find his flip flops. No, not those flip flops, or those, but the other ones. And I'll thank God for the chance to think about all these things. To be a part of these demanding, needy, precious little children's lives. What a joy! An exhausting, sometimes overwhelming joy! But yes, a joy. I'll try to savor every crazy moment. Then when they're teenagers I can embarrass them with stories from their childhood! Well, maybe just once or twice.

Now for the action packed part. A while back I posted some pictures of the boys having fun flying through the air. They've now incorporated the couch cushions into their acrobatics! (And Rita, we tell them if we have to buy a new couch we won't be able to go to Disney World!)

They look like innocent little angels

Flying high!

King of the World!

Watch out for the baby!

She loves these crazy boys' moves! Check out Coleman...

And this morning Spence said, "Allie can stand on one leg!" She was standing in the windowsill by the front door showing off her balancing talent.

Same Old Same Old

2011-03-31T09:05:00.007-05:00

There is no same old, same old around here! It is something different every day. Excitement around every corner! When I walk into a room to see what my children are doing, I have no clue what I'll find. Just take a look:

She found Coleman's shoes!

He found my sports bra!

The other day Allie didn't want her baby doll in the car, but Spence said he wanted it. A thought went through my mind that I shouldn't let my little boy play with a doll, but I went ahead and handed Frannie to him. As we drove down the road, I could hear him talking to Frannie. At least he's into cars and monsters and boyish things as well as dolls, I thought. Then I heard him laughing and talking about heads popping off. When we got out of the car this is what the doll looked like:

He calls it Face Foot!

I had to laugh that I actually thought my little guy would play with a doll the same as a girl would. He violently popped off her head and rammed it onto her foot! What a boy. So I won't worry that he likes to put on my bras either!

The kids aren't the only ones who make things interesting around here. Most of you know that Brian "accidentally" was the winning bidder for a BMW on eBay several years ago. It required a lot of maintenance and to take it to the shop was too expensive, so he's been fixing it himself. He decided to start seriously looking for a truck a few months ago. Instead of eBay, this time he turned to Craigslist. (If you're wondering, Brian would cease to exist without the internet!) After looking at quite a few trucks, he finally found the perfect one!

Meet his new 2003 Toyota Tundra!

The boys jump at every chance to ride in it. And Allie can often be heard saying, "I want Daddy's truck!" Hopefully the BMW will sale quickly!

I don't want to leave Coleman out. Last night as we were leaving church he pointed to the bulletin board where they post pictures and information about the missionaries we support. He said, "One day my picture might be up there." Wouldn't that be something? Things like that help me remember how important this task of parenting actually is. What a huge responsibility!

Lord, give me strength! Give me wisdom in guiding these precious kids toward You. And thank you for a sense of humor. It keeps me sane and my head of hair intact. Amen.

Life With Allie

2011-03-25T22:05:00.003-05:00

If you have a toddler or have had a toddler or even know what a toddler is you can probably answer this question. What happens when you leave a bottle of syrup on the table after breakfast? Of course, you end up with a sticky toddler and a sticky everything within her reach! Everybody got that answer correct I'm sure! But what happens when you leave the dryer door open? Give up? The dryer ends up full of dog food! That's a new one, even for around here! I haven't checked yet to see if the dog food is sticky or not.
Allie is most assuredly at the "in to everything" stage. But she's also saying more words and sentences every day. My favorite thing right now is how she says "hi" to everything. When we pass the pond it's, "Hi duck!" And if we look out in the yard it's, "Hi cat!" or "Hi squirrel!" It seems as if she's determined to get them all to say "hi" back to her. She's also learned many "I want" phrases. And most of her words end with the letter y: "I want loshy (lotion). I want chocy (chocolate). I want Daddy (Daddy)!"
Tonight the kids were putting their clothes in the hamper (a built in cabinet in their bathroom) when a roach ran out. Coleman screamed, threw clothes at it, and hightailed it out of the room! The roach ran into Allie's foot, then headed for the corner. I grabbed a shoe and whacked it a few times. Allie finally looked down and saw the dead roach. She waved at it and said, "Hi bug!" And as always, her kind gesture was not returned.
I wiped up the floor and flushed the roach. Coleman finally came back into the bathroom, very much on guard. I promised the roach was dead and flushed. He was sure he saw a leg and wing in the toilet. He gets this from his Daddy. Brian is a wonderful guy who can do many things, but killing bugs is not one of them. I actually once witnessed him caulk around an outlet to trap a roach so he wouldn't have to kill it. He's not ashamed of this. He's from Montana, and they don't have big, creepy bugs up there like we have down here. Everything's bigger in Texas! So I'm in charge of killing bugs. That and pulling teeth, when the time comes. I know they lose teeth in Montana, so that may be an issue Brian has to work through.
Let me end this long rambling with news of our latest purchase: a Toyota Tundra! Brian has been wanting a truck so he could get rid of his BMW. It requires too much maintenance. So he finally found the right one and we brought it home tonight. Just one more car and each of us could go our separate ways each day! Hopefully it won't take long for him to make some repairs on the BMW and sell it.
OK. That's enough from me. Hope everyone has a wonderful, blessed weekend!

Try, Try Again

2011-03-21T20:59:00.003-05:00

If at first yelled at by a 6 year old for making something new and different, try, try again! I guess that's my new motto. So if you haven't read about Coleman's reaction to the oatmeal chocolate chip muffins I made for breakfast this morning, scroll down and check out the post below...
Caught up now? Great! So my next idea was that I could make better chewy granola bars than Mr. Quaker himself. And guess what... I can!!! At least Brian, Spence, and I think I can. Allie hasn't tried them yet. Coleman had about 4 bites, and with each bite he gave me the thumbs down sign. Ugh. That kid.

Click here for the recipe! I didn't follow the directions exactly. I used some of the tips that others had left in the reviews. If you plan on making them, let me know and I can give you a few of the best tips, like substituting some of the oats for Rice Crispies! They didn't set as well as I would have liked, and the chocolate made them a little messy, but overall I like how they turned out. And I like that I know exactly what's in them and they aren't packed with preservatives enough to give them a shelf life of 3 years!

So those are my adventures in cooking. On another note, I'm feeling a twinge of sadness mixed with a whoosh of freedom. I've made the hard decision not to watch the new season of Dancing With the Stars. I know, I know. It's been my favorite show. But every year I get annoyed, and Brian gets doubly annoyed, with how many hours it's on each week. I usually just DVR it then I can skip some stuff, but it still takes a big chunk of my time. My decision was a little easier since I don't even know half the "celebrities" that are on this time around. So I made it through the premiere tonight without even turning on the TV! What will power I have...

Cute Dress, Bad Attitude

2011-03-21T08:03:00.004-05:00

We've been seeing so many lady bugs around, so when I was deciding what Allie would wear to church yesterday, I picked the lady bug dress that Rhonda bought Allie when we were in Wisconsin in January. It is adorable on her! Just look!

She's chewing up a mint in this picture. That's the only way I can get a pony tail in her hair!

Ready for church!

OK. That's it for the cuteness. Now on to something ugly. I decided that I was going to cut back on the packaged, processed foods that I buy. So I started looking into some healthier recipes for foods the kids like. I'm not talking tofu or things with pureed veggies. Things the kids will possibly eat, like muffin and granola bar recipes so I don't have to buy muffin mix and boxes of granola bars with all that added stuff. So I made a batch of oatmeal chocolate chip muffins last night. I thought they were pretty good, but when I tried to give Coleman one for breakfast this morning, he went berserko on me! My 6 year old son sounded like a 13 year old girl screaming about oatmeal in the muffins and how disgusting they were and how he would never eat it. This was before he even sniffed it! (Sorry, I'm a big food sniffer.) He eventually took a bite and said they were disgusting just like he predicted, but I'm not so sure. I think he just had to stick with his previous story to save face. Spence ate about half of one (he's notorious for eating the chocolate chips out of things) and Allie liked them! I forgot that when it comes to ingredients in recipes, it's OK to lie to your kids. That sounds so awful, but possibly if I would have omitted the word "oatmeal" when introducing the new muffin, the whole scene could have been avoided. Oh well. The next recipe is for a chewy granola bar! I'm sure Coleman will find something wrong with it! I'll let you know how it goes!

Give Me More Outdoors

2011-03-19T21:08:00.005-05:00

I couldn't stand being indoors at all today (except for that little nap I took) so I pulled Brian and Coleman away from the TV (all they want to do is watch basketball these days!!!) and we took a picnic dinner to the park. Well, if you can call getting carry-out pizza and store bought cookies a picnic, then that's what we did!

I am so thankful for this wonderful family!

Learning to balance

3 Little Rock Wall Climbers

She was determined to make it to the top like her brothers!

Very proud of herself!

When it was time to leave the park, I heard Brian telling Coleman, "Time to go! Gonzaga's playing!!!" And as soon as we walked in the door, they were watching the game. Coleman is really into the tournament this year. Last night I let him stay up until 10:00 watching with Brian. I think he was pretty excited!

Down In His Heart, Out in Our Yard

2011-03-19T16:09:00.003-05:00

Pretty azalea in our back yard

It has been beautiful spring weather here, and we've been outside enjoying it! Here's what's happenin':

Today I was pushing Spence and Allie on the tire swing and he was singing, "Down in my heart, down in my heart..." I thought he was singing "I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy, down in my heart" but when I asked him what was in his heart, he said, "A ROCK STAR!!!" His song had a hard rock beat and went like this:

Down in my heart
Down in my heart
I've got a rock star
Down in my heart!

He's so funny! And Allie has a new look for the warmer weather:

Topless!

In this picture she's either at least being a little modest, or is too cool. She'll keep her shirt on when we're out and about, but not at home.

I set our pop up house in the back yard and we played school. Spence said, "OK children, today we're going to learn about grass." He pointed his stick to the grass and said, "Pretend this is fake grass. This is grass and there's dirt under it. It's everywhere. Time for recess children!"

Time to come in! I love how she presses her face against the glass.

Look closely at this picture and guess what Coleman is going to learn how to do. He got something new and I'm a little nervous, but I'm sure he'll do great and have it down in no time!

My Manly Outdoorsmen Return

2011-03-13T20:58:00.005-05:00

I experienced something very rare this weekend. I think it's called being alone. Eating alone. Driving alone. Peeing alone. It was great! I also spent some time out with some girlfriends. It was just as good as the alone time! Who knew dinner could last from 6:30 to 10:00?

How did I score this alone time? Allie went to stay with my parents and Brian took the boys camping. What did I do besides eat, drive, and pee alone? I cleaned out closets, drawers, and the playroom. (I may or may not have watched a chick flick also.) I've got lots and lots of boxes and bags to take to Goodwill. I'm very excited! I've been very serious about decluttering. It's coming along nicely!

The guys made it home safely today with lots of fun stories of their forest adventures. Maybe I'll have Coleman and Spence write a post about it from their perspective. They're in bed right now though, so I'll just share some pictures.

Camping with Daddy...

...and friends!

Boys love fire

Walking across a tree bridge

Choppin' wood

They took turns and got it chopped in two! So proud of themselves!

In case you're wondering, it's no coincidence that both my boys only wore red shirts. I picked those out so they could always be seen in the woods. If Mommy's not there to watch over her babies you better believe she's gonna make it easy for Daddy to keep an eye on them! And I must say thank you to the three Daddies for getting our boys back safely! I know they had a blast. You guys are awesome!

Bayou Wildlife Park

2011-03-13T20:39:00.005-05:00

Friday our MOPS group went to Bayou Wildlife Park in Alvin, Texas. Spence and Allie got to see lots of different animals and pet and feed them. We almost had to share our lunch with a deer!

Allie and the deer

Spence riding a pony (Allie sat on one, but didn't want to ride)

On the tram ride

My favorite animal

The most impressive animal: Goliath!
We were not allowed to feed him because he hasn't learned how to control his horns around the trams. We took her word on that!

Allie and I went with Coleman last year for one of his Pre-K field trips. So some of these animals were familiar. Click here to reminisce!

I Believe I Can Fly

2011-03-06T21:03:00.002-06:00

I was uploading the pictures from Coleman's camera today and found these fun ones! Brian took them of the boys playing a while back. Funny how we spend so much money on toys when they have more fun just jumping on a bean bag.

And my favorite:

This Is the Month To Live In Texas

2011-03-04T16:49:00.003-06:00

I love Texas. I've lived here my whole life, except for college. But there are times of the year that it's just miserable here and I wonder why I live here. This is not one of those times. Early Spring is a wonderful time to be in Texas! My family and friends who live in the north are still experiencing cold and snow, but we're outdoors playing. While we can. Because come mid to late May, it's all over. We'll be heading indoors until November!

Some days I feel like I force the kids to play outside or go to a park. I'll say, in not so sweet a voice, "It's BEAUTIFUL today and we are going to ENJOY IT! Now get your shoes on and stop whining! We're going to the park!!!" They always end up having fun, so it's not so bad.

Spence and his boots enjoying a swing

Riding their scooters back home

And falling off the scooter

Several tears, a few squirts of Neosporin, and two band aids later all was well. Several years ago a neighbor gave us the scooter Spence rides now. And for Christmas Brian got Coleman a Razor scooter. It has been so nice for them each to have one so there's no arguing. They love their scooters!

Sweet Baby

2011-03-03T21:09:00.004-06:00

OK, OK. This is the last of the pictures... for today! These of Allie are just too sweet. I was able to distract her with a Mento long enough to put a pony tail in her hair. That never happens! And Spence asked to put some gel in his hair before we left to go take the pictures. I was amazed! And yes, I let him wear the green boots for the pictures. I wanted to be able to look back years from now and remember exactly how he looked at 4 years old. And without the boots it just wouldn't be him!

More of My Favorites

2011-03-03T20:45:00.006-06:00

Piks Photo Shoot

2011-03-03T16:00:00.001-06:00

Tuesday the kids had a photo shoot with my friend Rebeca. She is amazing!!! She made my adorable children look even more adorable! Here are 5 of my favorites. There are more to come, so check back soon!

Check out more of Rebeca's work on her facebook page: Jayka's Photography

Doin' the Declutter Thing

2011-03-03T15:50:00.003-06:00

Found this awesome post about decluttering and organizing. I love it! It's exactly where I am right now - going through everything and finding things that I don't need or use and getting rid of them. Well, they're in a big pile behind my bedroom door at the moment, but they're on their way out! Here's my favorite line from the article:

"At some point I realized that I wasn’t organizing my life; I was organizing my clutter."

Read the whole article here:
Minimalist Strategy

Weekend Away

2011-03-02T16:10:00.002-06:00

Brian and I spent the weekend in Austin to celebrate our 12th anniversary (which was in December). Everyone was supposedly over the stomach bug, but somehow my mom got it Sunday evening. Poor Mom! She ended up having to stay until Tuesday afternoon when she finally felt better. We love you!

We had an awesome time in Austin! I wish I could share some pictures, but unfortunately I forgot our camera and had to buy a disposable one. I haven't gotten it developed yet. Wow. I haven't said that in awhile: I need to get my pictures developed. Coleman couldn't even figure out what the disposable camera was! I let him take a picture, then he wanted to see it! I didn't take many pictures in Austin because I was actually a little embarrassed of the camera. It was definitely a flashback to the '80s.

Anyway, back to our trip. Several months ago, Brian bought tickets for an event for us to go to in Austin and wouldn't tell me what it was. I had no idea if we were going to see a play or a concert or some kind of variety act. About an hour before we were to arrive at the concert hall, we were sharing and appetizer and I started asking for clues. He told me it was an individual, not a group. I have no idea why, but Jerry Seinfeld came to mind. I was hesitant to ask if that's who we were going to see because I thought if it wasn't Seinfeld, Brian would think my expectations were way too high and that I'd be disappointed with who it really was. So I said, "It's OK if it's not this person, but is it Jerry Seinfeld?" IT WAS!!! I couldn't believe it! He was really funny (of course) and we had a great time.

We also toured the capitol, visited the LBJ Presidential Library, ate at great local restaurants, went to a movie, and shopped. I love these weekends away! And it was great not to worry about the kids. They had a blast with Nana!

We ended our weekend in San Marcos at the outlet malls! What a great husband do I have? We mostly bought clothes for the kids, but I got a few things for myself and the house.

Thank you Brian for a wonderful weekend. It's great to get away and spend time together - buckling our own seat belts, not fixing 4 different meals, and going to bed knowing I'm not going to hear anyone saying any of the following: I had a bad dream! I threw up! How many more hours until morning? And it's nice to come home to all that after being refreshed. I love you!

Pack Your Bags

2011-02-24T20:23:00.003-06:00

Allie's never met a bag she didn't like! She loves purses, but she will carry around anything with a handle. Here she is with four lunch kits! I think she'll have her own line of bags some day - from reusable totes to sequined evening bags!