Pops' House

Sitting on Pop's lap

Fishing in Pop's garage- their favorite activity

Still Fishing

A picture with Grandma Bev

Our vacation up North went great. After a couple of days of driving (18 hours total), we were all relieved to finally stay in one place for awhile...unpack and relax. We all had a fun time visiting Pops, his dog Reba, my Grandma Bev, all my aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. We had a couple family parties, went to the parks, did some fishing, and just played outside a ton since the weather was so wonderful. It was so pleasant, my dad didn't even have the air conditioning on. Ummm, I think we've had our air on in Houston since March. Nothing like cool, crisp nights and throwing the 'ole sweatshirt on.

Last day of Pre-school

Oh my gosh. I have had every intention of getting on this blog and writing an update on how we're doing but each time I look at my computer, I can't bring myself to do anything with it...except google people I know or look at other people's blogs. Nonetheless, here we are. We're ALIVE!!!

So Andrew had his last day of pre-school on May 23 and it was a bittersweet day for me. I was choked up saying goodbye to his teachers and they were teary eyed as well knowing that their students wouldn't be back next year. I had this voice in the back of my head reminding me that Grace will be there next year and so I'll see many of the faces again. But still, it's hard knowing that this small part of Andrew's life is behind us now. We're faced with "real"school, homework, a gazillion other students some which may be mean to Andrew. Thinking about it now makes me want to cry but I also know that he'll grow each year and become stronger and more independent and in the end, that's what I want as a parent. The sad fact of life is that he's going to have to get pushed around or called a name or two in order to really understand life and how to deal with the not-so-good experiences we all have to face one time or another.

And some of these pictures are of Andrew and Tomas, his best friend from school. Those two are a riot watching them converse (Tomas is from Columbia and although he knows English, it's a little broken at times) and laugh at each other's jokes. I'm glad he's learning what good friendship is. So here's to my little graduate...I love you Andrew!

Muffins with Moms

Our last "Muffins with Moms" was held at Andrew's school this past Thursday. The kids baked muffins for us, served us special punch, sang us mother's day songs, and presented us with hand painted pots with flowers in them. It was so bittersweet as this is his last year at pre-school and last "hurrah" with regards to these sort of celebratory things. Once school starts there will be no in-room birthday parties or special holiday celebrations. There were a couple moments when I was thinking, "don't cry, don't cry." When they were singing I definitely had some tears that were ready to bulge but I held back. But that's just the fact of life. Your kids grow up so we just have to deal with it you know.

And Grace was so cute this mother's day as well. She must have sang me "Happy Mother's Day to You" (goes to the birthday tune) at least 10 times. Out of the blue she would just look at me and start singing it. Matt and the kids made me breakfast that day and also a special steak dinner. I honestly did not do one thing productive. I made it a goal to not rinse a plate, put one load of laundry in, make one bed, etc. To just really have one day off from doing anything around the house. We just relaxed and played outside all day. It was perfect.

Sweet Nothings

A future David Beckham?

Okay, long time no blog. Here are a few cute things that Andrew and Grace have said lately:

Andrew: 1. Last week while putting him to bed, the two of us were lying with the window open, staring at the dimming night sky. We were cuddling and it was silent. All the sudden he turns to me and asks about the "crafts" he makes at school. Do I throw some of them away? Honest as I am and scared perhaps he's seen me in action at the trash can, I say, "Yes, I do throw some of them away." He says, "Why?" OKAY, my heart is breaking and I want to cry. Then he says, "How do you decide which ones to throw away?" So I have these really cool portfolios that I got at Aaron Brothers and I keep most of the kids' art work in those. But I can't keep everything. I just don't have the room for it. Oh man. I explained this to him but I felt like such a bad mom.

2. I was running the other day. Grace was in the stroller and Andrew was biking. Grace had been a little whiney and was bugging Andrew. As we were finishing our last mile, I reminded Andrew to let me know when he needs a break. He told me, "Ya, I need a break." I said okay, EEEERRRR. Stop. "I need a break from Grace and her whining." I had to buckle over I was laughing so hard!

Grace: 1. She can recite almost the entire Chipmunks movie now. Her favorite saying is, "Dave likes to wear dirty underwear, dirty underwear." Oh, my polite little girl.

2. We were cuddling the other night (she loves to be spooned) and she rolls over towards me, puts her hands on both sides of my face and says, "I love you so much. I love you all the stars in the sky." OOOHHHH. This is something I usually say to her and here she was, out of the blue saying it to me. Talk about melting my heart.

Don't forget Earth Day Tuesday!

Just a reminder to "think green" not just this Tuesday, but every day. Whether you're more cognitive of your showering length or what you throw in the trash can versus the recycle bin, it is your responsibility to take care of not only your own personal surroundings but those that might affect you or your children later in life. So here are a few things I do, and that I teach my children to do to be more aware:

Buy snacks in bulk packaging, not little individual packages.
Use reusable Tupperware type cups with lids for snacks.
Use less paper towels and more washcloths, towels, etc.
Pick up after your pet poops in public places.
Put soap on hands, wet hands and turn the facet off until rinse time.
Buy reusable water bottles for travel, the park, etc.
Try to run errands on one day, or to those places furthest from your house.
Shower together! :)
Plant native plants, shrubs, trees.
Eat less processed food and more fresh food.
Eat organic when possible.
Buy local produce at farmer's markets. This supports all the "little" guys who grow their crops locally.
Use reusable bags for groceries, mall trips, etc. Our grocery story sells them for $.99/each. What a deal!

And like I said, it's about being more aware. Teaching your children to recycle and turn the lights/TV off when not in use. Teaching them about and exposing them to nature and how to appreciate it. That's where it all begins.

Recipe Tag

Recipes, Recipes where do I begin? I LOVE recipes. I may not try all of them but I could sit and look at a cookbook for hours. Just imagining in my hungry, food loving little mind how every item would taste. BUT, here are a few of my favorite, EASY recipes:

Chicken tacos:

Put 2-3 frozen chicken breasts (depends on how many are eating, however leftover chicken is great on salads) in a crock pot. Cover with a small can of diced green chilies, petite diced tomatoes, and 1 packet of taco seasoning. Add some water to cover the bottom of the pot. Put on low for 8 hours, high for 4-5. Then, put in soft or hard taco shells with all the fixings. So easy!

Grilled Mozzarella, tomato, basil sandwich:

Take 2 slices sourdough bread, spread pesto on one slice. Fill the sandwich with sliced, FRESH mozzarella, fresh basil leaves, tomato ( I sprinkle with salt and pepper) and then grill with butter like a grilled cheese. I grill on very low heat and I cover the frying pan with another frying pan to trap the heat inside and melt the cheese to perfection. OOOOOHHHHH yummy. You can also dip your sandwich in marinara if you'd like.

KU WINS CHAMPIONSHIP

This particular post is dedicated to my Jayhawk loving Dad, who after 20 years can finally celebrate another National Title win with his Alma mater. After years and years of wearing his numerous, and I mean numerous, Jayhawk shirts, hats, shorts and jackets he can now wear them with renewed pride. And to my brothers too, who are also fanatic KU fans, this is for you. GO JAYHAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WHAT?

Grace and Andrew: "We're playing 'Hit Dad With the Socks' game." Okay... Note Grace in Andrew's "Cars" boxer briefs. She wears his underwear at least once a week. And in the first picture, does it look like we've used some computer program to put Andrew's head on another little, skinny body? The way he's leaning forward with his head, it looks like it's 10 times bigger than his body. Funny!

Matt's project

So we've (Matt would say, do you have a frog in your pocket?) been talking about building a sandbox for the kids for some time now. One minute it sounds like a good idea, the next minute we've completely forgotten about it or feel it would be too time consuming/laborous. On the side of our house, where the yard gets a lot of shade, the landscapers put all these little rocks instead of grass and vegetation and it's a perfect spot for the kids to play. They have a ball playing with the rocks, scooping them into buckets and dump trucks. However, the rocks end up in the grass making it hard to mow . So anyway, last weekend Matt informs me that he's heading to Home Depot and the kids and him are building a sandbox (a neighbor had offered us several loads of leftover sand the night before). So sure enough, I left for a couple hours and I came home to our newest toy! It's great and the kids will spend an hour or so just playing away in the sand. The only problem I'm running into is that it's a pain in the butt to clean up and keep them out of the house until I've hosed them down. I've got sand just about everywhere and I find that I have to vacuum every night so not to ruin our floors. But, oh well!

Easter

Easter was a good one this year, although a little chilly for around here. I think it was 55 degrees or so that morning. What is it about Easter that it always seems to cool down on that particular day? I had a sleeveless dress for Grace to wear to church that morning...which by the way she wanted to wear sans cardigan throughout the entire service so she could show off her dress. She said she looked like a princess and didn't want her sweater on. Nonetheless, the kids had a fun morning, finding their eggs and hidden Easter baskets, and fininshing the day off with a ham dinner shared with our close neighbors.

I've been tagged!

So under the comments section of my last post, my friend Kijuana tagged me and asked me to list 10 things people don't know about me. This one is tough, given that I really don't hold back anything about myself, my family, friends, relationship, etc. In fact, I find that perhaps I tend to say a little TOO much. But, at least you don't have to guess what I'm feeling, where I'm from, my past, or anything else for that matter.

1. I swam competitively growing up and in high school and have some trophies/metals to show for it...as well as some monumental pics of me in a swim cap and tight speedo. YIKES! (This one is quite funny because Andrew just barely found out I used to swim on a team. My father-in-law asked him if he's seen my trophies yet. Andrew was amazed, "My mom has trophies? WOW!" So last weekend, while cleaning out some boxes, we came across them. He decided to put some in his room along side his t-ball and soccer trophies. Too funny!

2. I went to college to study veterinary science. However, after my first 2 years of average grades and going up against kids who lived on farms and ranches their whole lives, I realized I was not going to get the grades possible to get into vet. school. I wanted to study, but I also wanted to have a great time.

3. I hate to shop. Unless I have a trip or special occasion planned. Otherwise, I do it for the necessities.

4. I'm somewhat of a perfectionist, although I've gotten better.

5. I gave birth to Grace in a jacuzzi tub in a birth center.

6. I love to bake and I think it would be fun to make and decorate cakes for a living.


7. Sometimes I care way too much about what people think of me.

8. I've lived in 6 places: Owatonna, MN; Prairie Village, KS; Austin, TX; Ogden, UT; Logan, UT; Houston, TX.

9. I think my biggest fear is losing a loved one.

10. I like to fish and camp (yes in a tent).

A few pics of the kids:

Houston Rodeo:

Grace's first time ordering from the ice cream man. She got some kind of Dora the Explorer ice thing. After being charged $2/item (Andrew got a spider man one), Matt suggested I become an ice cream driver myself. Just look at that truck. Disgusting. God only knows what his freezer/coolers looked like inside. I don't even want to think about it.

Mom's night out at the Rodeo

My friend Michele and I decided to hit the Faith Hill concert at the Houston Rodeo a couple weeks ago. We had a blast! It felt so great and relaxing to be out on the town, no kids in tow. And Faith Hill, well what an amazing voice. We jammed along to the songs we knew and I found myself blaring out a word or two.

Michele and I met here in Houston and I'd have to say she is my closest friend here and will always be a close friend no matter where we end up down the road. I'm so fortunate to have met her and her wonderful family. Her husband Ron is a riot and after hanging out with the two of them, Matt has one or two "lines" that Ron has said and has to be repeated because it was so funny! He just gets a kick out of him. They are just the type of friends that would do whatever they could to help you out if you needed it, or to make you laugh when you need a good chuckle. I know I don't tell her enough, so Michele if you're reading this, thank you very much for your friendship and for everything you do for me and my family.

Grandma and Grandpa's House

Along with our great couple days of skiing, Andrew and Grace enjoyed every minute of their stay at "Grandma's" house. Sorry Kent, no disrespect to you but I'll tell you what, all those kids think about is Grandma. When we come to visit, it's nothing but play, play, play. And treats too of course. I mean, what would Grandma's house be like if you couldn't get away with 1, 2 or 20 things you normally can't at home, right? That's what going to grandparent's houses are for. And Kathy (Matt's mom) spoils those kids like there is no tomorrow! I LOVE it! Just seeing how much fun they have is worth every minute to me.

They enjoyed going to Fat Cats arcade and glow-in-the-dark mini golf, having sleep overs with their cousins, visiting their cousins in Toele and going bowling, and sledding in the snow every day. And Matt built a snow cave for Andrew, which he thought was pretty cool. Overall, our trip went way too quickly, as always. We can't wait to visit again.

Utah Trip- Skiiing

Talk about spring skiing. This was the best time I've had in a long time of skiing. The weather could not have been more perfect. We were down to ski pants and long sleeve shirts! AAAAHHH! Both Andrew and Grace did such an awesome job and we were really surprised that Grace kept it up for a good couple hours. She didn't whine or complain hardly at all, which is pretty amazing given the fact that this was her first time and I think it's hard for little ones to understand that their pretty much tied down to the ground with those skis on. Nonetheless, Andrew did such a great job, wanting to go down the hill over and over again. The second day skiing, he wanted to go up on the gondola and ski down. So sure enough, that's what we did. Although we all had a few tumbles, he kept getting up and doing it again. At one point, Andrew and I are riding up the chair lift and I'm thinking, this is a vacation. Feeling the warm sun on my face and spending the day in the mountains was fabulous...and with my whole family at that. It's nice that Grace is to the age that she can participate in a lot of the things we do, which means both Matt and I can as well.

And lastly, can I tell you how patient and fun Matt was with the kids, teaching them how to ski. He never lost his cool and was constantly telling both of them what a good job they were doing. He even came up with this cute song for Grace: Put your hands on your hips and make a big A, make a big A. Go skiing all DAY! The "all day" part has to be sung VERY low and monstrous. She laughs every time they sing it. And not only that, Matt is such a good skier. I was completely enamoured with him, watching him cruise down the mountain, going on jumps, and taking on the black diamond runs. It was pretty HOT!

Wearing Mommy's "Shirt"

Okay, some of you might be offended by these photoes, but Grace asked me repeatedly to "wear Mommy's shirt" so I put it on her and she thought she was the most gorgeous, awesome, girl ever! Just look at the smile in the bottom picture. Could she be any more happy? I just couldn't resist posting it. Too cute!
Lately, that's all she wants to do. Put on makeup ( she has to use her plastic barbie set), put on my shoes, wear my headbands, do whatever I'm doing. She has become my little shadow and I LOVE it, most of the time. I hope to introduce her to soccer and sports here shortly though before she gets too prissy for my taste. I don't know about the whole princess thing. I was such a tomboy growing up that I wasn't really into barbies, or tea parties or dress-up. Oh well, if that's her thing, that's her thing right?

Lions and Tigers and Bears, OH MY!

We visited the Houston Zoo mid-February and had an absolute blast! The weather was in the low 70's....AHHHH! And the last time we were there, Andrew was a little 2 year old and I was pregnant with Grace. Just where does the time go? It was surreal seeing a couple of spots where we had taken Andrew's photo, a good three years ago. Honestly seems like yesterday.

This was Grace's FIRST trip to the zoo and she couldn't believe all the animals! Some of her favorites were the giraffes, elephants, and orangutans. I think we sat and watched the monkeys for a good 1/2 hour. What is it about those animals that is so intriguing? Is it the fact that they are an animal most similar to humans? Perhaps so, but this was definitely the highlight of our visit. Watching the baby monkeys cling to their blankets, or eat fruit with their hands. Just amazing animals!

Andrew loved playing at the kids zoo, sliding down the slides and pretending to be a prairie dog. The highlight of the zoo for him was seeing the monkeys and elephants. He couldn't believe how big those animals are in reality. And the way they use their trunks to eat and drink. Almost like an arm of sorts. Too cool!