Start of soccer season

We finally agreed to let A. play a little soccer this season. We had been holding out just for our own sake of not having to commit to another team. But she's been begging and she finally got her chance.



She loved it and if I'm being honest she did pretty good out there most the time. She can really handle the ball better than the other kids when they first started and she has a really strong kick. And at her age, it's all about fun and you can just sit back and enjoy the kids having fun.

Normally it would be me and the the three youngest since Hubs and Z. always were at baseball. So naturally a lot of time was spent at the park area as well. This provided lots of opportunity to get pictures of my monkeys hanging out.

My silly girl hanging upside down.

She's showing off her missing front tooth to me.

My big boy just perched up high where he can see everything going on.

Is it really worth a 1000 words

They say a picture is worth a 1000 words. Well here is a picture that captures the personality and sense of humor of my oldest. I've been told that I am required by law to claim him as my own until he is of a legal age. I do love his sense of humor as twisted and disturbing as it may be. But he's a boy and the sign is talking about poop so what can you expect from a 12 year old.

Flu and thank you's

My son came into my room yesterday about 5am. He said he didn't feel well at all. Poor guy was burning up so we got him some medicine and put him back to bed. Once I got the other kids off to school I was able to get him into the doctors office where we got a positive test for the flu. So I stopped off at the store to stock up on Gatorade, fever medicine and Tamiflu. Then we headed back home to rest and be sick. Not a fun day for my little guy.

Finally, later that evening he felt well enough to draw. So he went to his room and came out with a card for me. On it, he wrote "Thank you for taking care of me when I was sick. I love you!"



I'm telling you now, that sweet boy put a lump in my throat with that card. He's always been my gentle, sensitive one. But as he has gotten older, he doesn't show it as much as he used to. But he still is that same sweet soul he's always been. It's just currently hiding under a rough and tough little boy exterior that he only shows to mom when he isn't feeling well.

But I love that sweet nature of my son. The one that stops to thank you for taking care of him when he is sick. Now we just have to get him healthy again because as much as I love seeing this glimpse into his sweet soul. I would much rather have a little boy in constant perpetual motion to try and keep up with.

Daddy/Daughter Dance 2011

This year I decided to buy tickets for K. and her Daddy to go the Valentine's Daddy/Daughter dance. After talking it over with Hubs, we decided that for this first year we would let it be just K. Next year and the following years he will take both girls.

K. was very excited to go on a real "date" with her Daddy. Especially once she got the dress and shoes with heels. A lot of her friends from school were going to be there so the excitement on Friday morning was very high.

I got home from work and got her fed. Then we had to get her ready for the dance. She got her dress and tights and shoes on and asked me to come do her hair and makeup. Not that I really could do much with her hair but we did at least brush it out. Then we put a very little bit of makeup on to make her feel extra girlie and pretty. She did look pretty cute if I say so myself. And I do, and I can because I'm her mommy and it's my blog.

Hubs had to break out the tie and get all dressed up.


We got a few pictures of them together and then they headed off to the country club to dance the night away without brothers or sisters or mom in the way.

Hubs said they danced so much he was tired. Although he mentioned that K. didn't really do so much dancing as hopping around. But it doesn't really matter since they had fun. They snacked on the food they served, I know M&M's was something that was mentioned. And then they got to pick out a balloon when the dance was over. At this point, K. did remember her little sister and grabbed her a purple balloon. She then told A. all about it and how next year they would get to go together.

I know it's a silly thing, this Daddy/Daughter dance. But I couldn't help but want to give her a chance to enjoy her Dad a bit more. After all, if they are lucky someday they will have a real sweetheart who is as wonderful a man as their Daddy. And Hubs loved it also, getting to spend more time with his girls is always fun for all of them.

Plus it gets me a chance to get a great picture like this. This alone is worth it.

Tis that time of year...for ice storms and snow

We got hit by an ice storm this week. With below freezing temperatures nothing was melting. Nothing like 3 inches of ice to shut down the metroplex. School has been cancelled for the last four days. Unheard of in Texas. Then last night we got an additional 6 inches of snow. Finally, something the kids could play in. So after 4 days of cabin fever and no school they were finally able to go out and play.





They got to go slide down the driveway and cul de sac for a while. This helped Hubs in clearing most of the snow off so he could scrape the ice off afterwards.




Then of course they just had fun being able to play outside.


Even Gigi went out to play a bit.

I went out to take a few pictures but decided to come back in with A. after I slipped and slided my way around the driveway. Then afterwards, A. came inside and put on her summer clothes to hurry the arrival of summer weather.


Here's a bit of what our neighborhood looked like this morning.




We have to take winter weather when we can get it. But I am definitely done with all the cold weather and ready for spring.

We got SNOW!

The kids were very excited to get snow last week. Enough for them to play in, have snow ball fights in and build a snowman in.









Then to top it off the temperature stayed so low for the entire week that the snow didn't melt for about 3 days (although it was more ice like after that)and the snowman, well he lasted a very long 6 days before he succumbed to our typical Texas January weather.

But the kids loved it and Hubs and I tried to make it a bit more fun for them. Even though it meant getting out of the warm house, getting wet and having way more laundry than usual.




But as Hubs said...they are only little once.


He's good like that, reminding me that the small stuff isn't so important. That's it's more important to enjoy ourselves and make memories. That's why I love him so much. Well at least until he took this picture of me without any makeup on. He just doesn't see things the same way as I do.

Amazing Texas Sky

I was driving home the other day about 4:30 and couldn't get over the sky. So naturally I pulled out my phone as I was driving down the curvy two lane FM Road and started taking pictures. I know, I know, not safe of me at all. I'm sorry.

But I couldn't help it. It just took my breath away. And I wanted to capture it so I could show it to my husband.




It's really to bad I didn't have my real camera, and wasn't actually driving you know. But I will take these small glimpses of heaven from God anytime I can. Even while driving.

New Years Eve 2010

We had lots of fun with all our old neighbors on New Years Eve. We decided to do it old school for all of us and go back to our glory days of hanging out by the fire pit. It's what we all used to do when the kids were smaller. We would put them to bed and reemerge with beer and baby monitors and get in our adult time. How the hell we did it, I do not know. I guess I am just getting to old to fully appreciate sitting by the fire pit freezing as much as we used to. The kids were all inside the game room at the house across the street without requiring baby monitors. So I guess we are just getting old. But we still had a lot of fun.







We had way to much food of course, some fireworks and lots of joking around and good conversation. What more could you ask? We brought the kids out at midnight (Texas time- We didn't even have to pretend and use NYC time this year).


I can still talk Dave into posing for just about any kind of goofy picture. That's what happens when you know someone from high school and college.

And since poor Janne had literally got off the plane from Finland only hours before and was jet lagged and to tired to run from the camera. He was unable to hide and run off from actually being in a picture. He still managed a way of not being serious in a picture though.


Then because I am old, and because my youngest is still technically only 4 we packed up soon after and came home to bed. Well all except Hubs and Dave, they stayed up all night long. That came back to bite him on the bottom when we had to be at K.'s soccer game on New Years Day. (Seriously, who plans these things)

But it's a new year and time to embrace all that it brings with it. But no worries about leaving behind any of our dear friends. You just can't beat a good Redneck Drive Fire pit reunion.

Cheers!!

Christmas 2010

We had a very quiet Christmas Eve at our house this year. Since my parents were at my brothers family this year it was just us. So the kids and Hubs did some last minute shopping. When they got home it was time to start making some Christmas cookies. I had made some sugar cookies for them to decorate. I pretty much just put the stuff in front of them and let them do it how they want. I used to try and get them to make them pretty and Christmasy but since that never worked I gave up. I figure some day when they are older and I may get cute cookies again. Until then, I just let them enjoy themselves

So I set them up with 4 dozen cookies and left the room.


I came back 30 minutes later to see what they had come up with and to get a few pictures of them smiling nicely for the camera. Instead I got this and only 33 decorated cookies.









But what can you say, they are kids and yes I have to claim them as my own. But that's really about all I can say right now.

After the Christmas cookie decorations we went to Mass. And for the first time in forever, all the kids sat quietly and paid attention. It was so enjoyable, a true Christmas miracle of sorts. Either that, or it was just so crowded that they just didn't have enough room to misbehave that much. I'll choose to believe in the Christmas miracle aspect of it.

After dinner and a movie at home, it was time to put the kids to bed and wait for Santa to come. Which he shortly did.

Gigi, our boxer couldn't have been more excited about Christmas than she already was. And I must admit that by this time I was just as tired as her, so off to bed we went.