Sunday Shoes

http://joyfolie.com/shoes

My boys are very predictable.  When we pick our oldest son up from his Sunday School class the teacher always tells us that he listened well, answered the questions, and was a good helper.   He's involved, excited to be in his class, and he makes the teacher feel like someone understood her lesson.  Tornado man, the middle boy, is entirely different.  In spite of his nickname, he's very quiet.  His Sunday School teachers usually get really excited when he participates at all.  Although he can come home and recite almost every lesson or Bible verse verbatim, in the classroom, he's generally withdrawn and shy. 

And then there is Princess G.  It seems that every week her teachers share an interesting story about her.  They love her and think she's adorable, yet she is anything but predictable.  For example, there was the week when she had to defend herself against the rest of the class, which was apparently all boys.  Supposedly, some boy attempted to take her truck away and she put up a fight and won.  Then there was the week that she refused to take off her leather jacket because it was cute and she didn't want to give it away.  Then there was the week that she decided to dance during the entire class to every song playing on the CD player.  Or there was another week where she wanted someone to read a book to her and she listened well.  Or there was a different week when she decided to be all artsy and did some serious coloring.  Its seems that class with the princess is never dull.

This week, Princess G was on a different kind of mission.  She was on a shoe hunt.  Apparently, during the class time, she cornered each girl in her class and discussed their shoes with them.  I'm sure the conversations went something like "cute shoes" or "like your boots" or something similar.  It's hard to say.  She gets all excited about her own shoes or boots that I lay out on Sunday mornings, so I guess she decided to get all excited about EVERYBODY'S shoes this week.

I wish I could say that I have no idea why Princess G is obsessed with shoes.  But I'd be lying.  She's somewhat a creature of her own environment and she definitely has some genetic shoe disorder like her mother.  What can I say?  I too approached someone at church to talk about her pretty heels yesterday.  I guess us girls speak a language of our own.  Shoes are like an art form to us.  They're great conversation pieces, and they're a great tool for making friends at church!

He Got His Face Wet

The first Sunday morning of the year, our 6 year old was baptized in our church.  It was exciting to get to share this special time with family and friends as he publicly professed his faith.  He had asked to be baptized almost a year ago, but a fear of getting his face wet led to the year delay.  So watching him get baptized was a huge step of maturity for him both spiritually and physically.  Our boy is growing up!

 

Toys That Make Noise

 
I enjoy toy shopping.  No, seriously, toy stores and toy aisles are loads of fun!  I love pushing buttons to see the wheels spin on a car or to hear music play.  There's something delightfully stimulating about playing in the toy aisle. 

That said, toys can be evil.  Those adorable little toys that roll and sing and play music can turn into mechanical nightmares.  They make noise and noise and more noise.  Parents of toddlers or preschoolers or elementary age children do not need to add noise to their homes.  Our homes are plenty loud without the beeping truck, the singing ball, the ticking drum, etc. (and yes, we have all of these!).  Today, I discovered the most evil of noisy toys.  It was cute and enticing and almost tempting to the untrained mommy eye.  Had I not known what I know about noisy toys, I might have wanted to purchase it.

This little noise maker was a beautiful little baby doll.  She was small; she had an adorably cute face; and she came with her own accessories.  The box for the doll, however, indicated that if you press her tummy in a cute way that she would make noise.  So I pressed her tummy.  And that baby cried! This was not a cute little Minnie Mouse that talks or singing Olaf.  Nope, this doll cried a real babyish cry.  It was that mournful, I'm kind of hungry and I'm really upset cry.  It gave me shivers up my spine when I heard the poor little thing. 

Naturally, Princess G thought that the crying baby was amazing.  She kept giggling and begging me to push the button again.  If you didn't know any better, you would have wanted to buy it as a little gift for her.  But all I could think about was this: I've spent the better part of the last 6 years dealing with crying babies and toddlers.  What would possess me to buy something else that cried for no reason?!

Ugh.  As you're out toy shopping this Christmas, beware of cuteness when it comes to toys.  They might elicit the excitement and adoration of a 2 year old, but they can add to a mommy's insanity.  And yes, should you purchase a loud and obnoxious toy for my child like a crying baby doll, Dear Husband and I promise to return the favor.

School Pictures

During one of my freak-out homeschool mommy moments, I started wondering how many "normal" activities my kids would miss by not going to school.  For some reason, Picture Day kept coming to mind (seriously?).  Since I'm not much of a picture person, it's ironic that I was worried about my kiddos not getting to have their pictures made at school.  It's not like I was planning on hanging up pics of my children against boring blue or fake bookshelf backdrops. 

Anyway, because my children aren't going to miss out on anything, our personal photographer took Kindergarten and Pre-K photos for us.  After she sent me these photos, I realized that it was I who had missed out on something great.  For years, I had been photographed at school without having my mom to fix my hair or tell me how to smile.  No one ever took the time to photograph me "in my element" (a la the train tracks above).  Instead, I had been shuffled through for the annual mugshot that will forever mark me in the pages of whatever institution I was attending.  Very rarely did these shots flatter me or evoke some special memory. Even my photos in cap and gown still make me gag.  Those photos don't say anything about me!

So lest my children think that they are missing out on something special at school called Picture Day, I can assure them that they are not.  They might not be in a 100 page book filled with other children's mugshots, but their pictures will be taken by someone who can give them undivided attention.  Mommy will work with the photographer to touch up or re-do the photos.  And someday, they'll be proud to show their own children pictures of them when they were in school.

Don't Take Parenthood for Granted

I sat through my first continuing legal education class today.  Okay, technically it wasn't my first CLE, but it was my first "live" class to attend.  My frugal self likes to take the freebie classes I find online.  Today, however, I ventured out into the adult world.

I chose this particular class because it was sponsored by the Texas Homeschool Coalition.  Half of the day was relevant to me as a mother and lawyer, but the other half was a fascinating presentation by some lawyers who actually practice family law in courtroom on a regular basis.  Totally not my area of expertise.  That said, these folks do amazing work representing parents!

Today, I was reminded of what a privilege it is to be a parent.  It's easy to take my "parent" status for granted.  Yet, there are people out there working hard to regain or maintain that privilege that they may have lost--sometimes through no real fault of their own.

As a school nurse, parents aggravated me a lot.  They would send their kids to school with dirty clothes, no socks, no coat, lice in their hair, no lunch, with high fevers, etc.  Then, when I would call home to explain that their child needed medical attention or clothing, the parents would get mad at me!  I can't tell you how many times I had to explain that I do not give lice to children or actively seek out fevers.  They happen.  And good parents deal with it.  Mainly, because they're good parents who love their kids. 

Now that I have children of my own, I know what a pain in the backside it can be to have to cancel my plans to cart the kiddos around town to the urgent care or pharmacy when someone starts sneezing the wrong way or screaming because they bumped their nose.  It's absolutely horrific to sit in a doctor's office for 5+ hours having all 3 children tested for a disease and treated for whatever ailment they've managed to acquire.  I get it.  I've done it.  I will likely do it again.  Why?  Because I'm a mom!

It's easy to forget that the grossness that comes along with being a mom is a privilege.  When you're up to your elbows cleaning up a body fluid from a spot on the floor where it doesn't belong,  it can slip your mind that you are lucky to be getting to do this job.  But not everyone gets to clean up stinky messes or sticky fingerprints.  Only those of us who have the privilege of being parents get these opportunities. 

Some of us suffered through pregnancy to birth our little ones; some adopted and gave love that another parent couldn't give; and some have found other methods to parent and love a child.  Don't take this privilege for granted.  It's not absolute.  And time is fleeting. 

Now go hug a kid.

Goodbye Sweet November!

Photo provided by my 4 year old. 

Hmmm...  Apparently I missed a month.  Somehow November came and went and I recorded NOTHING!  So here's my November update a few days late:

• Baby G, now Princess G, turned 2 years old!  We are officially out of the baby phase at our house.  We even moved the crib downstairs and gave Princess G's room a re-do with a sparkly big girl bed and matching dresser.  If I ever get her curtains hung, hopefully I can post some pics.  It's very pink and everything Mommy dreamed about when she found out she was having a little girl. There's nothing shabby chic, vintage, or cutesy about it.  This girl lives in a world of pink frills and bling!
• We hosted 2 Thanksgiving dinners at our house.  The first dinner was with our small group family from our church.  One of the guys fried up 2 turkeys and showed us how Thanksgiving in the South is supposed to taste.  So, for our 2nd Thanksgiving dinner with our actual families, we decided that a creole bird was the way to go.  There's nothing like creole butter and seasoning to add some flavor to a usually bland holiday meal!
• We attended Homeschool Week at the Sea Life Park twice.  From now on, we are definitely capitalizing on homeschool week wherever we can find it.  No field trips or crazy crowds and discounted tickets!  This was a field trip that we will repeat.
•  We decorated for Christmas a little earlier than usual.  In the past, I've been big on golds and whites and fancy decor.  But this year, I decided that my very Texas house needed some Texas-like decor.  So imagine red burlap bows, cowboy boot stockings, beads, tin stars, reclaimed wood picture frames, and red sweater-like couch pillows.  Just thinking about it makes me want a cup of hot chocolate.  
• We're getting new neighbors.  A moving van showed up across the street at the beginning of the month and our previous neighbors drove off without any warning.  The next day, a For Sale sign showed up and the inspector and fix-it guys showed up this week to get the house ready for a new family!
• We had our first freeze. 
• We went to our last SMU home football game.  It was as painful as expected.  But hopefully next season will be a little more exciting with the newly hired Coach Morris!
• Some cool things happened at work with some cases I've been working on, but the details are kind of confidential (you'll have to use your imagination).
• We started 2nd grade math! When Boy Wonder finished his last lesson in the 1st grade book, I ventured over to our local Mardel store in search of more math.  They were able to order our next set of books right in time for our little guy to get started.  (Rod and Staff won't sell their books on a website since they are Mennonite, but you can order via catalog or phone or at Mardel).  Our little guy was so excited about his new books that he finished 12 lessons in 1 week!  Now if I can only get him to stop telling people that he's in 2nd grade (he's in kindergarten) we'll be in good shape. 

Wow!  So much happened last month and this little blog post is all I have to show for it.  Such is life when you're having fun.

At Last: A Movie for Moms

Saturday night, after a long afternoon of football, I curled up in bed and ordered in a movie.  This was a big deal for me.  With all that I have going on in my life right now, I rarely have the time, or the desire to waste the time, that it takes to watch a movie.  A decade ago, my "hobby" was to check out new releases at the theater with my then boyfriend-now husband.  (We could probably win any movie trivia from the early 2000's!)  But when Boy Wonder came along in 2008, our world completely changed. Instead of having hours to devote to major Hollywood productions, we started watching seasons of old TV shows, because frankly, giving up an hour here or there is significantly easier to justify than the hours it takes to be a movie connoisseur.  Anyway, Saturday's movie night was kind of a one-off for me.

Because I had seen a preview during a football game that fascinated me, I ordered in Mom's Night Out.  This movie was absolutely hilarious, clean, a little over-the-top, and frighteningly relatable!  From the scribbling on the wall, to the screaming daughter in the car at church who messed up mom's mascara, to the best friend who looks amazingly similar to my friend at church, to the "my homeschooler is smarter than your honor student" bumper sticker, I feel like Allyson and I are soul mates.  (Okay, in all fairness, I don't have this bumper sticker, but I probably should.  Except that Mr. Wonderful thinks that bumper stickers are trashy, so I can't.  But, still...)

Any mother of young children who is trying to have it "all together" can totally relate to this movie.  Some might think that the scenes in the movie seem a little far-fetched, but you don't need a screenwriter to come up with any of these plots.  Our children frequently live them out for us!  Just last week, my friend's 2 year old climbed to the top of the McDonald's playground and refused to come down for an hour and a half  just to spite her.  (And although I know I shouldn't laugh about it, the fact that this adorable little boy would do such a thing to his beautiful mother, who just had baby #2, cracks me up!) 

If you've been having a lot of those mommy "moments" lately, you definitely need to take an hour and a half to watch this movie.  Or, if you've been extremely judgmental toward mothers whose children were having an all-out brawl at Hobby Lobby on Friday (yes, those were mine!), then watch the movie.  Give moms a break. And remember, you too were once a bratty two year old! 

The Baby Has Arrived

That's right.  My husband gifted me with a new baby this week--a baby grand piano! 

When we moved into our house last summer, our curved staircase was just crying out to have a baby grand at the bottom of it.  Last week, I accidentally stumbled upon this restored/rebuilt 1930's piano and knew that I could provide it the perfect spot so that it could re-live it's glory days.  Thankfully, Mr. Wonderful thought so too.  For my birthday 10 years ago, he bought me an electric piano that would fit in our apartment when we got married.  And a decade later, he has given me a real (and beautiful) piano for my birthday!  He's kind of amazing.

As it turns out, the entire family has been having loads of fun playing and practicing on her.  I think I might have some musical prodigies in my house! 

 At last, a baby that doesn't wake me up in the middle of the night!

Red Boots

Woohoo! It's finally football season.  This means that we can break out all of our red and blue gear and get dressed up every Saturday for an outing at the hilltop.  And when I say get dressed up, we're not talking team gear t-shirts.  In accordance with southern tradition, we "dress up" in our school colors.  Per SMU tradition, for our first home football game of the year, we wear white and lots of people break out their cowboy boots.

This year, Baby G has her own pair of red cowgirl boots, a huge matching red bow for her hair, and a cute white sundress.  She's totally ready for football!  Of course, it's kind of sad to buy red boots and a white dress for one football game.  So, this past Sunday morning, I let her debut her football "look" for Sunday School.

She was really excited when I told her she could wear her boots to church.  For some reason, we struggled to get them to pop into place (all good cowboy boots pop when you put them on). When she attempted to stand up, she started crying about her foot.  She kept saying, "shoe, shoe, shoe." So, I figured we should take them off just in case something was wrong.

I was certainly not prepared for what came out of the boot.  Not only did her little foot and sock come out, but it came out covered in yucky banana! The banana had to have been in there for at least a few days.  Typically I might have sniffed something like this out.  Unfortunately, I've had a crazy summer cold that has wiped out my ability to talk, hear, and smell for the last week.  So, there was no warning for me with this yucky, goopy, brownish, banana mess.

Thankfully, banana cleans very easily.  Once we wiped out the boot and changed into a clean sock, she was good to go.  Not only did she wear her boots proudly, but she showed them off to everyone!

If you happen to be in the market for red girl boots, check these out at http://www.target.com. 

Every Mom Has Her Kryptonite

At the beginning of the summer, Mr. Wonderful convinced me to step down from running a committee at church that was seriously eating up my time.  Then, he contacted our music minister and informed him that I needed to take a few weeks off from playing with the band.  In his opinion, between work and church committee and music ministry and small group hosting and homeschooling and stay-at-home mothering of 3 kids full-time and attempting to be a good housewife, I had over-committed. 

I was, admittedly, offended by the fact that Mr. Wonderful thought I needed a break.  By forcing me to stop doing things that I had committed to do I felt that there was an implication that I was failing and he thought I wasn't supermom.  Now, however, I realize that I was truly over-committed and I wasn't even close to being supermom!  I was getting wound up tight and was getting very annoyed with church people and messy children and husbands who work late. I was kind of losing it.

Instead of taking the summer off to relax--as many thought I was doing--I used this summer to finally catch up on life:  I got caught up on some of my work projects by reading through thousands of pages of medical records.  I cleaned up the boys' room and attempted to solve some of their organizational problems.  I sorted through our clothing and purchased appropriate sized pajamas and church clothes for everyone.  I cleaned my own closet and threw out lots of shoes.  I purchased new rugs for our main living rooms.  I planned and hosted small group dinners and a baby shower and organized meals for a family.  I coordinated our small group's service project.  I helped Boy Wonder finish a Phonics workbook.  I sent the boys to sports camp.  I read to my children.  I walked lots and lots of miles at the mall and on my elliptical.  I managed to keep some potted plants on my front porch alive.  I read a book (it was dumb, but it was a book).  I played many, many games of Connect 4 with my son.  I prayed.  I spent time listening to and trying to encourage other people.  And I rested. 

Having the time to actually complete projects that I both wanted and needed to accomplish was invigorating for me.  How refreshing to actually get to see the fruits of my labor!  For 6 months I kept taking on more and more (I have a problem saying "no") and it seemed like nothing was ever getting accomplished.  And then in all of 4 weeks, everything just started falling into place.  I'm finally enjoying my duties again.  I'm ready to start homeschooling this fall.  I'm enjoying spending time helping out at church.  I'm focusing better on work.  I'm motivated to read my Bible.  And I'm happy.

Super man has his kyrptonite.  And super mom has her over-commitment.  We all have our weaknesses.  How blessed I am that I have a Mr. Wonderful who is willing to recognize my shortcomings and intervene when I need him--even when I don't appreciate his interventions.  I truly needed a little break this summer.  His "intervention" was timely a gift.  I still have quite a lot of things that I want to do in the next couple of months, but I can officially say, "Mommy's Back!"

Wonderfully Abnormal Love for Golf

Golf does not come naturally to most people.  If you spend about 5 minutes with me on the course, it will be painfully obvious that I stink at golf.  I might fake it with my cute golf skirt and pink rolling bag, but the score card pretty much speaks for itself.  I'm terrible.  Mr. Wonderful is considerably better than I am when it comes to understanding and playing golf.  That said, you can get a pretty decent idea of what kind of hitter he was in baseball when you watch his golf swing (the ball is hit hard and everything veers to the left).  To sum it up, neither of us are quality golfers.  Yet somehow, we have a child who has a natural ability to swing golf clubs and hit balls.

Our oldest child has had this affinity for hitting golf balls since he was a year old and could swing his plastic Fisher Price clubs. At the time we thought it was so cute that we bought him his first set of real golf clubs for his second birthday.  We were those crazy parents who would take their toddler to the driving range.  Again, it was so cute to watch him swing and hit the balls. I don't think we realized the significance of the fact that our toddler was making contact and actually hitting balls like a real golfer.  When he turned 4, we noticed that he rarely ever missed making contact with the ball off the tee--in spite of his dancing and crazy footwork.  That was about the time that he started chipping balls off of our back porch into a neighbors' pools and landscaping.  So for his 6th birthday, we decided to send him to golf camp.

At camp, we were informed that he was wonderfully abnormal on the golf course.  I say abnormal, because a "normal" child on the golf course is one who has been sent to camp by his golf-playing parents to learn a game that does not come naturally to them.  Our child, on the other hand, loved every minute of being on the golf course and apparently has an unteachable "feel for the game."  It was absolutely hilarious to watch him swing his club like a ninja sword at one moment and then turn around a minute later and drive a one-handed shot over a creek.  And it's very weird to have a 5 year old explain how he is going to use his 9 iron to "tap-chip" his ball out of the rough and onto the green when all the other children are using their putters and then to see his plan work!

Considering that I'm having to read PGA golf books for parents to even understand the game myself, it's kind of crazy to think that I might have to caddy on the DFW Metro Jr. Golf Tour next summer (all children under 8 need to have a caddy) in order to keep up with my wonderfully abnormal son.  Something tells me that this is not going to be my first time to step outside of my comfort box for my kiddos.  I'm sure someone else will want to do something that blows my mind too: hockey, dance, art, etc.  But golf: could not have predicted that one.

What Girls are Made Of

Baby G in the Flowers: Courtesy of K.I. Photography.

Sugar and Spice

Sugar and spice
and everything nice
that's what little girls are made of

Sunshine and rainbows
and ribbons for hair bows
that's what little girls are made of

Tea parties, laces
and baby doll faces
that's what little girls are made of

Author: Unknown

This past week, Mr. Wonderful and I were given grief by some family members about the fact that Baby G wears hair bows --bows that keep getting larger as she gets larger.  For the life of me, I can't imagine why this would bother anyone.

I think this poem that my grandma used to say to me sums up what I love about having a little girl.  Little girls are different from little boys.  They are, generally speaking, lovers of all things pretty.  They squeal and get jumpy when they see glitter and rainbows.  They giggle and clap when they spin in their fluffy dresses.  They ooh and ah when they see babies.  They like to have painted toes and walk in their mommy's shoes.  And there's nothing wrong with allowing little girls to be girls. Doing boy things with my sons is fun, but getting to experience the sugary and sparkly world of my daughter also brings me delight.

So yes, I suppose I perpetuate my daughter's girly ways by dressing her in fancy dresses and sparkly shoes.  I paint her toe nails and allow her to play with my necklaces and bracelets. I always coordinate her outfits with a matching hair accessory.   I have some how convinced her that sparkly is always better than plain.   And yet, she's not even 2 years old.

Baby G may or may not grow out of the fun, fluffy, girly stage.  She has plenty of opportunities to experience boy activities and sports with her two older brothers. To be honest, she throws a ball better than either of them did at her age.  So who knows, she may be our all-star yet.  But I'm not going to stop having fun raising my daughter as the princess she is just because other people don't appreciate glitter and rainbows and cupcakes. 

We're all entitled to dress our children as we see fit.  As a result, I'm doing my best to keep my opinions to myself about how other little girls are dressed and how their mommies raise them.  I have a different perspective on parenting a little girl than other mothers might have.  I've had my chances to do the boy mom thing for the last 6 years, and it is certainly loads of fun to live in a world of trains and balls and grass stains.  These days, however, I'm truly appreciating what little girls are made of.

Note: If you need recommendations on where to find some fabulous hair bows, please let me know.  These days, I'm somewhat of an expert.

Kid Day Turned Out All Right

On my previous blog post (from like a month ago) I wrote about the need to keep the kids entertained while on vacation--not necessarily for their own benefit, but for the benefit of EVERYONE.  After our first disastrous vacation day, we worked a little bit harder to make the trip more fun.  We must have done a pretty good job, because everyone looks pretty happy in our vacation photos!

And just a note: The pink Texas hat that Baby G tried to wear in almost every photo was her vacation gift from her daddy.  I think he intended on buying her a hat that looked a little more baseballish, but when she saw the sparkly zebra hat it was love at first sight.
 

 

Keeping the Kids Entertained

I'm generally not a believer that children need to be entertained all the time.  In fact, I think mommas who constantly entertain their children, or send them to preschool to be entertained, do their children a huge disservice.  Children need to learn how to play and how to imagine.  They need to explore things for themselves.  Thus, you'll notice the crayon markings on the walls of my house, the upturned chairs turned into forts, the "relocated" dirt piles (and holes) in my backyard, empty water bottles converted into toys in the playroom, and pictures of who-knows-what taped to random places in my bedroom courtesy of my kids.  In spite of my type-A nature, I give my children lots of freedom to be creative on their own at home.  This freedom, however, does NOT work on vacation.

Although Mr. Wonderful and I love to enjoy vacations where we have absolutely nothing planned but to relax, this didn't work very well for our energetic gang.  If I had a vacation do-over, the first thing I would do is to plan an activity for the kiddos on Day 1.  In hind sight, we probably should have made more stops on the way to San Antonio, and one stop should have been a park.  Instead, our major stop was at an outlet mall where Mr. Wonderful and I thoroughly enjoyed bargain hunting.  Unfortunately, not all parties (especially Tornado Man) enjoyed this outing.

I knew that we were in for a long week when Mr. Wonderful walked out of a surfer store and appeared agitated with our four year old son.  Apparently, he walked through the store and licked as many stacks of t-shirts as he could find.  Yes, licked--with his tongue!  We're still not sure how many shirts got licked before Daddy saw what was happening.  But we're also pretty sure that we're not welcome in that store for a looooong time!  And that was before the "I'm thirsty" and "I have to go to the bathroom again" started.   Our 2 hours of shopping was ultimately successful, but by the time we left I really did have a massive headache.  And that was Day 1.

On Day 2, Daddy highly overestimated how fun a baseball game could be for little people.  Mr. Wonderful was so excited to get to go to a San Antonio Missions baseball game that day.   It was perfect and sunny, the Missions were playing the Frisco Rough Riders (the TX Rangers' AA team and one of our favorites), and we had seats right behind home plate.  How could this have been bad?

Well, let's just say that our game lasted all of 2 innings.  None of the kids were overly impressed with the game.  Baby G turned bright red and started to literally overheat, Boy 2 complained about every possible thing he could think of, and Boy Wonder started crying when we told him he had to sit next to a stranger.  It was a complete disaster--drama, drama, drama.  The only thing that Daddy really wanted to do on this trip was a huge bust.  And by the time we got back to the hotel, Daddy wasn't speaking to the kids.  He even left me at the hotel and went and got me Starbucks just to get some fresh air.  That's when I knew, we might be in for a really long week.  (Stay tuned to hear how the week got better.)

Planning our Family Vacation: Texas or Bust!

Last week we decided to take a vacation! Since we haven't left the friendly confines of our little Metroplex for 2 years, it was definitely time to go somewhere.  So, we spent a few days researching and discussing where to go. 

Originally, we were completely on board with another trip to Hawaii.  But the realization that we STILL couldn't climb Diamond Head because our little ones can't do the stairs, and we STILL couldn't do the underwater fish adventure because our little ones are too short, and we STILL have to pay the exorbitant fees for the little ones, made us realize that maybe we were better off taking a trip to a more three-kids-friendly place.  (Although, Waikiki really is kid friendly!)

Next, we decided that maybe we should go all-in on a kid adventure this year.  So we looked into Walt Disney World.  It soon became apparent that a family of 5 with little ones is at a complete disadvantage in the magical world of Disney.  For starters, we don't fit on rides very well.  And there's also the fact that we don't fit into hotel rooms very well.  And then there's the fact that taking a family of 5 to Disney World and doing it right (I'm not into a dinky trip at a stinky resort) costs about the same as a trip to Hawaii.  So we decided that maybe Disney World should wait until our kids can actually recognize Disney characters--seriously, our boys probably don't know anyone outside of Mickey or Minnie.

Then we decided that maybe we should take an "easier" trip with our little gang.  Maybe we should stay IN Texas and enjoy our beautiful state.  So, because it is always fun and reliable, we did our little pilgrimage to the San Antonio Riverwalk.  And we're very glad we did.  There are so many things to do when you venture into the Texas Hill Country: shopping at the outlets along I-35; the Alamo; IMAX at the Alamo; Sea World; Six Flags; Missions baseball; San Antonio missions tour; shopping in Fredericksburg; Schlitterbauhn; Natural Caverns tour;  Boat rides down the river; tubing down the Brazos; the Zoo; the train ride at the zoo; western town tours, etc. Of course, we only did a few of the activities on this list, but the kids had some fun experiences, mommy did some shopping, and daddy spent afternoons reading books.  We actually had a trip that resembled a real vacation.

That said, vacationing with the 3 Amigos was easier said than done.  By night #1 it occurred to us that taking the kids might have been a mistake.  By night #2, we were already planning our adults-only vacation away from the kids for our next trip.  By night #3, we were exhausted.  So on each of the rest of the nights, we had a mandatory pajama party in our hotel suite that started around 6:30 pm.  (Thank goodness for bedtime, right?)  And somehow, we survived and lived to tell the stories.  Stay tuned for more tales from the Hill Country.

Derailed Plans and Forever Stamps

 

No, I haven't been hospitalized, institutionalized, comatose, or imprisoned for the last month.  And no, I'm not expecting baby #4!  I've just been busy.  Thus, I haven't written in awhile.

I'm not really sure why I've been so busy, but little things just keep coming up.  Take for example, my litigation meeting on Monday.  Usually, we get everything sorted out in time so that I can skip our group lunch and leave around noon (I love leaving early so that I can catch a quick lunch date with Mr. Wonderful).  This week, however, the meeting went on and on and on and on.  By the time I left the meeting, I was well behind rush hour traffic and was too close to falling asleep to be able to go birthday shopping for my almost 4 year old's birthday.   My plans for this week were complete derailed (and yes, the pun is appropriate).

The long Monday resulted in a change of plans on Tuesday where homeschooling turned into a Mommy-Son date and shopping trip.  That trip was fun, but altogether unsuccessful since train decorations are extremely hard to find--even Thomas decorations were yucky or overpriced.  Seriously, who pays $20 plus the cost of helium for a Thomas balloon?!  So after some planning and plotting, Boy Wonder and I decided that we would create our own train tracks at home so that Mr. T could have a train day party for his 4th birthday.  Thus, our Wednesday agenda went from birthday partying to decorating and preparing for a party (all which I wanted to do on Monday!).

Boy Wonder was so excited about homemade paint-tape tracks that he offered to do the tracks himself this morning while I worked out.  This sounded like a great creative project for him, and honestly, less for me to do.  So I said got for it!

Later, when I walked into our large entry space to check out the tracks I noticed that Boy Wonder had done more than just put painter's tape on the floor.  He proudly pointed out the fact that he had found these cool flags to add to his tracks.  As he grinned, I stared in horror at the many dollars worth of stamps that he had stuck to my tile floor and walls.  Forever stamps with the American flag were all over the place!  Instead of appreciating his creativity, I'm pretty sure I shrieked and said a word that belongs on the "bad word list."  In hind site, I should have taken a picture of his masterpiece, but at the time all I could do was focus on salvaging as many flags as I could.

Thus has been my life lately.  I clean up messes daily.  I deal with crying daily.  I accidentally fall asleep before I finish my to-do list sometimes.  But in the midst of all the madness that is life with preschoolers, I still manage to find time to party with and enjoy them.  Sometimes I just forget to blog it.

Safe Ziploc Omelets

Without college football games to entertain us this spring, my family has needed a new "hobby" for our Saturday entertainment.  So, for the past few weekends we have been picking a new "food" to prepare at home and eat as a family.  Now I know this may sound a little dumb and uneventful, but for non-risk takers like Mr. Wonderful and I, trying new dishes at our house is a BIG deal.  And it's an even bigger deal when we are the one who do the cooking. 

This weekend, we decided that we wanted to do breakfast for supper and we wanted to perfect the art of the omelet.  We had heard great things about cooking omelets in plastic baggies and boiling them over the stove, camping style.  But after googling bag-made omelets, we decided that we should take Ziploc's advice and not use their baggies for off-labeled use.  (Apparently, the bags are not meant to be boiled. In doing so, carcinogens can be released into the foods that are being cooked.)  Instead, we referred to Ziploc's recipes for steamed omelets.

Ziplock has these microwave-friendly bags that are intended to be used for steaming foods.  According to Ziploc, these bags are perfect for making omelets.  So we decided to try them out.  Turns out they were so good, we might be eating omelets regularly!  Plus, it took approximately 5 minutes to make 2 omelets.  Yep, 5 minutes!!!

To make Ziploc's Fast Omelets (I changed their recipe a little--no way am I adding mushrooms!) here are the following steps:

1. Start with a Ziploc's Zip'n Steam Bag (a package of 10 should cost less than $3).
2. Crack open 2-3 eggs and dump the contents into the bag.  Throw shell away. 
3. Add a little butter.  I don't really measure, so I just put 1-3 tbs in the bag.
4. Add a pinch of salt and sprinkles of pepper.
5. Add cheese.  We used shredded, Mexican mix.
6. Add whatever extras you want: I prefer chopped onions, green peppers, tomatoes, and bacon.  Mr. Wonderful just wanted diced ham (you can buy pre-cooked diced ham for omelets in the meat section of the grocery store). 
7. Get the air out of the bag and seal the bag.
8. Stick in the microwave with the marked side up--the bag will tell you what side goes up. 
9. Cook for 2 1/2-3 minutes.
10. You should have a beautiful omelet ready to serve. 

Yes, I know.  I'm not the right person to share recipes since I don't measure and just cook to taste.   That said, I don't think you can mess these omelets up.  On a night when you want a dinner ready in a matter of minutes, this is a perfect go-to option!  Can I get a "Yeah!" for family night?!

My Spring Song

Yesterday officially marked the beginning of spring this year, and our weather was pretty much perfect.  For some reason, spring always makes me want to sing.  And this week, I've been singing Rising Sun by All Sons and Daughters.  This song is too good not to share.

Praise Him all you sinners
Sing oh sing you weary
Oh praise Him all you children of God
We lift high His glory
Shown throughout our stories
We praise Him as the children of God

Our great redeemer
Glorious Savior
Your name is higher than the rising sun
Light of the morning
You shine forever
Your name is higher than the rising sun
Your name is higher than the rising sun

Praise His name forever
Speak it loud and clear now
Oh praise Him all you children of God

Our great redeemer
Glorious Savior
Your name is higher than the rising sun
Light of the morning
You shine forever
Your name is higher than the rising sun
Your name is higher than the rising sun

Hallelujah
Name above all
Simply to speak Your name is praise
Hallelujah
Now and always
Forever we lift Your name in praise
Hallelujah
Our God, You reign
Simply to speak Your name is praise

Our great redeemer
Glorious Savior
Your name is higher than the rising sun
Light of the morning
You shine forever
Your name is higher than the rising sun
Your name is higher than the rising sun
Your name is higher than the rising sun

Hallelujah name above all
Hallelujah name above all
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

How a Three Year Old Eats a Donut

After his dreaded orthopedic follow-up appointment this week, I promised Tornado Man that I would take him wherever he wanted to go for breakfast.  Unfortunately, he wasn't even remotely interested in Einstein Bros. Bagel or Starbuck's (at this age, his older brother had been brainwashed into believing that Starbuck's made the best donuts in the world).  Instead, my little guy was very adamant that he wanted to go to Dunkin' Donuts.

So, we went to Dunkin' Donuts where he ordered his all-time favorite donut: the chocolate frosted donut.  And about 5 minutes after he sat down he had "finished" his donut.  And this is what was left:

I'm thinking next time I might as well buy the little guy a Hershey bar and then I can get my latte from wherever I want!

To Play for Love

We've been putting it off for years.  Just the thought of having to sit in the bleachers enduring wind, rain, and the Texas heat makes my head hurt.  Because once this whole charade starts, it might not end for another 20 years or so.  And the idea of sacrificing 20 years of family life to a sport makes my stomach churn.  That said, I was prepared to go for it this year.  I was prepared to let my oldest son finally sign up for t-ball.

T-ball in Texas has become a ridiculous obsession for parents. Starting at 3 yrs old, little boys are treated like teenagers as they endure multiple nights of practices and games, try-outs and drafts, and all-star games and "world series."  It's both amusing and disgusting at the same time to watch parents turn America's favorite pastime into a career for their toddler.  Why in the world would any parent think their child has college or MLB potential when their child is only 4? 

It occurred to us that our desire to not burn out our son could be to his detriment at some point.  For example, we discovered that because of his birthday, this might be his last spring of eligibility for t-ball.  Thus by making him wait to play ball, we would be forcing him to skip that entire step of baseball.  Upon this discovery, Mr. Wonderful started searching for the least life-invasive little league around.  We agreed that Boy Wonder (who was hitting just fine without a tee at 2 or 3 yrs old) could finally sign up for baseball.  We marked the sign-up on our schedule and planned to commit our Saturdays during March and April to ballgames.

But then something happened. My son discovered a new sport.  Grandma and Grandpa gave him a tennis racket for Christmas and signed him up for tennis lessons at the rec center.  And he fell in love. It's mind-blowing that a 5 year old would be obsessed with such a grown-up-like sport, but Boy Wonder insists that he would rather play tennis than any other sport.  He has assured us that tennis is his game.  He was very adamant that he doesn't need to play baseball.  He informed us that if he needs to, he can always play that sport later!

And Hallelujah!  Our rec center has little kid tennis classes INSIDE the gym during the winter.  Not only that, but we found a coach who decided that both of our boys should get to learn the sport together.  (Who knew that our 3 yr old could volley so well?) I'm not saying that I have a world class doubles team in my house right now who will someday achieve a world ranking.  (I'm not that parent.)  But my boys are getting to enjoy playing a sport together.  We have found a sport that my son can play because he WANTS to.  Ah, "to play for love," such an appropriate definition out of the tennis history books. 

Even Baby G loves tennis lessons.  Today I even caught her placing balls on the face of the racket as if she were going to do drills with the boys.  Who knows, we might have a prodigy yet?