Monday, March 30, 2009

Behind

Yes, I said behind. But I don't mean it in reference to my backside, more like my current blog status. It is pretty bad when JC says that I am way behind on the blog. He doesn't even read it and he knows that I am lacking.

I've pretty much been ignoring the blog and haven't really updated facebook in ages either. I really enjoy Twitter, but it doesn't really work for me since I don't have a mobile device that I can use to make the quick and easy updates.

There are lots of people that I need to call or write. I guess you could say that I am behind on everything.

Seems like life was easier in the old days because there weren't all of these tool available to make communicate 'easier' (read more expected).

I am typing now while we are at orchestra practice. We usually all come on Monday nights because it is the perfect place (school cafeteria) for the other kids to do homework and the instructor has asked that parents stay, which we would anyhow.

It is crazy to me that the middle school has WIFI. There are lots of parents here on laptops. I am gonna start walking up and down the rows of lunch room tables to see what everyone is looking at on their laptop. I know they are not updating their facebook or myspace pages because the social networking sites are not accesible here. I guess AISD hasn't figured out that they still need to block Twitter.

Our big excitment this past weekend was that #1 and #4 both ran in a 1 mile race. #4was 2nd in his age group (out of 60ish) and #1 got 3rd (out of 78). #2 is preparing for a big school sock hop that her class is sponsoring to help raise money for field trips. #3 is always busy being busy and #5 (SBW) is still nursing like there is no tomorrow.

When I look ahead at this week I realize that we have math tutoring, orchestra practice, 7 soccer practices, 5 soccer games, 4 piano lessons, a school sock hop and school pictures and I am sure that I am forgetting something. Whew.

SBW has really been loving me lately. I don't remember any of our other kids being so attached. I seriously think that he has some seperation anxiety. I was starting to get a bit frustrated by it this past weekend, but then I took a moment to remember that this time will be gone before I know it. So what if I sit in the chair and hold him most of the day or if he sleeps in the bed with us all night long. For that matter, who cares if they all sleep in the bed with us all night every night. Oh yeah, that's right, JC cares. :)

I am sad that Big Love is over for the season. I missed it last Sunday. I've gotta find some other series to watch and love other than crappy reality TV that is on VH1 or MTV.

#2 turned 11 last week. I just love this sweet girl SO much. She has such a beautiful heart and kind spirit. I've dropped the ball on her birthday party and gotta get something together soon. She wants to invite 13 of her closest friends for a sleepover party. I smell hurt feelings and d.r.a.m.a.! I'm trying so hard to avoid it, but can't seem to figure out what to do instead. ugh.

The orchestra just played through one of their pieces all of the way. The conductor was cheering for them and giving them praise for their great job. One of the kids said 'it gave me a warm fuzzy feeling'. I don't know if I think that is sweet or weird.

#3 has finished her homework and is now writing a letter to Uncle Chris. She is so teenish these days. You know, writing things like Peace Out, wuz up, homework stinks, my mom made me write this, thingamajigger and her salutation was J just left the building. Oh brother for me.

I am worried about supper. I didn't get the roast in the crockpot until 4ish. The receipe I used said to cook 8-10 hours. Whoopsie. I turned it on high and will pray for the best. Maybe we will hafta eat out cause it isn't done yet. :)

I am kind of enjoying this stream thing. My friend IRL does this every Saturday. I think I might start doing it more often. Hmmm...what do you think?

Monday, March 23, 2009

Ah, Texas


I am that mom. Yes, I am the person that stops the minivan on the side of the freeway and unloads the kids to run up and down the hill in the bluebonnets. I just can't resist. They are so beautiful.

We saw lots of the beautiful blue at the beginning of the great grandparent tour. We had to stop for pictures.

There were tons of Texas Indian Paintbrushes too.

Only a couple of kids stepped in ant piles.

And at least it wasn't rush hour.

P.S. Didn't your mother tell you?...DON'T MESS WITH TEXAS!

I've Always Known


Last week I had to take the kids to the doctor before we went on vacation. Turns out that three of them had poison ivy. While I was sitting on the floor waiting for the doctor, I noticed the sun coming through the window. I couldn't resist snapping a few pictures.

I've always known that these babies are my angels. Now there is proof.




Saturday, March 21, 2009

GGPT09

We've been on vacation for almost 7 days now. Well technically, we've only been on vacation since Wednesday - but the kids have been on spring break all week.

We are having a blast.

I am calling this trip the 'Great Grandparent Tour 2009' or GGPT09.

When we lay our heads down in our home on Sunday night, we will all sleep well knowing that we have had a great time with our great grandparents.

Seeing my Granny last Sunday was really nice. It also makes me realize that I need to see her more often. The icing on the cake was seeing my cousin Codi and her family. Too bad that my cousin Niecie couldn't be there. I am counting on us all getting together soon.

We are in Florida right now. We are really having the best time with Jeff's grandparents. We are all loving it. Tomorrow we have another day packed with fun things to do.

I can't wait to get home and make a post with tons of tons of great pictures!

Friday, March 13, 2009

A Week in Pictures

I have so much to blog about. I just can't seem to catch up. I have a long long list of things that I wanna share, but I seem to be busy doing other things like looking for my keys for hours and hours. So I thought that I'd just do a week in pictures and then I could act like I've been a good blogger by making frequent posts. And I've gotta make it fast cause my honey just called and asked me out for lunch and YOU KNOW I don't wanna miss that!

So the very best babysitter came to town and took the kids for ice cream at Sandy's. These kids love that girl SO much. And the truth is, I do too. We love that we get to see her when she comes home. I love that she is such a good example for them and that they like to hang with her.

It is that time of the year! The Texas mountain laurel is in full bloom and it is beautiful. We call this E's birthday flower because it is usually blooming on her birthday. The flowers are about to be all gone, which is sad, but we sure do appreciate them while they are here!

Sno Beach opened last week. You gotta know that we have been waiting and waiting for it to happen! Oh you gotta love that Sno Beach. This was taken at 3pm - right after school. The line was L.O.N.G. long! You be happy to know that I took this picture for two reason - 1) to document our first visit this season and 2) to show the trash talkin' lady in the black dress at the window that was behind us with one of the most foul mouths you have ever heard. She walked up with a car full of her co-workers and proceeded to talk bad about her boss, her job and just about everything else that you can imagine and was very very well versed in the many uses of the 'f' word. Even I was a little shocked. I'm thinking to myself 'okay-you are in a snow cone line with a ton of kids, maybe you could get a clue!' When we got in the car, M said 'boy that lady said a lot of bad words!'

We've gone to the last couple of Austin Aztex games. They've been a ton of fun. #1 and his buddies like to get all jazzed up for them.

This is a good pic. of #1's best buddies and his soccer coach. We love our Coach Walli! And notice the red spray paint in the hair, it totally looked like lots and lots of blood when it was going down the drain. Both of the boys LOVED it! :)
Oh and look at how cute this little baby is. Can you even believe his is about to be 7 months old?!?!?!
Last week we had the air conditioner on. This week it is the heater and the fireplace. Geez Louise!
SBW fell asleep in his carseat sucking on a toy. This was just too cute to not include on the blog!


The cat is confused by the weather too. He mostly wants to stay inside and covered up these days. It is just too darn cold and rainy!

That's all I've got for now. Gonna go have lunch with my man. Will try to have something better tomorrow!

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Bows Up


#1 has asked to play the violin for a really long time. Like since kindergarten or 1st grade really long time. We always said no because of piano lessons, guitar lessons, baseball, basketball, soccer, swimming, skateboarding. You name it, he's wanted to do it. Violin just didn't seem so practical.

Well, fast forward to 6th grade and he gets to play in the band or orchestra and pick his instrument. Go figure, he picked the violin. I even tried to change his mind by telling him how much fun band was - football games, road trips. I mean come on, his dad was the band president in high school. Why wouldn't you want to follow in his footsteps?

So we rent the instrument. He goes to class. He is THRILLED. He practices everyday. WITHOUT US TELLING HIM. How weird. I guess he really does like this violin thing. He even asked for a Yo-Yo Ma CD. Bizarro.

So then he gets wind of the Austin Youth Orchestra. He wants to try out. We let him. Whew...he makes it. Another thing to add to the list. He is busting because he is so excited. A few weeks ago, they had chair try-outs. I'm crossing my fingers that he doesn't get last. He's made a bet with his friend that if he gets last he has to bust out crying in the middle of orchestra. If the friend gets last, the friend gets to lick the floor. Nice, huh?

Monday night we got the results. Imagine my surprise when we found out he is first chair. And apparently when you are first chair violin, you are called the concert master. Well, who the hell knew? I am refusing to call him that at home. His friends are calling him Mr. Concert Master. Oh brother.

You can also imagine my surprise when a mom that I am friendly with came up to me during rehearsal to talk about my #1 being #1. Apparently there is some buzz about it amongst the parents because he is a skinny little white kid with messy hair and crumpled clothes. He doesn't fit the typical profile of a first chair violinist. At the risk of sounding ugly, there are 54 violinist in his orchestra and probably 75% of them are Asian and wearing private school uniforms to rehearsal.

I'm glad to know that I can add to the shock and amazement of the other parents by walking in with four other kids - one on crutches, a baby trying to rip off my shirt cause he thinks he is starving and a kid doing the dance cause he just can't hold it anymore. But what does it matter though because I am the mother of the concert master. hee hee.

Sister Love

Last Thursday my 'sisterwife' Ruth brought over a bowl of crack-a-roni. That'd be like macaroni, 'cept for it is a gazillion times more delicious and as addictive as crack. It was so so good and it was gone in one blink of an eye.

Ruth isn't really my sisterwife cause we aren't so much into the plural lifestyle here in jolly ol' Barton Hills, but if I had to pick one, she'd be at the top of the list because of the crack-a-roni and the superb cocktail making.

You know who else would be at the top of my list??? My friend Sarah. She makes the best to die for homemade bread, can sew AND use a power nail gun and is also okay with having a beer before lunch on a school day.

Geez, we would all be in a ton of trouble if we did start a compound. Not in the 'share the prophet' kinda way (ick), but more in the 'let's just have a good ol' time while the husbands are at work' kinda way (partay).

And how 'bout the fact that we all drive in a soccer carpool together?

Ahhhh, life is good!

Monday, March 2, 2009

And Now You Know...

Yesterday morning I got up kinda early and took #1 to Wal-Mart to get a case for his fancy dancy ooo-la-la autographed Matt Reis MLS card. For those of you that don't know, that is the same as an autographed baseball card - 'cept for it is Major League Soccer. Yowzers - how in the world did I become such a soccer mom?

Anyhoo...while at the Wal-Fart, I picked up the Sunday paper. I've bought it a few times in the last few weeks. I've been trying to clip coupons. I was so so so sad to see that Paul Harvey died. Of course, I knew that it would happen at some point - afterall, he was 90 years old. But gosh, it made me feel sad.

I have listened to him give the noon day news since I was little. I would turn the afternoon drive time radio on pretty often to hear him tell me the 'rest of the story'.

For me, there was something so natural about his voice and his way of delivering a message. As an adult, I would listen to him because I enjoyed it and because it was one of the things that I could do on a daily basis that reminded me of home. Listening to Paul Harvey makes me think of county roads, fresh vegetables, open windows and crawdad holes. It must be because of all of those years growing up with the kitchen radio on all day long and the country music always being in the background of everyday tasks.

Well, thank you Paul Harvey. Thank you for always telling me the rest of the story.

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Oh, and on a side note, I have become the person that you hate in the grocery store. Guess how much I saved in the grocery store yesterday by using coupons and only shopping the ad. Guess! Oh yeah, that's right...$32.50. Thirty freakin' two fifty. Wahoo!!! Sonic happy hour sodas for everyone!!