Memories of My Boys

I had a flood of memories today because I saw a family on the side of the road, making their two frilly-clad little girls sit in a bed of bluebonnets and pose!

This is the most beautiful time of year in Southern Texas. I don't remember bluebonnets when we lived in Ft. Worth or Midland. But just going to the corner of our street today, the road sides are in full bloom. When we first moved here six years ago, I would take the boys, dressed in their Easter (or at least "Springy") clothes and make them sit in the bed of flowers and smile! "Just ignore that bee boys. It won't hurt you," I remember telling them! I would make them look down, look up, smile, look serious, smell the flowers -- poor boys! That could be why a couple of years ago as we were driving in the car and I exclaimed, "Oh, look at all the bluebonnets!" Connor groaned and said, "I guess we have to go do pictures again, huh?" Well, I knew at that point they had outgrown that tradition! I haven't even made them step on a bluebonnet again. In fact, the last picture I can find of them was taken in 2004. So, I may have to take them this weekend!!

No matter how old they are, I still want their picture. (Yes, mom, I sound like you!) But, really, isn't this beautiful?

Do They Have To Go Back To School Already??

What?!? I never thought in a million years that I wouldn't be ready to see that yellow school bus come by my house!! Spring Break '08 was so relaxing! We filled the days with things that we never have time for because of school, homework, and baseball!! The boys had three sleep-overs, built a fort in the woods behind our house, slept late(!), and splashed in the pool. Only one mishap -- Connor was trying to get on an inflatable in the pool and kicked real hard to get closer to it, kicking the rocks on the hottub and slicing open his foot. Three stitches later and he was good to go!

Saturday, we spent the day at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. It took me back to my roots. When I was growing up, we went to the rodeo close to every night! Carmel apples and Indian Tacos were staples in my food chain the month of September in New Mexico! That "fair" smell of junk food and cow manure just gets me giddy!! And do you know that Leon Coffee is STILL a rodeo clown?!?

The boys rode rides,



ate their fair food,



pet the animals, (By the way, this is the Reserve Champion Steer which sold for $300,000! I told the boys they should quit baseball and join 4-H!!)


and sat through the final rodeo -- which took 3 hours -- and then sang with Brooks and Dunn!

After the rodeo, we walked the midway again and Connor won a guitar - HIS FIRST TRY! I remember when I was about his age, there was this big white unicorn with a purple horn. I wanted that more than anything! There is no telling how many tickets it took to win it, but I got it! It probably would have been cheaper to buy it at KMart!!


Easter Sunday was a beautiful day and because the kid activities were cancelled for the morning, we all went into "big" church together. A great ending to a great week!

It's Rodeo Time, Houston!

It was Rodeo Round-Up in first grade today. A big day of sitting around a campfire, roping steers, and riding stick ponies AND real ponies! YeeHaw!

Seafood for Breakfast

Today was a big day to be a first grader: Reading Restaurant!

We moved to The Woodlands the summer before Connor started first grade. There have been many programs and concerts over the last five years; but, it all began with Reading Restaurant. Reading Restaurant is a time for the students to show off their reading skills to their parents in a fun way. I remember Connor's big chef hat and little apron. I don't remember the theme of our meal -- if there even was one. But, he did a great job reading books to us and then the class performed a poem or two.

Fast forward five years, and when I got the notice that Colby's Reading Restaurant was set for Feb. 21, I got teary-eyed. Now I am not very emotional. But it hit me hard that this was the LAST Reading Restaurant I would be going to. In fact, everything of Colby's that I go to will be the LAST. Gosh, I hope I don't cry my way through his school years! (And before I get some smart comment from my sister - no, I do not want another baby!!)

So, this morning, Chris and I went to school and he greeted us donned in his chef's hat and apron.



He asked very politely if we would like to be seated at Snyder's Seafood Shack. We assured him we would. He seated us at his desk that was decorated with shells and nets and placemats and then gave us a menu. He quickly hurried off to fetch our "book" of food.



He read "More Spaghetti I Say" and "The Lunchbox Surprise" and then offered the Chef's Surprise.



After we paid our bill in hugs and kisses, I hugged Mrs. Snyder and told her thank you for letting me have one more Reading Restaurant!

Where I've Been

So my sister wants to know where I've been. What's wrong, Danette, tired of seeing my duck-taped toilet everytime you pull up my blog?!? By the way, the duct-tape is still holding up!! :)

Well, I would like to say that I have been on a deserted island soaking up lots of sun or on an African Safari watching animals in their native surroundings...but, I've just been being a mom! I've either been at my computer working on endless pages of Connor's school's yearbook or sitting in a baseball bleacher!

I am thrilled to say that as of Friday, I have all but 18 pages of the yearbook submitted to our publisher and they are therefore out of my hands! The last are due March 10 -- so the end IS near.

Baseball is in full-swing. I try to tell myself to enjoy being layered and wrapped in blankets as I sit out there in February because, all to soon, I will be sweating profusely! I do have to say that we will all be looking good at each of the boy's games because this year has been the year of new uniforms and any kind of paraphenalia that has either the Hooks logo or the Enforcers logo on it -- we have blingy shirts, blankets, chairs, etc. The boys have awesome uniforms. If we don't win, we will at least look GOOD trying!

So, in case I don't post again until March 11 when my full-time volunteer position is finished - rest assured that I am not on an island or in the wild. I am just riding the up and down roller coaster of "Mom Land"!

This One's For My Dad

When I was little, my dad used to say that duct tape and baling wire would fix anything. His other saying is, "There is someone who gets paid to do that." He says that alot to my husband.

Chris and I really do like projects. And, luckily, I married a really handy man! Chris has done everything from sprinkler systems, building fences and gates, totally renovating our bathroom -- including plumbing, tiling, rebuilding a wall that was totally crooked! --, crown moulding, baseboards, anything electrical, everything landscape-wise, including a flagstone patio. Shoot, he even rebuilt a Goldwing motorcycle bolt-by-bolt. As you can imagine Lowe's and Home Depot are frequented at least once EVERY weekend by one or all members of our family.

Well, Friday night Chris comes in the living room and says, "Did you see that our toilet seat has split?" I said I wondered why I felt something pinch me when I was getting up! I figured, no big deal. We will pick up a new toilet seat on one of our weekend trips to a local home improvement center. You can imagine my surprise when I went to use the bathroom Saturday evening and saw this...



Duck tape on my toilet!?!

I bet my dad is pretty proud of his son-in-law right about now! I guess I better go search the phonebook and see if there is someone I can pay to fix that!!

He Got Me

It is anyone's guess how quickly OR happily Colby will get up on any said morning. One morning he will be super sweet and easy and the next he is not so super sweet or easy! Yesterday morning was the absolute worst by far! He was mad at the world before one eye even opened! Needless to say when he got on the bus yesterday morning I already had a ton of "mom guilt" on my shoulders for the way I reacted to his mood.

This morning before I went into his room I quickly asked God to please make this morning much easier than yesterdays. And, He did. Colby got up relatively easy and was actually smiling. (Although I still had to make his lunch in the dark because he doesn't like the kitchen light to be on -- "it's too bright!") It was time to brush his teeth and hair and he ran on ahead of me. When I rounded the corner to my bathroom I heard singing coming from the potty. In a gravely voice (or as gravely as a 7 year old voice can be) Colby was singing, "One way or another I'm gonna get ya, get ya, get ya..." That made me laugh! When he was finished getting ready I asked him where he heard that song. "On a commercial." I told him that song was around when I was his age and I started singing it to him. He thought that was funny. I said, "Colby why are you so happy today and yesterday you were so mad?" He said, "Well, some days I just am too tired!"

I am so thrilled today he was well-rested! Maybe when he is too tired next time, I'll start singing to him in my gravely voice!!