Creativity Is In

Connor had the opportunity to do some extra credit for his Spanish class this week...

Here is the cutest (and LEAST expensive project ever!!)

SNOOPY THE PINATA

About three weeks ago, Colby came home from school proud of the fact that he stayed in art class ALL day drawing... Huh?? After further investigation, it seems that the art teacher chose Colby and a few others out of each class to come and draw an original piece that would then be judged for the District Art Show.

He went into a very thorough explanation of how he drew what he drew and was very excited! As it turned out, Colby's art piece WAS chosen along with a handful of others at his school of 800! His art piece was framed and will be hanging in our school districts Administration Building all summer. In September, they will hold an Open House for all of the families to come and view their child's artwork.

Who knows, maybe we will be viewing his artwork in a museum someday.

Is there a section for pinata's in museums?!? If not, there should be!

Three Days Late

I have SO MUCH to blog about thanks to an amazing last two weeks of summer vacation and the start of school. However, the head cold of all head colds came to visit me and I am just now feeling ready to tackle life!

I will begin with the biggest news of the week...SCHOOL STARTED!!

I always take that first day of school photo. As you will be able to tell, Connor just tolerated that this year...oh, can you imagine how joyful he will look on his first day of his Senior year?!?





For his 8th grade year, Connor is excited to have his second year of Spanish, be an office aide and play football. Unfortunately, there is math, science, U.S. History and Language Arts that has to be attended as well!! He does love school and has even talked mom into cooking him a real breakfast every morning!


Yep...pancakes, eggs and bacon. Poor Chris has asked me for 18 years to cook him breakfast...hmmm.

Colby is enjoying his 3rd grade year as well. It will be a big year as the all-important TAKS test begins in the 3rd grade.

Honestly, I was not yet ready for them to head to school. Both boys are going to continue playing baseball this Fall; so, with football and school, the routine is going to change dramatically from our laid back summer! I am sure once we get back in a routine, I will once again be happy to have my "Hours of Solitude"!!

Do I Need To Introduce Myself??

Whew! I wasn't sure I even remembered my password to make a new post!! :) I can't believe it has almost been a month since my last post -- guess I am still having blogger's block or it could be that all I have to speak of is baseball!

We have now received both boy's practice and tournament schedules for the Spring season and it appears that we will be at a practice or game seven nights a week until June...oh, wait! We do get this Sunday off!! Yipee!!

All I have to say to that is that we better hire a yard man!

Connor's team has already competed in three tournaments and have taken first place in all three. That is a great way to begin the season! The past two years, his team has competed in Louisiana and Kansas for the World Series. This year, we are heading to Cooperstown, NY. There will be 94 teams from all over the United States. The boys will actually get to stay in a dorm at the park for the week with their coaches (makes me glad I am just a coaches wife!!). We are all very excited and hope they continue doing their best!

Big League Dreams, League City


Cy-Fair


Beaumont


Colby is on a new team and his tourneys begin in two weeks. I am anxious to see them play and know I will be putting some pictures of his team on my blog soon!!

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?

Why God Gave Me Men

Chris is out-of-town. So, I figured the boys and I would do what we would have done on any other non-baseball Saturday, even if Chris was in-town...RAKE!! The grand total today...14 bags!

Colby and I raked and bagged the front yard for about 2 hours this morning and then headed to the backyard. Connor was no where to be seen - which isn't unusual these days! After a while, here comes Connor! "Wow!", I said. Connor said, "I'm here to help you, mom." He proceeded to rake and bag and clean the pool while Colby and I raked and bagged too. As I watched my boys work, I realized that God knew I would need boys instead of girls because when Chris is traveling my boys will take care of me (that is when they aren't fighting!) I think, way to go God! And then we reached the yuckiest part of cleaning up the backyard -- the dog poop! I was fully prepared to go clean it up; but, without even asking Colby went and got the shovel and started towards the pen. I said, "Colby, mommy will do that." He turned and said, "No, mom. I'm a man." (I think I heard the angels singing to me!!)

However, I was brought back to earth a little when Colby came to help bag the last pile of leaves and he matter-of-factly said, "Mom, you stink!" After all, God didn't make men perfect! :)

My Boys on Halloween Night

Halloween is one of those "holidays" that I do have a little guilt over. Do I allow my kids to go trick-or-treating, get loads of candy and call it a night? Do I explain to them that there are some people in the world who make Halloween their spiritual celebration? How far do I let them go with their costumes? In years past, costumes have been tame -- superheroes, doctors, scarecrows, cowboys, etc. This year, the boys both wanted to be something scary! We "settled" on them both being Dracula. Neither one of them knows anything about Dracula; but, they both had fun and looked cute in their own getting-older kind-of way! I hope everyone had a safe and fun Halloween!

The Difference Between 11 and 6

In the past 24 hours, I have been "treated" to the difference four and a half years make in a child's life...

Connor, who is 11 and in 6th grade, came to me night before last and said excitedly, "Mom, I know what I want for Christmas!" I half-heartedly said, "Yeah? What?" Now, Connor is a Lego fiend and every year for the past five or six years, Connor has wanted some huge, new Star Wars ship. Last year's ship I think contained over 1,500 pieces. After opening it, he sat down and did not move for at least five hours until the whole thing was done! Man, I love Legos!!! Anyway, his reply hit me like a TON of bricks... "I want Abercrombie cologne." AHH! What happened to my little boy who used to want every tractor and truck... and video games... and bikes... and baseball mitts?? He is growing up!!

For Colby, who is 6 and in 1st grade, his pet fish are his love. Both Connor and Colby have a tank each in their rooms with one fish a piece. Colby's was a $0.28 goldfish from Wal-mart that we bought in March. We have tried to put new fish in with it and for some reason they do not survive -- causing MAJOR heartache in a 6 year old! Last Monday, the boys went grocery shopping with me. They decided it was time to get more fish. Connor picked out 2 sharks and Colby got another goldfish. Within hours, Colby's goldfish died. I ran out the next day and got a new one. The lady at Wal-mart told me I probably killed it because I didn't acclimate it to the water temperature first! Thanks, lady!! So, I made sure it was adjusted to the water temperature before putting it in. Whew! Colby gets home from school and runs upstairs to see it and comes down screaming that "Whitey" (his old goldfish) was eating the new one!! Yep. That's how all the others had died evidently! So, we moved new goldfish, "Goldie", to Connor's tank. Goldie is not a tropical fish as Connor's are; but, I didn't care. Within a few more hours, one of Connor's sharks was dead! Back to Wal-mart I go to get my $6 back. A week later, the second shark is dead! Too bad! However, "Goldie" is still going strong...until two nights ago when he started getting scaly -- kind of molting and swimming into things. YUCK! Did I flush him yet or was he just growing and going through a stage?? Nope. The sobbing cries were heard throughout the house last night as Colby found yet another dead fish! I just wanted to tell him to get over it! It's just a fish! Colby was SO upset. I did what any mom would do...in our nightly prayer, I thanked God that Goldie was in a better place and not hurting anymore! I was so stunned with what I was saying that I had to open my eyes! Come on, Davedda!! But when I saw Colby's little eyes closed and his hands clasped tightly under his chin fervently thanking God too, my heart melted. Oh to be six!!

This mothering thing is such a roller coaster and sometimes I want to say, "Let me off!" But, in reality, I wouldn't have it any other way. I love my boys -- each in their own worlds.

My Job -- Taxi Driver

Because my main reason for this blog is a journal for me to look back on and remember the good and the bad, I HAD to blog again today to tell what my sweet boys said to me yesterday. Yesterday started out really good and until 3:30 or so was relaxing. AND THEN, school let out and all the activities began! Both boys had baseball practice at the same time but, of course, different places. Fifteen minutes before we were to leave, it starts pouring! What do I do? I keep checking e-mails knowing for sure both coaches would call off practice. Nope! So we rush around, getting dressed and gear packed and water bottles filled and get into my just washed car(!) and head out of the driveway. My cell phone rings and Chris says, "You might as well turn around, Connor's practice was cancelled." Surely Colby's was too. I pull back into the drive and take my purse and run inside to check e-mails again. No e-mail from Colby's coach! So, I call him and he says they are still having it, but if we wanted we could skip it. Colby says, "Mom, I really want to go." I am frazzled! Urgh!! Connor looks at me and says, "Mom, when you get old, I will take you wherever you need to go." It took me by surprise! He's never said something so sweet!


Well, I get in the car and speed off! It normally takes 40 minutes to get to Colby's practice field. I only had 35 minutes at this point; so, I decided to take the back roads. Wrong move!! I decide I need some gum to chew away my frustration. I reach for my purse -- no purse. Where is my purse? I suddenly remember leaving it on the back of the barstool while I checked e-mail for the 100th time that afternoon! No gum, no driver's license. I decided God must have made me go the backroads because there was no way I could get pulled over for speeding when I could only go 5 MPH because of traffic! (He knows how I drive on the freeway!) Colby's practice was from 6-7. After one hour of driving, we arrive at 6:20! I am not happy. The team was working on their batting and I sit there thinking, "Why in the heck did we waste our time, gas, and get my clean car dirty for this?!?" Practice ends and Colby runs straight to me and looks at me with a big smile and says, "Thank you, Mom, for bringing me tonight!" Talk about bursting my selfish bubble!!


In one night, within hours of each other, both of my boys showed genuine thanks and love to me! The frustration and aggravation floated away and I decided that I do love my "job".