The Delozier Factor

Clean bottom

2011-04-06T11:28:00.001-05:00

As I was updating this blog, I hear Bo yell from his bathroom "Mom, I pooped." So I went walking in there and he was already in the playroom playing with his trains. I said, "do you need me to wipe your bottom?" and he said, "no, I already wiped it." So I said, "why don't you let me look at it to make sure your not dirty". He sat back on the toilet and I checked, and he was actually clean. I told him "Good job - you got it all" and his reply "I have the cleanest butt in the world."

Bo moved up to a big bed

2011-04-06T11:20:00.004-05:00

Finally we moved Bo into a big boy bed. I was really sad to see the crib go, but we knew it was time. Towards the end, Bo wouldn't even sleep in his crib even though we'd taken the side off so it was more like a toddler bed. He would sleep on the floor next to the crib!

He actually did pretty good staying in his bed at first. He'd sleep in there all night and only had 1 or 2 accidents in the first few weeks. It seemed like it took forever to potty train him, but as soon as he made the decision to do it, he did it 100%. No diapers, no pull-ups at night, nothing. And he's done great! We are so proud of him!!

More pics from Bo's birthday

2011-04-06T11:15:00.002-05:00

Bo's 3rd birthday!

2011-04-06T11:12:00.002-05:00

Since I am updating today, everything will be out of order, but at least it's all on here. We had Bo's 3rd birthday at our house this year. He had a whole list of trains he wanted and the funny thing was, the train he wanted changed everyday. One day you'd say "Bo, what do you want for you birthday?" He's say "Gording (Gordon)". The next day it would be "Stepney" or "Henry" or whoever. We literally made a list and there about 30 trains on it!

Snow Day from February 2011

2011-04-06T11:08:00.004-05:00

I think our kids are going to think snow is normal around here after the two winters we've had!

Home with strep

2011-04-06T11:01:00.003-05:00

I am home today from work with strep throat. It hurts so bad - honestly, I can't remember a sore throat that was so painful. Anyway, I am going through a list of things I need to do and of course, updating the blog is one of them. Doesn't matter how I try, I can't seem to keep this thing updated.

So, here's what happened the last few months. First, Nanaw & Papaw moved to Murphy from Oklahoma! They moved into their new house on my birthday, March 3rd. They are less than 2 miles from us. We are so excited to have them so close.

Darla has started swimming two nights a week. She is really good at it! I get tired watching her. She graduated from Level 4 to Level 5 after her first 8 week session, so she's working on all her strokes. She's also taking dance and gymnastics - she's a very busy 7 yr old!

Bo is taking gymnastics on Monday mornings. He's in a class with Mia. Sometimes it goes good, sometimes he cries. You just never know how he's going to be that day. He also took a swim class, but he said the "water was too cold" and it probably is since they just kind of sit in the kids pool and take turns going around with their teachers. So we stopped swim lessons after 4 weeks.

I sold Miller right before Christmas. A girl from Utah bought him. It was a very hard decision to make, but now that he's 14, I knew if I was going to sell him, now was the time. I was obsessed about finding a new horse. I tried a couple and then found "Joni" online. She's 6 and really sweet. So far she's doing pretty good, but at this point, anything can happen!

Brent's headed to the car race this weekend, so it will just be me & the kids flying solo. I am sure we'll find ways to keep busy.

At the Barn

2010-09-26T22:40:00.002-05:00

These were taken a couple of weeks ago. I can't even tell you how great Darla is riding. She has finally learned to loap on Barbie! I still remember the day Tony took off in a loap with me and what it felt like. I'm so proud of her.

"Fall has Fallen" as Brent said today

2010-09-26T22:19:00.004-05:00

Today was the first day in a long time that it was nice outside and stayed below 80 degrees. It felt GREAT! I love cool weather. It also made me realize that another summer has gone by and all the fun things my kids have done/are doing and that I need to write about them.

Darla has started 2nd grade without a hitch. Her teacher is Mrs. Tillery. I asked Darla, "how long do you think it will take Mrs. Tillery to love you?". She answered "2 days". I think she was right. She was picked as Hound of the Week first this year! She was soo excited! After school, we're doing Hip Hop and gymnastics. No vollyeball this fall...Taylor didn't want to play so Darla wasn't set on playing either. She's definitely more into her friends right now and wants to have someone over to play or go play somewhere all the time. I can remember my friends from 2nd grade! Her Christmas list: an iphone, a real, real, very real, 6 week old white schnauzer puppy, and a laptop. I hope she has a backup plan for all those.

Bo is getting ready to turn 3 and that means I'm having a hard time dealing with all the changes I need to make. First, potty training. Bo has NO desire to teetee in the potty. He can do it, but he doesn't necessarily feel the need to do it. He's very content with his pull-up. This summer, a very familiar sight was me spraying him off with a water hose after he pooped in his pull-up in the pool. Happened almost every time we went swimming...seriously?!? Another change I need to make is the big boy bed. I have put this off as long as I can for 2 reasons. One, SLEEP. I need peaceful, uniterrupted, wonderful sleep and when your toddler is in a cage, I mean crib, you get it. Once they are loose, anything can happen. But, I know it's time. Luckily, he hasn't crawled out yet. I have actually talked myself into believing he LIKES his crib and gets a good night's sleep in there. The second reason, I don't want to put my crib away. I love that crib. I picked that crib out years before Darla was even born. I just knew that would be my babies' crib. It's a lot harder than I thought I would be to put it away. Maybe I can get Mugsy to sleep in it???

Bo is so funny. His hair is curlier than ever. He needs a haircut but I don't want to cut the curls off but yet I don't want it short on top/long in the back (aka a mullett) so I'm taking him to Lauren Tuesday to let her figure it out. He is obsessed with Thomas the Train. His birthday list is just a list of trains; that's it, no other toys, just trains. And the list changes daily depending on which trains he watches on TV that day. He answers almost every sentence with "uh-huh" but his voice goes up at the end. He also likes to "coughy" (copy) Darla which she can't stand. He speaks so cleary now that it almost makes me sad he doesn't have more words that are wrong. He's just too smart! Other favorite words... burella (umbrella), Egg-ward (Edward, one of the trains), To-vee (Toby), ba-sgetti, grey sprite (the spritezero bottle is white?), Supper Target. He used to always make this "cuh" sound - it's hard to explain. It's almost like the beginning of a laugh but he wasn't laughing; but he doesn't do it as much anymore. He seems to like his Older 2's class at school - mainly because when I drop him off they get to watch TV! He is supposed to be Buzz Lightyear for Halloween but also said he wants to be a "bampire" like Darla. Guess we'll see how that turns out!

7 years old!

2010-06-20T21:37:00.003-05:00

What a fun weekend! Darla turned 7 on Friday. She always asks me if she can do anything she wants on her birthday and I say yes...so Friday morning she started off the day with an ice cream cone in bed. She had my cell phone and the home phone next to her waiting to take her birthday calls!

Darla had the whole day planned out. She went to Whistle Stop for a little bit, and then her Daddy picked her up and they went to eat pizza at Pizza Inn. She said she wanted to go to Baskin Robbins before AND after Pizza Inn, but I think after she had lunch she changed her mind.

After I got home, we headed to Build a Bear. Darla picked a blue bear with peace signs all over it and named her Prissy. Bo got a Zhu Zhu pet named Num Nums but he calls him Donuts. After Build A Bear we went to see Toy Story 3!! It was opening day and we knew it would be crowded so we got there pretty early. The movie was great and it was Bo's first trip to the movie theater. I don't think any other movie could have kept his attention but he just loves Woody (Dee-Dah as he used to call him) and Buzz. He got pretty restless during the last half hour but other than that he did pretty good.

On Saturday, Darla had her party at Thunderbird Roller Rink. Luckily Nanaw & Papaw got her skates for Christmas and they are nice enough to let her skate around their house, so Darla is getting pretty good on the skates. She had a bunch of friends from her class (NO BOYS!) and lots of family there. She got a new scooter, PJ's, a swimsuit, zhu zhu pets and accessories, a DS game, jewelry, her first pair of spurs & spur straps and an itouch! Bo really likes all the zhuzhu pets too and Darla has been VERY patient letting Bo play with her new stuff.

Today is Father's Day so this morning we gave Brent his presents and I tried to make a blackberry cobbler...it tasted good but it was pretty runny. If you put enough ice cream on it you couldn't tell!! I've got to work on my recipe. We went to swim at Granddad's and Bo has no fear of the water. He doesn't really like to wear his ring anymore, just his floaties. He also loves to go underwater which scares me to death. Today his new trick was jumping in by himself and he would hold out his hand and say "Don't catch me Mommy". He also liked to sit on a float in the pool and tell everyone "watch how I fall" and then fall off. I love that he tries new things and all, but he just doesn't need to grow up so fast!

the end of 1st Grade

2010-06-04T21:34:00.004-05:00

Today was Darla's last day of 1st Grade. Ms. Garner has been so impressed with Darla's writing, so I thought I would share a couple of her writing assignments.

1-11-10:
Dear Mom,
Around Valentine's day will you take me to Academy to by a squishy heart pen please? I would pay you, help you cook, I would help you fold laundry to.
Your smart and only daughter,
Darla

5-24-10:
My Dance Recital
Last Friday I had a Hip-Hop dance recital. I had so much family there. I had to wait like an hour to get on stage. I wasn’t even nervous. Once I got on stage my Uncle Andy shouted…GO DARLA! Sometimes I can’t stand my Uncle Andy. He is so frustrating sometimes. (More like always) When I got off the stage I mean there was hugs and kisses and good jobs. And of course Uncle Andy was doing my dance and doing it very badly. I got 3 packs of flowers. We put all the real flowers in vases at home. I had a really great time at my dance recital.

The Baby Possum

2010-04-12T21:18:00.002-05:00

This weekend the kids spent the night with Memaw. While they were there, Greta & Bella (the Schnauzer's) brought a baby possum in the house!!! Darla said she was freaking out and screamed and ran outside and of course Bo did exactly the same thing she did. It is sooo funny to hear Bo tell the story..."Baby Possum came in the house and it laid there and looked around and pooped." I can't even imagine what I would have done if I had been there or had a possum run in our house.

Darla is still playing volleyball with the Lucky Stars. We haven't won a game yet, but Darla is getting a lot better. She gets a dollar every time the ball goes over the net so she stays pretty motivated.

I hope I never, ever forget this...Brent was playing the "I've got your nose" game with Bo. Well, Bo did the same thing back to his Daddy but to hold his "nose" in his fingers, he sticks his pointer finger out and wiggles it up and down. I know it is really hard to describe and doesn't sound that funny, but trust me, it's hilarious!

Bo started saying "Darla" instead of "Da-wah" about 2 weeks ago; he even corrected Jakob at Easter last weekend. It is so bittersweet - I know he has to learn how to say his words the right way, but it's just another sign that he's growing up way too fast. I refuse to correct him on "Ay-yoe" (yellow) or "People" (purple). He loves Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Chuggington and Krypto-Dog...he's growing out of the Dora phase I think. And the big shocker is, he eats SALAD!!!

Volleyball?

2010-01-11T22:51:00.002-06:00

I know I need to write about Christmas, the fact that it snowed (crazy!), and all the other great holiday things. But I just have to record that today, my daughter went to her very first volleyball practice! The only time I nearly failed a class was PE in 7th grade and it was because I couldn't serve the volleyball over the net. Let's hope Darla can change the family tree in this sport. She actually did great! After a few tries, she was even getting the ball over the net. Her first game is Saturday.

This is all Jodi's fault by the way...she called and told us there was one spot left on Taylor's team. Jodi told me that when a college signs Darla on a full scholarship, she can thank Jodi in her acceptance speech.

I'm just excited Darla is learning something new and getting to spend time with Taylor.

GO LUCKY STARS!

YAY Bo!

2009-12-11T21:36:00.001-06:00

Tuesday night Brent and I went to the Mavericks game. Memaw drove down to watch the kids. On the way to the game, I got a call from a VERY excited Darla. "Mom, Bo poo pooed in the potty!!!" We have a little potty set up in his bathroom and Bo usually sits on it before his bath, but we haven't done too much potty training yet so I was extremely surprised when she called. Memaw said Bo came walking in his bedroom naked and holding a People magazine and said "I poo pooed". And yes he did! Darla asked me "Mom, do you want us to save it for you until you get home????????" I told her "no, that's okay. We'll see it the next time!" ha ha

Santa

2009-12-07T21:15:00.006-06:00

Every year, we meet Jesse & Reese to see Santa. This year the plan was to go to the new Allen mall, but it's all outside and it was 40 degrees and raining, so our plan changed and we went to Bass Pro Shops.

The kids were so excited - they ran all over looking at the reindeer, the fish, and BO was obsessed with this little puppet sticking out of Santa's shop and kept saying "stuck", "stuck". I wasn't sure how Bo would do with Santa this year because last year he screamed! I think it helped that Santa had a big bowl of candy canes next to him. In fact, if you look at this picture, I think it sums up my kids pretty well. Bo is focused on the candy, Darla is reading her list to Santa. She has organized her list this year and marked who's getting her what...Santa, Mom, Dad, Granddad, etc. If any kid deserves to be at the top of Santa's "good" list - it's my sweet Darla!!

A few things on Darla's list this year: Barbie Pet Vet Station, white tiger cub, Penelope Puppy, Pet Vet DS game, some other Barbie/vet puppy, Barbie & 3 Musketeers DVD, Harry Potter DVDs. She needs to add her two front teeth to that list!! She is really into animals more than dolls and even told us that she wants to be a dentist or a vet when she grows up.

On Bo's list - a train table, basketball goal, t-ball set, toys, and clothes. Darla likes to add things (that SHE likes too) to Bo's list when catalogs come in the mail.

After Santa, we went next door to Primo's to eat. Jesse & Darla sat at their own table while Bo & Reese were stuck with me & Cortney. After we ate, I realized I couldn't find our picture with Santa, so we went back inside BPS and luckily someone had turned it in.

A few of my FAVORITE things Bo is saying right now: "Steam up" - stand up. "People" is purple. "Doora" for Dora. "See-tan Claus" - Santa. "Icicle" - popsicle.

Happy Birthday Bo

2009-10-24T21:32:00.002-05:00

Today my baby turned 2. It's such a cliche, but it's so true - they grow up soo fast! As soon as Bo woke up, we loaded up in the car and went to get "no-nuts" and sausage rolls because they are his favorite. He ate them in his chair while watching "Doo-Ra" and then we had to get dressed to go to Drew's party.

We had fun at Drew's - Granddad fed Bo a ton of chocolate cake and ice cream which kept his sugar high from the "no-nuts" going!! We left Darla there to play with Presley and then I get an email from Granddad that says "Tooth Fairy coming tonight".
I open it to see Darla's other front tooth is gone!!! We couldn't believe it! So she is officially toothless on the top.

We had Bo's party at Peter Piper Pizza. Daddy missed most of the OU game while we were at the party - poor planning on my part. Papaw definitely earned a gold star for coming to the party and missing the game!!! The kids had so much fun...Bo was running around crazy the whole time. I think they all ran out of tokens in the first 2 minutes, but luckily Uncle Andy & Nana kept everyone's cups full! Last year he cried really hard when we sang, but this year, he was so cute. He sat real still and made his "I'm trying not to smile face" where he cuts his eyes over to the side but then he started grinning ear to ear. And he even blew out both candles all by himself! He sat there and at his piece of cake for about 20 minutes - it was definitely the quietest/stillest moment of the day. Nanaw spent most of the party chasing him around, so I'm sure she was happy for the break too!!

We came home and opened presents - he got lots of good toys and clothes. Memaw gave him a card with her voice recorded in it and so did we, so he played with those things for almost a half hour. I think he was pooping his pants while he played with them which also explained why he was being so still, but it was so much fun to watch him open those and then sing with the songs.

Bo is such a funny little boy - tonight he and I laughed and laughed while he was in the bathtub just because he started laughing which made me laugh and then he'd get going. He is so busy - he hardly ever slows down. He hasn't been taking naps lately, and I really don't know how he gets through the whole day without being exhausted. He makes his Daddy & I tired, that's for sure! He loves to watch Dora right now - he gets up in our bed (which he calls "Bo's bed") and gets in my spot under the covers. It's pretty cute.

He can definitely say anything, and I do mean anything so you have to be very careful these days about what you say around him. He loves Darla so much - he will do anything she does or asks him to do. But he can be mean to her - hitting and pushing. He's really quick to say "Sorry Dar-wah". He went to Timeout this week @ school. When Brent went to pick him up he was sitting in the chair and started crying when he saw his Daddy, so he knows when he's doing right/wrong. At Amy's Tueday night, Anna came over to me and said "Bo just hit me." I said "Bo, no-no hit Anna" and he came walking towards me with his head and shoulders down showing how sorry he was. It was so funny - I was trying to keep a straight face.

I am trying to stop and remember every single moment that I can right now. This is the best age and Brent & I say all the time how we just want to enjoy it and take it all in. It goes by so fast!

Darla had a great week. She was selected for another "Hunt Hound Award" for Outstanding Behavior. They pick 2 students in each class each 6 weeks. She now has two dog tags for her collection - she got the same award in Kindergarten. She's doing such a great job in Ms. Garner's class, but we aren't really that surprised!! She & her Daddy went to Pumpkin Math Day on Friday and Brent said it was a lot of fun. They had to weigh, measure, count seeds, etc from their pumpkin. I think Brent made up a new Hunt Elementary song about the crossing guard to go with his "Mr. G-W" song.

Bo - we are so proud of you. You are such a sweet, good boy and we love you so much. Happy 2nd Birthday!!!

A Lot to Catch Up on

2009-10-05T21:41:00.002-05:00

I am feeling a little like the worst mom ever tonight. Maybe it's because I'm working Mon-Wed this week so I'm off my normal schedule, but Bo's 2nd birhtday is in a couple of weeks and I don't have anything planned. No invitations, no party details, nothing. And it's Oct 5th and we still don't have Halloween costumes...I know that sounds like I have time, but every year we have our costumes by now.

And then I looked to see I haven't written an entry in over a month! Where does the time go? Darla lost one of her front teeth a few weeks ago. She went to Nanaw's for the weekend and I got a picture on my phone with the tooth missing. It wasn't even that loose so I was SHOCKED to see it gone! Nanaw said Bo kept trying to pull one of his teeth out so he could look like his sister. He will do ANYTHING she is doing. Luckily, she's always setting a great example so that can be a very good thing.

Darla was chosen as Star Student of her class last week. We made a poster about her and then she got to take her favorite book and toy to class. The kids all made her a book on the last day and I have to tell you, it's the funniest thing that she's ever brought home! To see what the kids wrote about her is just too much. For example "Darla, Galushins (congratulations) on being Star Student" or "I hope you aren't sick. I hope you don't have a fever. I hope you don't get sick?!?!?" I will keep it forever!

Bo has grown up so much in the last month. He can say ANYTHING now and repeats everything we say. It's so funny to see him use words/sentences the correct way. Like last night Darla took off running to the playroom and said "Bo, come on." And he took off after and said "OK, I'm coming". He also got a haircut this month and likes to pat his head and say "Haircut". He can tell you that Nanny & Papaw live in "Homak" (Oklahoma) and I love to hear him say the names of the kids in his class "Caro-wine, Brody, Camin (Camryn), Heidi, Miss Doora (Miss Vera)".

We also got rid of the bottle last weekend. I know it should have happened months ago but it didn't. Oh well. Bo has really been good about it. Last weekend on Sunday night he asked for juice at bedtime so I gave it to him and we haven't looked back. I hid all the bottles and when he asked for one I just said "we don't have any" and I know he didn't really believe me but he went along with it. He loves cranapple juice right now which is very confusing becuase he'll say [very clearly] "apple juice" but he wants cranapple, not apple so it can be quite a battle if you don't know what he wants. Even at the grocery store while your checking out, he'll see the juice and then say "apple juice" about 50 times.

I forgot just how much fun this age is where they do something new every single day and you actually SEE your kids learning/growing right in front of your eyes.

2009-08-27T22:17:00.002-05:00

Monday was the first day of 1st Grade. We were really excited for Darla and this new chapter in her life. I feel like 1st grade is going to challenge her more than Kindergarten.

The morning started off pretty easy - the alarm went off at 6:30 and I woke Darla up at 6:45. Let me insert here how I wake her up...I walk in the room, turn on her TV, pat her on the back and say "Darla, time to get up". Unlike my childhood where my dad would walk in the room, turn on every light and say "Up and at 'em...let me see your feet on the floor." I swore I wouldn't do that to my child and so far, promise kept. Or, I would hear my mom's houseshoes coming down the tile hallway and I knew when the sound stopped she was on the carpet which meant she was almost to my room so I would jump out of bed right as she got there!

Darla got up, dressed pretty quickly, had cinnamon rolls and then started on her hair. We washed & dried it the night before but she wanted it super straight so we ironed it for the first day. We were all supposed to walk her to school but Bo was still asleep so Daddy decided to hang back with him. I wasn't about to let this day go without following her in the school to take pictures!

A few quick pics at the house and off we went. When we got there, Darla marched straight to the 1st Grade Hall and then walked that long hallway to Ms. Garner's room. She put her backpack in her locker and then to her desk. She was such a good sport about letting me take pictures while she put her stuff away. She sat down and started coloring a "welcome to first grade" picture and then I said, "Darla, can I get a picture of you & Ms. Garner". Darla gave me a "NOT NOW MOM" look, but luckily Ms. Garner (LOVE HER) understood the importance of this moment to me and said "Sure...come on Darla" so I got the pic. I know my days of getting these kind of pictures are limited, so I'm so grateful I got to sneak 'em in one more year!!!

When we went to pick her up that afternoon Brent asked - "how was 1st grade? Is it like Kindergarten?" Darla's response "No, it's not anything like Kindergarten. It's totally different."

And that was pretty much it. She's a first grader now. 6 years old and growing up too fast. This year wasn't as hard for me because I'm more excited for her than anything. I felt like Kindergarten was fun, but I think this year's she's going to learn so much.

I have to share Ms. Garner's note home today (Thursday - 4th day of school):
Darla is just precious. She loves learning. She has a thirst for knowledge that keeps her engaged all day. She is a model student and a lot of fun to work with.

Meet the Teacher

2009-08-23T20:44:00.003-05:00

We met Darla's 1st grade teacher, Ms. Garner, on Friday night. I'd heard great things about her like she is the 1st grade coordinator and she got Teacher of the Year last year. I couldn't have been more excited when I met her. She seems like the most perfect 1st grade teacher EVER. I just wanted to sit down at a desk and be her student. Darla really seemed to like her too. And she's excited about some of the friends in her class so I think it's going to be a good year.

Brent told me a funny Darla story. This morning they went to McDonalds to get us breakfast. On the way back, they drove by the house across Murphy Rd that has all the baby horses. Brent said he asked Darla if she wanted one. Darla's mind started turning and she said they should find out if they have a daughter and if they did, then she would trade 2 of her baby dolls that she doesn't play with anymore for one of those little colts. She was NOT willing to let go of her Webkinz though!

2009-08-11T21:17:00.002-05:00

I can't believe the summer is almost over. Today was our final "Swim Club" at Coco's house. We look forward to it every single Tuesday and I'm so sad that it's over. I have to say I love Swim Club so much because I get to spend a few hours each week with everyone and their kids. It's such a great time to see the kids' personalities and I always learn so much. Like today, Peyton told Amber & I that she no longer lives in Texas. I asked if she lives in Oklahoma or Louisiana and she said "no, we live in Muh-Kinney".

It's also so much fun to see the kids growing up right in front of us. Anna started off the summer very timid and by week 3 she was swimming all over the place and jumping off into the deep end. Mia and Bo defintely grew as swimmers this year - as of today, they both were pretty independent in their Swimmies. Mia didn't really like sharing her little jump ledge & towel with Bo, but she was a good sport! And then, poor Amy (but Amy it was all your fault), I think today every single girl (sorry Bo) mastered the cheer stunt. Jesse did one of the best toe touches EVER off the wall today, and Reese managed to keep her swim suit on most of the summer. Darla stayed in character most of the time (kitten, dolphin, unicorn, you name it) but was always my extra pair of eyes to keep a close watch on her little brother.

I just hope that when all the kids are teenagers they'll still hang out with us at Swim Club...

Cheer Camp

2009-08-11T21:12:00.002-05:00

Darla did a Cheer Camp at Whistle Stop this summer. We went to watch the Pep Rally last week. Let's just say it was very entertaining but I'm not sure if the girls learned much this summer! Darla's favorite chant was "We're number one, can't be number two, we're gonna beat the whoopee out of you." I don't think the teacher has won many awards on creativity.

2009-08-04T21:56:00.002-05:00

How cute is this???? Brent found them in Darla's room reading together.

2009-08-04T21:29:00.005-05:00

I am sure there are kids all over the world that had very exciting summer vacations and have seen things they will never forget. Maybe it was the Grand Canyon, the ocean floor or maybe even a solar eclipse. Things that don't happen every day and sometimes you might wait 2 decades to see. My kids also had this type of sighting this summer. And seriously, in my 34 years of life, I cannot recall a single time seeing this so I'd say my kids are extremely lucky. What is the great mystery? That would be GRANDDAD IN THE SWIMMING POOL!!!!!!!!!! I do not have pictures to prove it, so to all the disbelievers out there you'll just have to believe me. Nana & Brent can vouch for me. In fact, if it wasn't for Nana, he wouldn't have gotten in but she got him with a water gun and then he came in after her. It was pretty funny.

The kids have had so much fun swimming this summer. Bo is finally getting the hang of his floaties, but unfortunately for him, Walgreens only had a pair of pink ones left. But he doesn't mind. He even went off the diving board yesterday - my arms were so tired lowering him into the water and then pulling him back out again. Since he wants to take every step Darla does, he knows no fear in the water! He loves "Dahwa" so much.

She spent the night at Granddad & Nana's Sunday night and Bo walked around the house several times looking for her. And when she got home Monday, he was sooo excited! He ran up to her and gave her a big hug.

A few of Bo's funny words: "Ah-bee" is Barney; "God" is dog; "Eat-up" for ketchup and "yee yoes" are Fruit Loops!

2009-07-13T17:18:00.001-05:00

It didn't take long - he's not even 2 yet. Bo took his first trip to the office today at school. He bit a little girl who was sitting on a chair he wanted. They took him down to the office and he had to sit on the time out bench. Ms. Beckie said he cried the whole time and did NOT like being separated from her. Hopefully he got the point and won't bite anymore. We'll see...

Happy 4th!!!

2009-07-06T13:23:00.002-05:00

Darla & Bo had a parade at Whistle Stop, so they were all dressed in their red, white and blue here. Bo has red & blue paint in his hair if you can see it.

The kids went to Oklahoma this weekend. Brent and I went to our new spot at Lake Fork for a night. It was VERY hot but luckily we had a pretty good breeze so it wasn't too bad. We went out on the lake around 5:00 so it was starting to cool off. That night we went to watch fireworks and I have to tell you this was the coolest fireworks show I've ever seen. Brent will say I'm exaggerating, but I mean it. One of the guys that lived in this little cove shot off fireworks and it was AWESOME! It was so pretty with the lake right there because everything reflected off the water. And we could see about 5 other people's fireworks going off too. I will never, ever forget it. It was like something out of a movie. We are definitely going back next year with the kids.

Cute pics

2009-07-06T13:07:00.003-05:00

This boy is growing so fast I can hardly stand it. The bottom pic is one night at 2am when he decided to wake up and rather than go back to sleep, he wanted to play in his toy box. But how can you resist that smile??

Darla turns 6

2009-06-26T22:25:00.003-05:00

This is about a week overdue, but Darla celebrated her 6th birthday last week. We took her to Six Flags the day of her birthday. She woke up that morning and opened presents. Two boxes of clothes - she was NOT impressed. But then she got her pink ipod! She was so excited.

Taylor, Jodi and Frank met us out at Six Flags. Right when it opened we headed for the Shock Wave. Darla did NOT want to ride it but we talked her into it. Jodi wasn't there yet, so we were the only 3 people on the ride. Brent rode in the first car and Darla & I were right behind him. When we finished, there still weren't any people waiting so the guy was going to let us ride again but Darla said NO WAY! She rode the Judge Roy Scream, Mini Mine Train, Runaway Mine Train, Bobsled, Conquistador, but her favorite was the Yosemite Same thing.

For her party, we celebrated at Bounce U which was fun for me because I didn't have to clean the house. Memaw brought Bo to the end of the party and he loved the bounce houses so much!! Darla got a bunch of good stuff - Webkinz, gift cards, itunes cards, a Sony ipod holder/radio for her room and $50 cash from Memaw. She specifically asked for money so she could sign up for her deluxe Webkinz membership online!

Darla - we are so, so proud of you honey. You are incredibly smart, you have the kindest heart and a great sense of humor. You are an amazing big sister and we love you so much. XOXO

2009-06-26T22:05:00.002-05:00

Tonight Brent is at the lake and Darla is at Nanaw's, so Bo and I got to hang out. He has really started talking in the last couple of weeks. He started at Whistle Stop about a month ago and while he still cries when I drop him off, I think he's starting to like it. His teacher, Becky, is really patient and spends a lot of time with him. He says her name so cute but it sounds a lot like "Blankie" so I'm sure Bo thinks his teacher's name is Blankie.

We've been swimming a few times this summer and he loves the pool. He loves it so much that he has no fear about going in and usually will just walk right off into the pool. He even wears his lifejacket in our backyard while he's playing!

Darla was pretty funny on Wednesday. She stayed home with her daddy instead of going to Whistle Stop. She usually dumps most of her stuffed animals out on the floor in her room and it makes me crazy to go in there and see 500 animals everywhere. When I got home from work on Wednesday I asked her "how do you think I'm going to feel when I go in your room?" She looked at me with the funniest expression and said "I think your going to feel great. I didn't get any of my animals out today." The way she said it was so cute and so matter of fact.

2009-05-30T10:01:00.003-05:00

One of Bo's new favorite foods - KETCHUP!!! He'll dip anything in it. Bananas, cereal, grapes, waffles...

Take a look at Mugsy - this is how she stands while Bo's in the highchair just waiting on any tiny crumb to hit the ground.

2009-05-30T09:51:00.005-05:00

I was cleaning out Darla's backpack and going through some of her schoolwork today and there's a sheet titled "Summer Plans". Her list for the summer...

1. Go swimming

2. Go shopping

3. Get a Tan

That's my girl! :-)

Also in her folder was a "Me & My Dad" book. They filled in the blanks so I have to share a few of her entries...

"My Dad & I like to eat....cheeseburgers."

"My Dad & I like to watch.....Man v Food."

"My Dad & I like to....play castle stuff."

Another fun discovery this morning...I found Bo in my bathroom playing with one of Darla's baby doll strollers and a box of tampons. He also took the time to wash my flip flops in the toilet. Thanks Bo.

Next week is a big one. Bo starts at Whistle Stop on Monday and Darla has her Kindergarten Song Celebration on Monday too. She said that Mr. Gomez told them "if your parents are crying when you come in the gym, it's because they are so proud of you after watching the slide show". Better take my Kleenex. I can't believe we are already finished with Kindergarten.

I better go - it's very quiet in my house right now and that can't be good.

Peanut Butter

2009-05-15T21:06:00.002-05:00

We found out the hard way this week that Bo is allergic to peanut butter. He had his first PB sandwich at the babysitter's on Wednesday. Memaw picked him up early and when they got home we noticed a red rash around his mouth. I called the babysitter and she told me he'd eaten the PB about 15 minutes before Memaw picked him up. He was acting fine and the redness started going away, so we thought "no big deal." Brent & I left to go to a dinner for my work and as we pulled in the parking lot my mom called and said "I think you need to come home." Bo was covered head to toe in an ugly red rash and was itching like crazy. Memaw put the kids in the car and rushed to Acute Kids Care. When we got there, I walked in to find Bo with an oxygen mask on his face and asleep but he looked awful! His whole body was red and he had these huge bumps on his face. His hands & feet were swollen. They had given him a shot and some Benadryl which apparently made him sleepy. He slept for about 20 minutes and then he woke up to say "Bob Bob" (Spongebob) which was on the TV in his room. They monitored him a little longer and then sent us home. Luckily, our prayers were answered and he's fine...we just know we have to be very careful with peanut butter!!

Are they waving at me?

2009-05-06T21:54:00.001-05:00

Yesterday Bo was in his high chair eating breakfast (usually a waffle and banana) and he started waving then he'd stop. A few minutes would go by and he'd start waving again...then he'd stop. I couldn't really figure out what he was doing and then I looked at the TV in the kitchen and realized the Today Show was on. Every time they'd cut to the crowd outside, they'd all be waving, and Bo thought they were all waving at him. :-)

A new word

2009-04-23T23:04:00.005-05:00

Bo learned a new word today - this morning when I went in Bo's room to get him up, he pointed at a book in his bed and said "book". He's got lots of toys in his bed and usually will play with them for awhile before he starts screaming to get out of his crib in the morning. I love watching him on the baby monitor. This morning it sounded like he was singing because he kept making his voice go up and down, up and down. He can also say his name which is sooo cute!

Darla had her first spill on Saturday. We were at Brown & Kelli's and she fell off the trampoline. It was a pretty bad fall but luckily she just sprained her elbow and scared herself half to death. Aunt Renay was so sweet - she laid on the trampoline with Darla later that night and they looked up at the stars. Darla actually wrote about it for homework this week. The story went something like "Saturday I was at my Uncle Brown & Aunt Kelli's house. Aunt Renay and I laid on the trampoline to look in the night sky at the plethora of stars." Yes, she used the word plethora. She said it was a buzz word at school.

One more funny story about Darla Punkin...the other night I went in her room around 9:15. She's supposed to be asleep at 9 so when she saw me coming down the hall she tried to act like she was asleep. When I went in there she kind of "woke up" out of her fake sleep and said "oh, my left eye was closed and asleep...I'm just waiting on the other one".

He never sits still...

2009-02-27T21:46:00.003-06:00

I caught Bo watching Barney the other day in this position. He is so crazy all the time running around, he can't even sit down to watch TV. This boy has more energy than I've ever seen!!! He almost made it through the dog door the other night. Brent was on the back porch grilling steaks and Bo tried to follow him. I looked up and saw only his legs sticking out...I think he would have made it through if I'd given him about 30 more seconds.

Hunt Elem Sock Hop!

2009-02-07T21:34:00.002-06:00

Last night we went to our first Hunt Elementary Sock Hop. It was really fun getting Darla all dressed in her poodle skirt outfit. She wanted me & Brent to wear full-blown 50s costumes, but we decided as Kindergarten parents, we'd go to our first Sock Hop & see how elaborate the parents got before we went too far! It was really fun - Darla had so much fun out on the dance floor.

Poop on the floor

2009-01-30T20:31:00.002-06:00

Sorry I don't have a picture to go with this...you'll just have to use your imagination. Last night I was filling up the bathtub while Brent was getting Bo undressed. Bo was walking around in his room naked and peed on the floor. Not too shocking as that's happened before. But then, I hear Brent say "uh-oh, he's pooping" and I walk in the room just in time to see two pieces hit the floor. I grabbed Bo and tried to get a diaper or blanket under him while Brent moved in for clean up duty. We were both cracking up. If he had waited 30 seconds more, he would've gone in the bathtub with Darla and that would definitely have been worse!

Little Climber/First Audition

2009-01-24T21:27:00.006-06:00

We had to lower the mattress in Bo's bed this week - I think these pictures explain why! I don't want him to make the same mistake Darla did of climbing out of the crib. ... And I just realized that I never posted a picture of Darla's missing tooth...

Darla had her first audition today. She's always said she wants to be an actor, so I thought I'd let her experience an audition. Radio Disney had open auditions for kids 18 & under to be on the radio. We got up early this morning and drove out to the Cinemark Theater and then Darla wouldn't get out of the car. She said she was too scared and didn't want to do it. I tried & tried to get her to go in...I even promised a trip to Gatti Town, but she wouldn't budge. I certainly didn't want to look like the crazy stage mom dragging my crying 5 yr old into an audition, so we came home and got donut holes! I hope she thanks me in her first Oscar speech for trying...

Bo is 15 months old today!

2009-01-24T21:22:00.003-06:00

Look at my big boy!!

Inauguration Day

2009-01-20T21:25:00.002-06:00

Today, the 44th president of the United States took the oath of office...Barack Obama, the first African American president. All day today Bo & I were home watching the historic event. Millions of people flooded into Washington DC to see it. Just watching the inauguration, you could feel that you were witnessing one of the most important days in U.S. history. I'll always remember where I was - at home with Bo folding clothes!!!

OMG!

2009-01-20T12:30:00.004-06:00

Since yesterday was a school holiday, Darla and I took Bo to the babysitter's and went to ride, had lunch and shopped at our very favorite store, Hobby Lobby. While we were walking around, Darla saw something that she thought was cute and simply said "OMG Mom, OMG." I asked her what that meant and she said "Oh my gosh" and looked at me like I was crazy for not knowing. I knew what that was in the texting world, but just wasn't ready for my 5 year old use it in conversation.
OMG!

More great pics from 2008

2009-01-10T22:45:00.001-06:00

Catching Up

2009-01-10T22:21:00.003-06:00

My last entry was over a month ago and the whole reason I started this blog was to keep track of the little things going on in our lives on a weekly basis. Well, I guess I'll try and be better in 2009. I've watched Oprah's "bestlife" series this week, so maybe I'll be inspired to keep the blog up date.

Let's see...I have a lot of catching up to do. Brent & I celebrated our 10 year anniversary on December 19th. He planned a very nice surprise weekend for us...we stayed at the Stoneleigh Hotel in downtown. On Friday night, we went to Chamberlain's for dinner - that's where he proposed. We hadn't been back to that restaurant since then, so it was really, really special. On Saturday, we both had a massage and then Sat nite we had my CBS Christmas party. Hard to believe we've been married for a decade. Time flies when you're having fun, I guess! Ha!

Christmas was wonderful - with the way the economy's been, Brent & I decided to buy for the kids only this year. I have to admit, it sounded easy at first, got a little harder as Dec 25th got closer to think about not getting "stuff", but on Christmas Day, I honestly didn't even miss the gifts. I thought about last year when we pretty much missed Christmas while Bo was in the hospital being treated for RSV. In 2007, we checked out of the hospital Christmas morning. This year, my whole family was home & healthy. Now that's something you can't buy at Super Target, right?

We went to see Santa at Collin Creek Mall. We met Cortney, Jesse, Reese, Amy, Anna, and Mia this year. Bo wasn't too crazy about Santa. Looking at Santa, I can't say I blame him. We may have to find a different one next year - this Santa looks like he might be smoking a couple of packs of cigarettes a day! Darla took her Toys R Us catalog and showed Santa exactly what she wanted. There was no one big toy this year, she wanted lots of little things. Jump rope, scooter, Nintendo DS games, Littlest pet shops to play with online. Bo's list was pretty small...a few toys, clothes and a new high chair. Brent spent some time at the "deer camp" as he calls it, but other than that, we were home most of the month.

I have to brag about Darla Punkin...they tested her for the PACE program (gifted/talented/honors) at school and she's been accepted into the program. Not sure what that means exactly when you're in Kindergarten, but we'll soon find out.

She lost her first tooth on Dec 20th! She was at Memaw's eating a grilled cheese and as Darla tells it "I bit on something hard and thought it was a seed. When I pulled it out, it was my tooth!" For those of you that don't know, I guess grilled cheese sandwiches have seeds?!?!? The tooth fairy actually came to see her at Granddad and Nana's and it appears the going rate on your first tooth is $6.

Bo is walking EVERYWHERE and babbles a lot. He says "Dar-duh", bah-bah (bottle), bah-bah (Barney), Mama, Dada; and sometimes we get "Papaw" or "cookie". This child never slows down when he's awake. If you take your eyes away from him for one second, he's on the stairs, crawling out the dog door, or doing something he shouldn't be. He's getting lots of teeth and his hair's growing in more. It's starting to hang over his ears a little, so it may be time for a first haircut soon.

New Year's Eve was uneventful...Darla went to Memaw's where they sang karaoke and played the Wii. Brent, Bo and I stayed home. Bo was in bed by 7:30p; Brent & I watched "The Dark Knight" on pay-per-view and were in bed by 12:10a. At least we made it to midnight!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

Darla's award

2008-11-29T20:20:00.004-06:00

Darla was recognized at the Hunt spirit assembly last week. They selected 2 students from each class to recognize for "Outstanding Behavior" and Ms. Muto chose Darla from her class. We went to the assembly and they gave her a Hunt Hound dog tag. We are so proud of her and the great job she's doing in Kindergarten. By the way - that's her "boyfriend" Price next to her in the blue shirt/white turtleneck. At least she likes the boys that behave in class!

While I'm on the subject of Darla, she cut her own hair a couple of weeks ago. I knew this day would come, but just didn't know when. She got a piece of gum stuck in her hair and decided to cut it out. She didn't tell us, she thought we wouldn't notice!! I don't think she realized that even if we hadn't seen the chunk missing from her hair, the huge pile of hair in her trash can would've surely given her away!

Now Bo can open doors!

2008-11-29T20:11:00.002-06:00

My last entry was that Bo could walk - in just a few days he's now figured out how to open doors. He is growing up way too fast!

We had a great Thanksgiving. Last Sunday we went to Terrell and had lunch at Mom's - it was a nice afternoon, but very sad without Mimi there. This was the first big holiday without her. She always made the dressing every year and it was never cooked all the way through, so I actually felt a little guilty eating my mom's dressing and enjoying it...I've thought about Mimi a lot lately. There's a picture of her in the kitchen and it sits low on a table, so Bo can get to it. He always picks her picture up - he'll go around a dozen other ones to get to hers. I don't know what it means, but I feel like he's telling me that she's watching over him. She loved little boys so much!

Thursday we went to Durant and had another great meal. Darla decided to stay at Nanaw's for the rest of the weekend, so Bo and I headed home. Renay was nice enough to come over and babysit so I could go see Twilight...it was a great movie! I miss Darla and Brent, but Bo and I have had some good mother/son time the last few days. I talked to Darla today and we played "guess which room I'm in" on the phone. I would go in her room and make Butterscotch make noise or turn the sink on in the kitchen to give her clues. Brent talked to her earlier today and supposedly she's kept Nanaw hostage at the house and won't let Nanaw put clothes on...Darla wants them both to stay in their PJ's all day!!!

Bo is walking!

2008-11-18T20:34:00.003-06:00

Bo is walking! He's been taking steps around the coffee table and stuff, but he's finally walking on his own around the house. He is so funny when he takes off because he puts his hands straight in the air and screams and laughs. Brent calls him little Frankenstein because of the way he walks... I'll try to get a picture of it to post on here.
Bo also has 6 teeth now - 4 on bottom and 2 on top!
Darla told Brent last night that she broke up with Evan Brady (a few weeks ago) because he wasn't very good at being a boyfriend. She told him that when she would talk to him or ask him something, he would just run off. So, her new boyfriend is Price - she told her Daddy that he talks to her so that's how she picked him. I sure hope her standards for boyfriend material will get a little higher as she gets older. I haven't met Price yet, but I'm signed up to volunteer for the Thanksgiving Feast on Tuesday, so I'll have to check this guy out then.

Historical Election - Nov 4, 2008

2008-11-07T20:59:00.004-06:00

Since this blog is about what's going in on our lives, I couldn't leave off the very historical election we had Tuesday. Barack Obama became the first Black president in United States history. This election has consumed most of the country for months. Whether you agree or disagree with the new president, it definitely goes down as an election I'll never forget.

Halloween

2008-11-07T20:46:00.002-06:00

Halloween was fun. Amy & Mik brought Anna and Mia over so we could trick-or-treat together. After a couple of pictures, we were on our way! We left the house around 7p...Bo was already tired. He only made it to one house, got a Butterfinger, and then he was done. I brought him home and he was asleep by 7:15. I sat out on the front porch passing out candy so the doorbell wouldn't wake him up. Darla stayed out with Daddy, Memaw and Anna so she got plenty of candy!

Picture Day

2008-10-28T21:38:00.002-05:00

I had to post a picture of Darla this morning - she looked so cute for her school pictures. I am sure that she'll look back on them someday and blame me for putting her in this outfit, but now I can read this and remember that it was very cute for 2008!

It's my party & I'll cry if I want to...

2008-10-28T21:19:00.004-05:00

Sometimes the pictures tell the whole story.

Happy Birthday Bo

2008-10-24T22:42:00.004-05:00

I know I'm behind on posts, but I had to write one tonight on Bo's very first birthday. I can't believe my baby is already one. This year has flown by. A new little bottom tooth poked through this week, and he's taking small steps but not walking yet. We can't take our eyes off of him for even a second or he's hanging out the dog door, playing in Mugsy's water bowl or getting into something he shouldn't. He really likes books, especially the Barney Halloween book which now looks like a newspaper because it's in so many pieces. He also likes taking things in & out of sacks, boxes or anything else. Yesterday, I was cleaning out his closet and he just played with a pile of plastic coat hangers & a diaper box for 30 minutes. It was really cute. He holds his bottle by wrapping his left hand around it - not sure if that means he'll be left-handed or not.He is such a sweet boy and usually in a really good. Bo, we love you more than you can imagine...I am so happy we have you! These pictures were taken today - the one in the baby bed was first thing this morning when we woke him up singing Happy Birthday. He couldn't even get his eyes open all the way but he was smiling at Darla.

BatGirl, Genie, Yoda & a little Pig

2008-10-11T21:56:00.005-05:00

We had a fun day at Cocoa's today. We took the kids' pictures in their costumes. This is an annual tradition for Darla & Jesse, but now Reese and Bo are subjected to dressing up weeks before Halloween too. Bo was a pretty good sport about wearing his costume. It's a little too big so I had to use clothespins to hold it up in the back, but we made it work. Reese was adorable in her pig costume - the pictures are cute but in person it's even cuter!!!
After taking pics, they decided to go swimming - it was freezing. Cortney turned the hot tub on and we kept waiting on it to heat up. Darla was in the hot tub and said "oh, this feels so good." So Jesse comes running and jumps in and screams "Oh my gosh - it's freeezing!" It was so funny to see Darla trying sooo hard to make herself believe the water was warm so she could keep swimming.
Bo loved the swing and he loved playing with Reese's toys. I think Reese likes having Bo around because she gets to be the "big girl" while he's there!

Sensitive feet

2008-10-02T20:33:00.005-05:00

We are learning that Bo does not like his feet to touch anything but carpet or hardwood floors. This summer at Uncle Whit's, we realized he didn't like grass. He avoided the grass again at MadiRae's soccer game when Uncle Andy tried to pick him up and let him stand in the grass and both feet came up to his waist to keep from touching it. It was really funny.

This week, he was playing with "Pinto" - a little rocking horse Darla got from Nanaw & Papaw her first Christmas. Brent put Bo on the horse and first he tried to pull his feet up to avoid touching his fur, but that didn't work so he decided to stick them straight out to the side. You can see it in the picture...it's hilarious to see him do it!

I also caught him doing one of his favorite things - pulling all of the books off the shelf in the playroom. He just slings them back one by one.

Darla got on "Blue" again yesterday - she's doing such a good job in Kindergarten and we are so proud of her!

1st place

2008-09-29T20:08:00.004-05:00

Miller and I have good news to report - we got 1st at the rodeo this weekend!!! This picture is actually an old one from this summer, but it's all I had so I thought it would work. Mom went with me and we had a great night hanging out.

I had to make an entry about the historic day we had today since I hope to make this blog into a scrapbook. Today the government failed to pass a $700 Billion Bailout Plan and the dow fell a record $778 points in one day...the biggest drop in US History. If you listen to the news, we are headed into a very dangerous economic situation and it's pretty scary. I choose to believe that this is out of my hands and it will work itself out somehow.

As I was getting Bo dressed after his bath tonight, he was playing in his bed and I went over and started tickling him. He laughed sooo hard and it was the sweetest sound in the world. I needed to hear it...with all the doom & gloom in the news, when you see your kids laugh and know they are happy & healthy, everything else seems pretty trivial.

Blue!

2008-09-27T10:27:00.002-05:00

Darla had a great day at school yesterday. When Brent picked her up, she told him "don't look in my folder Dad". Well of course that means "look in my folder Dad." She got on Blue for the 3rd time this year. Green is good behavior - most of the time the kids stay on green which is great. Blue means they did something out of the ordinary. Apparently Ms. Muto left the room and all the kids were running and hiding from the teacher when they were supposed to be laying down for "DEAR time" (rest or reading time). Darla & 2 other kids were doing what they were supposed to, so they got moved to blue. She was so excited! The day got even better because when she got home, she & Bo loaded up and went to Nanaw & Papaw's for the weekend. Brent & I spent our free night last night in Princeton at "Catfish Heaven". It was a great little place and they had the best hushpuppies EVER.
I got Bo's invitations order this morning - save the date for Sunday, Oct 26th at 4pm.
Tonight I've entered a rodeo in Wills Point - Miller and I haven't been anywhere since Memorial Day, so we'll see how it goes.

11 months old tomorrow

2008-09-23T09:42:00.003-05:00

It's such a cliche, but it's so true. Where does the time go? We went to Mia & Anna's birthday parties this weekend and it seems like yesterday Amy & I were both pregnant. I realized that Bo's birthday is almost here, so I decided I better start working on his party invitations. His favorite word right now is "uh-oh" and he's finally starting to walk a little if you hold his hands. He is getting better at giving kisses, but I think Brent & I probably ask for them a little too much! They are so sweet.

Darla & I went to the barn to ride Sunday while Bo played with Presley at the house. I see Darla on Barbie and I'm so proud of her. She's really doing a great job learning to ride. I have always loved my horses, but it hit me Sunday that I have never loved Barbie more than when I see her with Darla. I never understood why my Mom & Dad loved Buck & Keykeeper so much when they were MY horses. Now I get it - they loved them for taking care of ME... funny how things become clearer when we are parents.

Labor Day Weekend

2008-09-04T21:14:00.002-05:00

It was a busy weekend for us. The kids went to Nanaw & Papaw's for a couple of days, so Brent & I left Friday night and went to Winstar Casino. I wanted to go to a furniture store in Henrietta, TX, so we thought we'd drive up to Oklahoma and gamble a little. They don't serve alcohol while you gamble there, so it's very easy to stop gambling when you start losing! I played a little Blackjack while Brent played the slots, but we came out pretty much even. I am looking for new bedroom furniture, but the store in Henrietta was very disappointing. They did have a cute little boutique there so I bought a $15 necklace just to say I got something for the drive out there.
Sunday we went to Durant to pick up the kids. Nanaw made brisket with all the good sides, and we ate until we were stuffed. While we were standing in the kitchen, I asked if she wanted kids someday. She said "maybe just one. I don't think I can handle two. And I'll have a husband (she held up her fingers and made quote signs as she said husband) and he can do all the work!" Ha!
Monday we went to Granddad & Nana's to swim and eat hot dogs. It was a fun weekend...

First Day of Kindergarten

2008-08-25T20:22:00.004-05:00

What a day. Bo got us all up at 6am this morning. He usually sleeps until 7, so I guess he knew today was special. I put cinnamon rolls in the oven at 6:30 and then went in to wake up my Kindergartener. She was pretty easy to get out of bed. She got up, ate breakfast, got dressed, and even let me put a bow in her hair! She was so cute all dressed up with her backpack on and carrying her lunch. We loaded up the car and drove the 2 minute drive to school. It was so busy, we had to park a street over and walk in. Daddy & Bo stayed outside while I walked Darla to her class...or I should say, she walked me to her class since she knew right where it was.
We found her room and started putting her stuff away in her locker. Yes, they have lockers in kindergarten at Hunt Elem! When I told her I didn't have a locker in K, she looked at me like that was the saddest thing she'd ever heard!
Darla's name was on a table, so she sat down and started coloring a sheet that said "Welcome to Kindergarten." I know that's what it said because she read it to me and then said "my teacher is going to be so impressed." I'm sure she will be. I took a couple of pictures, gave her a hug, said goodbye and left her sitting there like she was 15 years old. No tears, no sad eyes, nothing...just an independent little girl who has no idea that she is taking a huge step towards growing up. I was so proud of her; she is such a great kid and I don't know how I got so lucky to have her.
I went outside to find Brent & Bo, and luckily, there's a window in Darla's classroom and it happens to be right by the front of the school, so we all peeked in to see her sitting at her table.
The day went pretty fast and it was time to go back. Darla is a "walker" which means she comes out of the east side of the building as though she's walking home (which she'll never do at 5 yrs old), but it's easier than fighting the carpool lane. She came out and had the biggest smile on her face! But, she forgot her lunchbox so we went back in to get it. Inside, she showed me the bathroom pass and told me all about asking to go potty. I'm sure they talk about that a lot the first day of Kindergarten! She told me her teacher "looked prettier & younger in person"! Ha! I'm sure Ms. Muto would love that. And she said she saw Brecklyn, Evan Brady and JoJo - friends from Whistle Stop. Since she claims Evan Brady is her boyfriend, I asked if they talked today and she said "I said hi but he didn't hear me." Hmmm, not sure if Evan Brady feels the same way about Darla as she does about him!
Lunch was her favorite part, and snack...but they "only have one snack time in Kindergarten, not 2 like Whistle Stop". Recess must have been cut short today because she said they only got to play outside today for "one second" but her teacher said tomorrow they could stay outside longer. They went to PE but she didn't need her tennis shoes, her flip flops were fine for today; and during quiet time she DIDN'T SUCK HER THUMB! All in all, it sounds like a successful first day of school.
It's 8:37pm, so I've got to go tuck her in so we can do this all over again tomorrow.

More cute pics

2008-08-24T21:51:00.002-05:00

A few more pictures from this weekend...

Bo is 10 months old

2008-08-24T21:20:00.004-05:00

Today Bo turned 10 months old. It seems like the time has flown by. He has 2 teeth on the bottom, one on the top, and the other top tooth is about to break through.
He sleeps about 10-12 hours a night and is taking 2 naps a day (sometimes). I sat him on our bathroom scale and he weighed 25 pounds - he's a big boy! He is such a sweet little boy. He is always in a happy mood and has the biggest, sweetest smile ever! He can crawl so fast now that he is across the room in a flash. He still loves Mugsy's dog door, and now he likes her food and water bowl too. Bo also likes when Darla reads to him - actually, he just likes to crawl all over her and take the books away, but it sure is fun to watch.
We went swimming over at Granddad's today, hoping to tire Darla out so she would go to bed early. Brent taught Darla how to jump off the diving board and swim all the way to the shallow end by herself! She told us she was doing the breast stroke to swim that far.

Saturday was Jesse's 6th birthday party at Libby Lu. The girls had so much fun. They had their hair done, make-up, nails painted, played dress up and had the best time. Darla chose the Hannah Montana wig - check out the pics!

Tomorrow is the first day of school. She read two stories to me before she went to bed, and then I laid in bed with here until she fell asleep. She asked me if "we could snuggle?" How can you say no to that?
We went to "Sneak a Peek" on Friday and Darla got to meet Ms. Muto. I didn't recognize any of the kids' names in her class, but I'm sure she'll make lots of new friends. I know I'll have a full report in the morning after I drop her off to KINDERGARTEN!!!

We just watched the closing ceremonies to the Olympics. Brent & I have decided that we are going to London in 2012.

Parent Meeting

2008-08-18T21:57:00.002-05:00

Tonight was the Parent's meeting for all the new Kindergarteners at Hunt Elementary. I have to say, I feel like I am having an out of body experience when I sit at a "parent" school meeting. I just can't believe this is happening. I am so excited for Darla to begin her school years. She is going to have so much fun and make so many new friends. I just dread being tied to the school calendar for the next 15 years or so. I really don't know how the teachers can stand dealing with the parents. They had so many stupid question. And then the over achieving mom was there getting volunteers so I went up to introduce myself and sign the volunteer sheet when she asked me "Are you going to be a room mom?". I just froze. In my head I'm thinking, "uh, no. I would rather have all my teeth pulled out at once" but of course I said "Sure." LUCKILY, Ms. Muto's class already has a room mom signed up, so I was off the hook and even faked a small look of disappointment. I think I'm going to get out easy with a couple of days of lunch duty and "Super Centers" [I have no idea what Super Centers are but she assured me they are fun and easy]. Sneak-A-Peek is Friday night so that should be fun.
We started back up at gymnastics today. We've been watching the Olympics and Darla was stretching the other night while watching saying she wanted to be in the Olympics someday. Bo's top 2 teeth are officially coming in.

Swim Club

2008-08-04T21:43:00.003-05:00

Last night Jesse spent the night. The girls had so much fun. They spent an hour in Darla's bathroom putting on eyeshadow, lipgloss, body glitter & who knows what else! They also built tents in the playroom and watched "Bridge to Terabithia". They both were a little scared at the part with the monsters so they wanted me to come in and lay with them, but then they said it didn't bother them at all.
This morning we got up and went to Cortney's to swim. Bo was so tired. He wouldn't take a nap so I took him in the pool anyway. Gina was holding him and he got so sleepy that he just put his head on her shoulder (in the pool) and fell asleep! It was so sweet. Cortney put a big float on the table in the shade and I laid him on it to take a little nap. It was the cutest thing ever. Bo is very much outnumbered with all these girls unless Jot's around.
Darla started doing the funniest thing this weekend. She wiggles her eyebrows up & down because she says it makes Bo laugh (which it does every single time). But she makes the funniest face while she's doing it that I can't stop laughing.
As I'm writing this, Darla & Brent just came in wearing crowns. He is "Burger King" and she is Princess Darla. I have a crown too, so I guess I am Mommy the Queen. Now Darla is reading the Littlest Pet Shop "Rapunzel" book to me. She can pretty much read every single word and it's a Level 2 book. I don't know how she got to be so smart. Every single day I am amazed at that child's intelligence, her compassion, everything. She is really a one of a kind human being, and I'm not just saying that because I'm her Mom.

First Blog Ever

2008-08-02T22:14:00.000-05:00

Today is my very first entry. Since I can't seem to keep the kids' scrapbooks up to date, I thought I needed something that would tell the story of our everyday lives and all that's happening. Right now, Darla is 5 years old and Bo is 9 months. Darla is actually in Durant this weekend staying at Nanaw's. She wanted a weekend in OK "without her little brother" and she wanted to stay for 3 nights! I know she is having a blast. Nanaw is the best about playing with her for hours & hours. Today Brent & I took Bo to have his pictures taken. I needed the signature baby pose...or his "headshot" as I keep calling it. He smiled so big for the one shot and then kept his serious face the rest of the time. At least I got to see both bottom teeth in the picture. A new one on top popped through this morning. He is crawling, pulling up, and pretty much busy every single second that he is awake. There is no down time with this boy! I love it that Darla is an extra set of eyes & ears...she's so good about telling me when he is doing something he shouldn't be. Like playing with something too small or hitting the door stoppers which is one of his very favorite things right now. The dog door is also interesting to him. I guess he doesn't know why Mugsy can come in & out and he can't. We also went to Presley's 3rd birthday party today at Granddad's, then we went by the hospital to see Uncle Andy. He's had some weird infection in his leg so they've had him on an IV and antibiotics. He looks much better and should be home in a day or two.