What I'm thankful for...

Sneak Peek...

If you click on the link to Tina's blog to the right, >>>
you can get the first look at some of our photos..
I love the pictures of us laughing, but I'm embarrassed tell any of you what started it.. ahh.. the joys of being a mommy of little boys...

picture day... aghhh...

Lovely Tina, who first took pictures of the boys & me as a surprise for Troy at Father's Day, has started her little photography business.. with her three sons, she speaks fluent boy, and mine respond very well to her.. so, when we decided we wanted to do family portrait, she was our first choice..
Did I mention this was the first family portrait we've ever done all together?.. somehow we've just never gotten around to it.. of course, you would think because of this, I would have been a little more prepared... but no, instead, I spent the morning reading the love story of www.thepioneerwoman.com (my new favorite website).. I've even made a couple of her recipes so far, and my personal cowboy has loved them..
anywho, by 2 o'clock, it was time to start thinking about what we would all wear.. that is, to meet Tina at 4..... I know, right?... I scooted up to Old Navy. that store has never failed me, and I was able to find something for everyone.. I ran home, jumped in the shower, instructing each boy to put on a pair of jeans & their new shirt..
Dad, check.. Taggert, check.. and then there was Riley.. He wears a uniform shirt & khaki pants to school everyday.. It's just started to get cooler around here, so he's even been fine in shorts most days.. so it's now, 30 minutes before we are to meet Ms. Tina, that we learn Riley is no longer a 4T.. and the one pair of 5T jeans I found in his room had a hole in the knee..
ah, hand-me-downs..
It's now 20 minutes before we are to meet Tina & I have wet hair and am not dressed.. I race upstairs.. yep, loads of 4T & 6T jeans.. perhaps he has skipped a size?.. I run downstairs & toss a 6T pair to Troy, then back into my bedroom to get dressed.. No dice..
Still with wet hair- 15 minutes to go- I run back upstairs & think, just maybe, we overlooked a 5T pair the last time we went through Taggert's clothes.. Closet? no.. Drawers under the bed? nope.. finally in the last drawer of his dresser- one pair.. and no holes!
Back downstairs, jeans in Troy's hands, hairdryer on full blast.. nothing like a ticking clock, stress, a hot hairdryer & your family standing right outside your door ready to go..
Regardless, we still pulled in at the same time as Tina.. she worked her magic, kept my boys giggling & in no time we were done.. I can't wait to see the finished product, especially after all that craziness!

A creative reward system..

I have to hand it to the teachers at Taggert's school... for many reasons, really.. but tonight, for their method of rewarding the students.. at dinner Taggert was telling us how excited he was that tomorrow was Friday (that makes two of us sweetie).. he said the principal had been watching the 2nd graders at his school & decided they deserved something special for their good behavior.. two groups were formed and a vote was taken.. on one side, they voted for a no-homework pass.. Taggert didn't like this idea because he says he loves homework.. (I'll need to keep that little nugget handy..)
He went with the 2nd group, and that's the group that won... the big treat you ask?.... It's three-fold... 1) they get to take off their shoes for the entire day (Taggert placed heavy emphasis on entire)... 2) they get to write in pen.. and 3) they get to eat their lunch in the classroom versus the cafeteria..
nicely done.. creative & free, yet the kiddos still feel like they are getting something extra special..

It's Diego-thirty!...

Tonight we went to a party at Gattiland for Taggert's football team.. while I'm on the topic, what is the draw of skee ball?... why am I willing to almost throw out an arm playing this game?.. anywho- we really had a great team this season, and an even greater coach.. Riley kept trying to be a part of the team activities, and Coach Randy did a lovely job making sure he felt included..

When we got home, it was time for showers & brushing teeth.. I was in the kitchen cleaning up when I heard the most abrupt, high-pitched squeal from upstairs.. the squeal was followed by a thunder of footsteps coming down the stairs, and a little nekkid boy jumping into my arms.. just guess what Riley found in the back of his toothbrush drawer?...
it was his most favorite, not real, Diego watch.. Riley stays pretty happy, but this was pure, primitive joy.. you can see from a previous post below what this watch means in our house.. ; )

Halloween 2008..

I'm cleaning out my camera tonight, so this picture is a little late.. but here's hoping you & yours had a great Halloween, and only got the best kind of candy!

This does not look good...

Four grown men...

... a giant sling shot.... a bucket of water balloons..

...moving targets.... nope, this does not look good at all...

Good meals..

Right before Taggert was born, everyone offered to make us meals & bring them by in the first few days we were home.. We politely declined each offer, confident we could do it all on our own.. Millions of people do it everyday, right?.. In fact, while I was pregnant with Taggert a woman gave birth in a hurricane, while stuck in a tree.. My Dad often pointed out that she was fine, so how hard could this be?..
I'll never forget the first day after that first, long, sleepless night home with baby Taggert waking up to eat every 30 minutes.. Troy & I had no plan, no system, and we were both up every time Taggert cried (did I mention it was every 30 minutes??).. we were a couple of keystone cops- bumping into each other, ripping diapers & almost breaking the Diaper Genie.. The next day I called my Mother in tears.. we were beyond exhausted & starving.. it's as if we forgot how to cook, even where in our house to look for food.. a couple of hours later the doorbell rang, and my Mother walked in with one of everything from Boston Market.. we ripped into the containers like rabid bears..
Fast forward to Riley's birth.. 3 years older & a little wiser, our friends Ed & Laura offered to bring dinner our first night home.. Taggert was staying with my parents those first few days to give us time to get situated.. I quickly accepted their kind offer.. once again, all of our focus had been on feeding & caring for our newest cherub, so we were starved by the time Ed & Laura arrived.. I still remember the meal- homemade chicken pot pie, salad and a pitcher of margaritas.. They were barely out the door before we were relaxing over that wonderful meal.. Troy laughs that my fond memories of that meal have more to do with the margaritas (my first adult beverage in 9 months!) than the chicken pot pie..
Well, here we are today.. Jamie & Joel have brought little Deegan into this world, and now it is our turn to deliver a hot meal.. Ed & Laura still had the recipe, so I thought I would make them the dinner we enjoyed so much.. I've never made it myself, so I did a test run tonight..
... I'm not a baker, but it turned out pretty nicely, in my opinion...

... and judging from what is left, my family seemed to enjoy it as well.. Hopefully Jamie & Joel will enjoy it Wednesday as much as we did..