Four Hudsons

Santa is watching..

2008-12-17T18:22:00.002-06:00

While I can get away with it, I have taken to telling the boys "Santa is watching right now.." anytime they have started acting up these last few weeks.. apparently, Riley feels that Santa is fair game.. the last couple days, if Troy or I don't agree with him on something, Riley looks up, bats his sweet little eyelashes & says in a soft voice, "when I talk to Santa, I am going to make sure he puts you on the naughty list.. sorry, but you'll get nothing for Christmas this year".. {sigh}.. that kid has beaten us at our own game..

It's a Wonderful Life..

2008-12-15T21:11:00.002-06:00

I was wrapping presents tonight, using some jingle bells on the packages.. when Taggert heard the bells ringing, he said "Mama, did you know- everytime a bell rings, an angel gets another wing?"... yes, baby, that's exactly right.. ; )

Saturday

2008-12-13T20:50:00.002-06:00

First thing Saturday morning the phone rings.. "what are you guys doing?".. "trying to make the kids believe we are still asleep" we respond..
it turned out Carol didn't have to go to work for the day, and we needed to take full advantage of a rare Saturday with her.. Poor Troy stayed home & studied, while the boys & I loaded up in the Sippel van for our free day.. Free was our theme & we did our best to stay on track..
First up was a visit to the Austin Capital Building.. The boys did a great job of paying attention on the tour (free), with Riley even stopping to ask the tour guide a question about the renovations..
Next we stopped at Whole Foods for a little wine tasting (they use teeny tiny cups) & some snacks.. a quick bite to eat on the lawn of UT campus (what a gorgeous day) & it was off to the LBJ Presidential Library (free).. Steve's bit of trivia was that there are only 12 presidential libraries currently, with 2 of them in Texas.. who knew? (a wealth of knowledge, isn't he?).. we could have spent a lot more time there, but the boys (pretty much just my boys) were reaching their time limit of quiet voices & no running, so it was time to head back north..
By the time we got home Troy was ready to put his books down.. we all loaded up & headed to Salado, for the annual Christmas Stroll (free).. what a picture perfect little town.. the boys enjoyed the carolers dressed in costumes & the fact that we spotted Santa, driving a big, red Ford no less!
On the way home for the night we stopped at the Georgetown square for dinner, the Heisman announcement.. all the boys loved playing video games & pool while the grown ups enjoyed a quiet dinner.. no one can say we don't make the most of our days!

the last to know..

2008-12-02T22:48:00.002-06:00

Troy & I had a meeting for work this morning in downtown Austin, beginning at 8:00 am.. It's pretty rare when we both have to be that far away from home that early, but when it occurs, we take the little trail over to Carol's house & ask if she can adopt our children for the morning, getting them to school after we leave.. God Bless Carol, she always helps out when we are in need..
We left Round Rock at 6:15 am, which meant I had to get moving at 5:00 am to get everyone ready, out the door & deposited on Carol's doorstep on time.. knowing this, I still stayed up until after 1:00 am reading Angels & Demons, the prequel to The Da Vinci Code. why didn't I know these books were soo good?.. I remember all the media hype, prior to the TDVC movie, and I can't for the life of me remember why I didn't read it back then.. perhaps there is a small part of me that resists things that get all the hype, which makes me the last to know how great these books are..
now that I'm finally with the program, if it weren't almost 11:00 pm as I've finished it, I would run over to Carol's to borrow TDVC next.. of course, it would mean I'd stay up reading again until I fell asleep with the book on my face.. I suppose I'll save my late night reading for tomorrow night.. sweet dreams! : )

What I'm thankful for...

2008-11-26T17:40:00.001-06:00

Sneak Peek...

2008-11-17T21:47:00.002-06:00

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...

2008-11-16T19:35:00.002-06:00

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..

2008-11-13T20:16:00.002-06:00

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!...

2008-11-12T20:13:00.002-06:00

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..

2008-11-10T19:35:00.003-06:00

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...

2008-11-10T19:30:00.002-06:00

Four grown men...

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

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

Good meals..

2008-11-10T18:58:00.005-06:00

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..

Introducing Deegan Mac..

2008-10-24T21:32:00.003-05:00

Congratulations to Jamie & Joel on their new addition, Deegan Mac.. Their lives will never be the same- lucky them.. looking at that peaceful face, wrapped in the hospital standard-issue blanket & cap, almost makes me want another.. Many blessings to the Bandley family..

Where has the time gone?...

2008-10-23T21:54:00.004-05:00

..in more ways than one... my precious little Riley loves wearing his Diego watch.. it's not an actual watch, but simply a piece of yellow plastic shaped like a watch, with a picture of Diego on it.. when we ask him what time it is, he has often said "Diego-thirty".. he has been undaunted when someone (especially his older brother) has pointed out it is not a real watch..
he wears his watch every day & night.. in the shower, to school & in bed.. he only takes it off to play flag football, when one of us will hold it for him..
this week, he lost his little Diego watch at football practice.. I came home from being out of town for a couple of days, and Troy shared this news with a sad look on his face..
knowing that his next watch will most likely be an actual watch, I think we felt as if it marked one of those signs Riley getting a little older..

out of the mouths of precious kiddos..

2008-08-27T20:25:00.005-05:00

After school Taggert & Riley were playing with Taelyn outside.. they were running all over the driveway & in the garage, and having lots of little discussions.. I was reading & not really paying attention, so I didn't catch anything they were saying..
a little later Taggert talked back & I asked him to go inside.. at which point, Riley turned to Taelyn & said "so.. Daddy's out of town.." turns out, they were playing house- Taggert was Daddy, Taelyn was Mommy & Riley told me he was the "older son".. I had to laugh at how quickly Riley was able to improvise..

What was that?...

2008-08-26T19:40:00.002-05:00

I'm sitting next to Troy just now when a commercial for the new season for Dancing With The Stars comes on, showing the new roster of dancers.. Excitedly he says, "hey, it's going to be a good season!".. what?!?

The first day of school..

2008-08-26T15:46:00.004-05:00

Today was Taggert's first day of 2nd grade, with Riley beginning a new preschool year at Primrose... Everyone was up early this morning, with Taggert bouncing around & singing some song about being a second grader.. when I picked him up & asked how it went on the first day, he said "awesome".. I'm grateful that they still get excited about going to school.. let's hope it lasts..

Last day before school starts...

2008-08-25T21:55:00.002-05:00

We wanted to find a way to celebrate the last day of summer vacation.. Carol & I had read about Hey Cupcake in Austin, a cute little airstream trailer parked on South Congress that only serves cupcakes.. it sounded like the perfect place for little celebrations..
so, after I was done with work, we gathered the troops & headed south.. as you can see from the photo, we were met with a "sold out" sign when we got there.. which left us with some upset little boys..
Luckily, just down the street from Hey Cupcake, is another Austin original, Amy's Ice Cream.. We activated Plan B, and started telling the boys that cupcakes are overrated (so they wouldn't get too upset about it).. Everyone got their choice (how about dark chocolate with gummy bears??) & we took a stroll up Congress... this lasted about 4 minutes until a crazy rainstorm hit.. you would think this would be bad, but with 5 little boys eating ice cream in the Texas heat, a little water comes in handy for all those sticky faces & fingers..

It's finally open...

2008-08-23T20:30:00.002-05:00

It seems so long ago when many of the families on our street and around the block were attending evening school board meetings in our Teravista t-shirts, united in getting a new elementary built in our neighborhood.. Two years later, it's finally ready to open, just in time for Taggert's 2nd grade year.. it's so exciting to see the hard work pay off with the opening of Teravista Elementary..
On Friday night we went up to the school to meet his new teacher & drop off his school supplies.. what a special surprise to find Taggert's friend (and sometime "girlfriend" since kindergarten) Hannah will be in his class again this year.. not sure if I'm ready for the love notes again so soon..
I'm excited that all of us are involved with the school once again- this time as active committee chairs on the PTA. no doubt we will make it a special year for our kiddos..

Nate the Great!

2008-08-21T12:19:00.005-05:00

Happy birthday Nathan Sippel! So hard to believe you are TEN YEARS OLD! I'm really going to need the kiddos on this street to stop growing up so fast!!

A sick day...

2008-08-18T22:47:00.002-05:00

I worked from home today to stay with my little guys & their upset tummies.. with just the three of us here, I noticed a couple of consistent traits throughout the day..
Taggert is my little pleaser.. to keep them busy while I worked, I asked them to draw me some pictures.. Riley drew whatever he wanted, no matter what I asked for.. but Taggert wanted to draw exactly what he thought I might want, asking clarifying questions to be sure.. he's been that way since he was very small.. he has an independent spirit, but always checks to make sure it's acceptable..
And then there's Riley.. my little loverboy... Taggert is right on the bubble where extra hugs & kisses may be just a little too much.. but not Riley.. anytime any two people are hugging in our house, Riley shouts out "group hug!" and comes running over at full steam, as if he might be missing out.. then he squeezes with all his might, not letting go until he gets a kiss.. and pleaser Taggert reluctantly holds on until Riley feels he's gotten enough hugs..
there's no doubt these little traits won't last, but until then I'll try and soak up every moment..

Olympics..

2008-08-17T22:35:00.003-05:00

Does anyone else's face hurt from watching too much Olympic coverage?.. if I sit down for too long to watch the games, after a while, I notice my face hurting from clenching my jaw as if some how my being more focused will help the athletes.. thank you Michael Phelps for winning your final race last night so I was at least able to sleep easily.. watching the Olympics is stressful!!.. ha ; )

Taggert wasn't feeling well...

2008-08-17T21:12:00.005-05:00

.... after dinner tonight, and thought he might have to throw up.. so I sat him on the couch with a glass of water and a bucket.. when I went back in the living room to check on him a little while later, I found him like this....

guess he's feeling a little better..

Saturday..

2008-08-17T00:17:00.004-05:00

no bugs in this pool, except for the little snuggle bugs we brought with us
Adyson showing us her new school shoes
caught in the act: Riley helping Austin escape to the golf course
Our plan Saturday was to get up & head to the neighborhood pool... unfortunately, the pool has been invaded by some crazy parasites & has been shut down for massive chlorinating.. Luckily, Jamie & Joel called to invite us to their pool (with no parasites).. Joel took some awesome pictures of the kiddos with his underwater camera which I'll post when he sends them..

After lounging around the pool for awhile, Mike & Mandy had us over for dinner.. the boys hit golf balls at dusk while the girls sat on the back porch and sang at the top of our lungs to 80's songs from Mike's ipod... my apologies to anyone who might have heard us.. clearly, we aren't professionals.. ; )

this week....

2008-08-15T21:21:00.005-05:00

...was too long... I spent 5 days downtown, helping with a convention for work.. Troy left for El Paso Wednesday morning, and I was back that afternoon (thank you Carol for closing the small parenting gap for us!).. The boys joined me at my hotel downtown one night for dinner & a movie as we all cuddled up in the bed.. Riley has said before he would like to live in a hotel, so this worked out well for him.. by Thursday night everyone was back home & settled in.. looking forward to a quiet weekend..

Love to share..

2008-08-05T21:15:00.002-05:00

I love to share neat things I come across.. a friend I haven't talked to in a while sent this to me the other day, and I just got around to watching it.. being the cynic that I am, I checked it out, and it looks like it's legitimate... for sure, it's a compelling story, but also a touching video to share with a friend you haven't talked to in awhile..

The rest of the weekend..

2008-08-03T20:16:00.003-05:00

the kiddos enjoying Jungle Java
the boys earning their keep at the Jungle Java
using the hot tub jets & pool noodles as giant water guns
enjoying the 104 degree heat in style
serious focus during Guitar Hero
intense game of bolo golf

We stayed on the run this weekend.. Saturday morning after the sleepover, we loaded up with the Sippels and introduced Jackson & Jordan to the Jungle Java.. they, too were quickly sucked in- running around sweaty & red-faced. After they left, we headed over the Joel & Jamie's to enjoy their beautiful pool & great cooking (new favorite grilled meat: tri-tip).. a couple of folks ended up in the pool unexpectedly which means someone had to buy a new camera for someone else this morning, but all was good..

Sunday meant errands for me (including a stop at the nail salon with Mandy) while the boys hung out by the pool, then over to Mike & Mandy's for even more good food, a serious Guitar Hero contest & a not so serious game of bolo golf.. we are all just going to have to go back to work to relax! here's hoping your weekend was equally rewarding!

Friday night..

2008-08-01T21:32:00.002-05:00

Trying new appetizers & cocktails with the neighbors (Carol's jalapenos go from hottest to pure fire..) & a slumber party with the boys & our God children.. we've been so busy lately, this was the perfect end to a busy month..

2008-07-31T20:48:00.002-05:00

Look what I found when I checked on Riley tonight.. I guess we know who he's supporting..

Busy Weekend..

2008-07-28T20:01:00.002-05:00

This weekend was busy for everyone in our household... the boys explored Zilker park & kayaked all over Lake Travis with the Sippel boys, and worked together to mow the lawn. I spent the weekend in Houston at a leadership training retreat (www.wayfo.com). Sunday night we all piled up in the bed for bedtime stories and a slumber party.. it's hard to get any sleep with two little rambunctious boys in the bed, but worth it for the cuddles..

Home again...

2008-07-24T18:25:00.003-05:00

The blue bowl has returned home safely from its vacation in Canada, although this time it was filled with all sorts of goodies.. Thank you Sippels, that was very thoughtful.. but I'm sure part of it was to ward off any future retaliation..... ; )

Those Sippels are at it again...

2008-07-24T14:58:00.002-05:00

It appears the Sippels had some left over blue bowl pieces from the last bowl-napping.. now they are just taunting me..... you can see the rest of the story on Carol's blog.. nice touch leaving a piece at the Canada shore.. ; )

Great Wolf vacation..

2008-07-23T18:41:00.002-05:00

While Troy & I were in Vegas, Taggert & Riley were having their own special vacation with Nanny & Papa at the Great Wolf Lodge. With an indoor waterpark, story hour & a room like a log cabin, I'm sure the boys would say they had more fun than we did.
Thank you Nanny & Papa for taking such good care of our babies while we were gone!

Vegas baby...

2008-07-23T10:42:00.004-05:00

We're back from 5 days in Vegas, and all I can say is that I need a vacation.. 5 days & nights, 2 shows, fancy dinners, massages, the Eiffel tower, a gondola ride, our walking tour of most of the casinos on the strip, Rum Jungle and hours & hours of table games & slots.. oh, and of course the impromptu concert Terrie & I had at the Mandalay Bay.. (we're famous in Japan.....)
sleep is really overrated..
We were so glad to spend the time with our dearest friends from Oregon, Ethan & Terrie.. we just don't get enough chances to see them..

Happy Birthday..

2008-07-17T10:34:00.004-05:00

Happy Birthday Troy!.. I won't say how old you are (41), but there's no doubt you are still a kid at heart.. thanks for ensuring I will always be the young one in the house!!.. since you don't read this blog, maybe others will read it & tell you happy birthday.. ha ha, love you!

Troy & Steve (aka Bowl-napper) Super Bowl 2007 (aka night of the first bowl-napping)

Once again, there's been a BOWL-napping!..

2008-07-16T20:41:00.007-05:00

Here we sit in Texas, wistfully staring across the lawn as we patiently await the return of our next door neighbors, the Sippels.. We tend to their lawn, take out their trash, collect their mail & lovingly watch over their home, as they enjoy their two week vacation on the Canada shore...
and how do they repay such love, you ask?... by filling their blog with taunting photos of my beautiful blue bowl!..

I give you, the evidence...

Exhibit A: what is he doing?.. blowing it a kiss??

Exhibit B: what's that hiding behind that Yankee coffee??...

Exhibit C: is that a rotten banana in my bowl??

There are many other photos (you can find them on Carol's blog)... I've barely recovered from the first Bowl-napping (the night of Super Bowl 2007) and the ransom note & bogus broken bowl pieces I kept finding for weeks after the fact.. and here they go & take my bowl into a whole other country!!.... Stephen Sippel!.. you just wait mister!

Settling in...

2008-07-16T07:00:00.000-05:00

You know your friends from Buffalo, New York are settling in nicely in the south, when transporting beer down the street in your shorts seems like a good idea.. I'm just sayin'... ;)

We miss you Sippels!! We can't wait for you to make it back from your Canadian vacation.. The street is not the same without you!!

Faux part II...

2008-07-15T19:52:00.003-05:00

After little boy tears & a trembling chin, I suspected there would be no way we could get Taggert to wear his hair in a fauxhawk again.. We didn't want to push him to do it, but we wanted him to feel confident enough to not let these other kiddos influence him.
This morning we talked about it again, and then he didn't say anything for awhile..... right before Troy left for San Antonio, Taggert asked him to fix his hair... they fixed it with only a slight spike in the middle & then Troy left for the day..
I told Taggert how great his hair looked & how proud I was of him for not letting those other kids get to him (part of me wanted to mention how their parents must have been raised in a barn to have kids with such bad manners, but I refrained)... we were headed out the door when Taggert stopped & said, "can you make it bigger?".. success!! we ran into the bathroom, I grabbed a bunch of mousse & got it as high as I could. what a great way to start the day.. it's so crazy, because he's only 7... there's no doubt these little speedbumps will only get bigger as he gets older.. now where did I put that owner's manual?....

Taggert & his fauxhawk..

2008-07-14T21:09:00.004-05:00

Taggert had been talking about wanting a fauxhawk for awhile.. Troy was against it, but I finally convinced him that it would be fine, just for the summer.. this weekend Troy took the boys to get haircuts, and Taggert came strutting in the house with his new hairdo afterwards..
It was mighty cute.. and this morning, he jumped out of bed, got dressed & ran into our bathroom so I could fix his hair.. a little mousse, a lot of hairspray & a blowdryer helped us get it just "so"..
I had to sell spirit wear at the Teravista Elementary ribbon cutting tonight, so Troy picked up the boys from school. When he got Taggert, his hair was flat, and he was asking to wear a hat when the went to eat.. apparently, a couple of the kids at camp had teased him for his new hairdo- calling him a "dork", an "idiot", saying it was too big or too small.. one kid even punched him while making fun of his hair.. for my tenderhearted 2nd grader, this was a bit much..
When I got home, Troy & I tried to convince him that what these kids said didn't matter, that they were just jealous & that their parents hadn't taught them good manners.. but heck, we've all been there at one time or another, and no matter what your parents said, it still stung.. it's just crazy how much more it stings you when it's your own little one.. I'm going to have to learn to toughen up if I'm going to try and master this Mom stuff..
I think he's done with the fauxhawk.. if I can get him to wear it again, I'll be sure to take some pictures- it's too precious for words..

If you have some time to kill...

2008-07-10T21:48:00.005-05:00

Oh.. my.. goodness... I read about this website & decided to check it out... and then, time stood still... all I remember is that at one point, I was laughing so hard tears were running down my face...
more importantly, I had never seen this website.. and I know my brother hadn't seen it until I sent it to him... Yet, some of the entries seemed oddly familiar... I'm just saying..
the website is a compilation of emails mothers have sent to their children.. then, their children totally sell them out by submitting them to this site.. and it's one of the funniest things I've seen in a long time.. no doubt..
so, if you have time to kill, and there's no one around to see you collapse into ugly, convulsing laughter, check out http://www.postcardsfromyomomma.com/.. you won't regret it.. I'll look forward to looking for your own personal entries on the site... ; )

Here's an example of one of the emails (the first part is written by the person submitting it):

(Backstory: I am the youngest of 4 children, my mother was terrified for me to leave home and live on my own. I finally found a roommate and a place we could afford, this was her answer to my email informing her of our plans. The funny part is, we aren’t immigrants…)

Grumble,,….grumble,…. You don’t know this girl very well….she could leave you stranded with a lease……she could stab you while you sleep…..she could pour boiling hot coffee on you at breakfast…….valley park??? It floods there!!!! There are bugs there!!!!! They don’t rent to immigrants like you!!!!

Everybody's got a job..

2008-07-10T21:06:00.002-05:00

On Wednesday night, Taggert, Riley & I went up to the Henson's Jungle Java to help them get ready for the their big grand opening this weekend.. Troy was out of town, so I told the boys we had to do our part to help out our neighbors... They asked "what exactly are you going to be helping with Mama?".. I explained that I would be helping unload supplies & building tables..

Then they asked what specifically they needed to help with.. I explained that there was a giant playscape in the store, and it was their job to make sure everything on the playscape worked well- from the slides, to the treehouse, to the basketball court.. They were excited to know that they would be helping.. by the time we were heading out for the night, their heads were soaking wet & I had to drag them out of there.. It would appear the playscape is working just fine!

If you are in the Round Rock area, check out the local Jungle Java (http://junglejavaplay.com).. There is no doubt it's going to be a popular spot for kiddos.. Congratulations to Nikki & Gregg on their new business!!

Why I like bunko..

2008-07-08T21:36:00.002-05:00

Maybe I just have Vegas on the brain, since we are getting ready to go there.. but I think bunko is a lot like craps.. because:

1- it's fast
2- people are rooting for you to win
3- I don't really know the rules
4- it must be done with a cocktail(s)
5- I'm a big winner
6- you can totally win without knowing the rules

Now, I didn't win $400 like I won at craps the first & only time I went to Vegas, but I did win a big prize of glasses & a cocktail cookbook.. I know you're jealous.. ; )

Really looking forward to next month when we include the husbands.. I haven't told Troy what's going to happen, and since he doesn't read this blog, we're safe.. I'll just think of it of one extra chance for me to win something.. cheers!

The 5th of July..

2008-07-05T22:23:00.002-05:00

It pretty much wouldn't be a weekend on our street without some sort of activity with the neighbors.. On Saturday, the Huttons hosted a pig roast.. and by pig roast, I mean they bought a complete 70 pound pig, prepped it & smoked it.. Tina reviewed the prepping pictures and, by the fact that she was having trouble keeping her food down, I'm fairly certain I don't need to know what was involved..
Riley & I bounced in the bounce house together, where he warned me that he was not a toy when I tried to bounce him off his feet.. Troy & Taggert learned that they were experts at "bolo golf" (we think that's what it's called).. Steve & Troy plan to build a set tomorrow..
Don't tell anyone, but we let the kids run around on the 7th green.. that kept them occupied until the sprinklers came on.. One more weekend bbq to go..

Fourth of July on Lake LBJ

2008-07-05T17:48:00.003-05:00

Best friend since college, Ginger
We don't know these ladies, just loved the their outfits..
Riley & Aunt Ginger
Taggert with Jackson & Jordan on the lake

We started Fourth of July weekend at "Aunt" Ginger & "Uncle" Stephen's lake house in Kingsland... Lots of good food, a poker run on the lake (Troy got a pair of 8's), fireworks & swimming until everyone was wiped out..

Don't drink the water?? coffee?? tea?...

2008-07-02T21:16:00.005-05:00

I'm happy to say I made it home safely from a 5 day conference in Savannah... The town is beautiful, the conference was great & everything was going well, until yesterday.. sometime after lunch, people started disappearing... at first, I thought they were just skipping some of the final sessions to do a little sight seeing.. then, at the final dinner, I noticed entire tables being empty... where was everybody?...
It didn't take long to learn that people at the conference had gotten sick.. horribly, violently sick.. that's what they would say about it when they would tell you in their wide-eyed, intense description.. and it didn't stop.. all night long.. in all, out of a little over 200 people, 64 people got sick, with 4 having to go to the hospital (one via ambulance)... it appears to have begun directly after our luncheon & just continued on...
I am thankful I didn't get sick, but pretty much everyone else I know did.. it was sad to see how poorly the hotel responded.. no one expected them to admit to any food poisoning, but they weren't even kind about people having to check out late because they couldn't get out of bed, or the for the many requests they received in the middle of the night for Pepto-Bismol.. let me know if you ever plan to go to Savannah, and I'll be sure to tell you where not to stay... ;)

While Mommy's gone..

2008-07-02T21:08:00.002-05:00

I just got home from a 5 day conference (more on that later).. while I was gone, I received this picture on my phone... Looks like the boys used their time to teach Riley to ride his bike without his training wheels.. while I'm excited that he's growing up & that Troy had a good time with them, it reminded me of the time I was having dinner with a foster child & received a call from home.. Troy said "I just wanted you to know that Taggert loves carrots!"... the important point here is that until that moment, Taggert had never had carrots- or any real food for that matter, as he was still a baby.. there's something about me being out of the house, and Troy wanting to enjoy passing some milestones with the boys..

little thoughts..

2008-06-27T21:38:00.004-05:00

Today Riley said there was a little boy in his class that nobody played with, (I'll call him "M" in case we ever become friends with his parents).. I asked Riley why no one played with him, he said it was because he was mean.. I asked why he was mean, and Riley replied, "I think it's because he has mean eyebrows".. oh, okay..
Riley's been saying so many precious little things lately, I feel like I haven't given Taggert equal time.. so... I remember one Christmas when I was 9 months pregnant with Riley & Taggert was almost 3.. We woke up and there was snow all over the ground.. Taggert looked out the back window at his Little Tykes log cabin & playscape, and shouted, "Momma! The snow is eating my toys!"..
Happy Weekend!

I just love this picture..

2008-06-26T05:00:00.000-05:00

My littlest angel, Riley.. always thinking, always making plans.. A while back I was driving the boys home from school & Riley asked me to pull over so he could talk to one of the homebuilders.. I asked him why, and he said "I want to talk to them about building me my own house.. I'm going to take all my toys & my cat Ferris".... I asked him how he would get there, "big wheel" he answered..
Taggert, my practical child piped up & said, "Riley, there is no way you can carry all your toys & Ferris on your big wheel".. after mulling that over for a while, Riley has decided to stay put, for now..

Taggert & his tender heart..

2008-06-25T21:30:00.005-05:00

I kissed my boys good night tonight & talked briefly about the rest of our week.. Taggert started to cry softly when he realized I was going on a business trip Saturday for a week... being the little diplomat that he is, he lets me know it's not that he doesn't like playing with Daddy, but that he likes playing with both of us together.. it's funny, because every once in a while Riley will say he loves one of us more than the other. but not Taggert.. ever since he was tiny, he has told us he loves both of us the same.. if he tells one of us he loves them to the moon & back, he quickly tells the other..
When I explained to him that I wasn't gone an entire week (a technicality since it's 5 days not 7) he said that made it better & went to sleep.. these are the types of things I have to have temporary amnesia for while I'm gone..

Getting back..

2008-06-25T18:07:00.008-05:00

So, if you are following along, you'd know that Steve has pulled a couple of pranks on Troy.. therefore it was time to turn the tables.. the other night, Troy, Gregg, Brandon & Mike S, went to town on Steve's yard after he had gone to bed.. aluminum cans, chairs, "a fifty-two card pick up" & a few other items the boys found in our's & Brandon's garage.. there was talk (thankfully only talk) that they would drive Gregg's jeep in between Steve's trees.. below is a picture of what Steve found first thing in the morning..
So, how is it that Steve was able to take this picture first thing in the morning you ask?.... well, Carol, up and out the door by 6:00 am on Saturdays spied the mess, walked back in the house & told Steve "it looks like your friends stayed up later than you last night"...

This is the part of the story where having three little boys comes in handy.. Steve rounded up Justin, Nathan & Colin & devised a plan where they would transfer everything from their yard, into our yard.. one would take the cans, one would take the bike, one would take the chair, one would take the "for sale" sign and so on & so forth until everything was moved over.. all without speaking a word... and, all in under 2 minutes..

so... this is a picture of what we woke up to when Nikki rang our doorbell around 8:00am.. I came out in my robe to see Joel, Jamie & Mike taking pictures of our yard.. I went back in to get Troy, but he already knew what to expect..

Moral of the story- if you are going to get Steve, you have to wait until Carol leaves for the day!!

The Lawnmower Man strikes again..

2008-06-24T21:00:00.002-05:00

The other evening Troy mowed the lawn while Steve, Carol & I sipped cool beverages on their driveway.. I suppose Steve wanted Troy to be able to cool off as well in the 100 degree heat.. so.... when Troy was on the side of the house, Steve slipped into our garage and turned on the sprinkler system.. no pictures.. we were too busy laughing..

Our own little path..

2008-06-23T20:55:00.006-05:00

"We journeyed; all we knew of care-

our path that straggled here & there"

-William Wordsworth

This picture doesn't do it justice, but we all had a good laugh when we recently discovered a slightly worn path between our house & the Sippel's.. do you think they'll mind next week when the guy comes to install a gate in the fence between our back yards?...

The ups & downs of Monday..

2008-06-23T20:27:00.009-05:00

I started today ready to take my CLU exam... 3 more before the end of August & we are Hawaii bound.. it's getting down to the wire, but I remain optimistic.. this optimism carried me down to the testing center, sheet of formulas in hand, so that I could review them up until I walked into the computer lab (let me know if you need me to compute the effective annual interest rate on a consumer loan.. ha, right! Sarah & math do not mix..)
The proctor leads me to my computer, enters her password, and then....nothing.... she tries again.. and again... nothing.. technical difficulties, no sweat- I grab my formula list & work on calculating the present value of an annuity due in the lobby while they deal with my computer.. [still floating on my optimism]..
Every few minutes the very nice proctor comes out to give me updates, "we'll get it working shortly"... "just an update to the system"... "only a couple of minutes more".. it turned into only a "couple of minutes more" for two.....solid.....hours.... [optimism sinking].. finally, she comes out & says "it's time to reschedule your exam for another day"... that's all fine and good, but that makes my plan of squeezing three more of these puppies between business trips, vacations & 2 months a little tough.. [where did I leave that optimism?]..
I drive on home, financial planning formulas slowly seeping out of my ears... make some work calls, reset my exam for Friday & work some email.. and then, at the very end of the day, the delivery truck arrives (have I mentioned our washer has been leaking all over the floor every 3rd wash or so, and our heat sensor is out on the dryer allowing it to run & run..?)
Optimism is hiding out at this point [probably somewhere in the lobby of the testing center].. Troy has me convinced that the beautiful, front loading, highly rated (and heavily researched) washer & dryer I purchased this weekend (he was playing golf) have no chance of fitting in our teeny-tiny laundry room.. I tell the delivery guy this & he says "oh yeah, it's going to be tight".. he pauses, turns with a smile and adds "but they will fit perfectly".. [optimism is back in the house!]
they look pretty good, don't they?... when Troy got home he & Steve quickly jumped in the laundry room with a measuring tape trying to see how we did it (don't know, don't care).. let's just hope this luck & optimism stay with me through my exam on Friday.. :)

Someone's copying Riley..

2008-06-22T20:49:00.004-05:00

Earlier tonight Troy & I were sitting in Steve's driveway enjoying a nice breeze. The boys had been riding bikes for awhile when we noticed that Riley was standing in our driveway, looking down the street the opposite direction from us.. We could hear him shouting things like "what!?.. who is this!?.. where are you!?..hellooo?!"..
Finally, he walked over to where we were sitting and said with a furrowed brow & a serious tone, "Daddy, someone is copying me from far, far away".. Troy grabbed him in a hug & said, "baby, that's your echo you are hearing.."
"Who's Echo?" Riley asked.. just how exactly do you explain bouncing sound waves to a 4 year old?.. (come to think of it, can someone explain it to me??...)
Well, we tried, and he seemed to understand.. then he spent the next 15 minutes shouting down the street (but only from one, little spot at the bottom of our driveway, as if that was the only place it would work)..
The sweetest part of it all was when Carol got home a little while later.. Riley greeted her at her car & excitedly asked her if she wanted to come hear Echo.. he took her hand & walked her to his little spot & started shouting out.. he held his hand to his little ear & pretty much folded it over.. then he had her "shout at Echo".. she had to do it a few times because she wasn't shouting loud enough for Riley tastes..

kinda neat...

2008-06-20T23:09:00.002-05:00

places I've lived, places I've been to, places I will never go.... neat video...

Happy Birthday Justin..

2008-06-20T06:30:00.001-05:00

Happy 11th Birthday Justin! Wishing you a great day!!

Happy Wednesday..

2008-06-18T18:23:00.004-05:00

Troy picked Riley up from school today, and Riley told him one of his teachers didn't come in this afternoon. Troy asked if she was okay and Riley answered, "I don't know. She either went to the hospital, went on vacation, or is having a baby"... hmm... as they say on Sesame Street, one of those things just doesn't belong..

Today..

2008-06-17T00:01:00.000-05:00

Today we celebrate the day, 8 short years ago, we started this family...

3 towns, 3 homes and 2 babies ago..

we've come a long way together..

Here's to the road ahead..

love you

Sunday evening..

2008-06-16T16:37:00.004-05:00

The boys had a great time fishing with Daddy... Riley caught another turtle (total caught to date= 3) plus a whole lot of allergy (aka algae).. They were excited to find a fishing hole so close to the house (2 miles, who knew?)..
We were joined at dinner by Calee & Addison while Mandy took Austin for a quick trip to the ER (standard boy stuff- jumping on the bed, cut over the eye).. I could tell that both boys enjoyed having girls around the dinner table, as they competed for attention with their stories.. surprisingly Riley won, but only because I think Taggert got tired of trying to talk over his little brother.. ;)

Father's Day 2008...

2008-06-15T13:14:00.002-05:00

Troy enjoyed a day of breakfast in bed & discovering a new fishing spot with the boys.. Happy Father's Day to Troy, Papa & Grandpa Jerry (although he doesn't own a computer).. : )

Tina's gift..

2008-06-14T16:51:00.002-05:00

Tina offered to take some pictures of us, as a surprise for Troy for Father's Day.. here are just a few of the pictures.. she got my boys to smile (at the same time) and listen to her.. when we left, Taggert said "I can't wait to see Ms. Tina again".. I'm sure it had something to do with the fact that she has three little boys to play with, and the fact that she is fluent in "boy".. Thanks again Tina, you did a wonderful job!!

turning a corner..

2008-06-12T20:18:00.003-05:00

For part of the summer, Taggert is attending a daytime summer camp... It's a great place that reminds me of the summer camp Tommy & I went to as kids.. It has everything- swimming, kayaking, archery, hiking, sports, competitions, and so on.. This is Day 4 of Taggert coming home completely worn out- tonight he even layed his head down at the dinner table.. a clear sign he is having a boatload of fun..
This morning Troy took Taggert out to the campground (as opposed to the bus) and walked him to the archery site to join his group.. they were barely in sight of the group when Taggert stopped, turned to Troy and said "Dad, let's stop here and do this so I won't be embarrassed". He gave Troy a big hug & then ran to join his group.. Troy promptly called me at work & we had a little moment together.. my little 2nd grader is growing up too fast..

What would that taste like?..

2008-06-11T20:05:00.003-05:00

Tonight we were driving home from errands & dinner, when I heard Riley ask Taggert "when you put food in your mouth, how do the taste bugs know what you are eating?".. love it..

Tuesday with the Bunko Babes..

2008-06-10T16:27:00.005-05:00

For years friends here & there have asked me to join their Bunko groups from time to time.. I don't know what Bunko is or how to play, and it was hard to commit to a scheduled day a month without the fear of having to back out & let people down.. so I never said yes..
Now that we are settling in to Austin, I've finally accepted an invitation to join a Bunko group.. After a few weeks, the day arrived and it was time to join the ladies.. they picked me up and we promptly headed to Georgetown for dinner, drinks, lots of stories & lots of laughs.. Apparently on the occasional Bunko night, the girls forgo the game for something else.. I still don't know how to play or really what it is, but I think I could get used to this Bunko thing.. Thanks for the invite Mandy & Jamie!!

Weekend in a nutshell..

2008-06-08T09:16:00.003-05:00

Kids-in Fort Worth with Nanny & Papa.. Troy-camping with college buddies... Me- nice, relaxing dinner with friends Friday and Saturday night.. staying up late reading, sleeping a little late in the morning.. by Sunday, ready for everyone to come home..
Sunday- all the boys are home & the neighbors came over to try out Rachael Ray Steak Sandwiches (as requested by the guys).. good food & good friends..

Friday..

2008-06-06T15:01:00.004-05:00

note the bump on Taggert's head from running into Mandy's fence..

Taggert's not quite sure about this ride..
Last night the boys went to Fort Worth to spend the weekend with Nanny & Papa.. Today they are spending the day at Six Flags, and it appears Papa forgot his camera- because every 2 minutes my phone buzzes with pictures of the boys.. through the miracle of technology, I can send those pictures to my blog (I may be the last person to know about this new-fangled technology, but I'm jumping on the bandwagon)..

Jamie & Joel....

2008-06-04T20:53:00.002-05:00

....are growing a little baby boy... it's so amazing that before the end of the year, there will be another little boy on this street.. they found out today & shared the news with us, which we all celebrated (of course, we would have celebrated just as much had they learned they were having a girl).. watching someone else grow a baby takes Troy & I back to the days before Taggert & Riley.. Taggert is 7 now, but it seems like yesterday when Troy was surprising me with body pillows & ice cream.. or, the first time we heard each boy's heartbeat on the monitor at the doctor's office.. and getting a little choked up.. or that very first ride to the hospital, on the way to deliver Taggert.. Troy driving with white knuckles in the ice & snow, me trying not to distract him by making too much noise with each contraction... and then asking him to stop on the way for magazines.. patiently, he looked at me and said "do you think you really need them right now?"... in the middle of a contraction I whispered, "yes"..
almost makes you want to have another..

Taggert the Truth-teller..

2008-06-03T21:26:00.002-05:00

This morning, I got a little lost my first time going to Taggert's summer program.. I had to double back towards the right direction and was a little distracted when, the next thing I know, a motorcycle sheriff was flagging me down to pull over... 41 in a 30 apparently.. and that was that..

Tonight, on the way home from dinner with the neighbors (kids-eat-free Tuesdays at Pluckers) Taggert said "By the way Daddy, Mama got a ticket this morning... she was speeding.. going 41 in a 30.. I wanted to make sure you knew in case Mama didn't tell you.." Um, hello?.. I was totally going to tell him.. when it was a good time...

I told Taggert this, to which he countered, "well, until you told him, how were you going to get his money to pay the ticket?.." Hey! Mama has a job, too!!

Lawnmower Man....

2008-06-01T08:26:00.003-05:00

Saturday night, Troy was teasing Steve that he was going to pull up a chair & a beverage to watch Steve mow his lawn on Sunday morning, since Troy had finished all his yard work on Saturday.. Steve said he was pretty sure Troy wouldn't be up that early.. true to form, Steve woke us up this morning by turning on his weed-eater in our backyard & beating it on our bedroom window.. at 7:30 in the morning.....
He didn't know, however, that with the upstairs a/c out, the boys were in bed with me, and Troy was asleep on the couch.. we jumped up & made sure Daddy was awake for the "good morning" from next door..
So, we were all still laughing about it & plotting our next move when, 30 minutes later, the doorbell rang... Steve had delivered Rudy's breakfast to our door.. very sweet, but we are still plotting our revenge... ; )

Saturday in Teravista..

2008-05-31T16:37:00.007-05:00

Riley on the slip-n-slide
Taggert at the bottom of the water slide
Jamie, Mike, Joel & Mandy- barbecue experts

celebrating the big winners

Today our neighborhood hosted its first BBQ Cookoff.. including a slip-n-slide, water slide, dunking booth, and catered bbq.. Everyone had a great time, and congrats to our friends, Girls with Grills and Bad to the Bone for taking first place with their barbequed creations.

Ladies Night with Sex & the City..

2008-05-30T22:04:00.004-05:00

Ever since it was announced that there would be a Sex & the City movie, Carol and I have talked about going, and kept each other updated with any movie news we would come across.. an alert went out to the street, and last night 4 of us packed our purses with snacks & cocktails to head off to the movie theater..

flashback to earlier in the afternoon, which found me at two liquor stores, only to discover two empty shelves where cosmo mix usually is.. everyone stocking up to celebrate the movie that made cosmos famous perhaps?.. not sure, but luckily, I located a bottle I didn't know I had when I got home.

Carol, Mandy, Jamie and I headed up to the theater a full hour early, along with many other women.. we picked great seats, with plenty of time to catch up & share laughs..

the movie.. it was a-w-e-s-o-m-e.. For Carol, Jamie and I, long time fans of the show, it was satisfying and emotional- we all had teary eyes for most of the 2 1/2 hours (which seemed like 30 minutes).. For Mandy, I was happy to see she was able to get in to after never really watching the show (but how is that she has missed it all these years??)..

Jimmy Buffett concert, 2007...

2008-05-28T21:51:00.002-05:00

Cleaning out my camera, I came across this picture of Ethan & Troy at the Jimmy Buffett concert last year... nice..

Memorial Day 2008...

2008-05-27T20:00:00.009-05:00

For Memorial Day, several of the neighbors rented boats out on Lake Travis.. I am in the group picture as well, but you can't see me... I am on the phone Troy is holding up to his ear, as I was at home, studying CLU... Regardless, the boaters had a great time, and Taggert & Riley enjoyed their very first time on a boat.. Thanks for your cautious driving, Steve-o!

Taggert's journal..

2008-05-26T22:43:00.003-05:00

We recently visited with Taggert's teacher for his end-of-the-year conference.. inside his desk I found a journal that Taggert writes in everyday... this particular entry stood out to me... possiby as evidence that Troy and I listen to a little too much 80's music?...

Halloween 2007....

2008-05-25T08:33:00.003-05:00

how lucky are we that our boys get to grow up with a great group of kids around?.. needless to say, we are happy to know that we'll get to stay in Austin for a while.. : )

the field trip part II....

2008-05-24T15:46:00.004-05:00

so we've seen the field trip pictures that Taggert took... without a doubt, there were a couple of donkey's taking a piggy back ride... and we'll leave it at that... ; )

Dancing in Walburg..

2008-05-23T22:14:00.005-05:00

Friday night we drove up to Walburg for a little dinner & a lot of crazy dancing with the neighbors.. as you may notice, the children are dripping wet, as it was no cooler than 145 degrees.. but that didn't stop them from trying out their new dance moves.. some of the move had them rolling around on ground.. latest dance craze perhaps?.. or maybe they were just trying to cool themselves on the concrete..

the field trip.....

2008-05-22T19:53:00.002-05:00

Taggert went on his 1st grade field trip, to a place called the Crow's Nest, where he told me they would see animals in "their natural habitat".. the checklist mentioned "cameras" on the list of needed supplies to bring along, so he & Troy picked up a disposable camera last night..
When I picked Taggert up from school, he was excited to tell me all the things he had taken pictures of.... a longhorn.. his shirt.. some friends.. a donkey, that had his two back legs on the ground, and his two front legs on the back of a donkey standing in front of him.. what??... what kind of place was this??..
I'm a little nervous to get these pictures developed... Nikki told me in their house, they say that's when animals are giving each other piggy-back rides...

High flying....

2008-05-21T22:29:00.003-05:00

Here are some photos of our latest activity.. I am so amazed at how well our little guys can throw & catch the frisbee..

Pizza Night..

2008-05-21T22:22:00.003-05:00

Daddy had to go out of town, so the boys & I invited Taelyn over to make pizzas.. everyone agreed when you make them yourself, they taste better!

my boys...

2008-05-21T21:57:00.003-05:00

My boys have been thinking a lot about what they want to be when they grow up.. Taggert has flip-flopped between working in a fast food restaurant & being a scientist (have I mentioned he has been accepted into the Talented & Gifted program at his school for social studies & science?)... He finally settled on scientist..
Riley is not limiting himself.. he wants to be a police officer, football player, deer hunter & scientist..
Here they are in their flight suits from Nanny... she bought them a while ago, just like the ones Papa used to wear.. the boys found them this weekend & told me they fit just perfectly, even though the legs came up to their calves..

Mother's Day 2008...

2008-05-21T19:02:00.006-05:00

I woke up to the sweet offer of cherry poptarts or cinnamon toast for breakfast.. Taggert showed Troy how to make the cinnamon toast, which included cinnamon & butter on both sides of the bread.. Riley layed on the couch, letting us know his "bones hurt".. later on, this evolved in him throwing up all over my bedroom.. no worries though- my boys each gave me special books of coupons, which included a free colored picture, an offer to take care of each other & the cat, and an offer to cuddle.. priceless...

Super Bowl champs..

2008-05-10T18:57:00.000-05:00

Super Bowl Saturday..

2008-05-10T18:39:00.002-05:00

We settled in for a potential long day on the football field.. if each boy won their first playoff game, they would go on to play the Super Bowl of their bracket.. Riley's team won their first game, then Troy & I spent time running between Taggert's 1st & Riley's 2nd games.. Taggert was especially nervous about his first game, as it was an entire team of 2nd graders (apparently a menacing group).. nothing to worry about, as Taggert's team easily won their first game as Riley's team was receiving their Super Bowl trophies..
..finally, on to Taggert's 2nd & final game.. word spread up & down the sideline that a parent on the opposing team had gotten into a screaming match with an official the previous week.. I have to add that in 3 seasons with this league, we have never experienced that..
back to the story-- our ref, (very young & needing some assertiveness training) started making some controversial calls against our team in a very tight game, hampering our best efforts to steamroll the competition... when this continued after halftime, our assistant coach (and league director) took it upon himself to throw the ref out & take over the ref duties himself.. for some reason, this did not go over well with the other team (did I mention they have a reputation for acting out?)..
Lots of words were exchanged and some parents (one with a kid on his shoulders) stormed onto the field to argue/curse this decision.. our assistant coach/now ref threw the parent out of the field, at which point I started to pack up.. physical altercations make me a bit nervous...
after what seemed like several minutes, things settled down, and we went on to win in the final minutes...
THANKFULLY, my precious Taggert was busy digging for fossils on the sidelines, and didn't even notice all of the excitement.. and, with Riley enjoying a pb&j in one hand, while holding his Super Bowl trophy in the other, he also was spared the insanity..
so, we are cautiously looking forward to next season.. : )

another reason to love Austin...

2008-05-10T18:36:00.001-05:00

...the great bumper stickers around town... on the way to work recently, I saw "imagine whirled peas"..

Union Hill Elementary Field Day 2008..

2008-05-10T18:31:00.003-05:00

Troy was able to visit Taggert's Field Day this year, and get these action shots.. not the typical Olympic-caliber events, but exciting just the same..

Ladies Night...

2008-05-08T07:44:00.002-05:00

10 years ago, if you would have told me that "Ladies Night" would mean getting together with other moms (and a mom-to-be), stopping at Friday's for a cocktail & then heading out to a place where we prepare meals for the freezer, I would have thought you were crazy.. and yet, 10 years later, there we were- laughing, telling stories & making future plans for more such adventures.. thanks for the invitation Mandy! looking forward to the next escape from Fairway Path!..

Mr. Mark update #2

2008-05-05T20:32:00.002-05:00

So far, no luck with getting Mr. Mark's job back... one of the other mothers involved has spoken to the Y a few times to no avail.. and they have not answered the letters the rest of us sent.. most of the mothers involved in the letter writing campaign have decided to remove their kids from the program for a couple of reasons- 1) to show their opposition to the decision & 2) because Mr. Mark was by far the best counselor, so what does that leave...?
It's truly disappointing, but there is still some hope on some job leads for him.. thanks to everyone for their continued support..

Saturday & Carolpolooza..

2008-05-04T16:24:00.003-05:00

This Saturday started early, with football again.. both boys won their games, with Taggert running almost the entire length of the football field for a touchdown.. I almost screamed myself hoarse.. we all noticed how he kept his eye on where we were all sitting to make sure we didn't miss a step.. both teams are undefeated as we go into the playoffs next weekend..
After football Carol & I ran errands together on what will be one of her final Saturdays free, now that she has gone back to work.. I joined her on my first trip to a scrubs store to get her some new ones for work.. that place is where fabrics go to die.. it is amazing collection of insane patterns.. good news though, as I was able to quickly lay my hands on the most expensive scrubs in the store- Grey's Anatomy brand no less- and help Carol make some quick selections.. they were by far the softest scrubs available, and I have half a mind to go back and get some to wear as pjs.. next was a trip to the bookstore for Cooper's birthday presents (happy birthday Coopy-doo!) and then finally to Whole Foods..
You will be hard pressed to find two women who have more fun in a grocery store.. it started earlier at football where we shared recipes we had come across lately.. we settled on some unusual sandwich combinations & new appetizers to attempt.. we wandered the aisles of the grocery store, sniffing unusual fruit, trying cheese samples & doubling back to look at everything again.. we must have lost track of time, as Steve called to make sure we were coming home at some point..
Dinner on the patio & childhood stories around the kitchen island, brought a relaxing end to a long day.. no one can accuse us of not squeezing the most out of our Saturday..

Taelyn & the boys at her game..

2008-05-04T16:22:00.002-05:00

I just love this picture of the boys & Taelyn at her t-ball game.. Thanks for sharing Rachael!

Peace, disco and.... a tornado?..

2008-05-04T16:04:00.004-05:00

Taggert's school had a family Seventies dance last week.. knowing full well that this could be our only chance to go to a dance with Taggert, we jumped on it (after much convincing by me to Troy that he would not look ridiculous in an afro... somehow he bought it).. the Joneses got in to the spirit as well, and we all threw together the best hippy & disco wear we could find..
afros and all, we started on the street & then off to dinner at Fridays... by the time we pulled up to the school, people were walking out.. (this is where Troy noticed that pretty much no one else was dressed up...).. turns out there was a tornado spotted in our county, and the dance was cancelled..
no worries, we headed back to the neighborhood, and were joined by the rest of the neighbors in our garage, to watch the crazy sky..
it was a bit much to get all gussied up, but totally worth it when we saw how much fun the boys had..

Mr. Mark update #1...

2008-04-24T20:26:00.003-05:00

thanks to those who have offered to donate to Mr. Mark.. there's no doubt he will put it to good use & be incredibly grateful.. as am I..
when I offered to write a letter on his behalf, I asked him if he knew any other parents... he knew of one family that might be interested, but only knew the little girl's name.. I mentioned it to Taggert, and he knew the little girl's teacher.. I emailed the teacher, who connected me with the mom, who happens to be very active in the PTA.. she had not realized Mr. Mark had been terminated & was also upset.. she knows several other families who feel the same about Mr. Mark & know the impact he had on our children.. she believes they, too, will write letters on his behalf.
additionally, she knows some people who may be able to give him a job- someplace close to where he lives so he can ride his bike, since he is unable to drive.. I called Mr. Mark to share this possibility and really caught him off guard- he had a hard time speaking for a moment.. everyone cross your fingers.. : )

readers of this blog...

2008-04-23T14:06:00.001-05:00

One of the counselors in Taggert's after school program has been terminated.. in my opinion, and the opinion of some other parents, undeservedly so.. I have written to the YMCA Board of Directors and executives for the program, and am waiting to hear something at this point. I'm writing this because, this is a good man… truly..

Without a doubt, Mr. Mark was there for the kids.. he was kind, not only to Taggert and the other kids there, but to Riley as well when we would pick up Taggert. he was one of the only counselors that was always playing with the kids, not chit-chatting with the other counselors.. and the kids loved him.. I think it was partly due to his kind & overflowing heart, and partly due to his slow & unsteady demeanor, the result of a closed head injury brought on by a tragic car accident years ago. he talks slow and walks even slower, which makes it easier for the kids to keep up…

Because of his differences, it's hard for him to find employment… and times have gotten a little tough for him now. Mr. Mark has not had many breaks in life, so I am hoping that his luck will change.. but, in the words of Anderson Cooper, "hope is not a plan"..

soo.... I would not be writing this if I did not strongly believe he was a good person, deserving of our love and support… therefore, if you feel so inclined to get involved, please let me know if you are interested in donating something to help him with living expenses… or, if you have any ideas to share on ways to help Mr. Mark along.. even still, share my information with someone you think could help... anything is appreciated..

We are helping on our end and I'd welcome any other support available... anything or nothing is fine, absolutely no pressure at all.. it's just that this has weighed heavy on my heart for the last week, and I wanted to put it out there.. I appreciate you taking the time to read this.. just another opportunity for us to count the blessings we all have..

celebrating the little things..

2008-04-22T22:06:00.002-05:00

This week I took my first trip as an adult where I didn't check any luggage.. for those of you who have traveled with me, you know I pack enough to survive a long winter, regardless of the fact it may only be an overnight trip.. it's some sort of illness I have that makes me think something I don't want to wear when I am at home will look better when I get to a far away destination.. then maybe I'll wear it with a skirt, or these pants.. by the time I'm done, I'm rolling two body bags down the driveway & throwing them in the back of the van.. anyway, this week I cut my airport time in half by cramming everything into one carry-on.. I got all my liquids into my tiny ziploc, minus the toothpaste- which the hotel happily provided..
Speaking of "celebrating little things".. while I was out of town, Riley told Troy, "I miss mama when she is gone.. because she sure is a cute girl.." awe..

Panther Bowl 2008..

2008-04-22T22:03:00.004-05:00

Last week the Panther moms got to play the Panthers in the first ever Panther Bowl.. sad to say, the 4 & 5 year olds may have had better moves than the mothers.. however, Nikki did go ahead and knock a Panther to the ground in the "flag football" scrimmage.. to her credit, he was half her size & hard to see.. way to take one for the team Nik!.. ; )
Also, thanks to the Joneses for showing up to cheer us on. it was so sweet how Taelyn could not hold herself back from joining in the fun, little girl heels and all! love it!!

Sunday pruning..

2008-04-20T16:49:00.003-05:00

we hate our front trees.. ever since we bought the house in Round Rock we have hated them.. they look as if they were dragged behind a rickety old pick up truck down a dark alley, leaving most of the branches only on one side... we recognized this as a huge problem the first Christmas here, when I strung lights and they were pretty much only on one side..
today Troy finally tried to rectify the situation.. still not perfect, but a little more even at least..
the boys were able to find a creative use for the extra branches.. they used them to make their fort into a tree fort.. as you can see, they were very proud of themselves.. : )

Riley's injuries..

2008-04-20T16:45:00.002-05:00

Riley wore his Crocs for the first time in a year and a half, and they were a little tight.. when we came in for the night, he realized he had blisters on his feet.. upon noticing this, he asked his brother to hold his hand as he walked around the house getting ready for bed, so he wouldn't be inclined to walk too fast (very sweet).. then he came to me and asked for a wheelchair... of course, once we were all ready for bed and snuggled up watching tv on the couch, he forgot all about the blisters..

an all-sports weekend..

2008-04-12T17:26:00.004-05:00

Friday night we headed to the opening day game of the Round Rock Express with the neighbors.. as you can see from the photo, a $3 ticket will get you the best seat in the house- the lawn, where all the kids can run around..

On Saturday, both boys had football again, both winning.. Taggert scored the final 2 points in his game.. Riley pulled out his super-secret move to distract the other team- making armpit noises with his hand... surprisingly, he was successful..

owing The Man...

2008-04-12T13:25:00.003-05:00

so I decided that I'm going to stop paying someone to do our taxes and learn more about our finances.. I pulled out our old H&R Block packet & used it as a guide as I spent about an hour and a half completing our taxes on TurboTax..

sad to say, TurboTax told us we will be owing an additional $5516 in taxes this year... yuck.. we spent about 7 minutes trying to figure out why we owe this year instead of getting a refund like every other year, but ultimately we said "oh well", and moved on...

for $29 H&R Block will check your work... I figured what's another $29 on top of $5516, so I went down there.. after 6 1/2 minutes, Earl tells me we are getting a $300 refund.. after their filing fees, it's actually $25, but hey, it's better than my results.. sold!

needless to say, my accounting career has come to an end... : )

Hanging around Zilker Park...

2008-04-07T20:37:00.002-05:00

On Sunday afternoon we grabbed a picnic lunch from Whole Foods and headed to Zilker Park... in our 2 years in Austin, this was our first visit.. what a beautiful place.. we road the train, played on the playscape, ate snow cones and watched a clown make balloon animals. A perfect April Sunday..