Our Nana!

The boys had a very special treat last week. Their Nana flew in to spend their first week of Spring Break with them. No Mom and Dad (we went to work), just Nana and the boys. We've never had someone do this for us, it was truly awesome.

We didn't do much, she was able to watch a soccer practice and meet some of their friends. Had dinners together and the boys showed her how to play the wii and horse in basketball.

Aidan is very attached to his Nana. He was constantly telling her secrets in her ear, sitting right beside her at every opportunity, and doing whatever he could to make her laugh! There was one day that he laughed so hard that his nose bled and her chest was sore from laughing.

Thank so much Nana for taking the time out of your life to spend last week with us, for suffering through the nauseating flight from Tyler to Dallas, for dealing with our painful stairs in the house, and suffering from insomnia! It was an awesome treat to have you to ourselves for once! We enjoyed every minute of it.

Movie Marathon

I had a movie marathon day yesterday! I was exhausted physically and mentally and needed an escape. See, I have a stack of movies that are mine; the boys and Josh aren’t interested in watching them. Because I don’t have a lot of time to myself and I constantly do things for others they pile up on me and I don’t get to them often. That’s why some of these aren’t necessarily new releases.

I watched Matchstick Men with Nicholas Cage. It was on TV at 9 in the morning and even though I had seen it before I sat and watched it again. He has OCD in this movie and it’s quite funny, I think he can be a really good actor at times. There are some of his movies that I think are horrible, example – Wicker Man, wow, that’s a bad movie.

Then I watched Babel for the second time. I’ve tried to watch this once before and got about 40 minutes into it when I realized I should have some sort of captions in English to be able to understand it, duh! Anyway, loved it! Absolutely loved it!

Watched Little Children with Kate Winslet. It’s disturbing in some areas but also touched me in others. It was much different than I thought it would be but overall pretty good.

Watched In Her Shoes with Cameron Diaz and Shirley MacLaine. I love Shirley MacLaine! This movie was sweet and made me cry.

Finished the night with Freedom Writers. This was exactly what I thought it would be, but wasn’t bad. Reminded me of Lean on Me, which as a teenager I’ve seen too many times to count.

I had a hard time sleeping last night; probably because I spent the greater part of my day in bed. That’s what I get but I enjoyed it.

The lavish side of me

Most people have a “must have” that they spend money on; it’s their gift to themselves. Whether it is clothes, shoes, facials, hair, or maybe even cars and furniture, I think mine is purses. I’m not sure why, I do know that my Aunt always had a Dooney & Bourke purse and I was envious. A lot of girls in high school had them also that I was envious of. I never got one but I did manage to always have a Liz Claiborne. And I mean always, I can’t remember carrying anything else. Is it a southern thing maybe?

Anyway, I found a wonderful store this weekend. It’s a factory outlet store for Coach! I bought my first Coach purse last year and I got it online from a department store. Spent a bunch of money on it, so much so, that I couldn’t buy the matching wallet. I really wanted the wallet but couldn’t get myself to spend that kind of money for it. This weekend opened my eyes to how ripped I got by getting that purse online and paying full price.

I walked into this store and was amazed. I couldn’t close my mouth and had a hard time deciding on which purse to chose. I got a brand new purse that should have cost $279 for $97! I also got the matching checkbook wallet that should have been $209 for $76 (yeah, I know, the wallet is almost as much as the purse).

I’m so happy, not only did I get something that I love but I got a great deal. The only regret I had was that I think I should have gotten another one! Sounds ridiculous I know. I’ve been told by a few people that the great deal I got was still a lot to pay for a purse. Maybe it is but I don’t do this in any other area of my life. Thinking about it though, how silly do I look walking around in Target clothes that are less than $10 normally and carrying that expensive purse? That makes me laugh.

Tristan's 1st game of the season

They did really well! 2-2. Considering the fact that it was the first game, we had to drive to Denver, and it was freezing, we'll take the tie! There was a professional photographer that was there and all of the pictures are on his website if you are interested, http://www.pics2prints.com. There are over 400 pictures but if you look at numbers 20, 81-82, 111, 117-118, 126-128, and 191-193 you'll see some of Tristan. There are many more after that if you have the time to look through them. He's also on the front page of the website but I'm posting that picture here.

You've got to look at pictures 390-391 and see Aidan bundled up on the sideline watching the game. He has the black hat on, such a cutie! Also, pictures 418-419 you will see Josh on the sideline with a white & green blanket wrapped around himself. Yep, he watched the entire game like that!

Soccer starts (hopefully)

Tristan has his first game in Denver tomorrow morning! Of course this depends on whether or not the weather holds for us. We might get some snow tonight and the clubs like to protect their grass fields.

Anyway, we are excited and of course I'm a little nervous for him. I'm sure he'll be nervous also. Maybe I'll get some pictures!

We'll be on the road at 7 am so if you are up around then - think about us! If not, I don't blame you. We would all rather be in bed also!

Being "Brown"

Aidan is very proud of being brown. I'm not talking about just his last name, but his skin color. He is known to only choose brown people for his sport teams on Playstation. He has always colored himself with brown skin, as you can see in the picture above. He's proud and I'm happy about that. I want them to be happy about who they are, but not to identify themselves by only their skin color.

A couple of days ago, Aidan came home from school and told me that he saw a dog on his way home. The dog didn't like him because he had brown skin. Huh? He was positive that the dog wouldn't go to him because of his skin color. Supposedly the dog went to Tristan but not Aidan. I'm not sure how he came to this conclusion. I was going to explain to him that dogs can't see color, only black and white but that explanation didn't make much sense.

This weekend Aidan asked Josh why only brown people went to jail? I'm so glad that Josh got that question and not me.

Wednesday already?

Haven’t posted in a while due to Monday being a snow day for us. Yep, I took the snow day also and loved every minute of it. Had to get started on house cleaning – Josh’s mom will be here on Monday and there’s lots to do. Anyway, since I lost a day of work it’s been hectic trying to get everything caught up.

I watched a movie this past weekend that I really liked, which makes me happy because I had waited so long to see it. No Country for Old Men. The dialogue between the actors is really quick and witty. I think it’s supposed to be a murderous, suspenseful drama since it’s about a serial killer but at times it’s so funny. I loved it! Josh tried to do homework during the movie but I knew he wouldn’t get much done. This was his kind of movie and he couldn’t tear his eyes away from the screen.

Also watched Into the Wild a couple of weeks ago. It was long, 2 ½ hours long, which kind of dragged on with not too much happening. If you don’t know this story I won’t ruin it by talking about the ending. I knew the true story behind the movie and was aware of how it would end. Josh didn’t but suffered through the whole movie while he worked on his homework. Needless to say, he hated it.

Egg hunts in Colorado

The boys were invited to a friend's house for an egg hunt on Sunday! They live about 30 minutes away but due to the weather it took us 50 minutes to get there. They had a blast though so it was well worth it. This is what I told myself as I was driving back home with snow stuck on the windshield wiper of the driver's side. I had to bend down and look through the bottom of the windshield for the last half of the ride home.

Aidan got wet - there were eggs hidden on branches and when you shook them down you were showered with snow.

Action shots - I couldn't get a lot of close pictures because they were on the move! See below -Tristan wouldn't even turn to look at me!

My sister~

Not to upstage my wonderful friends and other family members who I absolutely love and am thankful for, I have to express my appreciation for Shelly, my sis. She called me yesterday and talked me through my thoughts and emotions and although there still isn’t an answer or resolution, it’s wonderful to have that opportunity to express myself and not feel judged. (Not to mention she did this all while grocery shopping with two little girls)

To have someone completely understand where you are coming from and how you are feeling is amazing. She actually told me how I was feeling about several different things and she was right on! I didn’t have to explain myself; she knew everything before I could really say it.

I have been blessed with a wonderful sister that I can share everything with no matter how dark it may be. Even the times when you just need to vent, not really wanting an opinion or assistance.

Thanks so much Shell for being there for me last night, as you always are. I pray to be able to do the same for you in the future. I LOVE YOU!

This makes me sick-

DALLAS, Texas (AP) -- A woman threw her two young children from a freeway overpass during Wednesday's morning rush before leaping off herself, police said, and somehow all three survived the 22-foot fall into traffic.

The 28-year-old mother and her sons, ages 8 and 6, were taken to hospitals, said Paul Lara, Dallas Fire-Rescue spokesman.

"It's a miracle both kids weren't hit directly by a passing car," Dallas police Sgt. David Burroughs told The Dallas Morning News in Wednesday's online edition.

The mother was hit by a vehicle on Interstate 30 near downtown and listed in critical condition, police said. The boys were in good condition at another hospital. One of the boys had a broken arm but both could communicate with paramedics, police said.

Police said the woman and children had been riding in a car with a man when the adults became involved in some sort of altercation. The woman and her children got out of the car and the man drove off, Burroughs said. Police were searching for the man.


What is with the bridges nowadays? I can't stand this kind of stuff, it makes me nauseous to read or hear these stories. Thank God that the children are going to be physically okay, their mental and emotional status is another story.

Personal battles

Have you ever wanted something so badly that it’s consumed your every thought? I’ve been struggling with this for the past two years but a couple of days ago there was a twist thrown into the mix. Things are completely out of my control now. For someone who likes to be in control this is hard to accept.

It also makes me wonder if God has a reason for all of this. I know he knows my life plan, maybe there’s a reason I’m in this position? Where to go now, what choice to make? Going after what I want, would be life altering for me and that’s scary. Is that selfish? Honestly, it is, it would affect more people than just me!

How do I go on with my life knowing that I’m not happy and that I don’t feel complete? These feelings are horrible. I should be happy with my life and all that I’ve been blessed with. I just keep telling myself that there is a reason for all of this. I may not understand it now but in the future I hope to be able to look back and know why.

Not the kind of surprise I like!

Okay, after an extremely long Saturday filled with lots of soccer stuff, I’m going through the boy’s backpacks from school and just happen to come across a newsletter. I don’t normally read the entire thing but I do skim across the front in case something jumps out at me. This is what jumps:

Monday, March 10th – No School! Teacher prep day for report cards

I double check this info with the school calendar on the fridge and sure enough the boys don’t have school on Monday. I asked them both and get the, “sure, we know we don’t have school on Monday,” reply.

I couldn’t believe it! If I would have known this I wouldn’t have taken Friday off. Just our luck I guess. Maybe this is what we get for playing hooky! So, I sit here writing this on a Sunday afternoon at work. Josh and I will work a half day tomorrow so that we can stay with the boys the other half.

I guess the bright side to this is that I noticed this Saturday night and not on Monday morning when Josh gets up to take the boys to school. Could you imagine his mood then? Ha!

Playing hookie!

Shhhhh! Josh and I are playing hookie from work today! Sometimes you just need a break, you know? He's told me that it's not a day to do chores and that if I start he's going to work. That's why I had to still get up early so that I could get the laundry going, ha!

I have to get Tristan's jerseys to the shop today though! Hope he doesn't mind doing that with me. I asked him if he wanted to check out Costco but he's not interested. (It's new here and I got a membership.) Anyway, I'll update later with what the day held for us :)

Update: We had a really good day. Took Tristan's jersey's in to have numbered and thank God Josh went with me. The mapquest directions weren't correct and we got lost. Had to use the I-Phone to find it, yes, technology is wonderful. Got it done which is a huge relief for me.

We had breakfast and then went to Costco! We were able to look around but not activate our cards because the customer service line was estimated to be an hour long. Unbelievable! I didn't see anything that I had to have anyway, it was a lot like Sams.

The boys had a birthday party last night. It was a "spy party" and they had to follow the clues in a scavenger hunt to find out who the double agent was. The mom put in a lot of work to make this happen. They had fun but were exhausted at the end of it. We went to a Starbucks, a 7-11 gas station, the library, the sports center, Safeway and then back to their house. 9 kids in two cars with 4 adults. Whew!

Runway's winner and Lipstick Jungle

And the winner is.....Christian! In all of his fierceness! The show last night was really good. Rami is still my favorite, I loved the dresses that he made. But I will admit, Christian had the "wow" factor.

If you guys don't have much to do tonight, I have a new favorite show that comes on at 9 p.m. on NBC. Lipstick Jungle! It's so good! Granted, I won't be watching it with you guys tonight. I have to record it and I'll watch it sometime over the weekend. It's a fun show, I love seeing Andrew McCarthy again. He was in a lot of movies I watched as a teenager. Lindsay Price is from 90210 which I was a die hard fan of. Anyway, I enjoy it.

Teaching morals and values

Turning your child in for doing something wrong is hard for me to do. I know it’s important and it’s the right thing to do but it really rips at my heart. I just keep telling myself that if I don’t do it now, the “small” things that happen now will just turn into big stuff in the future.

Last year, Aidan stole a book from his classroom and put it on his bookshelf in his room. I came across it one day and it had the teacher’s name inside it. I asked him why it was here and he said, “I wanted it.” We had the big conversation about how that was stealing and it was his responsibility to return it the following day and tell his teacher what he did. His teacher last year was really mean and it worried me to no end how she might respond to this. Come to find out, he lost both of his recess times for that day and had to stand by the wall. Okay, I can deal with that and hopefully he learned a valuable lesson.

A couple of days ago, I’m going through Aidan’s homework folder and come across his reading minutes from last month. The total was 647 minutes. This is unusually high; Tristan hasn’t even ever accomplished that. I remember saying to myself, “Did we really read that much?” It’s possible with the tutoring and what not and then I flip it over to the calendar that we record them on and notice that every day that I hadn’t written some minutes in, Aidan had taken the liberty to write in some totals and sign my name for me. Can you believe it? Forging a signature at the age of 8?

Of course I asked him why he did it and his only response was, “I wanted it to look better than it did.” I told him he would have to tell her what he did. Immediate tears fell from him; honestly I wanted to cry myself. He wrote her a letter of apology. I highlighted the minutes that he should not have received credit for and his true total for the month should have been 250. I also sent her an email to just give her a head’s up that he had something to give to her and if for some reason he didn’t to please let me know.

Again, I’m worried about what may happen to him. He’s worried because he knows that he’s disappointed me and he loves his teacher this year and doesn’t want to disappoint her also. She did get the email and asked him if he had something for her. He gave it to her with another apology and she told him, “It makes me really sad.” That’s it, no punishment - the lucky boy! Who cares though, the whole point in this is that if you do something wrong you have to face the music and whatever consequences come with it.

I told Josh about it last night and his response made me laugh. It seems that Aidan is a lot like Jeremy, Josh’s brother. Jeremy signed his mother’s name in 2nd grade also and was caught. Josh remembered asking him, “Why would you do that when anyone with eyes could tell a little boy wrote that and not a mom!”

Flipping out!

Do you remember in school when someone would flip their eyelids? I do, although I never attempted it myself. Maybe it's because I treasure my eyes. I've worn glasses since I was 8 and contacts since I was 12. I don't mess with my eyes.

Anyway, Aidan comes home from school with his left eye bright red, it's obviously hurting him. I asked him what happened and he turns around and then turns back to me with his eyelid flipped. Ewww! I'm a little angry because I had talked with them before about not doing this. I used the, "if God wanted your eyelids flipped inside out he would have made you that way", example.

About an hour later his eye was really hurting, the eyelid was even swollen in the middle and his eye was creating some slimy stuff that I had to clean out. Luckily I had some soothing eye drops for extremely dry eyes which seemed to help. Unfortunately, Aidan has to learn things the hard way. Thankfully though, he's learned a lesson and taught it to Tristan also. The look on Tristan's face was priceless.

Their 1st Dance

Joel (our 3rd son), Aidan and Tristan

Ashanti, Aidan, Faith and Carissa

Tristan singing to Soulja Boy. No dancing but at least he was singing.

Finally towards the end of the night Josh was able to get them to go out and do the sprinkler.

Tristan got a bit delirious, ha!

Aidan!

We had a great night and I learned a lot! The boys didn't really dance, they stood around and watched everyone else. They said it was because the DJ didn't play any good music. I have to admit, they did have to listen to Hannah Montana, High School Musical 2, Barbie Girl and what not. When a song would come on, the girls would all scream and then start singing and doing whatever dance went along with the song. Every song seemed to have a specific choreographed dance. The boys were clueless. Tristan did go up and request a song but it never was played. It was fun to explain to him what the DJ was there for and how to do that.

I also noticed that all of the boys came just as they were from school and it looked like all of the girls had changed into a pretty dress, with dress shoes and had their hair done. Very impressive! The differences between boys and girls I guess.