Look! We do get out!

See! Here we are at the rodeo with NO kids! Finally posting a pic of the gals. The "lean-back-upclose" pose is almost as flattering as the hospital bed photo.

You're welcome, Julie. 

You're welcome.

See! Here we are reenacting our version of Aggie "Alien." But instead of a blood-sucking creature with mucus dripping from its fangs bursting from someone's chest, we have a cute maroon-clad baby! (I like our version much better. Less disturbing.)

Wyatt l.o.v.e.d. the baseball game! 

Shelby l.o.v.e.d. the popcorn!

You can see her distraught state when I informed her that she indeed had to share with others the bag of popcorn large enough to feed the Duggar clan.

Kids are hoping for a ball to come their way! I choose to believe that the wet spot on my pants is the damp grass but it's a hard call at this age and stage of children to make any definitive statements about wet areas.

WARNING: American Girl Doll store is open!

I repeat...the American Girl Doll Store is open! Hide your wallets. Tell them the "open" signs are lies. Anything to avoid getting sucked into the vortex that will eventually end with you explaining to your husband why the credit card bill was so high and why matching outfits with your doll is the only way she will have a complete and healthy childhood.

Actually, you can save your breath on the last one b/c husbands will never truly understand the thrill  of matching outfits with your dolls. This does not compute with the Y chromosome much like the confusion over why you cry just cause you feel like it.

So, I have warned all who will have ears to hear. I made the mistake of attempting a return to Old Navy (next door to new AG store) w/o realizing it was OPENING WEEKEND!

Pause and rest on that thought.

You would have thought the president had a speaking engagement based on the winding lines, men with thingies in their ears, the tickets required to earn the privilege to wait in the line (see Shelby below).

Good news. Bad news.

Bad news: Shelby is developing reading skills. Normally this would be a cause for celebration. Not when she can read the word "open." 

More bad news: I had just been running in the blazing heat and ten minutes prior had noticed a mystery stain on my sweaty shirt. This is acceptable attire for Old Navy returns. This is not acceptable attire for the AG store grand opening. (I'm basing this opinion on the mother/daughter duos who wore matching outfits)

Good news: there wasn't a wait to get in at 5:30pm. Actually, that might need to go in the bad news column as well. I might have been able to resist the pleading of the face above if an hour+ wait was a part of the bargain.

More good news: apparently all those times I told her "no" as a child and endured the full force of her disappointment have come to fruition. I did not purchase any matching outfits, custom made shirts, or doll accessories. Yep, we went and looked and left with nothing but smiles and a weird book about stars they gave her for free.

Lest I sound too "bah humbug," I really did want to take her to the AG store and have tea in the bistro. My vision was a special time where we would paint our nails and put on lipgloss. We will have to go back again for a better planned "girl time" that involves showers and clean clothes.

Even so, Shelby enjoyed walking around the museum-like display of all the dolls and their accouterments. I'm sure she will enjoy our second trip even more...

Upgraded our security system...

jerry rigged

Wyatt loves his little collection of sad, knotted jump ropes. When we cleaned the garage out he was thrilled out of his mind when we found a few old pieces of frayed rope. Hours later he was still busy roping bad guys, tying up sticks (another favorite) and dragging them around the yard, and driving his sister insane.

When these ropes mysteriously appear inside, all the cabinet knobs help turn the kitchen into some sort of elaborate obstacle course. I tell people that it reminds me of that scene in the original "Parent Trap" when Haley Mills #1 uses all the string to booby trap the cabin of Haley Mills #2. I knew I would use my high school hurdling skill set again!

Ha! Outsmarted yourself now! 

(Or I guess you could drag the chair all over the kitchen until I untie you.)

A celebratory dance! Please note the addition of a scrub brush and aggie helmet. I am constantly untangling all our toys. Oh, and I should take this time to thank Aunt Bonnie in Louisiana for donating a giant crawfish bag full of Mardi Gras beads to our household. Those are my most favorite to untangle.

This picture really says a lot about what Wyatt is enjoying at this stage in his life. 

The Triathlon Weekend-literally and figuratively

Once again, I have gotten a wee behind on the ol' blog, so I am starting from the present and working my way back.  Just throwing that out there for those of you who think I missed blogging about the beginning of kindergarten.

Last weekend was a big one. 

Definition of "Big" as found in the Official Mom Dictionary: a weekend so full of fun that Mommy's double shot and nap cannot overcome the fatigue.

Saturday morning began with Shelby's first ever kids' triathlon. All her gear had to be in the transition area by 7:30 and she was lining up to hop in the water at 7:45 am(!). This may not seem like a tall order but she ain't our only kid and they all wanted some food before we hauled them off to cheer on sister. 

After a minor heart attack over an almost forgotten towel (a princess one of course), the 5-6 year olds were hopping in the water at ten second intervals. I'm no expert here but maaaaybe we should have spread those little ones out a bit more. It reminded me of that scene in the Titanic where the camera pans out and all these people are flailing in the water trying to keep from drowning. Shelby, however, hopped in and cut threw the water like a shrunken female version of a 2008 Michael Phelps. See ya kiddos! Eat my bubbles!

Then we came to the transition area where I began to notice something...

The other kids had clearly done this before. 

Major Clue:

They tore out of the water, clipped on their kid-sized TRIATHLON BELTS, slipped on their own SPECIAL TRIATHLON SHOES by THEMSELVES, put on their own 200 dollar helmets, hopped on their UBER EXPENSIVE KIDS BIKES, and took off like a house on fire.

Do what?!?! 

Shelby still had her training wheels on with her Barbie helmet. Not to mention that Shelby had shoe-laces which the designated helper (parents not allowed in transition area) took ffffffoooorrrreeeevvvveeerrr to tie. 

Watching. this. process. was. as. painful. as. labor. 

No exaggeration. It took great parental willpower to keep from hopping the barrier and shoving her aside. 

After the bike round, which is safe to say was not Shelby's best leg of the race, she hopped off her bike and GIRL TOOK OFF running.

My shock could not have been greater than if she had declared the color pink ugly, princesses silly and thrown away all her jewelry! I'm serious people! I saw her "train" and the running leg was not her "most motivated" leg.

Here is a picture of our super star finisher! I may or may not have been a leeeeetle teary-eyed.

After the awesome/exhausting morning, we loaded up and took off for A&M's first SEC game!!!!

A few people showed up

I took the kiddos to Millican where we played and watched the game on tv.

                              (pictures from the previous weekend when we spent the night)

 Shelby & Wyatt looove fishing!

 Daddy explains that those are good eatin' Walker!

 Walker, of course, struggles with any sort of containment or lack of movement.

 These kids love the gator! If I let Walker crawl, he guns straight for the driver's seat and throws his body back and forth on the steering wheel in an attempt to get it to go.

We didn't make it back until 9:00pm that night followed by church the next morning (helped with the nursery), a trip to the clinic, a meeting after church, and dinner with friends. 

Good times with family and friends!

Who ever thought Monday would be the restful day???