Landry Lovin'

All Girl

2012-02-18T06:40:00.000-08:00

Shelby got herself a nightgown that represents all she could ever want in a piece of clothing:

pink
ruffles
tulle
hint of shine
bow

Actually, not that dissimilar from what she is currently wearing.

Can't say she doesn't know her mind.

Potty training is going well

2012-02-16T12:12:00.000-08:00

Thank you for asking.

Some are just born with it

2012-02-15T12:28:00.000-08:00

I'm sorry that's MISTER Walker to you.

Do I know you?

Sheesh! The paparazzi just walk right through all those new laws.

My #1 Helper

2012-02-13T07:30:00.000-08:00

I discovered something.

Something so big and life-changing I can hardly believe my luck.

I'm talking HUGE news people!

My daughter LOVES to clean.

I think the tongue gives her an extra edge

Important note: you may want to give Target a few days to restock all their various forms of cleaning wipes. They are running low.

I hear.

1st Solids

2012-02-12T06:41:00.000-08:00

Ate like a champ w/ hardly any mess!

Man, I love this kid!

Why 3rd children are the toughest

2012-02-11T06:11:00.001-08:00

I. Love. You. So. Much. It. Hurts.

Someone's had chocolate milk

2012-02-11T06:11:00.000-08:00

He's a keeper

2012-02-10T11:19:00.000-08:00

So not only did my hubby go dove hunting to bring dinner home to the family, but he made it himself w/ NO MESS in the kitchen.

Between you and me, he's never looked better!

Shelby ate the bacon and cream cheese. (Nutritious)

Wyatt ate everything declaring "More bird food!"

Post-Christmas House

2012-02-09T06:28:00.000-08:00

Santa brought Wyatt trains, hula hoops, and a pair of ripped abs. (Those must have gotten put in the wrong stocking)

Christmas Eve Service

2012-02-08T07:42:00.000-08:00

Shelby is wearing my old Christmas dress from years passed & Walker is wearing his little Santa outfit.

Super Pumped!

Not super pumped.

I've said before and I'll say it again. Wyatt MUST to be tortured by the same coat with which his father was.

It's family tradition.

*************************

After the service, I snapped a couple shots of the hubby and our first-time service attenders. I included both pictures. I think you can see that they both have something to offer. I mean, how could I choose between such great material?

New 3-D at Nini & Pappy's

2012-02-06T11:54:00.001-08:00

And this is where I found their petrified bodies years later...

The Evolution of "2"

2012-02-06T11:54:00.000-08:00

So proud of his new skill!

Thoughts on Childhood and Humiliating Headgear...

2012-02-04T06:55:00.000-08:00

....embrace it now before they are old enough to protest.

They will choose their own form of humiliation later in high school (think body suits and mule clogs. Oh the horror!).

Was that the cutest montage or what?!?!

Happy 5th Birthday Shelby!

2012-02-03T05:43:00.000-08:00

Since Shelby's birthday is 7 days before Christmas, we do a small family party for her actual birthday and a friend's party on her half-birthday (think June, think pool).

Shelby saw the wrapped gifts the night before and woke up excited.

Really excited.

Saw the Monkey Bread going in the oven.

Really, really excited.

Ate Monkey Bread and opened presents.

Potential for spontaneous combustion.

Seriously, after all the sugar from the Monkey Bread it was like there were sparks shooting off her electrically charged curls.

That night we ended with some white chili and family. You can see some of the spoils below.

Important side note: The pink diamonds light up when you press them

Important side note: Shelby feels the need to shout orders to Wyatt in an English accent while wearing her cape.

Does her family know her or what?

Shelby's Christmas Party

2012-02-03T05:42:00.000-08:00

I feel the need to preface this blog posting w/ an excuse for the minimal pictures compared to Wyatt's party. It was not favoritism but logistics.

1. I was husband-less at this party (i.e short two hands but not kids)

2. I was supposed to be in charge of this party.

On that note, I want to say that I've learned quite a bit from being in charge of my first preschool party- like how much pizza to order, make sure you know the number of tables, don't sign up to be in charge if you have just delivered a child- little helpful things like that.

Girl loves pizza!

Mommy loves Girl!

Wyatt's Christmas Party

2012-02-02T11:58:00.000-08:00

The book exchange with Ms. Debbie...

Oooo! Oooo! Which book will I get??

Can't. Unwrap. Fast. Enough.

Dang! Someone double taped this sucker!

The Foot Book! I love Feet!

How did this person know that I love to clip my nails and stick my feet on my brother's face when he is on the ground?!?!

Look at my amazing cookie! I know my sister is looking b/c she is getting really frustrated in the background b/c she's not getting one with HER name on it.
Life can be hard.
But not for me today!

More fascinating artwork...

2012-01-31T06:55:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure at what age I need to be worried.

First, the whole gallery of onlookers reminds me of a kind of royal version of Joseph's dreams and we all know how well those dreams were received...

Secondly, Shelby explained to me that the large girl was her with a crown on.

She draws herself with a crown. every. single. time.

She also told me that she is a REAL princess. Maybe the whole Kate & William wedding made a bigger impression than I thought. She asked who Kate was in the supermarket and I told her she was a real princess. Commence unhealthy staring of a magazine cover by the four year old as I finish checking out.

The other day at lunch she asked me who she was going to marry. Sheesh! Already?! I said I didn't know but I was praying for him and that God knew and that I prayed he would be a man that loved the Lord, etc.

Her response: I bet he's handsome.

How to you come back from that?

Behold, an Angel of the Lord...

2012-01-30T07:58:00.000-08:00

What you see before you is a young girl fulfilling one of her greatest dreams: playing an angel in the Christmas pageant.

"Ha! That's your dream, Mom!" you might say.

Though I am not a completely objective outsider I encourage you to look deeper and notice

1. the ample application of sparkly gold through out the costume.

2. the golden crown. (You say halo. Shelby disagrees. You will NEVER win that argument. Move on for your own sanity.)

3. the giant wings strapped to her back. (She's in a little bit of a Tinkerbell phase and has been "waking up" from "nap time" with wings on. Heels optional.)

Yep. Girl was pretty pumped about her big night.

If you look in the background you will notice some spinning wise men who seemed pretty jazzed as well when I dropped her off at her classroom.

What you may notice in this picture which Mommy did not is the giant ring on her finger. I am constantly de-blinging my daughter before entering the public eye ("Less is more honey.")

Guess I missed that one, well, until I noticed it on stage. I thought I had held the preparations to a tasteful coating of body glitter and some clear nail polish. Can't win them all I guess.

The Curse of Benny Bear

2012-01-14T09:18:00.000-08:00

I was sitting calmly in the pickup line waiting for Shelby when it happened.

I didn't see it coming.

"Mom! Benny Bear is mine for the weekend and we get to record all our adventures and take pictures and do lots of fun stuff!"

Stupid bear.

I mean, I hate to be a killjoy but shouldn't there have been some sort of written warning so I could shift around our Disneyland vacation or something? I had a giant Sunday school party at my house that night and Seth ended up getting caught in surgery for a chunk of the weekend.

Fascinating adventures right there.

To make matters worse I almost forgot about the bear until the night before hence only two pictures. THANK YOU NINI!!! for taking pictures while you watched Shelby and made gingerbread men otherwise it would have been the lamest entry in the notebook.

Is it sad that I had to stage a game of Candyland the night before?

As I typed up the "amazing adventures" of Benny Bear (while muttering under my breath), I flipped through previous entries. Of course there were a few mom's who felt the need to make us all look bad, but, overall, the entries were filled with "I (Benny Bear) got to go with Sarah to her brother's soccer game all day on Saturday" or "I got to swing on the swing in the backyard! How fun!." I began to feel much better about Benny's adventures or lack thereof. Apparently, all the other moms lead a somewhat similar life that does not include:

a. jetting away to tropical destinations on the weekends
b. mingling with the rich and famous
c. leaving the house much unless is is to attend another child's function or go to the store

I got Benny's letter typed up and he managed to make it back w/o a dog gnawing on him or getting dropped in a puddle.

I'll just go ahead and mark this one in my motherhood "victory column."

It's running low.

Sleeeeepy

2012-01-14T09:14:00.000-08:00

"See everyone in the morning" (he means this b/c he sleeps through the night like a champ!)

Walker reminds me of a little inchworm in his green swaddle me as he ooches around his crib. Love this little sweet guy so much!

Scary.

2012-01-14T09:12:00.000-08:00

scary good.

Wyatt approves of Williams Sonoma hot chocolate while imitating The Joker. Not sure how he will utilize this talent later...

Picture session

2012-01-14T09:01:00.000-08:00

Girl got really into decorating the tree this year.

Love me some sister time!

Seth (aka the most helpful partner ever) holds his newest progeny

Mighty Fishermen

2012-01-14T08:55:00.000-08:00

Just found a slew of old pictures. How cute is this?

What a great daddy!

Kid's table at Thanksgiving

2012-01-14T08:52:00.000-08:00

Pumped about the carrot soufflé

Has taken to gnawing on his fingers

We are pro-Aggie today!

Meeting the new cousin

2012-01-14T08:50:00.000-08:00

Shelby is thrilled to have another girl in the family! Can you tell?

Wyatt's pretty pumped himself.

Heartbreakingly sweet.

2012-01-14T08:10:00.000-08:00

Well, the time had come for us to take our position amongst the faithful in Kyle Field. A special shout out the the benevolent ticket donators and my mom who watched Walker for me. While waiting in line for the elevator, I saw former President Bush and Barbara Bush. I got so excited I contemplated throwing one of my children at him but the wheelchair stopped me. I thought that injuring a former president and getting taken down by a bodyguard might overshadow the rest of the day. That to say, I didn't get a picture at all. The kids had a great time at the game and there was plenty of scoring (much to Seth's delight). We stayed almost the entire game, leaving only a little early to grab some lunch and prep for our guests.

Fun, fun day!!!

It's important to start the brainwashing early.

Shelby looking smug as the Aggies pull ahead. That or she is really pleased about the kettle corn purchase.

Wyatt discovers the dark side to kettle corn.

The block "T" with all the core. It hasn't been done in like a hundred million years or something...so I took a picture.

Wyatt after the excitement of the game with LOTS of cannon fire:).

Shelby's face upon realizing that lunch would be from Layne's. (Please note: this was after we tried and failed to convince her that kettle corn was indeed lunch).

Uh oh. Bad case of Aggie thumb occurring.

Victory party afterwards. Please do not report us to John Deere for improper use of equipment. Seth drove really slow and we put the ones who held on tightest on the outside. Safety first, right?

Ahhh...we finally got her. This was Shelby before we even pulled out of the gate that night.

Mommy and daddy were not far behind.

I got a new computer!!!

2012-01-03T15:32:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to me! I got a new iMac computer (yeah!) which meant I had to take in my old computer to transfer the data over. Well, on day three, the Apple store computer people told me as nice as possible that my ancient computer built by Seth's brother was...err...taking a little longer than expected. Long story short-we are in business again and as soon as I can find where all the pictures went I will catch back up on blogging. Yeah Apple! I drank the Kool-Aid and I LIKED it!

New Ovens!

2011-12-30T21:39:00.000-08:00

Thanks love muffin for getting me some new kitchen equipment!

Happy Birthday & Christmas to me!

Thanksgiving Preschool-Style

2011-12-23T15:49:00.000-08:00

My little Indian Princess.

Yummy rolls and...

too much firewater. (Just kidding-it was apple juice)

Shelby lines up for her big performance which included "God Bless America." I might have gotten a leeeetle misty-eyed on that one.

Dewberry Farms

2011-12-23T15:41:00.000-08:00

Wheee.

Look Wyatt! We went to a really fun place w/o you BUT took a picture of a tractor for you to look at! How thoughtful of us!

I think this picture really captures the essence the preschool age.

Name one four-year-old that does not think feeding a goat is awesome!

Please note the color of the duck chosen by my firstborn.

Duck races!

Ready for their day of fun!
Sidenote: class chaperones (i.e. me) wore matching shirts. Shelby owes me for that one.

Shelby LOVED petting/poking the chicks!

What occurred on the drive home.

Peekaboo!

2011-12-23T15:34:00.000-08:00

Pitiful. Just Pitiful

2011-12-23T08:17:00.000-08:00

Have you ever seen such a sad sight?

Poor little guy with no one to swing him...

FALSE!

I HAD to stop b/c my wrists were aching and some of my other children needed attention too.

This kid would swing all day if I'd push him. Just thought I'd share this sad little picture of Wyatt crying on the swing by himself. Rest assured, he was pushed many more times that same day.

Mommy's Little Helper

2011-12-22T19:50:00.000-08:00

Shelby loves to help.

(this is an understatement)

I wish I had pictures of her decorating the tree. Girl was on a mission!

I once gave her a container of Lysol wipes and she spent 45 minutes hand wiping the kitchen tile. I had to stop her b/c it was dinnertime.

With this level of enthusiastic helping you can only imagine her dedication level when sugar is involved.

Cookie Making Session:

"Why yes, mother, I would love to help!"

Her type A creeps out when making the balls.
"Not.Quite.Round.Enough."

The focus here is astounding. If we could somehow channel this to solving some international issues...

Do yall see those perfectly round and lined-up cookie balls?! I promise I didn't do any of them!

Peachy Keen

2011-12-21T13:07:00.000-08:00

Do you or do you not love this jacket?!?!

Still a little big but couldn't hold back any longer! It makes me think about when my sisters and I would fight over who got to wear my dad's old letter jacket to school.

"And he'll have fun, fun, fun 'till his daddy takes his T-bird...err..tractor awaaaaay"

Walker's Room

2011-12-12T18:16:00.000-08:00

I've said it once and I'll say it again.

It is veeeery convenient being related to talented people.

My mom painted the letters and helped pick out all the fabric for the crib.

I was just going to Babiesrus-it.

So good, right?

Sunburst mirror form Hobby Lobby and $5 trunk from a garage sale.

Ignore the empty shelves. I'll put something on them...someday.

So these are not the greatest pictures (please go back an observe the sound machine on the floor by crib) but you can see overall what it looks like. What you can't see is how peaceful and calm the room is. I love to sit and rock as the sun filters in through the tree branches.

A special spot for my special boy.

Welcome Winter Weather

2011-12-08T16:05:00.000-08:00

I have a problem.

A REAL problem.

I CANNOT stop singing "Baby It's Cold Outside."

There are multiple issues with this.

1. I only know the main refrain.
2. I only know the main refrain.

I wonder if my neighbors ever pop their heads out and question who is torturing the small animal next door (i.e. my off-key but extremely loud singing).

"Baby iiit's coooold OOOOOOUUUUUTSIIIIIDE!"

Walker wonders if the cold weather has caused a mental snap in his mom.

No son, that was the time change when we all were stuck indoors at 5:30 pm.

happy. thanksgiving.

2011-12-08T16:03:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-28T12:14:00.000-08:00

"What's up, Mom?! No pics of Thanksgiving??

Ok, so Thanksgiving was at my house this year, and I got a little distracted and failed to capture it on film. It was super yummy though and not nearly as chaotic as I would have thought. We had the Reese family join us and partake in turkey! stuffing! ham! carrot souffle! cheesy mashed potatoes! cranberry sauce! basil green beans! parker house rolls! gingerbread! chocolate krinkle cookies! molasses spice cookies! bourbon pecan pie!

None of my kids had naps and held up surprisingly well (thankful for this). I think they were coasting on chocolate krinkle cookies of which my son may or may not have eaten "quite a few." When I say "quite a few" I mean something like more than three less than fifteen.

No clue how many Shelby ate. Her stealth skills are far superior to her brother's at this point. I know she had plenty based on the healthy coating of powdered sugar on the front of her shirt.

I also read the Thanksgiving book by Barbara Rainey (highly recommended) which gave me such admiration for those Pilgrims who risked it all to worship the Lord. Would I do the same? I asked myself as I read of their near starvation for two years in a row.

As my husband so aptly put it:

As Americans we are beneficiaries of the Pilgrim's sacrifice and as Christians we are beneficiaries of Jesus' sacrifice.

So much to be thankful for this year as our health and abundance overflows! May we use it to serve the God who has given it to us for His glory!

Chocolate Krinkle Cookies

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup Dutch cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/3 cups light-brown sugar, firmly packed
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup milk
1 cup confectioners' sugar, plus more for rolling

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Chop bittersweet chocolate into small bits, and melt over medium heat in a heat-proof bowl or the top of a double boiler set over a pan of simmering water. Set aside to cool. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.

2. In the bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and light-brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, and beat until well combined. Add melted chocolate. With mixer on low speed, alternate adding dry ingredients and milk until just combined. Divide the dough into quarters, wrap with plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator until firm, about 2 hours.

3.Roll 1" balls in granulated sugar and then in confectioner's sugar to coat. Place the cookies 2 inches apart on a Silpat-lined baking sheet. Bake 12-14 minutes.

4. Transfer from oven to a wire rack to let cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Molasses Spice Cookies

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar, plus 1/3 cup for rolling cookies
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup unsulphered molasses

Method

1 Preheat oven to 375°F. Mix together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, allspice together in a bowl and set aside.

2 Use an electric mixer and beat the butter for 2 minutes. Add the brown sugar, and 1/2 cup granulated sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes with mixer set at medium speed. Add egg, vanilla extract, and molasses. Beat until combined, about 30 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl with a rubber spatula.

3 Add dry ingredients and beat at low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds.

4 Place remaining 1/3 cup of granulated sugar in a shallow bowl. Working with 2 Tbsp of dough each time, roll dough into 1 3/4 inch balls. Roll balls in sugar and place on ungreased cookie sheets, spacing them 1 1/2 to 2 inches apart.

5 Bake until the outer edges of the cookies begin to set and centers are soft and puffy, about 11 to 13 minutes. Cool cookies on sheets for 2 to 3 minutes before transferring them to cooling racks .

Note: do not overcook. The centers of the cookies should be somewhat soft and spongy when you take them out of the oven, otherwise they will end up hard and dry.

Optional Glaze

When cookies have cooled, lay out over a sheet of wax paper. Sift 1 1/4 cups of confectioner's sugar (powdered sugar) and then whisk with 2 Tbsp rum until smooth. Dip spoon into glaze and dribble over cookies.

Who will you be?

2011-11-18T18:00:00.000-08:00

Uh oh! Showing some attitude...

Just kidding Mom!

Allll byyyyy myseeeeelf

2011-11-15T13:33:00.000-08:00

*channel Celine Dion but less melancholy.

Seth recently went on a men's retreat and I went solo w/ the three kiddos. Below is photographic evidence that we survived (but missed Daddy) AND made it to church on time!

Look! We are wearing clean clothes that match!

Look! Mommy has her morning smoothie!

Just glad I don't have to do it by myself every Sunday!

First stage of letting go

2011-11-11T09:31:00.000-08:00

At first glance it appears that Wyatt is casually sipping on his milk from Chick-fil-a.

This is a correct observation.

However, there is an element that can easily be overlooked in this seemingly innocuous scene.

The milk is chocolate.

You ask: Why does this matter? What possible point could this contain? How many waffle fries did you steal?

First, I must say that I am offended, truly offended, that you assume I would steal fries from my children's bags and somehow justify it in my mind that I was really helping them as if my consumption of their waffle fries was like me jumping in front of a bullet (a greasy, artery-clogging bullet). I won't even dignify your question with a response!

I will, however, point out what is going on here with the milk.

As young, first-time mom's, we tend to still hold on to the illusion of control. After all, if we wanted to sleep in, or go on a date w our spouse, etc. we could... BC (before children).

Then, we have our first child.

Unbeknownst to us, we are desperately clinging to our rapidly diminishing capacity to logically predict and plan how the day/night/week will go.

We begin by freaking out over all non-organic baby food (or shall we say poison puree?). I knew a girl once who (not exaggerating) FLIPPED OUT when her daughter was given a non-organic lollipop. Really you say? It's the same reason we disinfect our entire house weekly or play classical music or make the kids eat apples instead of fries or shun all TV in their presence lest their minds turn to mush before 2.

We are doing all these things because all the stuffing is coming out of our box, and we are bouncing on the top while somehow trying to strap the flaps with clear tape to permanently close what refuses to be contained.

We are in denial that we cannot control future cancer (organic food), intelligence (classical music), social acceptance (insistence on matching outfits), heartbreak (borderline smothering of child until they begin to shove us away at approximately 2), etc.

Then, we have our second child.

For most, this is the point at which you go flying across the room as your box explodes. Denial over!

You can't give the second organic food because the first is hoovering all the food in front of him/her, and you can no longer afford it. Not to mention that your second child managed to eat multiple bugs in one week and drank from the dogs water. Organic seems a leeeetle pointless at that moment.

Classical music sends your oldest child into fits of whiny boredom. And, let's be honest, you too.

Matching outfits? Just throw on a headband b/c we need to "hurry" into the store for milk, bread, and eggs to survive the next two days.

And TV...

Well, I'll just say that after the birth of the second (and third) child things tend to loosen up a little bit.

None of the ideals mentioned earlier are wrong, but they tend to be rooted in the wrong idea. That somehow every minute decision somehow shifts the ever-changing path of our child's destiny is a ton of pressure for a mother.

The mind of man plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps. Prov 16:9

We cannot control the future. We can make plans and be good stewards of the kiddos that God has blessed us with but, ultimately, God directs our steps. This is not a call to eat pizza and nuggets every night w/ MTV on in the other room but, rather, a call to relax that ball of tension inside where your kids are concerned-the one that co-mingles heavily with Mom Guilt.

How freeing is this verse?

Yes, make your plans!

Have the occasional chocolate milk with a healthy diet!

Don't beat yourself up if you arrive at your destination to realize your child is not buckled into his/her carseat!(purely hypothetical)

Know the future does not rest solely on your shoulders. We make choices but our good God is bigger than our box.

In light of all of this new understanding, I say...

...CHEERS to a little chocolate milk with our nuggets!

***For those who are curious, I recently observed the aforementioned mother's third child eating Starburst at a party...with the wrappers still on. This child is still alive and appears very healthy and normal.

Pushing our kids

2011-11-07T14:14:00.000-08:00

We all do it at some time or another. Sometimes it's healthy and sometimes it's ammo for the psychotherapy session later. Delicate balance people. Delicate balance.

Anyhow, in my defense his neck is really strong...

and he gets tired of laying around...

and he is my third so in my head he's practically crawling/graduating from high school and not just two months old...

and I needed to make dinner...

and I genuinely thought he would like the Bumbo.

He didn't.

I must be fair!

2011-11-04T11:25:00.000-07:00

So, I showed pictures of Shelby's cutest M&M costume EVER! Yet, I failed to show Wyatt in all his glory.

My little lamb...

I'm sorry, but did I just hear a virtual request for more lambkins?

Who am I to deny the cries for more cuteness in the world?

Looks like Pappy had a drive-by "stickering."

At least it's not a happy face sticker...

discovered in an awkward place...

thirty minutes into grocery shopping.

Purely hypothetical of course.

Shelby strikes again!

2011-11-01T13:07:00.001-07:00

Poor Walker! He never had a chance with Shelby as an older sister.

Flashback to Wyatt and you will see a pattern of behavior developing here.

Good thing the boys have each other. They'll need to harness all their man-power to combat their lip gloss-wielding sister.

Pumpkin Patch & Carve-off 2011

2011-11-01T12:47:00.000-07:00

"The Superman shirt will give me power to lift my nemesis, Large Pumpkin!"

"Ok. Take two. New hold."

Wyatt gives up on Large Pumpkin and instead decides to terrorize all the small pumpkins.

My perfect little pumpkin!

Not one to be left out, Walker makes his choice as well.

Landry vs. Landry
Carve-off 2011

Seth opts for an intricate pattern of a haunted mansion with all the fancy utensils.

I chose to go old school and free-formed it.

Good bonding time w/ the spouse (even though he totally manipulated our daughter into favoring his pumpkin by telling her it was a castle. I choose not to hold this against him.)

2011 Halloween..err...Reformation Day?

2011-11-01T11:34:00.001-07:00

So there was one point in our marriage, before we had kids, when we pondered if we would participate in dressing them up for Halloween. The holiday, if you look around, is super creepy. (Imagine you just came from another country and showed up in America on Halloween. Weird, right? What's with the skeletons in the trees and the tombstones?) Anyway, that discussion lasted up until our first born's first October 31st.

Then I thought, "How can I, as her loving mother, pass up this rare opportunity to dress her up in any humiliating costume I choose?"

Those years are limited, yes?

Therefore, I give you the costume that started it all...

Pink M&M!

"Thanks, Mom. I'm super comfortable. No. Really. Please, can I wear it everyday from now on?"

"Think of it as quality rehearsal dinner footage honey!"

Fast forward to 2011...

Shelby clearly guided this year's outfit selection.

She wanted to be...

wait for it...

sit down if you shock easy...

a princess.

Therefore, Wyatt was going to be a knight or a dragon. Since weather in Houston is a little unpredictable, he could very easily have passed out from a combination of a sugar high and heat stroke in a dragon costume. (Plus I got the knight costume on super sale three days before Halloween).

Henceforth I give thee...

My Lady Shelby

and Sir Wyatt!

As you can see Wyatt has already begun his pre-game sugar high. (It's important to start slow or the following sugar rush can be dangerous.)

May my bucket be like the loaves and the fishes...

Shelby clearly admiring her mother's mighty skills with the iron-on letters.

One more of the whole gang. I had to include the foam sword that Shelby was bopped and whacked with while we waited for dusk.

What they were thinking:
Shelby: I hope my beads are shiny and straight. These shoes are pinching my toes, but beauty is pain, right? Glad I found my matching tiara.

Wyatt: CANDY!SWORD!CANDY!SWORD!

A trip to our favorite Mema in the whole world!!!

***************

Where is Walker you ask?

"Boohoo! Mom doesn't love me enough to embarrass me too!"

Actually Walker went to bed or, at least, that was the plan. The constant doorbell meant I had to go upstairs and rock down a VERY stimulated baby. That kid's eyes were darting around the room like he was on some sort of sympathy sugar high.

***************

I'm sorry did you not get enough pink M&M?

Completely understandable.

Hard Workin' Men..

2011-10-29T13:59:00.000-07:00

...or why everything takes 10xs longer than it used to.

Seriously though, how cute it the daddy worship going on here?

When does that leave?

Junior high?

Until then, I'll just enjoy the unfiltered adoration of my son for his daddy.

Thoughts of Walker...

2011-10-29T13:54:00.000-07:00

Uhhhhhhh-pparently when mom doesn't buckle me in my neck disappears.

I find it very concerning.

But as I ponder the brevity of life...

It's too short to sweat the small stuff!

Cousins!

2011-10-29T13:44:00.000-07:00

how you wish they were...

reality...

actually the cousins were great fun! i wish, wish, wish they were closer by but it sure makes for a fun reunion when they all get together.

Picture Time!

2011-10-24T20:51:00.000-07:00

So ignore all that copyright mumbo jumbo. I totally bought the overpriced photos with the fake apples so I have no guilt posting the pictures.

Behold! Wyatt's first school photo that does not resemble a mug shot!

Shelby developed a "new" camera smile for these pics. She's clearly having trouble generating the same level of enthusiasm as her brother holding the fake apple. I mean who likes Red Delicious anyway?? Much less a fake one.

Walker's Chit Chat

2011-10-21T12:34:00.000-07:00

I'm 99% he just said "I love you."

Princess Slippers

2011-10-21T12:33:00.001-07:00

If you want to see us at our best (and by best I mean worst) start hanging out at the local Target after naptime. There are some days when the kids wake up early and mommy watches the hand on the clock move backward.

That's when I decide it's time to get X, Y, or Z at Target (which of course also has A, B and C that you forgot about until you walk in the door). My children have been well-trained by our many trips.

They fully understand:

A. when I say we are just looking, we are just LOOKING at the princess/truck aisle (most of the time). They are surprisingly content with getting to push every button on every display and walking away empty handed.
B. If they are good Mommy will magnanimously split her pretzel M&Ms three ways.
C. One child must ride "like a monkey" on either side b/c the Target carts tip easier than, say, the HEB carts.
D. The Starbucks at the entrance holds the magic elixir to boost Mommy's mood for the rest of the evening. And don't ask for a sip b/c she won't give you any.

On our most recent evening trip, I was looking for a pair of flip-flops, yet we left with princess slippers instead. Normally, I would say "no" to what I would deem wasteful but these are actually her second pair. Her first pair had grown a little ratty, and her toes were curling in the ends; yet, every evening she shoves her feet into the decrepit pair of slippers and climbs into bed.

Scary future fact about Shelby: She loves clothes & shoes as much as she loves toys.

We are currently retooling the "camera" smile...

Major Upset

2011-10-21T12:31:00.000-07:00

I love how Wyatt is totally unfazed by the screaming infant attempting to leap from his lap.

Girl Time!

2011-10-21T12:30:00.000-07:00

Shelby liberally applied both lip gloss and body glitter for our big "girl time" outing.

I didn't have the heart to tell her her baby was not properly strapped in.

Wyatt loves to hold "Baby Walker"

2011-10-19T14:04:00.000-07:00

Da hood

2011-10-18T13:14:00.000-07:00

Check it! Yo!
I likes my hood but not my socks
this pocket be a place to collect my rocks
I dig my new sweatshirt that be sayin' GAP
I'm goin' the the park and that's a rap

Yo, Sis. You be crampin' my style!

Voila!

2011-10-18T12:42:00.000-07:00

Shelby has become quite zee arteest.

However, I'm sure her work would not be received well in all the trendy art circles (think Elle Woods at Harvard).

A)She refuses to wear dull colors without sparkle of some kind

B)Her subjects appear entirely too happy to relate to our dark, twisted plight of humanity

C)Her subjects are not only happy but are usually royal with the occasional rainbow

D)She refuses to wear boring shoes

Behold her finest work to date.

I call it...

PRINCESS AMOEBAS

Makes you question many things in life, yes?

*Ten extra points if you can guess which silhouette belongs to which princess character.

Banana Muffins

2011-10-04T19:06:00.000-07:00

A slightly tweaked version of
Giada's Banana Muffins

3 cups all-purpose flour (I used 100% white whole wheat)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 ripe bananas, peeled and coarsely mashed

Directions

Line 18 muffin cups with paper liners. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium bowl to blend. Beat the sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl to blend. Stir in the banana. Add the dry ingredients and stir just until blended.

Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups. Bake the muffins on the middle rack until the tops are golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out with no crumbs attached, about 25 minutes. Transfer the muffins to a rack and cool slightly.

I make these and freeze the extra for late mornings. Yummy!

Kid approved!

Everything's bigger in Texas...

2011-10-04T19:05:00.000-07:00

...except hair bows.

Baton Rouge, LA wins that prize.

I have yet to see a bow for sale this size in our town.

The cajun bow below is a runt compared to some of the monsters I've seen when visiting gator country.

Boys will be boys

2011-10-04T18:33:00.000-07:00

I told Wyatt not to climb on his playhouse roof and expected him to (as usual) obey, but the lure of hammering on the roof proved to be too great for his little mind. Mid-muffin baking I my daughter casually wanders in.

"Where is Wyatt?"

"Oh...he's up on the roof."

I do not exaggerate when I say I turned to go outside, robe & all, to get him down when I hear the cry of TRUE PAIN. (Moms know the difference).

I'm happy to say that Wyatt is going to make it but he nearly bit through his lip and had to endure accidentally chewing on the swollen lip the next few days as his punishment.

His passion for roof climbing as seriously abated.

Speechless

2011-10-04T18:23:00.000-07:00

This is one of those pictures that years down the road, between slinging hash for my teenage boys and packing my eldest for college, I will accidentally glance at...

and freeze...

completely overcome by the roaring nostalgia for the sweet uncomplicated moments between siblings one lazy morning years ago.

Variations on a Theme

2011-10-03T14:25:00.000-07:00

...or the "straining" face.

I am certain every child has one of these.

How else does a mom know to reach for her diaper bag when her child is across the room?

This morning while attempting to plan out the weekly meals and subsequent store list, I looked over and saw my sweet angel having quite a workout. You would think some sort of wrestling match was taking place with all the grunting and farting. Well, being the sensitive and doting mother I am I captured a picture of his "poop" face for posterity's sake.

Occasionally he will have a much more furrowed brow...

"Give it all you got buddy!"

(don't judge: there are limited forms of encouragement at this age)

A visit to memory lane...

What kind of mother would I be if I left out this little gem from the past?

"Go, Shelby, go!"

Pretty Fly For A White Guy

2011-09-30T12:48:00.000-07:00

My son generally doesn't have an opinion when it comes to his clothing. If his Superman shirt is clean, great!, if not, oh, well.

So you will understand it came as a bit of a surprise when I asked him to fetch a pair of socks and he returned with the bottom of the barrel, super-old, never used socks and INSISTED that I pull them up.

"Higher! Higher!" he demanded.

I'm not sure what spurred on this trend.

All I can say is that it takes me back to junior high and white high top Reeboks with carefully scrunched uber-long socks.

If you were lucky, you had long skinny legs and could totally pull this off.

If you were like the majority of fashionably lost yet desperately seeking middle schoolers, you look back on your pictures now like so many boys will look back on their goofy Justin Bieber hair and say "Hey, it was cool then" in some sort of lame attempt to excuse running around looking like a total doofus.

I suppose each generation creates it own special form of fashion idiocy.

...leisure suits complemented with medallion and ample chest hair

...really, really big hair complemented by the perfectly sprayed side bangs

...and most recently (and might I add horrific) the earlier episode knock off of Kate Gosselin hair.

This one haunts my dreams people.

To avoid two year old peer mockery I was forced to do what any other mom would do (right?).

The socks now swim with the fishes...

What happened here?

2011-09-20T12:31:00.000-07:00

a. carbon monoxide leak
b. doll slumber party
c. alien abduction
d. some sort of cult ritual
or...
e. Shelby has given up her naptime

Sportin' Pacifiers

2011-09-20T12:29:00.000-07:00

Stolen Moments

2011-09-20T12:28:00.000-07:00

2010 Christmas Preschool Performance*

2011-09-18T07:59:00.000-07:00

Shelby begins the evening somewhat distracted...

"Does this side knot make me look too 1980's?"

"My ears itch."

"Why are HER ears fluffier than MINE?"

Now Shelby's in the zone!

"Hey big spender!"

Whoops...wrong musical.

Sleepy sheep.

Or weepy sheep.

Night-night little lamb.

Now go back and look at the pictures again this time taking into account the enthusiastic and super-participatory boy's face next to Shelby.

*I know this is way late but my camera was dead and was emailed these by a friend who took pity on my camera-less state.

Baby Walker Update

2011-09-15T10:14:00.000-07:00

Everyone is settling in now. Walker wakes up (usually) once a night which means Mommy is able to function the next day pretty well. The older siblings loooove their new brother and thus far are very gentle. The only issue that has cropped up is Shelby's constant petting of the top of Walker's head and my occasional bout of claustrophobia when I am trying to feed. Wyatt and Shelby literally try and climb me, the chair or any other obstacle to get the best view of Walker. Oh, and at two weeks Walker has learned how to flip himself from his tummy to his back where he "turtles" and screams for me to fix it.

Did I mention I can't stop w/ the Woody pj pictures?

2011-09-02T13:55:00.000-07:00

P.S. Wyatt is suuuuper pumped about his new glove!
P.P.S. We are working on fine-tuning the camera smile.

Sleeping Beauty...er...Ariel awakes

2011-09-02T13:53:00.000-07:00

The side none of our "Prince Eric's" see until later:).

New Haircut Location, New Drama

2011-09-02T13:50:00.000-07:00

The cost of one child is not a much of an eye opener. They don't require much the first couple of years and then WHAMMO! kid number 2 comes along and all your expenses become X2!

That's when you start to notice things like, say, haircuts. I used to take Shelby to the little kids haircut place where she got a toy and watched some animated movie.

I took two kids there and me and my wallet came limping out.

So, off to the much cheaper hair place for us.

Shelby relaxes into her seat like an old pro.

"Just a little off the top and sides, please."

Meanwhile, the tension began building in my son. Small whimpers of concern began to permeate the air.

When asked what was wrong he replied, "I scared."

"Of?"

"That man." (an innocent looking man receiving a haircut to his left)

After further probing, the real issue came out and the poor guy in for his bi-weekly shearing was exonerated.

"It's gonna HURT!"

Now, try explaining to a two year old that something is NOT going to hurt when they are convinced it will.

Let's just say toys and animated movies were looking really good at this point.

"Why is that strange lady wielding a pair of scissors so close to my head."

All done and it didn't hurt one bit!

Accessory Saturday

2011-09-02T13:40:00.000-07:00

Wyatt has some new pj's.

And I can't stop taking pictures of them.

Whoever designed them may not set the world on fire on "Project Runway" but sure made the Disney store some money because they are SO STINKIN' CUTE!

Did I mention I couldn't stop taking pictures??

Shelby feels that a little yard work is no reason not to look your best.

Bows have taken a back seat to headbands preferably ones with large flowers and/or glitter.

This is how we roll

2011-09-02T13:34:00.000-07:00

Yes, Wyatt has joined the bizarre fashion trend of wearing colored plastic glasses that I swear I owned in the early eighties. Shelby refrains from the gaudy colors and opts instead for just a subtle hint of Ariel.

Work it kids!

I mean, I in no way encouraged or endorsed this outrageous behavior for the camera. On the way to church no less. Tsk! Tsk!

Smoooooothies!

2011-09-02T13:33:00.000-07:00

In case you were wondering where I was in all the pics...

2011-08-29T19:03:00.000-07:00

Here I am!

More Walker Pictures...

2011-08-29T18:45:00.000-07:00

Daddy's boys

Shelby can't stop petting his head

How could I not include this picture?

Daddy welcomes his new son

Mema gets Walker to open his eyes

Shelby loooooooves HER new baby

Less than one day old

"Cat that ate the canary" grin

Wyatt's new camera smile

Whole family at the hospital

Introducing....

2011-08-27T20:23:00.000-07:00

Walker Noah Landry!

9 lbs 14 oz
20.5 "

I'll have more pics as soon as my computer or iphone decide to stop torturing me when I attempt to load them.

Things I had forgotten but now remember since last pregnancy...

2011-08-08T13:25:00.000-07:00

1. the last two weeks becomes a constant battle of cleavage or midriff shirt tugging.
2. that there is no such thing as reaching a state beyond constant dehydration
3. a restroom must always be in the vicinity (see #2) but can be complicated by the presence of your other two children.
4. the absolute inability to keep your shirt clean. If it misses your chest, your belly manages to catch it. I removed my shirt the other night to find a jelly stain that I must have leaned into earlier and had been sporting for hours.
5. the reason I made a "no pictures of me in my last trimester" rule.
6. that walking up the stairs now gets me as winded as running up them...10 times.
7. a new understanding of why women were always fainting and a deep appreciation for all the women forced to wear a cinched garter. This is the closest equivalent to the steel band around my middle currently.
8. a deep and abiding appreciation for Sonic ice.
9. that my house seems so HOT despite the shivering of my husband nearby.

And a few others that I will spare everyone from reading.

We're in the home stretch now!!!

2011-08-04T11:54:00.000-07:00

So...

it's August

in Texas

with a 4 year old

and two year old

9 months pregnant

with melting ice cream.

I get that everyone is hot and I may or may not be in my most rational state of mind or 100% hormonally balanced.

With that said, I feel the need to state that I cannot guarantee how I will respond next time I go to HEB for groceries and I see someone pull out of the "parking with children" space WHO CLEARLY HAS NO CHILD!

Oh hello woman in your zippy, coordinating workout clothes. Yes, by all means park there. I'm sure that what the sign meant was if you have EVER had a small child then you qualify. Clearly you are not currently one as
a. you have no child with you
b. your outfit matches
c. your hair is done
d. you are wearing eyeliner...and it is straight

Perhaps I am overreacting a leeetle bit (see hormonally balanced comment above). I just think it's a tad selfish. They know that there is a fine for handicapped spots but not the young children spots.

Maybe I will just wait for universal justice to strike. Or maybe I will return home with only 7 eggs in my carton.

just kidding!

sort of...

Long Days and Short Years...

2011-07-22T07:04:00.000-07:00

I read this poem and it really struck a chord. I love the last stanza. I look at old pictures and it's a little shocking. They really are growing up!

Enjoy!

(try not to cry..I failed at this but you might not be as hormonal as I am right now)

Babies Don’t Keep
by Ruth Hulburt Hamilton

Mother, O Mother, come shake out your cloth,
Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
Hang out the washing, make up the bed,
Sew on a button and butter the bread.

Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She’s up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.

Oh, I’ve grown as shiftless as Little Boy Blue,
Lullabye, rockabye, lullabye loo.
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due
Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo

The shopping’s not done and there’s nothing for stew
And out in the yard there’s a hullabaloo
But I’m playing Kanga and this is my Roo
Look! Aren’t his eyes the most wonderful hue?
Lullabye, rockaby lullabye loo.

The cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow
But children grow up as I’ve learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down cobwebs; Dust go to sleep!
I’m rocking my baby and babies don’t keep.

Only one bad egg...

2011-07-19T12:25:00.000-07:00

Lest you think all Easter egg hunts ended as poorly as before. Here are some pics of Shelby's Easter egg hunt at school which was a much bigger hit than the neighborhood one previously mentioned.

Please note the furry, hot pink basket personally selected by Shelby.

Neighborhood Easter Egg Hunt

2011-07-19T08:56:00.000-07:00

Life observation:
Sometimes when things don't live up to our expectations we get almost more upset and frustrated than if we had none at all.

Case in point:
So, we had one of many Easter Egg hunts this year in our neighborhood one beautiful Saturday morning. I thought the kids would have a blast hunting eggs, climbing around a fire truck, dancing to music, face painting, eating cake, playing on the play ground, etc.

My mistake.

See pictures below for the tragic unfolding of EEH Disaster 2011

Wyatt was upset b/c he didn't get all the eggs he wanted.

Face painting was a brief highlight. Please note the presence of a balloon animal which popped later.

Of course.

Wyatt and Shelby share their discontent at the number of cookies and size of the cake piece they have been alloted.

Shelby is crying in the background b/c I had to pull her aside and "talk" to her b/c she wouldn't thank the fireman.

I'm sure her subsequent thanks touched his heart.

Here is Mommy who appears to be smiling but, in actuality, is really gritting her teeth. Some kind soul offered to take a family photo of us so that we could treasure this day for always.

Why do I include this sad tale of Easter past? Only for posterity. Someday when I am unpacking tiny onesies or flipping through picture after picture of smiling faces, I will need some sort of perspective to keep me from curling up in the now empty baby crib or toddler bed. Young motherhood comes with such joy but, oftentimes, frustration, exhaustion, and even loneliness can be sandwiched between the sweet times. Children are a blessing, but not always in the way we think. Our modern mindset says that blessings are to make us happy like opening a present yet sometimes blessings involve suffering or hardship. Corrie Tenboom thanked the Lord for letting fleas & lice overrun her cabin in a German concentration camp. I'll let you read her amazing book to find out exactly how these nasty critters turned out to be a blessing, but they did. We are to count suffering as "pure joy." The hard times in young motherhood are there to sanctify us and refine us. I already see my laziness and selfishness exposed as I try and make decisions each day for my family. So having an Easter egg hunt that goes terribly awry is also something to remember and document because the Lord is working in all these things for the "good of those who love him."

My little girl...

2011-07-11T07:22:00.000-07:00

-loves to color but limits her palate to pink and purple.
-is the sweetest big sister. Just yesterday I peeked in and Wyatt had climbed into her bed at nap time and they were both happily laying together in her twin bed.
-is getting to be so responsible. She does her chores every morning and constantly assures me that she will be a HUGE help with the new baby. She even offered to let the baby sleep in her room and rock him when he cries.
-is such a good hostess. When kids come over to play, she shares all her toys and always says "Thanks for coming." She has told the UPS guy this too. She throws a wide net when it comes to "visitors."
-is developing such a tender heart. I pray that the Lord will take hold of her at a young age and I can already see softening.
-loves Dora the Explorer. Maybe she loves her so much b/c until recently all I would let her watch was cooking shows with mommy.
-accepts the answer "no" much better than she used to.
-has a similar passion for the store Target. A visit here is considered a "treat" in her mind.
-loves the tortilla maker station at HEB. She always gets some for her and her brother while telling the lady her new found Spanish-"Gracias!"
-would turn into yogurt or cheese if you really are what you eat. She will literally eat the stinkiest, strongest cheese you can throw at her.
-loves to eat scrambled eggs every morning w/ cheese.
-has the most entertaining hair. After naps, you never know what configuration she'll come down with on top of her head.
-puts lip gloss on before leaving the house.
-is struggling with the concept of less is more when it comes to accessorizing.
-only likes to wear skirts.
-tells me I look beautiful in the morning and really means it.
-has yet to loose her love of all things princess-y. Just the other day at HEB, she insisted that she wanted the People magazine. Why? B/c it had a real princess getting married on the front. My own fault there for explaining William and Kate's wedding to her, but, in my defense, it was on every channel.
-has turned into the sweetest, most precious, little ringleted angel. I could not have imagined her any better.

Spring Pics

2011-06-23T11:05:00.002-07:00

I could eat them up they are so cute!

Take me out to the ball game

2011-06-23T11:05:00.001-07:00

So it's not the greatest picture but, alas, the only one I took that survived and captured the special time Wyatt and Daddy had at Wyatt's FIRST A&M BASEBALL GAME! This is, of course, a moment of huge import, therefore, must be documented despite the weak photography.

Wyatt and Daddy drove up to B/CS to watch the game and stayed up really late. Complaints from the little guy? Let's just say when Daddy called on his bluetooth I could hear a VERY excited son jabbering non-stop in the backseat something about "hit da ball" and "run home" were all I could make out. He arrived the next morning after spending the night at Millican happy, dirty, and tired, clutching his ticket like it would get him into Wonka's candy factory.

Wisest Dollar Ever Spent

2011-06-21T13:12:00.000-07:00

Yall know those dollar bins in the front of Target? Well, I was wandering around in there awhile ago and threw a spray bottle in the cart thinking, "Maybe this will keep the kids occupied."

Let's just say I returned to get another one lest WWIII explode amongst the siblings.

They have been a huge hit!

I will never throw another used cleaner bottle away now. I had an empty Windex bottle which was an even bigger hit since it held more water and had a much more powerful spray action.

One word of warning: rinse and clean former cleaner spray bottles well.

Why you ask?

Just trust me on this one.

Cajun Country

2011-06-21T12:53:00.000-07:00

"Ga lee! Jus huntin' gators with my pod nah Ty."

Southern Louisiana has been heck on Wyatt's language skills!

Cinderelly

2011-06-21T12:45:00.000-07:00

"Do the dishes!

Do the moppin!

They always keep her [and him] hoppin!

Do not be fooled. My kids actually enjoy "playing" with the broom and dust mop. Two seconds earlier they were fighting over who got the broom until I set the timer to take turns. I have to say that of all the disagreements Seth and I have had in our wonderful decade together we have never had a throw down over who gets the broom.

Or the dust mop.

Now if I could somehow channel this "play time" into scooping all the dirt into a pile instead of all over the floor...

Neighborhood Park

2011-06-04T14:21:00.000-07:00

One of the highlights of our new house is the neighborhood park within walking distance. Each one of my kids has embraced a random, unforeseen part of the park I would never have guessed.

Wyatt has taken to "burrowing" down in the bottom tire especially when he has a little snack baggie.

Shelby loves this whateveryoucallit. After watching her climb and swing and flip, I finally enrolled her in gymnastics.

Our current park attendance has been curtailed by the summer heat but we'll be baaaaack!

Little Boys

2011-06-04T14:11:00.000-07:00

Reasons I love this picture:

-it includes all of Wyatt's favorites:
Toy Story sunglasses
his tractor
a trip to the park
his Superman shirt (which he has no clue about-just likes it)

-his little smile

-the fact that his glasses are slightly crooked

-his wispy, white-blonde hair

-and many more unexplainable reasons that every mother has when she looks at an "ordinary" picture from and "ordinary" day.

Summer Duet

2011-06-04T13:54:00.001-07:00

fresh mowed grass and itchy ankles
coconut-scented sunscreen and chlorine
frozen treats and sticky fingers
mosquito bites and kickball
grilled steak and watermelon wedges
late nights and lazy mornings
fishing and napping
freckled shoulders and flip-flops
parades and American flags
sandy toes and sea-salted hair
best-sellers and hammocks

Ah, today's youth...

2011-06-01T12:53:00.000-07:00

So, when I graduated from high school the peak of technology was power point, and, if you were really advanced, you could make it swirl into place with cool sounds. Fast forward a decade plus and envision my recently purchased iphone/life-saver. This baby can do it all and is incredibly user-friendly. It has an amazing camera that has usurped my "old-school" camera's place. No you may have noticed two key words pop out at you: user-friendly and camera...

pretty decent pic of my flowers

dog butt

more dog butt

princess pjs???

Hey wait a second!

These are not pictures I took!

Ah-ha! The culprit!

Yes, folks. My four year old has mastered the iphone camera. She can take a picture, flip back to the entire roll, back to the camera for more pics. This is all without me teaching her or letting her touch it. Crazy right?

Makes me wonder what our kids will reflect on.

My bet is that none of the modern achievements will surpass mankind's greatest milestone: Atari.

Who doesn't miss that guy swinging from vine to vine?

Houston Rodeo

2011-06-01T12:41:00.000-07:00

Off to the rodeo decked out in our "dude" gear. Wyatt opted for the Bass Pro hat over his cowboy hat.

Shelby's first roller-coaster. Big, BIG hit! As you can see, she is masking her fear well.

FYI-Wyatt juuuuust didn't hit the height requirement in case you were wondering why he got left out of the fun.

So, Wyatt was fading a bit towards the end of the morning which perfectly matched Mommy's first trimester exhaustion. Fortunately, a cherry Icee perked everyone up on the way home.

Braggin' on my Shelby

2011-05-26T14:11:00.000-07:00

It all started with a converted potty training chart.

I saw it for a dollar and decided that it would make a great chore chart if I just wrote over "tee tee in toilet" with "made my bed" or "dressed myself."

Well, this chore chart has really proven itself to be worth it's wait in gold. Shelby really took to the sticker achievement chart. She took to is so well that now, we don't even use it. After all her chores are done, she can watch 30min of her favorite show "Martha Speaks" (it's about a talking dog, go figure right?).

I just wanted to brag on my oldest a little. For all our ups and downs she is really making me so proud how she is blossoming into her new responsibilities. That is not to say that she is getting dull by any means. One has only to look at her outfit concoction below to realize that "dress myself" opens all sorts of avenues to express her blossoming personality.

It just so happens that her blossoming personality is dominated by the color pink:).

Sooo sleepy...

2011-05-20T18:23:00.000-07:00

OK! I've been getting some serious heat for my lack of updates. I'm not going to name names but most of the pressure applied had been by people who are very closely genetically linked to myself.

Well, I have a reason.

I am tired. My restless nesting phase (you know the sudden, irrational panic that you are bringing home a child soon to a home with a completely disorganized pantry. Oh the horror of a disorganized pantry!) is winding down. That almost frenzied need to paint, hang frames, find matching pillows for the guest bed, sort clothing, etc. has been replaced by exhaustion. I do have pictures that I intend to load soon I just find myself unable to move my body on certain days between the hours of 1-3.

Stay tuned and I promise to update soon!

Katy Rodeo

2011-04-12T08:47:00.000-07:00

My two manly cowboys and...

one bedazzled cowgirl.

(She had to hold her arm like that most of the night so as not to loose her bracelet.)

One brief stop at Whataburger and we are at the rodeo.

Wyatt demonstrates his belief that if he waves his bag back and forth fries will magically appear.

Shelby has finally found something more interesting than the chocolate chip cookies in her hand...the rodeo flag girls

on horses

with giant flags

wearing sparkly pants

and ALL in tiaras.

Wyatt is equally fascinated by the bareback riders.

He ditched the hat when we quit telling him how cute he was in it.

Rodeo extras:

Whoops. Errr...take two.

Now Wyatt has no pants! What is with this family?

Shelby The Exhibitionist

2011-04-12T08:44:00.000-07:00

No.

This is not a sad picture of a little girl getting left behind on a tractor ride. When Daddy and Wyatt fired up the tractor, Shelby was still fast asleep. However, if you have any farm experience you might notice that "fire up the tractor" and "fast asleep" generally do not appear in the same sentence.

As I wave bye to my manly men, off to some testosterone-filled task like moving a pile of sticks or cutting grass, I catch a pale fuzzy blur whipping past the corner of my eye.**

Shelby, who had previously been fast asleep, heard the tractor and in a rush to wave the menfolk off still remembered to put on her boots.

Just not her pants.

I must note here that Shelby has learned a few lessons at four that will carry her through many a situation in life.

1. Hair volume is a woman's best weapon

2. Never underestimate the power of a confident hand on the hip

And, finally,

3. Put boots with it

Proof that I did indeed have her fully dressed and brushed at the beginning of our trip:

**That hair! I love it! I never know what new configuration she will walk down the stairs with, but I know this.

It's never the same.

And it is never boring.

Years from now when I reflect on Shelby as a little girl, the first image no matter what the setting will be those bouncing, blonde ringlets in some stage of disarray.

Wyatt's First Love

2011-04-12T08:40:00.000-07:00

Their eyes met from across the dusty barn.

It was instant.

It was powerful.

Her knobby tires and sharp metal angles spoke to him deep inside.

I knew there would one day be another in his heart.

I just didn't expect is so soon.

"See ya Mom! Don't wait up!"

Lunch with Daddy

2011-04-05T20:07:00.000-07:00

Shelby did you have fun at lunch with Daddy?

YEAH! I love lunch. Do you like my outfit because I dressed myself? I got lip gloss at school and insist on carrying it everywhere and applying it every five minutes. Do you like my headband? Nini got it for me. I love getting free ice cream at lunch. I even got sprinkles. Visiting Daddy at the clinic is the best! My favorite are the cats but mom says no indoor cats for us while we own a cat-eating dog. Did I mention sprinkles in my ice cream? No way can I nap now. I am riding high on sugar and lip gloss

Wyatt did you have fun?

I take your silence as a "yes."

Budding Artist

2011-04-05T19:58:00.000-07:00

Shelby is really starting to show signs of actually being able to draw. I mean she is rapidly coming close to passing me up as I am still in the stick figure with three fingers stage.

Well, back in my former life, I used to scrapbook so I have all these random markers and pens that I whipped out to make homemade cards.

I decided to let the kids doodle while I made sandwiches and puttered around the kitchen.

Soon enough, paper just wasn't doing it for Shelby anymore.

"This is the Mommy and two daughters." (perhaps her hopes for the 3rd child's gender?)

Poor Wyatt. Poor, poor Wyatt.

Would now be a bad time to mention that these markers were not washable?