Rodeo Houston

As always, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo was a blast.  How could it not be, it's the largest Rodeo in the world.  I took the kids early from school and Kyle met us about halfway through his work day.  It was the perfect weather with absolutely no crowds.  Which means you can run through the Children's Farm as many times as you'd like in order to get a free snack at the end.  Ask Jaden, she made it through the farm 4 times while I watched Reese and Ty enjoying other events.

We took advantage of all the things we normally do with the exception of two novelties: muttin bustin' and gerbil balling (as I'm going to call it). We saw Sugarland in concert.  She was awesome.  I'd have gotten up and danced with Jaden if Reese hadn't been asleep on my shoulder.  Instead we rocked it in our seats the best we could belting the lyrics.

Ty rode a sheep doing what they call Muttin Bustin'.  It was his first and last year eligible to participate.  So it's a good thing he won first place. He loved it.

Would you believe I still don't own a pair of cowboy boots after nearly 9 years hittin' up this thing?  I just about purchased some this last month.  But I want a new camera more.  Kyle owns three pair.  I'll get mine AND I'll look cuter than Kyle in them.

Longhorn literally inches from my children.

Spring Break

Silent house around here.  Jaden and Ty are back to school.  Loved having them home.  The week went by so quickly.  I've just placed Reese in my bed after she fell asleep on the car ride taking my sister Elle to the airport.  And instead of tending to loads of laundry, sorting mail that hasn't been picked up for a week and cataloging hundreds of pictures (nearly 600) after two birthday parties and two rounds of family and friends visiting during the span of one week--I've chosen to blog.  It'll come back to haunt me.

I'll post both Reese and Ty's birthday's later.  Actually, it will appear as an earlier post.  I'm kind of particular about posting those things on the correct date.  What I do is create an empty post that day then fill it in later.  My sisters would make fun of me for doing that. It's similar to my mother-in-law sending birthday cards with the accurate birth date written on the top right corner of all her cards.  When, in fact, she's written and sent the card a week prior.  She's cute.  Someone please tell me there's an icon for premature posts?

Spring Break started early for the kids.  I let the two oldest skip school Friday as it was only a half-day anyway.  More importantly, it was Reese's actual birthday.  Reese happens to take dance on Fridays which could only have made for a better birthday.  She looks forward to dance all week.  Jaden and Ty have desperately wanted to see her in action.  They've been eager to see her after my telling stories of her love for dancing, her attentiveness and accuracy in her ballet positions.  Not to mention her obsession with a certain spot on the floor that most everyone knows is hers by now.  That night our good friends the Bronson's arrived from Shreveport, Louisiana for Reese's birthday weekend.  We didn't have to twist their arms to come for a visit.  And I did throw an awesome ladybug party for Reese.  Not to be outdone by what Kyle may have planning for Ty's football party the following Saturday.  Birthday plans have been dinner conversation the couple of weeks.  Once the party themes were decided there grew a friendly rivalry between Kyle and I to see who could throw the best party a week apart.  Honestly, both parties where pretty darn good and well planned.  I think we both did awesome.  But since Kyle will say, "there can only be one winner" or "if your not first, your last."  Then, I won.  Hands down.

We said goodbye to the Bronson's on Sunday.  Always sad to see them go.  Monday the kids and I took a couple of their friends to see the children's play Alexander and the Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.  Tuesday we restocked the fridge and folded laundry.  Ty slept over at a friends.  On Wednesday Ty had another sleepover at a different friend's home.  In order to one-up Ty,  Jaden had two of her best friends for a sleepover.  They have plans to run the Blue Bell 3 mile race in April so the 4 of us ran our 3 mile loop.  They ran it in 38 minutes, which is a pretty impressive time for 3 girls 10 and under.  Afterwards, they spent the rest of the night scheming their lemonade stand they were to have the next day.  The proceeds from the lemonade stand are reserved for the earthquake/tsunami victims of Japan.  Japan holds a special place in Jaden's heart and she felt compelled to do something.  The girls were plenty excited, especially after I told them I'd match whatever they made.  They raised thirty dollars.  While they were busy, Ty was gone and Kyle and Reese were oohing and aahing over each other (as they usually do), I made strawberry jam, finally.   The kids want to pick at a local farm again and I refused to let them do it until I jammed the bags of frozen strawberries that have sat for a year in my freezer from last years picking.  Felt good to get that done.  Thursday brought my younger sister Elle and her friend, Anne, in for about 5 days to see the Houston Rodeo.  Ironically, they never made it to the rodeo!  But the beach rocked!  And I'd like to think Kyle and I are still young and hip enough to hang out with.  Elle and Anne did give us a little glimpse of what it might be like waiting up for kids to come home at night.  They succeeded in making us feel old there.  Lastly, I've managed to get Elle hooked on the PBS Masterpiece Classic Downton Abby after our marathon viewing last night.

Well, I've left myself about 10 minutes before I head out to grab the kids from school. Laundry can still wait . . . 

Outside the theater.  Jaden is getting too old for the pics following the plays.  Not too old, however, to attend the play, yet.

Just after our run.  Grainy pic with my iphone.

By the way, the green stickers on their bodies were for St. Patrick's Day.  

I don't need to tell you what I thought of anyone who passed by this lemonade stand with it's enthusiastic entrepreneurs, not to mention it being a great cause.  They worked hard for their money.  Excluding Reese who spilled plenty of lemonade and ate too many cookies.

Love these curls.  The headband is not required at the beach but you'd be lucky to find Reese without one on these days.  She wears a headband all day long (sometimes rotating between different styles) and when tucking her in at night she places it on her night stand.  It's the first thing she puts on in the morning.  This is followed by dressing herself over 2 or 3 different outfits.  While the rest of us are snoozing I can often hear her shuffling about in her bedroom, doors slamming, drawers opening and closing until she's ready to present herself.  I love this girl.

Sitting on a bench waiting for dad to pull the car around.  Must have been a good day.
Ty looks like Spock from Star Trek.

goals

Spring cleaning around here.  I decided to de-clutter our post-it boards that hold all sorts of this that and the other.  So here are the kids' goals for 2011.  I'll place these in their memory boxes.  However, I have to say that it feels good to have them on file here as well, just incase.

Jaden

I'll type Ty's goals as they were handwritten by me anyway. But they were entirely thought-up by him.

Ty

1. Try to score a touchdown in flag football. (Much to his dismay, he went the entire fall season without a touchdown)

2. Read a verse in the scriptures everyday.

3. Read a full book each month. (This means a large chapter book)

4. Try to win the citizenship award at the school. (He won it last year. Who says you can't win it two years in a row??)

5. Do good in Cub Scouts. (Looking ahead, I guess that's the effect that goals have, right? He won't start Cub Scouts until the fall.)

Reese

1. Identify the letters in the alphabet.

2. Learn the sounds of all 26 letters in the alphabet.

3. Get into the Methodist MDO program. (Not that she has any control over that. No one does, it's a lottery. However, I am HAPPY to report that she did indeed get in! She'll start in the fall, two days a week from 9-2. Both Reese and I are thrilled. She really wants to go to school. Everybody else does in our house.)

4. Fine tune the 6 ballet fundamentals she learned from her first semester of dance.

5. Convince dad to take me to donuts every Saturday morning for a pink donut with sprinkles and chocolate milk.  (And by all accounts, she is succeeding.)  

You might be an avid blogger when . . .

your boy writes up an adorable little note for his teacher, has you read it out loud and when you are finished reading it and praising his work says, "you should put that on your blog." "That's a great idea," I say. And I head to grab my camera to take a picture of the note. While snapping pictures he says, "here, I'll hold it up by my face so you can take a picture."

This kids speakin' my language over here!

That said, it's a pretty a cute note. One that shouldn't go without a blog post, Ty guy.

(Dr. Suess has writed a lot books. like horton hears a ho, O the thinks you can think and stuff like that. Dr. Suess is one good writer and one of my favorite. His birthday is in March and so is mine thats one of the reasons I like him. He just helps peoples minds grow like mine has. from ty to ms. wang)