Happy 9th birthday today Jaden!

Birthday breakfast in bed is a tradition in our home. It is a tradition that, for Jaden, nearly didn't happen this year! Luckily, the birthday girl woke the sleeping giant and reminded her (or rather demanded) that breakfast be on its way. In my defense, it was 6:45 - honestly, I can't remember a single time during the summer that this "little princess" ate breakfast or even woke before 8:00 a.m. As well, school doesn't officially begin until tomorrow. So, I'll be on my game tomorrow and not a day earlier, even if it is a birthday. From the looks of it, she suffered miserably until her tray arrived.

Here's how Jaden wants to spend her birthday, as well as her last day of summer: breakfast in bed, put backpack together which includes labeling, organizing and then reorganizing it (that should take 2 hours or more, which allows time for this post), hair trim, hit the theaters to see G-force, catch a few HGTV design shows through out the day - her all time favorite, and meet dad with the family this evening at the restaurant Mimi's - they have a bread basket "to die for" says Jaden.

Jaden had a fabulous "friend" birthday party a few days back. Maybe I'll get to post that at some point.

I'll take 3 out of 6

Love being with my sisters!  Can't get enough of them.  Always question why I live so far from them.  Can't wait to get back together.  We missed you Deon, Charity and Elle!

P.S. Don't worry, that's just Vinnie's abnormally large leg that is going to eat us after this picture is taken.

Here's what Jaden's been up to . . .

A couple of weeks before school let out Jaden represented the 3rd grade on their recent Author Study presentation at the High School Fair. She set up their 3D board and did her best to answer any questions about their project. My favorite part of the night was watching her interact with two male class mates (set up on either side of her) who were there to represent other 3rd grade projects. Next to each of their displays was a bag to collect comments from passers by. Jaden started a friendly competition with the two boys to see who could produce the most comments before the nights end. The dynamics of the night changed from standing their post and waiting for inquiries to some serious proselyting. Unfortunately, the bags were collected by the teachers before comment cards could be tallied. Jaden holds strong that she won by a landslide (as I'm sure the other boys claim too). And, yes, there might have been one or two comments from her mom as well as a few from her moms friends.

Here is Jade at her awards ceremony as she graduated from the 3rd grade. That is beyond unbelievable. We are the parents of a soon to be 4th grader? Crazy.



Starting the summer off with a bang Jaden had a week long cake decorating course for two hours each day. Let's just say fondant will now be a staple for birthday cakes at our home. She loved the class and this is what she produced and got to bring home on the last day.

Above: Ms. Jaden teaching her summer preschool. This is the preschool invitation she sent out (with a little help from mom).

Dear Mom's of preschool age children who have a relationship with Ty,

To help keep busy this summer I am offering a summer preschool. Over the past year I have been collecting and creating lesson plans for Ty and his friends. I love teaching so much I asked my mom to turn our game room into my school. I would like to invite your child to attend my summer preschool. The cost is $2 per lesson (or day). Lessons will be every Tuesday from 9:00-11:30 (unless otherwise notified due to vacations and holidays or if my mom says that it won't work).

It is important that your child knows that while this class promises to be fun I will expect them to be willing to sit and learn from the lessons I have prepared. Of course, we will have play time too. And some field trips within the neighborhood.

Please let me know if your child will be attending my summer class. If Tuesday's aren't good for you we can change the date. Thank you.

Excited to teach,

Ms. Jaden

P.S. we will have snacks too.


I have loved this summer responsibility for Jaden. Not only does it keep her Tuesday's busy but any other given day of the week (as any teacher can attest to). She's often found adding to lesson plans, redecorating, reorganizing and rearranging her class room, surfing children's education websites for print offs etc. She thinks like a teacher and shops like one too -everything she lays her eyes on has the potential to be a lesson. Her lessons are very age appropriate. Aside, from typical lessons (math, reading, writing) they will be taking field trips around the neighborhood and to her school library that happens to only be open on Tuesdays through out the summer. Also, she has informed me that one of their " specialty" lessons in science will be experimenting with a freezer pop to compare the rate at which it melts indoors to the rate when left under the hot Texas sun.

It has been so fun to peak in on her. She prepares and teaches entirely by herself. I have helped here and there with printing things out or added my two cents to a lesson she informs us about over dinner, but that's all, really. She is in charge. I love it.

Kyle soaks up a well deserved break. . . in the shade! Where he should always stay.

Here sits Kyle (next to Reese's beach chair -we start them young) deserving a long overdue relaxing day at the beach after an eventful couple of months at work.

First, Kyle argued a case for AIG in the 5th Circuit. As I had to have it explained to me there are 11 Federal Circuit Courts in the US and Kyle's case was argued by him alone in the 5th Circuit Court which includes the southern states: Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi. We have not yet heard back the results. But he did put in plenty of time preparing. Some of that time was spent in the evening hours after kids were put to bed, in the drive way, inside his Camry where he sat fine tuning his oral argument . He said he needed somewhere to be alone so he wouldn't be embarrassed by my watching him turn into his theatrical character, hand motions and all. I still peeked. It was awesome.

Secondly, he had his first trial. That too was done by his lonesome and as far as his firm is concerned he came out with a win. He was excited the day of the trial and wasn't too nervous. He enjoyed the process including jumping through all the hoops -specifically jury selection was fun for him. The firm he works for is rather large, therefore, obtaining a jury trial is very rare. It is so highly coveted because so much is learned through the process. Plenty of lessons learned later -he has two major accomplishments under his belt and we are proud of him. Nice work babe!

Update: Kyle won his AIG argument.

A Ty update

Ty finished his second season of soccer. The team name is now the Tigers changed from Fireballs (that wasn't confusing). This season Ty came out of no where. He had a decent season last year but this past spring season takes the cake. He had a game plan which inculded being in at every possible moment. He didn't like being taken out to allow his other 5 teammates a go. And he was pretty tough on himself when he wasn't playing up to his standard. It was cute to watch the determined look that was a constant on his face on offence and defence. Next fall couldn't come soon enough to begin the new season for this little guy. Up next: karate over the summer.

Go Tigers! Shadow Creek Soccer May 2009 Video Length 4:18 Click here to watch





Ty graduated from preschool last week. He has attended a local "moms day out" for 2 years, twice a week from 9:00-2:00. I can't believe that ALL DAY kindergarten is just around the corner. He is ready. I am not. He took up reading pretty well at the beginning of this year and has taken off with it since. I might add here that the Wii is in part responsible for Ty's new found love of reading. Here's why: for every page read he gets 1 minutes time playing the wii. I of course determine the pages worthiness of a minute. We spent this past year gearing up and showing face as often as we could at big sis' school where he will soon attend. We took a day a week and volunteered at the library, ate lunch with Jaden (where we often sent Ty through the lunch line to get a feel for it) and helped in Jaden's classes. Here is Ty earning Wii minutes. We love http://www.starfall.com/ for when we run out of level reader books. (still trying to download the video)

And lastly, here Ty is with 4 of his best little buddies. We are sad to say goodbye to two of his close friends as they are moving to London and Austin. These boys could spend the entire day together with out a single problem, no kidding (Much different than I remember with Jaden and her friends. They could last only 3-4 hours before to much drama leaked into the playdate.)Moms need only provide food and assist with lego malfunctions with these boys. Other than that we never saw them during their playdates except in passing. These playdates rocked!

Only the largest rodeo in the world!

Five years we've been hittin' up the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo that rolls into town every spring and sets up at the Reliant Center which happens to be about a 12 minute drive and 2 minute metro ride from our home. My kids love it and it is very inexpensive. Sixteen dollars gets you in to see all the live stock you can handle, pig races, mechanical bull riding, real life cowboys (and girls) and of course the actual rodeo and concert inside the Houston Texans own Reliant Stadium. The rodeo is my favorite part. I love watching the bull riders, buckin' broncos and horse barrel races. The environment is so laid back and you can usually get a pretty good seat on any given day because the rodeo runs for over two weeks so there isn't the rush of a one-night-only crowd. Following the rodeo (and with in minutes) they roll out their fancy, rotating concert stage over the trodden dirt that was just occupied by the bull riders and bust out a 10 or 12 song concert from major country star performers. This year Taylor Swift sold out the stadium with over 70,000 as well, the Jonas Brothers and last year Hannah Montana attended. Every night there is a new performer. We've been known to go on random nights when we don't really know or particularly love the country star. For example, we went twice this year and saw Trace Atkins and Brooks and Dunn. What I wouldn't have given to have seen Taylor Swift! Until next year. . .

My sister, Sarah, was in town and joined us for the second round of the Houston Rodeo, also her friend Erin came down for the fun of it. However, Jaden missed this round while Sarah was in town as she got to visit her friend Taylor Nikolaus in Arizona during their spring breaks.

Already FIVE!

Our favorite boy is five and we can't believe it! Ty had 6 of his best buddies over and Kyle loaded them up and drove to the LEGO store where they each got to choose a lego box and then returned home for lunch and cake. Ty was 1 year shy of being old enough to officially be allowed, by the store, to have a birthday party. But that didn't hold him back. They went anyway. Honestly, the difference was them being able to put their legos together at the lego store with a table they provided. They weren't missing much.

These days Ty is most interested with star wars light sabers and LEGO's, preferably star wars lego's. He loves jumping on the tramp with buddies and older sis. He enjoys having homework assigned from his pre-school as he looks up to Jaden and sees that that is what she's doing. He is such an obedient child. He remembers every word that comes out of my mouth and follows through. Often, I forget that I have even asked a certain task of him or given an assignment but don't worry he'll come clean and remind me even though it is asking more of him. He is such a sweet, inquisitive, thoughtful, easy going, laid back kid that doesn't take life to seriously, yet. We love you Ty guy!

Kyle made a deal with Ty a few months ago. If Ty read through his whole Dick and Jane book (194 pages) before he started kindergarten in the fall then Kyle would march over to Target and purchase the Wii! Honestly, we've just been trying to prolong the inevitability that we would one day get it and then Ty's life would be taken over by it unless, of course, some serious rules were made. At first Ty thought it to large a task and read a page here and there, then the book got lost for a time and found, then lost again. Anyway, we found it a couple weeks before his birthday and with the help of Aunt Sarah visiting (as well as her desire for the wii while she visited) the two of them tore into the book and had it read 3 days before his birthday. The timing worked out great.