My So Called Life

Foggy Morning At The Park

2012-01-07T20:36:00.006-06:00

These were taken last week when we took the boys to the park last weekend. Can you tell it's a little foggy? It was dark and hazy until we got into the car to leave...go figure. Even with the haze, we had
a fun morning running, climbing, swinging, sliding,
riding and throwing rocks into the lake.

A Charlie Brown Christmas Tune

2011-12-29T21:40:00.009-06:00

Christmas time is here

Happiness and cheer
Fun for all that children call
Their favorite time of the year

Snowflakes in the air
Carols everywhere
Olden times and ancient rhymes
Of love and dreams to share

Sleigh bells in the air
Beauty everywhere
Yuletide by the fireside
And joyful memories there

Christmas time is here
We'll be drawing near
Oh, that we could always see
Such spirit through the year
Oh, that we could always see
Such spirit through the year...

'Twas The Night Before Christmas

2011-12-29T20:54:00.005-06:00

And the boys were itching to open a few Christmas presents. They each ripped into two packages to find their Christmas
pajamas and the blankets I had made for them.

After the presents were opened and everyone was dressed I tried....TRIED to get a cute picture of the boys together. Needless to say they were not cooperative subjects but memories were made, pictures were taken and, after hot chocolate by the
fireplace, everyone was tucked into bed.

Gingerbread Again

2011-12-29T20:31:00.003-06:00

Except this time it's real gingerbread, not paper
and we made a tree, not a man.

Isn't that smile too cute for words?!?!

Camden and I mixed up green and white frosting, stacked the gingerbread stars and decorated our little edible tree. It turned out cute, not exactly tasty but how yummy can stale prepackaged gingerbread pieces be? If you asked Camden he thinks eating it was just as much fun as decorating it.

Little Drummer Boy

2011-12-19T13:13:00.002-06:00

This is more reminiscent of Stomp rather than the
"rum-pa-pum-pum" of the Little Drummer Boy.

I think we have a little percussionist on our hands.
And no, that is not a "okay" for anyone to buy him a drum set.

Holiday Show Off

2011-12-17T21:21:00.007-06:00

Camden completed the fall session of his gymnastics class. In honor of the season's final class they invited the parents into the gym to take pictures and video. Camden showed us all his moves,
tricks, flips and cartwheels.

The little guy is strong, flexible, fast and has a good sense of balance.

Towards the end of class a special visitor came to wish all the kids a "Merry Christmas!" Camden specifically asked for a race track that sticks to the wall. Which, having conferred with Santa, he isn't getting. Although I'm sure he'll be just as excited to get a normal
race track that runs on the floor.

After waiting patiently on the sidelines, or should I say being held by Brian on the sidelines, Deegan got in on the gymnastics action by jumping into the foam pit. Once he dove in he didn't want to get out. Maybe we have a second little gymnast on our hands?

Pompom Christmas Ornaments

2011-12-17T20:59:00.004-06:00

I had this vision of having the boys make homemade ornaments for gifts for those special teachers and our neighbors. My first thought was to have the boys swirl paint around ball shaped plastic ornaments but after a tester before I let the boys loose I decided this
wasn't the way to go.

It was messy, didn't look like I wanted them to and took a long time to dry. Plan B? I dumped out a bag of red, white and green fuzzy pompoms and had the boys stuff them into the ornaments.

This, as it turned out, was perfect. Both of the boys were able to easily fill the ornaments, they look super cute and no drying time was involved. After finishing them off with red and green ribbon
they are ready to be gifted.

Nativity Scene

2011-12-14T13:36:00.002-06:00

After a lot of coloring, cutting and the application of glue and tape our nativity scene is complete
.

I used a template I found online; printed the stable and backdrop out in color (to save on coloring-I've very well aware of Camden's coloring attention span) and the figures out in black and white. Camden and I spent two afternoons coloring and a third afternoon putting it all together. Deegan even got in on the craft by coloring baby Jesus.

What Is It About Dirt?

2011-12-11T14:24:00.003-06:00

I think dirt must have tiny magnets in it that attract clean little boys.

I cannot take Camden and Deegan outside with them needing a bath afterwards. During the summer this wasn't such a big deal because I could just spray them down with the water hose but now that it's "winter" they have to be stripped down before walking through the house to take a bath.

Bucket-O-Rice

2011-12-11T14:01:00.005-06:00

When dumping the pictures off of my camera I came across these and can't believe I never posted them. I took them close to a month ago on a warm afternoon when we dumped out the rice bucket on a table cloth in the backyard. I gave the boys spoons, cups, bowls and trays for them to play with. They spent close to an hour digging,
pouring, and souping the rice.

Skinny-Mini

2011-12-10T21:37:00.007-06:00

This is not a great picture by any means so excuse the blurriness and closed eyes, but I had to share. We've always said that Camden is skinny; he's never been on the "normal" growth charts.
Just to illustrate this fact...

Camden is wearing (buttoned and all) a pair of Deegan's 12 month jeans. Granted, they are super high waters and could easily be rolled up and used for shorts next summer, but they fit. This is an almost four year old easily fitting into his one year old brother's pants. It's not wonder we can never find pants that fit; unless an elastic
waste band is involved. He is truly a skinny-mini.
This, my friends, is a problem I would like to have.

Gingerbread Men

2011-12-09T14:40:00.004-06:00

I have been trying to incorporate some type of Christmas craft a few days a week. Camden doesn't go to MDO anymore (and hasn't for almost a year) so I don't get the messy yet cute things to hang up in the kitchen. I've taken it upon myself, being the "teacher" that I am, to have the boys do some hands on, good ol' fashioned, messy art. We've made Christmas trees which I didn't take any pictures of and are currently working on a nativity scene, but in between those two projects we made gingerbread men.

I found a template online (via google images), printed out one for each of the boys, dressed them up in their aprons/smocks, slopped some brown paint on the paper and let them get busy with their brushes. Camden was very meticulous, making sure he filled in every little white spot with paint while Deegan swirled the paint around in wide strokes before tiring of the paper and painting his face.

I haven't taken a picture of the finished product with wiggly eyes, cooked mouths and buttons but I will tell you honestly that they are adorable and a little funny looking.

Sugar Cookies

2011-12-08T22:00:00.002-06:00

Camden and I made a batch of sugar cookies using a recipe that claimed to be "the best rolled sugar cookie recipe." I have to disagree.

The dough, even after several ours in the fridge, was sticky-very sticky. I ended up adding flour, flour and more flour to be able to roll out the dough. We ended up with cake like cookies that were more bland than sweet. They weren't bad just kind of blah; so we dressed them up with frosting and sprinkles. Next batch we will be using a different a recipe.

Baby It's Cold Outside

2011-12-07T21:38:00.002-06:00

Winter has finally arrived in Houston!

It's only going to stick around for a few days but at least we have a few days of cold weather. In honor of the cold snap we broke out the boys' fuzzy hats and pullovers and went for a walk. The boys lasted all of 15 minutes before they were whining and crying about being cold. I agreed and we headed home....I was cold too.

C & D Butcher

2011-12-07T13:46:00.004-06:00

I know I'm a little bias but I have two adorable little boys!

Up, Up, and Away

2011-12-07T13:37:00.003-06:00

I have memories of being tossed in to the air as a child.
(rereading that it sounds horrible but I mean it in a good way)
Something about being hurled into the air is scary and exhilarating but all fun when you know the person who tossed you up will catch you when you come down. Our boys are no different. They love for Brian (more so than me because I can't throw them near as high) to toss them in the air and catch them only ask him to do it again and again.

I know these pictures aren't the greatest, the lighting and angles are horrible, but they captured a fun moment on afternoon when
Brian returned home from work.

It's About Time & Turkey

2011-12-07T13:09:00.007-06:00

I has been close to a month since I posted anything. Excuse? I have been beyond busy with school, the boys are more active and into things than ever, Brian has been busy at work and has been working later than usual and when I finally had a few minutes to sit down and do something non school related on the computer blogging was not on the top of my list.

For the few of you who read my little blog and may have noticed my absence this will come as good news: I am done with school for the semester! I am going to play catch up and unload the pictured on my camera and try to get back to posting a little more regularly.

We went to my parents' house for the week and spent a lot of time with family. The trip and visit was great with the exception of a stomach bug that attacked Camden and quickly spread to everyone else in the house. With that being said here are a few pictures from Thanksgiving.

Dewberry Farm

2011-11-16T22:08:00.005-06:00

When Brian's family was in town a couple of weeks ago we loaded the kids (and adults) up and headed out to Dewberry Farm. We've been every year for the last three; it's become our little tradition. This year we got to share our tradition and their first farm
experience with Kiera and Kaiden.

You may be asking yourself, what did they do?
Well...

The kids jumped, flopped, ran and skipped across the jumping pillows.

The big kids (everyone minus Deegan) slid down the rolling slides, climbed the stairs and slid down again....and again...and again...

We went for a tractor ride.

The big kids rode on and in the black mamba.

Deegan dug in the corn barn.

We all played in the kid's farm.

All of the kids had a pony ride.
Even Deegan, who wasn't too happy about it.

We finished our day with lunch, snow cones and
a short trip through the corn maze.

Reading Survey

2011-11-12T21:50:00.005-06:00

I am conducting informal research for a project in my Foundations of Early Literacy class. I am specifically looking at parents' views of reading.

Please click on the link below and take the time to fill out my
short survey about your views of reading.
What Is Reading?

All information and responses are kept confidential.

Thank you for your help!!

T-Shirt Time

2011-11-10T21:22:00.006-06:00

For some reason I got it in my head that I wanted to make the kids t-shirts with their hand prints. Christine and I googled different hand print animals and went back and forth about what we wanted to do before letting the kids chose themselves. Amazingly, they all chose different animals so we decided to go with a zoo theme.

We made a trip to the craft store to buy paint and t-shirts that turned out to be way too big. The next day was spent turning Camden's hand into a tiger, Kiera's hand into a zebra, Kaiden's into an elephant (which we all decided was the cutest) and Deegan's foot print into a lion.
We made individual shirts for the kids and a compilation
shirt for the grandparents.

I use the term "we" loosely. Christine said that I was in charge of the idea, painting, decorating...basically anything to do with this whole shirt business. She was in charge of childcare (without it the shirts wouldn't have been completed) but was willing to take credit for the shirts if they turned out cute. Which they did. Good job Christine! :)

A Week With Four Kids

2011-11-10T20:52:00.004-06:00

Brian's Mom, sister and her two kiddos came into town last week and spent a whole week at casa de Butcher. Here is some of what we did...

Made oodles of funny faces and laughed a lot.

Played outside....a lot!

We pushed kids on various swings.
The kids, on the other hand, swung back and forth countless times while asking to be pushed higher and higher.

We chased down the ice cream man and ate a few frozen treats.

We played dress up with costumes we scored at Target for 70% off.
Yea for clearance!

We did so much more that I didn't capture on film but let me tell you that we had fun and made memories.

Trick or Treat

2011-11-10T20:33:00.004-06:00

We spent Halloween night with my friend Katie and her family. We ate dinner, dressed up and headed out to trick or treat the night (aka couple of hours) away. We walked around her mother's neighborhood which I have to admit was great; people in costume, decorate houses and lots of kids. Our neighborhood...not so much. We had a great time and were thankful to be a part of their family for the night.

Costume Sneak Peak

2011-10-31T14:51:00.003-05:00

We did a costume rehearsal, so to speak, this morning. Actually, I wanted to make sure to get their pictures take in their costumes before we went trick-or-treating this evening with Katie and her kiddos. I know once Camden and Jake are together I'll have a hard time getting them to sit still long enough to take a picture.

This year we have an "utterly" adorable cow...

and a very spirited Raider Red who tells everyone to
"Get your guns up!" enthusiastically.

I do confess that there is a certain amount of Texas Tech brain washing going on in our house but he came up with dressing up as Raider Red all on his own. The force is strong with that one!!
We were supposed to have a coordinating Masked Rider but had a little trouble with the costume, which is why Deegan is a cow. Now, don't go making any Tech and Texas comparisons...he isn't Bevo.

Carving Pumpkins

2011-10-31T14:38:00.003-05:00

It's pretty self explanatory...we carved pumpkins.

I wanted to get these up before it's December and I realize that I forgot to post them but don't feel especially chatty today. We broke out the stencils, carving knife and enough newspaper to cover the table to got busy decorating our pumpkins.

Lions and Tigers and Bears

2011-10-19T15:09:00.014-05:00

We were actually more of the 'Elepants and Giraffes and Chimps' crowd since we didn't actually see any lions or tigers or bears while at the zoo. Not because they weren't there but because Deegan decided he was done with this whole zoo business and made it known that he was ready to go home. Before our departure we saw oodles of
animals, fed the giraffes, rode the carousel, played on the playground, brushed goats in the petting zoo, ate lunch and picked
out the perfect souvenirs.

Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-15T20:51:00.002-05:00

Guess who went to the pumpkin patch this morning?
Well...can you guess?
Alright, I'll go a head and tell you that it was us!

We picked out pumpkins and posed for pictures. Like my previous post the boys 'together' pictures were no where near posing perfection and even ended in tears when Deegan decided he didn't want Camden to sit next to him. But they are memories nonetheless.

Driving Without Passengers

2011-10-15T14:33:00.004-05:00

Camden took his truck out for a drive the other morning.

And, after getting unstuck on his first lap (he made a run a little too tight and got his wheel stuck in the grass) he was off an going. He drove up and down the side walk honking his horn.

He loves going fast and wasn't interested in slowing down so that he could give his little brother a ride. This is the fit that followed:

Tears or not poor little Deegan still didn't get a ride;
there were no passengers on this road trip.

A Little Advice

2011-10-13T08:34:00.004-05:00

Camden sent Brian off to work this morning
with some very valuable advice.

He yelled from the couch as Brian was heading out the back door, "Daddy! Don't follow any aliens on your way to work! If you do they'll take you away in their spaceship!"

I guess he thought Daddy was in need of a reminder.

"I Want To Read My God Book"

2011-10-11T13:44:00.009-05:00

We started a new bedtime routine for Camden where we give him fifteen minutes or so of 'quiet time' after we read together. The main reason I decided to add a little extra down time before bed was because he always wanted to read a little longer or do a puzzle and would get out of bed after being tucked in, turn on his light and play away. This usually ended up with us getting upset having to tell him to get into bed 100 times and him getting upset because his book, puzzle or whatever ended up getting taken away. Now, he has a little extra time to do this before bed without getting in trouble.
At least for a while...

Every once and a while he takes his quiet time and gets tucked in before he weasels his way about of bed to take a little extra time. The rule, if you don't take care of your responsibilities after having 'quiet time' you won't get 'quiet time' the next day.

All that build up to bring me to this story:

Brian had tucked Camden into bed last night before leaving to run an errand, shortly after he was in bed I noticed that he had turned his light on. I went into his room and told him to get back into bed. He looked at me and quickly replied "but momma, I just wanted to read my book about Jesus. (Easter ABC's) I want to read my God book so it's okay." I couldn't help but smile. How can you fault a kid for one, wanting to read and two, to read about Jesus? I will confess, I let him leave his light on for a few extra minutes.

Trashcans & Photo Ops

2011-10-06T19:54:00.004-05:00

The boys and I went outside this morning to pick up the newspaper and bring the trashcan back from the curb. Thursday is our trash day, in case you were wondering. It's not an important detail but I didn't want to leave you contemplating "why did they go out to get the trashcan?" I know the suspense would just kill you.

Anyway...
I let the boys play in the front yard for a little while which seemed like a big deal to them since we rarely hangout in the front. Deegan explored the flowerbeds, walked down the sidewalk and crawled in the grass.

Camden ran back and forth from our driveway to the neighbors as fast as he could only stopping to pick up "treasures" he found along the way. Thanks to his treasure hunting there is a pile of sticks, pine needles and leaves on our front porch.

While out front I attempted (yes attempted) to take their picture together next to the pumpkins, flowers and scarecrow we have by the front door. This is the best I got:

Great huh?
My solo attempts at a photo op were slightly more successful.

The Breakfast Boys

2011-10-06T14:13:00.004-05:00

This is a picture of a boy who is very serious about eating cereal.

This is a boy who insists on using a spoon and feeding himself; because of this he ends up with more yogurt on his
head than in his tummy.

Happy Birthday Deegan

2011-09-29T21:34:00.011-05:00

I am the mother of a three year old and a ONE year old!

I find myself sitting here trying to write about the last year and can't even believe that it has been a year since Deegan was born. I don't know where time has gone or how my chubby little baby turned into an independent toddler quite so quickly.

Deegan, my chunker-monker, you are such a sweet and funny little boy. You have the best expressions, sweetest laugh, give the best hugs and the sloppiest kisses. You are a terrible napper and love to bug your brother to bits; you want to go anywhere he goes and do anything he does. You are our good eater; you'll eat anything we put in front of you and cry for more. In fact, when you're hungry you'll go into the kitchen and scream while trying to climb into your booster seat. You love to be outside, dig in the dirt, play in the water,
swing and go for walks. You love to be held yet want to be put down the instant something interesting catches your eye.
You're funny, a flirt and usually a mess.

Your Daddy and I love you to pieces! You were the prefect addition to our family and, even though Camden loves to pick on you now, I know that he loves you and that you two will be the best of friends. You'll also probably beat the snot out of each other, but I think
that's just what brothers do.

Happy Birthday Deegan!

A Math Problem

2011-09-21T14:40:00.003-05:00

2 Boys + 1 Slip-N-Slide = Oodles Of Smiles

Mud Bug

2011-09-16T10:32:00.002-05:00

I love that he will jump right into a mud puddle (aka our empty flower bed) and practically roll around in it as he digs and explores. He always needs a bath after our backyard adventures but he has so much fun making a mess that it is worth the midday bath.

Book Worm

2011-09-16T10:28:00.004-05:00

I know it probably goes without saying that I am very much pro-reading. After all, it is what I'm spending oodles of money on to get certified to teach. We've read to Camden since he was born, even before actually. I love that sometimes (just sometimes) when he's being just a little too quiet that he's reading rather than getting into trouble.
I love that he loves books!

Tall Drink Of Water

2011-09-13T14:01:00.003-05:00

Just a Swinging

2011-09-13T13:58:00.002-05:00

Toes In The Water, Toes In The Sand

2011-09-13T13:52:00.004-05:00

Peek-A-Boo

2011-09-11T15:28:00.001-05:00

I SEE YOU!!

Stocked Pantry

2011-09-11T15:24:00.003-05:00

My pantry is fully stocked but I must admit that I don't
remember picking this up at the grocery store.

The First Cut

2011-09-11T15:18:00.005-05:00

This happened several weeks ago and I'm just now getting around to putting the pictures together. I'll keep it short and sweet because I'm not sure how much I can elaborate about a haircut other than to say
he did great, didn't shed a tear and looked absolutely
adorable with his new "do."

Before:

During:

After:

I Love This Face

2011-08-31T21:21:00.001-05:00

It is grouchy, serious and adorable all at the same time.

This and That

2011-08-30T12:56:00.005-05:00

I haven't posted in a while and know I'll be hearing about it if I don't get something up soon. I rummaged through the pictures I've taken over the past few weeks, picked a few out and threw them up here so that y'all would be able to see some of what we've been up to without a cuties story because I honestly don't have the words or time to put a whole "thing" together. It sounds lazy but school, the kids and keeping this house from turning into a disaster area is keeping me more than busy. But enough about me....here are the boys:

Crayons + Sun = Art

2011-08-19T21:28:00.006-05:00

What to do with a box of broken crayons and
100+ degree temperatures?

You tear all the paper off and break them into smaller pieces....

Arrange them on a sheet of paper that's conveniently
taped to a metal cookie sheet...

Set them out into the hot midday sun and wait...
(sad to say it only took about 45 minutes to completely
melt into colorful pools)

Once melted use a Popsicle stick to create a colorful
melted piece of artwork like this:

TA-DA!!!

Paintin' With Puddin'

2011-08-19T20:57:00.005-05:00

The other morning I drug out two cookie sheets, emptied out a vanilla and chocolate pudding cup, gave the boys different painting "tools," and let the the boys go to town. Deegan dug right in squishing the paint around the sheet before shoving fist fulls of it into his mouth and all over his body. Camden used the different brushes and spoons to smooth the pudding around before licking it off
of his hands, spoons and the tray itself.

Needless to say it was a messy activity but was so worth the bath, dishes and necessary porch clean up that followed.

Here are the boy's pudding creations...
Well, what was left of them.

I Scream, You Scream...

2011-08-15T21:41:00.005-05:00

We All Scream For Ice Cream

Correction:
We All Scream For Popsicles

Bowling

2011-08-15T21:37:00.005-05:00

Off and on over the past few weeks Brian has been filling in on a bowling team some of his friends/co-workers. When he would venture out Camden would ask "Where are you going Daddy?" When we told him that he was going bowling he said that he wanted to go. We had to explain that night time bowling was for grownups but that
we could during the day another time.

During this same time we also stumbled across a Bugs Bunny cartoon where Bugs and Daffy go bowling. We watched that cartoon oodles of times over the course of several weeks. This only reinforced his frequency of asking "Can we go bowling?"

Guess what we did the past weekend?
We went bowling!

I am sad to say that my score was only 19 points above my three year old who had never bowled before. And yes, that was WITH bumpers. We all had a blast and left with Camden asking when
he can go bowling again.

Visiting G.G.

2011-08-15T08:42:00.005-05:00

Last week the boys and I went to visit my Grandmother, their G.G. in Las Cruces. It was the first time I've flown with both boys by myself and it was, to say the least, quite an adventure. The trip home was much less eventful than the trip going. Something about a squirmy 9 month old and a rambunctious 3 1/2 year old cooped up in that tiny row of seats doesn't make for a relaxing flight. Anyway...after a quick two hour flight and an hour drive in the car (we drove from El Paso to Las Cruces) we made it to see G.G.

We spend the next two days visiting with my Aunt Lee, Uncle Ray, Lauren, Paul, Claire, my parents and of course G.G. It was the first time any of them had, with the exception of my parents, seen Deegan. There were plenty of hugs, smiles, laughs and stories to go around. I'm so glad that we had the opportunity to spend some quality time with my family and am happy they didn't mind (too much) that we made more noise and a mess than they're used to.

One, Two, Three Strikes You're Out

2011-08-15T07:35:00.004-05:00

Camden is on his second baseball glove. The first go around we somehow ended up with a left handed glove for our right handed boy. (actually the original glove was for his right hand but he needed a glove for his left hand...just to clarify) That explains why he wanted to catch and throw with his gloved hand which didn't make for good accuracy or distance. Now that we have his hands all sorted out he's set to
play catch with Daddy in the backyard.

A Self Induced Shower

2011-08-14T22:06:00.003-05:00

A Mouth Full

2011-08-05T21:32:00.003-05:00

Guess who snacked on a little dirt this afternoon?
This cute little mud bug did!

He didn't seem to mind the taste too much either since
I had to keep dragging him out of the mud.

A Tight Fit

2011-08-05T21:07:00.004-05:00

I'm not sure how he folded himself practically in half but he did.

I had to pick up the the trashcan and turn him over to get him out. He wasn't traumatized by getting stuck since he slipped his skinny
little self back into a few minutes after I slid him out.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-03T21:07:00.004-05:00

Just two boys digging in the sand.
That isn't exactly wordless is it?

Deegan And The Hose

2011-08-01T13:18:00.004-05:00

Deegan, just like his older brother, loves to get his hands on the water hose as well. He prefers to drink from it as opposed to taking a shower or filling his boots (or in his case booties). It's quite hilarious really. He'll put the hose up to his mouth, take a big gulp of water, gasp, spit the water out, blink the water out of his eyes, catch his breath and do it all over again. He seemed surprised that he got a face
full of water every time; his expression was priceless!

Camden And The Hose

2011-07-30T19:24:00.007-05:00

Even with a multitude of water toys at his disposal his
favorite thing to play with is the water hose.

On this particular day he was playing topless, in his workout shorts and cowboy boots. A nice look if I do say so myself. For some reason, that I'm sure you can figure out, his boots were a little soggy.

Crazy Hair

2011-07-30T19:13:00.001-05:00

Someone is in need of a haircut.
Maybe...just maybe?

For one reason or another I can't bring myself to do it just yet.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-26T20:58:00.006-05:00

I'll take a cue from other bloggers who post a picture
sans story on Wednesdays.

I cannot find words to accurately describe this picture, or
Camden in it for that matter, but absolutely love it.

Before and After

2011-07-26T20:44:00.003-05:00

I made a creamy beef baked pasta for dinner tonight. This was the first time I have given Deegan a plate full of pasta and just let him go to town. I think it goes without saying that he dug right in and
enjoyed every bite. The proof is in the pictures.

As dinner started:

And as dinner concluded:

You don't wear that much food without loving it.

Slipping And A Sliding

2011-07-21T14:43:00.008-05:00

Yesterday I took the boys to Target to check out their summer clearance and came across a slip and slide. You may remember a previous post about a slip and slide that I am sad to report only lasted a few days before it had numerous holes and was nothing more than a ripped sheet of plastic. This time we bought not one, but two slip and slides. Now we'll have a backup for when this
one inevitably gets torn up.

Now that we have said slip and slide, this is how our morning went: we unrolled the hose, unfolded the slip and slide, hooked up the hose, turned the water and let the boys have at it. Camden slipped and slid while Deegan crawled around in the sprinkles and
splashed in the puddles.

Singing In The Rain

2011-07-20T21:05:00.005-05:00

And splashing, and crawling, and jumping and playing in the rain.
Yes, I said rain.

Much like everywhere else in the state, we're in a drought. Over the last three days we've received several hours of steady rain. This afternoon, while the boys were having a snack on the back porch, it started to rain. After just a few minutes puddles had formed along the edge of the porch and the boys jumped right in. They had a blast but were too little mud balls by the time I managed to drag
them back into the house.

A bath quickly followed our puddle adventures to wash the mud away.

Art In Your Undies

2011-07-19T21:56:00.006-05:00

I'm sure all the great artist stripped down when working
in their medium of choice.

Our medium for this rainy morning was markers. I cut a piece of packing paper and hung in on the glass door to the atrium
and let Camden write, draw and just create.

After twenty minutes or so Camden had drawn several self
portraits, a house, diamonds and wrote his name
(with a few upside down letters) on his own.

Deegan was the official marker handler...and taster. Surprisingly he managed to keep all the lids on while he slobbered on them..

Boys and Their Toys

2011-07-19T21:48:00.001-05:00

Brian has recently gotten into RC cars/trucks. This means, Camden too has been bitten by the "AC car" (as he calls it) bug. Sunday after church they charged the batteries and drove around the cul-de-sac jumping curbs as they went.

"It's The Greatest Show On Earth"

2011-07-19T21:22:00.005-05:00

Or so Barnum and Bailey claim. Camden, on the other hand,
wasn't too impressed.

To be quite honest he was much more excited about getting a light-up sword and a rainbow snow cone than he was any part of the circus. Deegan slept through the first half of the show and wanted to get down and play the second. We had our hands full trying to entertain
and contain him; to say the least.

Camden did like the clowns, elephants and "when the people flew from the sky" (trapeze artist). Deegan liked looking at the lights and munching on a soft pretzel. Even though neither of the boys were all into it the circus we did make some fun family memories.

Beach Babies

2011-07-17T13:40:00.004-05:00

In an effort to get the few things I wanted to post actually posted before they're no longer relevant, I'm going to give you the reader's digest version. We swam in the ocean, dug in the sane and ate seafood.
In other words, we went to the beach. :)

Caught In The Act

2011-07-15T21:44:00.001-05:00

Just Curious...

2011-07-15T21:38:00.003-05:00

Is there something on my butt?

Um....just a little something.

It is impossible to keep the kid clean now that he's on the move; especially when we're outside and mud puddles are involved.

Face Paint & Wet T-Shirts

2011-07-12T14:02:00.005-05:00

When Madison came to visit we took her, and the boys, to the children's museum. Our first stop was the face painting station where Camden went a little more than crazy with the blue paint crayon. Madison, on the other hand, settled for a full facial
butterfly drawn by yours truly.

We also shopped, colored, explored, climbed on the playground and played in the water. (hints the wet t-shirts) They all had so
much fun...soggy shirts and all.

Take You For A Ride On My Big Green Tractor

2011-07-12T07:19:00.005-05:00

I may have mentioned in an earlier post about coming home from Levelland minus one kiddo. The minus one was Camden. He spent the three days after Brian, Deegan and I drove back to
Houston with my parents.

It was the first time we've "left" him with anyone for more than a short babysitting session. In the days leading up to our departure we weren't sure that Camden would stay. He kept saying things like "I want you to stay with me." and "I just want to go home." But, when it came down to it and Brian and I were loading up the car, he simply said "Bye. I'm going to watch my cartoons in Nana's bed." Well then....

While in the land of the level he had a blast visiting the Science Spectrum, Stars and Stripes drive in (although the projector was broken so they didn't get to actually watch a movie), playing with Madison, playing in the sandbox and fishing with Papaw (pictures in previous post). The activity he's talked the most about has to be getting to ride in the "fast tractor that sometimes goes too slow." Thanks R.H. for giving him a ride....the kid loves tractors; and my parents, brothers and the rest of my family for making his first
solo trip one full of great memories.

Fishing With Papaw

2011-07-11T16:05:00.003-05:00

Levelland Recap

2011-07-11T08:01:00.012-05:00

Almost two weeks ago we loaded up the minivan and made that short eleven hour trek to Levelland to visit my family. The boys did amazingly well in the car and, even with Deegan being older this trip,
we only needed two extra pit stops.

The vast majority of time there was spent at my parents' house with my parents, brothers, sisters-in-law and niece. Camden loves playing with Madison; the two made quite the pair. With the heat, we took every opportunity possible to cool off. The kids took a dip in Madison's sand filled pool and didn't mind the murkiness one bit.

These are the only decent shots I got of all three of the kiddos
next year. In just a few short months they'll
be four of themto wrangle into photos.
(Daniel and Callie's little 'un...baby factory is closed in our house...lol)

We concluded our visit with a good old fashioned BBQ and with friends and family. We hate that we live so far from family but are thankful that we have the opportunity to get together so often.

The next morning we loaded up and headed home minus one kiddo.
(post coming soon)

Yo!

2011-07-08T22:29:00.005-05:00

I'm sure that's what he'd say while rockin' his
Texas Tech cap sideways.
That is if his vocabulary included more than just "Dada."

Back and Catching Up

2011-07-08T22:10:00.007-05:00

I'm baaaack!

My five week sociolinguistic class concluded last night with the completion of my language workshop presentation. It was about phonemic awareness, in case you were curious. Anyway, I am class free until September and will be back to blogging and
posting pictures of our happenings.

Now to catch up....
These are from our trip to Las Vegas well over three weeks ago. We took the kids to a nearby park to play, splash and run off the massive amounts of energy they never seem to run out of.

And just because I know I've been MIA I'll throw in a few pictures from our water gun fight that started off innocently enough for the kids but end with Matt and I being soaked. Wet clothing aside
we all had a blast.

Grads, Parties and Staying Afloat

2011-06-24T22:34:00.004-05:00

Last week we flew to Las Vegas for Brian's youngest
sister's high school graduation.
Congratulations Becky!

After her graduation we went to the Lagoon, a shallow sand filled pool, for her graduation party. The kids has a blast splashing around, digging in the sand and "swimming." I use the term swimming loosely, there was an instance where Christine had her hands full of submerged kids and we were visited by the life guard. Oddly enough, we laughed our booties off about it after all the kids were out of the water.

Just a Few

2011-06-14T15:10:00.005-05:00

I was told that I haven't posted any new pictures in a while, which is true. I've been so busy with the boys and summer school that sitting down to blog has been the farthest thing from my mind. I know there are a few of you who can't wait to get your hands (or should I say eyes?) on new pictures so here are a few from the last few weeks. Notice any similarities in their poses?

Up We Go

2011-06-06T14:44:00.002-05:00

Deegan hasn't quite mastered crawling yet. He can get to where he wants to go within a short range but he isn't up on all fours trekking across the room...just yet. He is, however, a pulling up. It's hard to believe he's already eight months old and almost ready to take off on his own. Pretty soon I'll have two to chase down.

Bath Baby

2011-06-02T22:44:00.002-05:00

Rubba-Dub-Dub
Deegan's In The Tub

Slip and Slide

2011-05-30T20:02:00.003-05:00

Our back yard just got a little more crowded but who can complain when a sheet of plastic and water is involved?!?

Beach Babies

2011-05-29T21:49:00.008-05:00

My brother and sister-in-law were in town visiting for the weekend so we did our duties as hosts and went out and about. We all loaded up and headed down to Galveston for seafood, ice cream and the beach.

Brian is not a fan of the beach. Maybe not the beach so much as the sand; but seeing as how the beach is made up of sand it's safe to say that Brian doesn't like the beach. Anyway, Camden loves the beach; especially the sand. And, after this trip, I would say Deegan does too. It was his first visit to the beach and was all smiles the
second his little toes touched the sand.

All Attitude

2011-05-29T21:44:00.002-05:00

These pictures speak for themselves.
We have two spunky kiddos on our hands.

Splish Splash

2011-05-29T21:36:00.003-05:00

Although they weren't taking a bath there was a lot
of splishing and splashing going on.

Take Me Out To The Park

2011-05-29T21:22:00.004-05:00

When Brian's family (sister, her kiddos and his mom) were here for a visit we spent the large majority of our time outside. One afternoon we took them to the park for a picnic and to play. "Play" could be translated to mean we wanted them to run out some energy in preparation for nap time. They sure had fun
morning getting ready to rest.

The Quad

2011-05-21T21:21:00.006-05:00

So far, these are the only pictures I've gotten
of all four of the kids together.
Here are the cute sweet faces...

And these are the silly faces...

Aunts, Cousins and Grandma

2011-05-21T21:03:00.005-05:00

Brian's sister her kiddos and his mom came into town on Tuesday afternoon. They'll be spending a week with us. We're so happy to have them! It's the first time in almost a year and a half all the kids have been together. Since they're all older, which happens when time passes, they play together so much more than they did before. They've been having a blast and have spent most of the mornings and afternoons thus far in the backyard.

These are a few quick pics of their backyard adventures:

Napkins Are a Luxury Item, Not a Necessity

2011-05-15T20:45:00.004-05:00

Underwear, on the other hand, is a very important breakfast accessory.

Who needs a napkin to wipe the frosting form your fingers when you have a perfectly clean pair of undies covering your booty?

He Loves It - I Love It

2011-05-14T22:08:00.004-05:00

There is no denying that Camden loves books, loves to read and loves to be read to. I love that he loves those things. I can't help but
smile when I find him with his nose in a book.

Breakfast in the Park

2011-05-14T21:41:00.003-05:00

I will be very honest and admit that I am too tired to attempt to write anything cute or witty. With that being said...

The weather was beautiful this morning so we picked up breakfast and headed to the park. We all had fun running, swinging, sliding and climbing. Some of us more than others; Camden and I took to the playground while Brian and Deegan watched us.

Camden is too cool for pictures these days. Deegan on the other hand takes as many as we want...he's not able to escape just yet.

Camden ran up a small hill and then rolled down only to find
himself in tiny stickers. Not the best idea.

Of course we made more than one visit to the swing set;
its a favorite of both boys.

Our last stop was a little pond.
We saw oodles of tiny fish and two turtles.

I Just Can't Get Enough...

2011-05-13T21:05:00.004-05:00

Of These Sweet and Silly Faces.
They Melt My Heart.

An Impromptu Day Off

2011-05-13T20:32:00.005-05:00

Brian took last Friday off so we decided to do something special and fun together as a family. We loaded the boys up and headed down town to the children's museum. Camden was right at home and went through all of his favorite exhibits.

The one he likes the most, I think, has to be the water works area outside. There are all sorts of water activities. The center of the exhibit has a set of water guns that have a floor trigger you step on to shoot water up into a large bowl that, when full, will tip and splash down on those waiting below. Camden spent a lot of time sending water upwards into the bowl only to run when it came splashing down.
It was quite hilarious!

This was the first time that we took Deegan to the museum. While Camden and Brian were going through the kid's town down stairs, Deegan and I took advantage of the tot spot. It's a special area for the little 'uns that has oodles of toys, climbing structures and dramatic play areas. Deegan and I had so much fun exploring together. His favorite spot was right in front of the mirror where he couldn't get enough of that cute boy staring back at him.

Do I Have a Messy Face?

2011-05-05T12:08:00.001-05:00

Hmm...Let me think about this.
I'll go with yes.

Ode To Dr. Seuss

2011-04-30T21:50:00.002-05:00

On the fifteenth of May,
in the Jungle of Nool,
In the heat of the day,
in the cool of the pool...

Deegan, Would You Like A Cracker?

2011-04-29T13:47:00.004-05:00

Yes Mommy, I believe I would.

Our Easter...Short & Sweet

2011-04-26T21:57:00.008-05:00

I'll give you the Reader's Digest version of our Easter since I'm short on time (school is killing me) and had a request for pictures. Easter morning we got up bright and early to go to church for breakfast, early service, Sunday school and an Easter egg hunt. After our full morning we came home, died eggs and ate lunch. The boys then took naps that were much to short followed by our own egg hunt in the backyard, dinner and then spent what was left of our crazy
busy day together hanging out.

These are two of the few pictures I managed to take where
both boys were looking at the camera.

This is what I had to endure before getting those "gems."
To be honest...these are my favorites.

Just a few other random pictures I thought were cute.

Do We Do Anything Else?

2011-04-25T22:14:00.006-05:00

Apparently not because most of my last posts involve swimming.
What can I say...we got to keep cool somehow.

Deegan looks a little too devious reaching for Camden. I think he already knows that Camden likes his personal
space and wants to invade it.

Camden had to protect his Popsicle. Deegan was ready to take a bite.

And now we're back in the pool.
Maybe we'll change things up and play in the sprinkler next?

Swim Lessons

2011-04-25T12:05:00.002-05:00

We signed Camden up for swim lessons, or as Brian calls them "don't drown lessons," last week. He's completed his first week of class and will finish up his second this week. He's already floating by himself, putting his face into the water, jumping into the pool, kicking and beginning to work on strokes. He absolutely LOVES it!

Water Babies

2011-04-13T22:40:00.003-05:00

Another Tooth

2011-04-13T17:00:00.005-05:00

Deegan is a member of the Two Tooth Club!
You can tell he's teething since he'll chomp down
on anything within arms reach.

I can see and feel those little chompers but haven't been able
to get a picture of them. Trust me they're there. :)

Hanging Out By The Pool

2011-04-12T21:41:00.004-05:00

Actually, the boys were hanging out in the pool.
Camden has been a water baby for as long as I can remember. Today was Deegan's turn to test out the water. I slathered both boys up with sunscreen, wrangled them into their swimsuits and headed out to the backyard for a little splashing in the pool. Deegan splashed around, laughed at his big brother and was all smiles while in the pool. Camden ate a push-pop while filling the pool and splashing around. This is a little preview of what many of our summer days will look like.

Mr. Independent

2011-04-12T21:29:00.003-05:00

Yes, he's already wanting to grab the spoon and feed himself.

Oh the messes that are to come...

Splash Pad Play Date

2011-04-12T21:16:00.003-05:00

The boys and I met up with Sarah and her two kiddos, Emma and Lane, for an afternoon at the splash pad in Kemah. We were super surprised to have the place to ourselves but happy at the same time. The kids ran all around, chases the water sprays, laughed and ultimately had a great time while Sarah and I got to sit in the shade a chat. It was a great way to spend the afternoon and kick of what is probably the first of many play dates that will involve water activities.

A Little Too Quiet

2011-04-01T21:19:00.003-05:00

Every parent knows that silence that makes you say "It's too quiet in there." You immediately begin to question what type of trouble your little one is getting into as you go to investigate. Camden proved that trouble isn't the only reason for silence. Sometimes that quiet settles over the house because you found a good book
and a comfy spot to read.