Party Girl

Reese had a full day of partying. I had intended for we girls to stay home most of the day, but Leland called and said that his yearbook class really wanted to celebrate Reese's birthday with us. So we loaded up and picked up some cupcakes at the store and then partied with the teenagers. Yearbook class is during our normal lunch time, so we see these kids a lot. The girls loved the attention and the cupcakes were tasty.

Then after school and a quick nap for Dad, we we out to eat at McAlisters and went to the mall for a bit. We all ended up with a new book at the newly opened Barnes and Noble. :) After returning home our neighbors came over for cake and presents. The daughter had a friend over for the evening.



Reese wasn't so sure about the party hat and the singing, but she dove into the cake quite well. She was covered and needed a bath before present opening.


Reese figured out how to open the presents also. She was cute and loved the attention.

And our friend Donna wins the prize. This was Reese's favorite toy to play with - and it doesn't even make any noise. :)

We had a good day celebrating our Reese. Thank you to the Grandma's for the boxes full of clothes for Reese and Ry and Ray. Everyone was very happy. Happy Birthday Baby Girl!

Happy Birthday Reese!

My baby girl turns 1 today. The 1st birthday is such a magical one. It is so fun and exciting. We all greeted Reese with a hug and smile this morning - Ryland the most excited to give. We are having cake this evening with our neighbors so I will post those pictures later. So right now I just wanted to list some of my favorite things about Reese right now.

- Reese has the best smile of all my kids. It is so pretty and just makes you smile also.

- She LOVES Ryland - she always has. But now that she can play, she thinks he is just it. She regularly crawls to him and grabs his neck letting him know that she wants him to carry her around.

- She is very ornery. She loves to poke at you and then look away like she didn't do it.

- Reese loves to clap and give 5. Last night was the journalism banquet, so she enjoyed clapping along with everyone else.

- Reese picks on Raylee all the time. I never would have imagined that they could already fight over toys, but they do. They have days of playing well together, but they also have days where they both fuss all day. Fun times ahead I'm sure. :)

- She loves bread. She will eat just about anything I give her, but bread is her favorite. She ate three rolls herself last night.

- She loves necklaces - just like Raylee. Last night I had the girls in their dresses and told Raylee she could wear 1 purple bracelet. I left and when I came back, Reese had found a pink necklace that matched her dress and insisted on wearing it. How did I end up with such girly girls?

- Reese says no and yes with her head. She just started this a week or so ago and it is so precious. I think she actually does know what them mean also. I was trying to feed her something besides bread one time and she emphatically shook her head no and wouldn't open her mouth. Then other times when I ask her if she's hungry or thirsty she strongly nods her head yes. It is just too cute.

- She is cruising all over the place. I'm guessing that within the next month she'll probably be walking. She is pretty interested in it, but is still unsure of her capability. It won't be long though.
- She can climb stairs. I did not know this one until a couple of nights ago. We were at our neighbors house visiting in the den. Reese had turned the corner so I went after her. I looked around the corner and didn't see her. I found her on the 3rd step from the top of the long staircase! I couldn't believe she had climbed it that far and that quickly. That's good to know she can do that now.

- It took her 9 months, but she does like her daddy alot now. She loves to play with him and lay on him. She still prefers me if I'm in the room, but we're getting there.

- Reese is such a sweet little girl. I'm anxious to see how her personality will develop over the next year. She is learning to hold her own with her siblings, but is still very giving when they ask.

- She has a wonderful voice. She loves to sing and jabber and laugh. All are wonderful uses of her sweet voice.

- She still only has 2 teeth. I had thought a couple more were going to be poking through, but they have regressed. I'm anxious for more teeth so that she can have more food options - oh well - soon enough I guess.

Long Weekend and Chocolate Gravy

We had a nice 4 day weekend. Yes, our schools had a weather day that didn't get used last Friday so we enjoyed lots of time off. We had thought about going somewhere but decided we didn't have the money for gas (it's ridiculous lately). So we just hung out, did some shopping, and played. We slept in as much as possible also. It was really hard getting everyone going this morning to get back to school and work. A four day weekend so close to the end of school is hard on everyone.

Friday we ate lunch at Chick-Fil-A and let the kids play on the play area for a bit before heading to the school. (The newspaper goes to press tonight so we had to work on it some over the weekend). All the kids crashed on our way home so Leland stayed with them while I ran to the store. I picked up the supplies for a pizza while I was there, so we watched movies and stayed up late.

Saturday we were bums for awhile and then ventured to Garden Ridge to scout out some patio furniture. We found a good price and bought there. We were glad because it was extremely humid and hot so we were not liking the idea of store hopping. We ran home and assembled the set and then sat in our living room admiring it through the windows. :) It was just too hot outside. That evening we went to a friends house for a cook-out. They had invited a few friends, so it was a very nice get-together.

Sunday we got to see some Big Spring friends. This couple's daughter and her family live here and are church shopping so they were wanting to visit our church. We had a nice visit and a meal at Cotton Patch. It was very nice. The family's oldest boy is in kindergarten so he and Ryland really hit it off. Maybe we've made a new friend in town. :) After naps and supper, we decided to go visit our friend Donna and her husband Robert. Leland doesn't get to see Donna much since she keeps the girls during the day mostly, so it was nice spending some time with them.

Monday we watched many hours of Star Trek Enterprise (a marathon on some channel) and did some yard work. Well, actually Leland mowed and the kids and I washed the cars. It was great fun. At one point I asked Raylee what she was doing and she replied "washing my belly!" She was soaked. Lots of fun had by all.

Monday is also when the chocolate gravy came into play. I was wanting to fix something special for breakfast. I had recently talked to my childhood best friend on the phone and so chocolate gravy and biscuits came to mind (that is what her mom fixed every time I spent the night at her house). The kids were a little leery, but of course they loved it - it's chocolate! Leland once again thought I was crazy for putting chocolate on another food item, but we chocoholics put chocolate on just about anything.

So that raps up our long weekend. This week is really full of activities - newspaper proofing, journalism banquet, Reese's 1st birthday, family pictures and another cook-out. It should all be fun though. I hope you enjoyed your long weekend. :)

Field Day

Yesterday was Field Day at Ryland's school. I don't know why we ended up with field trip and field day in the same week - but oh well. I had really planned on not being there the entire time, but did stay for most of it instead. First event for the kindergarten was the sack race. Our yellow team got second.

Next was the pumpkin relay. A runner had to run down and grab a ball to bring back to the line for it to be passed over and under to the back of the line. That required way too much attention for 5 and 6 year olds. We managed though.

Then was recess, lunch and concessions. That is when I escaped to the house for a bit. After lunch was the obstacle course. Ryland won first in his round of the race!

Then was the 50 yard dash. We had some pretty fast kids. Each set won tokens for first through seventh. Ryland got 6th for this race.

The final competition was the tug-of-war. Our great yellow team won second - just barely. We gave that purple team a run for their money. :) Our kids did great.

At the end they all got to play on 4 different bounce houses. What a way to end a long hot day. It was lots of fun. I enjoyed being with Ryland and his class. He's got some good kids with him. His teacher is wonderful also.

Each class had a sign with their teacher's name. Each kid got to hold it for a bit.

Field Trip

I joined Ryland and all the kindergartners at his school for a field trip to the Dallas Zoo yesterday. It actually turned out to be a nice day. We were all a little concerned because it had rained all night and most of the morning. But it quit raining when we arrived and didn't start up again until we were loading up. Good timing. :) Ryland's class ended up with 5 parents plus the teacher so we each just had 3 kids to keep up with. My group and another group ended up together because we kept going to the same places. The boys had a great time. We did lots of walking but we did get to see everything there was to see. I went and ahead and took Ryland with me when the buses got back to the school. He crashed very quickly in the car. Poor thing was exhausted. It was a good day though.

Ryland posing in the otter cutout.
Ryland "riding" the pony.
The boys watching the monkey chase each other all around. It was fun to watch them go so fast.

The poor elephant was so sad. The other elephant had died the day before. Apparently elephants mourn the loss of their friends. He was just moping. I hope they find another elephant soon.

Mother's Day

I've had a good Mother's Day. The kids all made something in class at church this morning, Leland bought tulips, I bought myself a tube of cookie dough - all is well. We even ate lunch at Taco Bueno - I know what you're thinking. All decent restaurants had longs lines and I liked the idea of getting in and out better. We got back in the car and Raylee said "That was a good taco burrito." :) While Leland and the kids napped I watched a couple of episodes of 24. I've borrowed all the seasons from a friend so I've been enjoying it. That will preface what I'm about to share.

Following is one of the things Ryland brought from school for Mother's Day. His teacher had a fill in the blank sheet about the mom. It is so cute - I just had to share.

Mother's Day

My mother's name is Harmony. She is 33 years old. She has brown hair, dark brown eyes and is 82 feet tall. She doesn't like to discuss her weight, but I think she weighs 23 pounds. I enjoy going on dates with my mother. Her favorite thing to do by herself is watch 24. The funniest thing I have seen my mother do or say is nothing. She makes me happy when she takes me on dates. I love all her cooking, but my favorite meal is chocolate chip cookies and I could do without eating chicken. Her favorite T.V. show is 24, but I'd rather watch Lost. She likes to listen to all music and her favorite singer is Hannah Montana. Her favorite color is pink and mine is red. My mother works at home doing watching 24. My mom is special to me because she tells me things I don't remember and will always love me. I love her dearly!!!! Love, Ryland

So me watching all the seasons of 24 explains my favorite thing to do and my job apparently. I don't know where the Hannah Montana thing came from or that my favorite color is pink - I greatly dislike pink. Anyway, I just loved it. He also brought several colored sheets and cards.

So I've had a great day of being a mom. I've enjoyed my kids and my husband. Now back to the family.

Dinner and a Movie

Since Ryland was about 2 1/2 or 3, he and I have gone on dates. Typically they just involve McDonald's, but it is a time with just the two of us. But since we moved, we have not been on very many dates. There have been all sorts of excuses, but time has just gotten away from me and we haven't gone on a date in some time. So Leland and I decided tonight was date night. I took Raylee to Pizza Hut and Blockbuster to get she and her daddy their dinner and a movie (a Dora movie). :) Ryland and I then headed to the mall. We decided on pizza also in the food court. Ryland was so cute. He was so excited to be on a date with his mom again. We chatted and watched people while enjoying our pizza. It was then time to head to the theater. We purchased our tickets for Speed Racer and made our way to our seats. Ryland again was so excited. He was jumping around and talking my ear off. He asked what everything on the screen said and wanted to understand all of it. We had brought a huge candy bar from home and Ryland insisted we didn't start eating it until the movie actually began - no previews. The movie began and we enjoyed it. Unfortunately, I had to carry my sleeping date out to the car. :) The best part was as I was huffing and puffing carrying him through the parking garage he told me, "Mom, even though I fell asleep and didn't finish the movie, it was still a great date - the pizza, the candy bar, and the hanging out - it was still a great date." I just love that kid. I hope we can keep this up for a very long time.

We've had a nice week so far. I'm so glad we are back to normalness - if that is possible with us. :) The kids are doing great.

Ryland is into the final month of school stuff. There are just so many things going on. I just can't imagine what it will be like when we have 3 in school. The calendar will be full! Next week I'm joining Ryland and all the kindergarteners for their field trip to the Dallas Zoo. We are looking forward to it. Ryland was really disappointed last fall when I didn't join them for the Pumpkin Patch trip. So I decided I better go this time. We've never been to the Dallas Zoo, so it should be fun. Also next week is Field Day at Ryland's school. Of course, he wants me to go and watch him compete. I haven't decided if I'm going to volunteer to help yet or not. I kind of like the idea of just showing up for his events.

Raylee is well into her 2's. She developing some attitude that needs curbing, so we are working on that lately. She is just so cute though. It's hard to get on to her sometimes. :) She is getting much better about communicating her thoughts and feelings though. I remember finally getting to that point with Ryland, so I know what a relief this is to be to this point. She is able to tell me what she is wanting and feeling - so much better than crying.

Reese is growing so fast. I just can't believe she will be 1 at the end of the month. She finally popped 2 bottom teeth in last week. Still no sign of any more though. She is getting close to walking. I've seen her barely holding on to things lately when she's standing. I don't know that she'll be walking by her birthday, but probably soon there after. Reese is also developing an ornery personality. She enjoys picking on Leland and I. She will tap our shoulder and look away when we look at her. She's really quite funny.

Leland is enjoying the end of school. It is still so strange to not be scrambling to finish a yearbook. The yearbook will actually be delivered next week! Leland has one more newspaper to do, but other than that, he's caught up. It is so nice to have him home in the evenings and him not stressed. He is really looking forward to the summer and getting to spend some time working in the yard.

I'm finally past all the tax season deadlines, so I'm not stressed either. I've been working on cleaning my house - like really cleaning - this week. It's nice to shower in a clean shower! :) I'm just enjoying my family and working some right now.j

Well, a quick shout out to our buddy Will Prather who turns 3 on Saturday. Raylee just this morning mentioned how she really needs to see her buddy Will. So cute. We wish we could be there for his birthday, but his parents know that we are thinking of him anyway. Enjoy the party!

Austin Trip

This past weekend we went to Austin for several reasons. The main reason was the state UIL journalism contest. One of Leland's ex-students from Big Spring had made it to state. Since Big Spring doesn't have an advisor now, James really wanted Leland to be there with him. He happily obliged. It was a good trip. Friday was spent with UIL mainly. We picked up James and had breakfast at IHOP. We had some time to kill so we went the IMAX and saw a 3d show about the Grand Canyon. Then the kids and I went to the mall while James competed and Leland judged. Afterward we went to Leland's aunt Brenda's house to rest for a bit. Randy and Brenda agreed to keep the kids while Leland, James and I went back for the awards ceremony. Leland and James were fun to watch. They were both so nervous. We were very excited when we heard James won 1st place in his event. I thought James might hyperventilate. :) We celebrated at Che Zee (a wonderfully fun restaurant). We took James back to his hotel and saw the rest of the Big Spring bunch that was there to compete.
Saturday was family day. Randy and Brenda took us to lunch at the Oasis. It is a restaurant that overlooks the Travis Lake. It used to be a very small place. It burned a couple of years ago and they have since rebuilt and it is a fancy place that seats over 2,000 people. It was wonderful - the food and the view. We then went to Zilker Park and rode the train. The kids loved it. The river runs through the park also, so it was a good view also. We arrived home after 7 that evening. It was a good trip.

Thankfully, this was our last trip for awhile. Leland has been out of town the last 4 weekends, so he is very glad to know he will be staying home.