A baby pool and a water hose.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Friday, April 1, 2011
Parade
The girls were in their very first parade on March 26th. It was the kick-off to the softball season and opening day for boys little league. The team came to our house the night before and decorated the float and my truck. Cody got nominated to drive! :) It was a blast!
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Spring Break 2011
We went to Sea World San Antonio for spring break. It was so exciting! This was our first official spring break trip as a family. It was a very last minute trip, because of Cody's crazy work schedule but it turned out so perfect. All the credit goes to Cody for picking our hotel and making the plans....great job baby!
We left home Thursday night, and let me tell you, Thursday was a verrrrrrry long day with the kids. :) I finally got everyone packed, my mom came over, Cody made it home, and we were off. We hadn't even made it to Houston yet and Haleigh must have asked "how much longer?" at least 5 times. This was not looking promising for her! At this point I was really hoping she was going to make it to see Sea World! Haha!
We finally arrive at the Holiday Inn Northwest/SeaWorld and get checked in. We got two rooms. One for the girls and my mom, and the other for us and Caden. The rooms were awesome. Very clean and new. I was majorly impressed, and so were the girls. This was so exciting for them because this was their first time to stay in a hotel. Alex has stayed in hotels, but Haleigh and Kendall have not. Alex had pumped them up about the little shampoo and soaps that they "give" you.
We got up at a decent time on Friday morning, about 8:45am, got dressed and headed down for breakfast. We ate at the hotel breakfast buffet (I don't advise that) and headed to Sea World. I love that Sea World doesn't open until 10:00am. It really takes the pressure off about getting too early of a start.
We chose to drive instead of taking the hotel shuttle. I would feel slightly guilty about taking their shuttle and us taking up the entire thing. Our family and our accessories wouldn't leave room for anyone else! That's pretty bad.....but it's true. Our hotel was literally 5 minutes from Sea World so it was not a big deal.
As we are trying to figure out which line to get in for our tickets we learn that we don't have to stand in a line, AND that we have season passes! Yay!! Way to go Cody! Once we are in we make our first stop at the Beluga show. I think nearly every seat was in a "splash zone". I can appreciate that during the scorching hot summer but on a morning when it's nice out, not so much. I was just fine without being wet. Thank goodness we only ended up getting only minor sprinkles during the pre-show entertainment. The show itself was so amazing. It was a circque-du-soleil meets water, with parrots and water ballet. So awesome...and the kids seemed to stay entertained for about 95% of it too!
Okay, so you know how there has to be that one incident on a family vacation that just ruins the perfect trip?! Well, it was me. As we were leaving the show and getting the stroller (you have to leave them outside the stadium) I tried to release the break with my flip-flop. Snap!! That piece that goes between your toes and makes the flip flop function completely broke. I no longer had a shoe. I didn't fret because after all, we were at Sea World. There were 500 gift shops and they were bound to have flip flops!! I was right, the closest store was about 25 feet from the incident and they had flip-flops. Score!! :)
After the show and the shoe incident, we headed to the log ride. The wait was an hour. Holy cow. That is where improvement needs to made on our next trip. We will be purchasing the "quick que" tickets. They are an extra $20/person but well worth it. Kendall and I rode together, and Cody took the other two. The girls loved it, but Alex and Kendall said they didn't want to ride again!
We walked around for a little bit longer and it got very warm. Caden was getting tired of being toted. He was ready to get back to the hotel and run around. My mom was too! So, it was at that point we decided to split up. My mom took Caden, Kendall and Alex to the hotel. They ordered room service and hung out.
Cody, Haleigh and I stayed. I really wanted to ride some more rides. Haleigh was completely ready and willing to ride the Steel Eel with me but she was too short. Cody wouldn't. He's no fun!! :) The only other ride we could all ride was the Journey to Atlantis. It is very much the same as the old Tidal Wave as Astroworld. It did have a few tweaks. At one point it sent you down a few minor dips backwards. Then you were turned around and dropped down the big slope. That wait was also over an hour, but leave it to Haleigh to meet a friend in line. A little girl the same age was behind us, and they quickly became each other's entertainment. We ended up getting to sit in the front row. I was a little concerned about Haleigh but as soon as it was over she asked "can we ride it again?". I think she liked it!
Caden rode most of the day in his preferred mode of transportation: in his backpack on Daddy's back. He loves it so much and it makes him so happy I just had to share. Actually, he rode there most of the trip. This backpack was so awesome for the Riverwalk. I would not have wanted to push a stroller through there!
Saturday we spent the day at the Riverwalk. We rode the Riverboat and ate. This wasn't as exciting as Sea World but I think the girls enjoyed themselves. The weather was so pretty, couldn't have asked for a better day.
All in all in was a great trip. I hope we get to go back soon.
We left home Thursday night, and let me tell you, Thursday was a verrrrrrry long day with the kids. :) I finally got everyone packed, my mom came over, Cody made it home, and we were off. We hadn't even made it to Houston yet and Haleigh must have asked "how much longer?" at least 5 times. This was not looking promising for her! At this point I was really hoping she was going to make it to see Sea World! Haha!
We finally arrive at the Holiday Inn Northwest/SeaWorld and get checked in. We got two rooms. One for the girls and my mom, and the other for us and Caden. The rooms were awesome. Very clean and new. I was majorly impressed, and so were the girls. This was so exciting for them because this was their first time to stay in a hotel. Alex has stayed in hotels, but Haleigh and Kendall have not. Alex had pumped them up about the little shampoo and soaps that they "give" you.
We got up at a decent time on Friday morning, about 8:45am, got dressed and headed down for breakfast. We ate at the hotel breakfast buffet (I don't advise that) and headed to Sea World. I love that Sea World doesn't open until 10:00am. It really takes the pressure off about getting too early of a start.
We chose to drive instead of taking the hotel shuttle. I would feel slightly guilty about taking their shuttle and us taking up the entire thing. Our family and our accessories wouldn't leave room for anyone else! That's pretty bad.....but it's true. Our hotel was literally 5 minutes from Sea World so it was not a big deal.
As we are trying to figure out which line to get in for our tickets we learn that we don't have to stand in a line, AND that we have season passes! Yay!! Way to go Cody! Once we are in we make our first stop at the Beluga show. I think nearly every seat was in a "splash zone". I can appreciate that during the scorching hot summer but on a morning when it's nice out, not so much. I was just fine without being wet. Thank goodness we only ended up getting only minor sprinkles during the pre-show entertainment. The show itself was so amazing. It was a circque-du-soleil meets water, with parrots and water ballet. So awesome...and the kids seemed to stay entertained for about 95% of it too!
Okay, so you know how there has to be that one incident on a family vacation that just ruins the perfect trip?! Well, it was me. As we were leaving the show and getting the stroller (you have to leave them outside the stadium) I tried to release the break with my flip-flop. Snap!! That piece that goes between your toes and makes the flip flop function completely broke. I no longer had a shoe. I didn't fret because after all, we were at Sea World. There were 500 gift shops and they were bound to have flip flops!! I was right, the closest store was about 25 feet from the incident and they had flip-flops. Score!! :)
After the show and the shoe incident, we headed to the log ride. The wait was an hour. Holy cow. That is where improvement needs to made on our next trip. We will be purchasing the "quick que" tickets. They are an extra $20/person but well worth it. Kendall and I rode together, and Cody took the other two. The girls loved it, but Alex and Kendall said they didn't want to ride again!
We walked around for a little bit longer and it got very warm. Caden was getting tired of being toted. He was ready to get back to the hotel and run around. My mom was too! So, it was at that point we decided to split up. My mom took Caden, Kendall and Alex to the hotel. They ordered room service and hung out.
Cody, Haleigh and I stayed. I really wanted to ride some more rides. Haleigh was completely ready and willing to ride the Steel Eel with me but she was too short. Cody wouldn't. He's no fun!! :) The only other ride we could all ride was the Journey to Atlantis. It is very much the same as the old Tidal Wave as Astroworld. It did have a few tweaks. At one point it sent you down a few minor dips backwards. Then you were turned around and dropped down the big slope. That wait was also over an hour, but leave it to Haleigh to meet a friend in line. A little girl the same age was behind us, and they quickly became each other's entertainment. We ended up getting to sit in the front row. I was a little concerned about Haleigh but as soon as it was over she asked "can we ride it again?". I think she liked it!
Caden rode most of the day in his preferred mode of transportation: in his backpack on Daddy's back. He loves it so much and it makes him so happy I just had to share. Actually, he rode there most of the trip. This backpack was so awesome for the Riverwalk. I would not have wanted to push a stroller through there!
Saturday we spent the day at the Riverwalk. We rode the Riverboat and ate. This wasn't as exciting as Sea World but I think the girls enjoyed themselves. The weather was so pretty, couldn't have asked for a better day.
All in all in was a great trip. I hope we get to go back soon.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Caden's Crawfish Boil
It's official. My baby is one. I cannot believe it. A whole year has gone by since I gave birth to my son. Where in the world does time go? In celebration of this wonderful (emotionally traumatic! ha!) event we had a crawfish boil. Ever since Caden started crawling Cody has said he acts like a crawfish. When someone would come near him he would put his arms up to be held, like a crawfish with his pincher's. Hence the crawfish theme. Plus, me and Cody really really love crawfish!
What's better than 70lbs of crawfish and all your favorite people gathered at your house to celebrate such a joyous occasion?! Not a whole lot. We also had hot dogs and a bounce house for the big kids.
A teacher at Haleigh's school made Caden's cake. I found a picture of this cake online and requested a few tweaks. It turned out so perfect. Cody and I were a amazed at the attention to detail.
Caden wore an outfit that Grandma bought him at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. It was a onsie with tattoo sleeves. She bought herself some sleeves to match.
This birthday was special because Cody's Uncle Robert and Aunt Wendy just happened to be visiting from Michigan. Uncle Robert is Carol's brother. This is a picture of Cody, Lex, and Robert.
I'm pretty sure Caden enjoyed his first piece of cake.
We had a great time at the party. There was only a couple pounds of crawfish left, which I was so happy about. I am glad everyone got to eat some crawfish, and I am glad that was all I had left to peel!
What's better than 70lbs of crawfish and all your favorite people gathered at your house to celebrate such a joyous occasion?! Not a whole lot. We also had hot dogs and a bounce house for the big kids.
A teacher at Haleigh's school made Caden's cake. I found a picture of this cake online and requested a few tweaks. It turned out so perfect. Cody and I were a amazed at the attention to detail.
Caden wore an outfit that Grandma bought him at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. It was a onsie with tattoo sleeves. She bought herself some sleeves to match.
This birthday was special because Cody's Uncle Robert and Aunt Wendy just happened to be visiting from Michigan. Uncle Robert is Carol's brother. This is a picture of Cody, Lex, and Robert.
I'm pretty sure Caden enjoyed his first piece of cake.
We had a great time at the party. There was only a couple pounds of crawfish left, which I was so happy about. I am glad everyone got to eat some crawfish, and I am glad that was all I had left to peel!
Hit-N-Run
What a whirlwind these past few weeks have been. The girls have started softball and they are loving it. With practice 3 days a week, and girl scouts it's busy around here. I got nominated to be team mom. I was not thrilled, and did not volunteer but somebody has to do it! Just as Cody was making fun of me for getting stuck with the position he gets signed up to be assistant coach! Suckerrrrr!! Haha! Team mom has turned out to be a bunch of fundraising efforts. It's ridiculously expensive to play sports, and we have two of 'em to fund. Holy cow!
The girls' team is called Hit-N-Run. Their colors are purple and zebra stripe. I found some super cute zebra stripe socks for the team and can't wait to see the girls in their uniforms! They will be in the Highlands Little League Parade on March 26, and their opening day is April 2nd. Hope they hold up well on opening day, they have 2 games. We are trying to talk Grandpa into letting the girls use his boat instead of a trailer for the float!
The girls' team is called Hit-N-Run. Their colors are purple and zebra stripe. I found some super cute zebra stripe socks for the team and can't wait to see the girls in their uniforms! They will be in the Highlands Little League Parade on March 26, and their opening day is April 2nd. Hope they hold up well on opening day, they have 2 games. We are trying to talk Grandpa into letting the girls use his boat instead of a trailer for the float!
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Superbowl Sunday
What do you do on Superbowl Sunday when you really don't give a hoot about football? Go to the Childrens Muesum of course! Today was Cadens first trip, I have been wanting to take him to the "tot spot" but I haven't felt he has been old enough to enjoy it until recently. Plus, when my playgroup goes it's kind of difficult because Kendall cannot go into the tot spot. So, that leaves me skipping those playdates. Today my mom came which allowed me to take Caden to his area for a while and then meet up with her and the big kids later.
It didn't surprise me in the least that his favorite parts were the cabinet and the sticks. Cabinets are his weakness. I think the only thing that would have been better for him were some cabinets full of stuff. Any stuff, it doesnt matter what is in the cabinet, just as long as it comes out.
The other three kids had a blast too! I think the ultimate favorite was HEB. It was set up like a grocery store with aprons, ID tags, groceries, cash register, the whole nine yards. They assumed roles very quickly. Haleigh was the checker, Kendall was the shopper, and Will was the stocker. Will had me stocking with him too! They stayed in that room the longest, I had to make them move on.
The drive home was funny....funny enough to share. The kids were hungry and I was trying to get them to all agree on the place we were going to drive thru. This task has proven to be a difficult one and Haleigh was the one that was not in agreement. After I stepped in and made the final ruling she got upset. She very rudely proceeded to tell me what she wanted from her (non) place of choice. So, I proceeded to explain to her that she wasn't getting anything talking to me so rudely. Thats when it went silent. Then all of a sudden she says " can I please have ...... my queen". HAHAHA! Will is one smart boy....because it worked. How could it not?! Will has this game figured out!
On an ending note- this is Kendall in a police car. I hope the next time she is in a police car she is driving again.
All of us- Grammy is taking the picture.
It didn't surprise me in the least that his favorite parts were the cabinet and the sticks. Cabinets are his weakness. I think the only thing that would have been better for him were some cabinets full of stuff. Any stuff, it doesnt matter what is in the cabinet, just as long as it comes out.
The other three kids had a blast too! I think the ultimate favorite was HEB. It was set up like a grocery store with aprons, ID tags, groceries, cash register, the whole nine yards. They assumed roles very quickly. Haleigh was the checker, Kendall was the shopper, and Will was the stocker. Will had me stocking with him too! They stayed in that room the longest, I had to make them move on.
The drive home was funny....funny enough to share. The kids were hungry and I was trying to get them to all agree on the place we were going to drive thru. This task has proven to be a difficult one and Haleigh was the one that was not in agreement. After I stepped in and made the final ruling she got upset. She very rudely proceeded to tell me what she wanted from her (non) place of choice. So, I proceeded to explain to her that she wasn't getting anything talking to me so rudely. Thats when it went silent. Then all of a sudden she says " can I please have ...... my queen". HAHAHA! Will is one smart boy....because it worked. How could it not?! Will has this game figured out!
On an ending note- this is Kendall in a police car. I hope the next time she is in a police car she is driving again.
All of us- Grammy is taking the picture.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
So Much for Snow
Well, the sun is out today. It's a beautiful (windy) sunny 52 degrees. I really didn't think 52 degrees would ever be considered warm in my books, but, today it is. With that said, I must address the arctic blast. It has been insanely miserable here. Today is the first time it has gotten above freezing in 48 hours. We had icicles on everything for 2 days. We did get the short end of the stick when it comes to snow- or lack there of. That was a huge bummer for the girls, and for me. I wanted Caden to get some pics of him in the snow because the girls all have them. It has snowed every other year since about 2004. Caden, guess you'll see it next year! This "arctic blast" was predicted to be so severe that they had a snow day on Friday. It was not wasted, but should just have been named "ice day" instead.
The girls have been going nuts. They are not inside kind of kids. I had to tell Kendall to get inside like 5 times Thursday, and she was bare foot. Caden and I have not been anywhere, other than the 3 doctor visits, since he got sick.
I have been coping with the great indoors by cooking. A lot. I must say, I have impressed myself. I actually WANT to cook, I am not cooking out of obligation. I would love to be sewing as well, but it's a very difficult thing to do with a 10 month old who will not let you out of his sight. It's easier to cook because I just plop him in his high chair with some yummy snacks, do a little sweet talkin every once in a while, and my boy is satisfied.
A year ago today I was in the hospital. I was sitting in a hospital bed, having contractions, hoping for minimal decelerations from the baby boy, taking meds, and wondering how much longer we were going to do this. I honestly was done. I think Caden was too, but we held on! The highlights of my day were my visits from my husband (he brought me cinnamon rolls from McDonald's every evening). He came everyday after work, and my mom took care of the kids. I don't know what I would do without either one of them. When the girls came to see me it was more torture than happy. The end of the visit was awful. Haleigh handled it with such poise, but Kendall cried each time she had to leave. And, I cried too. As soon as that door would close I would loose it. We all survived.
The girls have been going nuts. They are not inside kind of kids. I had to tell Kendall to get inside like 5 times Thursday, and she was bare foot. Caden and I have not been anywhere, other than the 3 doctor visits, since he got sick.
I have been coping with the great indoors by cooking. A lot. I must say, I have impressed myself. I actually WANT to cook, I am not cooking out of obligation. I would love to be sewing as well, but it's a very difficult thing to do with a 10 month old who will not let you out of his sight. It's easier to cook because I just plop him in his high chair with some yummy snacks, do a little sweet talkin every once in a while, and my boy is satisfied.
A year ago today I was in the hospital. I was sitting in a hospital bed, having contractions, hoping for minimal decelerations from the baby boy, taking meds, and wondering how much longer we were going to do this. I honestly was done. I think Caden was too, but we held on! The highlights of my day were my visits from my husband (he brought me cinnamon rolls from McDonald's every evening). He came everyday after work, and my mom took care of the kids. I don't know what I would do without either one of them. When the girls came to see me it was more torture than happy. The end of the visit was awful. Haleigh handled it with such poise, but Kendall cried each time she had to leave. And, I cried too. As soon as that door would close I would loose it. We all survived.
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