Last hang time with the Bees

The Junods bounced back in H-town before heading off to Doha for good. At least until Christmas. The ladies got to meet up for dinner one night. I got to CityCentre a little early to meet Wendi and Jenise for a little shopping. Jenise decided at the last minute to get a sitter and drive in from Victoria for the evening. And then she drove back after a late dinner. Friends like that are hard to come by.


We had on the same necklace - like I said, friends like that are hard to come by.


Dinner was such a treat to catch up with these girls. We don't get to see each other as much with kids getting older, living far apart, etc. Wendi, Kim, me, Tracy, Katie, & Jenise. Jenn - we miss you! Couldn't you just fly in from Australia?


Later in the week we last minute drove up to Glenlock Farms to swim at Tatty's house.


Then we got to keep Brooks & Barrett while Nick & Wendi tended to some last minute errands before heading back home. Water balloons were in order.


Derek handled a brief skirmish by having everyone put their hand in the middle and yell "friends".


Everyone was smiling after that, so job well done.


Then we baked some cookies and let the boys decorate them with sprinkles.


Even Mr. I Don't Like Chocolate ate some cookies.


Derek and I decided to go inside with the air conditioning to chat for a bit. We then walk outside to see three empty sprinkles containers and a mess on these boys hands.


Green fingers unite!


We took everyone up to take a bath to wash off the messiness. We put everyone in a white hand-me-down shirt and let the boys loose while the parents ate the Pei Wei that Nick and Wendi had just walked in with. After riding around the house on their bicycles, I finally give in to let them do face painting upstairs. The adults were able to talk while all was quiet for awhile. I then walk upstairs and I think I let out a scream at first. What on earth? It was blue man group, only with different colors.


I have to hand it to the little artists - they even got their eyelids. I don't know who figured it out first as to how to completely wet the crayon and then smash it all over your face.

Mo


Larry


Curly


So thankful they were in white t-shirts! And somehow the bathroom was not that messy - it all made it on their faces! After a lot of wet wipes, we sent the Junods home all cleaned up. Looking forward to December so we can see this crew again.

Hotel Zaza

The last weekend in July didn't look like much on the calendar. Until Derek last minute told me that I needed to keep Friday night open for a date night. Then I come to find out that not only is my buddy Leslie keeping Justin, but he would be staying overnight. Wowsers - sign me up!

After dropping off Justin at the Pines for a night of swimming, eating, and a fun sleepover, Derek drove us to Hotel Zaza. I have only gone for a birthday drink to the bar but had never graced the inside of the entire hotel.

It was so great to just go down the elevator and walk right into dinner. We decided to have a drink at the bar before going in for our reservation. They had just concocted a grapefruit juice and cinnamon drink that this Type A girl was salivating over. We then went to the hostess stand to go to dinner, only realizing the bar was in the restaurant. We laughed as we got seated at a table that was 5 feet from where we had been sitting. Food was fantastic, dessert just okay. Conversation without the little man - perfect!


For those that have never stayed at the Zaza, be forewarned of its sex appeal. Let's just say how thankful I am that I went to use our super modern bathroom first. I was able to cover up the lovely photograph that one would notice while doing their business with a lovely hand towel. The girl needed some clothes on, so I did her a favor and did just that.


The one thing I forgot to pack in my haste was a pair of socks. Those that know me well know that I must wear socks at night, especially in a cold hotel room. Thankfully Derek's oversized pair did the trick.


The room came with a voucher for room service, so breakfast was fantastic. My new fave is make your own omelet - wish I had the energy to make myself one everyday.


The pool was shaded in the morning, so I read a book and Derek read the newspaper for awhile. It was fantastic to not be in a rush. We tried to get a quick shot of the two of us to prove we were here for the weekend.


Self-portraits - gotta make you smile.


I finally busted out my new camera bag I got with my birthday money. It was on backorder for months and I had just gotten it in the mail. It sat in its bag for awhile as I decided if I was as excited to get it as I was when I ordered it. Priorities had changed, but I decided on a whim to keep it. Love it because it looks like a purse.


But it has it's three compartments on the inside. I always dump my big camera and flash in my regular day purse on top of all my other junk. So I just compartmentalized it this time and loved having it with me. Check out Kelly Moore's bags.


We dropped by Highland Village to grab some Sprinkles cupcakes as a thank you to our babysitters.


Wasn't all that impressed with them, especially since they weren't that different from Crave. I think I am over all the $3 cupcakes that are super heavy and make my tummy hurt afterwards. Not to mention how pricey they are! I think I will just stick with my decorated cookies. Because that's so much better for an irritable stomach.


Did not realize how much I needed a quick refresher with my husband. So thankful for the time together and for precious friends to watch our son. Apparently it was the battle of the noisemakers in Luke's room the night before (rain vs. whitenoise), as well as Justin telling Luke to quit talking and Luke telling Justin to quit moving around in his bed. But they didn't wake up until 7:15am, which is just the grace of God extended to the Pines for Justin's part. Hugs to the Pines for sharing their weekend with JT!

T-shirts with Audrey

Back in July we had a playdate with Mariana and Audrey with a purpose in mind. We set out on a project to do this. Looked great, totally doable, and a fun thing to do with just 2 kids. And our favor would be a great T-shirt to boot.

Especially when there was bleach in squirt bottles involved.


Adult sized gloves on the kids. Justin is a tall boy, but Audrey, who is 364 days older, is like a giant compared to my boy.


We printed out the letters on paper, traced it on freezer paper, and ironed on their initials on the t-shirts.


At first Audrey's "a" was getting ironed on backwards until we remembered that it didn't need to be a mirror image. For such an easy project we were already second guessing ourselves.


We hung the shirts with clothes pins in the backyard.


And after quick instructions about some serious eye washing if any of the bleach went anywhere other than the shirts, they went to work.


We drenched their letters first to set the imprint. Mariana put these old shirts (that she wore when she was little) on the kids so we wouldn't get their clothes ruined. So we have Snoopy...


...and Swee'Pea.


I'm telling you, these kids worked for awhile.


Then I decided to try out an initial on my shirt.


We then quickly threw the shirts in the washing machine and decided to move onto another project.


Nothing like trying to determine what animal will come out of the plastic encasing once the hot water melts it away.


We then went to go look at our shirts. And this is where the story goes downhill. We realized we should have let the bleach set before washing it all off. So we tried it again, only to realize that the whole project was a bust. If you look at the original post, then you will see a fabulous end product. Not to mention a great professional photographer, a mother of three, super crafty, etc. You know, one of those moms that make you want to shrink because you can't even put your folded laundry away. Well, rest assure that we tried on this one. Behold, our shirts...




Yes, it's hard to see the letters. But, we had a fun time being crafty at the Hughes' house, came home fed with a full tummy, and had a great time with one of our favorite single-child families. :-) Thankful for this friendship!

Galveston with Birdie and Papa

Boop. That's what started off the trip to Galveston with Birdie and Papa. My neighbor has been remodeling her home and constantly has worker vehicles all over the street. My dad was backing up to leave with JT to go to the beachhouse when another car collided with my dad. Justin was hysterically crying, saying the "Boop" was scary and he wanted to stay home with Daddy. After explaining to him that everything was okay, and making sure that everyone was not hurt, though two car bumpers needed fixing, the threesome went on their way while I had a great time with my buddies at Lake LBJ.

Justin & Papa were fishing when they caught a croker. It's hilarious to watch Justin try and imitate the sounds of the crocker. Apparently he did not want to touch the barking fish though was fascinated by its noises.


Eating lots of seafood at The Spot while having a great view of the ocean.


Feeding lots and lots of seagulls. Yes, he dressed himself, long socks and all.


Another shot off the ferry. Justin could not quite grasp the concept that cars went on the ferry as well. Why would you put cars on a boat? But he loved it and couldn't get enough of it.


Looking at the dolphins in the water with Birdie.


Justin had a blast being at the beachhouse with his grandparents. I had bought a cookie cake for our girls' trip and Justin insisted that I get him a big round one with icing and words on it. I settled for the individual portion that was finished at breakfast the following morning by one proud little boy. My mom gave me a list of action verbs that they participated in on their trip:

swimming, fishing, shelling, kayaking, boogie boarding, clam digging, ghost crabbing, counting coins, picnicking, peacocking, ferrying, and reading. Seems like they had a great time! Thanks again for watching my man so I could have a relaxing trip!

The randomness of summer

The joys of living with a three year old boy. That's how my summer has been. And man has the summer flown by. I was going through my photos and put a lot of randomness in my post to help me remember some things about the stage we are in.

The phrase of the summer: "Is it a little early or lots of early?" Meaning do we have to go take a nap now or do we have lots of time to play a game before brushing our teeth, etc.

While watching a show on PBS, a commercial came on for Chucky Cheese. I then hear Justin yell form the other room, "Mommy, we need to go to Chucky Cheese to go play." Those advertising goo-roo's know what they are doing!

Justin loves to floss, especially when he runs in the room to show me his food that he got out from between his back molars. He makes a face while we both say, "Ewwwwww." Don't know where he gets it from.

I have a neighbor who has three kids, the youngest being 8 years younger than the middle child. She told me that she micromanaged her oldest and by the time the 3rd came around she was just happy they were dressed. That statement has been ingrained in my head all summer. So I have stopped in certain areas of micromanaging with my son, telling myself that it's not eternal.

I was involved in a our church VBS for the first time ever. They moved it to the week before July the 4th, so I decided we would get involved. The theme was Saddle Ridge Ranch, and though I wished the Lifeway curriculum was more based on learning about Jesus vs. Zaccheus and learning about the Holy Spirit over how to be a cowboy, we had a great week. I worked in an overflow room of kids that had just finished kindergarten and some that were not currently involved in attending church regularly. They were hungry for knowing more, and on the last day several told me that they didn't even own a Bible. You better believe we got on that quickly and made sure they went home with a copy of their very own Word of God. A bonus was working alongside several of my close friends from Sunday School all week long. Knowing where the other leaders stood in their walk gave all of us confidence to work together as a team.

Justin has been dressing himself in the mornings, and by not being all on top of him, I tell myself that he is learning what he likes to look like. It's not eternal, it's not eternal swirling in my head. So on a certain craft day at VBS when he had to wear an old outfit, I clenched my jaw and bit my tongue. And I allowed my son to go to church looking like this:



He loves to wear his socks up high like that, telling me that his teachers would love his socks. And as they all winked at me as I dropped him off, they all agreed that the socks were the best part of the outfit. But let's not forget the sudden urge to wear the cowboy hat everyday, without the rest of him looking anything but a cowboy.



A sense of my controlling nature went out the window that week. JT loves to wear anything with orange shorts - today it was his purple shirt. The favorite thing in our room at VBS was Derek's old tent. It was where the kids went for their nature station with Miss Erica. But I tell you what, if you ever have some dead space in a room, just set up a tent. Guaranteed to be a crowd pleasure for sure.



Moving on with the allowance of not quite so matchy-matchy outfits, Justin insisted that these shorts matched his shirt. And now his silly bands had been moved to his ankle.



He said that the dark orange around the number three was really red. We went all over the place that day while wearing that outfit. I used to think mom's were crazy for letting their kids look like this. Now I know that they were just giving them grace and telling themselves that deep down it really didn't matter. The closet of cute clothes remains untouched while the J man starts his own creations.



Taken by my camera happy son. No editing done, as you notice the third eye on my forehead. Working on less perfection in a photo and more as is. It's hard for those that know me well. Working on areas that need to be let go. This will be the summer of me taking a step back from things that don't matter as much.



The summer of card games. Justin and Derek play battle all day long. And now they play with creativity. A little lick...



...and now a fun way to see who really won the hand.



Mommy doesn't play like this, so it's great for Daddy to be so fun. They usually end the game with a good wrestle session upstairs before bedtime. I feel like I am back in my younger years with my dad and brothers wrestling until someone is in tears. Someone always got hurt. That's why I stayed on the sidelines telling everyone what to do.



We have been using the food coloring a lot lately. This time we put yellow food coloring in his cereal milk. Justin was stunned that it tasted the same as white milk.



We kept adding more colors, ending up with a lovely purple in the end of the mess.



I was practicing for a shower a few weeks ago and tried out cakeballs. Justin asked at the end of trial #1 why they all looked like hats. Others have asked if there was cheese on the balls. Nope, just a disaster of my first attempt. Blurriness thanks to my new phone...that doesn't have a flash when you take a photo...



Derek joined a golf course that only takes men. So he and Justin have a new love of going on either Saturday mornings bright and early or Sunday late afternoons. They put, ride around on the golfcart, eat uncrustables and toasted PB&J's from the clubhouse, and they fish in a catch-and-release pond. Since there are no women allowed, I only get to hear the stories. But this is their thing, boys only. Justin caught this monster on his Cars fishing rod a few weeks ago. Derek said he was beside himself with excitement. And this happens almost everytime they go. Only in a boys world.



And I have to record that this has been a summer of awkward conversations with my little man. We went to get a haircut the other day and in walks a very large man. As we are walking out, Justin says in a loud voice, keeping his eyes on the man, "Mommy, that man is fat." I pull him out of there so fast and quickly try to grab something effective to say through my muddled thoughts.

We are at the gas station the next day and Justin says about the male worker behind the counter with longer curly hair, "Mommy, that man looks like a girl with a man face."

And then another at the same gas station, "Mommy, that man has a pony tail."

We were in Waco this past weekend and he looks at my mom with me standing right behind him. Here's how this convo goes: JT: Mommy, Birdie is bigger than you. Me: You mean taller. JT: No, I mean fatter. My mom quickly chimes in with: Yes, but I'm stronger! In case you are wondering, we all had a good laugh.

Then today he tells me as we walk into a store with a female worker, who happens to be a midget, "Mommy, why is she so small?" I quickly explain to him that that is the way God made her, and we need to love her for who she is. He then says that she is small like a sister. Oh my word, I have to get a handle on this overly observant boy!

Just for the record, I have addressed each issue of why statements like that hurt other's feeling, God made us all in His image, Jesus loves us for who we are, etc. So we are driving back from Chick-fil-A today after having lunch with my buddy Dianna. He was telling me how he told the other kids in the play area that we shouldn't push. Then he stated that maybe they would learn about Jesus because of his (Justin's) actions. At that moment I saw a woman that I had noticed over an hour and a half ago walking outside. She walked with a limp and had the same grocery sack in her hand from before lunch. It's a cool 92 degrees outside and she is moving so slowly. My breath is knocked out of me as we drive me, my brain swarming with what I am thinking (one of which is if I should call my husband and ask if this was a smart idea). I out of the blue made a quick U-turn and start throwing all the junk out of the front seat to make room for her. I explain to Justin that we need to be like Jesus and offer that woman a ride home. By the time I get to her, I notice she has several handicaps. She tells me thanks for the ride but she was crossing the street to her house just right there.

I was bummed we couldn't help out, but decided this was how we would tie all the statements from a curious three year old boy in together. On the way home, I explained to Justin how Jesus hung out with people that the world didn't see as beautiful. In our instance, the fat man, the short lady, the man with the ponytail, the lady with a hard time walking like we did. He loved them, saw them as wonderfully made, and prayed for them. We needed to be like that to those people. And when we noticed someone that didn't look like us, that we needed to pray that one day, if they didn't already, they would know Jesus.

I was totally choked up driving home in my nice car with my AC setting on 67 degrees while I watched in my rear view mirror that woman cross the street. I silently prayed for the Lord to change me, to become more of a world Christian and not get caught up in my daily pettiness. To notice the hurting of others, and to do more than just look and never do anything about it. And to give me son a heart of helping others.

Lord, make me have a heart like yours. Help me to love your people as you do and not notice everything with a critical spirit. Change me...