Memorial Day back in Galveston

And our yellow brick road led us right back to Galveston for Memorial Day. This time Roxy had shadows due to the sun being out. Sp she ran herself crazy - someone even commented that they thought she had rabies as she chased a twirling butterfly shadow.


Justin made friends with some kids close to us. They dug up all the clams and put them in their wagon.


Dawson made a showing at the beach. he left his wet swimsuit at home since he and his dad had already been fishing that morning before we arrived.


The tide was in so the sand bars were plentiful. Justin enjoyed walking out in the glassy, brownish goo we know as the Gulf of Mexico this side of the Mississippi. Funny tidbit - I am more alarmed walking in clear blue water because I realize what is actually swimming with me in the ocean! I prefer to not know.


All smiles in the water. Thanks to Dawson's patience as we squirmed a smiley face out if JT.


This is what he was doing most of the time. Hey, ho, hey, ho... I was sloppy with my editing (notice the sludge on the right in the water of me removing the kids in the ocean). So I just gave this a seventies tint and went on my merry way. The water was already brown anyways.


Uncle Greg, messed up shoulder and all, dug Justin a hole with a tiny plastic shovel. Greg would always do this for my cousin Amy - poor thing still continues in his service for the youngest of the fam.


Justin did assist with the water.


If you look closely, the excess dirt was then formed into an alligator.


Justin hit a wall from dehydration and sat in the shade with Birdie. Or more like Birdie brought the shade to him. He then drank 4 juice boxes and some water in about 5 minutes. The boy needed to stay hydrated.


Then we headed home where Mr. Helper decided to earn his keep.


So thorough in getting the salt off of all the gear.


Papa making sure we truly got all the sand and salt off.


We went in for a quick snack that turned into an impromptu mustache.


After a long nap, we went to Cake Michael for dinner.


This summer I am doing a biblestudy at our church so Justin does "MDO" on Thursdays mornings in the church nursery. He came home with a booklet about things he liked, etc. I was reading off the question and seeing if he would give the same answer. I asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up. He told me he wanted to walk with Jesus. Nice church answer bud, but right here is says you want to be Batman. The funny thing is, other than this shirt, he has never seen Batman nor does he even get the jokes when Larry Boy on Veggietales is impersonating the entire story.


My parents


Sunglasses heads


Sunglasses heads tickling three year old boy for a smile.


Sometimes a laugh is much more fun to photograph then a stiff posed look.


Justin wanted to take out photo. If you could have seen the before, it was like a dark silhouette look. Only not cute because you are looking at it thinking what in the world is this.


10 photos later I was trying to get the paparazzi to stop it already.


Justin then started listening and dancing to the tunes from across the way


Woody's, which appeared to be a biker joint, had some great coverbands playing.


Mommy, quit taking pictures of me please.


Justin wanted the boys to ride in the golfcart to the beach each day. On Sunday he was intent on them not only leaving first but getting to the beach first.


His evident glee on being in front of the girls (minus Roxy) on our way to the beach.


This time Daddy built us a sandcastle. Birdie found us the feather and adorned our castle with seaweed roof. Mommy found shells to out around the base. And don't worry - I just bought him a bigger hat. That orange one was from 2 years ago.


Birdie worked hard on this. Justin, at the end of the hot day, didn't show much emotion for it. But hey, I was impressed.


The ice cream man came up and Justin asked what the music van was doing. Deprived little boy. We got the only thing on the menu that he would like (have I mentioned that this boy is picky with dessert) - an ice cream sandwich.


We then went home, showered up, packed the car, and went on our merry way. A great weekend to our little gem just an hour's drive down the road.

Musings with Uncle Shane

We've had some Uncle Shane sightings around here lately. It's funny watching the baby of my family play with my baby brother, aka the brother of the Smith family. Shane is good about letting Justin know there is more to life then his "music player". That's what Justin thinks Shane's phone is since he is always wanting to play video games on it. Poor deprived little 3 year old (sounds like a familiar story to my brothers' upbringing) that won't have a video game system in his house for a long time. Or ever, if Derek can help it. Which is also ironic since he grew up with multiple game systems in the house at all times. But I digress....

Justin and Shane are giving each other a cheers with the apple juice boxes.


Justin went to go get the two of them juice boxes and brought two back for just himself. And then he proceeded to show off to his uncle by drinking them at the same time.


Always a first for everything I guess. And all those thirsty kids in Africa.


Don't know how Shane swung this one, but he is getting himself a free back massage. Don't think this momma has ever gotten one like this.


And the hair as well? I wanted to lay down and wait my turn.


Trying the role reversal, but Justin couldn't get the concept of just laying down. So here we just have a show of our biscuits for the demonstration.


Until the next sighting....

A room off my room

Every magazine article I read about the master bedroom is all about cozy, comfortable, and clutter-free. A room where you wanted to go to, not tried to avoid or closed the door to when company came over. Ever since we moved into our house 3 years ago, none of those terms would describe my bedroom "study" area. It had housed an old loveseat with a slipcover (that held clothes that needed to be hung up), a small kitchen table painted black for our computer desk, a hand-me-down bookshelf missing one of the shelves, a large file cabinet, and lots and lots of piles.

I had bought a desk at Roundtop last April, but had yet to do anything with it. At Christmas, Derek surprised with me a chaise lounge that I had been eyeing for 2 years. That jump started the entire redo of this lovely space off our bedroom.



I now have an area that I wake up to have my quiet time every morning. I sit by the window and thank God for the day that awaits me.


The Waco gang helped convince me that I did want a chair completely in this fabric. I love it - and this chair is so comfty! I sit here during naptime and use my computer or read a book.


Kaki painted an lamp base I already had to help make the lamp blend in. Get your round end table and lamp shade from Target and you're set.


We put this wreath that Elise had made me for Christmas on the back of a hand-me-down frame. A little hot glue and we were done with that project.


The frame above as well as these were given to me by my neighbor Dawn. She had a buddy no longer in the photography profession who was handing out free frames. They were banged up some, but once they met with a black Sharpie then we were back in business. The problem was they were hanging in my room for almost a month with someone else's maternity photos. Justin would ask if the babies were of him, and then the big belly photo was just downright hilarious. So I finally found some photos to put in here to make it seem a little more Michaelis.


I had been eyeing this desk from Design Sponge


When Kaki started on this project


...we ended with this. Yes, the printer is where a chair would sit, but as little as we use it, it's where it needs to be. The nice thing about my laptop now sitting upstairs is that it is no longer accessible like it was in my kitchen. So now I force myself to keep it upstairs. Which means less internet usage (and fewer returned emails). But it's all part of simplifying my life. And the curtains on the left happen to be the only curtains in the whole house (and they aren't even on a window). We decided to add this to separate the space in case if Derek or I wanted to sleep and keep the light out.


Kaki decoupaged fabric onto the top of the desk. I love it - makes it stand out and blends with the fabric on the chair.


My one Roundtop purchase this past year. You could call it my birthday present since we went real quick on the actual day. Derek and I have so many books since we like to read. The dental hygiene books have now been moved to a container in the attic. I don't want to get rid of them but definitely don't use them anymore. Maybe one day if we have a big library then we can pull out all the books. For now, there's no room for anything else/


Kaki convinced me to get this shelf as we were literally walking back to the car to go home. This is the same pattern as the fabric on the chair and somewhat like the fabric on top of the desk.


I finally feel like I have a place in my house to escape to when I need a moment. As well as keep a better hold on the clutter that used to accumulate in my room. Just glad to have it finished!

If I had an iPhone....

...I would do something like this. And it's free!


But I don't, so I will just have to wait for my PalmPre to find some cool app to show off a fun photo.

Boys of Summer

Summer is here and it has hit us fast. The week after school was out I hosted some of the fellas from Justin's school. I told him that everyone had to be from Mrs. Winkler's class and that they had to be a 3 year old boy. No siblings, and best of all, no mommies.


So all but two of the boys were able to come. I'm telling you, playdates without mommies are great because I don't have to clean up my house, I can do laundry during playtime, and there are no disagreements with fewer adults around.


And when you basically lock the boys in your backyard for the entire time, they figure out real quick how to get along.


Luke, Jake, Calvin, Justin, Wes, & Wesley


Times such as this make me love being a boy mom. They all just acted the same and had loved being wet.


Only the occasional outting inside the house, but only after I quickly dried off the soaking wetness of them.


No, I wasn't being mean. It's just that the majority of the time the boys were doing this.


Over and over and over again.


Every single one of their moms said I was crazy as they happily and willingly dropped their boys off. This had to have been one of the easiest playdates yet. They went around, all discplined from school of course, as one big herd.


Jake was midsentence telling Justin that he didn't like the water on him. So, in typical fashion of the day, Justin obeyed his wishes and stopped. So nice when they all get along.


If I have said it once, I could say it a million times. 3 year old, almost 4 year old, boys are easy. Give me a slew of them and I am great. Give me a one year old out of nowhere, and I feel like I am on crutches. You just forget how different the stages are, especially if you haven't gradually gotten back into it.


These boys played their hearts out.


Justin was so excited when he woke up and it was finally time for all the boys to come over. I hope that in the adolescent years that he remembers his mom being fun at one point in his life.


Wes had to leave early for swim lessons, so then there were five little monkeys jumping in the pool.


Lunchtime was served with only the very best food items. Truthfully, I just emptied out our pantry and made do.


Silly faces


Roxy was normally at a distance. Until lunch time was served.


Justin's new cookie of choice - Caryn's sugar cookies. We made these especially for his friends.


Somehow these boys managed to con me into giving them 3 cookies each.


Once Calvin saw dessert he quickly decided that yes he would stop to eat his lunch.


Pucker up


Another attempt, slightly more awkward with the lips


The bubble factory was in the making after dessert. Birds of a feather flock together - these boys would jsut do what everyone was else was doing.


Even to take a breather and play cars all together. All of this unprompted by yours truly.


Crack attack. Cracker Jack.


Maybe I should start a half-way house for 3 year old boys.


After naps that day we went to a playdate at Emily's house. Lots of boys with the occasional girl thrown in the mix.


It seemed liked friend overload that day. We went from being recluses in the month of May to slam bam thank you ma'am last Thursday.


Notice the cowboy hat. That would be Heather's hat drying off. How did it get wet, you ask? My son decided to jump in the deep end without any floatation device. I was off getting my trusty camera and was so stunned that Heather jumped in after him. Now I know he probably would have been fine, as he was able to swim to the side off the twirl slide and the diving board at the big Noah's Ark pool yesterday. But alas, Heather was our hero for the day.


Here's a video of the crazies. Please turn down the volume - crazy woman screaming on one end of this thing.



I can see you
your brown skin shining in the sun
you know your walking real slow
smiling at everyone

I can tell you
my love for you will still be strong
after the boys of summer have gone...