Houston Rodeo

We love rodeo season!  We took the kids out of school early and headed to the Houston rodeo so we could have some fun at the carnival and livestock show before the big rodeo.

We're big fans of the petting zoo and went to two different ones.

 

The event Matt and I were most excited to see was some Mutton Bustin'...this time with our own kids!  We didn't even give the boys a choice - we just signed them up.  And funny story - they said normally the cutoff was at 6, but we assured them that Ben was under the 55 lb limit. We had our second grader step on the scale and show those ladies that it's possible to weigh 51 lbs in second grade!

 

 Ready to ride!

Pretty ready to ride (but maybe getting a bit nervous)!

Alex's sheep was a disappointment and stumbled a little out of the gate, but I guess they don't give re-rides to the kindergarten crowd.  We just knew for sure Alex would hold on to that animal forever!

 "Mom, that sheep made me cry!"  Someone was not a fan of taking a header into the dirt.

Ben did much better, thanks to his light weight and long arms, but a little girl still beat him out for the win. (and the cameraman didn't quite catch the fall)

Afterward, all the kids walked out for their applause and the winner got her belt buckle.  It was so much fun!

 

Frowns turned into smiles when each kid got a ribbon and a sucker!

We enjoyed the rest of our afternoon seeing all the exhibits and animals.

The rodeo was entertaining and Reba put on a terrific concert.  The boys knew her as "the voice from the Magic Schoolbus" so they were excited to see her as well.  What a fun family day.

Icy Weather, Take Three

It has been an unusually cold and wet winter for the Houston area.  School had already been cancelled twice for icy road conditions and we thought we might get a third day off.  Alex looked out the window and saw this and started celebrating...but unfortunately for him, this time the roads didn't ice up so school went on as scheduled.

 We did spend some time enjoyed the frozen yard on the way to the bus stop.

 

So much for spring!

We never did see snow but the freezing rain collected on everything outside.

The kids loved attacking the ice with their umbrellas.

 

 A little fun on the frozen playground, then the kids were off to school.

Casey didn't waste much time finding the best seat in the house!

Ben finally hit a big milestone - reading a chapter book BY CHOICE!  It was a Ready Freddy and apparently funny enough to keep his interest.  He has even asked to stay up reading after bedtime.  Um, YES!!!

He also loves his puppy!  And Casey loves the boys, too.  She has even started checking out their doors first thing in the morning to see if they're awake yet.  If there is any noise or light, she noses her way in to say good morning.

Baby Carter

I am a proud aunt again, this time to sweet Carter Graham!  I was so, so excited to get to share in the miracle of a new life with Stacey and Jason and God blessed them with a perfect little man.

 Just a few hours old and sleeping like a doll.  I couldn't wait to hold that little bundle!

 

 

A big thanks to Grandma Kirkham for keeping our house in order and the boys in line so I could be with the French family.   I got to spend time with Reid while his parents were at the hospital and he helped take a gift to his new baby brother.

Reid thought that Carter was cute but was more interested in getting his mom out of the hospital and back home!  

It was wonderful hanging out with this little man and spending time with Stacey.  I never got to enjoy the early days of either of my boys so I really relished every minute.  Plus, being an aunt is extra fun because when the baby cries, he just goes back to mom :)  Already looking forward to our next visit with this sweet little guy!

February

The time has gotten away from me this month!  Maybe because we haven't done anything too exciting, but I blame technology because my icloud hasn't been working and I am physically transferring pictures off my phone.  Way too much trouble!  Here are my favorites so far this month...

My first sweet love note from my baby.  Did you feel my heart melt?

Presley and Rowan were over playing with the boys and somehow a game of spies morphed into a game of "Old People".  It was hilarious!

We have a little thief in the house and she loves to steal things from the kids' rooms.  Usually she prefers stuffed animals and socks, but this one had me rolling.  Alex freaked out when he realized it was his dollar.

 

 We celebrated the 100th day of school and Alex and I carefully stuck 100 alphabet beads to his shirt with strict adherence to his patterns and color choices.

Never a dull photo moment in this house...half of a photo bomber.

We went to a very cute party for Ben's friend McKayla and everything was decorated for the Frozen movie. Alex had a great time making a snowman out of marshmallows...and then eating it the second he was done. 

 He also had a super time playing in the fake snow.  He might have gotten a touch in his hair.  Hopefully there was some left for the other kids!

 

I got to join each of the kids at their Friendship parties at school and it was lots of fun.  Much more fun than being the room mom and being in charge of it, too!  Instead, I took pictures for the photo booth and loved talking to all the kids and laughing with them at their silly pictures.

Ben's class with his adorable teacher

They are a really great group of kids.  Love this silly shot!

I got in the photo booth with Alex at his class.  I love party day!

Each of the kids decorated a frame to hold the pictures they brought home, along with the pounds of candy they got on Valentines day. 

Alex requested this picture.  I have no idea why, but I love it!

After an unusually cold winter, we're finally getting a taste of spring and some gorgeous weather.  The kids love riding their bikes to the gas station to get a treat, and I'm quick to say yes to the 2.5 mile roundtrip excursion so we all get exercise and fresh air.  Even if I have to buy them sugar to make them want to go :)

A sucker and kool-aid at the same time...why not?

Baseball has started up for both boys so we'll be back and forth to the ballpark for the next several months, but the most exciting news is that the kids are anxiously awaiting the arrival of their new cousin within the next week.  Stay tuned!

Casey

This sweet girl has adjusted to life in our home, but not without some work.  Little Casey is apparently a very shy dog and hesitant or nervous around new people, kids, or loud voices.  With lots of treats and patience, she has finally come to love (or at least tolerate) Ben and Alex but still gets nervous when they're running or loud.  And she generally doesn't like any other kids, but we're taking every opportunity to introduce her to new people and situations so she'll learn to be comfortable with strangers.  Hopefully.

The good news is that she's a good little dog, listens well, and has done great potty training.  Thank goodness because since this is my first time living with a dog, I needed one that would catch on quickly!  And now that she's learned she's supposed to play with the kids and take care of all the crumbs on the floor, she's doing her work quite nicely in the house.

Toys of any size work well for her!

 

Ben loves to cuddle with her on the couch and, depending on her mood, sometimes she enjoys it, too.

It's almost impossible to get a picture of her moving without a huge blur, but she's a great little fetcher.  It's hilarious watching her run with big toys or chew sticks in her mouth.

 A better shot of her face with me holding her still :)

Ben loves getting his kisses every morning!

Alex is generous with the toys.  I'm pretty sure she was sleeping but he felt the need to bring her everything "in case she was bored".

 

Little girl loves the sunlight.  She has learned to go to the back door and I'll take her out to potty, but on pretty days, she's already learned that a trip to the door will earn her some sunshine (but she doesn't like to be in the backyard alone).  Because of those false alarms, I now prefer the cold, overcast days because she does her business quickly and runs back in...no crying wolf!

Texas Weather

We've had some crazy weather this January...a little bit of everything from true winter to a taste of late spring.  On one of the warmer days, the kids enjoyed matching in their overalls.

 

We went to a nearby state park one Saturday to enjoy a pleasant afternoon and hike a bit.  Ben learned how to whittle a stick with his pocket knife.

Then just a few days later, winter was back in full force!  The high that day was just above freezing, but we drove past a fountain that had been on all night and found a miniature winter wonderland.

It was worth braving the cold to let the kids enjoy the ice for a few minutes.

We did have some indoor fun with the swimming angry bird balloon that santa brought at Christmas.

I think everyone loved it but the pets, who were terrified of the big red beast.

Back outside, the weather warmed up nicely again and the kids did some frog catching after a rainy day.

And then, back to winter.  The kids lucked out with a day off school because of sleet and freezing rain.  Not as much fun as snow, but they still enjoyed investigating everything that had frozen.

The best part?  A frozen trampoline that doubled as a skating rink.

It took some work, but they managed to break up the ice and make "snowballs".

And, since this is Texas, the next day we were back outside enjoying a gorgeous sunny day and wearing short sleeves.  But today, the kids are off school again for another "winter storm" that has brought a touch of rain and sleet.  No luck on the snow.