15 Years!

Stephen and I spent our anniversary in the hospital today. It's a good thing we have already celebrated for most of the month because gallstones and gallbladder removal would have been even more of a downer otherwise.

In honor of 15 years, let me count the ways I love Stephen up to 15. 

1. He loves me more. 

2. He stays calm and knows how to bring me off a ledge. 

3. He has a travel bucket list for us. 

4. We share almost all the same tastes in music and movies. 

5. He is a goal-setter. 

6. He makes me laugh. 

7. He lets me decorate the house with almost no interference. 

8. We rarely fight, and I think that's because Stephen puts up with a lot of my crap. 

9. He lets me pick the restaurant. 

10. He always gives me a bite. 

11. He fixes things even when it's not his favorite thing to do. 

12. He laughs at my jokes. 

13. He likes to surprise me. 

14. He loves my hands. 

15. He takes care of me, even when he is the one needing taken care of. 

I love this man of mine!!

Last day of 1st grade

Kyle loved 1st grade at Greens Prairie Elementary!  Mrs. Rike was a perfect match for him, and our Kyle Coop blossomed this year.  He even qualified for the GT program for next year, and we are so proud of his accomplishments.  

On the last day of school, Kyle took his gift to his teacher: a card he made with a picture and thank-you note.  He even remembered that Mrs. Rike's favorite drink is Diet Coke, so he ran back home to grab one to take to her on the last day.  (Who needs apples, when you can win your teacher's heart with an ice cold Diet Coke?)

Bring on summer! 

Last Day of Preschool

Ryan LOVED his preschool this year.  He made so many friends and enjoyed being able to go to the same class as his cousin.  His teachers loved him, too.  At the end of year conference, Ms. Wright told me that Ryan is a joy and whoever gets him for Kindergarten will be one lucky teacher.  I know she misses all of her kids, but there's something about this little guy that bring joy to those around him.  Ms. Wright said that Ryan is kind to everyone and will play with everyone.  If someone doesn't want to play with him, it doesn't seem to bother Ryan.  He just shrugs it off and finds something else to do.  She said that is a hard thing for kids to learn, but Ryan doesn't seem affected by it.  He comes into school everyday with a smile on his face and says good morning to everyone.  I'm so grateful for Ryan's cheerful disposition and am glad he carries that quality out beyond our home.

We went easy this year on gifts.  Ryan drew pictures and wrote thank you notes to each of his teachers and we included a gift card.  I remember not wanting to have a bunch of junk for teacher gifts, so hopefully Ms. Wright and Mrs. Merritt appreciated the thoughtfulness of the notes and then being able to buy something they wanted with the gift cards.

Ryan's last day was a water day, and he had so much fun.  I didn't get to go, but I enjoyed hearing all about it when he got home.  Summer started early for this guy, and he was excited!

 

Kyle's Spring Pictures

 On the day of spring pictures, it was pretty cold.  Kyle's "spring" outfit looks more like winter!  I can't believe he is getting so grown up!

Ryan Update

The day Ryan had his 5-year well-check was not a very good day.  Long meetings, Evan acting like a Tasmanian Devil and destroying people's homes, having to drag all boys to the doctor's office since Stephen was working late, paperwork for school registration falling out of my purse while I was chasing a half-naked Evan back into the bathroom and not realizing it until I got home, having to go BACK to the doctor's office to recover it, filing a police report about identity theft and waiting and waiting to get that taken care of.......one of those days.

So, I threw dinner together, thinking everyone would hate it.  We had BBQ chicken, peas, potatoes, bread.  The last time I made chicken, the boys didn't eat much, so I didn't cook a large amount.  For some reason, everyone scarfed it up, asking for seconds.  Stephen said, "This is the best chicken you've ever made!!!"  I just laughed and laughed in response.  I knew Stephen was going to hate this chicken because it was.......FULLY COOKED HEB CHICKEN!  You cook it in the MICROWAVE!!!  I tried to disquise  it with some BBQ sauce.  And they all loved it!!!!  Either 1) My chicken normally sucks; 2) HEB is that good; or 3) Everyone was just really hungry.  No matter the reason, why would I slave over chicken when it could be loved by all in just 8 minutes?  ("Gee, Mom!  You sure can hydrate a pizza!")  

So, after that day and a few others that followed, I'm just getting around to posting about our Little Po

Ryan's 5-year stats:
Height: 3'4" (6th percentile)
Weight: 35lbs. (11th percentile)
BP: 101//67

 He is healthy, his eyes and ears are working well, and he is very small for his age.  I'm sure he will be on the front row of class pictures for many years to come! 

Teachers: Miss Maria, Mrs. Merritt, Ms. Wright
Top Row: Mary, Lucy, James, Parker, Brayden
Middle Row: Ayden, Robin, Claire, Annabelle, Graham
Front Row: Benjamin, Eloise, Ryan, Casen, Giovanni



Parent/Teacher Conference:
I met with Ryan's teacher, Mx. Wright last week for the end-of-year conference.  (This one was much different than Kyle's!)  The first thing Ryan's teacher said was, "Can I just tell you how much I LOVE your son?!?  He brightens my MWF, always coming in so cheerfully!  I am going to miss him SO much!!!!  Whoever gets him for Kindergarten is going to be one lucky teacher!"  She went over Ryan's behavior and interaction with other students, commenting that he is sweet and kind to everyone and doesn't seem to get upset or offended if someone doesn't want to play with him.  He just shrugs and says OK! and moves on.  I guess that is a hard thing to grasp at this age, but Ryan does it pretty well.  Ms. Wright mentioned how much Ryan loves the home center and how he LOVES to "cook" for the teachers, the other girls, and anyone who will let him.  The favorite thing she remembers about our little Po is that one day it started to sprinkle on the playground and Ryan ran to her, concerned: "Ms. Wright! Ms. Wright! We need to go inside!!!"  "Why?"  "Because the rain will mess up my hair!!!!!"  Ryan is quite loved at school by his teachers and seems to make friends easily.  I hope this will continue as one of his top skills throughout school!

I can't believe the school year is almost over and I'm already registering this little man for Kindergarten!!!!   

Twinkle, Twinkle

  Here's a sample of one of Evan singing from his half birthday.  I forgot to add it to that post. 

1st Grade Program

Kyle's school program this year was all about friendship.  My boy who doesn't like music was actually quite excited about this program, thanks to a few fun songs and a special part. 

The 1st graders sang several songs from around the world like the Harambee Dance and Ubuntu.  Vive la Compagnie was Kyle's favorite, mostly because he was picked to be an instrumentalist. 

Kyle took his job quite seriously, and I'm proud of my little music hater for trying something new! 

Evan MICHAEL

My Dad recently reminded us of an escalator story from when he was young.  We had a similar experience with Evan. 

My Dad's story happened when his grandparents took him to the mall.  They told him to "stay right there," while they went to shop.  Right there happened to be by the escalators.  This young Gramps convinced himself that he would be able to go up and down the escalators by the time his grandparents returned, none the wiser.  Unfortunately, these escalators where unlike the ones he'd encountered before--the down side wasn't right next to the upside, and he didn't realize that it was across the store.  He tried everything to get back down---running down the up, but nothing worked.  Then, he saw his grandmother and was met with both relief and guilt. 

I couldn't help but be reminded of this story while we were at the airport recently.  Our little Evan Michael thought it would be a good idea to try to run away from me, up the DOWN staircase.  It slowed him down, but only a little.   

This BOY! 

Iron Chef: College Station

 May's Iron Chef was the first week of the month, close to Cinco de Mayo, so we had a very fitting ingredient: chiles/peppers!



 Here are some of the entries:

And the winners were:
Chef Mel
Chef Holly
Chef Laurie

Three & a Half!

Our BABY EVAN is not a baby.  He even tells me that every time I call him, "Baby."  ("I NOT A BABY!!!!" I Pink Fluffy Cat!")

Evan is definitely keeping us young.  A few weeks ago, someone at church told me, "That youngest boy of yours...Evan?...he sure is a......FREE SPIRIT!"  Yes, that's the positive spin on the situation.  Evan is full of energy and spunk, but is also very sweet.  He loves hugs and kisses and is quick to apologize....or maybe he's just quick to manipulate me by offering a hug and a kiss because he's learned this is the quickest way to get out of trouble.

Evan is stubborn and strong-willed.  He is independent and sometimes too much so.  He loves to wake up early and get himself food from the pantry.  One morning, he packed a "lunch" of 90% of the snacks.  Another morning, he found the half-empty bag of peanuts from the baseball game and fed himself breakfast, leaving a trail of shells on the kitchen floor a-la-Texas Roadhouse.  I never know what I'm going to find when I wake up, but sometimes sleeping in is worth the clean-up.

Some of my favorite sayings lately are:
"Show me something."  (meaning, I want to show you something.)
"I want to hold you." (I want you to hold me.)
"I want a ham-a-burger and a banan-ama."
"Where are we going for my birthday?" (Great Wolf Lodge)  "I want to go there TWO TIMES!"
(screaming and crying) "I WANT A HUG AND A KISS!!!!"
"Mom, you're not my best friend!"  (I respond, "That's ok.  Dad is my best friend.)  "I LOVE YOU, MOM!!!" 
"I want a Sofia birthday and a Frozen birthday, and my favorite color is pink."  (He's my most girly little man.  Or, maybe he's just trying to manipulate me even more.)
"Kyle, you are NOT the MOTHER!!!"
"You mess with the horns, you get the horns."  
"It's ru-eeened!" (ruined)

Some of the most frustrating things:
He is ALWAYS losing his shoes!!!  Whenever we are late, it's usually because we are searching for Evan's shoes.
He is a screamer, a scratcher, and a hitter.  One of these days, Ryan is going to unleash the fury.


Even though this guy brings out the need for deep breaths many times a day, we know our family wouldn't be complete without him.  
 
 Here is his half-birthday interview:

Name: Evan
Nicknames: Fluff Super Cat, Pink Fluffy Cat, Meow-Meow
How old are you? THREE!  (3 1/2, "uh-huh.")
 What is your favorite color? pink and green and red and green and black and some purple
 What is your favorite animal? baby ducky
What is your favorite book? Olaf book and Elsa book
What is your favorite TV show? Miles from Tomorrowland
 What is your favorite movie? How to Train Your Dragon 2
What is your favorite song? Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
What is your favorite food? Popsicle and lollipops and ice cream and pizza
What is your favorite drink? Kool-Aid and juice
 What is your favorite breakfast food? Fruit Loops Bloopers
What is your favorite snack? fruit snacks
What is your favorite outfit? the no head monster one
What is your favorite game? Candyland
What is your favorite toy? my dragon and trains
Who is your best friend? you, momma and you, Dad and Ryan
What is your favorite thing to do? play candyland with mom
What is your favorite thing to do outside? bouncing on the trampoline
What is your favorite holiday?   Christmas, Easter, Halloween
What do you like to take to bed with you at night? my soft animals and my blanket
Where is your favorite place to go? Great Wolf Lodge
What is your favorite restaurant? Cane's
Where do you want to go on vacation? Disneyland
What do you want to be when you grow up?  I want to be taller, like you.  For a job?  Play with Candyland
What are you going to do on your half birthday? play games and have some hot soup and some peppers and some cheese and some breakfast in the night...AND DESSERT!!!

 

(He LOVES his rain boots!)

When Aunt Mel Babysits

 It's rained quite a bit here lately.  When Aunt Mel babysits, it's not raining, and we needed some outside time, the kids stripped down and played in the backyard mud pit. 

That gave me a good excuse to give them baths and force request that Claire allow me to do her hair.  I LOVE it.  She tolerates it. 


Another night, we were babysitting the kids at our house.  After baths, Claire told me that I'd already done her hair, so I didn't need to do it again.  I said, "Okay, I'll just do Dayton's hair."  She laughed, "you CAN'T do Dayton's hair!!!!" 

Just watch me. 

He even got a bow.  And a hair cut later in the week! 

It's never dull when Aunt Mel babysits!!!! 

General Conference

Apparently, actual quiet time is more desirable than General Conference.  There was no fighting naps on this Sunday! 

SUSHI!!!!!

I have discovered that all the boys LOVE sushi!  They like going to HEB with me when the sushi is out for sampling, so one day I decided to buy a whole roll.  They were beyond excited about having that for dinner.  Easy Peasy!

Ryan's Family Portrait

Ryan drew this picture of our family, and I love it.  He started to tell me about it, and this turned into a dinner conversation:

Ryan: This is our family playing.

Mom: What are we playing?

(basketball was on tv earlier.)

Ryan: Basketball.

Mom:  Awesome!  Are we all on the same team?

R: Well, guys.  What team do you want to be on?  Let me tell you something.  There is one team that is the best, and that is JESUS' team!  He never loses.  He is the best.  Who wants to be on Jesus' team?

 (Everyone but Evan says yes.)  

R:  Evan, are you sure about that?  Jesus has the best team, and that is the team you want to be on.  If you are not on that team, you are most definitely going to lose. 

(Ryan starts the play-by-play on our game.)

R: Ryan has the ball.  He passes it to Mom.  Mom gives it to Jesus.....he SHOOTS....HE SCORES!!!!  Jesus makes it again!!!!! (He makes it every time.) 

(This goes on for awhile.  Jesus wins.  Evan loses.  Evan is not happy.) 

R:  See, Evan.  Told ya.  Should've been on Jesus team.  Jesus is the best.  He will never lose.  Plus, he can fly.

Just so y'all know, you don't want to be the opposing team against us in Basketball.  He have a player who never loses.  

Lunch Menu

Kyle got to read the lunch menu in morning assembly a few weeks ago and wanted me to video it, so he could see how he did.  He was so excited!

March Madness

Guess who won the bracket this year?  ME!