Backpack Pack Rat!

Check out what I found in the bottom of someone's backpack today...

Now, keep in mind, this is a very small portion of everything that actually came out and it's hard to tell how high the pile is...

Can you guess whose backpack it was??

I would have guessed him, too...but, no, it wasn't Pike! Pike uses his backpack to transport enormous books to and from school and that's about it...and, if you know him, then you know it's not textbooks he transports! He has also perfected a filing system that consists of him folding up all of his important papers into tiny squares and stuffing them into the pockets of his hoody. It's quite impressive to watch him fish through his pockets and actually pull out the exact paper he needs!

And I think we all know it's not Grace. Her backpack is always cleaned out and her folders are always precisely lined up with papers sorted by subject and date. OK - maybe it's not that organized, but it's close! :)

So, there you have it...I found all of this (and so much more) in the bottom of Emma's backpack!! I asked her why she had all of that in there and she said that she was saving all of it, because she might need it someday.

I guess you never know when crushed up Goldfish crackers mixed with rocks, toys and wilted flowers will come in handy. :)

Emma's Homework

I love the papers Emma brings home from school. Kindergarteners come up with the best stuff for their work - it's creative and funny and honest.

One day Emma had to write -ug words and illustrate them for homework. She had to solve a few puzzles on the front to get the word and then draw a picture of it...

I absolutely love the way she drew a slug...

She was working on this homework at one of Grace's swim practices and had extra time to do a few on the back. She did a pug in the rain, a hug, juggle, a jug, dug and lug...

When she got to lug she asked me what it meant. I told her it was carrying something heavy. She thought for a minute, then her eyes lit up and she said, "I know what to draw!"

When she was finished I could tell what most of them were, but asked what she was 'lugging'. She looked at me and said, "Can't you see...that's your big 'ole bottle of wine!"

Yep, I sure do see that...still in the paper bag from the grocery store. :)

Fort Fun!

The girls came home from school and decided to build a fort in their room. After ever so sweetly asking me if they could get out blankets, chairs and tape, I told them they could definitely build a fort, but they couldn't use tape. They really wanted to make it big enough to sleep in, but couldn't figure out a way to get the blankets to stay up high enough without taping them to the walls. This is when having a clever big brother comes in handy!

They talked Pike into helping them get their fort to stay up - and he only charged them $1 a piece! :) I think they would have paid him more, but he enjoys these kinds of projects and decided to work for a small, affordable fee.

The grand idea was to drape the blankets over a structure made of fiddlesticks - and it worked great!

When Jeff came home from work, Emma was so excited to show him their creation. He told me later that she took him upstairs and told him all about it. Then she whispered, "And, tonight we're going to sleep in it, but we're really going to go into our little American Girl doll closet and play. But, don't tell Momma!" :) I just had to laugh, because that about sums up this household - fun Daddy and rule-follower Mommy!

Here is the fort held up by balancing chairs and fiddlesticks...

This is inside...very easy access to the American Girl doll closet!! I think I'll check on them a few times tonight! :) Notice the balancing chairs on fiddlesticks!

I was on my back inside the fort, so this is looking up at the fiddlestick infrastructure designed by Pike. I think he deserves a raise!

Another picture of the balancing act inside...I hope the girls don't knock that down tonight!

Good Night Sweet Girls!! :)

Easter '09

We had a great Easter this year - an amazing service at church and lots of fun with family and friends. On Friday we went to Lisa's house and colored eggs. On Saturday we colored more eggs at our house and volunteered at church for the evening services. Sunday we went early to volunteer again, then went to service at 11:00.

Sunday afternoon we went back to Ben and Lisa's for a day of egg-hunting and food! Our friends, Todd and Andrea were in town, and it was so much fun to get to spend the day with them! Kyle and Angie came over, too...so it was the kind of holiday I love - busy and noisy with lots of laughter!

Here are a few pictures from the weekend. There is actually a good picture of my 3 kids. I thought as they got older, it would be easier to get all 3 of them together for decent pictures, but it's still not very easy. So, I was excited to see a good one - even if not one hair on their heads was touched by a brush that morning! :)

My Fishin' Family

Jeff absolutely loves to fish. I never really knew how much until we moved to Houston. When we lived in Dallas, we were in an apartment, I was teaching and he was going to school and working...so there wasn't really a place to fish and there's wasn't alot of time to fish.

When we moved to Amarillo...well - it's Amarillo - and the water is few and far between. It was always a drive to fish, and he was in Pharmacy school and we had babies...so he didn't get to go alot.

Then, we moved to Houston...lots of water everywhere! Our subdivision has a couple of lakes and Lake Houston is right by us. He's working, but no more school, and the kids are older. Finally...there's a place to fish, there's time to fish and there's even someone to fish with!

The girls like to go with him even more than Pike - and, out of all 3 kids, Grace is the one who loves it the most - worms and all!

At the end of March, they went out and Grace caught a pretty good sized bass. She had a bigger one on her line, but couldn't reel it in and her line broke. Here's the one she did catch:

Silly boys...fishing is for girls!

Here's one that Jeff caught at our lake. It's so funny, because he said that when he's out there fishing, people sometimes walk by and quietly tell each other - there's no fish in there. He can hear them and, every now and then, he gets to reel in something like this while they are still there! :)

One of my favorite pictures...Jeff took this of the kids just a couple of weeks after we moved to Houston. So sweet!!

March Moments

I thought I would put just a few family happenings from March as I am slowly, but surely catching up!

I think Emma learning how to ride her bike was the big moment, but we had a few others...

Emma got to go to a birthday party at Minute Maid Park. It was her friend Garrett's party. Garrett and Emma are in the same class and go to church together, so they see alot of each other. Garrett's mom, Kim, and I have decided we believe in arranged marriages! :)

The birthday group got to tour the ballpark, go in the dugout and eat cake in a luxury box! She had a blast...

Kim took this picture of Emma in the Astros dugout. So cute...



Emma and the birthday boy, Garrett.

One of the kids' favorite things to do at Lifetime Fitness is climb the rockwall. It is so much fun to take them and watch them climb. They have really improved and the last time Jeff took Pike and Grace, they both made it to the top! Jeff likes to climb, too and I have got to get pictures of that! :)

There's Pike - the first time he made it over the ledge.



And, Grace, working her way up...not bad for someone who is scared of heights! :)

Adrian, our sweet nephew, had his 11th birthday in March. Angie planned to take about 10 boys to the Kemah Boardwalk for a day of rides and games. Of course, our whole family planned to tag along to enjoy the celebration. Well, the weather was not supposed to cooperate...but we all went anyway. It was rainy and cold, but those kids had the best time! Adrian always has the best, most memorable birthdays...I love it!!

All the boys hanging out in the wind and rain...they were freezing, but had so much fun!

The Boardwalk Bullet turned out to be the main attraction. The best part...we were the only ones there, so they could ride it as much as they wanted...no lines!!

Adrian wanted Angie to ride with him...I don't know if this was before they went or when they got back!

Hanging out on the Train Ride, which Grace said was 'creepy'. :) There really is a story there, but that girl makes me laugh!

Happy Birthday Adrian!! Hard to believe you're already 11!! We Love You!!

Happy Birthday Jeff!

Jeff's birthday is in February and we had a fun family birthday celebration. He doesn't like cake and loves Oreos, so the kids came up with a great idea...