• that if one spills Sprite onto a coffee table and doesn't wipe it up, it will absorb into the wood and turn it green. Good lesson learned by all, eh Rhett?
• that putting soft, flannel sheets on a bed will make it so comfy and warm that it will make it near impossible to get out of bed in the morning?
• that putting a chocolate glaze on caramel popcorn is a surefire way to have one eat the entire bag by one's self?  Those Boy Scouts do know what they are doing.
• that lifting nearly 2500 magazines into a paper recycling bin will make your back and arms very sore the next morning?  (We are half-way there to our goal of a Mile of Magazines!)

To my mom:

Who never says no to playing a game when I ask, even though the rest of the family is less than enthusiastic

Who always makes an effort to make her home warm and inviting for guests, even if they are just her children

Who hangs her grandsons' art proudly in her hallway and would do it the same for all her grandchildren

Who has the best cookies, fruit salad and apple pie around and she shares her recipes

Who is always there when you need her, even if you are far away or seem like you are far away


I remember the summer that I lived in an apartment for the very first time.  It was also the summer I got married but I digress.  I had a job at a daycare and at night I took a few classes.  My roommate was Christy who also had a job and classes.  Anyway, one of the first weekends of the summer when Christy went to visit her parents, I caught a stomach bug.  (It was also one of the first weeks of my job, so I wasn't used to all those germs yet from the cute children I guess) It wasn't the worst stomach bug I ever had but I was by myself so it seemed pretty bad.  I called Mom.  Who immediately said she would drive down to take care of me.  And she did.  I remember by the time she got there I was feeling better but honestly, I think I felt better the moment she said she would come. 

Moms are special healers that way.

Thanks Mom for all you do.  Happy Birthday! I love you!

Hello!  I know it has been a long time.  Last week was...ugg.  Didn't feel well.  But this week is a new week so hopefully I will post more often. 

Rhett and Noah have taken it upon themselves to write their Christmas Lists to Santa.

Rhett:  Mom, do you believe in Santa?
Me: Yes.
Rhett:  Me too.  Do you know some kids in my class say that he isn't real?
Me:  Well, he is as real as you want him to be.
Rhett:  Oh, he is real alright.

At this point in Rhett's childhood, shouldn't he be a little suspicious? He is in 3rd Grade.  I am just afraid that he is going to be crushed, just crushed when he finds out the truth.  So I try to throw in remarks like "he is real as you want him to be" to prepare him.  Subtly.  I don't know what I am doing.

Anyway, with no further ado, here is Rhett's list:

Dear Santa,
I've been trying to be very good this year. My wish list is this.
1 Ipod Nano (Blue)
2 Mind Flex
3.Fossil Fighters
4 Webkins Shark
5 year supply of bacon
5 biggest star wars Lego set ever
6 10 Texas Tech window stickers.
7 2 under-armor shirts
8 Madden 2010 (Wii)
9 Baron Batch's autograph
10 pink and orange Zumbuddy

Ones I'm sure I want  
1
2
3
6
7
9
10

Rhett marked out his "year supply of bacon" because as he put it:  "I don't think I really need that much bacon."  You think?

Here is Noah's list:

Dear Santa
1 Every webkinz ther is.
2 a real webkinz bunny.
3 ipod nano (green).
4 a bird with a Texas Tech sign on it.
5 a owl webinz.
6 a webkinz Dragin.
7 a webkinz geco.
8 a webkinz Husky.
9 a webkinz Pug.
10 Babe Ruths small metal

I think that Noah secretly doesn't believe in Santa and wants to catch us in a lie because how, oh how, are we going to get anything of Babe Ruth's or is there even such a thing as #4?  And I made him mark out #1 and the real in #2.  Because as we all know, real bunnies freak me out.

So there we are.  I wonder how many times this list will change before December 24?

I don't have much to say but feel I should blog about something.  It has been not such a busy week and besides, my sister who works at a paying job and is a mother of 2 kids blogs everyday (at least this month), so I feel sort of like a slacker.  So I will blog about...

Noah.
who does not like change.

The other day he came in upset and near tears because he and his friends were playing baseball and then they decided to play football instead.  Noah insisted that he hates football and just wanted to play baseball.

Yesterday, he came in upset and near tears trudging toward his room.  When asked what he was doing and what was wrong he said that he and his friends were playing football and now they want to play baseball so he had to get his bat even though he didn't want to.  Confused I asked him, "I thought you didn't like football?  And liked to play baseball?"  He answered that he was sick of baseball and was having fun playing football.

So my only conclusion to this was that it doesn't matter what he plays with his brother and friends, he will get upset if they change their minds in the middle of their game of whatever and want to do something else.  He doesn't like change.

Rhett.
who thinks he is getting way to big for his size 8 pants.

The other night I told the boys to go get a shower and Rhett stated that they got a shower last night.  I told him that no they didn't.  He said, "Yes, we did."  No, you didn't!  And on and on it went because I can't back down from an argument with someone who argues like my brother once did.  Anyway, I then remembered that I am the mom and asked him, "Do you really want to argue with me?"  to which he answered confidently, "Maybe." 

"Rhett!"  his dad angrily yelled from the other room. 

"Bad move, bud." I answered smugly.

Happy Halloween! Happy November! Happy Day, I have pictures for you!

I am working backwards here but here goes:


"Oh, are you Elvis?"
"Cool! A biker!"
"Hey, are you that guy from Grease?"
Noah's response to that one: "I don't even know who you are talking about!"

But he loved it and next year he wants to be Indiana Jones.

THINK GREEN

This is what I've been up to.  A Think Green Initiative at our school is in full swing and because I am chair (why did I want to be chair again?), I have been up to the school almost as much as my kids.  I have also been at the computer going through names and emails because we are going to Email Correspondence instead of hard copies of notes.  About 75% of the families are on board which is great, but that means I am seeing names in my sleep.  Besides that, I am excited.  We are also doing a Mile of Magazine Drive through the month of November and December.  We need to collect 5600 magazines.  That is 8 per child.  I have about 40 here at the house, so my kids are more than covered.

What else? 

Two of my good friends and neighbors are moving away.  What makes it worse is that they have kids who are good buddies with my boys.  So we have been sad around here.  Very happy for them and their new opportunities but sad that we won't see them in the everyday setting anymore. 

We are winding down our sports for the fall.  Noah wanted to play basketball in the winter, but I promised we would find something fun to do if we didn't.  Does that make me a bad mom?  I don't think so.  I just think we need a break.  Going to 2 different practices and 2 games a week is tiring. 

So that is why I haven't been blogging.  I'm too busy thinking green.  And being sad.  And driving kids around. 

I am well!  My kids are well!  We are enjoying these last two weeks of October.  I'll have a make-up post with pictures, I promise, but right now I just wanted you to know that we aren't sick anymore.  Yay!