Girls' Weekend

HOORAY for weekends without kids! A group of us gals spent the weekend in New Braunfels to celebrate Alicia's 30th birthday while the hubbies got the kids. We enjoyed shopping at the outlet malls, eating, gossiping, eating, attending a Cory Morrow concert, eating, staying up late giggling and eating!

It does a girl's heart (especially a mommy's heart) good to be able to get away and be... ME. Sometimes I think I will never get "me" back since every bit of me is used up by my kids by the time I go to bed each night. Weekends like this, however, remind me of who I am, my "Amanda" bucket is refilled, and I'm ready to take on the world yet again.

Here's to next year: Alicia, Emily, Jennifer, me, Laury, Lisa, Carrie, Erin, Kandy, Courtney, Shaye, Micahand Angie. (Shaye, Micah and Angie are not pictured but are still loved!) The theme has already been chosen and there will be shirts commemorating the event that read: (front of shirt) All I know is... (back of shirt) we're in Canton! Nothing like a little inside joke to keep you smiling.
theme and shirt design by Micah and Amanda

Guess who took this picture...

Not sure who the chick in the blue striped dress is. She came up to talk to our table for a moment. Since she is a girl and not a husband or child, we let her be in the picture.

Grant is driving!!! (and other random happenings)

Well, not in the sense that brings fear to your heart as you read the title of this post. He IS driving the "car of his dreams", or what would be equal to a four-year-old's dream car. Thankfully he can't go faster than a slow run, so we're all safe.

I am a new HUGE fan of Craig's List. Forget ebay - Craig's List is INCREDIBLE! It was so easy to contact the sellers, and the actual buying was done in person as these people live near you - it was a great experience. Anywho - check out Grant's new "Craig's List jeep"! Grant has been
B-E-G-G-I-N-G for a jeep for months. One of my biggest downfalls (I guess I get it from my dad) is that I want my kids to have whatever they want - to a degree. And although Grant has wanted a jeep for upteen million years now, I just could NOT bring myself to buy a brand new one (they run between $300 - $400). What if he gets sick of it quickly? What if it didn't run well? What if charging up the battery was a HUGE hassle? With all of these valid concerns, I decided to hunt down a used one; it's been quite the challenge. Craig's List came to the rescue as I found this used one being sold by a (very sweet) local family for $50. Hello!!!!???? I just saved myself at least $250. Yip - I gave myself a pretty big pat on the back for that one.

Oh, and Grant LOVES it. He cherishes it about as much as I cherish my alone times on the couch with a chocolate something, a cold DrPepper, and an episode of the "Golden Girls" while snuggling up with a blanket.

Buckling up. Safety first!

Grant loves pretending the jeep is having battery problems so he can "fix" it.
Rhett enjoys s-l-o-w rides. If Grant goes too fast, Rhett wants out! He's no fool.

Grant likes to pretend the jeep is a firetruck; hence the "siren" sounds... I had to cut this video short because Rhett started running down the middle of the street in the opposite direction.

He loves to go in circles...

Rhett enjoying a s-l-o-w ride...

On another note...

This is Grant's recent contraption. WHY can't he "build" these things outside?

Here is a picture of Grant putting away all of the glasses he took out of the cabinet. I caught him loading them up in his fishing net, and then placing them on the counter. Not one of his best ideas, but it certainly was creative.

Look who found Mommy's green eyeshadow. Was he trying to eat it?

Rhett loves to help dust.

Grant and his buddy Stephen enjoying a ride at Chuck-E-Cheese.

Grant "driving" Pops' boat.

Grant and Rhett playing in the rain at Mimi and Pops' house.

Pops and Grant using their tools...

And ending on a sweet note: Pops and his grandsons. (Guess what??!! Grant's blankie as seen in this photo is LOST! Hooray! No more pictures of Grant smelling his blankie!)

Rhett's New Tricks & Grant Gets "Pushy"

New word: Rhett saying, "Dude-Dad." ("Dude-Dad" is what the boys call Kerry's dad.)

Introducing Rhett's newest trick: a (cute) fake sneeze. Bless you!

Rhett saying, "Dude-Dad" and Push #1... (Good luck trying to ignore CRAZY Grant in this video. He gets WAAAAY out of control from here on out. Get the Advil ready. Consider yourself warned.)

Push #2...

Push #3...

Push #4...

No, Grant is not allowed to knock Baby Brother down all day.

Yes, I am a bad parent for taking videos of it. (but it IS funny)

Yes, Grant got in trouble.

Yes, someday Rhett will be bigger than Grant, and Grant will get what's coming to him. At this point, Grant does not seem scared.

No, Grant has not been diagnosed with ADHD although I can see why you might assume he has been... ha ha

A True Boy? A True Texan? Or Both???

On our way back from Granbury yesterday, I pulled over in Hearne so Grant could potty. Because I am a germ freak, and because it is such a pain getting Rhett in and out of the car seat (surely it's similar to trying to put a monkey or octopus in a car seat), I usually just pull over in somewhat of a hidden-from-view area and let Grant pee there instead of a dirty convenient store's restroom. So, as to routine, I parked next to a shed behind a restaurant (the Dixie Cafe) that offered plenty of privacy and Grant willingly got out to do his business as he felt the bathroom location I had chosen would suffice. However, instead of peeing on the ground as usual, this time he peed on the side of the shed for whatever reason. (That is obviously a guy thing.) Anyway, when he was done, he pulled up his pants and said proudly, "Look, Mamma! I tee-teed in the shape of Texas!" Sure enough, there was a rough outline of the shape of Texas mapped out in pee on the side of the shed. Oh, to be a boy! Oh, to be a Texan! Oh, to be that lucky shed!

What has gotten into me?

Let me start by saying that yes, my dear friend Shaye, I will oficially agree that I blog a LOT. ha ha

Talk about wild emotions tonight! What is the deal? The strangest things touched my heart tonight, and I gotta say I truly feel like a dork because of it. I mean really, they are STUPID. But like my mom always said, you can't apologize for the way you feel. So, I've taken that bit of advice and am trying to figure out where to "place" these odd emotions I'm experiencing since that's what us girls do. Normally I would most likely talk to Kerry about all of this, feel better and go on with my night. Unfortunately for you though, he is at a business dinner, so you get to be my listening ear tonight. Get comfy.

It all started when I was packing up some of my maternity clothes to send to my best friend of 27 years, Marijon. She is about 4 months pregnant with her first baby, and we are soooooooooo excited. I think she and her husband Rance have been married for 10 or 11 years, so this is news I have been waiting for for... well... 10 or 11 years. Now that baby Pernell is on its way, I am loaning LOADS of maternity clothes to her. When I say LOADS, I mean L-O-A-D-S. Since both of my pregnancies occurred in different seasons, I have all sizes for all seasons. This means Marijon is set. And this is good. I am MORE than happy to loan her these things as I know I can trust her with them, (LOADS of them) and I can think of no one I'd rather loan them to. Well, not true. I'd also like to loan them to my sister, but she is not pregnant. :( Hint, hint, Jessica and Josh... Anywho, despite my desire to want to send these clothes to her during this special time, I actually started crying while packing them up for her. How crazy is that? It threw me completely off guard. (For those of you moms out there, I would almost compare it to the feelings you get when you box up or give away your child's baby clothes. It's hard, huh??!! It even hurts a little. Big difference though: baby clothes are little, not big like maternity clothes.) For my own sense of relief, I'd like to try to explain why I feel this way to prove to myself (and Marijon) that I am not insane. First of all, I am so excited Marijon is pregnant, and I am thrilled to take some small part in this life changing event with her. We played baby dolls and mommy and school for years together growing up. Now, we will both actually have our own kids; something we both have always wanted. So in a way, I think I cried because this is special. Very special. Second, as I fingered through hanger after hanger of the "maternity section" in my closet, so many pieces brought back "pregnant" memories. If you know me at all, you know I HATE being pregnant. It is the WORST thing that can happen to me, and I loathe every second. This is why I was surprised to find so many happy emotions attached to each article of clothing. A green dress reminded me of Rhett's baby shower, and some ugly grey outfit reminded me of how miserable I was at the end of my pregnancy with Grant and how I couldn't wait for him to finally get here so I would not feel miserable anymore. These pants reminded me how surprisingly spunky I felt one day between multiple pukings. A certain shirt reminded me of the day I bought Rhett's nursery bedding. I guess I could sum it all up with the statement that the maternity clothes represent a very special, exciting (yet very miserable) time in my life. I feel so lucky to be a mom. I LOVE being a mom. It's all I've ever wanted; and I am a mom x 2!!! How blessed I am. (and how dorky I sound) What a weird thing to make me feel lucky about being a mom. Who knew I would go into my closet tonight and have memory after memory race through my brain (and heartstrings) while packing up maternity clothes for a dear friend???? I learned something tonight while folding each piece and placing it gently in Marijon's box: Can I comfortably say I'm done having kids?? What a huge question. I guess I had figured we were probably done having kids, or at least I was done having kids. Kerry really wants to adopt a baby girl from Russia, and I really hate being pregnant, so I think I've been thinking I'm "done". But stepping over to the maternity side of my closet tonight was, in a way, exciting, and now I'm thinking maybe we should have at least one more. Having a new baby is the most exciting thing a woman can go through, and I hate to deny myself (and Kerry) that happiness for a third time. I can't believe I am saying that. And if you know how sick I was with Rhett, you are probably thinking I am smoking crack right now to be saying this, but it was hard to think that I was sending away my "special clothes", and that I might not ever need them again. As I was folding up the last bit of clothes, I felt the need to call Marijon for comfort and a quick slap of reality. I hope I did not make her feel bad about lending her my clothes. She did not ask for them - it was all my idea. And I'm glad to do it; really, I am. I would have LOVED to have been able to borrow maternity clothes from someone, so I know how much she appreciates this. But I guess I wanted her to know that crazy me was getting a bit emotional over this, and I needed her to remind me they are just clothes that she will return to me. And, she did. I am sure that as soon as she hung up the phone, she probably looked at Rance and said, "She's lost it. I mean, she's really lost it this time!" She certainly has the right to do so because like I said, I surprised myself with all of this. It was random to me; I can't imagine how random it was to Marijon. We talked, and I do feel much better. Now what to do with these baby #3 feelings...

All of this led to my next crazy emotion: How much do I love David Hasselhoff??!!! Did anyone else get extra teary while watching "America's Got Talent" tonight? That 'ole David is so sweet. He's the first to throw in a positive comment to cheer a participant up. He's quick with the thumbs up and the high fives and even the hugs! What a cutie. He's not much of a great singer of German music (ha ha, Garrett & Jessica), but ahhhhhhh, the world needs more David Hasselhoffs.

Well, I certainly feel better. I believe I've expressed my odd feelings in writing and I now feel lighter. I think I'm even typing spunkier now. You know, all of this probably has to do with two things:
1. It was a hard kid day. Both boys did not get up on the happy side of the bed this morning. LONG day.
2. School is starting soon, and I always get a little emotional and extra attached to the kids at the end of the summer - a sort of trying to appreciate-every-moment type thing. It's ridiculous because I only work two days a week, but still, I feel badly about leaving them; especially Rhett.
As Marijon says though, I'll get over it. She's right.

Fun With Da-tee (aka:Da-Da) videos

Rhett's turn: (sorry about the fuzziness)

Da-tee gives in and gives Grant a turn, too. (Notice how Rhett tries to keep up with them.)

Random Postings

Grant got all dressed up for Uncle Garrett's arrival (isn't Uncle Garrett lucky?). You guessed it - he dressed himself. Those of you who are familiar with equestrian gear will note that is not a leather vest he is wearing as much as it is actually a horse bit (I think)... You know - the mouthpiece that goes in a horse's mouth that you somehow attach the reins to???(I think) It's part of a decoration that hangs in his cowboy room, but why not turn it into cowboy clothing instead? It's hard to see, but at about waist level there are two iron rings. Those would normally go on the side of the horse's mouth (again... I think), but Grant figured out some of his cups fit really well in them, hence his built in "cup holders." What a genius.

I figure my dad might like this picture as the cowboy hat was my granddad's.

Daddy and Grant at Cousin Jackson's 3rd birthday party in Galveston.

Grant sure loved Cousin Jackson's workbench. This what he said in the most pathetic voice you can imagine when he saw the workbench: "(big sighhhhhhhhhhhh!) I sure wish I had something like that!" Poor kid has no toys of his own to play with. ha ha

Have you ever seen pizzas this big?? I placed the regular sized paper plate in the picture for perspective!! Boone, Kate and Jackson are going to be eating pizza for a year.

Birthday Boy Jackson giving Rhett a kiss. So sweet.
Grant turned his bathroom into a mechanic's shop to fix his car. He sure didn't learn this from Da-tee or my dad. Maybe he picked it up from Dude-Dad.

Look what Uncle Garrett gave Grant!! Grant has been wanting a big ship for L-O-N-G time. Too cool, Uncle Garrett. Thanks a bunch!

Not too much to report from the home front. Tropical Storm Edouardo (I think I'm spelling that correctly; they're spelling it weirdly) threatened to make the day eventful, but for the most part, he failed. Edouardo dumped lots of rain, but nothing exciting like high winds, thunder or lightning; no sound or furry. Sigh. However, the entire Houston area flipped out before his arrival because he was supposed to be a bear full of high winds, possible tornadoes and LOTS of rain. Daycares, churches, school districts, colleges, the zoo, kid camps, and most businesses closed down for the day, and for what??? Two inches of rain. That's it. If I sound a little annoyed, it's because I was hoping my husband would stay home like the rest of the world, but he went off to work like a busy bee as he probably should have since the storm was a doozie and certainly not worth cancelling your day over. Oh well.

Late afternoon the sun began to poke through the uneventful clouds, and the boys and I ventured out for a short walk whichI would describe as eerie (sp?). No one was out. Everyone was home since no one worked today, but no one was out. It was 5:30, but no cars were coming home from work (since no one went to work, except Kerry), and you could not hear any kids yelling while they played their driveway basketball games, there weren't any dogs barking, no one rode by on skateboards or bikes, there were no lawn men outside weed eating and edging - the trees weren't even swaying in the breeze... It was like a ghost town without the flying dust and rolling tumbleweeds. I had begun to wonder if the world had come to an end and the boys and I were the only ones that were left behind. You could hear a pin drop. Despite the weirdness of it all, it was nice to get out in the peacefulness of the moment because it's never that quiet around here in this big city that's full of hustle and bustle.

Hopefully I'll have something more exciting for you in the next post.