10 years ago
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Monday, December 29, 2008
Happy Anniversary, Darling!
Doug and I had a wonderful date on Saturday to celebrate our 8th wedding anniversary! We went to Central Market for lunch because we love to taste all of the freshly baked breads and create perfect sandwiches from the myriad of fresh ingredients. After lunch we ran a couple of errands before heading to the Houstonian to get massages (Doug's first!) and then it was off to dinner - Greek! - and a movie. It was a wonderful day and the absolute perfect way to spend our anniversary.
The only down side? All of this "together time" has made it impossible for me to go to the store to get Doug an anniversary card. So, while I went to bed on the eve of our anniversary to find a beautiful card on my pillow, I had no such card for Douglas.
So, since I didn't give him a card I figured that I would do the next best thing - post my heartfelt message to Douglas on the internet for everyone to read! So, here goes, I promise to keep it short and sweet:
Douglas, thank you for the being the most amazing partner in life. The last 8 years have been incredibly fulfilling and fun. We have watched our family grow and shared countless memories along the way, big and small, extravagant and mundane, but all precious to me. And while it might sound cliche, I love you more today than the day we got married. I feel so lucky and so blessed to have found you! I truly believe the other cliche saying now, the days are long but the years are short - and I am so grateful to be spending them with you and our family. May the years ahead of us be the most incredible years yet! I love you madly. Anne
The only down side? All of this "together time" has made it impossible for me to go to the store to get Doug an anniversary card. So, while I went to bed on the eve of our anniversary to find a beautiful card on my pillow, I had no such card for Douglas.
So, since I didn't give him a card I figured that I would do the next best thing - post my heartfelt message to Douglas on the internet for everyone to read! So, here goes, I promise to keep it short and sweet:
Douglas, thank you for the being the most amazing partner in life. The last 8 years have been incredibly fulfilling and fun. We have watched our family grow and shared countless memories along the way, big and small, extravagant and mundane, but all precious to me. And while it might sound cliche, I love you more today than the day we got married. I feel so lucky and so blessed to have found you! I truly believe the other cliche saying now, the days are long but the years are short - and I am so grateful to be spending them with you and our family. May the years ahead of us be the most incredible years yet! I love you madly. Anne
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Twas The Night Before Christmas
'Twas the night before Christmas,
when all through the house
The Moore Boys were stirring,
all over the house;
The stockings were hung
by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nick
would bring a fire truck and a stick (sword).
The boys were nestled
all snug in their beds,
While visions of rudolph
flew in their heads;
And Mommy in her sweats
and Doug in his baseball hat
Had just settled down
for a long night of wrap(ping) -
When out on the lawn
there rose such a clatter
Indy sprang from the floor
to see what was the matter.
Away to the window
She flew like a flash
Barked at the shutters
and growled at the sash.
The moon on the breast
of the new-fallen pine (needles)
Made it seem like spring
instead of winter time;
When, what to our wondering eyes
should appear,
But a Texas sized sleigh
and eight Texas reindeer,
With a chubby old driver
so lively and quick,
We knew in a moment
we must be hallucinating or sick.
More rapid than eagles
we watched as they came
And Santa whistled, and shouted
and called them by name -
"Now, Dasher! Now, Dancer!
Now Prancer and Vixen!
On Comet! On, Cupid!
On Donder and Blitzen!
To the top of the brand new roof,
to the top of the slide!
Now, dash away! Dash away!
Dash and glide!"
As they meet the heat of Texas
and attempt to fly,
They sweat the the rest of us
even in the sky,
So up to the housetop
Rudolph and his gang flew
With a sleigh of toys for the Moore boys (literally)
and St. Nicholas too;
And then in a twinkling,
We heard Santa on the roof
And we thought to ourselves
those reindeer better becareful with their little hooves.
As we looked at each other
and turned around,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas
came with a bound.
He was dressed all in fur
from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished
with dust from the work happening at our house.
A bundle of toys
he had flung on his back,
And he looked like he had robbed
a toy store and run out the back.
His eyes how they twinkled!
His dimples how merry!
His cheeks were full from cookies,
and his nose like a cherry!
His little old mouth
was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard on his chin
was as white as the snow!
The stump of a cuban cigar
he held tight in his teeth,
And Doug asked if he had another
through the smoke that encircled head like a wreath.
He had a broad face
and a little round belly
That shook when he laughed
like a bowl full of Andrew's jelly(o).
He was chubby and plump -
a right jolly old elf
And we laughed when we saw him,
in spite of ourselves.
A wink of his eye
a twist of his head,
Soon gave us to know
We had nothing to dread.
He spoke not a word,
but went straight to his work,
And filled all the Moore stockings
then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger
aside (not inside, Andrew!) of his nose,
And giving a nod,
up the chimney he rose.
He sprang to his sleigh,
and then gave a whistle,
And away they all flew
like the down of a thistle.
But we heard him exclaim
as he drove out of sight,
"Merry Christmas to all
and to all a Good Night!"
More to come on the Moore Family Christmas ...
when all through the house
The Moore Boys were stirring,
all over the house;
The stockings were hung
by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nick
would bring a fire truck and a stick (sword).
The boys were nestled
all snug in their beds,
While visions of rudolph
flew in their heads;
And Mommy in her sweats
and Doug in his baseball hat
Had just settled down
for a long night of wrap(ping) -
When out on the lawn
there rose such a clatter
Indy sprang from the floor
to see what was the matter.
Away to the window
She flew like a flash
Barked at the shutters
and growled at the sash.
The moon on the breast
of the new-fallen pine (needles)
Made it seem like spring
instead of winter time;
When, what to our wondering eyes
should appear,
But a Texas sized sleigh
and eight Texas reindeer,
With a chubby old driver
so lively and quick,
We knew in a moment
we must be hallucinating or sick.
More rapid than eagles
we watched as they came
And Santa whistled, and shouted
and called them by name -
"Now, Dasher! Now, Dancer!
Now Prancer and Vixen!
On Comet! On, Cupid!
On Donder and Blitzen!
To the top of the brand new roof,
to the top of the slide!
Now, dash away! Dash away!
Dash and glide!"
As they meet the heat of Texas
and attempt to fly,
They sweat the the rest of us
even in the sky,
So up to the housetop
Rudolph and his gang flew
With a sleigh of toys for the Moore boys (literally)
and St. Nicholas too;
And then in a twinkling,
We heard Santa on the roof
And we thought to ourselves
those reindeer better becareful with their little hooves.
As we looked at each other
and turned around,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas
came with a bound.
He was dressed all in fur
from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished
with dust from the work happening at our house.
A bundle of toys
he had flung on his back,
And he looked like he had robbed
a toy store and run out the back.
His eyes how they twinkled!
His dimples how merry!
His cheeks were full from cookies,
and his nose like a cherry!
His little old mouth
was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard on his chin
was as white as the snow!
The stump of a cuban cigar
he held tight in his teeth,
And Doug asked if he had another
through the smoke that encircled head like a wreath.
He had a broad face
and a little round belly
That shook when he laughed
like a bowl full of Andrew's jelly(o).
He was chubby and plump -
a right jolly old elf
And we laughed when we saw him,
in spite of ourselves.
A wink of his eye
a twist of his head,
Soon gave us to know
We had nothing to dread.
He spoke not a word,
but went straight to his work,
And filled all the Moore stockings
then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger
aside (not inside, Andrew!) of his nose,
And giving a nod,
up the chimney he rose.
He sprang to his sleigh,
and then gave a whistle,
And away they all flew
like the down of a thistle.
But we heard him exclaim
as he drove out of sight,
"Merry Christmas to all
and to all a Good Night!"
More to come on the Moore Family Christmas ...
Monday, December 22, 2008
Our Trip to the North Pole aka Santa's Wonderland
Every year for the last 4 years we have made the trek to Santa's Wonderland near College Station to visit Santa and see the lights. It's popularity continues to grow and this year they upgraded to LED lights for their big light displays (you drive through in your car). A trip to Santa's Wonderland costs about as much as a trip to the North Pole, so we feel like they are one in the same :)
The boys loved Santa and we were pleasantly surprised that Tyler was more than happy to sit on his lap (Andrew screamed at this age). Andrew told Santa that he wanted a sword and that Tyler wants a fire truck. Funny enough, Santa replied, "That's all?"! Santa was sure to tell me that they were both very good boys (apparently Fiddle Sticks has been sending in good reports ignoring the occasional little boy meltdowns that occur at our house OR Andrew has been bribing Fiddle Sticks), but I already knew that!
After our photo we went and sat by the fire and Andrew and Tyler danced to the live folk music and played in the snow (aka foam that sprays from above). Then it was back to the car to drive through the light displays. Waiting in line to drive through takes a good hour, but the boys enjoyed sitting on our laps and looking at the lights as we drove through.
Alas, we are not Britney Spears so the boys went back into the car seats for the drive home. Andrew was so tired that he told Tyler that they were not going to watch their movie and that it was time for him to go to sleep -- and that they did. We got home close to 1:00 a.m.!
We apparently brought the cold weather from the North Pole home with us because the low here today is in the low 30s and with the wind it feels like the low 20s. Brrrr!
And now, what you really wanted to see:
The boys loved Santa and we were pleasantly surprised that Tyler was more than happy to sit on his lap (Andrew screamed at this age). Andrew told Santa that he wanted a sword and that Tyler wants a fire truck. Funny enough, Santa replied, "That's all?"! Santa was sure to tell me that they were both very good boys (apparently Fiddle Sticks has been sending in good reports ignoring the occasional little boy meltdowns that occur at our house OR Andrew has been bribing Fiddle Sticks), but I already knew that!
After our photo we went and sat by the fire and Andrew and Tyler danced to the live folk music and played in the snow (aka foam that sprays from above). Then it was back to the car to drive through the light displays. Waiting in line to drive through takes a good hour, but the boys enjoyed sitting on our laps and looking at the lights as we drove through.
Alas, we are not Britney Spears so the boys went back into the car seats for the drive home. Andrew was so tired that he told Tyler that they were not going to watch their movie and that it was time for him to go to sleep -- and that they did. We got home close to 1:00 a.m.!
We apparently brought the cold weather from the North Pole home with us because the low here today is in the low 30s and with the wind it feels like the low 20s. Brrrr!
And now, what you really wanted to see:
Sunday, December 21, 2008
What's Your Baby's Name?
We went to an Advent party at church last weekend and Andrew ran into Sebastian, a friend from school. Sebastian was there with his Mom and his little brother, Christian.
Andrew said "Hi" to Sebastian and then asked him, "What is your baby's name?" My baby's name is Tyler.
How cute and sweet is that?!?
Andrew said "Hi" to Sebastian and then asked him, "What is your baby's name?" My baby's name is Tyler.
How cute and sweet is that?!?
Saturday, December 20, 2008
House Update
Hurry up ... and wait!
The good news is that we have a brand spankin' new roof on our house! Yeah! The bad news is that the inside of the house is still a mess more than 3 months after Ike rolled through Houston.
The contractors just started the demo work on the formal living / dining room. The ceiling is totally off now and one wall is down to just studs. They are coming back Monday to finish the demo work and to start putting up new sheetrock and start working on seaming the sheetrock together. We are in the process of picking new paint colors, floors, cabinents for the vanity in the bathroom, etc. It is a bit overwhelming (are we choosing the right floors!?!), but I am excited that the work is starting and there is a small light at the end of the tunnel.
We are waiting on one more check from the insurance company and I will feel much better once we receive it / get the final approval for the amount so that we can start the work on the floors (that is the last item we have yet to agree on). All I want for Christmas is the last check from All State!
The good news is that we have a brand spankin' new roof on our house! Yeah! The bad news is that the inside of the house is still a mess more than 3 months after Ike rolled through Houston.
The contractors just started the demo work on the formal living / dining room. The ceiling is totally off now and one wall is down to just studs. They are coming back Monday to finish the demo work and to start putting up new sheetrock and start working on seaming the sheetrock together. We are in the process of picking new paint colors, floors, cabinents for the vanity in the bathroom, etc. It is a bit overwhelming (are we choosing the right floors!?!), but I am excited that the work is starting and there is a small light at the end of the tunnel.
We are waiting on one more check from the insurance company and I will feel much better once we receive it / get the final approval for the amount so that we can start the work on the floors (that is the last item we have yet to agree on). All I want for Christmas is the last check from All State!
Fiddle Sticks
Our Elf on the Shelf, Fiddle Sticks, is back and the boys love looking for him every morning after his nightly visits with Santa Claus.
Here is a link to the original post that talks about Fiddle Sticks
http://texasmoores.blogspot.com/2007/12/christmas-goodies.html
Andrew doesn't seem to mind telling Fiddle Sticks when he has been naughty so I am not sure how effective his presence has been ...
I highly recommend getting an Elf or if you are looking for a neat family gift, I highly recommend Elf on the Shelf.
Here is a link to the original post that talks about Fiddle Sticks
http://texasmoores.blogspot.com/2007/12/christmas-goodies.html
Andrew doesn't seem to mind telling Fiddle Sticks when he has been naughty so I am not sure how effective his presence has been ...
I highly recommend getting an Elf or if you are looking for a neat family gift, I highly recommend Elf on the Shelf.
Does Andrew Know Something I Don't?
At bed time recently, Andrew laid his head on my stomach and told me that he wants a baby sister. He said that he really wants two babies, Tyler and a baby sister. He then proceeded to talk to my stomach to say hi to his baby sister. The more I laughed about it, the more he insisted that there was a baby in there.
I told him that there was not a baby in my stomach, but he didn't seem to believe me ... maybe he is making reference to my "mommy tummy". Little kids are just so honest! I told him that I hated to disappoint him but that Mommy already has two babies, Andrew and Tyler.
I told him that there was not a baby in my stomach, but he didn't seem to believe me ... maybe he is making reference to my "mommy tummy". Little kids are just so honest! I told him that I hated to disappoint him but that Mommy already has two babies, Andrew and Tyler.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Cross Country Fun
I have spent the last week crossing this great country. Last Thursday I left for a long weekend trip to see Allie in California and to attend her baby shower before heading to New York for a business meeting and a Christmas dinner party. All the while, Doug was being Super Daddy taking care of the boys and managing all of the roof repairs on the house.
I had two great trips - it was so great to spend time with Allie and Marc before baby Riley arrives. They have such a beautiful home and were extremely gracious hosts so I felt right at home. Plus, Allie and I just get each other so it was so fun to have a chance to just chat and not worry about the 2 hour time difference that normally gets in the way. We spent a lot of quality time together eating at some great restaurants and of course, shopping! Plus, her baby shower was really fun - it was great to meet so many of her friends that I have heard so much about ... and did I mention that food was incredible? Check out Allie's blog (link in my blog links) for details (Zimmerman Shenangians).
New York was fun too - we stayed in Time Square and had a great time staying out way too late. I just wish I had an extra day to take in a show or to do some shopping, but I sure missed all of my boys after being gone for nearly a week (even though I did have a touch down Monday in Houston so I got to see them then) and I am glad to be home. After a while, I just miss sleeping in my own bed!
Doug was a total champ and I came home to a spotless house, I was seriously impressed!
I had two great trips - it was so great to spend time with Allie and Marc before baby Riley arrives. They have such a beautiful home and were extremely gracious hosts so I felt right at home. Plus, Allie and I just get each other so it was so fun to have a chance to just chat and not worry about the 2 hour time difference that normally gets in the way. We spent a lot of quality time together eating at some great restaurants and of course, shopping! Plus, her baby shower was really fun - it was great to meet so many of her friends that I have heard so much about ... and did I mention that food was incredible? Check out Allie's blog (link in my blog links) for details (Zimmerman Shenangians).
New York was fun too - we stayed in Time Square and had a great time staying out way too late. I just wish I had an extra day to take in a show or to do some shopping, but I sure missed all of my boys after being gone for nearly a week (even though I did have a touch down Monday in Houston so I got to see them then) and I am glad to be home. After a while, I just miss sleeping in my own bed!
Doug was a total champ and I came home to a spotless house, I was seriously impressed!
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Proud Moments
I am always proud to be Andrew's Mommy, but there are times that I am nearly bursting with pride that I have to share!
Doug and I were so proud of Andrew at Thanksgiving because he said Grace before our meal. He has been saying prayers at school and home for a while, but he is often shy about performing in front of a larger audience, but he said it perfectly at dinner!
He also knows a morning and afternoon prayer and can say the Pledge of Allegiance. I have to say, I am really happy with his new school. I can't remember if I shared on the blog that we changed Andrew from the Pre-K class to the Early Pre-K class so now he is the oldest in his class instead of the youngest and I think that is going to serve him well over time (there are several other kids with late summer birthdays who opted to do the same thing). He is constantly learning new things at school and coming home and teaching us what he learned.
He loves to learn, although Andrew can be super stubborn. I wonder where he gets that? :) Seriously though, we have been working on identifying letters and helping him sound out words. For example, Train starts with the letter T, etc. There are a handful of letters that Andrew doesn't seem to want to admit that he knows (no idea why), but to help him overcome this I put up the letters around the house and he has to tell us a letter before he can get juice, watch tv, etc.
So yesterday he declared that he didn't want to watch any TV all day. Doug and I were fairly certain it was because he didn't want to tell us what letter was on the TV. So, about 30 minutes later Andrew announced that the letter on the TV box was an "H" and that he wanted to watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. I guess he finally realized we weren't going to give in and turn it on unless he fessed up that he knew the letter. The only person more stubborn than Andrew is Andrew's mommy!
Last night we rented Fred Claus and the boys loved it, but the best part was during the credits when Ludacris' Here Comes Santa Claus came on (a hip hop twist to the classic song) and Andrew started dancing and doing a little break dancing as well! I so wish I had the video camera to capture his dancing! Tyler ended up joining in on the fun too.
This morning we were playing outside and Andrew came running to tell me that Tyler was playing in a puddle - sure enough, I turned around and found Tyler sitting next to a mud puddle splashing away in the mud!
Ah, to be the mother of boys! :)
Doug and I were so proud of Andrew at Thanksgiving because he said Grace before our meal. He has been saying prayers at school and home for a while, but he is often shy about performing in front of a larger audience, but he said it perfectly at dinner!
He also knows a morning and afternoon prayer and can say the Pledge of Allegiance. I have to say, I am really happy with his new school. I can't remember if I shared on the blog that we changed Andrew from the Pre-K class to the Early Pre-K class so now he is the oldest in his class instead of the youngest and I think that is going to serve him well over time (there are several other kids with late summer birthdays who opted to do the same thing). He is constantly learning new things at school and coming home and teaching us what he learned.
He loves to learn, although Andrew can be super stubborn. I wonder where he gets that? :) Seriously though, we have been working on identifying letters and helping him sound out words. For example, Train starts with the letter T, etc. There are a handful of letters that Andrew doesn't seem to want to admit that he knows (no idea why), but to help him overcome this I put up the letters around the house and he has to tell us a letter before he can get juice, watch tv, etc.
So yesterday he declared that he didn't want to watch any TV all day. Doug and I were fairly certain it was because he didn't want to tell us what letter was on the TV. So, about 30 minutes later Andrew announced that the letter on the TV box was an "H" and that he wanted to watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. I guess he finally realized we weren't going to give in and turn it on unless he fessed up that he knew the letter. The only person more stubborn than Andrew is Andrew's mommy!
Last night we rented Fred Claus and the boys loved it, but the best part was during the credits when Ludacris' Here Comes Santa Claus came on (a hip hop twist to the classic song) and Andrew started dancing and doing a little break dancing as well! I so wish I had the video camera to capture his dancing! Tyler ended up joining in on the fun too.
This morning we were playing outside and Andrew came running to tell me that Tyler was playing in a puddle - sure enough, I turned around and found Tyler sitting next to a mud puddle splashing away in the mud!
Ah, to be the mother of boys! :)
I feel so violated ...
In the grand scheme of things I feel very lucky, but right now I feel pretty crappy about it. Saturday around lunch we were loading up Doug's car so that we could go see our friends Mikey and Paige and their new little boy, William. As usual, I was grabbing 100 things on the way out the door. Snacks and juice for the boys. Slings to show Paige. My camera and camera bag. My make-up ... wait, where is my make-up bag?
This question started a 15 minute search for my make-up bag which is normally in my car or gym bag. I knew I saw it in my car Friday afternoon because I grabbed it to put on some moisturizer (cold weather dries out my skin!) but I had not seen it since then. I searched high and low and could not find it. As I was looking in my car for the third time, I realized that a shopping bag was missing. We had unloaded the car Friday afternoon, but I had purposely left one of the bags because it had stuff for Doug. Maybe Doug had grabbed it by mistake, or perhaps my mom had taken it with her stuff. Well, after searching high and low at our house and having my mom do the same at hers we were at a stand still. Where had these things gone?
It wasn't until today when I was loading the boys in the car to head home from Walgreens that I realized someone must have taken them out of my car. Why is that my conclusion ... because my diaper bag is missing too. We NEVER take my diaper bag out of my car and in fact, it hardly gets used at all these days. I have a small diaper pouch that I grab instead that holds the diapers and wipes and that is really all we need. After calling Doug to make sure the had not seen the diaper bag and checking the house yet again, I have come to the conclusion that we must have left the hatch to my car up on Friday evening when we were taking in the rest of the packages and someone took those things from the back of my car.
What is strange is that they didn't take my $300 stroller or my radar detector, although the radar detector was in the front of my car which may have been locked and not easily reached for a grab and go. All in all, I probably lost $300 or so worth of stuff, so it could have been worse. I think coming to this conclusion has helped our sanity somewhat because we were making ourselves crazy looking for everything. I just feel violated that if that is indeed what happened, it happened in our driveway.
I will be much happier when our house is renovated and the garage is available again so that I can park inside the garage instead of in the driveway. The good news is that our contractor and insurance company came to an agreement of about $35,000 in damages so the work should be able to start soon! The contractor and super are coming over tomorrow at lunch to start scheduling the work!
This question started a 15 minute search for my make-up bag which is normally in my car or gym bag. I knew I saw it in my car Friday afternoon because I grabbed it to put on some moisturizer (cold weather dries out my skin!) but I had not seen it since then. I searched high and low and could not find it. As I was looking in my car for the third time, I realized that a shopping bag was missing. We had unloaded the car Friday afternoon, but I had purposely left one of the bags because it had stuff for Doug. Maybe Doug had grabbed it by mistake, or perhaps my mom had taken it with her stuff. Well, after searching high and low at our house and having my mom do the same at hers we were at a stand still. Where had these things gone?
It wasn't until today when I was loading the boys in the car to head home from Walgreens that I realized someone must have taken them out of my car. Why is that my conclusion ... because my diaper bag is missing too. We NEVER take my diaper bag out of my car and in fact, it hardly gets used at all these days. I have a small diaper pouch that I grab instead that holds the diapers and wipes and that is really all we need. After calling Doug to make sure the had not seen the diaper bag and checking the house yet again, I have come to the conclusion that we must have left the hatch to my car up on Friday evening when we were taking in the rest of the packages and someone took those things from the back of my car.
What is strange is that they didn't take my $300 stroller or my radar detector, although the radar detector was in the front of my car which may have been locked and not easily reached for a grab and go. All in all, I probably lost $300 or so worth of stuff, so it could have been worse. I think coming to this conclusion has helped our sanity somewhat because we were making ourselves crazy looking for everything. I just feel violated that if that is indeed what happened, it happened in our driveway.
I will be much happier when our house is renovated and the garage is available again so that I can park inside the garage instead of in the driveway. The good news is that our contractor and insurance company came to an agreement of about $35,000 in damages so the work should be able to start soon! The contractor and super are coming over tomorrow at lunch to start scheduling the work!
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Happy Thanksgiving
This year, as always, I am thankful for so much and feel so blessed for the wonderful things I have in my life.
I am thankful for:
- My amazing and wonderful boys who bring me joy each and every day. I am so lucky to be a mother and wife to such incredible, fun and loving children and such a supportive, giving and thoughtful husband.
- My mom who reminds me that the love I have for my boys is the same love she has for me - it never ends
- My mother-in-law who has taken me in as her own and spends lots of quality time with my boys when we have other commitments. I love the special mother-son relationship she has with Doug because it shows me that a mother and son can have a close relationship like I have with my mom -- and since I have boys, that is very important to me.
- The rest of my family who is always there for me, even from afar
- Allie, for always remembering every special day in my life and being there whenever I need to vent and for not judging me when I do!
- My friends and co-workers who have laughed with me, helped me, given me advice, shared their stories with me and who have been there for me over the last year
- My health - I feel so fortunate that I am able to pursue my own athletic dreams and that my body is able to go along for the ride
Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!
I am thankful for:
- My amazing and wonderful boys who bring me joy each and every day. I am so lucky to be a mother and wife to such incredible, fun and loving children and such a supportive, giving and thoughtful husband.
- My mom who reminds me that the love I have for my boys is the same love she has for me - it never ends
- My mother-in-law who has taken me in as her own and spends lots of quality time with my boys when we have other commitments. I love the special mother-son relationship she has with Doug because it shows me that a mother and son can have a close relationship like I have with my mom -- and since I have boys, that is very important to me.
- The rest of my family who is always there for me, even from afar
- Allie, for always remembering every special day in my life and being there whenever I need to vent and for not judging me when I do!
- My friends and co-workers who have laughed with me, helped me, given me advice, shared their stories with me and who have been there for me over the last year
- My health - I feel so fortunate that I am able to pursue my own athletic dreams and that my body is able to go along for the ride
Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Brothers, Best Friends
My boys have been playing together so well lately that it just makes me smile to think about it. They make each other laugh like no one else can and Tyler clearly wants to be just like his big brother which is obvious when you watch him copy his every move!
A couple of cute stories to share:
*We were watching a Texas football game and Douglas gave me a fist bump after a Texas touchdown and Andrew wanted one too, so of course we gave him a fist bump as well. Well, Tyler felt left out and he came over to get his fist bump as well! It was too cute - plus, when Tyler gives his fist bumps he makes this cute noise. Next time you see him, give him a fist bump and you can see what I am talking about.
*During dinner the other night I gave Tyler a tortilla that was folded in half and he took a bite which made a circular hole in the tortilla. After he made the hole, he covered his face with the tortilla and looked out at us through the hole - he thought he was so clever and it was a pretty cute sight to see!
Here they are -- brothers and best friends:
A couple of cute stories to share:
*We were watching a Texas football game and Douglas gave me a fist bump after a Texas touchdown and Andrew wanted one too, so of course we gave him a fist bump as well. Well, Tyler felt left out and he came over to get his fist bump as well! It was too cute - plus, when Tyler gives his fist bumps he makes this cute noise. Next time you see him, give him a fist bump and you can see what I am talking about.
*During dinner the other night I gave Tyler a tortilla that was folded in half and he took a bite which made a circular hole in the tortilla. After he made the hole, he covered his face with the tortilla and looked out at us through the hole - he thought he was so clever and it was a pretty cute sight to see!
Here they are -- brothers and best friends:
Yacht Spotting
"Our yacht" has made its way from Tahiti to Panama, Grand Cayman, Cuba, the Bahamas, Spain, Greece and Siciliy and now back to Spain. Such world travelers!
http://www.yachtspotter.com/ysp2_ycard.php?foo=20061225
http://www.yachtspotter.com/ysp2_ycard.php?foo=20061225
Blue Tarps
We are one of those houses, you know what I am talking about -- the ones with the 'Hurricane Ike came through over 2 months ago and destroyed my roof but my insurance company is dragging its feet so I still have this tarp on my roof -- houses. If you have the pleasure of flying into Houston, look out the window and you will see how many homes and businesses fall in this category.
We have made some headway through the insurance process but I have come to the realization that our house will not be back to normal for Christmas and that stinks! We have received the first estimate from the insurance company and our first check but before any work can begin, the contractor and insurance company have to agree on the price of the work to be done and right now, they don't agree. Our contractor is negotiating with them right now and hopefully we will have some feedback this week. Our contractor does this full time (they specialize in restoration work and deal with insurance companies all of the time, not just with natural disasters like hurricanes). We are confident that they are going to get things done for us, it is just a matter of when.
For those of you who do not know, the roof damage allowed extensive water damage in our home so there is lots of work do be done in several rooms, including ceiling, sheet rock, insulation, new molding, new flooring, etc. Plus all of this work will require painting most of the downstairs on top of the new roof and partial new fence.
Cross your fingers for us!
Andrew keeps asking when they are going to come and fix our house ... I told him that I want to know the same thing and then I just promise it will be done soon. So, Allstate -- don't make me a liar! The contractor says it will take 3 weeks to do everything once we get the green light from the insurance company, I am not sure what the over/under is on that quote, but I would take the over ...
We have made some headway through the insurance process but I have come to the realization that our house will not be back to normal for Christmas and that stinks! We have received the first estimate from the insurance company and our first check but before any work can begin, the contractor and insurance company have to agree on the price of the work to be done and right now, they don't agree. Our contractor is negotiating with them right now and hopefully we will have some feedback this week. Our contractor does this full time (they specialize in restoration work and deal with insurance companies all of the time, not just with natural disasters like hurricanes). We are confident that they are going to get things done for us, it is just a matter of when.
For those of you who do not know, the roof damage allowed extensive water damage in our home so there is lots of work do be done in several rooms, including ceiling, sheet rock, insulation, new molding, new flooring, etc. Plus all of this work will require painting most of the downstairs on top of the new roof and partial new fence.
Cross your fingers for us!
Andrew keeps asking when they are going to come and fix our house ... I told him that I want to know the same thing and then I just promise it will be done soon. So, Allstate -- don't make me a liar! The contractor says it will take 3 weeks to do everything once we get the green light from the insurance company, I am not sure what the over/under is on that quote, but I would take the over ...
Pretty Mommy ... awww
Last night we went to the social event of the year at Andrew's school, a cocktail party with silent and live auction to benefit the school. I wore my favorite black dress and Douglas wore his black suit. When we were saying goodbye to the boys as we were leaving them with Mom Mom, Andrew called me back to tell me how pretty I looked and how much he loved his pretty mommy. Awww ... it made my heart melt on the spot! He should have just asked for his car when he turns 16 right then and there.
Sunday, November 02, 2008
Through the eyes of a child
Sometimes I look at Andrew and I am taken back in time in that instant to elementary school as his mannerisms and his behavior remind me so much of myself at that age. What is the number one thing we seem to have in common? Getting in trouble in class! :) It seems like Andrew may be a bit of a chatter box like his Mommy. He often tries to explain why he didn't do what we asked and I remember doing that a lot growing up. It always makes me smile when he does it because I understand now what my parents and teachers must have thought!
They have introduced the green light, yellow light and red light concept as school and each day we find out how he behaved at school that day depending on what color his light was for the day. Andrew is usually yellow with the occasional red and the rare green. I distinctly remember this same concept from first grade, except the teacher actually had all of our names on a board and she would change the paper next to our name from one color to the other so the entire class knew who was which color that day. You guessed it, I was often yellow! I keep reminding myself that I turned out ok and was a good student so I try not to be too hard on Andrew while still instilling the importance of good behavior at school.
They have introduced the green light, yellow light and red light concept as school and each day we find out how he behaved at school that day depending on what color his light was for the day. Andrew is usually yellow with the occasional red and the rare green. I distinctly remember this same concept from first grade, except the teacher actually had all of our names on a board and she would change the paper next to our name from one color to the other so the entire class knew who was which color that day. You guessed it, I was often yellow! I keep reminding myself that I turned out ok and was a good student so I try not to be too hard on Andrew while still instilling the importance of good behavior at school.
Babies, babies, everywhere!
I am so excited that so many of my friends are having babies!
*Laura (a friend from work) had a baby girl about 2 weeks ago.
*Jeanne (another friend from work) had a baby girl last week.
*Paige (a friend from high school)and her husband Mikey (a friend from preschool!) are having a baby boy on Friday! -- note, I am happy to see someone else is having boys! Good luck on Friday!
*Allie (a friend from college) is having a baby girl in February. Her daughter will be two years younger than Tyler -- I see a budding romance possibility here!
*Tara (a friend from elementary school on) is having a baby girl this Spring.
No baby fever yet ... my boys keep me too busy for that, but we'll see how I feel when all of these babies arrive! :)
*Laura (a friend from work) had a baby girl about 2 weeks ago.
*Jeanne (another friend from work) had a baby girl last week.
*Paige (a friend from high school)and her husband Mikey (a friend from preschool!) are having a baby boy on Friday! -- note, I am happy to see someone else is having boys! Good luck on Friday!
*Allie (a friend from college) is having a baby girl in February. Her daughter will be two years younger than Tyler -- I see a budding romance possibility here!
*Tara (a friend from elementary school on) is having a baby girl this Spring.
No baby fever yet ... my boys keep me too busy for that, but we'll see how I feel when all of these babies arrive! :)
Happy Birthday to Me!
What a great birthday!
I started the day off with a 13 mile run. Felt strong - it was a great way to start a new year. I came home from my run to a house of surprises. I love surprises (good ones at least!). There were 29 red balloons waiting for my in the utility room (which is the house entry from the garage, which is how I come in the house) and posters and streamers all around the house wishing me a happy day. As soon as I walked in the boys sang me Happy Birthday. It all just made me melt!
Douglas made pancakes and eggs and then we just laid low all day. It was such a wonderful, relaxing day. The boys stayed up late watching the Texas vs Tech game (we finally put them to bed at the end of the 3rd quarter). They were both in such a good mood and were being so playful -- it was just a wonderful, wonderful evening! While I was not happy with the outcome of the Texas game, it didn't put a damper on my special day.
Douglas and the boys gave me a Garmin running watch for my birthday, which I used on my run this morning and it was awesome! Plus, Doug made me my favorite birthday cake -- hmmm, I think I will go have another taste now! I was spoiled rotten today -I have the best boys ever!
I also got some great cards in the mail, text messages, emails and phone calls from friends and family which truly helped round out my fantastic day - thank you!
I started the day off with a 13 mile run. Felt strong - it was a great way to start a new year. I came home from my run to a house of surprises. I love surprises (good ones at least!). There were 29 red balloons waiting for my in the utility room (which is the house entry from the garage, which is how I come in the house) and posters and streamers all around the house wishing me a happy day. As soon as I walked in the boys sang me Happy Birthday. It all just made me melt!
Douglas made pancakes and eggs and then we just laid low all day. It was such a wonderful, relaxing day. The boys stayed up late watching the Texas vs Tech game (we finally put them to bed at the end of the 3rd quarter). They were both in such a good mood and were being so playful -- it was just a wonderful, wonderful evening! While I was not happy with the outcome of the Texas game, it didn't put a damper on my special day.
Douglas and the boys gave me a Garmin running watch for my birthday, which I used on my run this morning and it was awesome! Plus, Doug made me my favorite birthday cake -- hmmm, I think I will go have another taste now! I was spoiled rotten today -I have the best boys ever!
I also got some great cards in the mail, text messages, emails and phone calls from friends and family which truly helped round out my fantastic day - thank you!
Saturday, November 01, 2008
Happy Halloween!
In keeping with tradition, my boys coordinated for Halloween. Last year they were Super Heroes and this year they were Woody (Tyler) and Buzz Lightyear (Andrew) from the movie Toy Story. For those of you who have not seen the movies, while adversaries at first, Woody and Buzz end up as best friends.
We made our annual trip to the pumpkin patch this week to pick our pumpkin for carving and to take our pumpkin pictures. The boys loved the pumpkin patch and were running around having a blast. Lots of other children approached them to ask about their costumes and Andrew took great pride in telling everyone who they were. Andrew even asked me how to fly with his costume on! :)
Here are the best photos from the pumpkin patch, seriously, how cute are my boys?
We made our annual trip to the pumpkin patch this week to pick our pumpkin for carving and to take our pumpkin pictures. The boys loved the pumpkin patch and were running around having a blast. Lots of other children approached them to ask about their costumes and Andrew took great pride in telling everyone who they were. Andrew even asked me how to fly with his costume on! :)
Here are the best photos from the pumpkin patch, seriously, how cute are my boys?
Sunday, October 19, 2008
10 Year High School Reunion
My 10 year high school reunion was 2 weeks ago ... where have the last 10 years gone?
I love people watching so it was so fun to see people that I had not thought about for 10 years and see who they had married or if they had kids, what people are doing, where they are living, etc.
Douglas and I won the longest married award and we tied for the most children award (for those that attended the reunion - there were people in the alumni directory with more children).
Everyone looked pretty much the same. The guys looked older, but that wasn't a big surprise since girls seem to mature faster. We'll see how everyone looks at our 20 year reunion!
I love people watching so it was so fun to see people that I had not thought about for 10 years and see who they had married or if they had kids, what people are doing, where they are living, etc.
Douglas and I won the longest married award and we tied for the most children award (for those that attended the reunion - there were people in the alumni directory with more children).
Everyone looked pretty much the same. The guys looked older, but that wasn't a big surprise since girls seem to mature faster. We'll see how everyone looks at our 20 year reunion!
Andrew's Career Day
Last week Andrew's preschool class talked about what they wanted to be when they grow up. The note his teacher sent home describing the week's activities said that they were going to spend the week talking about different jobs and also about how Superman and Batman are not real people (they're superheros!) and for girls, how being a princess is not really a career ambition.
The kids were also asked to dress up on Friday as what they wanted to be when they grow up. We talked to Andrew all week about it and he was fixated on being a fireman. So we surprised him Friday morning with the coolest fireman costume ever (thanks Mom Mom!). He lived in the costume all weekend long and he probably would have slept in it if we had let him! Here some photos of my little fireman - enjoy!
The kids were also asked to dress up on Friday as what they wanted to be when they grow up. We talked to Andrew all week about it and he was fixated on being a fireman. So we surprised him Friday morning with the coolest fireman costume ever (thanks Mom Mom!). He lived in the costume all weekend long and he probably would have slept in it if we had let him! Here some photos of my little fireman - enjoy!
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Bittersweet Moments
I took all of the clothes out of Tyler's dresser that are now too small and replaced them with bigger clothes for the Fall (one of the benefits of having two boys!) last week. The Fall clothes looked so big in comparison to the clothes that I put away in Rubbermaid containers, but alas, they fit. My baby boy is growing up so fast!
Words we have heard Tyler say this week: mine, ball, dog, mommy, daddy, Andrew, thanks, hi, bye bye, hey, hot dog -- he also does the sign for more in sign language.
Words we have heard Tyler say this week: mine, ball, dog, mommy, daddy, Andrew, thanks, hi, bye bye, hey, hot dog -- he also does the sign for more in sign language.
Thursday, October 09, 2008
Longhorn Half Ironman Race Recap
Check out my triathlon training blog for the full race recap.
http://annesirondream.blogspot.com/
The summary:
Total Time – 6:20.43
Overall Place – 1206/1929
Gender Place – 287/513
Division Place – 51/90
Swim Time (1.2 miles; 2:00/100 meter pace) - 38:39.30
Division Place - 84/90
Overall Place - 1694/1929
T1 Time - 3:56
Division Place - 46/90
Bike Time (56 miles; 16.6 mph) - 3:22:25
Division Place - 59/90
Overall Place - 1524/1929
T2 Time - 2:15
Division Place - 27/90
Run Time (13.1 miles; 10:11 min/mile pace)- 2:13:26
Division Place - 42/90
Overall Place - 807/1929
http://annesirondream.blogspot.com/
The summary:
Total Time – 6:20.43
Overall Place – 1206/1929
Gender Place – 287/513
Division Place – 51/90
Swim Time (1.2 miles; 2:00/100 meter pace) - 38:39.30
Division Place - 84/90
Overall Place - 1694/1929
T1 Time - 3:56
Division Place - 46/90
Bike Time (56 miles; 16.6 mph) - 3:22:25
Division Place - 59/90
Overall Place - 1524/1929
T2 Time - 2:15
Division Place - 27/90
Run Time (13.1 miles; 10:11 min/mile pace)- 2:13:26
Division Place - 42/90
Overall Place - 807/1929
Sunday, September 21, 2008
The Faces of Tyler
I realized this weekend that it had been a while since I did a Tyler photo session so I attempted to capture him while playing outside. He is not interested in posing for the camera these days, but I was able to capture several different "faces" of Tyler and a creative shot of Indy just for fun. Enjoy!
Can you believe that Tyler is 19 months old???
Look at those big brown eyes!
Indy Girl
Can you believe that Tyler is 19 months old???
Look at those big brown eyes!
Indy Girl
Andrew is one funny guy!
Andrew is constantly cracking us up - the boy has serious comedic timing, plus when he is not being purposely funny, he still manages to make us laugh. It is all smiles in these parts :)
So, even though this will embarrass him to no end one day, I will share the story that Doug told me from Friday. Doug and Andrew had a great one-on-one day on Friday while I was at work and Tyler was at school. Doug and Andrew got to play hooky since Doug's work did not have power and Andrew's school was closed. Friday afternoon Andrew asked to watch one of his favorite movies, Peter Pan. The movie progressed without incident until the part where the mermaids are singing ... here is the ensuing conversation as it was relayed to me:
Andrew: How are those girls, Daddy?
Daddy: The mermaids
Andrew: Oh yeah, the mermaids--(sheepishly and almost embarrassed) they have boobies!
Daddy: Laughs out loud!
Clearly, Andrew is paying attention to the difference between boys and girls! Just another day in the Moore house!
So, even though this will embarrass him to no end one day, I will share the story that Doug told me from Friday. Doug and Andrew had a great one-on-one day on Friday while I was at work and Tyler was at school. Doug and Andrew got to play hooky since Doug's work did not have power and Andrew's school was closed. Friday afternoon Andrew asked to watch one of his favorite movies, Peter Pan. The movie progressed without incident until the part where the mermaids are singing ... here is the ensuing conversation as it was relayed to me:
Andrew: How are those girls, Daddy?
Daddy: The mermaids
Andrew: Oh yeah, the mermaids--(sheepishly and almost embarrassed) they have boobies!
Daddy: Laughs out loud!
Clearly, Andrew is paying attention to the difference between boys and girls! Just another day in the Moore house!
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Hurricane Ike
I am happy to report that the Moores, James' and Farris' all fared well in the storm, despite some home damage.
We are the luckiest because we have power (we got it back Monday night) , water and cable while our parents are both still without power. Thankfully, they both have generators to help with some of the creature comforts, but I know that they would prefer to have power up and running! The worst part was in the 2 days after the storm when they did not have running water!
The storm itself was pretty scary as it hit overnight and with the power out you are just stuck in the dark listening to the howling wind and things going bump in the night. We stayed with Doug's parents for the storm because they boarded up their house and they had generators on standby.
Well, it turns out all of those things going "bump in the night" were trees falling on homes and wind tearing off shingles. Both of our parents had trees fall on their homes and we lost a large section of shingles (down to the wood) so we all ended up with some water damage, although I think that ours is the worst (covers the largest area).
We have started the not so fun insurance and contractor process so that we get our home back quickly. I will keep you all posted on the progress.
Houston is still a mess with traffic lights outs, low gas supplies, half of the city without power and schools closed. My office has been open since Tuesday but they have been flexible with me allowing me to work from home since schools are closed and we are dealing with the house damage.
In the mean time, thank you for your thoughts and prayers! It was nice to know so many people were thinking of us as Ike was swirling by.
We are the luckiest because we have power (we got it back Monday night) , water and cable while our parents are both still without power. Thankfully, they both have generators to help with some of the creature comforts, but I know that they would prefer to have power up and running! The worst part was in the 2 days after the storm when they did not have running water!
The storm itself was pretty scary as it hit overnight and with the power out you are just stuck in the dark listening to the howling wind and things going bump in the night. We stayed with Doug's parents for the storm because they boarded up their house and they had generators on standby.
Well, it turns out all of those things going "bump in the night" were trees falling on homes and wind tearing off shingles. Both of our parents had trees fall on their homes and we lost a large section of shingles (down to the wood) so we all ended up with some water damage, although I think that ours is the worst (covers the largest area).
We have started the not so fun insurance and contractor process so that we get our home back quickly. I will keep you all posted on the progress.
Houston is still a mess with traffic lights outs, low gas supplies, half of the city without power and schools closed. My office has been open since Tuesday but they have been flexible with me allowing me to work from home since schools are closed and we are dealing with the house damage.
In the mean time, thank you for your thoughts and prayers! It was nice to know so many people were thinking of us as Ike was swirling by.
Tyler is talking!
Well, sort of, anyway!
Last week he started to combine words - so instead of just saying "bye bye" he started to say "bye bye daddy" and my favorite "bye bye edrew". He also says some form of "thanks" when you give him what he wants (food, a toy, etc).
Another cute Tyler story (I have to get this on video):
We listen to the Wiggles at night before bed and he just loves the song 5 Little Joeys Jumping on the Bed. This is the song (just like the monkey version) -
5 Little Joeys jumping on the bed
1 fell off and bumped his head (Tyler puts his hand on his head)
Mama called he doctor and the doctor said
No more Joeys jumping on the bed (Tyler shakes his finger to say no)
It is pretty cute to watch. Tyler just loves the song!
Tyler really is understanding more and more these days and what he cannot verbalize, he shakes his head yes and no. The yes nod is too cute for words -- he uses his whole head!
Last week he started to combine words - so instead of just saying "bye bye" he started to say "bye bye daddy" and my favorite "bye bye edrew". He also says some form of "thanks" when you give him what he wants (food, a toy, etc).
Another cute Tyler story (I have to get this on video):
We listen to the Wiggles at night before bed and he just loves the song 5 Little Joeys Jumping on the Bed. This is the song (just like the monkey version) -
5 Little Joeys jumping on the bed
1 fell off and bumped his head (Tyler puts his hand on his head)
Mama called he doctor and the doctor said
No more Joeys jumping on the bed (Tyler shakes his finger to say no)
It is pretty cute to watch. Tyler just loves the song!
Tyler really is understanding more and more these days and what he cannot verbalize, he shakes his head yes and no. The yes nod is too cute for words -- he uses his whole head!
Sunday, September 07, 2008
Doing a Happy Dance
To say that I was a bit concerned about the transitions that Andrew and Tyler had ahead of them would be an understatement! School is such an important and time consuming part of their week and making sure that they are happy and comfortable is so important to me. I am happy to report that both boys seem to love their new schools!
Tyler, in particular, had me worried because he had been crying at drop off at his old school. I was not sure if it was the school or a phase he was going through. After a couple of tears early in the week, Tyler now just waves bye bye at drop off! That just reaffirms that we made the right decision.
Andrew can't stop talking about his new school. Most days at pick up he wants to keep playing! There is a pre-k coffee and lunch (with the teachers and principal) this week so I will get to meet a lot of the other moms as well as learn a bit more about the plans for this year.
This is me, breathing a sigh of relief!
Tyler, in particular, had me worried because he had been crying at drop off at his old school. I was not sure if it was the school or a phase he was going through. After a couple of tears early in the week, Tyler now just waves bye bye at drop off! That just reaffirms that we made the right decision.
Andrew can't stop talking about his new school. Most days at pick up he wants to keep playing! There is a pre-k coffee and lunch (with the teachers and principal) this week so I will get to meet a lot of the other moms as well as learn a bit more about the plans for this year.
This is me, breathing a sigh of relief!
Monday, September 01, 2008
Happy September!
Where have the first 8 months of the year gone? I am currently enjoying an extra day off from work for Labor Day and I am thoroughly enjoying the extra rest and relaxation as well as playing with my boys.
We were watching Madagascar this morning and there is one part where the Lemurs start to dance to "I like to move it, I like to move it ..." and Andrew got up from his chair, dressed only in his underoos and starting dancing like crazy. It was so cute. Tyler was in his high chair and he desperately wanted to get down to dance too, so we let him out of his chair and he started dancing like crazy too! I wish I had had the video camera within arm's reach.
I hope you like the new photos in the blog header ... and here is our new family photo that will be displayed over our fire place. Finally a photo with Tyler, since we have had one of just the three of us (pre-Tyler) for the last year and a half!
We were watching Madagascar this morning and there is one part where the Lemurs start to dance to "I like to move it, I like to move it ..." and Andrew got up from his chair, dressed only in his underoos and starting dancing like crazy. It was so cute. Tyler was in his high chair and he desperately wanted to get down to dance too, so we let him out of his chair and he started dancing like crazy too! I wish I had had the video camera within arm's reach.
I hope you like the new photos in the blog header ... and here is our new family photo that will be displayed over our fire place. Finally a photo with Tyler, since we have had one of just the three of us (pre-Tyler) for the last year and a half!
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Big Changes in the Moore House!
Well, it is official ... we have a PRE-K big boy in our house! Andrew started Pre-K this Thursday and it went off without a hitch. In fact, we were hanging around after we kissed him goodbye and he said, "Mom, it's time to go!" He was so matter-of-fact about it and it was as if he had been at his new school his entire life! He is really excited and seems to love it and we are thrilled with the school.
To be honest, it was all a bit overwhelming for me as a working mom because there is ton of volunteer opportunities, lots of parent involvement - all things that I have wanted and one of the main reasons we enrolled him in this school - but it is going to take me a bit to learn the ropes!
Look at our big boy in his uniform!
In related news, Tyler will be starting a new school next week to be close to Andrew. He went for a visit last week and it went well, so we are hopeful that he will transition easily. We have also been working on saying goodbye to his pacifier this last week -- my little guy is getting so big too!
To be honest, it was all a bit overwhelming for me as a working mom because there is ton of volunteer opportunities, lots of parent involvement - all things that I have wanted and one of the main reasons we enrolled him in this school - but it is going to take me a bit to learn the ropes!
Look at our big boy in his uniform!
In related news, Tyler will be starting a new school next week to be close to Andrew. He went for a visit last week and it went well, so we are hopeful that he will transition easily. We have also been working on saying goodbye to his pacifier this last week -- my little guy is getting so big too!
Home Sweet Home - Day 8
I woke up early on Saturday thinking that I might go for a swim to find that a storm was rolling in. The beach was deserted, it was raining and the waves were strong so I woke Doug up and told him about the storm. It was the easiest I have ever gotten Doug up early in the morning -- as soon as he heard about the storm, we quickly packed the car to start on our journey home. Again, we were lucky that the weather waited until we were leaving to roll in!
Before we left Florida, Andrew told Doug that he wanted to stay and grow up there --- awww, clearly Andrew loved vacation!
The ride home went a lot faster than the ride to Florida, mostly because we were on a no stopping plan until we hit a big accident just outside of Texas that held us up for nearly an hour. The boys were great and I spent the trip back alternating between napping, surfing the net on Doug's blackberry, and blogging. We made it home in time to have Pei Wei for dinner before calling it a night. We were happy to have Sunday to recoup, unpack, do laundry and relax before heading back to work and school on Monday.
Until next time ...
Before we left Florida, Andrew told Doug that he wanted to stay and grow up there --- awww, clearly Andrew loved vacation!
The ride home went a lot faster than the ride to Florida, mostly because we were on a no stopping plan until we hit a big accident just outside of Texas that held us up for nearly an hour. The boys were great and I spent the trip back alternating between napping, surfing the net on Doug's blackberry, and blogging. We made it home in time to have Pei Wei for dinner before calling it a night. We were happy to have Sunday to recoup, unpack, do laundry and relax before heading back to work and school on Monday.
Until next time ...
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Battling the Jellies – Day 7
I woke up early Friday morning (although not that early!) to go for a run before hitting the beach with the boys. This time I decided to try my luck at running on the beach with my shoes on. I spent the run trying to avoid the waves with mixed results. My shoes got a little wet, as did my socks, so I switched my socks at the half-way point (to put my dry sock on the foot that was starting to blister). Overall, the run was tough, but my research from Runner’s World says that running on the beach is a great workout and burns 1.6x more calories than a regular run, so at least I had that going for me.
After my run, we had breakfast and then we all went to the beach for the morning. Sand castles, digging holes, swimming, oh my! We all took a break for lunch and then Andrew and I went back to the beach to take a walk, look for shells and do a little swimming while Tyler napped. It was during our walk that we discovered that jellyfish were starting to come ashore (there went my afternoon ocean swim!). Andrew was very interested in the jellies - in part because Marlin and Dory "battle the jellies" in Finding Nemo. We spent a lot of time studying the jellies and looking for jellies to safely catch with a net to get them off the beach.
Life's tough on the beach!
After more playing on the beach it was time to get ready for our family photos and then head to dinner at the Back Porch where we watched Michael Phelps beat the Serbian by .01 seconds in the butterfly. The crowd at the bar went crazy when he won, it was really cool. After a full day, we were all pretty tired, especially Andrew ...
After my run, we had breakfast and then we all went to the beach for the morning. Sand castles, digging holes, swimming, oh my! We all took a break for lunch and then Andrew and I went back to the beach to take a walk, look for shells and do a little swimming while Tyler napped. It was during our walk that we discovered that jellyfish were starting to come ashore (there went my afternoon ocean swim!). Andrew was very interested in the jellies - in part because Marlin and Dory "battle the jellies" in Finding Nemo. We spent a lot of time studying the jellies and looking for jellies to safely catch with a net to get them off the beach.
Life's tough on the beach!
After more playing on the beach it was time to get ready for our family photos and then head to dinner at the Back Porch where we watched Michael Phelps beat the Serbian by .01 seconds in the butterfly. The crowd at the bar went crazy when he won, it was really cool. After a full day, we were all pretty tired, especially Andrew ...
On the Road Again – Again! – Day 6
We woke up Thursday morning to rain and were immediately thankful for our good fortune to have had such great weather both in Destin and Orlando (we missed the bad weather in both places). Apparently, it rained in Destin the whole time we were in Orlando! I let the boys sleep in while I went to the gym and when I got back Doug went to get breakfast while the boys and I showered and packed.
After breakfast and check out we started the trek back to Destin. This time we took I-75 and saved a bit of time. We arrived back in Destin in time to spend about an hour on the beach before dark. It was a great way for the boys to let off some energy they had built up in the car. While the boys and I cleaned up from the beach, Doug went to Fat Clemenza’s to pick up pizza for dinner. It was worth the wait! We watched a bit of the Olympics before calling it a night. Another sunny day (perfect timing!) was waiting for us.
Andrew liked to wear my fins in the car ... this is how I found him when we stopped for a potty break ...
Tyler playing in the sand and showing off his favorite feature - his tounge!
Best artistic photo I could muster without a tripod at night
After breakfast and check out we started the trek back to Destin. This time we took I-75 and saved a bit of time. We arrived back in Destin in time to spend about an hour on the beach before dark. It was a great way for the boys to let off some energy they had built up in the car. While the boys and I cleaned up from the beach, Doug went to Fat Clemenza’s to pick up pizza for dinner. It was worth the wait! We watched a bit of the Olympics before calling it a night. Another sunny day (perfect timing!) was waiting for us.
Andrew liked to wear my fins in the car ... this is how I found him when we stopped for a potty break ...
Tyler playing in the sand and showing off his favorite feature - his tounge!
Best artistic photo I could muster without a tripod at night
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Woody’s Cowboy Camp – Day 5
If you do any research about Disney before you go, one of the things that you will immediately stumble across is Character Dining. Basically, you go to a decent buffet and the characters come around to your table, sign autographs, take pictures, etc. We went to Goofy’s Kitchen for dinner when we went to Disneyland so I wanted the boys to have another character dining experience at Disney World. They are very popular (and costly) and when I called to make reservations for our stay they had one, yes one, spot left. 7:20 a.m. Against my better judgment, I took it.
I was seriously regretting the breakfast reservation after the long day on Tuesday, but Doug and I decided to keep it and we got the boys up at 6:30 a.m. for breakfast. They both fell asleep on the car ride to breakfast. Breakfast itself at Chef Mickey’s wasn’t that great and while the characters did their mandatory stops, they were not as interactive as the characters at Goofy’s Kitchen. I was a little disappointed (especially since we were seated in a dark area which made it difficult to get any decent photos) but Andrew was happy and that is what really matters. Tyler liked to look at the characters from far away but he didn’t want to be next to them – at all. Pluto and Minnie both made an effort to try to get him to come over to see them and surprisingly he did go see Minnie and give her a hug, but he wanted nothing to do with Pluto. He did enjoy waving bye bye to the characters though, go figure!
After breakfast we went straight to the park to start our second day of magic. We conquered Fantasyland and Toontown on Tuesday and we planned on doing Frontierland, Adventureland, and Tomorrowland on Wednesday. When we got to the park the first thing we noticed was how much easier it was to move around – clearly getting there early has its advantages. Plus, apparently, Wednesdays are typically slower days. We headed off to Frontierland and the good luck of the day started.
Right as we were entering Frontierland, Woody’s Cowboy Camp was starting, which is a 15 minute interactive show put on by Woody and his round-up gang. Woody is a character from the movie Toy Story and it is one of Andrew’s favorite movies. Andrew got to participate in the show by riding a wooden horse and then dance along side one of the Cast Members to the Hokey Pokey. He was really excited about the whole thing, and to be honest, so were we! Doug and I have also seen the Toy Story movies more times than we care to count and we like Woody too.
After the show, Woody and Jessie stop for a meet-and-greet next to Splash Mountain so that was our next stop. Woody ended up having to “check on Bullseye” (his horse) so he did not return for photos. So, Andrew hugged Jessie, got his photo taken and Woody’s handler told us when to come back to get our Woody photo.
Tuesday was a great day at the park, but everything really seemed to keep falling in line for us on Wednesday. After the photos we went to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad to get a Fast Pass. Fast Passes are the best thing ever at an amusement park! Basically, you get a pass that tells you what time to come back to the ride and you get to go through the Fast Pass line, which is usually much shorter than the Standby line.
While we were waiting for our Fast Pass time for Thunder Mountain we decided to go to Adventureland since we didn’t want to go on Splash Mountain (no desire to get wet). Right as we were walking into Adventureland we caught the end of a pirate show and Andrew was able to get his photo taken with Captain Hook and Mr. Smee. He loves the movie Peter Pan right now, so he was really excited. The handlers told us what time to come back to meet Peter and Wendy – perfect! We took a quick side detour back to Froniterland to meet Woody and take pictures and then it was back to Adventureland. We were right next to the Pirates of the Caribbean ride and the line was fairly short so we decided to give it a whirl. While Doug went to park the stroller I chatted with one of the Cast Members. She asked how many were in our party and I told her and she told me that she was going to take us to a special entrance. She took us around the back and straight to the front of the line! No waiting at all! It was awesome! Andrew said the nicest thank you (as did we), which I thought was so polite. The ride itself was a bit scary for the boys since it is so dark inside and a tad spooky, but they made it through.
After Pirates, we went to the Magic Carpets of Aladdin, which ended just in time for our date with Peter Pan and Wendy. Doug went to get a Fast Pass for the Jungle Cruise and I took Andrew the spot where Peter Pan’s handler said to go. Andrew was first in line and he was so excited when they walked up. His favorite part? Wearing Peter Pan’s hat – Peter was nice enough to put him on it and Wendy gave him a kiss. They were the nicest characters we met the whole time we were there. I think part of the reason for that is that they are really the only characters we met that were in costume without the big heads. Those characters don’t actually talk, they just gesture. Regardless, Peter and Wendy spent several minutes chatting with him and they made his day. Several hours later, Andrew whispered to me, “Mommy, I got to wear Peter’s hat!” It made quite an impression on him!
After our side adventures in Adventureland we went back to Frontierland (they are right next to each other) to ride Thunder Mountain. The Fast Pass came in handy because the line was 50 minutes long and we were on and off in less than 10 minutes! The best part – it is considered a mid-level coaster and Andrew loved it! When it was over he said, “That was so fun!” This ride (Goofy’s coaster and Stitch’s Great Escape) were a handful of the rides that had height requirements so Tyler could not ride. In cases like this, Disney offers something called a Parent Switch (or something like that) where one parent goes on the ride with the child that meets the height requirement and the other parent stays with the child that does not, and then they switch. It was great for Andrew because he got to ride the coaster twice with almost no wait. With that, we were finished with Frontierland and Adventureland and we were off to Tomorrowland. We saved our Fast Passes for the Jungle Cruise in Adventureland for later in the day (Disney gives you a one hour window on when to come back to use your Fast Pass, but they will let you come back late -- even hours late -- just not early. We learned this on Tuesday when we were late for Peter Pan because we couldn’t get there due to the Fireworks).
As soon as we arrived in Tomorrowland we met Buzz Lightyear (Woody’s best friend) and another one of Andrew’s favorite characters. As soon as we met Woody, Andrew said he wanted to see Buzz. Our good luck continues! We got a Fast Pass for Stitch’s Great Escape and Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin and then went to Monster’s, Inc Laugh Floor. After an ice cream break Doug took Andrew on Stitch’s Great Escape (it has a height requirement) and Andrew did not like it at all. Doug said he was sobbing but because they were strapped in individually he could not even hold him to comfort him. Andrew told Doug, “I don’t want to ride that again.” Clearly, we did not use our parent switch for that ride! We hit the Tomorrowland Transit Authority (a train ride on top of the area) and Buzz’s ride when Tyler finally fell asleep. He had only taken a quick cat nap earlier in the day. While Tyler was napping Doug and Andrew drove on the Indy Speedway race track while Tyler and I went on a stroll down Main Street. Everyone was getting pretty tired by this time, so after the race track we decided it was time for one last ride before calling it a night. We used our Fast Pass for the Jungle Cruise and then said goodbye to the Magic Kingdom and started our trek to the car. 1 hour later (literally) we were finally sitting in the Suburban and leaving the Magic Kingdom. We had a quick bite near our hotel and then called it a night. Our trek back to Destin was waiting for us in the morning.
Breakfast at Chef Mickey's
The surprise hug!
Woody saying hello to Tyler
Andrew at Cowboy Camp
Jessie the Yodoling Cowgirl
Andrew and His Round-up Gang
Aye! Captain Hook and Mr Smee
Andrew wearing Peter's Hat - Notice that Wendy is holding his hand!
To Infinity and Beyond!
Mommy and Tyler on the Tomorrowland Train
Our last photo at Disney!
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