Happy Birthday, Mikey!

Today is my wonderful husband's 32nd birthday.  Happy Birthday, baby . . . you have made my life such a wonderful world for the past 9 years - I only hope that yours has been half as great as mine!

I arranged with Mike's boss, Alex, for him to have the day off.  It was a surprise, and when I told him last night, I actually was unable to tell if he was excited or not.  He kept saying they were going to get him a cake at his office and he felt bad and didn't want to miss it.  I had no idea that Mike shared my affinity for cake . . . either that, or he is just being good-hearted Mike who wants everyone to be happy.  In the end, he was excited!

We woke up this morning and Sammy and I sang Happy Birthday to Daddy.  After we were done, I asked Sammy how old he thought Daddy was.  He replied, "He's old and nasty.  And his breath is kinda' stinky."  I love that kid!

We started our day with pancakes at IHOP, and then ended up having to run to Target to get Sammy a new shirt.  On the plus side, Sammy is now asking for a napkin to wipe his hands with while he is eating. 

Then we headed to the Children's Museum!  We hit the Tot Spot, Kidtropolis, the phone area, and Water Works, and all had a great time.

I don't know how I got this pic . . . but I LOVE it!

I also caught Sammy having a tea party with himself.  How cute is this?

Sammy took a picture of Mama crawling through a tunnel . . . I was stuck, to be quite honest!

Look at the birthday boy crawling with his baby girl . . . he is smitten with her!

Helping Sammy in the "Vet" clinic . . . he really enjoyed Kidtropolis this time and role playing!

Daddy and Sammy had a blast at the Water Works exhibit . . . it's much more fun in 100 degree weather!

Sammy painted his own face!  Slightly scary, I know!

All in all, Mike had a wonderful birthday.  We picked up beautiful ribeye steaks on the way home, and Mike made a great dinner.  We also had brownies with ice cream . . . so much for missing out on cake with his office!

We rounded out the day with Sammy making Valentine's for his friends and family . . . and Sophia helping!

Happy Birthday, Mikey!  Love ya, baby!

Socket Wrenches

I've been meaning to post this for several days, but it was still so shocking to me that I was trying to wrap my brain around it.  Last Friday we went to Inflatable Zone with our playgroup.  While we were there, I happened to look over and noticed a group of children gathered around one child on the floor.  This child was NOT in our playgroup, and I've never seen him before. 

I was thinking that kid must have had cupcakes (aka crack for kids), so I looked a bit closer, and come to find out the kid had a pile of tools in front of him that he'd just pulled out of his backpack.  His camoflauge backpack with his name "Jackson" embroidered on it in dayglo orange. 

Now, these were no garden variety Black and Decker play toys.  These were DADDY tools.  The real deal.  No wonder everyone was gathered around.  After collecting my jaw from the floor, I noticed that dayglo orange Jackson had a huge collection of at least 12 screwdrivers (Phillip's head and flat), 2 rubber mallets, 2 hammers with claws on the back, several socket wrenches, and a pair of plyers.  I'm not joking - this little boy had an arsenal.  And he was fast attracting the attention of every child in the room. 

About this time, dayglo orange Jackson's mom noticed he'd busted out his tools.  She quickly intervened, saying "Jackson, let's not get our tools out right now.  There's too many people around and we don't want to share them with everyone."  Little Jackson quickly hustled his tools out of eyesight.  Seriously?  Trust me, even if Sammy WANTED to share dayglo orange Jackson's tools, there is no way I'd allow that.

Which brings me to my next question . . . who allows their 4 year old to carry around a full grown toolbox in their little backpack?  One of my girlfriends overheard the mom telling her friends, "He wouldn't leave the house without his socket wrench today."  OK, I'll give you that.  Frequently, Sammy won't leave the house without one of his transformers.  But who let the kid play with an adult socket wrench, anyway?  And why can't little dayglo orange Jackson leave his socket wrenches in the car? 

What were you thinking when you brought screwdrivers into a room filled with inflatables?  And what went through your brain when you pictured your 4 year old son playing with adult rubber mallets and hammers with claws on the back?  At what point did you not picture someone getting bonked in the head with a hammer? 

Are you kidding me?  My girlfriend Debbie just about summed it up when she looked at me and said "What the french toast?"  But she didn't say a breakfast food.  She said the word.  And I totally agree.  I don't mean to judge, but be a parent - don't allow your 4 year old to play with adult tools, and if you're going to do that, for goodness sake please don't bring them around other children . . .

Spring Sports!

I signed Sammy up for swimming lessons and T-Ball today at the Y!  He will start his swimming lessons in March, and his first T-Ball practice will be the week of March 29.  I also somehow managed to be twisted into being the team mom for T-Ball.  How exciting!

Hopefully T-Ball will not be as traumatic as soccer was for Sammy.  Sammy is a huge bundle of energy, so I really thought that soccer would work for him since it is basically just running up and down the field.  Not so much - it was the one time in his life that he wanted to sit down and draw stick figures in the dirt.  Every practice, and every game, became a lesson in torture for us - we were constantly having to bribe him back onto the field.  He kept telling us he was tired and he needed a break.

Hopefully with the way that T-Ball is played, he'll have a bit of a break pretty often, and not be so exhausted and thirsty!  We are so excited - this weekend Mike is planning to take him to Academy to pick out a glove, several balls, his own bat and his own Tee.  They are going to start practicing together now - hopefully he will be really into it by the time the season starts!

I'm not sure, but I think Sammy's best friend Grayson might play T-Ball as well.  Amanda said she was going to check it out.  And, I requested him to be on a team with several of his soccer friends Tyson, Nate and Collin.  It will be like old home week!

Here goes nothing - and here's to swim lessons and T-Ball!

Flat hair color and tires

fter an entire month of looking like a vampire, I've had it.  You may not know it but on New Year's Eve I dyed my hair super dark.  It was black.  I had a purpose - I was still trying to get back to my natural color, but in the process I turned myself into either a goth chick or a vampire - I'm not sure which. 

Look at my hair - it's blending in with the black furniture behind me . . .

I gave myself a month to get used to it.  But seriously every time I looked in the mirror I scared the crap out of myself.  I don't even want to picture what kind of nightmares I gave my children. 

I even tried to purposely fade it.  Every time I took a shower, I turned the water super hot, almost to the point of scalding myself, and washed my hair about 3 times with clarifying shampoo.  It turned it from pitch black to midnight.  I guess it's really not THAT bad, I just hate that it's only one color and has no dimension or different colored strands.  Either way, I couldn't take it anymore.

I called around to every salon in Katy today, and finally found an opening at Cinco Ranch Salon for 6 pm.  I had to have my brother come over and watch the kids for a few minutes until Mike was able to get home, and I was finally able to start feeling myself again.  I had caramel highlights put in.  They are super cute - albeit a bit expensive.  Mike asked me if they were worth $140.  I don't know, honey - but I don't look like I just crawled out of a coffin anymore, so I really don't care!

Voila' - my skin tone has improved overnight!

On my way home, I was going to stop at the Redbox and pick up a movie for us.  I drove over the railroad tracks at Katyland Drive, and when I hit the other side, I heard this weird noise and the car suddenly became very hard to steer.  I pulled over, and turns out my tire completely blew.  I don't really know what caused it, but suffice it to say, I was none too happy about it.

I called my parents to send them to my house to watch the kids, and then I called Mike to come change the tire.  I was trying to get everything ready for him, so that all he'd have to do when he got there was jack the car up and switch the tires, but I swear I think I failed Survival 101.  I was able to locate the jack and the tire, but getting them out of the trunk of the car is a completely different story.

Try as I may, I couldn't pull the jack out of its spot.  Apparently, you have to unscrew something and then pull it out.  Like I'm supposed to know that.  And as far as the tire was concerned, the screw holding it in was too tight!  I tried to use the pliers to turn it, but that wasn't happening, either.  Finally, I gave up, and proceeded to stand next to the car with my flashlight, the flat tire, and the trunk up. 

Would you believe that only 2 people stopped to offer me help?  I was on the side of the road for about 15 minutes waiting for Mike, and one person stopped about 2 minutes before he got there, and a second pulled up right when Mike did.  I guess my hair didn't look THAT good . . .

Mike changed the tire, and while he did, I assisted by laughing.  I cannot believe that I got a flat tire.  Again, it's one of those moments where you can laugh or cry.  I was laughing.  But I do have to admit that while I was waiting for Mike I felt like crying.  I'm so thankful that I have such a wonderful husband.  I cannot even imagine what I would have done had I been a single mom, or living on my own in another state with no family nearby. 

Although, Mike informed me that next time this happens, if he can't get to me in a quick amount of time, or if he's out of town, I'm supposed to call Katy PD.  Apparently they will either come change my tire, or at least sit with me until Mike can get there or a tow truck can come. 

After he was finished, I jokingly told Mike not to be mad, and then revealed that right after I realized I had a flat tire, I looked down and the gas light was on as well.  He responded by telling me, "I guess you're going to have to stop at a gas station on the way home then."  I stuck my lip out and said, "You're going to make me drive on the doughnut?"  Seriously, Mike.  I can't even drive the truck, and apparently I can't drive the car, either.  Now you expect me to drive on the doughnut tire?

I suppose he hadn't considered that option.  He started laughing, and said, "Yeah, you drive the truck home."  I've never been so glad to drive my truck home.  Bad parking abilities and all.  At least it doesn't have a doughnut tire!

I don't live out of it, it just looks like it . . .

Mike is taking my truck to work today because he has to pick up furniture for his office on the way to work.  I asked him to get Sophia's jacket out of the truck so I could have it, since it feels like 30 below outside.  He jauntily waltzed out the front door to take care of that for me, big man that he is, and came back in with an arm full of stuff, announcing "Lindsey, what the heck - it looks like you've been living out of the truck."

OK, so maybe it does.  Here's what he found in it, in no particular order . . .

• a red Chicco umbrella stroller
• a Crayola Crayon Maker (borrowed from my friend, Leanne)
• an open 35 oz box of Goldfish (hey - we need snacks on the go)
• a bag full of brand new socks (to donate to cold people)
• a loaf of moldy bread (we were going to feed the ducks one day, but there were no ducks)
• 3 old sippy cups (didn't even want to check them - threw them in the trash)
• a dirty diaper (OK, people, it's from Friday, and it wasn't #2)
• 2 of Sophia's sweaters, and her winter coat
• 1 of Sammy's sweaters
• my blue jean jacket
• 3 empty fast food cups (like I said, we've been eating too much fast food)
• a dirty pair of socks (from the Y - must have fallen out of my gym bag)
• a damp towel (hey - I remembered to bring one the other day!)
• a plate from the Ceramics place painted like a Texas flag (made in November, picked up last week)
• 2 plates from the Ceramics place that my sister in law, Trish, painted
• a cosmetics bag with a tampon in it (unused, people - unused!)
• my ankle brace

So, yes, honey - I have been living out of the truck, but what do you expect?  I have two kids age 3 and under - I have to be prepared for it all.  Although, where the diaper comes in for being prepared, I have no idea . . . maybe as ammo to protect us from bad guys??

All of these items are now sitting on my dining room table.  With the exception of those that are clearly trash.  And I'm about to load the kids up to go to the Y this morning.  I'm considering loading all of it into Michael's car . . . just so we can be prepared.  Do you think he'll mind?