Every year Gran gets her grandchildren together to decorate a gingerbread house. This years kit included small houses so everyone was able to decorate how ever they wanted too.
It's nice seeing them all together. They are growing up so fast, soon we are going to have to do this when they get home from college. *sniff*
Jack has been with us for so long that it has been very hard not having him around. I knew the very first day that he was gone, that I would not see him again. The Saturday after Thanksgiving 2011, we took a trip down to Moody Gardens and got home late that night. As I was laying in bed, I said to Tobie, "Where is Jack?" Jack has slept on me and in our bed for all but the first 6 months of our marriage and that was because we did not have him yet. When I got up the next morning and Jack was not there asking me for food, I knew what had happened.
Many people mentioned to me that he was probably stuck in someones garage or just lost. I knew in my heart that even though these were all good ideas, I knew it was not the truth. Jack spent his days napping in the house with an occasional visit to that garage to eat and outside for the bathroom or to lay in the sun a bit. And, at night, he was with me for most of it. Jack was scared of his own shadow and if he was in our garage and we tried to shut it, he was out of there like a shot. So I did not hold out much hope that when people opened their garage doors to leave he would make his way home. Also, it was nasty weather on Saturday, so there had to be a really good reason for him to leave the warmth and dryness of the house.
Used one day during our Thanksgiving holiday to head down to Moody. Had a really good time with the kids. Tobie had to work so he missed out:-(
Love the picture of Ivy. Definitely has my sense of humor.
I'm dropping Ivy off at school today and I notice a little chunk of hair missing from the front of her "bangs". I have been letting her bangs grow and they had finally gotten to the point where they were long enough to pull back into her pony tail...not quite sure what to do now.
Izaac has been spending his days with Gran and Papa while I am at teacher inservice...think Papa wore him out today.
So for my birthday this year Tobie bought me a tablet. And seeing that we are not apple people and love our androids we got an android tablet. When it came out...a week before my birthday there were no cases for it and still today my choice is extremely limited. So I saw many do-it-yourself versions for the ipad...so I just adjusted to my needs. It actually turned out better than I expected but then again what doesn't look good in Hello Kitty duct tape;-)
So were sitting at lunch today and Ivy shows us her new trick. The picture does not do it justice. Ask her to do it for you...one eye moves at a time...creepy.
My parents rented a beach house for a week again this summer and we had a wonderful time. This is the final shot of the cousins before we left. When I get on the computer I will do a more extensive post with pictures.
Look who found my make-up. I have to admit that for doing it herself she stayed "in the lines" quite well. Now it might be a little heavy....
Who teaches him these things! Before I gave birth to a boy I really thought some of the things boys did were learned. NOW, I am pretty sure some things are inborn, and have to be trained out of them.
For instance, putting an empty milk carton back into the fridge. This has happened twice this summer...Tobie and I do not do this, he has not seen his grandparents do this...thus inborn right.
Another for instance, is he can't find ANYTHING! Even if he is standing over it....sigh
We were working on the back gardens tonight and Izaac and Ivy found a way to get along and entertain themselves. Making mud. Not sure whose idea it was but it turned out well. Who needs to pay for fancy mud baths...try your own back yard.
We wait until later in the day to go outside. It is just to hot! Luckily it was actually bearable and the kids played for a while.
Ivy has been bugging me to let her roller skate. She fell on her butt three times and was done. At least she picked a good outfit:-)
After I had put all toys away and made the announcement that we were going in I found the kids quietly decorating Nolan. What other cat would sit still for such humiliation? Wonder how long it will take Ivy to realize that he would probably sit still for being dressed in doll clothes?
We decided that this year we would get the Moody Gardens family pass and we went today to get them. We could only stay a little while this time but we are looking forward to going back again.
We went to the aquarium and as soon as you open the doors to the place it smells like a seafood restaurant. Ivy walked in and said "mmmmm crabbies! " Makes you wonder why it smells that way.
Looking forward to getting our money out of these passes.
It worked!
He then goes on to tell us that if he is allowed to put hot sauce on things he did not "like" that he would probably eat them. No problem, we can handle that. He even said he would try peas again (big failure, peas + hot sauce = ick).
Tobie tells Izaac that he can have his own shelf in the pantry so he can collect his sauces...this went over well. And he has been eating more new things with sauce added. Peppers are full of vit C right:-) He only has three bottles, but the quest has begun for strange and interesting bottles.
My kid raising tip that I live by (and you can tell by Ivy's outfits) is pick your battles.
Ivy really got into the tattoos...did not want to post the ones on her belly and back.
I never thought Ivy would pick this dress to wear. But she has put it on twice now. The first picture did not turn out so when she put it on again today I jumped at the chance to take another picture.
The reason the title of this post is "For Mom" is because this is the dress I wore in my Aunt Susie's wedding (hope I have that right). I am assuming I was 4 but only because it fits Ivy so well and she is 4. Mom will correct me if I have it wrong.
I will have to get a picture of me in it and post it along side Ivy to see how we compare :-)
We live in Texas and it is stinking HOT and this is what Ivy chooses to wear. I don't get it. I did convince her to put something else on so if she got hot she would be able to take a layer off...so that is a sun dress you see peeking out.
We were so excited to see the rain the kids wanted to play in it. I can't blame them it was like a special occasion. Let's hope we get some more.
Ivy likes to pick out her own clothes. What inspired this outfit I will never know. She didn't sleep in those pj's that was a clean addition to the outfit. Only answer I got from her was that she was cold.
I was about to ask them to go clean their rooms...but they are not fighting and they are watching a show on bugs, NOT Sponge Bob, SO I think I will wait until they start fighting to push the issue.
Cousin Tyler had his 11th birthday party today and we had a wonderful time. At the end of the party the kids got "tattoos" to complete the look.
Here are Izaac's tattoos. Ivy fell asleep so her photos will come later.
Today as we were heading to the store we ran into a grass fire on El Dorado an the 45 feeder. All I could get a picture of was the road block. But when I got by I could see how big it was. The smoke was slowing down traffic both directions on 45.
A vivid memory from my childhood was a prayer from the alter at a church in New Brunsfuls. They were praying for rain. I remember finding that strange at the time because what kid wants rain while you are on vacation tubing ....but I also remember bumping my butt on the rocks that year, and having to pick up the tube and walk when we should have been floating.
Now as an adult I understand the prayer as a congregation and hope today the Lord is hearing the many prayers that I am sure are being said across our drought stricken area.
So if you know Ivy well you know she loves little things. I have seen many projects that show travel doll houses in Altoids boxes ...exactly what Ivy would love! Only problem was that they used materials that I am not good at using soooooo with a little design help from a web site called made by Joel, I just adapted all the ideas to the medium I'm good with.
I'm not done but I thought I would post the beginning stages.
Two random places we found the mouse. Unfortunately the capades are over because the mouse got lost during his last adventure to a friends house:-(
Last week Izaac asked to eat at that place that has baseball pancakes ...Denny's. We didn't make it last week so we made sure to do it first thing this week.
This was Ivy's first trip to get her nails done. I let her pick her own color ...I would have guessed she would have picked pink, but she choose silver sparkles instead. She said she felt like a princess, so I guess we will be doing this again.
Izaac made a proclamation that now that it is summer, he can stay up all night.
Good luck with that baby!
