toilet water

Ben asked for juice as we we're leaving the grocery store (shocker) but he had already drank it so I showed him it was empty and he said "Well, I guess I'll just have to drink toilet water." It made me laugh and then I thought "oh, no maybe he has before!"

Wall-e

We went (in the rain) to see Wall-e this morning with the kids proudly wearing their tees. I liked it - it's a love story with some environmental commentary and very little dialogue. Bryce didn't care for the commentary in his entertainment. I don't know why because it's not political, but that's Bryce for you. I mostly went for the research since I have to make a Wall-e cake for Ben's party in a few weeks. When we got home he went to work with his new dresser, putting toys in the drawers and closing them to compact the "trash" like Wall-e.

The Homecoming

Bryce finally arrived! He is very pleased with the new house but keeps going to the wrong bedroom (ours used to be at the back of the house, now it's at the front)-lol. "We" made welcome home daddy cupcakes and he actually ate one, but the kids managed to talk me into getting two! They are so, so excited he's home. I think he's a bit out of the routine, but we'll break him back in quickly.Of course it didn't take long for the wrestling to begin.
His belated Father's day surprise. No, I'm not stuck in the 80's...Rad is short for Radiology, but yes, he is a rad dad.

Today's victories

First and foremost, I have a normal shower now. I had to take the shower head off and soak it in CLR so I don't feel like I'm showering in the rain anymore. Second, I found my toothbrush! I had stashed it in my robe and didn't remember so I had to resort to using a kids toothbrush until I discovered it tonight after my wonderful shower. I also found a park today. I'm sure they're around here but the ones near me must be well hidden. It's a small, quiet, and shady park that isn't too far away. We also went to the library and I'm official cardholder now. And finally I got Ben to sleep before 9 pm-woohoo! Movie time for me : )

Little Pants

For some reason he loves this pants. They're a 2t and when I was putting them away he found them and every time he sees them he wants to wear them - and I mean wear them out of the house - lol! so I let him and hope people don't wonder why I can't buy him pants that fit. Notice the hair? It goes well with the pants, don't ya think?

My new bedding

We have a bigger bed now so what a great excuse to shop for new bedding, right? (we really needed it anyway) I found this at Macy's, it's called Sea Reeds (the quilt is called waves) and the pics really don't do it justice. It's super soft and summery - I just love it! I hope Bryce does when he sees it tomorrow for the first time. I try not to make our room too girly so I think this works.

Visitors!

We had company last weekend - Nece & Pawpaw came to visit and brought my "new" bed : ) and harmonicas for the kids along with some bubble blowers (a bee & ladybug) which Ben has named Wilson. Wilson plays in his new pool with him. We have resorted to the plastic pool since the move. Friday at dinner, Brinley quietly found the lipstick and applied it without any of us noticing her!
Ben showing off his newest airplane.
Today they were baby sea otters sliding down their slide just like the ones from the aquarium in Corpus.
We've also gone to the mall to play because I haven't really found a park nearby yet. But this mall is paradise compared to Corpus. Very kid friendly - a big playground with lots of seating for parents, family restrooms with little toilets & sinks for kids. The food court has booths shaped like old cars that the kids get a kick out of, too.
I found a kids hair salon close by but she "texturized" his bangs (in hopes that he wouldn't look like Lloyd Christmas) which just made them look all uneven up so we're going to have to grow out another bad cut.
Overall, doing well and getting to know our way around town!

The waiting game

All week long I've been waiting on something...first, the movers...then the gas man (who Ben called the gas station worker) then my appliances, then the directv installation -customer service said I didn't even have an appointment so I griped them out and he showed up anyway but a couple of hours late and today it was phone service. I even had to put my son on a waiting list for school! My next service to deal with is lawn maintenance so we'll see how that goes then I think I'll finally be done - whew! Something I haven't had to wait for? Netflix - they arrive faster here than they did in Corpus : )

New Subway

I went to the subway just up the road and it was dissappointing. They didn't have pizza, which is what the kids wanted. But he informed me the Subway down the road does. They used a flour tortilla on my wrap - now, I don't usually get wraps but isn't it normally wheat? And they didn't have any chocalate chip cookies which I was really craving since I haven't been able to bake anything. Due to the lack of pizza, I got the kid meals. The apples were cleverly hidden somewhere in the back of the shop, so I had to request she get them for me and I had to ask about toys because Ben saw the sign (right at kid level, of course) and she said we don't have toys and I said well you have a sign up. Next time I will definitely try the Subway down the road.

On a funny note, the kids were sure to say "bye" to "daddy" (the giant Jared stand up) before we left. I hope that had them all confused.

Not smart

To prepare for the arrival of my washer, dryer & fridge that arrived first thing this morning : ) I wanted the boxes out of the garage to make way for delivery. So, last night after the kids went to bed and I watched a movie then decided to put the last empty boxes in the attic. Not smart because the attic ladder is really big and heavy and I already had difficulty with it. Not smart because if I get hurt, I'm here with 2 kids and no one to help. I decided to take my phone with me because I had a bad feeling. But still did it, so again, not smart.

This is what happened...I'm standing on a kids beach chair slowly lowering the ladder when the chair busts out from beneath me causing the ladder to fall open on me. Obviously, I survived but man did it hurt. I have minor scratches and bruising to the shoulder and elbow (right on my funny bone - ouch!) and my arm is very sore. I think I'm lucky because it could have been much worse and plus I still got those boxes up there. Yipee, clean clothes! Ya like my little shelf I found to hang? It does the job.
Isn't it weird there's no window by the front door? It could use one.

Yep, he's already managed to climb the mailbox.

Settling In

We are getting settled in and with the exception of the bookcases in the living room (I can't find my shelf brackets-even though I know they made it here), I only have the extra room to finish up! I'm learning a few quirks of the new house, like how you can only adjust the temp in the shower not the pressure (didn't mind that before I had hot water) and the towel & toilet paper holders fall apart if you touch them and there's no place in the laundry room for my detergent, dryer sheets, etc. Just one shelf that's too high for me to reach. Overall I really like the house, even the little "apartment" kitchen that seems like it's in the living room doesn't bother me so much because I can keep an eye on the kids easily. And the dishwasher is quieter than my old one, so are the ceiling fans and the garage door that incidentally works every time I push the button (yeah!) There is a big storage closet in the hallway, all the outside lights work, and I have a big mantel for the tons of pictures of my kids.

So we start a new chapter. A big thunderstorm came and washed the sand off my car, which kinda made me sad but it's called moving on...

Yippee!

We got hot water today - yippee!! Ben didn't mind the cold so much but it made Brinley cry and I was shivering so bad I really thought about not rinsing the suds off and just getting out. I rinsed. But tonight we will all have warm baths, mmm....and it's raining outside.
Once my fridge, and washer & dryer are delivered I can be a home dweller again instead of a camper.
The unpacking is going well and I think I'll have it all done in a couple more days at least I hope so because I have visitors Friday - yeah! because it's lonely here in a new town.

Happy Father's Day

My dedicated husband (and devoted daddy) spent his father's day hundred of miles away working. I just want him to know how much we missed him! Hopefully we'll have the house all ready for you soon.
XOXO

The move, ugh

So apparently in mover world "between the hours of 2-4" means after dark but before bedtime. Yep, they arrived at 9 p.m. Friday night but they were fast to load our stuff - partly because my husband had it all ready & waiting in the garage (what else would he do while waiting ALL day?) They arrived at the house last night without event and unloaded everything pretty fast. The best part is...it's over! Well, there were a few more boxes added after this picture but not too much in the garage to go through. It's mostly empty boxes today.
This is my living room/kitchen area. Lots to do here but luckily my mom and sister worked hard this morning (thanks ya'll) and now the kitchen is completely done and the living room is looking pretty good. My niece,who also came along, didn't work so hard but it was good seeing her anyway : ) lol
Mom & Ben just taking a break. I'll post some "after" pictures when it starts to look like a home.

Friday the 13th

Okay, maybe it's not the best day to move but I'm willing to take my chances. The movers won't be here until this afternoon, instead of this morning like I originally thought but I hope that's not a bad sign. They can't be any worse than some guys we've had in the past (see list to the right, it's all happened to us). Wish us luck!

My sister & the frog

I usually tell stories about my children, but this one about my grown sister is worth sharing (sorry Lin). I'm driving to pick up some tape at my friend's house - it's my last night on the island so I have the sunroof open, windows down and Randy Rogers turned up...I'm thinking how much I love nighttime and I'm starting to get really sad about leaving when my phone rings...
It's my little sis telling me she has a problem. She has returned to her apartment and cannot get in because a frog is in her doorway. Uh, go around it? I suggest. Nope, no room she says and she does not want it to jump on her. Go behind it I say because it can only jump forward. Still not an option she says. Now I don't know how big this frog was or what kind of position it could possibly be in to block her entire doorway but I'm guessing it's smaller than a dog so I still don't get her dilemma. Finally her crazy neighbor walks by and helps her. The frog ends up hopping away. I got to thinking if I'm a single girl and a frog just arrives on my doorstep out of the blue, maybe it's a sign. She failed the test though so we'll never know if it was prince charming.

Things I will miss...

Usually when we move, there is a food I will miss most. When we moved to Cali from Texas, I really missed El Norte(still crave the queso & salsa) and Braum's because they have the best Rocky Road and Mrs. Baird's. Then when we moved from Benicia I missed the super burrito at Taco Jalisco's -it was essential in getting through my first pregnancy (especially since I didn't have Braum's). The weather was great also. The one & only thing I miss from Bakersfield is Dave's Tacos. This time is different, no food on my miss list.Our Friends- I can't believe how many times they've tolerated going to dinner with our children!
I love these HEB Plus shopping carts because you can fit 2 kids in the front! If they just had a divider to stop the squabbles....
Brookie's pipe will be missed. How will she visit us in OK without it?







I will miss living on an island and the never ending island breeze, the beach (of course) and having NAS nearby. I will give Cancun's chips and queso an honorable mention.

A few I won't miss...

Those little stickers (Bryce calls them goatheads) that hurt so much you can never go barefoot here unless you're on the beach!


Pine needles. Heaven help me- I would never have trees like this on my property! They shed needles every time the wind blows, which- in case you didn't read my "will miss" list -is all the time. Won't miss our pine tree forest.


And I guess I will never get used to the directions here. When we first arrived, I was really messed up about SPID, which runs East and West. I've trained myself to get used to saying West/East, even though I swear it still feels like North and South to me.

3 days

With 3 days until we leave, I'm wrapping up my life here. I had my last lunch with "the girls" today - I will miss those! We are packing up the last odds & ends. My kids are reduced to just a few toys and books so they've decided it's more fun to play in the empty cabinets.

Juice

I've been getting these juices (64 oz.) for .50 each! They've been on sale for $1.50 and then I use a $1.00 HEB coupon which brings my cost to only 50 cents. Every time I buy one HEB prints me out a coupon for $1.00 off, so I turn around and buy another with that coupon and it prints me yet another $1.00 coupon. It's a viscous cycle because now I have to pack them-lol!

Shrimporee

We went to the 60th Annual Shrimporee in Aransas Pass yesterday. Bryce wanted to do something different than the park, beach or pool - even though we ended up going to the Aransas Pass Aquatic center also, at least it was different. We had a great time! The giant shrimp - couldn't resist this photo op!
Creepy carnival rides - kids love them!
Eating tornado potatoes while Ben kept the birds away with his new sword he won playing a fishing game (Allison would be proud).
Bryce enjoying his shrimp.

Wilson

My husband was watching Castaway last night and my son sat down to join him and we assumed there wasn't any harm in letting him watch since Tom Hanks was on the island and there was very little dialogue. I was not prepared for what happened next. Remember the part where Tom Hanks has made it off the island and he's floating along when Wilson, his volleyball, comes untied and floats away? Well, Tom has to chase Wilson or stay with his raft so although he hates to lose Wilson, he climbs back on the raft then cries himself to sleep. Ben's reaction is what surprised me. He cried - real tears, was distraught and could not understand why he let Wilson (his friend) float away. He has seen lots of movies, even Bambi, and has never cried over them. I tried to let him see Tom get rescued so he would feel better but he even cried again when I was putting him to bed. I finally reassured him that Wilson was happy he could be a companion to Tom while he was on the island and he made new ocean friends. He talked about Wilson more today but at least he wasn't crying. Mommy note: stick to animated movies from now on.

1 week

Well, we are moving in one week. Am I ready? I guess...still lots of packing to do. On today's agenda
1. cancel utilities here & start new service there
2. sale the surfboard
3. pack, pack, pack - mostly toys, then more kitchen stuff

Better get a move on : )

The runners

My husband is trying to turn us into a family of runners. He's got his work cut out for him when it comes to me but the kids enjoy it. This is him with the kids before a run yesterday...what do you think - runners or fashion victims?

Imagination

My son starting playing with this last night and then first thing when he woke up today. It's a cup from Chili's and a bunch a packets of Taco Bell mild sauce. He played with this for hours. It was a cup of popcorn then the packets were bouys and those are just a couple of games I overheard. I'm actually proud of his imagination but take my advice those of you who will be shopping for his birthday next month...he obviously doesn't need toys.

The trouble with packing...

The trouble with packing is sometimes what you find, then you're going down memory lane instead of packing at a fast & furious pace. I had to take a picture because WHO has an original Beastie Boys tape from 20 years ago?

You'll never believe that I'm not a pack rat but I only keep some things like this around for sentimental value (and maybe to show my kids someday). These are "newer" tapes of NKOTB and the Grease 2 soundtrack. I also have, though not as rare or as useless, a Top Gun video - Love those 80's!!

How's the packing going?

How's packing going? I've been asked a lot lately...well, yesterday I didn't pack a single thing. Not good so I gotta make up for it today. My kids have found a new use for my dish packing paper...making a giant "bird nest" for themselves. That's okay, it's much easier to pick up than tiny pieces of foam peanuts : )

11 Days until we move! yikes!

birdie

Well, I was wrong - the bird is still here. He's hanging out around the house but I don't know what to do. Brinley picks up one of the nests from the ground and follows him saying "Here birdie, come get in you nest" but somehow I don't think it's gonna work - LOL. Any suggestions?

Texas State Aquarium

We went to the Aquarium this morning, thanks to the invitation from Allison, which is good cause I needed to get out of the house so they could show it to potential renters. (Actually I could be there but I'm too embarrassed of the mess, so I'd rather leave : ) Some of you know I'm kinda opposed to the whole sea world thing thanks to an enlightening documentary I saw this year but most of these animals have been rescued and they promote conservation so I can sleep well tonight. The kids really enjoyed it. Ben's favorite was the otters and we even saw some "free" dolphins swimming in the bay!

Birdie

We have lots of nests in the pine trees beside our house and this little bird ended up on our porch, not sure why...I guess he can't fly yet? Anyway, first the kids told him hello and introduced themselves then when we got back from the beach, he was sitting right in the doorway and of course they had to get in his face. He was probably terrified. He was only there one day but he left me some little treats...haha, not.