They Might Be Giants

Right off the bat, sorry to Alan if the title of this post is misleading. No, it's not about one of his favorite music groups. :(

A couple of weeks ago I was checking the clearance isle at Wal-Mart. (I have found some awesome deals there before) I came across a really neat product and thought to myself. Gee, Jessica, those kiddos of yours sure would have fun with this. So I had to get it.

Just what is it you ask? Spray Chalk!! Like what you make football grids with! How cool! So I got two cans. They were a dollar each.

Houston is always begging me to use the sidewalk chalk and make a hop-scotch game for him. So I took the spray paint and made a HUGE hop-scotch game. Bonus: Lorelei got some good jumping practice. Jumping is one of her current goals in PT.

Wee Beastie

We had a little visitor today. Thank goodness Shiloh didn't see him/her or there could have been trouble. For Shiloh anyway. If she had seen the visitor she would have run too fast to try and say hello and would have over exerted her knee. I managed to get fairly close (and was even able to point him/her out to Lorelei) before he/she scampered away. He/she was too small to be Peter Rabbit or his cousin Benjamin. He/she must have been one of the Flopsy Bunnies. As Houston would put it (and to quote Mister McGreggor) "Come back, you wee beastie!)

Arkansas Idol

My children are so crazy somedays! Houston just can't stand it if someone takes pictures or movies of his sister if he can't have his moment in the spotlight, too. Lorelei does know other verses to "The Wheels on the Bus" song, but the mommy one must be her favorite. (Gee...maybe she loves her mommy soooo much!)

Squatter's Rights

Brian got back from his TDY from Crete and looked in the carport and found this on top of his ladder. At first we were hoping that it was empty so that we could pitch it so that we would have access to the ladder. Instead, this is what we found.

Very pretty! Brian, being the softie that he is, is willing to leave the ladder alone until the egg hatches and the birds leave.
Here is the mama bird. She puts up with our presence, for the most part. We talk to her every time we see her and always say the same thing so she gets used to us and knows that we won't mess with her. As we get stuff that we need (she built her nest near where Brian stores his tools, lawnmower, ect) we can get about 4 feet from her before she leaves. But good mama that she is, she always comes back. We can't wait for the egg to hatch so that we can post pictures of the baby. In about 8-10 days it should hatch. Then in about 2 weeks it will start to jump out of the nest to fly.

Aaah...Sweet Memories!

On our last trip to Texas, Kay thoughtfully set up the day bed for Houston to sleep in. She also found Brian's old sheets to put on it. Houston thought that they were the coolest sheets ever. As we were packing our things to go and getting the bed stripped, Kay asked Houston a very important question. "Houston, can you take very good care of these sheets? If you promise me you will take care of them you can take them home with you." Of course he promised! And then proceeded to jump around like a monkey with all the excitement that he was feeling.

Weekend Project

After buying it and it sitting in the boxes for two months, the play set finally got put together over the weekend. (I have some video, too, but that will have to wait) It took a couple of hours just to get all the parts sorted and laid out.

Brian did all of the work by himself (what a stud!) with the exception of a few times where he needed my help to hold things up while he bolted them together.

The kids really like the picnic table, but Brian's new rule is no more eating out there. The ants are bad enough and we don't want to make it worse.


Even though there aren't any swings pictured, they are there now. Houston and Lorelei like playing on the glider together. Lorelei likes to lay on her tummy on the swings and spin in circles.
What a sexy beast!!!

Mom's Visit

I know that I have not posted in like a million years. (Alan has posted more frequently than me...yikes!) I have some great stuff, too, that needs to go up. I'll get to that later tonight, but to tide you over until then here are some pictures from Mom's brief visit (in between TDY's) that I have never posted.

Houston Makes Nice Part II

On Sunday, Sunday School started back up. We missed the last two weeks due to spring break. So we went to Sunday School and church. Houston also went to children's church. On our way home he tells me (in such a sweet sincere voice) "Thank you for taking me to work"

Houston Makes Nice

Houston said the sweetest thing in the van tonight. It totally makes up for the inapproriate comments that I posted earlier.

All day today he had been bugging me that he needed "to go to work"
So we went to pick up Brian from work and Houston had put on his church shirt and tie. We were driving on base and he was very upset that we drove by something. "you passed it, you passed my work!" So I asked him where he worked at. At church. Really? What do you do at work? Bible study.
Wanting a more in depth answer I ask him, what do you work at bible study.
His reply...I study! (he said with that "well, duh" tone of voice.

Try Not To Laugh

I know it's hard not to laugh at this, but please keep the giggles to a minimum. I had to keep from laughing why I tried to explain to Houston why we don't say certain things. (the things that kids pick up and then spout out boggles the mind.

Conversation #1:
We were outside checking on the plants (lots of rain and we were seeing if any of the soil got washed away) I forget exactly what we were talking about, but this is how Houson responded to something I said.
"I don't think so, woman."

Conversation #2:
This happened inside Wal-Mart. (I think that they must pump something in the air, because the kids can be fairly well-behaved at almost any store EXCEPT Wal-Mart.

M: Houston, what should we pick up for supper tonight?
H: How about Macaroni and Cheese
M: We have that at home already.
H: But I want it.
M: Too bad. We have plenty at home, we're not getting any more
H: Yeah well, so's your mother.