I don’t need no stinkin’ man

Three boxes.  Three new scooters.  49, 721 parts per box.  I needed an engineer/mechanic.  I had Peyton. Who’s three. 

Look what we did:

Impressive, right?

Yeah, I was all cocky until they rode them.  And the handle bars fell off.

Yep.  Kids aren’t happy.

Now I may be willing to borrow a highly efficient, super strong, stay-here-long-enough-to-fix-the-handle-bars-of-these-stinkin’-scooters-and-leave kinda guy.

‘Cause these silly kids want to ride.  And those dang handle bars are helpful.

But then he needs to leave.

Immediately.

She helped me put away groceries

I guess I still have some work to do.

Another reason I love Texas

Some very special friends, and by special I mean they are so special they make me squeal (!), gave the girls and me tickets to the Cowboys game last night.  It was last minute and unexpected so we worked through homework, a school-related meeting, multiple drop-offs, pick-ups, and somebody had to have new Cowboys apparel before we headed to the stadium.

But we didn’t care because it was A-MAZING!!

 

Look closely Cowboys fans, there’s Jason Witten, Miles Austin, Tony Romo and Coach Wade Phillips below:

Keaton and her best friend Lauren.

Keaton and mom.

 

Field goal!

Lauren, Keaton, Reagan, and Rea’s friend Seth.

Gooooooooooo Cowboys!

Bitty girl Bieber fever

I have not written about this before because I assumed it would be a fleeting relationship, but what I deemed harmless has proven to be utter obsession. 

A few months ago, Keaton (13) introduced Landon (6)  to a Justin Bieber YouTube music video.  Landon was immediately hooked and spent an inordinate amount of time watching and listening to Justin Bieber.  Because Peyton (3) is convinced she and Landon are the same (“I six yeas old wike Bubba”), Peyton watched each video over his shoulder and, unbeknownst to us, she learned every word to any JB song we played.

She eventually taught herself how to find YouTube on my phone and she can navigate the complex links I have yet to master, to go immediately to Justin Bieber videos.  She plays them over and over (and over and over) (and OVER).  Even when her favorite 4 year old cousin, Dayden, was visiting, Peyton only had time for Justin.



I’ve found her behind the closed door in my bathroom doing this:

Secret Justin viewing.  I told you, it’s an issue.

We wake up in the morning, she tells me about her Justin dreams, she asks to go to his house.  I pick out her clothes, she decides whether or not Justin will like my selection; if he won’t, she demands a change.  She roll plays with me, “Mom, Justin is here, say hi.” I say hi, she invites him for snacks.  Her teachers say she talks of little else.  She can turn any conversation, no matter how mundane, into a Justin commentary.

Me: “Peyton, would you like cheese?”
Her: “Yes, mommy, I want cheese.  And Justin wants cheese too.  But nevah mind, we ah going to Justin’s house tomowwow (tomorrow) so we’ll get some there.  He weally likes cheese.”

later…

Me: “Awww, Peyton, look at that cute baby!”
Her: “Yeah……You ‘member Mommy? When I was a baby? Justin used to hold me.” **giggle giggle** “We goin’ to his house tomowwow, wight Mommy?!  You take me, wight Mommy?!”

This has gone on daily for months.  The Justin Bieber shirt I bought her?  She wore it for three days straight AND talked to it in the mirror.

Toddler insanity, I tell you.

Friday night when we went to Family Fun Night, Peyton came running to me screaming, “Mommy! Justin’s HEA! (here) Come see him and bing the camewa! Huwwy up!”

We ran to “Justin” and she could do nothing but giggle and stare.  No words.  She wouldn’t even let me take her picture with him.  Completely star-struck.
Justin  “Justin”

Note the resemblance?  Yeah, she's convinced it was him.

I’m happy to say that she tells everyone now that Mommy took her to see Justin Bieber.

So now, my work here is done.

Faith and fun

Our church has a wonderful single-parent family ministry.  There are weekly activities as well as special, larger events we really enjoy attending.  Friday night we went to the Family Fun Night, End of Summer Bash.  There were several water slides, tons of games, a DJ, dancing, and lots of food.  You know when you hear, “Mom, you are the best mom EVER!” you’ve chosen the right even to attend.

Peyton wanted Landon to go with her to the top of the big slide.

She changed her mind at the top and had to be rescued:)

”Mom, there’s free ice cream!”

The DJ required a front row seat for these two.

And of course dancing.

Hoola hooper

Sand volleyball.

And even more games.

We got there when it started at 6:30 and didn’t leave until we helped pack it all up.  My angels (and I) were exhausted. We love our wonderful church:)

I’m making progress

 

Upon returning from another driving adventure, Reagan (15) looks at me from the driver’s seat as I clutch the door handle and the dashboard on the passenger side, try to regain my normal breathing pattern, and calm my racing heart.

“Good job, Mom!  You didn’t yell as much this time!  It was just a one-bad-word trip!”

School!

Landon (1st grade) and Hayden (4th grade)

 

Keaton (8th grade) and Reagan (10th grade)

Oh, and I can’t forget Peyton, my little nerdy pre-school princess.

Yay school!

School starts for them on Monday

It started for me this week at Target.  This is most of it but not all.  I know you feel my pain.

A full day

The kids and I went to a nearby water park for the day.  They spent hours and hours swimming and playing with new friends.  I spent hours and hours sweltering in the August heat wishing I was with Jeni and Linda up north watching their fun.

I didn’t have my big camera so I used my phone for some so-so pics.  Hayden and Landon moved so fast, I don’t have any snapshots of them.

Miss Peyton was all prissy as long as she kept moving.

However, once we got to Bucca, she was out like a light and missed much of a most delicious meal, waking just in time to devour her spaghetti and meatballs.

Yeah, it’s a little warm-ish

Texas in August. The temperature here is hotter than hades.  Can you see it in my suburban rear-view mirror?

 

Thank you to my dad and God for an air conditioner that works.