Sand tarts

The weather in Texas has been beautiful lately and so we've spent a lot of time outside after school. Recently, we headed to a nearby park for a picnic, duck feeding and lots of sand play.

The mom in me cringed as I watched all of my children romp and roll in the sand, rubbing their scalps in a zillion granules of who-knows-what's-been-there grit. Our tubs were coated in sand after five bodies bathed that night.

It started off innocently enough. Reagan, Hayden and Peyton built castles in the sand volleyball pit...












...while Keaton and Landon hit the playground.





















"Ewwwwww, Mommy!"





















Then they started getting bolder.

















Ugh, seriously?





















I thought maybe feeding the ducks would distract them.













Wrong.





















Hayden wanted a picture with mom. (I think Mom's lookin' a little old and worn.)

















Thanks, Rea.


















Sand angels.











Monkey see, monkey do.









He felt very important.





















Such good kids. Such dirty, grimy, I-could-kiss-those-yucky-sweet-cheeks-all-day-long kind of good kids.

Is it weird he knows this?

"Mom, you do realize purple is the last color on the boy spectrum of acceptable shirt colors."

Quinceañ...Quinceañ...sorry, I can't roll my rrrrrr's

Reagan (15) was honored to be asked to participate in her friend Celeste's Quinceañera. It was a beautiful celebration of Celeste's 15th birthday. Reagan and three other girls, including her best friend Tori, where "damas" who danced several dances they spent months rehearsing with Celeste and a dance instructor.

After that elaborate celebration, I've been rethinking the whole Spongebob-Squarepants-cake-and-party-with-her-siblings-in-our-tiny-little-kitchen Reagan had for her 15th birthday a few weeks ago. I've assure her that since we aren't Hispanic, she wasn't technically even eligible for her own Quinceañera.

She's asked to be adopted out.

Bunny parts

No, I didn't let the boys dismember a rabbit (although that would be right up their alleys). Rather the title refers to how we celebrated Easter this year...over several days, containing many parts, and with an assortment of people.

Pictures with few captions will have to suffice in telling our Easter tail tale this year as I am plumb out of time.


Peyton loving the egg hunt.

















My sweet niece, Dayden.

















Landon wouldn't take his soccer uniform off.

















Cousins







































































































Very important people in my life. Not blood relatives but definitely family.

Soccer Stud

Landon (6) has a natural penchant for all things athletic. He's just one of those lucky kids that is blessed with the ability to run, jump, hit, throw, or balance, and do it well, without having to think twice about it. He plays hard and he plays fast.

He begged me to let him play soccer this year so I got him into a local rec league and the boy took to it like a duck to water. Last weekend alone he scored 7 goals at the Saturday game and 4 at the Sunday game. He loves it. And it's do-able for me since there's only one night a week of practice. He recently asked me if we could just skip the practices ("'cause they're not so fun") and only go to games ("so I can score goals.")

I explained to him, using all the required good-parent reasoning, why practice was important. But what I didn't reveal to him is how watching him play, whether practices or games, makes me as happy as it makes him. Giddy almost. You know, when you see your child truly love something so much that it hurts you a little.

Yeah, that's where I am.

All panties (almost) all the time

Preschool has a number of benefits, not the least of which is their ability to potty train a two-year old. I've had terrible luck potty-training my six children one child at a time, yet the teacher in Peyton's class can potty train 15 toddlers simultaneously.

How is that?

I try not to feel too inferior, but rather spend my time basking in the glow that is: daytime dryness. We're still working on the night time diaper, but even so, my pull-up bill has gone waaaaaay down:)

Peyton evidently loves the freedom she feels,





















her ability to prance...





















and dance unencumbered.





















But I think my favorite part is how tiny her hiney looks in her clothes.