Rosy Cheeks

First sunburn of the season... first of many I'm sure.

You got to see this!

OK, go to my SIL's blog. Watch my dad play the new Wii Fit- he's doing the Hula Hoop game. My brother's voice is the one you hear in the background. Wish I could have been there to see it in person! It'll make you all giggle. He's such a sport!

Caleb- Day 2

Caleb is doing great! He has not complained once. He takes all 3 meds- ear drops, antibiotic, and pain med- without grumbling. I made him a chart to cross off each time he's taken a med so we can keep up with it all.

Today, his K teacher stopped by during her conference time to check on him. Isn't that sweet?? She brought a stack of cards from the kids in the class along with a balloon and a new book. The card from Emily said "I love you", and according to Mrs. L the class all teased her for it. Ah, kindergarten relationships are so complicated.

Mrs. L also brought over Caleb's TPRI scores. This is the Texas Primary Reading Inventory- a state mandated test that they give at the beginning, middle, and end of the year. They are given one of two scores: SD= still developing & D=developed. You want your child to have all D's. This is probably the only time you want your child to strive for all D's. :-) Anyway, he did get all D's except for Reading Comprehension where he only got 1/5 right. Mrs. L then explained that she had to read the text to each child quietly out in the hallway and then have them verbally answer the 5 questions. Well, there's a problem when saying anything to my child quietly. He didn't hear her. I'm sure he didn't hear a word she read to him, but out of obedience answered the questions as best he could. So, we'll chalk that score up to bad ears. Now I'm not a believer that my child is a genius and should get everything 100%, but if he gets high scores on everything and then bombs in one area.... well, all I can say is both his teacher and I see a direct correlation.

Overall Caleb's recovery has been easier than expected. He told me, "My ears use to be broken, but now they're fixed." Well, that about sums it up.

Surgery Success!

We got to the surgery center bright and early this morning... 6:15am! Caleb rolled out of bed and was ready to go. They run a very efficient place. We had all our signatures, paperwork, money paid, and matching bracelets by 7:15. (That's his T-Rex with an ankle bracelet)

We went back to the pre-op area for vitals. To pass the time we did a Highlights magazine hidden picture page. It took all 3 of us but we finally found all the hidden pictures. This helped him not have a chance to get nervous.

Then Caleb got to change into the famous hospital gown including the beautiful hairnet. We teased him that he could go work in his school cafeteria now.

He was just so brave. Steve and I were so proud of him. Thankfully he didn't get the IV until after he was put under. So, it made everything a bit less scary.

The many nurses there know exactly how to make a little boy have a good time. Our ENT came and talked to us a bit before the surgery as well.

This is Caleb a few minutes after drinking the "goofy juice"- can you tell how loopy he is? Steve and I were just giggling at him. He was just babbling incoherently. We had him count to 20- he didn't quite make it. I asked him to sing the ABCs. He got to LMNOP... all jumbled together and went no further. So, this is what it's like to have a drunk child. Let's hope not to have to experience that again. Although we were laughing the whole time.

45 minutes later we talked with the ENT again. All went well! His eardrums show signs of having fluid pressure for a long time. But, the tubes are in and adenoids are out. We waited in recovery for about 20 minutes as he came out of anesthesia.

We just got home. Steve went on to work and I'm here with my mom and Carter. He's slowly coming back to the normal Caleb. I can't wait to see how things are different for him!

Cheeto Hands

Every good cookout has a bag of Cheetos!

Creative Tag

Emily K had this on her blog so I'm copying her tag.

This was such a creative way to tell people a little about yourself. You have to find the pictures for your answers through google or in your own collection.

Age at my next birthday:

Place I want to visit:

My favorite thing:

My favorite place:


My favorite food:

My favorite color:




The city I live in:




Name of pet:

Nickname I had:
(Graham was close to my maiden name)


College Major:



First Job:
(I'm the one blowing the bubble as the kid is screaming)


Goal for next year:



Now I tag YOU...let me know if you are playing.

Select Umpiring

Steve started umpiring Select games this weekend. This is a different league of play than what he had been doing. He went to the umpire meeting last Wednesday and got registered in their system. Apparently you do it all thru the computer where you let them know when you are NOT available and they schedule you according to that. It didn't quite work as we thought and he got scheduled for 8 games during times I really needed him home. Oh well. (Thanks Michelle for saving me!) Saturday he had 3 games. He said all went well, except he did have to throw out a coach. So glad I wasn't around for that. Sunday he left before I got up b/c he had an 8, 10, 12, 4:30, and 5:00 games. He did not get home until close to 10:00 last night!

So, today is our family day. Caleb reminded me multiple times that there is no school on Monday. Steve is making up for missing the boys by taking them to swim at LifeTime while I just sit in my PJs at home. We'll go to my neighbors this afternoon for a cookout and more swimming. Happy Memorial Day to all!

Napping

Oh, I just love a good nap. It rarely happens for me. Hard to take a nap when I have to be at the bus stop at 3:00 everyday. But, on Fridays Steve is home early. Today I opted to crawl into my bed... 3 hours later I'm sitting here thinking I will never fall asleep tonight. But, that nap was soooo good.

Once school is out I think I may reinstate siesta time at the James house. The heat and the hectic schedule just have me worn out.

Wii Fit

After dropping Caleb off at school Carter and I went to Target. We always end up getting there a few minutes before 8:00. I noticed a line forming outside. I knew the Wii Fit was coming out today, but I didn't really know how much interest there would be in it. Well, once I saw the line I decided I had to get in on the fun. We were probably number 7 in line and within a couple of minutes there were 10 more people behind us. Once the doors opened everyone went straight to the gaming area. There on the end cap were 20 Wii Fit systems. So I grabbed 2. I did make sure that everyone in line got one first. So, here I am with the Wii Fit.... 2 actually. I called Emily to tell her that if she and Andy want the other one I'll save it for them. I told Steve we need to decide if we actually want it. It looks like it could be lots of fun. I'm not too sure about the scale/BMI part of it, but the games and exercises look fun. Just for kicks I looked up ebay and saw they are going for about $60 more than what they cost. Hmmmm... I could make a profit. Or, if I decide not to keep it I could just return it and get my money back. For now they are just sitting on my kitchen counter awaiting their fate. Either way it was fun to be part of the mob racing to grab the newest toy.

Training Total Tuesday

Weeks before the walk: 24

Training:
Tuesday- 40 minutes
Friday- 1 hour
Saturday- 1 hour 15 minutes
Monday- 45 minutes
= 3 hours 40 minutes total

Fundraising:
Personal- $1,741.00
Team- $6,916.28

Wow- this week is heating up! We're already seeing 99 degree days which makes me nervous for this summer. I really don't like the heat!

What exactly is the Breast Cancer 3-Day?
Thousands of women and men come together, each raising at least $2,200 for Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the National Philanthropic Trust Breast Cancer Fund. Then they take their commitment to end breast cancer one step further and walk 60 miles over the course of three days.

Eighty-five percent of the net proceeds of this event go to Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Every advancement in breast cancer research, treatment, education and prevention in the last 25 years has been touched by a Komen for the Cure grant.

The remaining fifteen percent of net funds goes to the National Philanthropic Trust Breast Cancer Fund to provide a permanent endowment for ongoing support of breast cancer initiatives.

Carter's Garden Stone

Caleb made a garden stone in his 3 year old preschool class back in 2005-2006. Carter has been at a different school and based on the lack of crafts I've seen I knew that if I wanted a 3 year old's garden stone then it would be up to me and my 3 year old to make it. So we went to Hobby Lobby yesterday and bought the kit. Carter helped me as much as he could considering I was working with concrete. I think it turned out well. Now I'll have a matching pair.

Back to ENT- Surgery Scheduled

Caleb and I went back to the ENT today for his follow-up appointment. After 6 weeks of Nasacort meds he STILL has fluid in both ears- really no surprise to any of us. We have surgery scheduled for next Wednesday (the 28th) to put in tubes and remove adenoids. Since this is his second round of tubes, it's common to do an adenoidectomy as well. This will make for a longer surgery and a 4-5 day recovery. So, he'll miss Wednesday thru Friday of school.

Some may wonder why not wait until school is over.... well, our ENT is going on a mission trip in early June and then we go to the lake the 3rd week of June. We really don't want to wait another month to get his hearing problems resolved. Also, some may wonder why not remove tonsils as well. He has no history of tonsil problems and the recovery is pretty awful from what I heard.

Caleb really does not know what is going to happen. We will talk to him about it closer to the time and give him just what he needs to know.

Balance Buddy

What I call a "running bar" is technically called a Balance Buddy. Based on the comments left on the previous post I thought you all might want a closer look at this fabulous invention. So, gone are the days of bending down while trying to run along while trying to balance while trying to verbally encourage the young rider. Now, you just hold on to the top and jog along. 2 of my neighbors have this contraption for their children so I just assumed everyone knew about it- although I was unfamiliar before moving to this street. I think you can find them at Toys R Us, but don't quote me. Either way it's a nice thing to have when teaching a child to ride a bike. It fits on just like training wheels. Well worth the money- or worth borrowing from the neighbor!

Riding a Bike

We have a list of goals for Caleb this summer. There are many fun things we want him to accomplish and one of them is to ride a bike without training wheels. We bought him a new bike last weekend and borrowed the running bar from a neighbor. After school today Steve took him out for his first test run out in our cul-de-sac. Balancing is certainly the biggest struggle. Oh, he's just so darn cute!

Summer Haircuts

I was so tired of dealing with bedhead that I took both boys this afternoon and got it chopped. Haircuts are something I usually leave up to Steve, but I just couldn't take it any longer. Carter's hair is a little shorter than usual but the curls are still there... His hair grows out instead of down.
So, do they look more alike? Do you see ANY resemblance? They just seem so different to me.

The Recital

There I am in the middle of my 9 students- 7 boys, 2 girls. We had our year ending recital at my church this past Saturday. I co hosted the recital with Elizabeth and her studio of students. We had over 100 people there including my parents, hubby, C & C, and Stew. Then each of the students brought their own entourage of support. They all did very well. I was so nervous for some of them because I knew how nervous they were. You could tell every mom was holding their breath when it was time for their child to play. Then there was a huge sigh of relief and thunderous applause as the child took his/her bow. I played at the very end and was just as nervous as the little ones. It was fun to perform for my parents once again. I think my dad was just as proud as when I was 10 years old- he missed last year's recital.

So, now I am personally on summer break. I just got to get my kindergartner finished with school and we'll officially all be on summer break. I'll start back after Labor Day.

Training Total Tuesday

Weeks before the walk: 25

Training:
Tuesday- 1 hour
Monday- 1 hour
= 2 hours total

Fundraising:
Personal- $1,541.00
Team- $6,178.28

Summer is just around the corner. I finished my piano lessons for the spring. With the lessons, rehearsal, recital, and Mother's Day it's been a crazy, busy week.

Clothing Tips (from the 3-Day website):
*Wear several layers of clothing while training. As you warm up, you can remove clothing and then put it back on while resting or as the day turns cool.
*Look for clothing that allows your skin to breathe and sweat to evaporate.
*Stick with synthetic fabrics that dry quickly. Cotton absorbs sweat and can give you a chill.
*In the rain or cold, wear a waterproof outer layer with secure closures around your neck and wrists to keep you dry.
*While training, wear the clothing and equipment (including waistpack) you will use on the event, in order to get used to it.

Marriage Conversation

Last night we were all going to Steve's game and this is the conversation that started:

Caleb: I'm going to marry Emily.

J: Oh- when is that going to happen?

Caleb: Well, first I have to get baptized.

J: Well that's a good thing. Now, what about school?

Caleb: I need to go to middle school, high school, and Baylor for college.

J: You think Emily will go to Baylor too?

Caleb: I don't think so.

Carter: I am getting married too.

J: oh!- and who do you want to marry?

Carter: Tessa and Lana

Caleb: No Carter! You can only marry one girl! Which one do you want to marry? Tessa or Lana?

Carter: Tessa AND Lana

Caleb: No Carter! You can't marry both!

Carter: OK, I'll marry Uncle Stew.

Happy Mother's Day!

It's been a wonderful weekend. The week leading up to it has been crazy. It's been my last week of piano lessons with an open rehearsal on Friday and then the recital on Saturday (more on that later).

Friday afternoon my parents came up for a quick visit. They took the boys for the evening- dinner at Snuffers and a trip to Fry's. My dad was looking for a new receiver, but instead came home with a remote control Donkey Kong (for Caleb) and remote control Yoshi (for Carter) and surprised me with Mario Kart for the Wii and an extra steering wheel- guess that's my mother's day gift! :-) He didn't find what he was looking for, but the rest of us made out well.

While my parents had an evening with the boys, Steve took me to Ruth's Chris- my favorite- for an awesome meal including a lemon drop martini, chopped salad, yummy bread, steak fillet, lobster tail, mashed potatoes, special coffee drink, and an apple tart. I was so stuffed. We just enjoyed our meal over a 2 hour time period. So nice. He gave me 2 very sweet gifts: a frog charm from James Avery for my charm bracelet (it's for my Team FROG for the 3-day walk) and then a pink Cubs baseball cap. He really did well. I don't recall usually celebrating Mother's Day, so it turned out to be a special evening.

Fast forward to this morning... I slept in. Steve made breakfast all on his own. Our small group was having a group breakfast and he made 2 dishes. All I had to do was help carry it into church. They both tasted great. We played a really fun newlyweds type game in class and just enjoyed ourselves. After church we just rested around the house. It's been such a relaxing weekend. I'm really looking forward to the next few weeks since my job is officially over until September and I can just enjoy my boys. Caleb already has plans for us to play Carnival on the Wii after school.

I am so thankful to be a mother- and to be a mother to 2 wonderful boys. They are so amazing. The older they get the better it is- just the conversations, the family time, the learning, the laughter. They surprise me everyday with things they've learned or stories they tell. They each told me "Happy Mother's Day" many times today and it just melts my heart because it weren't for them I wouldn't be celebrated. It's a crazy love that can never be explained.

Happy Mother's Day to all of you out there.

Training Total Tuesday

Weeks before the walk: 26

Training:
Tuesday- 45 minutes
Wednesday- 1 hour 15 minutes
Friday- 1 hour 30 minutes
Sunday- 30 minutes
Monday- 1 hour
= 5 hours total

Fundraising:
Personal- $1,291.00
Team- $5,828.28

I finished up the bluebonnet portrait fundraiser where our team earned more than $1100. Tonight, a few teammates are hosting a Pampered Chef, Premiere Jewelry, and Mary Kay party. I am still selling gift certificates for Eileen's Portrait Design where we get to keep 100% of the money.

I walk most every evening around Highland Village, but I'm always up for meeting any local friends to walk elsewhere. Let me know if you ever want to join me.

Tips on Socks (from the 3-Day staff):
*Often, blisters are not caused by your shoes, but by socks that are wrinkled, damp or bunched up.
*Socks should be form-fitting and comfortable.
*We recommend socks that are made of a synthetic material, or a cotton and synthetic blend. *Socks that are 100% cotton retain moisture and also tend to stretch out and lose their shape.
*As your feet perspire while walking, you should change socks halfway through your walk. It will help prevent blisters and give you that extra boost to keep you going.

SNAKE!!

Eww... I can't even stand to look at the picture! Carter and I ran some errands and I found a 3 foot long snake slithering across my driveway! SLITHERING!! GROSS! I screamed and screamed. Completely freaked out- just ask Lori- I was talking to her as I was pulling into the driveway. Total panic. I ran to 2 neighbors. Now what were those moms going to do for me? Neither answered the door. I debated calling 911, but thought they might not think it's an emergency. Meanwhile I'm watching this thing SLITHER across my yard and then just stop for a nap. I backed up to the end of the street where my neighbor, Lloyd, was cleaning his boat with a friend. Thank God! I just ran to him and whined to him in my most pitiful voice that there was a giant snake in my yard and I can't get home. So, the 2 men trotted down my street with a huge shovel in hand. They proceeded to beat the crap out of the snake while I still screamed in hysteria. I am completely disgusted. Now I know these snakes have been around. I've heard the rumors. I just haven't had first hand experience. So, once the men left I decided to call animal control. I figured they could dispose of it because I'm not touching it. It took all I could to get close enough for a picture. Oh, I still have the heebie-jeebies! This whole time I'm frantically calling Steve. No answer! Where is he? Why doesn't he get to be the one to deal with my giant snake. Well, animal control just showed up. The lady took one look and said it was a rat snake. She said he meant no harm and is actually good for our neighborhood. Well, he's not good in my yard. The snake was still moving around although he was dead. She said that his body doesn't know he's dead yet. Weird, huh? Well, I don't EVER want to deal with a snake again!

My Family

We had family portraits taken in March and I wanted to show all of you my family. Here are Mom and Dad (aka Nanny & Papa) along with my brother, Andy, and his wife, Emily. They have 2 girls- Kayla & Caroline.
The birth order of the grandkids: Kayla, Caleb, Carter, Caroline.... now say that 3 times quickly... hard to do, huh?

Caleb's Ears

Before I begin the update... yes, the picture is a bit blurry. It's actually a watercolor filter I put over it. Just messing around with my software.

I've had several emails asking about Caleb's ears. Is he getting better? Is the medicine working? Well, Steve and I both feel he is exactly the same. Based on our day to day interaction I don't feel he is hearing any better than before. We will continue the medicine because we have to know we tried. Lucky for us he seems completely unfazed by the whole thing. He doesn't know he's not hearing. I mean, he's aware that he's taking a nasal medicine to help his ears and he knows we're going back to the doctor in a few weeks. But there are whole conversations that just might pass him by and he is unaware that that is unusual. I hope that makes sense. All that to say... it's not hurting his self-esteem or frustrating to him in anyway. It just was frustrating for us. But now we know. We know how loud sound has to be before he can hear and we've made adjustments.

Our next appointment is on May 20. That's when we'll have another ear check and make a decision. Just keep praying!

Caleb's Writing

This post is really for the grandparents, aunts/uncles, and anyone else who would ooohhh and aaahhh over his school work. Each morning they are given a topic to write about. I will transpose exactly as he wrote and then rewrite in regular English:

Topic: I can be quiet...

Caleb wrote:
I can be quiet at the hallspiddl because theres 6 kid and there are Dars wroking in there.

Translation:
I can be quiet at the hopsital because there are sick kids and there are doctors working in there.


Topic: If I were King...

Caleb wrote:
If I were King for the day I would wer pai on My haed. And I would clck cake. And I would mere a queen.

Translation:
If I were King for the day I would wear pie on my head. And I would cook cake. And I would marry a queen.


Topic: Earth Day

Caleb wrote:
I can take care of the Earth by clene up and not chop down trees. And not driv my car.

Translation:
I can take care of the Earth by cleaning up and not chopping down trees and not driving my car.

So, I think his writing has evolved so much in kindergarten. It's so fun to see his thoughts on paper.

I've Been Amanda-fied!

Notice the new look? Love the new colors? The quote? The picture? A big thanks to Amanda- although many you figured it out before I had a chance to do this post. She is so talented!!