Jonah Preformance

Carlee preformed "Jonah" today with all the girls in the camp. Carlee was a fish. I loved her costume, even though it looks nothing like a fish to me. She loved this dance because it was silly. You can tell she enjoyed herself.

The preformance was great! They learned a lot in a short amount of time. I know this experience has been good for Carlee. She is loving dance! It was a fun week at camp, but I am looking forward to some down time.

Ballet Camp

So Carlee is in ballet camp this week. We are up and out of the house by 8:45 every morning. For this unscheduled mother, this is a huge accomplishment for me. The first day Carlee was full of nerves and barely ate any breakfast. She didn't eat much lunch either due to the fact that I put her snacks in bowls that were hard for her to open because we ran out of plastic bags. I also put veggies in the bowls thinking she would eat what she normally eats at home. The girl was starving by the time I picked her up at 12:30pm. She had her yogurt tube and that was it. So what did I do while Carlee was dancing? I went to the store to buy some yummy goodies for her lunch that were more appealing to eat and plastic bags. Day 2, Carlee wakes up and says, "she doesn't think she wants to go to Ballet camp today" (I'm thinking, "too bad your dad and I just spent "x" amount of money for you to be there so you are going.") I told her she would have fun and she just needed to get ready. On the way there, she tells me that she thought ballet camp was going to be like "camping" like in tents. hahaha... I go on to tell her that ballet camp is dancing lots and lots and having fun with her teachers and friends. Fortunately, she ate all her lunch... mission accomplished! Day 3, We are rushing around the house trying to get there on time and trying to still enjoy the funness of this whole experience. The camp is beginning to wear on all of us, even Zachary, who is having to be tooted back and forth too. He actually misses her more than she knows. He's asking about her everyday and wants a playmate even if it is just someone to hit (haha, you think I am joking). Day 4 is tomorrow, her show at the studio and she will be preforming "Jonah." I know she is ready to go back because when I picked her up today she was all happy and dancing around and telling me how much she loves ballet camp. Praise the Lord!! Things are looking up. Now if we can just get out of the house and be there on time tomorrow without too much chaos our week will be accomplished. (I'll upload some pictures of her show soon) Now I know why I don't put my children in a preschool program. Don't get me wrong... the break away from her is nice, but the process of it all is not. We will stick to homeschooling, which I know will bring on a whole new set of challenges.

Something funny

Have you ever noticed..... that in our blog address Zachary's name is spelled wrong? I spelled it Zachery with an "e." I started doing this blog almost 2 years ago, when Zachary was a baby and my mind was elsewhere. I couldn't even remember how to spell my newborns name. hahaha....

Something not so funny happened this morning when Carlee got a bead stuck in her nose. She doesn't know why she put it there. She just did and fortunately we did not have to go to the dr. to get it out. I called my PA friend, Erin and she told me to cover the other nostril and have her blow it out. It worked!! Praise GOD!!

One more thing.... Carlee told me yesterday, "she wants to have a butterfly party every year for her birthday until she turns 100 and then when she is 100, she wants to have a butterfly party then too." I love this girl and love the things she speaks. Most of the time it is loving and precious!

BIG Boy Bed

He's just a little excited about his new bed.
We got the comforter and shams from Bed Bath and Beyond (Nautica) and the light blue jean sheets and pillow cases from TJ Max (Ralph Lauren). Everything was very reasonable.

Last week, we transitioned Zachary into his big boy bed. I don't know why I said, "transition." It was more like a launch because he went straight from sleeping in his crib that afternoon for his nap then to sleeping in his big bed that night. His bed is an antique. It is over 100 years old. My sister and I slept in this bed growing up. I love this bed even though it is higher than normal and shorter than most full size beds. Thankfully the sheets and comforter fit it well and match his room beautifully. It's defiantly something he can grow into. He has done pretty well staying in it too, which is surprising. He fell out once during the night because he woke up from a thunderstorm and was trying to get out to come see us. The first day I laid him down for a nap in his big bed, he got out after 5 minutes of being in it and said, "I take a nap mommy, I take a nap." (take meaning took) I held in my laughter and confronted the issue right away so he would know that getting out of bed is a "no, no." Since then, he has not moved. I lost sleep last week thinking about him falling out, but have sense realized that he is adjusting well and I hadn't any need to worry. With the crib gone, Greg and I can't believe how much Zachary has grown up. We are so blessed to see him obey us through this process of growth. It has been a smooth transition. Pray for us as we will be trying to get rid of the paci next.

More 4th Fun

Nothing says American food like hamburgers and milkshakes! We all enjoyed splitting the shakes and had planty to go around.... YUMMY!!
Can't go wrong with chicken nuggets and french fries either

Family shot (Carlee can not not have her tongue out in pictures these days)

Zachary enjoying the water fountain at the Portofino center.

We sat on the ground while watching the fireworks. Ed and Randle used each other to lean on. They are so cute!

Carlee's beautiful star cookie

We spent the evening with Greg's parents. We had dinner at Red Robin. We left with full tummies. Then we went to Old Navy to burn some time before the firework show. Then we went to Main Event to burn more time and enjoyed playing the arcades. Carlee did great on Deal or No Deal- she won 150 tickets and was able to get a cute crown. The fireworks were great! Carlee and Zachary both enjoyed them from the location we were at. Randle bought some delicious frosted star cookies for us the enjoy while watching the fireworks. It was a fun evening. The kids went to bed at 11 pm again (two nights in a row). Fun times!

Happy Independence Day!

After a late night at the Pavilion, we spent an early morning at the Market Street Parade. We've done this 4 years in a row always coming up with new ways to get there. This year we took our bikes and arrived just on time to see the beginning of the parade. It was extremely crowded and hot (100 degrees). One year, we might think about getting there early and setting up chairs in the shade. We took a break in the middle and went into Borders to cool off. Then we headed over to Jamba Juice to get a smoothie. It was a fun morning! Happy 4th of July! Hope your day in fun and relaxing. We thank God for all the troops who have sacrificed their lives for us to enjoy our freedom. God Bless!

Weekend Festivities

We celebrated my dad's birthday yesterday and did some 4th of July festivities
Getting ready to walk to the Pavilion to hear the Houston Symphony. The kids really wanted to be next to their grandpa.

It was a beautiful walk. Here's a shot along the way.

My family

My favorite shot. A picture of peace to me.

Hands over hearts for the "Star Spangled Banner." So glad some things never change.

When it got dark, Carlee put on her glow in the dark necklaces, bracelets and earring. She had been looking forward to this the whole day.

Carlee danced ballet on one song and it was beautiful. She was so graceful. She made me cry.

Zachary had a fun time running around and listening to the music too.

Sweet Zachary hugs

We started the 4th of July weekend off right eating brisket, twice baked potatos, baked beans, corn on the cob and brownies with my family at our house and then going to the Pavilion. The music was wonderful. There was a group of girls there called "The Catus Cuties" and they were adorable. I'm so glad "God" hasn't been taken out of the songs they sung. It was a great reminder of our heritage. The cannons sounded at the end during the 1812 Overture and scarred Carlee and Zachary, but we made it through it. Carlee did pretty well watching the fireworks even though they were loud. Zachary did not like the cannons or fireworks. He clung to me pretty tightly and would not let go. My kids are not fans of loud noises. Zachary woke up this morning saying, "Firework.... BOOM." haha.... He hasn't forgotten. Tonight we will see some more and we plan to sit far away from the big booms.