Landon: 5 Months

I can't believe this little booger is 5 months old already! We just love him like crazy! (Okay, and I might also love to squish those cheeks.) Seriously, we just can't get enough of our Lan Man!

Precious Landon, here's what you're up to these days:

• You're already wearing 9 and 12 month clothes and a size 3 diaper.

• You have become a thumb sucker. We never could get you to take a pacifier, but this is so stinkin' cute (you know, as long as you stop by a decent age).

• You roll over like a pro now, and you prefer to sleep on your side or stomach.

• Nap time is still a struggle (you like to wake up after only 30 minutes no matter what), but you sleep about 12 hours at night (you usually go to bed at 7:30).

• You LOVE your exersaucer and doorway jumper! You've even jumped yourself to sleep a couple of times...

• You also love your big sister. Your face just lights up any time Avery's around, and you even put up with her constant hugs and kisses.

• We were trying to hold off until next month, but you got your first taste of rice cereal two days ago. You weren't quite sure what to think of it, but I think you'll appreciate having a little extra to hold you over while I'm at soccer practice (since you still won't really take a bottle!).

 

You continue to bring so much cuteness and joy into this house with all your happy squeals and smiles; we think we'll keep ya!

Love,

Mommy and Daddy

Pink Out!

Whew, what a LONG day!

Packing for a mini road trip. 5+ hours in the car to see Allison's last home soccer game (which happened to be their Pink Out game). Trying to plan Tuesday's soccer parent meeting. Dinner with the best sister in the world. Listening to the World Series on the way home. Laundry. Packing lunches. Fun stuff. Boring stuff.

I'm so glad we got to spend some time with Allison today, so the exhaustion I'm feeling at this very moment was totally worth it. Love you, Sister!

And GO RANGERS!!!

Friday Five

1. Go Rangers! If you've followed my blog at all (ever), you probably know that we're huge Rangers fans in this house. And yes, that includes before last year when they actually started winning some games. So it should be no surprise that we've been watching every postseason game (we'd watch all the regular season ones too if they weren't only on cable), and I'm SO ready for us to win the Series this year!! It's been a long time coming. Last night about gave me a heart attack though, so I'm glad we pulled out the win! And sheesh, I wish all the Ron Washington haters would just give it a rest already. I don't think he's nearly as bad as everybody says. Yes, he's unconventional. I like risk-takers. Sometimes those risks pay off, and sometimes they don't.

2. Soccer started this week! I'm so excited about coaching these girls, and I'm up to the challenge/balancing act that this season will bring. Only a couple more weeks until our first game!

3. It seems like once a month I have a major mom fail. (And no, it's not that kind of once a month.) According to Matt's diagnosis, I let minor frustrations build and build and then I just lose it. He's right. I hate it when he's right. Said meltdown is like a slow-motion out-of-body experience, during which I hear myself freaking out and verbally taking it out on my kids, but I can't actually believe that I would become so impatient and say such ugly, irrational things to two of the three people I love most in the entire world. And then they're crying, I'm crying, and as my mom arrives to babysit until Matt comes home, I'm walking out the door an absolute mess because I'm late for soccer practice.

Those days really suck. Someone please tell me I'm not alone and that you're not all as perfect as Facebook and blogs make it appear. :)

4. Now enter the sewing list. How are there only TEN days until Halloween (and only SIX until Avery needs her costume)?!? Yikes, I need to make friends with my sewing machine again. The good news is that I have all of my needed materials for costumes, baby gifts, t-shirt quilt, and some other looming projects. I just have to find time to make myself sit down and DO IT.

5. Ah, but it's the weekend now. We're going to a real live square dance at our church's hoedown tonight, tomorrow night is a Sunday School party, and Matt's taking off on Monday so we can go to Allison's soccer game!

And hopefully I can retain what's left of my sanity without having another day like Wednesday. Happy weekend, everybody!

The Great State Fair

Okay, so maybe it's not all that great, but we do try to go to the State Fair of Texas every year (although it's getting harder and harder the more kids we add to the mix!). We went this past Sunday and had a nice little family day since we hadn't all been together at all during the weekend.

Shoot, y'all. You can drop a pretty penny at the fair seeing as how ONE CORNY DOG is like $4.50. No thank you. I have no problem admitting to being a cheapskate, so I will disclose that the amount of money we spent at the fair this year was a whopping $14.50. We got free tickets since Matt's a teacher and my mom wasn't using her teacher ticket, so the $14.50 includes $10 to park and $4.50 to go to the Science Place (which, ahem, used to be free with fair admission and is totally not worth even the $1.50 discounted ticket price). When we were walking in, a nice family gave us their leftover tickets since they were leaving, so we split some fried Oreos. Let's just say that I'm glad we didn't spend our own money on the mushy "treat." Yuck.

And one of these days we'll shell out the money to go on the gigantor ferris wheel (can you believe I've lived here my whole life and have never ridden it?!?). 

I'm kinda in a funk today, so I don't feel like writing anymore. Here's our day in pictures:

Avery was so worn out that she fell asleep in the car when we left at 6:15, and she stayed asleep until 7:30 the next morning (we moved her to her bed, duh).

So there you have it. Fair fun for 2011. See ya next year, Big Tex.

Sting 'Em!

This has already been a whirlwind of a weekend, and we had so much fun going to visit Allison and watch her soccer game yesterday! Even if Landon did cry scream for an hour of the drive home. (Thanks for being the baby whisperer, Brittany!!)

Me and my girl :)

Lan Man finally took a nap!

A growing girl just snacking away in Grandma's lap...

Landon sitting with Nick and NOT CRYING!

I just love this picture. We took it to show Avery's VERY messy face, and then it ended up being super cute! Now I really wish I would've wiped her face off. :)

How cute are they?!? We like Brittany. :)

Allison and her boyfriend, Isaac

I'm still sad that I didn't get to stay last night to see Allison's coffee house performance and watch her senior day today, but I am SO proud of this girl!

I'm glad you're my sister, weirdo. :)

Anyway, Matt had to work late yesterday and then today he had to be at school at 6:30 in the morning for all-region auditions while I had a leadership workshop all day at church. Landon went with me, and Avery stayed in Brownwood with my parents and brother. I'm ready for our little family to be reunited in time to watch the Rangers (hopefully) win the American League pennant tonight!

And tomorrow we're headed to the fair!

Redeeming Weekend

After last week, during which I wasn't sure I would even make it to the weekend, the last few days were a much needed recuperation.

We had such a great time at the farm on Friday (which I blogged about here), and after that we went straight to the soccer field for open practice. Avery and Landon got to hang out with Kendra in her classroom during practice time, so Avery thought it was a big treat (especially since she didn't have to take a nap)!

I had prepped our Crock Pot dinner on Friday morning, so we even got an amazing meal after such a full day. We all gave Skinny Zucchini Ziti two thumbs up (thanks, Pinterest!).

Needless to say, we were exhausted on Friday night, so both kids went to bed early and, after watching a couple episodes of Friday Night Lights, so did we! (If you're keeping up, we're on season 4 now, and goodness, have things changed in Dillon! I'm digging the new story line so far. And much thanks to Netflix for adding season 5.)

Both kids slept in on Saturday morning, so we celebrated with a donut breakfast. So much for cutting back on the sugar, right? We stopped by a garage sale, visited the library, and caught the end of a church friend's soccer game all before going to my parents' house to celebrate my brother Aaron's 26th birthday with a chicken salad lunch.

Then Matt and I got a much-needed date night, baseball style! Since we're too poor to actually go to the ALCS games, we saw Moneyball (great movie!) before going to watch the game at Razzoo's. It was perfect. We even got to be grown ups and sit at the bar to enjoy our non-rushed meal, dessert included!

Y'all. If your sweet tooth is as bad as mine, you have GOT to try the Mud Sundae at Razzoo's. It is a monster of a dessert (as in, Matt and I were struggling to finish the one we split). We're talking a huge brownie and extra large scoop of vanilla ice cream underneath a mound of whipped cream drizzled with chocolate sauce. I could make a whole meal of that sundae. I would promptly throw up, but it would be worth it.

We did leave during the rain delay, but I pushed through and stayed up until the Rangers finally won around midnight.

Sunday was pretty typical: church, lunch, choir practice for me while Matt took the kids home to nap, Matt's deacon meeting, bath time, and bed. We did attempt a two-kid bath time for the first time though, and it was a success! Well, success until Avery got tired of Landon splashing her. I refrained from putting the precious pictures on here for fear that my children will hate me when they get older. :) (Okay, so it's mostly because I fear internet creeps.)

And now we're ready for Game 2 of the ALCS. Go Rangers!

Old McDonald Had a Farm...

... E I E I O.

Not only is that currently one of Avery's favorite songs, she also got to sing it with all her friends during the animal show at Green Meadows Petting Farm on Friday.

Y'all. The girl had a blast. And I'll admit, I had a lot of fun, too.

We went with a bunch of moms and preschoolers from our church, and it was such a great outing. Even with big elementary field trip groups there, it didn't seem crowded because the place is huge. We were even able to snag the big gazebo by the lake for lunch time, and the kids loved exploring through the trees and on the beach.

With a hay ride, farm show, tons of animals to see, and a take-home pumpkin, it's definitely worth the money. I highly recommend it for families in this area. (They even have hand washing stations all throughout the farm!) It only runs for about a month, and the group rate is much lower than regular admission, so snag some friends and head out one morning before it's over!

And don't be dumb like me and forget your camera. I was at the mercy of my friends, who were so sweet to take pictures of Avery for me!