TTT: Season 3, Episode 14

1. Is it warm where you are yet? I'm pretty sure that Houston just went straight from fall back to summer. No winter. No spring. It's already full on hot, humid, sweaty ick. We've had the AC on for several weeks , but now it's the point where it's running all the time. I have to admit, that while I love the fact that it's always green here, I do miss getting all four seasons in Lubbock. We spent most of the weekend working out in the front yard and apart from the occasional breeze, it was pretty miserable. But we figured we better get it done now, 'cause Lord knows that when May and June roll around, you won't be seeing me out there picking weeds. We got some new flowers planted, new mulch down, and patched a few spots in the yard with sod. We were quite productive for one weekend! Even with the baby trying to eat leaves and pine bark non stop. And the mosquitoes leaving us spotted all over. But the best part was just being together. On a weekend. Which, for us, is something new considering Mark was on call all. the. time. with his old job. Not any more. He's actually home on the weekend, and it has been fantastic for our family.

2. One of my favorite things about being a mom is listening to my childrens' perspective of life. One of these conversations happened this week and I think we all got a huge kick out of it. We were over at my parents' house (just my Dad was there) and then Kolbe started filling us in on something that happened the night before:

Kolbe: Pa, last night I was in my room and it was dark and my eyes were closed but then a video came on. I watched a video in my room! And in the video Dada was standing there and and and and I was holding on to one of his legs and Rudy was holding on to his other leg and we didn't go down the stairs. We went over by the window and then we started to flyyyyyyy! We went all the way out to the street but we were flying!!!

Pa: This was a video?

Kolbe: Yeah! It was dark and my eyes were closed but I was watching a movie!!!

Later, in the car on the way home, he re-told me the story again.

Me: But Kolbe! How did you watch a movie with your eyes closed!?!

Kolbe: I don't know! It was crazy! Mom, I think that God turns those videos on. He turns the video on in my room so that I can watch it with my eyes closed!

Me: Has this even happened before?

Kolbe: Yes! But sometimes I forget which movie it is before I remember to tell you about it. It's always good movies though. God just puts the movie on and I watch it and then I wake up!

Don't you love it!?! I've explained dreams to him before it's been a while. And it's so much cooler to hear it from his perspective. Makes me want to close my eyes and see his dreams with him. I certainly miss seeing life that way.

3. We are headed to Dallas this weekend and I can't wait! Mark's brother, Brian, and his wife Cristi recently built a new house and moved in a little over a month ago. They've invited us up from The Woodlands and Mark/Brian's parents down from Lubbock for a big family Easter celebration. We haven't seen them since Christmas and we definitely miss them. I know they miss the boys a ton, too. It will be a really quick trip, since Mark has to be back at work on Monday, but luckily it's a relatively short drive and totally worth it. We've got egg dying, egg hunting, lots of eating, and G-ma baths planned. (G-ma gives the best scrubbin's for the boys. She loves doing it. And I've vowed to bring them nice and dirty!)  Sure, we'll probably consume way more sweets in two days than we do in a solid month and spend most of our time trying to keep Grant from scaling the stairs or destroying any decor within reach, but we can't wait to see Brian and Cristi's new house, and most of all, can't wait to be with our awesome family even if only for a few days. 

My poor baby...his brothers put him through all kinds of shenanigans.

Kolb and Ru doing their chores. It's important for us that the boys learn the importance of hard work...might as well teach it while they still think it's cool!

Last Friday we had a money day and I tried to teach the boys a little about how money works. Kolbe managed to glean the whole 100 pennies in a dollar, 20 nickels in a dollar, 10 dimes in a dollar, 4 quarters in a dollar thing. I had them sort out all of the coins in Dada's coin jar. (a great activity if you need them to be busy for a while!) We then took a trip to the bank where they got to trade the coins in for dollars. After dividing them out, we headed to the store where Rudy immediately spent all of his on a lunch box he's been begging for for ages. And Kolbe spent two dollars but decided to save the rest. I was proud of him! I think he actually gets it. Rudy, on the other hand, is still a little young. He was crushed that his dollars only bought him one thing. And that he didn't have any more left over. Guess he'll have to pick up some extra chores and earn some back! Ha1

Kolbe has been on a major Buzz and Woody kick lately. He's been toting these toys that G-ma got him several years ago around day after day. During quiet time a few days ago he came out and told me that he wasn't tired but that he had to be quiet because Buzz and Woody were both asleep. I later found this scene. 

My sweet guy. I had to take him to the ENT this week because he's been having problems with one of his ears. Sure enough, his tube was completely obstructed and had to be removed. We'll have a few weeks of drops to clean out the infection that's in there and then make plans to get new tubes in. The doctor said that kids with clefts usually need them until around age 8. I know it's what's best for him, but I always feel sorry for my little guy. He goes through a lot. So that's new tubes and a tooth pulled within the next few months. He's such a trooper and always the perfect patient. I'm proud of my brave little guy.

Don't I have the most handsome yard boys ever!?!