Another Photo Attempt

They turned out ok . . . I do really love the picture of Sam.

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Does anyone want to make this with me? I bought the punch and paper, but I have yet to sit down and do it. I love the idea!

Brown Day, Blue Day

Brown Day was a little slower -- a lot slower. Today the boys got to make brownies for the first time. I know, they are a little old to be making brownies for the first time. But I'm knid of a control freak when it comes to cooking in my kitchen. They were both really excited to finally get the chance to cook something. They loved it, and it wasn't so bad having to sit back and watch.

Blue Day was the last day of color week. To find out what we were going to do, I had the boys play Blue's clues. Sam and Benjamin rolled their eyes when I told them to look for paw prints, but Nicholas thought it was great. The clues told them that we were going to go out for dinner. To figure out where we were going, I made a little sentence like the game Mad Gab -- that's where you have to figure out the real phrase from a bunch of miss-matched words. So the boys' words were "ON COLD HANDS," which was "Uncle Dan's". And after dinner we were going to "GOATS WIN MING HAT TEE WHY" or "go swimming at the Y." Sam and Benjamin thought it was fun to figure out those clues. And of course they loved going to the pool.

Color week was a success! Way to go internet! Another great idea!

Red Day, Green Day

Ok, here's the quick color update.

RED DAY:
For red day, we went to Books A Million and each of the kids got to pick a new book. Then we came home and READ the books. (Insert punny laugh). Then we had pasta with red sauce for dinner . . . well, all except Sam who has a strange aversion to cooked tomatoes of any kind (except pizza sauce. But even then it has to be the RIGHT pizza sauce.) I digress.

GREEN DAY:
For green day, we went to the zoo -- outside with the green plants and green trees and green lizards and green snakes. The kids loved it! Nicholas even sat in the stroller without complaint, which is quite a feat. Afterwards, we went to the zoo gift shop and the kids each got to pick out something small, and green. I hadn't planned on buying a treat, but I was in need of air conditioning after carrying Eliana and pushing the stroller around the zoo.
Green Day dinner was turkey and guacamole paninis with green salad and limeade, followed by lime sherbet.

Tomorrow is Brown Day. I have to say, I'm really having as much fun as the kids are. I feel like a fun mom again. And I'm beginning to see that occupied kids are happy kids (you would think that I'd have figured that out after having kids for 8 years, but some how that lesson has escaped me). For now there is peace at the White house. What more can a mom ask for?

A Week Of Color

I decided to do something different for spring break. Borrowing an idea I saw online (of course), we are having Color Week. Each day will be represented by a color -- We will do an activity that has to do with the color, for dinner we will have something of that color, and if the kids want, they can wear the color of the day.

To start it off, Monday was "Black and White" day. And in honor of those colors, we visited Shamu at Sea World. For our family Christmas present, we bought season passes to Sea World. And I think it may become a tradition! Yesterday was a very wet, rainy day in San Antonio, but we opened our umbrellas and had a great time. There were probably 100 people or less in the park. We had the best seats at every show! We didn't have to wait in line or fight the crowds for anything. The boys would have preferred sun, but Josh and I loved it! The only bad thing was that the roller coasters weren't running. Sam has been waiting 2 years to be tall enough to ride the ELECTRIC EEL . . . maybe next time.







Today's color is Red, but you'll have to check back tomorrow for the details.

The thing I hate most about Texas

Allow me a moment of sentiment:

We live in a pretty transitional area. A lot of people move here to attend School. And when three years is up, they all move away. Then there are people who make a temporary job stop in Waco, and move on to bigger and better things.

We came to Baylor, not with the intention of staying, but with the idea that we would move on as well. But we stayed and we love it, except for the fact that we seem to be saying goodbye quite frequently. Today we said goodbye again to a sweet family as they begin the next chapter in their lives. It was a first for Nicholas -- he's never had a friend leave.

I just wanted to say thanks to all of you that have been a part of our lives. Thank you for enriching our lives in a way that only you could. Thank you for the small moments and the large lessons. Thank you for being a part of our journey. And good luck on yours.

Why can't we get all the people together in the world that we really like and then just stay together? I guess that wouldn't work. Someone would leave. Someone always leaves. Then we would have to say good-bye. I hate good-byes. I know what I need. I need more hellos.
~Charles M. Schulz

Things heard around our house

Nicholas brought me an empty glass and said, "I so thirsty mama. Make me happy!"

Josh was explaining to Sam how roller coasters work. He ended by saying something like, "So the force prevents you from falling out." Benjamin, who had been half listening, suddenly shouted, "YES! I knew the force was real!"

And here's a little ditty we made up to go with this face:

Eliana Joy White
You are putting up quite a fight.
Just be quiet and say good night.
Eliana, sleep tight!

(to be honest, the song does nothing for her, but it lets me pass the time with a smile)

And finally -- cake. I recently had a piece of GIANT chocolate cake at Cheddars. I knew that I had to take the boys there because no one can appreciate a foot long piece of chocolate cake like three boys. Of course, it was a hit. And after they had devoured every last bite, the only word out of their mouths was "MORE!"

A 3000 Word Essay on Beauty.

Enough said!!