Roxy's Reign Ends

Graysonisms

2012-02-15T21:00:00.000-06:00

A few recent topics of conversation from our daily lives with Grayson:

It snowed overnight on Sunday and when Gray woke up and saw it he told Michael, "Daddy we need to get the Christmas tree out. It's Christmastime again already!" When Michael told him it wasn't time for Christmas yet, Gray said, "But there's snow on the ground?!"

My sister Amy and her family are moving from North Carolina back to Oklahoma this week (yay!) and Gray has been talking a lot about his cousin Holten coming to live in Norman and going to his preschool. He gets really serious and says, "Mama, I want Holt to be my brother." Every time I try to explain that it's not negotiable, but they are cousins and that's really special too. Then I ask if Gray wants Holt to live with us and share his toys, and he quickly changes his mind about the whole brother thing.

Gray's latest obsessions are asking people if they are his best friend, Batman, what it means to be a stranger (including telling people they are strangers to their face when we're in public...nice) and houses with Christmas lights getting tickets from the police (yes, I'm still answering 20 questions about this every time we see a house with lights on it).

Grand Fun

2012-02-13T18:41:00.000-06:00

Gray spent Saturday night at Grandmama and Granddaddy's house so Michael and I could enjoy a date night. He took the opportunity to go through my mom's old classroom books and picked out a handful of new books on space, trees and weather. Forget the fiction, I swear this kid loves science as much as his parent do.

Grandmama also helped Gray make a Valentine for us. They rolled strips of pink paper around a pencil and glued them to a heart. So cute!

Then it was time to play a matching domino game. We play a similar game at home with a set of old wooden dominoes that were mine as a child. Instead of numbers/dots, they have animals painted on them that you match up. Our games usually end the same way as the one below...with the dominoes turning into a road for cars at the end.

Hello Weekend

2012-02-10T17:59:00.000-06:00

It's the weekend and I could not be happier. Our house is a mess, we have a limited food supply for the impending snowstorm and my windshield cracked on the way home tonight, but all I can think about is the fact that it's Friday and the world is ripe with possibility. All I feel like doing is daydreaming out a train window. Maybe curling up by the fire will do the trick instead.

I hope you all have an awesome weekend!

All Aboard!

2012-02-06T19:42:00.000-06:00

This weekend we took Grayson on the Heartland Flyer, an Amtrak train that runs from Oklahoma City to Fort Worth, TX. We were all pretty excited since none of us had ever been on a train. I made the mistake of telling Gray about it a week too soon so the anticipation had been building.

We boarded at the Norman, OK station which is a small renovated historic depot that now serves as a charming local art gallery as well. We planned to meet up with Nana and Popper who were driving from Houston to Fort Worth to meet us and hand over Michael's new SUV (he'd purchased it from a dealership in Houston about a week ago).

Having worked in the tourism industry, I'd always heard great things about the Heartland Flyer. Their crew has been voted best in customer service for the entire Amtrak system, and after meeting three of them in-person, I can see why. They were absolutely delightful and made our experience even more memorable. Here are a few of the highlights:

Here comes the train!

Daddy & Gray pick out good seats on the upper level of the second car. We felt like we had the car all to ourselves.

Mommy & Gray checking out the reclining features.

Plenty of time for silliness.

Right before we pulled into the station, we thought Gray might take a nap. It didn't last, but the seats were comfortable enough to fall asleep.

I loved seeing sides of places you don't get to experience from the interstate. It's everything from mobile homes and junk that's been dumped by the tracks to perfectly preserved small-town depots on Main Street America and amazing landscapes that you can only access from the tracks. Both of these pictures are somewhere in the Arbuckle Mountains.

Once we pulled into the station, we met up with Nana and Popper, and Michael (finally) got to see the car we purchased a week earlier.

His new baby...there are already plans in the works for modifying it. Surprise surprise.

After an awesome steak lunch in Fort Worth's Historic Stockyards, we walked around some of the shops and picked up a cowboy had for Gray.

On the way back to the car, we passed this big guy. Gray couldn't wait to sit on him and then once he was up there he immediately wanted down.

We absolutely fell in love with train travel and can't wait to go on a longer trip up one of the coasts or somewhere we can experience sleeping and dining cars, plus take in some epic scenery from the panoramic windows.

Progress Report

2012-02-02T17:54:00.002-06:00

As time passes, it's easy to forget some of the New Year's resolutions we set out to accomplish just a few weeks ago. I was talking to someone about this at work and had to stop and think for a second about how we were doing.

Despite not really thinking about them day-to-day, we have made some headway on our goals.

Take more day trips and weekend getaways.

We've had a spontaneous (and freezing) picnic at the park
This weekend we're planning a day trip on the Heartland Flyer (our local Amtrak train that goes to Fort Worth, TX). Gray is gonna flip out with excitement!

Break out of our usual dinner lineup.

I tried a great spinach enchilada recipe from Real Simple and have incorporated some stir fry meals into our routine that seems to be a hit. I also have a new pumpkin dump cake recipe from Michael's side of the family that I plan to make soon. I've been checking out recipes on Pinterest, but find myself saving desserts instead of dinner ideas. Oops!

Tackle some of the major home improvement projects we've been talking about for years.

Michael is helping our architect friend Jack with some graphic design work, so we're bartering for his space planning expertise on our master bathroom. We met with Jack to talk through our ideas and measure the space a couple of weeks ago and he's drawing up several options to gut and remodel the whole thing. I'm excited to see what he comes up with, but am also nervous about seeing what it's going to cost.

Make specific plans to nurture our passions and hobbies:

Michael

Mike started a four-month upholstery class this week that meets a couple of evenings a week. Despite being the only male in the class (and one of the few under the age of 50), he thinks he's going to enjoy it.
I've heard some talk amongst his buds about planning some regular mountain biking dates soon.

Lindsay

Other than trying to update my blog more often, I haven't done much to nurture my writing and I sure haven't dusted off my tennis racket.

Gray

We've been taking Gray to the weekly music classes at our local library. He really seems to enjoy them and he talks about them all week.

Of course, my personal resolutions are probably the most neglected out of everything. In the evenings, I end up doing things like our taxes instead of nurturing my interests. I need to get better about that.

Even though we've done fairly well overall (for only being a month into 2012), I'm sure our resolutions will slip further to the back of our minds if we're not careful. That's why I'm going to post them on our fridge or somewhere visible so we'll stay accountable and also take time to acknowledge our accomplishments. How are you all doing on your resolutions?

Christmas Consequences

2012-02-01T20:23:00.000-06:00

This was my conversation with Grayson in the car on the way home from his school a few nights back:

Gray: Does that house still have its Christmas light on it?

Me: Yes, sometimes people leave their lights on even when Christmas is over.

Gray: They need to take them down or the firemen will get them.

Me: The firemen? Like Uncle Levi?

Gray: Yes, Uncle Levi will come in a BIG fire truck and get them. And he'll wear a hat.

Me: Did you know he has a fireman's hat with his name on it?

Gray: Yes, his hat says Uncle Levi.

I didn't have the heart to tell him that the fire department doesn't call him Uncle Levi. He can figure that out some other day.

For those of you with Christmas lights still on the house...consider yourself warned. The fire department may be paying you a visit. There will be big trucks and hats. It won't be pretty.

Hitting the Trail

2012-01-31T20:46:00.002-06:00

Last Saturday, I attended an all-day board retreat so the boys were left to their own devices. It was a gorgeous day, so Michael decided to take Grayson out to Lake Thunderbird State Park for a little fresh air and some "off-road" bicycling.

Lake Thunderbird has a great system of trails which Michael has spent many an hour mountain biking over the years. This time it was Gray's turn to ride and Daddy was armed with his camera.

Entering the trail head Daddy's already having a hard time keeping up on foot with our little speed racer.

Evaluating the course ahead

And we're off!

Stopping to smell the roses...I mean check out the birds.

Time to focus on shredding some trail

As you can see from the bike wheels at the top of this picture, there were a lot of other cyclists out that day. All of them got a huge kick out of seeing Gray ride up from the trail. And Daddy was happy.

Tour de Driveway

2012-01-25T20:28:00.000-06:00

Grayson has been doing well learning how to balance on his bike without pedals or training wheels. I can't remember if I've posted before about strider bikes, but it's a really neat concept for teaching young kids how to balance so they can ride without training wheels.

We took Gray's pedals and training wheels off a few months back and I think he'll be ready to put the pedals back on sometime this spring or summer. As you can see, he loves his bike which makes his daddy happy to no end.

(Disclaimer: I took these videos with Michael's phone and should have turned it horizontal. Apologies for the operator malfunction!)

Wholehearted Gratefulness

2012-01-24T17:35:00.001-06:00

When I was pregnant, Michael and I would daydream about what our child would be like and wonder about everything from his hair color to hobbies to disposition. Now that he's here, we know he has my eyes and everything else of Michael's, likes music, cars and sports and may end up being a lefty.

But more than his looks and interests, we wanted our son to be kind, considerate, affectionate and thoughtful. As any parent will tell you, manners are a journey, not a destination, but I had a proud mama moment yesterday evening during our regular after-school routine.

When Gray and I arrive home, we check the mailbox together and he looks forward to opening the envelopes. Yesterday we came home to a surprise. He spotted a padded envelope sticking out of the mailbox and got very excited to see what it was. Gray immediately asked if it was car parts for daddy (what does that tell you), but I showed him the front of the envelope and he recognized his name and got even more excited.

He asked who it was from and I said, "Aunt Karen and Uncle Steve from Houston, Texas." To which he replied, "Ohhh! We'll have to tell them thank you the next time we're in Houston, Texas."

He didn't even know what was inside, yet he was immediately thankful. He kept talking about how we needed to be sure and thank our aunt and uncle, it made my heart happy. Then he opened the package and discovered Lightening McQueen!

Thank you Aunt Karen and Uncle Steve for the sweet surprise! I for one am thankful to have such thoughtful relatives!

Random Updates

2012-01-23T17:31:00.000-06:00

The picture above is from Gray's music class at the library. Not only does he love learning words and hand motions to new songs, he also gets a super-cool name tag. Who knew a piece of paper and tape could make someone so happy?

Great-grandmama gave Gray a toy dog for Christmas that walks, sits and responds to commands. When I asked what his puppy's name was, he said "Rudolph." I asked if Rudolph was a boy or a girl and he told me "dog." Duh, mom.

After much consideration, Michael has decided he's going to sell Blauhai. He broke the news to his BMW car club at a meet-up last week and is working on posting it online. I know he has mixed emotions about selling it, so we'll see what happens.

Cooking up some fun

2012-01-22T10:40:00.000-06:00

We spent some time at our friend Cora's house this weekend and I'm always amazed at how much Gray plays with her toy kitchen. He has one in his bedroom that doesn't see a lot of action, but the second we step in Cora's house, he starts cooking up a storm.

It helps that she recently added a toy microwave which was a Christmas gift and she has a lot more pretend condiments, spices and food accessories than Gray's kitchen set-up. Oh, and did I mention fairy wings? I guess that's the girl version of a superhero cape...a must for any gourmet chef.

Happy Birthday Jack!

2012-01-16T19:22:00.000-06:00

I can't believe baby Jack is one! We celebrated with him this weekend at his Elmo-themed birthday bash.

While opening his presents, Jack stood up on his own several times and looked around at all of us cheering like, "What's the big deal?" Of course, I didn't have my camera ready. He'll be walking (and running!) in the blink of an eye.

Big brother Luke will celebrate his 5th birthday next month.

Suzanne had the cutest table decorations and party bags, complete with candy necklaces which were a mega hit! The sugar took about 4.5 seconds to kick in. Luckily, it was a gorgeous day so we could send the kiddos outside to burn off their sugar highs.

Fill in the Caption

2012-01-12T22:03:00.000-06:00

Hope this picture makes you laugh as much as it does us! Michael and I were rolling laughing coming up with a caption for this photo, but instead of using one of ours, we thought it might be fun for you all to write a caption instead. Leave your best material in the comments section and the one we love the most will get a super awesome prize (in addition to bragging rights).

Winter Gala

2012-01-10T21:26:00.000-06:00

Grayson's school hosted a "Winter Gala" tonight where several classes performed a medley of songs. We were afraid we'd see a repeat of last year's tragic concert performance, but what a difference a year makes.

This year, instead of being frightened by the crowd, Gray went up in front of everyone (early) and stood next to the school director as she was welcoming everyone. We had to tell him it wasn't his turn yet so he wouldn't stand up there while the younger classes performed.

When it was finally his turn, Gray sang loudly and did all the hand motions. We were very entertained and proud of our boy.

You Just Thought Christmas Was Over

2012-01-09T20:34:00.000-06:00

On Saturday we celebrated the last of our family Christmases with my step-dad's side of the family. A lot of this family lives several hours away from us, so it's always fun to be together and catch up.

There were only about half of the great-grandchildren's generation there, but we managed to get a picture of the handsome boys. I love that Grayson is holding hands with his big cousin.

Ladd, Van and Grayson

After a few hours of playing and bonding, Grayson said, "I want to be best friends with those boys, mama." I told him they were even better than best friends, they were cousins and that means you're friends for life. His eyes and smile got wide and he was satisfied.

Showing Daddy How it's Done

2012-01-07T13:21:00.000-06:00

For Christmas, Grayson received a Buzz Lightyear and Woody shaving set, complete with berry shaving cream, a mirror and a plastic razor.

Even though Michael uses an electric shaver and Gray has never seen him use a real razor, somehow he knows how it all works. I'm guessing he's watched his Pappa shave during one of his visits. Pretty cute.

Impromptu Picnic

2012-01-06T20:20:00.000-06:00

So we've been making good on some of our resolutions and last weekend decided to go exploring at our local park. We packed up for an impromptu picnic because the day before had been sunny and warm.

Unfortunately, the day we went a cold front was rolling through which put a kink in our plans. As you can see below, it's so cold, Michael can't even open his mouth all the way to smile. Burrr...

We decided to take our picnic to the car and enjoyed finishing our lunch out of the wind.

Once we were full, we headed to a nearby field to fly a kite. It may have been too windy to enjoy a winter picnic, but we're all about the glass being half full, so we used the wind to our advantage for kite flying.

Gray wasn't super entertained by the kite since there was an awesome playground in sight, so we headed over to check it out.

As another make-good on our resolution list, we attended a children's music class this week at our local library. We all had fun learning new songs, dancing and meeting new friends. The class meets weekly and we're going to try and make as many as we can. Michael was the only daddy in attendance and it made me thankful to have a partner that doesn't mind singing and making a fool of himself in public.

Ringing in 2012

2012-01-02T11:05:00.001-06:00

We hosted a small "fun-due" (fondue) party for New Year's Eve and took advantage of the gathering to take an annual snapshot of our group's kiddos. I love seeing each child grow from year to year, not to mention the number of kids has grown by two this year as well.

From left to right: Cora, Emma, Liam, Bea, Claire and Grayson

Future best friends: Baby Bea and Baby Claire

New Year, New Possibilities

2012-01-01T14:37:00.000-06:00

After a rough start to 2011 and some other unexpected pitfalls throughout the year, I am looking forward to saying goodbye to the past and start fresh. That said, I did accomplish my goals of getting off crutches and potty training Gray (both of which seemed nearly impossible last January).

Lately, I've been thinking about what I want to accomplish in 2012. Not just for myself, but for our family. After consulting with my cohorts (Michael and Gray), we've come up with the following list.

Enjoy Gray's last year of not being tied down by an elementary school calendar (2013 and kindergarten will be here before we know it!). That leads us to the next one...

Take more day trips and weekend getaways. We've got such busy schedules during the week, it's easy to spend our weekends catching up on laundry, errands, etc. and forget to have some fun. We need to make more time for adventure and spontaneous exploration.

Break out of our usual dinner lineup. I'll admit, I'm stuck in a meal planning rut. Limited winter produce doesn't help, but I'm thankful that Gray is a pretty open-minded eater and I'd like to expand our culinary repertoire.

Tackle some of the major home improvement projects we've been talking about for years. I want our home to inspire and re-energize us, not be a stressful reminder of what needs to be done.

Make specific plans to nurture our passions and hobbies:

Michael: furniture making/upholstery, mountain biking, art
Lindsay: writing, tennis
Gray: music, soccer

We realize this is a pretty ambitious list, but we have to at least put it out there and try. One thing is certain...2012 will no doubt bring change both in and out of our control. I hope you all will help us stay on track and make the coming year one of adventure, accomplishment and continual learning.

Our Christmas Recap

2011-12-30T19:05:00.000-06:00

We're still recovering from Christmas, but I wanted to share some of the highlights from last weekend.

We hosted Christmas Eve (Eve) Friday night with my dad's side of the family and enjoyed a houseful of some of our favorite people.

Cousins Jack, Luke and Gray ready to get the party started!

A short while later, my sister Amy and nephew Holten arrived from their two-day trip all the way from North Carolina.The cousins' club was finally complete! Unfortunately, we got a lot of pictures like the one above...and only one half-way decent one like the one below, before meltdowns ensued.

After what seemed like F-O-R-E-V-E-R to the boys, we opened presents. Pappa (my dad) got a mini-Foosball table in our dirty Santa swap and the boys (young and old) went crazy over it.

On Saturday, we enjoyed a lazy day around the house with two sets of grandparents and made some cookies for Santa.

Mmmm...Santa told me they tasted as good as they looked!

After the cookies were ready, we headed to an evening candlelight service at our church. We took advantage of the fact that we were all out of our pajamas to take some family pics.

With Nana and Popper (Michael's parents)

With Pappa and Susu (my parents)...nice matching shirts Pappa & Gray!

Gray leaving his cookies for Santa.

On Christmas morning, we had to wake Grayson up so we could do Santa and our presents before heading to my mom's for brunch with her side of the family. Although Gray has been extremely focused on getting a basketball goal from Santa, it was the last thing he noticed in all the excitement.

Michael took a few videos (which I debated about sharing since I make a cameo in my mismatched pajamas) to capture the moment.

Later that morning, we enjoyed more time with family.

Gray "driving" Holten in an imaginary boat.

A sister reunion: Emily, me and Amy

It was a whirlwind weekend and we had so much fun. We are truly blessed to have such an amazing family. We missed seeing all of our Texas family, but hope to make a trip that way soon. Now if I could just find a home for all of Gray's new toys...

Pearly Whites

2011-12-22T17:31:00.000-06:00

Gray had his first solo visit with the dentist this week. He's been with me a couple of times in the past to get used to the dentist office/instruments so he would be comfortable when it was time to sit in the chair. This week, it was his turn to be a big boy for Dr. Pat.

After sitting on my lap during my teeth cleaning (and asking no less than 75 questions to the dental hygienist Ms. Marty throughout the process), Grayson was ready to get his own check up.

He got to pick out some sunglasses so the light wouldn't shine in his eyes. I thought he might freak out when Dr. Pat put the instruments in his mouth, but Grayson did great. He held his mouth open wide and sat very still. Next time we're going to try an actual polishing. We'll see how that goes.

Sweet memories

2011-12-21T17:15:00.000-06:00

The three amigos recently decorated some holiday cookies with their buddy Emma (aka our future babysitting rockstar). It doesn't matter how old you are, cookies and icing are sure to please.

Prepping the icing for sprinkles

Here is Grayson's approach to adding the sprinkles. Deliberate and clean (just like his daddy)

Cora took a slightly different approach. She cut right to the chase and dumped the entire jar of sprinkles on her cookie. I promise there is a cookie under there somewhere.

I love Gray's expression in this picture. He's so focused on eating that cookie!

Happy Birthday Roxy Claus

2011-12-20T17:43:00.000-06:00

We're getting in the holiday spirit, but unfortunately I can't say the same for Roxy. She tolerated her Santa outfit just long enough for me to get a couple of pictures (then she tried to bite my finger off as I undressed her).

Guess I shouldn't pester her so much on her birthday. She's now seven and as crotchety as ever.

Despite her scrooge moment, doesn't she look festive? Merry Christmas from Roxy Claus!

Sooner Born & Sooner Bred

2011-12-20T17:14:00.000-06:00

One night last week Gray and I were on our own for dinner so daddy could take care of some Christmas shopping. I called up our friends for an impromptu dinner playdate and we took the kiddos to the OU student union.

After eating dinner, we took the kids on a tour of the union so they could learn about their future alma mater.

Grayson & Cora checking out the Sooner Schooner

Visiting the Seed Sower (he sows the seeds of knowledge)

As we were walking down the hall I told Gray he needed to hold someone's hand. I should have known he'd choose Cora. So sweet.

Here Lately

2011-12-17T08:48:00.000-06:00

Since I no longer write monthly updates about Grayson's age and milestone development, I forget to capture the things I love (and could do without) at whatever stage he's in at the moment.

Here's a list of what I hope will soon pass:

Gray has been in trouble several times at school lately for "sword fighting" and playing Power Rangers with his buddy Kolby. When he gets in trouble, he's not allowed to watch Arthur on TV when we get home (which is what he usually does while I cook dinner and we're waiting for daddy to get home). So far the punishment has been very effective and I'm hopeful Arthur will continue to wield power in our household.

When we tell Gray no or not to do something, we've been met with a few dirty looks. Gray squints his eyes, crinkles his nose and shoots us a mean look. This is likely the equivalent of the teenage eye-roll that I'm sure we'll see soon enough. It annoys me so much that I've started putting him in timeout for it, but I can already tell this boy has an attitude.

Everywhere we go he asks, "Does this place have a bathroom?" and then we often have to visit it. I've asked Santa for more hand sanitizer because I can't seem to keep enough in my purse.

Luckily, Gray is overall a very good and sweet boy so the list of things I love at this stage is longer than the other list.

I love when he crawls into our bed on Saturday mornings and he puts his little arm around me and pats me, just like I do to him.

We've taught him the "wake-up song" that Michael's parents sang to him as a child. Gray now loves singing it to daddy to get him out of bed on the weekends. I need to try and record it one of these days because he's added a big finale.

I love how he insists on saying two prayers for blessing our dinner -- "God is Great" and "For all we eat" (my family's meal blessing). After saying the prayers at dinner one night last week, he asked us, "Who is God?" I stumbled through a response that a three-year-old could understand as daddy looked on in amusement. Thanks, daddy. I'll remember that when it's time for the birds and the bees talk.

Good manners are becoming natural for him and he says please and thank you without prompting most of the time. We're also working on "may I" instead of "can I."

He spontaneously tells us how much he loves us. Out of nowhere he'll say, "I love you to the moon and back." Then it becomes a competition to see who can think of the furthest place to demonstrate our love. He comes up with some pretty funny ways to express his love.

A Crafty Christmas

2011-12-14T18:06:00.000-06:00

This week we've been busy attending holiday parties, wrapping presents and crafting it up! If your jaw just hit the floor, I don't blame you. I realize I'm not known for my craftiness, but I found a really cute gift idea on Pinterest (my new obsession) and am making several gifts this year. Fingers crossed it all turns out well (and gets finished in time!).

Since I can't show you what I'm making, I'll show one of Gray's recent crafts (thanks, Aunt Brenda!). He wears his reindeer antlers everywhere!

Is it Christmas yet?

2011-12-12T18:06:00.000-06:00

This year, Gray is REALLY into Christmas. He helped decorate the tree, asks endless questions about the wrapped presents and excitedly counts down the days with our Advent calendar. I've learned not to ask him what he wants anymore because it changes minute-to-minute (and Santa has already finished shopping).

We bought him a book about the Christmas story to try and explain why we celebrate the holiday and exchange gifts. He remembers the names for Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus, but the story ends up leading to more questions about when he was a baby in my belly (as he puts it).

We go through the same conversation about why Jesus was born in a stable instead of a hospital like he was, and how Mary is Jesus' mommy and I'm his mommy. For now, I'm able to answer everything but I don't even want to think about the questions he'll ask when he gets old enough to hear about immaculate conception.

At any rate, he's soaking up some meaning behind the season and even helped us clean out his old toys to make room for the new ones. We talked about how some kids don't get anything for Christmas and how lucky he is to have so much. As we went to Goodwill to donate the box of toys he asked, "Do you think the babies will like playing with these toys?"

I have to admit, I didn't really think he understood what we were doing. To think that he hopes the toys bring joy to other kids makes my heart smile.

Day Jobs

2011-12-05T22:29:00.000-06:00

Grayson's class is learning about occupations right now and the teacher tries to relate this big word to their lives in several ways. She asked each kid what they want to do when they grow up and recorded their answers on the bulletin board.

At the time, Gray responded "be a firefighter, " so the teacher wrote that next to his name. Later on, I asked him the same question and he said he wanted to be an astronaut.

This week, the teacher asked each kid what their parents do for their occupations. Grayson's response for daddy was, "He dresses up." I thought that was hilarious. He couldn't come up with an answer for my job. I told him that's okay, neither can daddy.

Trying to help his teacher out, tonight I tried to explain that daddy draws pictures at his job and mommy writes stories. It will be interesting to see how that gets translated tomorrow at school.

Teacher's Pet

2011-11-30T18:12:00.000-06:00

Grayson school has restuctured their staff a bit and he has a new teacher in his classroom. I've been getting to know her bit by bit when I pick him up each evening, and although she's fresh out of college, she's great with the kids and seems passionate about her job. His long-time teacher (which we really like) is still there too.

I am happy about the change and since the new teacher is with Gray from 9:30 a.m. through the end of the day, she usually has a detailed report of his day or a funny story to share.

Yesterday she told me that Gray asked her how old she was. The teacher told him she was 21, to which he replied, "When I get to be that old, I'll be in the home."

I have no idea where he got this, but luckily she cracked up laughing. She said she even went home and told her family the story. I think we need to work with Gray on how to make a good first impression. Telling a woman she's old is probably not the best approach.

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-27T21:42:00.000-06:00

We just got home from visiting Michael's family in Houston and we had such a fun time catching up with everyone. We were able to celebrate Thanksgiving and the birthdays of two cousins while we were there, making it a busy and very memorable trip. Here are a few of the highlights:

Miss Rhyann sporting the cutest turkey shirt ever. Her mama Jennifer made the adorable feathers out of ribbons, so clever!

Gray showing Rhyann how to pump your legs to get more height. Unfortunately, I think I had lulled Rhyann nearly to sleep from the swinging motion.

Gray burning off some sugar after Turkey Day nap time.

One of many wrestle/tickle sessions with Uncle Andrew.

Celebrating Rhyann's first birthday!

We also celebrated Blayne's 10th birthday. I think he may have had a messier face than his baby sister in the end.

Gray having fun on the bouncy at the birthday party. He now wants to ask Santa for a castle bouncy house.

Daddy couldn't pass up the fun, although he said he went in to make sure Gray didn't get hurt. Yeah, right.

Cousins Grayson, Blayne & Rhyann

On our way home from Houston, we took a slight detour off of I-35 and went through the Festival of Lights in Ardmore, OK. We've passed by this holiday light display many times from the interstate, but decided it was worth a tour this year and amazingly enough, it's free! I definitely recommend it if you're in the area. Here were a few of my favorite displays:

Some volunteers handed out candy canes at the end and Grayson thought he won the lottery.

Thankfulness A.D.D.

2011-11-22T21:43:00.000-06:00

Grayson has been so focused on Christmas that we have to keep reminding him that Thanksgiving comes first. In an effort to get him excited about giving thanks, we also told him we're going to see Nana and Popper.

Now every morning and night he asks about them and if it's Thanksgiving yet. I'll be so relieved when it's finally here and the rapid-fire questioning ceases.

When I ask him what he's thankful for he lists anything and everything that comes to mind. His response usually includes whatever we're doing at the moment...eating, playing, reading, etc.

At school, his teacher made a poster with a list of everything each student is thankful for. Next to Gray's name it lists, "food, my mommy and daddy." At least he managed to get his priorities in order for the teacher, even if food did rank before his loving parents.

Full of Surprises

2011-11-21T18:04:00.000-06:00

These days Grayson is constantly surprising us. From busting out new vocabulary (in context) to playing computer games, our boy is three going on 13.

Today, I arrived at Gray's school to find him sitting at the computer, mouse in hand, playing a computer game. I've noticed the computer in his classroom before, but it's never been on when I'm there so I didn't think he ever played with it.

To my surprise, Gray was pretty good at maneuvering the mouse and was able to click on various shapes and drag them over to the sandbox and arrange them (which was the point of the exercise). When it was time to go, he clicked on "stop" and then turned off the screen like he does it everyday.

I don't think he's on email yet, but I fully expect a message any day now proving me otherwise.

Daddy's helper

2011-11-15T18:12:00.000-06:00

Last Sunday we took a drive after church so we could enjoy the gorgeous weather, fall foliage and also check on Nana and Popper's lake house.

They recently got a deer feeder to train the deer to come back around so we can hopefully catch some sightings. Michael took care of filling it with corn as Gray supervised.

Supervising is hard work, so you'll see he's eating an apple to keep his energy up.

Two thumbs up...good job, Daddy!

After the chores were done, it was time for a little hike. Nothing like tromping around in the mud wearing your church clothes. The day was too nice to say no.

Pass the Kleenex...and the soup

2011-11-10T17:39:00.000-06:00

I think I got Gray's cold, which started in my chest and has now moved to my head. My major accomplishments from Saturday through Monday included moving from one couch to another, then back to the bed. I did manage to pull it together enough to go back to work on Tuesday, but it's been a rough week.

Luckily, I have two sweet guys to take care of me. Michael keeps me fed and hydrated, while Gray cuddles up under my blanket on the opposite end of the couch and "reads" me stories.

We haven't been doing much this week (since I've been going to bed earlier than Gray some nights), but I hope to have more updates on our silly boy for you soon. Stay tuned.

TV reality check

2011-11-08T18:23:00.000-06:00

Have any of you recently received a blank TV diary in the mail from Nielsen Research asking you to log your TV time for a week? We started ours last Thursday and it's been interesting to look back and see what we watch.

We usually let Gray watch 30-60 minutes of PBS in the evening while I'm fixing dinner and we're waiting on daddy to get home. Other than that, he doesn't watch TV until the weekend when we let him watch a few additional PBS shows like Sesame Street.

Michael and I have always tried to limit Gray's TV time, and when he does get to watch TV it's always PBS or something educational (except for the OU football game last Saturday). This diary exercise makes me wonder about other families and what is "normal" viewing time for kids. Part of me feels like he should probably watch less, and then on the flip-side I don't really care what everyone else does or thinks.

I love PBS because they don't play commercials, so Grayson isn't bombarded by the latest toys, sugary cereal, etc. Plus, each show has some kind of educational component like learning letters or vocabulary words.

I'm probably justifying his TV time a little too much, but I have to say, I think it's pretty balanced with everything else Gray does throughout the day. He would always watch more if we'd let him (and doesn't hesitate to ask), but I think we're all pretty content with the current arrangement.

All that said, I would love to see the results of the Nielsen data once everything is collected and compiled. Is there any national correlation between households with kids who love PBS, men who love NOVA/science shows and women who love House Hunters or Bravo! shows? Or are we a TV viewing phenomenon?

Shaken Up

2011-11-06T11:22:00.000-06:00

We've been getting a lot of calls and texts from friends and family checking on us after last night's record earthquake. We're doing fine and don't have any noticeable damage to our house or property.

A little before 11 p.m., central Oklahoma experienced a 5.6 magnitude earthquake, the largest ever recorded in the state. Less than 24 hours before, there was a 4.7 magnitude quake, but we were sleeping and didn't feel it. This time, even if we had been asleep, the shaking was strong enough to have woken us up.

Michael and I were in the living room watching TV when the house started swaying and the rumbling began. Nothing came off the walls, but the blinds were shaking and you could feel the entire house moving side to side. Pretty crazy.

We got up and stood under the doorway to our kitchen (which we later realized is underneath the AC unit in the attic, so probably not the best place to stand). Since it wasn't enough to shake things off the shelves, we didn't get Gray out of bed, but went in to check on him and he was sound asleep.

I will admit the whole thing was surreal and Michael and I were a bit stunned by the situation. Growing up in Oklahoma, I've gone through countless tornado drills and don't think twice about the tornado sirens being tested every Saturday at noon. I've never been in an earthquake or even gone through a safety drill. Probably time to double check our homeowners insurance to see if we even have coverage.

Our Local Hero

2011-11-05T09:23:00.000-05:00

We are celebrating for Uncle Levi who this week was offered his dream job with the Norman fire department. You can read more about the journey on my sister Emily's blog here.

Grayson was already smitten with his uncle for many reasons...he lets Gray climb all over him, he'll play anything his nephew requests and his current day job is driving an ambulance (which Gray watches for every time we're on the road).

When I learned the news about Levi's new job, I told Grayson and immediately regretted not video taping his reaction. He gasped in excitement and said, "Uncle Levi's going to ride on a fire truck?!"

After talking about it for a minute, we dropped the subject and went on about our day. Then thirty minutes later Gray brought it up again like he was still processing the fact that he would know a real-life fireman. I think he may be the one person in the world more excited than Levi himself.

I'd say Uncle Levi's pedestal just got a little taller to a certain three year-old.

Congratulations Uncle Levi! We're so proud of you and can't wait to come visit at the fire station!

Going Batty

2011-11-01T20:49:00.000-05:00

Michael and I went to a Halloween party last weekend and had to come up with two costumes in less than 24 hours. We needed something quick and easy that wouldn't cost a fortune. I ran across a no-sew bat costume online which used black clothes we already owned and had instructions for rigging umbrellas as the bat wings. Pretty clever.

We ended up only having to buy two $5 umbrellas and two black masks, which meant we made both costumes for around $15 total. It does help to have a handy husband who likes trouble-shooting.

When we dropped Gray off at my parent's house he asked to be in the picture and told us he wanted to be a bat instead of a robot for Halloween. Too late for that, buddy!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T21:33:00.000-05:00

Grayson stayed home from school today with a fever and cough, but he rallied enough to trick-or-treat to a few houses on our block. Despite practicing saying "trick-or-treat!" he wouldn't speak once people came to the door. He did manage to say "thank you" once they handed him the candy.

Here's a slide show as he got into character as "Grayson robot:"

The circle panel actually lit up and the first time Gray saw it he said, "Daddy, I'm a real robot!" The letters and serial number are his initials and birthday. So clever, Daddy!

Approaching the first house we realized stairs were going to be a bit of a challenge, but he managed to navigate everything without falling.

He kept saying, "I-am Gray-son ro-bot" in his best robot voice.

Once we got home, you can see he was pretty tuckered out. We only went to about seven houses, but his cold has really taken it out of him. It was enough to get a good candy stash and make some memories.

Pumpkin Patch 2011

2011-10-30T21:26:00.001-05:00

Do you ever try to cram too many activities into one day? We did that on Saturday and then Gray came down with a fever on Sunday so we're paying the price.

It all started with a trip to the pumpkin patch. We went to TG Farms, the same place we go every year and, as always, they've added new activities to enjoy.

Snoopy looking over our shoulder.

Coming down the hay bale slide.

This was the first year Gray was old enough to go through the corn maze. Unfortunately, the summer's historic heat wave took a toll on the corn so it was a bit short in spots. Once you got into the middle of the maze the corn got taller and it ended up being more of a challenge.

Which way do we go?

They had some "hay livestock" set up for roping, so Daddy took the opportunity to let his inner cowboy out. His Uncle Steve would be proud.

We had the hayride all to ourselves.

The hayride took us past the "squarecrow" as Grayson calls him.

Out of all the activities, Grayson loved riding the John Deere tricycles the most.

After the pumpkin patch, Gray took a nap and then went over to Aunt Emily and Uncle Levi's for their 3rd Annual Pumpkin Painting Party. You can read more about that on her blog here. Then we went to an OU football watch party and cookout. After that, we headed up to Edmond and dropped Gray off to spend the night with my parents while Michael and I went to a costume party.

It was a crazy busy day, but we had lots of fun. I just hope Grayson can shake his fever in time to trick-or-treat on Monday. Daddy spent way too many hours on his robot costume to not enjoy it.

Sneak Peek

2011-10-27T18:04:00.000-05:00

Daddy has been hard at work creating Gray's Halloween costume and it's going to be awesome! Here's a small preview of how a robot begins:

This is all you get to see for now. Daddy has big plans that started with his sketchbook and has included a trip to Radio Shack for just the right circuitry. Grayson's attention span is a bit more focused on the impending candy haul, but hopefully he'll pause long enough to appreciate all the design details.

Baby Bea

2011-10-26T21:02:00.000-05:00

Our friends Katie and Tyler welcomed a beautiful daughter two weeks ago and I had the pleasure of meeting her over the weekend. Miss Beatrice Ann weighed in at 7 lbs. 8 oz. She also seems extra long (around 21 inches if I remember correctly) and is so precious.

She seems tiny and new right now, but we'll blink and she'll be chasing around the big kids. I can't wait to watch her grow.

Mensa boy

2011-10-25T20:51:00.000-05:00

Grayson is going through an incredible learning stage at the moment and is soaking everything up like a sponge. Here are a few examples of the things he's obsessed with this week:

Volcanoes, magma and lava
The solar system (I quizzed him tonight about what rotates around the sun and what rotates around the earth and he got everything right. Thank you, OETA/NOVA. Ridiculous)
Playing air guitar and turning EVERYTHING into a drum
Dinosaurs
He can spell his name, but we're now working on writing a G. I'm realizing we didn't do him any favors by giving him a seven-letter name. Just wait until he's old enough for cursive...I don't even think I can write a cursive G.
Puzzles. He has two new puzzles that he plays constantly. They are both 35+ pieces and after the first or second time, he now places the pieces in the correct spot even before linking them together. It's like he's memorized their positions after seeing it once or twice. Kinda freaky.

Uncle Aaron

2011-10-20T18:03:00.004-05:00

We had a special visitor this past weekend, one of Michael's best friends Aaron was in town from California (where Lightening McQueen lives as Grayson says).

The weekend was great! Aaron and Gray bonded over Legos, bedtime stories and lots of laughter. Michael and Aaron also had a chance to revisit their college glory days, doing a little bar hopping and coming home with one of my favorite new stories.

Apparently they were waiting their turn at a pool table when one of the young ladies playing at the table told Michael she recognized him from somewhere. His response was, "Yeah, probably not." to which she replied, "Aren't you Grayson's dad."

Ouch. So much for playing it cool on guys night out. Apparently she and the other twenty something are teachers in an older kid room at Gray's school. When Michael came home to tell me the story, instead of being embarrassed by being called out as a baby daddy in a bar, he was upset about the fact that some of-age teachers were out at a bar.

This was my cue to let my husband know he was officially old and needed to lighten up about a 25 year-old being in a bar.

Namaste

2011-10-19T17:50:00.000-05:00

We hung out with friends over the weekend and were needing to entertain the three amigos indoors for a bit since it gets dark earlier these days. Michelle has a yoga video for children so we popped it in to see what would happen.

After a little fighting over the blue yoga mat, we got everyone positioned and ready to go. Look at their little hands in Anjali mudra, or prayer hands position.

The video held Gray's attention longer than I though it would. The teacher explained each of the poses in terms of animals and he was able to do a lot of the moves.

Perhaps we have a future yogi in our midst.

Pumpkin Party Extravaganza

2011-10-18T21:17:00.000-05:00

Last weekend Grayson and I attended the "2nd Annual Pumpkin Party" at my cousin Suzanne's house (aka mom to Luke and Jack).

We enjoyed ourselves so much last year and I was happy that Suzanne was brave enough to invite us back for more pumpkin painting and cookie decorating. It's quite a rowdy bunch of kiddos, but they kept the mess pretty much confined to the garage and their clothes.

Gray and I got stuck in several random traffic jams on the way, so we arrived about 45 minutes late and right as the pumpkin painting was finishing up. Despite our frustrating trip, Luke (aka Thor) was a gracious host and kept his cousin company while Gray took part in an abbreviated version of the fun. Here are a few of the highlights:

Thor/Luke "art directing" Grayson's pumpkin paint job

Mama's favorite part...cookie decorating time!

Suzanne found some adorable vampire fangs for the kids and they really got a kick out of them. I love baby Jack's face in the picture below. Out of all the kids (many of which are 3-4 years older, he's the only one looking at the camera).

Hello Weekend

2011-10-14T22:18:00.000-05:00

Oh how I love Fridays...we plan to spend the weekend just hanging around. One of Michael's long-time friends is in town from California and we have plans to relax and catch up over the next few days. Tomorrow, Gray and I are also headed over to visit cousins Luke and Jack for a pumpkin painting party.

More updates will come soon, but for now we hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Eco-Activist in Training

2011-10-11T17:59:00.000-05:00

For the past eight years I've volunteered for a couple of sustainability-related non-profit organizations. When we lived in St. Louis, I was on the board of an urban reforestation group called Forest ReLeaf. Then we moved back to Oklahoma and for the last five or so years I've worked with Sustainable OKC.

These groups have both taught me a great deal about the importance of getting involved in the community where you live, how people from very different backgrounds can bond over a joint cause, and the power that comes from individuals looking to make a difference.

Michael has been a trooper through it all and takes it in stride when I do things like volunteer him to completely redesign a website (which Forest ReLeaf still uses six years later) or wash dishes for hours at a fundraiser when he was promised a date night.

A few weeks ago we had the opportunity for Grayson to get in on the action. We attended a local event called Moving Planet OK which involved a festival and a walk/ride to support organizations and initiatives which move Oklahoma toward being a healthier, more sustainable state.

As a volunteer, I wasn't able to participate in the walk/ride, but Grayson and Daddy didn't miss the chance to pull out the bike and trailer to join in the festivities. See if you can spot them in the first video.

There were 170+ people in the walk/ride and even more at the festival, so overall it was a fun event and the weather was perfect! No matter the cause, I hope our son grows up understanding the importance of volunteerism, especially in a world where it's so easy to get caught up in the fast pace of life.

(Unfortunately, I'm not sure who took this picture so I don't know who to credit. I swiped it off the Sustainable OKC website)

Backyard fun

2011-10-10T08:47:00.003-05:00

I finally got around to downloading some pictures off my camera and came across these from a picnic several weeks ago at our friends' house. I love watching Grayson play with his buds when they don't think any adults are around (but we're close enough to overhear their pint-sized conversations).

Conflicts do arise from time-to-time, but we let them try to resolve it themselves before any parents intervene. Usually they work it out amicably, unless they are hungry or tired and a meltdown ensues.

Isn't this kid-sized picnic table the cutest? Liam's granddad made it for his second birthday. He also made the sandbox above for Liam's first birthday. Such thoughtful gifts that are already making many memories with these kiddos!

Boomer Sooner!

2011-10-09T19:44:00.001-05:00

As many of you know, OU's football team romped longtime rival the Univ. of Texas on Saturday and we spent the day enjoying the longhorn demise while also instilling Sooner pride in our next generation. Here are a few of the highlights you won't see on ESPN:

Can I get a Boomer?! Oh, we're #1...that works too.

Despite our substantial lead on the scoreboard, Cora and Gray donned rally caps as they refueled on fruit.

Liam lookin' cute in his Sooner gear

I was able to catch two sweet moments between Gray and baby Claire.

Sweet & Sour

2011-10-04T23:17:00.000-05:00

We experience daily conversations with Grayson that would totally crack you up, but last night included two nearly back-to-back dialogues that were worth sharing.

Michael came home with a cold and low-grade fever (which he likely picked up from his son over the weekend) and was suggled up on the couch at 7:30 p.m. By about 7:45 p.m. he was starting to snooze so Grayson and I got daddy up to relocate to his bed.

Grayson enjoyed being the one to tuck someone in and it went a little something like this...

Me: Michael, you need to move to the bed before you completely fall asleep. Grayson, do you want to help me tuck daddy in?

Gray: Come on daddy, it's time for bed.

Once Michael was in bed, Grayson enjoyed covering him up and then sang him Jesus Loves the Little Children of the World (one of Gray's nightly requests). Then he asked daddy, "Do you want my Lightening McQueen (aka Gray's prized possession)?"

How thoughtful and sweet is that? Then a short while later Gray needed to go potty. I went into the bathroom with him to help unbutton his jeans and when he sat on the potty he looked up and said, "Mommy, I need some privacy."

I was stunned into silence and didn't know what to say, but then Gray added, "Can you shut the door please, Mommy?"

Seriously? This kid can't even undo his own pants and he wants privacy?

Life is a Picnic

2011-09-27T21:21:00.000-05:00

Grayson spent Saturday night with his grandmama and grandaddy, and the trio took advantage of the gorgeous weather for a Sunday picnic in the park.

I love the picture above and the one below for several reasons. Despite the fact that this park is less than a mile from their house, clearly my mom doesn't do picnics halfway. Plates, tablecloth and PB&J...check! I also love the fact that she still has the tupperware plates that we used on camping trips when I was a kid. I haven't seen these plates in over a decade, but they have served up so many fond memories over the years.

After fueling up on peanut butter, it was time for playing on the park's many play areas. They also walked along the trails to take in some nature and visit the duck pond.

Looks like a fun day was had by all! Thanks grandmama & grandaddy!

Science Museum Oklahoma

2011-09-25T11:11:00.000-05:00

We recently took Grayson for a visit to our local science museum thanks to some VIP passes my mom procured through her school. This was one of my favorite places as a child and I was excited to show our next generation the planetarium and a few other exhibits that I remember loving.

Upon arrival, we were greeted by Otto, the museum's robot mascot. Gray now wants to be a robot for Halloween.

The museum has all kinds of hands-on exhibits, and Grayson was able to drive everything from an airplane to a tractor. He loved climbing on and touching everything as he practically ran from one exhibit to another.

Grayson the airplane pilot

Inside a fun display on dental hygiene

Playing astronaut

The hall of mirrors...which Gray is the real one?

Talking on an "old school" telephone (I must admit this exhibit made me feel very old since Gray has never seen or used a phone with a cord)

Farmer Gray on the tractor

Since Grayson is still pretty small for some of the experiences, there were a few areas that required some parental assistance. I got to fold myself into the tiny door of a space shuttle landing module so we could do a landing sequence (and press all the knobs and switches inside).

Mommy navigating the awkward set up while my co-astronaut waits patiently for his turn to get inside.

Mission Control talking us through the landing sequence

Next up, it was daddy's turn for some fun. They climbed to the top of the Gadget Trees exhibit which has a two-story tall slide and tree house.

We didn't get any pictures, but we also took in the planetarium show. As the guide talked through each of the constellations, Grayson said "ooh and awwwe" at each one which had the woman next to us cracking up.

The hours flew by and soon it was time to go home. We all had a blast and look forward to going back again to nurture Gray (and his parents') love of science.

County Fair Time

2011-09-22T17:59:00.003-05:00

A few weekends ago we went to our annual county fair. It's full of random vendors, farm animals, great people watching and tons of tractors. Not bad for some free fun!

We took Gray's picture standing inside a tractor wheel last year and did the same again this year so you can see how much he has grown.

He also rode the tractor train again, but played it cool since this wasn't his first rodeo. We enjoyed petting the animals, learning how to shuck corn and Gray even got to climb up into a firetruck.

I couldn't seem to capture a picture of him smiling for the life of me. Despite what it looks like, he was very excited to be in a real firetruck and one of the firemen gave him a badge sticker which made his day.

We can't wait to visit again next year!

Our Budding Artist

2011-09-21T15:57:00.000-05:00

Michael and I gave Grayson some art supplies for his birthday and we've been having fun watching him paint on several small canvases.

Two of them turned out well enough to hang on his bedroom wall. He's getting better about controlling paint brushes, crayons, etc. and made some abstract circle prints.

The blue dots are where he signed his name. Too funny!

Excuses, Excuses

2011-09-15T20:58:00.000-05:00

All week I've been writing new blog posts in my head, but as you can see have yet to take a moment to write them down. Part of the issue is the photos I want to post were downloaded to a computer I never use for blogging, where they've sat (and sat and sat).

I have lots of stories to share, including Grayson's first trip to our local natural history museum, some cycling/park fun, plus a visit to another science museum we have scheduled for the weekend. So much to share, so little time!

On top of all the fun I have to tell you about, I resigned from my job yesterday. Yikes! I know, right? Luckily, I have another one lined up and despite having to part ways with some amazing co-workers, I know it's the right decision in the grand scheme of things. That said, my mental energy has been consumed by the transition.

Since I've teased you with so many stories but have yet to deliver, I'll close with a quick one. Grayson and I went on a long walk last night to enjoy the gorgeous evening and we popped in on our friends a few streets over. He got to meet baby Claire for the first time and when we returned home I asked him what he thought about his new friend...

Me: Did you have fun meeting baby Claire?

Gray: Yes, I did. She had an umbulamps [aka ambulance] cord on her belly button.

Me: Yes, she had an um-bil-i-cal cord on her belly button. You had that on your belly button too when you were a baby.

Gray: I am not a baby. I'm a big boy.

Me: You are a big boy, and someday Claire will be bigger like you. Will you share your toys with Claire and be friends?

Gray: No, we will play and be family.

Year Three Stats

2011-09-12T13:12:00.001-05:00

I took Grayson to the pediatrician this morning for his annual check-up. Despite challenges like explaining how to pee in a cup for the first time, I must say it's a lot nicer going to the doctor when we can sit in the "well" waiting room. Plus, we didn't have to get any shots this time around.

The doctor said Gray's growth and development all look great. He weighed in at 31 lbs. 8 oz. and is right around 40 inches tall. That's about a four-inch growth spurt over the last year! His weight and head circumference are around the 40-45th percentile and his height around the 95th percentile. This is tracking right around the same growth rates as his two-year check-up, so we still have a tall, skinny boy.

In other accomplishments, Grayson's vocabulary continues to amaze me. He uses words like delicious, interesting, humongous and octagon in daily conversation. His recognition of certain letters is also coming along well.

Some of his favorite activities are hide and seek (constantly!), playing cars and "fixing" things like daddy. He's also enjoys being outside as much as possible, listening/dancing to music and taking pictures with his new camera.

Grayson's appetite and the foods he eats also exceeds my expectations. This weekend we were eating out and I ordered him some chicken fingers. The waiter asked if he wanted fries or vegetables as a side and before I could respond Grayson said vegetables. The waiter and I were both a bit surprised but when the food arrived he ate his broccoli, cauliflower and carrots better than the chicken. Craziness!

While our days are filled with lots of laughs and fun, I will admit that three has its challenges. There are times when Gray will argue with us despite not knowing what he's talking about. For example, we were at the park yesterday and passed a sign. Grayson commented on there being numbers on the sign, but Michael corrected him and said they were all letters. Gray was adamant about it being numbers and kept rebutting daddy. Of course, that got him a talkin' to but it illustrates the fine line between our smart boy and our smarty pants.

Although he keeps us on our toes, I love this sweet boy beyond words. Whether he's using his manners or creating 20 different ways to procrastinate going to sleep, he'll always be mama's baby. (Just don't tell him I said that because he'll correct you and tell you he's "not a baby, he's a big boy that's getting bigger.")

Happy Birthday Claire!

2011-09-09T20:19:00.000-05:00

Our friends Rob and Courtney had a new arrival this morning! Baby Claire was born at 1:54 a.m. and weighed in at 8 lbs. 12 oz. and 21 inches long.

After going more than a week past her due date, I know Courtney is ecstatic for Claire's arrival. And for being preggers during the hottest summer on record in Oklahoma, I have to give props to this mama!

I'm looking forward to watching Claire grow and eventually watching she and her big sister Cora give their buds Grayson and Liam a run for their money.

Below are some pics of the sweet girl. She woke up and opened her eyes just long enough for us to have a little chat. Since Cora only has eyes for Michael, I've gotta get my bonding time in early with Miss Claire Bear.

Birthday Bash

2011-09-04T21:23:00.002-05:00

We hosted Grayson's 3rd birthday party today and despite some much-needed rain and a big drop in temperatures, it turned out to be a beautiful afternoon.

The day started off with some early presents from Nana and Popper. There's nothing better than getting a sneak peek at gifts when you're still in your jammies.

They got Gray a kid-tough camera and he immediately started snapping pictures of another gift which was a wooden statue he received from Michael's grandmother, MawMaw. I find it funny that he holds the camera up to his eye even though he's never seen a camera that uses a viewfinder. Even this little camera has a digital screen on the back to take and view pictures. I'll be sure to share any good photos he captures in future blog posts.

After nap time, the party guests started to arrive which was mostly family and a few friends. We kept things simple this year with just cake, ice cream and swimming. The theme was race cars and everything was checkered flags and cars of all kinds.

Grayson (like his parents) is lucky to have so many people who love him, especially his six grandparents and six great-grandparents.

Gray getting a ride from Nana (Michael's mom).

Gray with Grandmama (my mom) and Great Grandma (my grandma on my father's side)

Grayson and Pappa (my dad)

Grayson and his cousin Luke getting a sugar rush

Pappa and baby Jack checking out the action at the kids' table.

Aunt Karen enjoying some snuggles with baby Jack

Gray received lots of fun gifts and had some wonderful helpers when it came to opening his presents.

Luke directed the order of the present opening and Cora assisted with logistics such as dismantling ribbons and bows.

Next up, it was time to burn off some sugar in the swimming pool...

I realized tonight that I didn't get a single group shot of all the family or the kiddos. We usually take one every year, but it just completely slipped my mind. That said, Nana did capture a few pics of Gray's post-swimming ritual where we wrap him up like a burrito.

This is what one happy, lucky little boy looks like.

Tonight after everyone went home and we were eating dinner, I asked Grayson if he had a fun day. He said, "Yeah, I did. Now I'm three."

Yes, little man, it's official. You're three.

Grayson is Three!

2011-09-01T07:53:00.002-05:00

After much anticipation...Grayson's birthday has finally arrived. Three years ago today, our lives were forever changed. In some ways it seems like yesterday, but in other ways I can't remember our family before Grayson was a part of it. Here's a fun look back at the birthday boy.

Our Labor Day surprise

Gray turns 1! (check out the rolly polly legs)

Grayson at 2 (turning into a skinny boy, no more baby rolls)

And now our boy is three. I can't even believe it...

This weekend is the "official" birthday party with friends (and a Lightening McQueen "happy cake," of course), but today it's all about how much joy this boy has brought to our lives.

We love you, Grayson, and can't wait to see how you grow and change over the next year!

Home Sweet Home

2011-08-31T17:51:00.000-05:00

I got back into town late this afternoon and am so happy to be home. Grayson is on the mend and was excited to tell me all about what he's been up to while I've been "on an airplane" (which is where he thinks I've been since Sunday).

As I went to (finally) download the pictures from my camera I came across this picture from a week or so ago. Grayson's over-the-top, cheesy grin cracks me up and captures exactly why I'm so happy to be home.

It was also nice to get some love from Miss Roxy. Here are her "after" pictures from her spa day last week. The bandanna and ear bows lasted about 30 seconds.

While looking through the pictures, I realized I forgot to tell you about Grayson and Luke's drum lesson with my cousin Billy last Saturday. Billy has been a drummer since high school and has amassed quite the drum set. The boys were thrilled to check it out and Uncle Billy was equally excited to teach them how to work the pedals and reach all the various drums and symbols.

After a valiant attempt to teach the boys paradiddles, Billy finally gave up and let them just bang around a bit. They were in heaven.

Bring on the Mommy Guilt

2011-08-29T23:26:00.000-05:00

As you know, I'm currently on a work trip and was already feeling guilty about missing my husband's birthday on Tuesday. To top it off, Grayson came home from school with a low-grade fever today and this evening developed a stomach bug to go with it. Great.

Luckily, Michael is one of the most caring, hands-on daddy's out there and I know our baby is in good hands. That said, I hate that I can't be there to comfort Grayson, help relieve Michael and try to bring at least a little fun to his birthday.

So tonight the mommy guilt has set in and I'm throwing a pity party since that's all I'm capable of doing one time zone away.

Let me catch you up

2011-08-28T15:19:00.000-05:00

I have so many updates from the last few days and finally sat down to get them all out and realized I don't have my camera with me. Normally, that wouldn't be a problem but you see I'm in Salt Lake City, Utah so I can't just pop home and retrieve it.

Here's a rundown of our recent activities (the plain text version):

Roxy enjoyed a "spa day" on Friday. She was over due for a haircut and Michael took her to a new place near his office. They gave her a blueberry facial (yes, you read that correctly...can I get one of those please?!), a massage and of course a bath, "pawdicure" (their words not mine) and a haircut. She came home feeling sassy and looking cute.

Grayson finished off the week on a good note. He was "line leader" at school which I've deciphered is an honor bestowed by the teacher and has something to do with getting to open doors. He was pretty pumped and seems to be doing better overall .

We enjoyed a whirlwind Saturday yesterday, celebrating the wedding of my cousin Billy and his wife Tina, catching up with my mom and step-dad -- who also kept Gray overnight so we could enjoy a date night with one of Michael's cousins and his wife. The day was a blur but it was so much fun. Before I knew it, the alarm was ringing at 6 a.m. this morning to catch my flight to Salt Lake City.

Next up for this week is Michael's birthday on Tuesday (which I'm missing due to this work trip) and Gray's birthday on Thursday. Luckily, I'll be home in time to celebrate my baby turning three.

Our dear friends Rob and Courtney are also expecting the arrival of baby Claire any day, so there's lots going on. I hope I make it home in time to see her on her birthday. Perhaps she'll share a special day with one of my fellas.

Precocious

2011-08-23T19:12:00.000-05:00

We've had some mixed behavior reports from Gray's afternoon teacher lately so I took a little time to chat with his main teacher this morning when I dropped him off.

When I asked her if he was fitting in, making friends and minding her, Ms. Joan responded, "Well, he is a precocious child." Hmm, not exactly what I was hoping to hear.

I definitely think Grayson is entering into a new behavior phase. We've been lucky to skim past the terrible twos pretty much unscathed, but we may make up for it in year three. In addition to being more physical with his friends at school, he's also flexing his independence at home (aka talking back or not minding well in general).

Michael and I feel like lately we're constantly correcting his behavior, so I try to catch him doing something well and then compliment him for a little positive reinforcement. I know it's going to be a long, long process (like 18 years, right?) but I refuse to have a child that doesn't mind his teachers (or parents for that matter).

Say a little prayer that this phase quickly passes and we get our good little boy back!

Milk Paint

2011-08-22T20:27:00.000-05:00

Grayson's fever came and went in about 24 hours which gave us enough time to enjoy the weekend. Nana and Popper were in town from Houston and got to witness a new art experiment called Milk Painting.

Michael stumbled across this on a blog recently and it looked simple and fun so we gave it a try. All you need is whole milk, food coloring, a dish with sides and some liquid dish soap.

Then Gray donned his paint smock and we were in business...

First, you fill the dish with enough milk to cover the bottom and then you drip in various colors of the food coloring.

After that, you add one single drop of dish soap to the middle of the plate and watch the colors react. It's science and art all rolled into one.

I took a video of the first attempt and it's fun to watch the colors all swirl together. Then we dumped out the milk and did it all over again.

Popper was positioned up on a stepstool and captured some of the tye-dyed colors with his nice camera. We're hoping to turn some of the close-up photos into abstract prints on canvas. I'll keep you posted on how that turns out once Michael has a chance to work his design magic on the images.

Petri Dish

2011-08-18T19:00:00.000-05:00

Grayson came home today with a fever of 102+. After being sick twice in the first three weeks of starting a new school, I'm ready for him to build immunity to this new set of classroom germs.

In addition to his fever, he acts achy and doesn't have much of an appetite. I can't get a straight answer out of him if anything hurts so this evening we're just trying to take it easy and see how this all progresses.

Michael and I love the extra cuddle time with our boy, but it's mixed emotions knowing he doesn't feel good and there's not a whole lot we can do about it. Fingers crossed whatever this is will be short-lived.

Party Time!

2011-08-14T14:11:00.000-05:00

We've had a lot to celebrate lately and it's keeping our weekends full of friends and family. From new babies to college graduations to birthdays, there never seems to be a shortage of fun (and cake!) this summer.

A couple of weekends ago we hosted a baby shower for our friends Katie and Tyler. Their sweet bundle of joy, baby Beatrice, will join our circle in October and I can't wait to meet her.

Here are a couple of pics from the special day:

A handful of hostesses pulled off some amazing food and decorations

Three of my book club buddies, all expecting babies between late-August and January. Katie is in the middle and was the mama of the day.

Next up was a quick trip to Texas for Andrew's graduation from Sam Houston State University. He has already landed a great job and we are so proud of Michael's "baby" cousin.

Gray immediately attached himself to Andrew and pretty much appeared in all the graduation pictures.

Two generations of cousins

This weekend we've enjoyed a little down time and a little swim time. Last night my cousin Suzanne and her family came over to hang out and catch up. Grayson and Luke are old enough to play really well together and baby Jack watches their every move. Soon enough he'll be their little shadow.

This was the first time Jack swam in our pool. It was a little cold at first (thanks to some much-needed rain the night before), but he quickly warmed up to the fun and was all smiles.

Eggos & Egypt

2011-08-10T21:31:00.001-05:00

We're well into week two of Gray's new school and overall it's going smoothly. He LOVES going there (which is the most important thing) and one day last week told me bye in the parking lot as I got him out of the car. I think he was a little disappointed when I insisted on walking him inside (not to mention he can't even reach the door handle).

There are a few things I don't like about the school, but they are minor in the grand scheme of things and I try to remind myself that no place will be perfect. Luckily, the list of things I like is much longer.

He's now officially in "preschool" which means his day is more structured like a school day. Each week the teacher focuses on a different subject. Last week was camping/nature and they did activities like pretending to roast marshmallows on a campfire (hence the fire reference I was trying to decipher on his first day).

This week they are studying ancient Egypt. I know, right? Sounds a bit ambitious for an almost three-year-old. Surprisingly, he's retaining more than I would have thought. Last night at dinner he told us all about camels and building triangles (pyramids). Then tonight he brought home a coloring page with hieroglyphics.

I still don't think he's taking great naps in this new environment because he tends to whine more in the evenings and goes to bed 30-45 minutes earlier than he used to without so much as a peep. He's also probably playing harder since he's trying to keep up with the big kids.

Another perk is that we arrive at the school in time for breakfast each morning, so he gets to enjoy another meal besides his oatmeal at home. Once we hug goodbye he immediately goes over to the classroom sink and washes his hands (a requirement of the teacher before sitting at the table) and then he dishes out food on his plate all by himself (their meals are all served family-style).

His independence and new life skills amaze me everyday. I love seeing him thrive in this new place, but part of me wants to stop the clock so it all doesn't go by so fast.

Rise and Shine

2011-08-05T10:13:00.001-05:00

I'm at home with Grayson today after a bit of a rough night. He woke me up at 4 a.m. on the dot by standing next to my side of the bed screaming Mommy!

I came to just in time to catch some puke before it hit the floor. Apologies for the blunt visual, but I'm a bit sleep deprived and need you to share in the shock that I enjoyed in the middle of the night. It's moments like these I wish I slept on the side of the bed furthest from the door.

Anyway, after getting sick several times he finally went back to sleep around 6 a.m. I was too awake by that point to fall back to sleep and decided to get a little work done for some looming deadlines.

By my count, it should now be lunchtime and daddy should be home in a few hours, but I see it's really only 10 a.m. Ouch. It's gonna be a looooong day.

Update: It's now after 3 p.m. and Gray is doing much better. He's keeping food and water down and took a really good nap, so fingers crossed we're on the mend. When we laid down to go to sleep I had him in bed with me at first and he looked over at me from his pillow and said, "You're my best friend" with the cutest puppy dog eyes. Somehow he must know that mama needed some words of encouragement from the long day. It's these sweet moments that make all the gross stuff worth it.

First Day=Done

2011-08-01T18:04:00.001-05:00

I must admit, I'm glad today is over and Gray's first day at his new school is behind us. Michael went with me to drop him off this morning and it all went smoothly. (I also managed to hold it together on my commute as long as I didn't look at the empty car seat in my rear view mirror.)

When we got to school Grayson showed daddy all the toys and areas of his new classroom and then he quickly focused on playing with a dump truck. As we were hugging him bye a little girl came over right as I was telling Gray to have fun playing with the new toys.

She quickly chimed in, "These toys are not new." (said in a very matter-of-fact way)

Quickly trying to salvage the peaceful morning, I turned to her and said, "Well, they are new to him. This is Grayson. Why don't you show him the toys you like to play with and which ones are the best."

Luckily, she took the bait and quickly warmed to both of us. Whew! Michael and I took the opportunity to quickly exit and leave Grayson content to play in the new room.

When I picked him up this afternoon, it was a different story. He was sobbing and had a scrape on his knee that was slightly bleeding. They had just come in from the playground and he tripped and fell on his way in.

The teacher had cleaned it, but he was adamant about not wanting a bandaid so she didn't force the issue. Instead, he was saying (between his sobs), "Close it. Close it." (meaning make the skin stop looking red, I guess)

We came home and I was able to get him to calm down enough to put some medicine and a bandaid on his knee. I haven't been able to get much more information out of him other than he ate "fruits and vegetables" for lunch, didn't take a nap (probably the reason he freaked out so much about his knee), sat on the "oval carpet and tried to make a fire like a firefighter," and he used the potty without the teacher having to help him.

Overall, I guess it was a good day. This school doesn't do daily reports for the parents in the preschool room, so it's hard not knowing how his day really went. The afternoon teacher that's there when I pick him up had only been there a short while, so she really didn't know what kind of day he had.

Guess I'll get the full scoop when I drop him off tomorrow morning and speak to his two main teachers. For now, I have to focus on getting him to walk again on his own. He's convinced that having a bandaid on his knee means I have to carry him everywhere. Aye yie yie!

The Only Constant is Change

2011-07-28T21:11:00.001-05:00

I don't know much about numerology or the energy of the universe, but I've recently been feeling off kilter on many fronts and find myself seeking change.

I've never been one to fear change, yet thinking about the unknown can be downright fretful if I let it consume my thoughts. So instead, I try to focus on change as an opportunity to grow.

One big change coming to our family is that tomorrow is Grayson's last day at his school. As difficult as it is to enter into an unknown situation (especially when it comes to your child), I know that this move will be better for him in the long run.

A spot opened up at a school close to our house which has a top-notch preschool and feeds into the local public school's pre-K program as well. The down side is that I have to give up spending my commute with him in the car with me.

While I'm the first to admit there are times when his endless talking and questions during the 45-minute commute borders on mild torture after a long day, I know I'll miss my chatty backseat companion when I'm sitting bumper-to-bumper and surrounded by silence.

Then there's the incessant worry about if this school will live up to our expectations, what happens if I'm 20 miles away and can't get to him quickly, and so on until I make myself crazy.

But for now I'm trying to focus on the positives and keep myself open to change. What good is life if you don't take a few leaps of faith now and then, right?

Red Dirt Rendezvous

2011-07-24T21:54:00.000-05:00

Why do little boys love digging in the dirt? Just give Grayson and Luke a couple of shovels and a dump truck and they are entertained for the evening. Once it got dark we moved this party to the bathtub for a little cleaner fun.

One lucky (semi-old) lady

2011-07-21T18:51:00.000-05:00

So today is my birthday...the big 3-0. I can't say that I've been dreading this one, but I haven't been looking forward to it either.

When your birthday falls on a workday it always dampens the celebratory spirit a bit, but my wonderful co-workers showered me with love and thoughtfulness all day.

I skipped out a little early (it is my birthday after all) and was treated to more fun surprises at home.

As if these two boxes weren't enough to make my heart go pitter-patter, Michael brought me flowers. That may not seem like a big deal, but my husband has a very specific viewpoint when it comes to flowers.

He's only given me flowers twice in our nearly 11 years together and both times were while we were dating. I was surprised enough to see a little blue Tiffany's box, but I must admit the flowers were what took my breath away.

It also means I have to eat crow because I actually just had a co-worker ask me if Michael gave me flowers earlier in the day. I explained that he "would never" do that since he would rather splurge on more long-lasting gifts. Yet again he never ceases to amaze me.

If 30 means being over-the-top spoiled by the people you love, then I think I can learn to live with no longer being in my twenties.

Next stop, NRA

2011-07-18T22:30:00.000-05:00

Today when I picked Grayson up from school we were hugging hello when another little boy came over to us. He was carrying a Lego creation, and judging from his sound effects he was pretending it was a gun.

Curious to see if Grayson picked up on this, I asked him what the boy was holding. He nonchalantly replied, "a gun." Meanwhile the boy started jamming it into my leg like he was shooting me. Nice.

I asked Gray where he learned about guns and he just smiled like he knew he'd been busted knowing something he shouldn't. I dropped the subject and brought it up again later, asking what he thinks of guns.

All I could get out of him was they are used by bad guys for shooting. I know this is a part of growing up, especially for boys, but I must admit I've been dreading the moment that he discovered guns. The logical side of me knows it's inevitable, but the uber-protective mom inside of me wants to shield him from anything related to "bad guys" (especially since he's not even three yet).

I also didn't grow up around guns or hunting like Michael did, so I've pretty much avoided the subject altogether. I had even purchased water squirter tube thingys instead of water guns for the pool in a deliberate attempt to delay this moment a bit longer. So much for that idea.

Placebo Effect

2011-07-16T21:52:00.000-05:00

Grayson was diagnosed with swimmers ear on Friday and it has allowed us to make an amazing discovery. We have to put drops in his ear twice a day and when we do so he lays down (hardly moving) until you tell him to get up.

So of course I started giving him his second dose of the day right before bedtime. Cold turkey, he quit getting out of bed 10 times a night for various reasons and stays right where we put him (which is nothing short of a miracle).

The doctor told us to give him the drops for seven days and then mix up an alcohol/vinegar solution to drop in his ear after swimming. I'm tempted to make this part of our bedtime routine (regardless of swimming) if it means we won't have to go through 45-60 minutes of delay tactics and catching him creep down the hallway each night.

On a scale of 1-10, how bad is that?

Inquiring Minds Want to Know

2011-07-14T19:56:00.000-05:00

Tonight I was cruising the internet with Grayson by my side doing something else, when I headed over to this blog. He was paying attention more than I thought because he immediately recognized his picture and asked what I was looking at.

I tried to explain to him that this is his blog, but I don't think I did a very good job. Then I asked him what he wanted people to know about him. He replied, "my mama." Well, I'm pretty sure we've got that one covered.

After thinking up a few questions, I jotted down a quick "interview" of what Grayson likes at the moment:

What's your favorite word? Spiderman and Grave Diggers

Favorite food: peanut jelly (peanut butter & jelly sandwich)

Favorite color: blue

Favorite toy: lightening! (meaning Lightening McQueen from Cars)

Favorite shape: square

My birthday is coming.
He's also obsessed with the idea that his birthday is coming soon. We've been attending lots of birthday parties lately and he is highly anticipating his own. I've tried explaining how far off his birthday is, but everyday he tells me that his birthday is coming.

When I ask him what kind of birthday party he wants he says either Spiderman, cars or choo choo train. Perhaps I could figure out a way to merge them? That would be interesting. I'm hoping he'll change his mind or pick one before now and September.

Cautiously Optimistic

2011-07-11T21:43:00.000-05:00

We're officially diaper-free in our household!

Grayson has been doing great on his potty training, but was still wearing a diaper for naps and nighttime. We were nearing the end of our stash so I decided it was time to just go for it and get rid of the diapers all together.

So far he's stayed dry two out of the last three nights and has done great for naps. Fingers crossed he will keep it up! I'm not sure at what point you go from potty training to potty trained, but I'm beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

A Love of the Land

2011-07-09T09:34:00.002-05:00

Last time we were in Mississippi Grayson was six months old so he didn't get to take in country life. This time he was all about it. From riding the four wheeler to getting up close and personal with a bunch of cows to running in the wide open space, Gray loved playing farmer.

Of course, his mama wasn't a fan of him being on the four wheeler so he mainly just sat on it while it was parked and rode a short distance on the driveway. That didn't seem to dampen his enthusiasm.

This is the Life

2011-07-08T14:24:00.000-05:00

My parents have a great swimming pool, complete with every insurance man's nightmare... a water slide. Grayson was only brave enough to go down it a couple of times, but that was okay with us.

Instead, he enjoyed swimming with my parent's adorable neighbor Carter, who had the cutest southern accent you've ever heard. Pappa helped the boys navigate the slide, Susu pushed them around on floats pretending they were on motor boats, and they ate more Popsicles that I can even recount. I'd say a good time was had by all.

Gone Fishin'

2011-07-07T18:07:00.000-05:00

One of Michael's favorite things to do when we visit Mississippi is to fish in the mornings or evenings. Even when he doesn't get a bite, he keeps his patience and seems to enjoy himself.

Grayson had the patience of a two-year-old and was done after about five minutes. Then he entertained himself running back and forth between the lake where Michael was and my grandparent's house where we were making dinner. He'd grab a cracker and drink of water then head on back outside.

He also enjoyed picking up pine cones from nearby trees and chunking them in the water. I'm sure that was helping his daddy's fishing chances.

Michael showing off his trophy blue gill. What you don't see it? It's right above Gray's head. And yes, that's a snoopy fishing pole.

My camera decided to shoot blurry images for some reason so none of my shots of the sunset turned out. Michael captured this one with his phone, but it doesn't do the setting justice.

Michael got up early one morning to meet up with my Uncle Mike for more fishing. There are several stocked ponds around my grandparent's land and Uncle Mike played tour guide for the day. They ended up getting several good bites including the two bass shown above and below.

Here's a short video of Michael hooking a fish just at the moment I happened to walk down to the lake with my camera.

Southern Hospitality

2011-07-06T21:06:00.000-05:00

So our adventure began last Thursday evening when we drove to Conway, AR to spend the night. Along the way, we stopped for some dinner and realized we were just a few miles from Grayson, OK.

We decided to take a short detour to check out the town but it got dark before we could find any actual town. We did drive by a lot of residences which I'm thinking may have been all there is.

After doing some quick cell phone research, it turns out Grayson, OK is an historic all-black town with an interesting history and only about 130 people live there today. We did manage to find a street sign to prove its existence.

We arrived at our hotel in Conway, AR about 1 a.m. and Gray (who had been asleep since about 10:20 p.m.) decided he was ready to get up and play. We finally managed to get him back to sleep around 3:30 a.m. which gave us roughly three hours of sleep. Ouch.

Luckily, relief was on the way. Once we arrived at Pappa and Susu's house, Gray was their little shadow which gave Mike and I some time to relax. We ate, fished, swam and lounged our way through five days of fun. We only had to adhere to one house rule...happy hour.

I'll post more about Mike's fishing adventures and Gray's introduction to farm life later, but for now I'll share some of my favorite parts...making memories with our family.

Gray helped Susu make homemade salsa and a lemon pudding dessert.

Susan and her father Pappa John

Family pic hanging out by the lake

Susu surprised Gray with a Sesame Street matching card game which was a big hit!

Gray with Mary Lou (aka Mama Lou)

Gray introducing Pappa to his favorite Tow Mater video

Gray and Pappa John

We're Baaack

2011-07-05T21:34:00.000-05:00

This evening we returned from a fun-filled five-day trip to visit family in Mississippi. While our time there was very relaxing, we're now back to a reality of laundry piles, an empty fridge and an email inbox I don't even want to think about.

I'll fill you in on all of our adventures over the next few days, but for now I'll leave you with this photo that pretty much sums it all up...

Reflections

2011-06-28T19:34:00.000-05:00

Michael took this sweet picture of Grayson at our friend Liam's 2nd birthday party. He's so focused and content...and did I mention beautiful?

Sorry to get sentimental on you, but I've been on a work trip for several days and am missing my boys. Fingers crossed I'll get home in time to kiss them goodnight tomorrow.

Art from the Heart

2011-06-23T15:00:00.000-05:00

As a working mom there are times when I get a pang of guilt when it comes to sending my child to daycare (aka "school"). That said, he loves going there and I love all the random art projects his brave teachers take on with their class full of two-year-olds.

One recent example is Grayson's Father's Day gifts for Michael. He brought home a plastic mug which includes a photo of Gray and some crayon artwork tucked inside the clear mug liner. That was enough to make Michael happy while drinking his morning coffee, but then he got to open a briefcase full of artwork that Gray had created as well.

Here's a look at everything that was inside the construction paper briefcase:

There are oversized writing utensils that say, "Cool Dad," "You Rock," and "Love You." Plus some sort of over sized shirt pocket thingy, a card with a poem inside and (my favorite) the keys to Grayson's heart.

Each of the keys have a message that to Daddy from Grayson. They say, "I promise to..."

Clean up my toys
Give hugs and kisses
Play bob the builder with you
Go poo poo in the potty

These are all promises that I know warm Daddy's heart. Michael isn't one to save cards or get sentimental, but I did see him tuck the keys away for safe keeping.

Lounging on the Lake

2011-06-20T16:36:00.000-05:00

We just got back from a relaxing weekend at the lake and instead of tackling the piles of laundry I should be doing, I would much rather upload some pictures and procrastinate.

Like last year, Grayson loved driving the boat. When we were anchored, he pretended he was driving us to the moon. Not sure where he got that idea, but his imagination was in overdrive playing with the steering wheel, horn and all the dash buttons.

Our captains...Pappa & Gray

My cousin Billy and his wife Tina

Daddy & Pappa enjoying Father's Day in the cabin's reclining sofa

My favorite nephew Holten

Gray enjoying the other boat

Daddy & Gray...the perfect Father's Day!

What a Day

2011-06-16T18:14:00.003-05:00

On Tuesday I ran over an unavoidable sharp piece of metal while leaving a work meeting and ended up busting two tires and putting some nice gashes in my passenger side wheels.

After dealing with a tow truck and tire replacements, Michael and I headed over to meet up with my dad and family for dinner since he had just arrived from Mississippi. Both the tow truck driver and a random stranger in the restaurant parking lot drooled over Michael's car, so he was in great spirits despite my stressful afternoon.

Then, on the way home we got stuck in a torrential downpour which included hail and seriously crazy winds that snapped down power lines over the interstate in front of us.

Michael was stressed out enough trying to maintain visibility to get us home safely, coupled with the fact that his ~~precious baby~~ car was getting pummeled with hail. Luckily, it looks like his car didn't have any damage.

I was thankful to be home safely and for the day to be over. I thought the whole ordeal was behind us, but now every time we get in my car Grayson is obsessed with talking about flat tires. If we pass a car parked on the side of the highway he asks, "Does that car have a flat tire? Does that car have a boo boo?" and on and on and on.

Resilience

2011-06-14T18:40:00.001-05:00

I'm not sure if it's a boy thing or a (nearly) three-year-old thing, but Grayson has been an injury magnet lately. He's still sporting the faded remnants of a scar from his Easter weekend scrape on his face, and added a few more facial injuries over the weekend.

A literal run-in with his cousin Holt's forehead left Gray with a pale black eye and bruised cheek, and then his life jacket rubbed a mark under his chin after jumping in the pool no less than 50 times in a row.

The injuries, combined with an unexplainable 24-hour fever and eczema flare ups on the back sides of both legs, have left our son looking and feeling like quite a mess these days.

In the grand scheme of things I'm sure the worst is probably not over when it comes to little boy injuries, but I must admit I'm looking forward to the day when Grayson's face doesn't have some sort of battle wound. For now perhaps I should dress him in a shirt that says something like, "You should see the other guy."

More Cousins!

2011-06-13T18:04:00.003-05:00

So by now you know I'm kind of sentimental when it comes to cousins. Since Grayson is an only child I really want him to grow up close with our extended family and it's nice to have so many cousins close in age to Gray.

While my sister and nephew are in town, we took the opportunity to gather my dad's side of the family for a swim party over the weekend. This time I managed to get a picture of baby Jack and his bib says it all...

I also managed to wrangle the older boys in the pool long enough snap a picture. Getting them to all look at the camera simultaneously was way too much to ask. Out of about 10 pictures, this was the best I could get.

With all the energetic children running about, Mike took the opportunity to get in a little manual labor by tapping into their "helper" attitudes.

Yes, this is Luke & Gray happily scrubbing the pool tiles with two tile brushes. They had a blast while Mike just sat back and smiled. Someday soon we'll have to open our wallets to motivate this kind of hard work.

Next up was a lasagna dinner. That's my kid eating at the table without a shirt on. Classy!

Toward the end of the evening, the boys were a little rambunctious (imagine that), so we made a pallet on the floor and turned on the movie Cars.

Jack even joined in the fun briefly and Grayson really wanted to hold him. He's not quite big enough for that yet, so Aunt Suzanne suggested Gray hold Jack's foot (a responsibility Gray took extremely seriously).

Family Fun

2011-06-12T20:31:00.000-05:00

My sister Amy is in town from North Carolina with her son Holten and we have enjoyed spending a lot of time catching up. The boys have a mutual love of cars and they've kept busy bonding over cars of all kinds.

Holt just turned two in May, but you wouldn't tell that by looking at him next to Grayson. The two are in the same size clothes and nearly the same height. So much for getting hand-me-down clothes from his "big" cousin Grayson...

Graysonisms

2011-06-09T20:40:00.000-05:00

A few of Gray's recent laughable quotes:

One evening as we were sitting with our feet in the pool when out of nowhere he stated, "It's plenty hot out here." What two-year-old says that?! Now I hear him using variations of this almost daily. When he got in the bathtub tonight he said, "The water is plenty warm." Why yes old man Grayson, it is.

49.3 or "forty-nine three." This is Grayson's answer for anything you ask that has a numerical answer. For example, what time is it? Forty-nine three. What's the pool temperature? Forty-nine three. He's had a fever today and every time I take his temperature he takes mine and I'll give you one guess what mine is every time.

Here's a conversation we've been having a lot lately:
Gray (riding on his toy car): I'm going to bad guys' work.
Me: Where do the bad guys work?
Gray: At the bad guys' office.
Me: What do they do there?
Gray: Um, they push.

Water Babies

2011-06-06T20:47:00.000-05:00

Cora came over for a swim last weekend and afterward I couldn't help but snap a picture of their cute little bottoms as we were getting ready to head back inside. This is probably another one of those pictures they'll regret us taking later in life, but for now it's too adorable not to share.

I also snapped a picture of Gray in his "eyegles" aka goggles. The words this boy comes up with keep us smiling.

Undies and sandals...it's the summer's must-have look.

Pool Party!

2011-05-31T20:33:00.000-05:00

We took advantage of the long weekend to host an impromptu cookout/potluck on Monday and (despite the pool being a chilly 74 degrees) we also took our first swim of the season.

Why is it that some of the best get-togethers are the ones that happen with a bit of spontaneity and a lot of flying by the seat of your pants? This was the case for this gathering and it was fun to officially kick off summer with great memories.

Grayson & Luke testing out the water

Gray enjoyed trying on every pair of goggles he could find. I'm not sure what's going on with his new all-teeth-baring-grin, but you'll notice it's a trend.

Luke, Grayson & Cora enjoyed al fresco dining at the kids' table. Uncle Jimmy decided to join in the fun as well

The cousins enjoying cookies and some relaxation. This is the life!

Somehow, I managed to not get a single picture of baby Jack. He didn't partake of the swimming since it was a bit chilly, but we had fun passing him around for some cuddle time.

Graysonisms

2011-05-27T14:09:00.015-05:00

A few recent conversations with Grayson:

On our commute home from school/work one day I asked Gray the usual, "Who did you play with at school today?" The answer surprised me when Gray replied: "I played with Kendall, Rhyann, Jesus, Kolby..." Me: "Did you say, Jesus?" Gray (smiling): "Yeah."

In a rare moment of mutual affection, Gray was cuddling with Roxy on the couch and randomly said, "I love you, Roxy," and then kissed the back of her head. She was soaking up all the attention and quickly leaned in for some wet kisses to which Gray said, "I don't eat tongues, Roxy. No more kisses."

Gray's school has chapel lessons every Thursday. One of their activities is passing a stuffed animal lamb around the circle as each child says what they are thankful for. Most kids say mommy, daddy, etc., but yesterday Gray's teacher told us he got a little creative. His response was, "I'm thankful for my mommy, my daddy, sometimes my brother (meaning his cousin Luke) and COOKIES!" I must say I'm thankful for all of these things too.

Our Baby Elephant

2011-05-25T20:35:00.000-05:00

I'd like to introduce you to Grayson the Elephant...

As you'll hear in the video below, he is channeling more of a tiger than an elephant when he roars, but he's enthusiastic nonetheless.

Duck & Cover

2011-05-24T21:19:00.000-05:00

I am so thankful to report that our family and house are safe after tonight's tornado outbreak. Luckily, Michael and I were able to leave work a bit early to make it home before the storms hit. A short while later, we took cover in an interior hall closet along with my sister Emily and Roxy (of course) as two tornadoes came through.

Despite living in tornado alley, I have only had to take cover a couple of times in my entire life, so the fact that we had to take shelter was nerve racking. We stayed calm in hopes that Gray would think it was all fun and games. Thank heaven for Sesame Street podcasts and iPod flashcards is all I have to say.

There was an even more devastating tornado that ripped through Piedmont, OK (on the west side of OKC) where we have some family. Everyone is safe and accounted for which is such a blessing.

We're all hugging each other a little tighter this evening and I hope everyone is safe and sound at home tonight.

Life Happens

2011-05-22T21:29:00.000-05:00

I've been terrible about taking pictures lately as well as capturing the corresponding stories. It just seems like life is so full of funny moments these days, but it's blazing by at 90 mph which makes it difficult to sit down and write a new post.

This weekend we had a wonderful visit with Michael's parents. Grayson was proud to show off his vegetable garden to Nana and Popper and mentioned it immediately upon their arrival. Nothing is ready to be harvested, but somehow Gray knows it's something to be proud of. When Nana asked what was planted in the garden, Gray replied "vegetables." I guess that's an improvement from his usual response of "dirt."

On Saturday we decided to take a gamble and see if Gray would sit through a movie at the movie theater. We went to see Rio and I'm pleased to report he sat through the entire thing. It was so much fun to see his face when the curtain lifted and he realized how big the screen was. We also saw a preview for Cars 2 and he flipped out with excitement. I'm sure that will be our next theater visit.

Last night we decided to try out the waterfront restaurant at Clearbay on Lake Thunderbird. It recently opened for the season and we enjoyed dining on the deck, watching the boats and listening to some live music.

It was a great evening which could only be upstaged by our al fresco dining this evening when we baked a lasagna and had an impromptu picnic on the porch at the lake house. It was the perfect Sunday afternoon and evening, which I know we'll share more of once Nana and Popper live here full-time.

Saturday Morning Playdate

2011-05-19T19:29:00.000-05:00

This week is nearly over and I am finally getting a minute to upload pictures from last weekend. Where does the time go?

Last Saturday we went down to the school playground at the end of our street to burn some little boy energy. Uncle Levi, Aunt Emmy and their dog Molly joined in the fun. Roxy also enjoyed climbing the playground equipment so she would be taller than Molly, but soon realized the only way down was to go down the slide. She wasn't so sure about that part.

It's crazy to think that last weekend we were wearing jackets and next week we're opening our pool for the summer season. Gotta love Oklahoma's crazy springtime weather.

One Track Mind

2011-05-13T18:03:00.000-05:00

Last night I was getting dinner ready and Gray was going back and forth between helping me and watching Word Girl on PBS Kids. This is a super-hero based show where the girl solves crimes which conveniently revolve around defining new vocabulary words.

The end of the show talked about kids' favorite words and I asked Gray what his favorite word was. He took a moment to think about it and then got a big grin on his face and said, "hot rod." Of course.

He was so proud and happy that I didn't have the heart to tell him that's actually two words. Either way, it made his daddy's day.

A Boy & His Boots

2011-05-11T21:11:00.000-05:00

One of my wonderful co-workers recently gave me some hand-me-down rain boots from her kids and Grayson has been living in them every waking moment since I brought them home. He calls them his cowboy boots and tromps around the house, most times with them on the wrong feet.

This morning after doing our normal potty routine (and not having to take off his pjs because he secretly takes them off sometime in the night, EVERY night), I laid out some clothes to see if he could dress himself. I went back into my room to give him some time and when I peeked in a few minutes later he was walking around buck naked in nothing but his yellow boots.

I couldn't help but laugh out loud at the adorable sight.

Party at the Park

2011-05-08T20:39:00.000-05:00

We've had a great weekend celebrating mothers, grandmothers, aunts and even our seventh wedding anniversary. Saturday we met up with my family to have a casual and impromptu picnic at the park.

Despite the unusually hot weather, we had fun eating under the shade trees, playing on the playgrounds, feeding the ducks and even taking in a car show that was going on in one area of the park. Leave it to car enthusiasts to somehow worm their way into Mother's Day weekend!

This is Gray trying to feed bread to a couple of turtles and me trying to keep him from leaning over and falling in.

Grayson decided to channel his inner Uncle Levi and climbed up some rock wall mounts that are on a water tank near the duck pond. Levi may have a future climbing partner on his hands.

Of course the boys couldn't resist taking a closer look at all the cars. This white convertible was one of my favorites. I loved the pristine red interior.