The Busiest Weekend Ever....Really!

Saturday presented us with Bo's 10-year high school reunion (a year late, which only happens in a small town), a crawfish boil at the LaFollett's, & lots of last minute details for the upcoming surprise birthday party for Bo's mom.
The high school reunion was great. Bo graduated with a class of 53 and he has managed to stay in touch with many of them. I had no interest in going to mine, but I'd go to his again in a heartbeat! There really are some advantages to growing up in a small town, and that's exactly what we're trying to do for Landon.
The LaFollett's are some great, long-time friends of our family and they had an inaugural crawfish boil at their house this year. I'd say it was a complete success and we hope they make it an annual event. Little Kate is just precious; I hope she wasn't corrupted by our little stinker!
And now this brings us to the big surprise party that's been in the works for quite some time. Debbie turned 50, or as she likes to say, it was the 25th anniversary of her 25th birthday. While Bo, Boonie, & Steven took her out to lunch, my parents helped me set up everything. Thank goodness for my mom and dad because it would've taken me twice as long on my own. Debbie was totally surprised and thrilled to see so much of her family there together. With all the torrential rains we've had, we were certainly blessed with a sunny day! The party was a success, and I'm sure it's something she will never forget. Debbie (& Cecil, of course) raised 3 fabulous and handsome sons, one in particular, of course. I'm sure it was no easy journey, but well worth it to see how great they turned out. Now, if we could just get them hitched and helping us out with grandbabies!
And, as for my mom, I just know her journey was MUCH easier! :) I don't think I gave her 1 gray hair. My mom is a special woman. I am so thankful my son gets to spend time with her each week, where I know he's in very good hands. So, for the years you gave to me, and for the time you give to my baby, I thank you. Happy Mother's Day.

A Birthday Party & Bluebonnets

This weekend was a busy one. One of our neighbors has a little boy who just turned 2and I took Landon to his birthday party Saturday morning. It was a "messy" party, with different stations set up outside, some with mud, some with flour & water, not to mention the endless bottles of ketchup, mustard, bubbles, finger paint, and silly string. For those of you who know our son, this wasn't the most enjoyable birthday party ever. Landon does not like to be messy....AT ALL! He gladly played with toys inside and even more gladly devoured the pizza and birthday cake. Once the party moved outside, he didn't leave my side. We found our nice little comfort zone on the patio with sidewalk chalk. As silly string was flying everywhere, a little landed on Landon's head, and I thought my son was going to have a complete meltdown. I'm happy to say he and I both survived and walked away from the party just as clean as we had arrived (unlike most others).

Bo's football team, the Dallas Defenders, played the Central Texas Wolfpack Saturday afternoon. It wasn't looking too good for the Defenders until one of the last plays of the game. They scored with only 15 seconds remaining the game. It was really exciting! The Defenders are now the proud holders of the Southwest Conference Championship trophy. And, the best part is Bo walked away without cracking any ribs this time!

Sunday, we took a little trip down to Ennis to see the bluebonnets. The weather was just perfect and the bluebonnets were gorgeous. Sunday was one of those days that just made me feel good. I kept looking at Bo and Landon and was overwhelmingly thankful for my little family.

The Porcelain Throne

Bo and I bought a potty chair for Landon when he was about 18 months old. I just put it in our bathroom so that he could become familiar with it and begin to understand what it's there for. After several months, he decided he wanted to try it out. Once he showed signs of interest, I read this book about 3-day potty training. I knew others who had tried it and it worked for them. I was completely on board and just knew it had to work for us. How wonderful!...potty training done in a matter of 3 days! The 1st day went really well, then he woke up sick the next morning. Potty training is not something to push when your child is sick. Needless to say, I wasn't able to finish the 3-day system. However, Landon is wearing big boy underwear! We've resorted to potty training the way most people do it, but I'm considering making another attempt at the 3-day system. He does pretty well, telling us (sometimes) when he needs to go potty. When he's really busy or playing hard, he doesn't think to tell us. That would take him away from playtime! It's definitely a work in progress, but well worth every wet pair of underwear and the extra laundry. Bo even showed him the joys of "watering the plants", if you know what I mean. Instead of going to the potty, sometimes he asks me if he can do his business outside. "Sure", I say, "but only in the back yard."
I've added a few other pictures from a little park we went to a couple weeks ago. Landon likes to pick out his own clothes these days, which sometimes means wearing nothing at all or donning some interesting combinations. We've paired aqua & orange shark swim trunks with a black & green alien shirt, and in this case, it was a pair of cowboy boots with khaki shorts. I used to see girls dressed in princess outfits in Target, or boys wearing tights and a red cape in Olive Garden, and never was it Halloween. I always thought to myself, "why did his parents let him wear that in public?" Ah, now I understand. It's all about a wild sense of curiosity and wonder and finding independence.

Bye-Bye Student Loans!

I had 50 shares of EDS stock, those of which were a gift from my grandparents many moons ago. There was a time when the purchase price had doubled, and I thought....let's ride this out a little longer and maybe the price will increase even more! And then there was 9/11/01. I watched that stock rise and fall over the years. It wasn't so much like the Texas Titan at Six Flags, but more like the less extreme Judge Roy Scream roller coaster. Anyway, those EDS shares were dissolved and I received my long-awaited check this week. I had many plans for that money, most of which included shopping sprees to various clothing stores, home decor stores, and a a toy store or two. Those ideas belonged to the irresponsible, carefree Kara who rarely makes an appearance. Of course, the more conservative, responsible, and careful Kara won the battle and chose to pay off my final student loan. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, as of today, my college education has now been paid in full!!! And the best part is the $250 that was leftover! So, the irresponsible, carefree Kara can now be satisfied as well!
Sometimes I wonder if the college education was really worth it. I mean it took us over 7 years to pay for it. The college years were pivotal years and some of the most important ones of my life. I learned so much about myself, not to mention some of the basic jobs that come with being away from mom and dad, i.e. laundry, cooking, cleaning, managing finances, etc. I saw great football (yes, the Aggies were good when I was there), great baseball, decent basketball, attended Midnight Yell with friends, saw 3 Bonfires, and experienced the collapse of the Bonfire. I went to parties, played intramural sports, pulled all-nighters, and rode my bike to class every single day, rain or shine. I gained best friends and then lost them. I wrote my mom letters (yes, the hand-written ones) religiously. Sometimes I ached to be home. Sometimes, I thought I never wanted to go back home. I experienced my first and only car accident on a day that I decided I wanted to attend church. My friends and I decorated for the holidays, which consisted of the most pitiful combination of hand-me-down decorations that our parents were willing to part with. Sometimes I stayed up all night long watching movies with my roommates and talking about boys, only to sleep in till noon. I made very good grades in high school, and thought I would do the same in college. My freshman year was a wake-up call for sure. When I didn't get a 4.0, I wondered if I would succeed. I did. I got a first-class education and had the time of my life, so yes, the 7 years it took to pay for those 4years of my life were well worth it.
I'm proud to be an Aggie and part of the Fightin' Texas Aggie class of 2000!

As If He Couldn't Love the Fire Station More....

We had such a great time at Main Event Friday night! I promised Landon that I would take him again on Saturday while Daddy was at work. They have bowling for little ones. And, I don't mean an arcade version. It's real bowling for children. Landon just manages to get the ball down to the pins (we occasionally had to run down the lanes and help it out a little!). He absolutely loved that darn game. Anyway, we pass Bo's fire station on the way, so of course, we had to stop in and say hello. I had the camera with me......I know, I know......shocking, huh? We got some cute pictures at the station. They do pump tests on Saturdays, which consists of pumping the engine to make sure everything works and to get a little practice. Bo extended the ladder and pumped water and Landon screeched with excitement. When they were done, he kept saying, "I want more water! I want more water! Turn on the water!" So, just when I thought he couldn't love Daddy's job and fire station more, they had to go and spray water! We may have to visit every Saturday now.