Boots, Chaps, & Cowboy Hats

Several years back my friend, Kristi, bought these genuine leather chaps and vest for her little boy. He never wore them.....time just slipped by so fast or she forgot about them. She offered them to me in hopes that Landon was just the right size. He is and we love them! Needless to say, I thought they were just so darn cute. Why not wear them for Halloween? Landon has been a pumpkin, a farmer, and this year he'll trick-or-treat as a little cowpoke. Of course, I had to go buy him a gun holster and some cap guns to complete the outfit. Here are some pre-Halloween pictures we took in our front yard.

Another First in the Books

Well, our son survived his first day of preschool, and so did mom! When I asked him if he liked school, he said "yeah." When I asked him if he wanted to come back, he said "yeah." He didn't show too much excitement, but he'll also tell you if he doesn't like something. His teachers said he had good day and he came home with a really cute art project. There were a few little ones who cried all day long, so I hope they have a better day Thursday. Here are a couple pictures with his sweet teachers. And, of course, there are a couple pictures of how I found him at the end of the day. I hated to wake him!

Landon and Miss Emily

Landon and Miss Vikki

He was worn out!

The only 2 boys in the class!

One Small Step for him and One Giant Leap for Mom & Dad

Today my Landon Cole started preschool. It's a day that Bo and I have been really excited about, yet sad and a little nervous. Fortunately for Bo, he's working today and didn't have to endure the tearful good-bye. My mom came with me....she was supposed to be my unwavering ROCK. Landon put his backpack, nap mat, and lunch in his basket and marched right into class with his snack and homework (a cutout of a little boy that we decorated). So far, so good. My mom waited in the hallway while I took Landon to his chair and told him good-bye. There was a very upset little girl that Landon was pretty concerned about. He kept looking at her and looking back at me, wondering what was wrong with her. I told Landon to give me a high-five and told him that I would be back to pick him up later. He said, "Where ya goin' Momma?" I quickly explained that I had to go back to work, but I would be back to pick him up. If it wouldn't have looked so terrible, I would've sprinted to the door. Tears had already welled up in my eyes. Once I made it to the door, I turned back just in time to see Landon's sweet little face scrunch up into a weepy and sad face. He started crying, and so did Momma....and so did my ROCK! My mom's eyes were red and tearful and that certainly didn't help my situation. After a few minutes, we peeked into the window to find Landon playing with toys. He would be fine, and so would Mom and Mimi.
It's a little after 12:00. I'm counting down the minutes until I get to sweep my baby boy into my arms and clear the giant hurdle that is the First Day of Preschool.

Planes, Games, & H2O

Bo and I took Landon down to Bachman Lake again to watch the planes come in for landing at Love Field Airport. We did this about a year ago, and although he liked the airplanes, he was a little scared of the noise that was associated with them. This time, the planes were a total hit! When we got home, I had the urge to utilize our game room, something we don't do often enough. Landon didn't even know we had a pool table because we normally keep the ping-pong table set up. He rolled balls into the pockets while Bo and I played a few games of 301. Bo took 2 out of 3.....dang it! Then we played a game of pool, which Bo won too. And, lastly, we let Landon take some swings at ping-pong. He had Bo and I in tears from laughter! There's a video that I'll post in a bit. Saturday, while Bo was working, I took Landon to the pool. Up until this weekend, Landon has been very cautious in the water. He didn't want to walk in the kiddie-pool by himself, nor did he want you to let go of him at all in water. He would, however, jump to you from the edge of the pool. I bought him some floaties, and I don't know if it was those or something that just clicked in his head, but he's a completely different kid in the water now! He wants nothing to do with the kiddie-pool and only wants to go swimming! He says "I'll do it by myself." He floats and swims like a little turtle.....so cute! I just love that he enjoys the water so much. As a water-lover myself, this makes momma so super-happy! And, just like most weekends, we went to the lake on Sunday. We bought a new tube and finally tried it out. Although you can't tell in the pictures, Landon absolutely loved the tube again. He giggled every time we hit "bumps." Normally he only rides with me, but this time he rode with his Uncle Boonie too! And, as you can see, the lake will take a 2-year old to complete exhaustion!

Pictures: The Professional Kind

Bo and I take so many pictures of Landon. His entire life and those all-important "firsts" have been well-documented on camera. That's why I never get professional photos done. Actually, the truth is I'm too cheap (frugal, I say). Professional photographers charge a whole lot of money to capture sweet faces on film. The truth is their cameras are far superior to my little digital one and their pictures are even better. So, this frugal shopper came across a really good coupon and I booked an appointment for my little man. Landon was SO good! I mean he was just gosh-darn perfect! It broke my heart to walk away with only a few of the poses and pictures. I wanted all of them! They even entered one of his pictures (one that I didn't even buy!) in a contest. I do think he's rather adorable. And for all those who haven't seen my baby pictures, let me just tell you.....he's a spittin' image of his momma!

It Never Gets Old

It's a must....Bo and I must retire on a lake some day. It just makes us so darn happy. There's nothing better than spending these hot Texas days on the lake with our friends and family. Steven brought his boat out, along with the Warrick's. Bryan and Misty have a 5-year old named Mekena. She's just the sweetest little girl and Landon is so fond of her. My friend, Kristi, brought her 7-year old son, Branson and I think he had a blast. Kristi and I double-tubed and were in hysterics from all the laughter and fun. Those tubes beat us up pretty good and we're a little sore today, but it was well worth it! Next time I think we'll hop on one tube together and see how long we can hang on! The water was surprisingly refreshing and there was a breeze, so the temperature of 103 didn't bother us one bit. Well, I think it bothered Bo when he was deflating the rafts, tying down the tube, taking down the canopy, and getting the boat ready to head back home. He works so hard so that all of us can have a good time! And, as you can see by the pictures, our little ones were tuckered out at the end of a fun day on the lake.

Independence Day