Are You Kidding Me?

I have mentioned before how I love my chemical peels. (That blog was SAVED by my angelic friend, Kristi, so I will re-post it with the others soon.) I searched out a place here in The Woodlands that I felt was reputable, with proper supervision, and sold well-known products. The "Spa", as they like to call it here, I chose has another location in a very nice part of Houston. With two good locations and all the other things I prioritized, I thought this was a good choice. That's the history.

I hadn't been in all summer secondary to the fact that I had the two little toots with me all day of every day of the summer. Lots of bonding time. I finally made a return visit yesterday because school is in session! (yeah!) I signed in and turned around to sit in their lounge area. They have a big coffee table with lots of brochures pertaining to their products, which I usually love to read. There, before my eyes, in a picture frame was a copy of Penelope's Pitstop!! It was the blog I wrote on the fabulous Line Subtractor. I started squealing, "That's my blog! I am Penelope. What is that doing here?" The lady at the desk took a sec, then she started laughing with (and at) me. Eventually, all the ladies that work there came out because we were so loud and trying to figure out who put it there. When Betty, the wonderful lady who introduced me to all my products, including the Glominerals make-up, came out I told her SHE was the woman I mentioned in the article. She was dying laughing. She said that a REP had sent that to her...free promotion, I guess!!

I was still in total shock telling them, "You don't understand, only my friends read my blog. HOW did someone find Penelope's Pitstop?" On top of that, they printed it out and handed out to skin care spas, ironically, in the same town that I live in. Where else is that laying about?

Of course, I couldn't wait to tell Babe and my mom and dad. Babe was at work and not processing external stresses when I called him, but I finally got a hold of Mom and Dad. They were in just as much awe as I was saying, "How did this happen?" and finally telling me I needed an agent....too funny.

Between Kristi discovering 9 months of my blogs at the beginning of the week and then discovering my blog was published in my own spa? It's been a funny and crazy week in my little blog world. Thank you for being a part of it.

What is it About These Feet?

JLS got new socks. The poor and unfortunate child has worn hand-me-down socks all his life. While that sounds awful, JBS plowed thru sock sizes before I could even wash a load of laundry. So there wasn't much usage there. AND, JLS prefers his Crocs. In Houston, we can wear Crocs year-round. Point being, socks don't get worn much in our house. However, now that school has started JLS is required to wear socks and closed-toe shoes.

Even before school started, Babe, for some reason has been on me lately to buy JLS some "cool" socks. As opposed to "non-cool" baby socks? He just wanted him to have short socks. So, when we bought his new school shoes, (size 9, age 2) I took the plunge and bought JLS his first set of new socks. The first time I put them on, I couldn't take my eyes off his cute little feet. It drove him nuts, as I chased him around the house snapping pictures of his feet. Is it that they are square feet? or those cute little tan legs next to the white socks? Or that his feet are SO big? Maybe it's just that I am the mother of those little things.

All I know is I want to eat those little feet up.

A Major Miracle

An angel in my life e-mailed me last night and said, "I think I have some of your old blogs. Do you want them?" I was excited and said, "Yes! Of course!" My excitement turned to euphoria when she e-mailed me back and said she had Penelope's Pitstop since its inception and Home on the Range back to September of 2007. Something to do with her blog reader...praise be to her blog reader! The pictures weren't saved, but the content was. Sooooo, (that was in honor of JBS) I will be piecing those together and posting them in addition to my Granny's saves! Kristi, you are an absolute angel and I will find a way to re-pay you someday soon! Yahooey!

Me.

I am not sure I have ever mentioned that JLS is in speech therapy. After getting tubes placed in his ears, we discovered that because of all the fluid in his ears for so long, he had some hearing loss. He is doing great and starting to really work on using his words. My favorite word he uses is "Me". If he wants something or, better yet, doesn't want something, he points to himself, shakes his head up and down or side-to-side and says, "Me." This tells me, "Yes, I want it" or "No. Don't you dare give that to me!"

Yesterday was JLS's first day of school. We had taken JBS to school on Monday (they go to the same school) and he pointed to the playground and said, "Me!" He pointed to the little chairs in the cafeteria and said, "Me!" He was excited and really proud. So, yesterday, we parked the car and walked in to school. JLS was proud as a peacock with his head held high. He had his Batman "pack-pack" and he was wearing his new shoes. He thought he was as dapper as he has ever been. He strutted in to school and, again, pointed to the playground and the chairs affirming them with, "Me!" I thought it was going to be so easy. He was ready to be at school. We dropped JBS off in his classroom and walked right across the hall to JLS's (aka Me's) classroom. His strut slowed, his head and shoulders dropped and he looked at me and said, "Me!!" while shaking his head saying "No!"

The sweet little guy. When he realized it wasn't just a style show, he was heart-broken. He loved going thru the motions on Monday, but still getting to stay with Momma. He thought that was a pretty good plan.

So, Me shed some tears when I left. Poor Me. It's tough when Momma's boy kicks in. So tough. I sure love you, Me!

No Means No.

This past weekend Babe's family came in town for Babe's cousins wedding. It was a beautiful wedding and the bride was beautiful and it was just beautiful. Unfortunately for me, I was up the previous night tossing my cookies. Now, JBS has had it, Babe has had it and I got it! I made it for the wedding, but returned home to my warm bed ASAP....oh, my bed. So sorry to cut short the wedding, but I really needed my bed and I really needed not to be around food.

We had a two hour drive to/from Beaumont for the wedding. Our family, plus Babe's sister (Aunt J) and her daughter, K, drove over together. As you can imagine, I was in and out of consciousness having had a rough night the night before. We were driving along when I heard a profound statement come out of JBS's mouth that perked my ears, even if for a second. I am not sure exactly what had happened prior to his wise words, but JBS's cousin, K, had done something that either warranted JBS (Mr. Bossy Pants) or Aunt J to tell her, "No" a couple of times. Evidently she continued doing what she wasn't supposed to be doing (according to JBS) when his wisdom burst forth, "When my mommy says, "No!", she means, "No!"

Well. Let's tell the world how many times I have used those words....a whole lotta times! I stand by it, too. "No" means "No" with JBS's mommy and I don't like to say it more than once. The kicker is asking JBS why I have had to say it so many times before.

At least I know he hears me, whether he complies or not.

1st Day of Pre-School

This is the day. This is the bittersweet day I have been sort of looking forward to all summer. I have been anxiously awaiting a schedule again and ready for the school year to begin...until I realized JBS was going to be in Pre-school. I know it's only pre-school, but this is where it all begins. While I have learned a lot about JBS from his previous teachers at Mother's Day Out, this will be the official beginning of so many things.

Socially, this is big. Acceptance by peers is so important to every child and this is where it starts affecting children positively or negatively. I pray big things for my baby boy. I pray for him to have confidence in who he is, not to allow anyone to influence him in a negative way. I pray for him to develop that security socially and spiritually as he grows in his knowledge of the Lord. I pray for that knowledge to continue to grow from this very early age, so that the Truth is firmly rooted in him...that JBS's knowledge will continue to grow into a loving and abiding relationship with the Lord. I pray for him to have the insight and awareness to embrace other children...children that may not be as outspoken as him, or those that may be different from those around him. I pray that he is a good friend to others and that others are good friends to him.

I pray for his friends. I pray that they are raised in loving Christian homes and that through all the years of school his closest friends become a strong support group for him. That they may be firm in their beliefs and values and be role models to the kids around them. I pray for JBS that not only will he have the opportunity to have a Christian mentor, but that he has the opportunity to be a spiritual mentor himself. I firmly believe you grow stronger in wisdom and faith when you hold yourself accountable to another person.

My prayers are big, but God is bigger. JBS was baptized when he was a meaty 5 months old (above pic is 5 mos old). Dr Paschal laughed when we handed JBS to him and said, "Son, may you be a mighty man of God."

I ditto that.

The Old Days

I found this picture from days of yore and I couldn't pass it up. This is Me, Kourty and Bong (a derivative of her last name). We were in 8th grade headed to our Valentine's dance...maybe it was called Sweetheart. I can't remember.

We were 13 years-old. Hard to believe. Twenty-one years later we are still great friends and I could call each of them up right now and we would do anything for each other. The three of us each got married within weeks of each other, Kourty and I had our first child within a month of the other, Bong and Kourty both had a baby in January, and Bong's family actually lives in my old house...just around the corner from my parents.

To think of all the life paths we have each walked in the past 21 years...that's 63 years of living between us. We have been challenged, we have rejoiced, and we have laughed (a lot). We have drifted apart and come back together many times based on our location and activities. What a beautiful feeling, however, to have known someone for 21 plus years and to know they are still some of your most precious friends. While our communication waxes and wanes, I always know that Kourty and Bong are a phone call away....or an email...or on Facebook.

Girls. We are getting old.

Just in Case You've Ever Wondered

Where we live, in The Woodlands, without traffic (big factor) we are about a 25 minute drive to the heart of downtown Houston. I don't see the signs as much up here, but when you get closer to Houston and definitely south of Houston, the Hurricane Evacuation Route signs are many. I am lucky enough to have never had to deal with a hurricane personally, but Babe's family has, as have many friends I know in Houston.

For the record, I don't plan on ever living anywhere close to a mandatory evacuation area for two reasons. Number one, I don't want to have to leave everything I own to succumb to whatever nature should bring for who-knows-how-long. The difference between living in Oklahoma and dealing with tornadoes versus living in Houston and dealing with hurricanes is that everyone gets hit by the hurricane and it is definitely coming. A tornado can hit or miss. We can run to our basement, take cover if needed, and when the storm has passes in an hour, we return to normal activities. A hurricane...a real hurricane dictates your life and location for much longer than one hour.

The second reason I won't live anywhere near where I need to evacuate my life and family is traffic. Holy cow, the traffic. We live right off I-45 which is one of the interstates that is used for evacuating Houston north to Dallas. Remember that 25 minute drive? My friend, Mistah, and her husband evacuated to The Woodlands during Hurricane Rita and it took them no less than 12 hours to make it that far. TWELVE HOURS. They couldn't use the restroom, people were running out of gas, families had little children in the car and they were at a standstill. Babe's family lives in Beaumont, which received the direct hit of Hurricane Rita and their stories of evacuating are horrendous.

So, when Mistah told me she evacuated to The Woodlands, where her family now lives, I took another look at The Woodlands. There are beautiful suburbs all around Houston, but I ultimately chose the North. I chose it because The Woodlands is an amazing place to live, but I would be lying if I told you hurricanes weren't a factor!

I am happy to receive evacuees, but an evacuee I will not be!

So.

JBS has discovered the word "So" and he never misses an opportunity to use it, whether appropriate or not. When my mom was here a few weeks ago, he would tell her, "So, we need to give JLS his medicine.", "So, let's turn on the TV", "So....." over and over and over. He wanted to be my doctor yesterday. Holding his stethoscope around his neck, just like the doctors do, he said, "So, you can't play with any toys while you have an ear infection. So, no playing and so, no talking and so!" It is so funny how hard he tries to use the word "so". It's like he thinks it takes him to the next level...more mature. Clearly, I must use the word a lot for him to think it's so important.

Our sweet next-door neighbor, Mr. George, just returned from an unexpected trip to his home state of Hawaii. His mother passed away after having declining health in the past few years. When JBS and I heard about this, we decided to make him a pie to make him feel better. The trip to the grocery store proved to be a long discussion about death. JBS doesn't grasp the true meaning, but he certainly has lots of questions. Questions that I answered carefully and with as much simplicity as I could figure! He just didn't understand why George's mommy died. I explained to him that she was old and her body just quit working the way it was supposed to. JBS took it all in and from that ever-loving car seat he said, " SO, was it fire ants or sharks that got her?"

I love 4-years-old.

The Next Michael Phelps

(I wanted to put a little update here about the house. We are closing on September 11th! So very excited and have been busy busy busy this morning getting papers signed, faxed, scanned, e-mailed...technology is an amazing thing!)

I am an avid Olympics fan and have been losing sleep every single night since 8/8/08 trying to hold my eyes open to absorb every minute of every sport. I love it. And, I wish I had their bodies. Wishful thinking, I know. I was particularly interested in hearing the Michael Phelps interview about his childhood and growing up. His mom said that he was so out of control and had ADD that she enrolled him in swimming to wear him out and help him to focus on something. While I don't think JLS has ADD, the out of control, wearing him out and needing to focus on something hits very close to my home...specifically the youngest room in the house. As you know, from previous posts, JLS is also a water-logger at the pool. Lots of energy, lots of spunk, and particularly good with the swimming equipment, such as goggles. So, I am thinking we could be next...what do you think?

I am thinking it's a serious possibility.

So Close, We Can Taste It!

We are getting so close to having a real home. It is making it that much harder to wait knowing its just so close! Last week, they added our yard, front door, all hardwood floors, carpet, and ceiling fans. They stained our stairs and worked on paint. They also stained and stamped the front porch concrete.
We met with the speaker people. I use the term "we" loosely, as I don't have a care in the world about surround sound and speakers, but Babe does and that's important, right? As Babe says, "I have one room in this house all to myself. Let me take care of it." Thus, he is planning the sound system and, as I hold my breath, the furniture for the media room. I gently encouraged him OUT of a "less attractive" entertainment center from Crutchfield and steered him toward a much nicer and LESS expensive piece from Crate and Barrel. And he says I don't know how to save money.

I met with a man who measured for plantation shutters across the front of the house. I was really excited about him until he disappeared off the face of the earth...my first true "typical workman" experience while building this house. If he resurfaces this week, he gets the job, if he doesn't, I have to find another shutter man. Please resurface, Byron!

We also met a few more neighbors last week, which really helped my excitement. We have such a wonderful cul-de-sac of neighbors here in our rent house, it makes it bittersweet to move! JBS's best and most inseparable friend is Mr. J, also his most eloquent friend from Scotland. He pines at the window waiting for J's garage door to open so they can play in the afternoon. That will be hard. However, we met 2 very cute little girls (ages 5 and 3, older women) that live a few doors down. Bring a cute girl into JBS's world and he sees stars. He is smitten already.

No official date, yet. But, I am packing a box a day from here forward. You wouldn't know it from looking at the mess of toys on my floor right now. WHERE do they all come from??

Take Two

I have been up all night with Babe throwing up. By about 4am, I decided the only way for me to get any rest before the boys got up was to try to sleep in the guest room. When JBS woke up, I could intercept him and allow Babe to sleep without the kids waking him up. When I heard him open his door, I told JBS that Daddy had the same bug he did and he was up all night throwing up. When JLS woke up, JBS, in the loudest whisper he could muster said, "JLS! We need to be quiet because Daddy has a bee in his throat!"

A Little Redecorating

So, I loved what Jen at Blue Yonder Designs did at Penelope's Pitstop so much, that I had her perk up my banner here at Home on the Range. After the loss of my first blog, I was never able to get the banner corrected. What do you think? Do you like it, Momma? Anyone else? Let me know whatcha think.

Bugs

(Warning: Very real story of mommy hood follows. Might be gross for some :))

Yesterday afternoon JBS kept telling me his tummy hurt and he felt like he was going to throw up. But, then he would laugh. To air on the side of caution I showed him how to run to the potty and throw up if the need should arise. He laughed. So, I really wasn't prepared for it when I was on the phone with my mom and I hear it in the bathroom. I threw the phone and ran to my screaming and crying little JBS. He has had loads of allergies and respiratory illnesses, but only once has he ever had the chunks and he certainly doesn't remember it. (I, however, remember it all too well) As he hung his head over the toilet, he kept screaming, "Am I sick Mommy? Am I sick?" I tried to tell him it was just the heat. After all, he had been in the 100 degree heat all morning for sports camp. It had to be the heat.

I got him settled down and we snuggled in my bed. Only long enough, for him to not make it to the toilet and yes, lose it in my bed. I swept him up and carried him to the bathroom to finish the job, as I am gagging myself just hearing it. (Please note that by this time Babe was home from work and absolutely nowhere to be found. We live in a small house, the turkey.) I told JBS that he probably did have a bug and to take a bath and maybe that would make him feel better. He obliged and threw up again when he was done. To which he said, "Mommy! The bath didn't work. It was supposed to wash that bug off me."

We moved to the couch to snuggle in front of the Olympics. Amazingly enough, JBS is the sweetest little kid in the midst of constant dry-heaving and personal torture. Every time (and there were lots of times) he threw up, he would look at me and tell me, "Mom, I think the bug is gone now. I'll be alright." I felt so sorry for him and was especially ready for his bug to go away when he threw up all over....me.

Right around bed time, he started to perk up a little so we let him have a popsicle. With all seriousness he looked up at me and said, "Mom, I think I know where that bug is now." He opened his mouth as wide as he could and pointed, "I think it's right in there. Can you get it?"

(Post-note: The "bug" left as quickly as it came and we were all able to have a good night's sleep...if any of you were concerned about, you know, me!)

For my Birthday...

Babe got Rockband! What a thoughtful gift, honey. My mom was in town for my birthday. Babe got home from work early which allowed for Mom and I to get out shopping a bit before we all met up for a yummy Mexican food dinner. While we were eating, Babe made the comment that he and boys had a special performance for us when we returned home. Eyebrow's were raised, but we had no idea what to expect.

When mom and I arrived home, we found JLS on the drums, JBS took the guitar and Babe sang a lovely solo by none other than Pearl Jam. The boys were going to town on their instruments, as was Babe...taking his solo quite seriously. The boy's keep getting "fired" by the game because they have no idea what they are doing, but you certainly wouldn't believe it if you saw them playing.

If you are ever sitting at home in your quiet and peaceful living room wondering what this family is doing, just imagine our whole family on stage. Babe is getting another guitar so I can play bass. (lovely) Rockband is my future. Whether I like it or not.

1-2-3!

I can't begin to explain how physically exhausting it is to take JLS to the pool. The only thing he wants to do is jump off the edge of the pool. It is a constant cycle. While we were at the lake in July, Grammy tried slowing him down a bit by counting to three. Now, JLS, at the top of his lungs, yells, "Unnn. Toooo. Dree!" everytime he jumps in the water. However, he is taking his running jump well before he gets to "Dree!" It was wonderful having Mom and Dad there to rotate JLS pool duty with. He wore us all out, but was he ever tired? Of course not.

Unnn!Tooooo! (The excitement is so overwhelming!) Dree!

Blast off!

The counting didn't slow JLS down a bit. So, we let Big Daddy have a try. After his body reached the point of exhastion, he looked at JLS and said, "Breathe!" He told him to sit on the edge of the pool and relax. He told JLS to take a deep breath in and blow it out. Amazingly enough, JLS complied.

JLS likes Big Daddy. He responds to him. However, as soon as Big Daddy "released" him from his breathing techniques, as any well-trained dog would do, he was back to his exhausting and continuous cycle. I live with the Energizer bunny. He literally keeps going and going and going until we pull him out of the pool and throw him in the car.

Then, the excitement begins at home...

Xploration Station

A couple weeks ago we visited a local branch of the Houston Museum of Natural Science called the Xploration Station. Right now all sorts of frogs are there. Red, yellow, green, fat and ugly, tiny and cute...frogs are everywhere! The boys LOVED the frogs. It was definitely money well-spent.

The front part of the museum has a museum store...one that I will re-visit alone some day. (Have I ever mentioned how much I love museum stores?) It had some really neat things pertaining to frogs and nature. However, the hi-lite of the trip for the boys would be digging up dinosaur bones. The front half of the museum is dedicated to two digging areas. When we walked in, we just saw "dirt" (that is coincidentally made out of recycled tennis shoes). The boys armed themselves with multiple digging tools and brushes and dove in to find themselves digging up the bones of a Triceratops! I was as excited as they were. The employees were there telling them all about the Triceratops, as soon as they figured out what it was. Then, when they left the digging area, there was a small table with toy dinosaurs that each child gets to dig up and take with them.

GREAT learning experience and an even better idea for having a future birthday party there. I just need to convince JBS to have a dinosaur birthday by January. I loved it as much as the kids did!

A Very Rare Sight

Sometimes, I just think it is important to document that he sleeps. For future reference, anyway. I might look back on this sleepless time in my life someday and laugh...but not yet! It is still raw.

I would like to thank each of you that gave me sleeping tips from the last time I posted about my sleeplessness (old blog :( ) I used a combination of all of your ideas and I have not enjoyed as much sleep in a long time. It has been wonderful. First, we kicked the milk and replaced it with water. That provided for about two mornings of shrill screaming at 5:30am. Then, I just let him scream it out for another two mornings. As clever is the little toot is, he never knew he could get out of his bed and open the door. The final piece of the puzzle is that every single night when we say our prayers, I always pray for us all to have a good and long night's sleep. And the good Lord has heard my desperate prayers for almost three months now. Amen and Hallelujah.

Fishin' for...

It is a fact that this family has many hours of fishing to log in our future. I am still wondering when the day will come that Babe takes the boys and leaves poor, pitiful me all alone at home...with no one around. Until that sad and terrible day, I get to go and help bait the hooks and cast for JLS and sit in the H.E.A.T. OK, so, it really is a lot of fun watching the boys, especially when they catch a fish.

JBS is too cool for any help. He knows how to cast and reel, he just needs a little help with putting the worm on his hook. He cocks his leg and stands back on his hip and tells me what to do with an air of confidence. Bossy pants. But a really cute little bossy pants. I still do everything he says.

JLS still doesn't quite get the "quiet" rule to fishing. He gets really excited to see the minnows swimming in the shallow parts or turtle heads lurking and staring. "Excited" translates to high-pitched squealing and jumping up and down. Safety really isn't a priority for JLS. However, he still insists upon fishing with his own rod.

We have too many ponds to count here in The Woodlands and they are all full of little fishies. It is a common sight to drive by any of the ponds and see kids and adults alike fishing, fishing, fishing. Clearly the sport is a success here, so we weren't surprised when JBS caught fish after fish after fish after fish. We were surprised, however, when JLS caught.....a turtle!

Mental note. Turtles like worms, too.

Saving Grace!

While I still haven't given up hope recovering my blog, despite not hearing a WORD from Google....I can always depend on my Granny :) While I was at her house a week ago, I discovered she had printed off about ten of my first blogs from the original My Home on the Range. I know I shed a tear when I saw them. It might be only ten, but it is TEN!!! So, as time permits, I will be re-posting the old blogs with their original date. The best part is, its the original blogs that introduce my family. Yahoo! Thanks, Granny. You always pull through for me!

The Battleship Texas

After soaking up the San Jacinto Monument, we drove right across to the Battleship Texas. It is unique because it was commissioned in 1914 and is the only surviving battleship to have served in both world wars. The Texas was also in the Normandy invasion. Babe and I have been watching the whole Band of Brothers series again and we just love it. I cry every night imagining what these boys' mothers were feeling at home...and what those boys' went through. My Papa, (whose blog was unfortunately lost) was on a ship like this one. I have visited several battleships, but visiting the Texas just made it all so real to me. This time, I had my own boys and a new perspective on soldiers.

The boys loved seeing the big guns and being on the battleship. We all enjoyed touring the ship and seeing where the men slept and showered and ate their meals. JLS, of course, decided to make himself at home on the bunks that said, "Please do not sit on beds." Leave it to JLS. It was a great experience that I would like to repeat when the boys are a little older.

Take fair warning that being on a black ship in the heat of summer is not just hot, it is dang hot! Spring and Fall seem to be the common thread in many of our outings. Come back when it's cooler!!

The San Jacinto Monument

Last month we visited the San Jacinto Monument right by the Port of Houston. I love Texas history, but I will admit, I didn't realize the San Jacinto River is right here in Houston! For those of you who don't know your Texas history, the Battle of San Jacinto is where the outnumbered Texians finally defeated the Mexican army in a surprise attack on April 21, 1836. Texas won its independence from the Mexicans and became the Texas Republic. I have heard and read the story a hundred times, but to walk right by the Mexican Position and to imagine General Santa Anna and our Texian army, led by General Sam Houston walking around right there...it's all very moving.

The San Jacinto monument honors those who fought for Texas independence. It was built in 1936 for the centennial celebration of the battle. They said that the San Jacinto monument remains the world's tallest memorial tower...taller than the Washington Monument. We rode to the top and looked out over the Port of Houston, including the Battleship Texas (flash forward in history several years!) In the bottom of the building, there is a fabulous history museum that I will have to revisit someday sans kiddos....some pretty amazing Texas memorabilia. It also has, my all time favorite, a museum store, packed with books and history things....love, love, love it.

It was a pleasant surprise to find the San Jacinto monument. The famous battle cry, "Remember the Alamo!" was uttered at least a few times in that location...and it was the REAL deal!

Where's JLS?

This is a question I very rarely have to utter outloud when I am at the pool. I have a terrible fear of my children and pools and I am fanatical about knowing where they are at all times. I must admit, however, that at our pool here, I am able to relax a bit more. The majority of the pool is only 1-2 feet deep.JLS can go down the slide and land in 2 feet of water safely. He thinks he can swim and practices hard, but can always put his feet down when he is tired. I still know where they are at all times, but gratefully, I can usually sit in one spot in the water and mother-hen them from a short distance.

One day, the whole family was at the pool together. Babe and I were talking and all of a sudden we looked around and couldn't find JLS. We weren't panicked, but just unsure of where he had headed. Then, I saw the little toot out of the corner of my eye. Without any prodding or encouragement, JLS had silently set off to conquer "the big slide" all by himself. Even his brother hadn't done this, yet. So, we watched as JLS marched without caution to the top of the play gym, looked down the slide and vroom!Out the bottom he came with a huge smile on his face. Over and over again...and finally, big brother, JBS decided to give it a shot. JLS is fearless and discreet. He knows he's cool.

If he could talk, he would tell you all about it.

Aunt Helen

Last weekend I travelled to my grandmothers house in Southwest Oklahoma to say "Good-bye" to my great Aunt Helen. I only knew Aunt Helen for 34 of her 94 years on this earth....and she was a firecracker even in her last years. Everything I know about her personally plus all the stories I heard about her from her friends and family add up to a whole lot of qualities that I would like to have myself. She was an amazing woman with truly the best attitude of anyone I have ever known. Aunt Helen made friends everywhere she went...quickly and in masses. She had a charisma about her that was addictive. One that made you just want to spend time with her and get to know her better.

When I was in junior high I remember getting to fly down to her home in Austin to visit for the weekend. At that time she was living in a hi-rise retirement community. Not only did she know everyone in this huge building, but she was the queen bee. She planned the parties and organized events. She was involved in her church and she drove for her friends that couldn't drive. Being social and helpful was Aunt Helen's forte. She knew everything there was to know about Austin, it's history, the hip scene and her very favorite...the Lady Longhorn's Basketball.

Apart from the local scene, she was always planning her next gambling trip with her friends. She would drive all the way to Louisiana and play the nickel slots all night long. She was a hoot.

Her daughter, Karen, shared a story last weekend with us that just exemplifies the kind of lady Aunt Helen was. In the last few months, she had to move into a nursing home. Although this was something that an independent lady like herself would detest, she managed to look at it with the "glass is half-full" perspective. Karen said there was a lady that would sit with them when she would visit Aunt Helen for meals. Paraphrasing, she told Karen that before Helen was there, she was a grump and that she just wasn't happy. She went on to say that since Helen had arrived (and it hadn't been for very long), she learned a lot about herself and that Helen had made such an impression on her that she had decided to change her attitude and was trying to see things the way Helen did.

Aunt Helen was a remarkable woman. She was sophisticated, a wonderful friend, a magnet to those who didn't know her, a leader, incredibly social and most importantly, she knew who she was. I know all these things and I never spent a prolonged period of time with her...to imagine knowing her on a daily basis! She will be missed by more people than we know. A true loss to her family...and the ones who saw her every day. But, wow! What a full and wonderful life she lived.

I am certain she approached those Pearly Gates hearing the words, "Well done my good and faithful servant." The compliments don't get any better than that!

It's Coming Along!

Things sort of slowed down to a creep last week. We had a lot of rain that came off the hurricane that hit Padre Island. Coincidentally, that was when they were trying to get the driveway and patio cut and poured. I saw the forms yesterday and the boys and I got up early this morning to watch the concrete trucks. We got there at 7:40am and the driveway was in and there wasn't a soul in sight. So, they either did it yesterday evening, or very early this morning.

Only a few things have changed on the inside...shower doors, light fixtures (that will be replaced when I move in) and plumbing fixtures. We are at a halt on the inside until they finish outside with the landscape. Hardwood floors are next and Kevin (the foreman) doesn't want dirty feet walking in the door...which I appreciate.

Outside, you can see that the trailer has finally been removed--yahoo! The dumpster is off to the side. I have shutters, my metal roof, and the wrought iron is on my porch. And, of course, I have a driveway, sidewalk and hopefully a big patio in the back.

As I told our sales rep yesterday, I am chomping at the bit. It's so close and I can't stand to see things slowing down when I want things speeding up! Shooting to move in the second week of September. Hallelujah! By the way, there is a brand new custom home that just went back on the market around the corner. Anyone want to be my neighbor? Mom? Dad?