Where's JLS?

Our evening routine includes, of course, bathtime. Babe takes the boys upstairs and in some sort of order gets the boys in the bath while I am usually cleaning the kitchen. By the time I finish in the kitchen, I make it upstairs in time to see JLS running around in a towel. Once he sees me coming up the stairs he yells, "Momma, hie!!!" (this means hide). So, JLS scampers off to hide under his towel in the middle of his room. Every single night, this is how it plays out. And every single night I pretend not to see him huddling on the floor under his towel.

This particular night, nothing changed. I finished
in the kitchen. Babe had finished bathing JLS. I
was walking up the stairs when a naked JLS yells, "Hie, Momma!" and darts in to his room with his towel flailing in the breeze. I followed him to his room and started to pretend I couldn't see him.
Butt :), I found this.

These are the moments that make all the temper tantrums and no sleep worthwhile. I think...

First Flights

The boys and I took their first airplane flight on Sunday to Tulsa. JBS has flown once before. In fact, his first airplane experience was in a Steerman...an open cockpit biplane. The lucky little thing. When I told him we were going to fly on a big plane, like Big Daddy used to fly, he said he didn't want to. His reason: Because it would be too windy. Once I convinced him it would not be an open cockpit, he was really excited.

This was JLS's first airplane ride. Babe drove us to the airport and watched us all the way through security where we said our farewells. (He will be driving up on Wednesday after work for Thanksgiving). The only spot I was nervous about was making it thru security. You know, when I had to disrobe while my toots were running circles around me. Amazingly enough, the trip was without any major drama. The boys were so taken with the "Biiiiiiig Planes," as JLS yelled to the gate area when he saw the airplanes sitting outside the gates.

We were buckled and ascending when JBS said, "Mommy, we are above the clouds, but I just can't see Jesus anywhere." As my heart melted, I explained that Heaven was very very high in the sky, but Jesus was everywhere he looked. About ten minutes later, he leaned over and asked, "Mommy, are we in Heaven, yet?" I love that precious baby.

The flight attendant found out it was their first flight and made an announcement over the speaker welcoming JBS and JLS on their first flight. They gave us certificates and wings, pretzels (a hot commodity you know) and a coloring book. The whole ride was fantastic and made very special for them by the nice flight attendants.

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As you might guess, their first ride had to be on Southwest. It was even a crew based out of Chicago (where Dad was based).

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We heart SWA!

His 1st Baseball Card

It's official. JBS has his own baseball card. I have seen these before, but never with my own child's face on the card. JBS thinks he is sooooo cool. I cut out the important parts, like his name. Below that was a list of his "stats" if a 4 year-old can have stats. It's hilarious. JBS has already traded his card with a few buddies on his team (aka The 3 Amigos).

If you need direction in the team picture, JBS is the center child on the back row. He loves the game. I see my future sitting in baseball stands in the heat of the summer indefinitely. Surely we can direct him to an indoor sport...ping pong for example?

What Do Mothers Dream About?

My first response would be to say that I don't dream, as I never get into the dream stage of sleeping between my two toots waking up, coughing, sick, etc. However, I had A dream last night. Not sure how, but I did. Here it goes:

I dreamed that I was with JBS and he wasn't hearing me (or listening to me). As I walked closer to him, I was able to see in his ears. These ears were only normal for dreams, as the holes must have been huge for me to see what I saw. I saw sliced zucchini in each ear. Yes, sliced zucchini that was cooked with Parmesan cheese on top. I tried to get it all out, but the deepest pieces were too hard to reach. As I was asking JBS, "Why in the world did you put zucchini in your ears" I was discovering that we had it for dinner. Instead of eating it, he hid every bite on his plate in his ears so I would think he had eaten it. Imagine the size of those ears if they were full of zucchini, but it all seemed so normal in my dream. In fact, within my dream I said out loud, "This is so blog worthy!!! Zucchini in your ears!"

So, with that, I have to analyze why I dreamed what I dreamed. I have heard that dreaming is good for you, as it disposes of all the unwanted and unneeded thoughts in your brain. JBS tells me all the time, "I can't like zucchini" (He gets "can't" and "don't" confused.) BUT, I make him eat it anyway. This must have merged with my constant thoughts about JLS and his ears. One of his ear tubes recently fell out and I am regularly looking in and cleaning his ears.

Yes, those are unneeded thoughts. I can think of a few more if my brain is interested in disposing of them.

New Link

So, my sweet friend, Aubree, so graciously made me a new Penelope's Pitstop link. Aubree and I went to high school together and this is what a great friend she is. She was reading my blog and found out about my losing my blogs over the summer. She called me after an undisclosed amount of years since high school and tried everything her little computer brain knew to do to help me. What was so amazing is that she called me the day it happened and I was HYSTERICAL. She stuck with me through those hysterics, even still!

Isn't it cute? For those of you who don't like the massive link I have in the right column, maybe this cutie would spiff up your blog and give you quick access to Penelope's Pitstop. What do ya'll think, specifically for Home On the Range? Do you like seeing what's new listed on the side or would you prefer Aubree's link on my page?

Either way, if you would like my new link, just let me know. While the code works, posting the actual code on my blog didn't. I am happy to email it to you. I think she did a great job. While you are at it, check out her cute page. She has a store, too!

Enchila-la's

One of my favorite words that JBS says is, "Enchila-la". We are big Mexican food eaters and each time we go to a restaurant JBS opts for the Enchila-la's. I realize he is 4 years-old and I should correct him by now before some cursing little 4 year-old makes fun of him, but I can't. It is one of the few cute words that has stuck and I can't bear to break the habit. Especially, when he looks at the Spanish-speaking waiters and says, "I'll have an Enchila-la, please." He is so proud and thinks he is so big. I can't bear to break is heart, let alone lose one of the last little pieces of babyhood from my 50 pound hunk of love.

Then, we have our grunting and signing little JLS. He is working so hard on his words, but he gets so frustrated when he knows exactly what he wants to say and it just doesn't come out as planned. No comprehendo! Tonight, we were at our neighborhood Mexican restaurant, Rico's, and out of the clear blue, JLS looks at me shaking his head left and right, "Momma, La-la! Momma, La-la!"

I just want to squeeze his little La-La cheeks. I was so proud of him for trying to say, "Enchilada." However, it's as though he thought that I might think there was a chance that real food might enter his mouth. He needed to clarify to me that table food would not pass the gates to his belly and he would stick with the usual...tortilla chips.

Nutcracker Market

Evidently, the Nutcracker Market in Houston is the largest holiday market in the nation. I absolutely love going to markets like this one, as you can find some of the cutest and most fab finds among the boutique stores that like to attend these markets. Last weekend, I not only worked the Holiday Market in The Woodlands, but I shopped...and shopped. I found some wonderful things. Although it is much smaller than the Nutcracker Market, the quality of stores was just as great.

So, I happened to mention to a woman in my Bible study that I was going to the Nutcracker Market. She said, "Oh! You must speak to Suzanne. She is professional." So, I asked Suzanne what her tactics were and did she ever know! She first told me I had to get there Thursday if I wanted to get any of the spaghetti sauce and I should be OK if I went Saturday morning to get Suzie's South Forty frozen almond toffee. If I was willing to valet, make sure you retrieve your car at least 30 minutes before you are ready to go, as the valet line will be out the door. She also warned me that I may not be able to see all the booths, for times sake.

As you can imagine, the anticipation that was building as I drove to Houston headed toward Nutcracker Wonderland. I passed 2 buses coming from Ft. Worth carrying all women. I knew they HAD to be headed to the Nutcracker market...I sped up. The digital traffic signs above the highways that usually announce an Amber alert or a wreck were giving directions to the Nutcracker Market. It was surreal. The traffic to get in the main entrance was backed up at least a mile on the interstate. (This isn't Affair of the Heart, my fellow Tulsa gals..this is SERIOUS business.) I flew past that to the back entrance and made my way to the great market.

When I arrived, people were flooding in and moving fast. I was dealing with professional shoppers. Professional shopper, I am not. I flowed all the way to the right so I could be organized in my attack. I finally blinked and breathed a sigh of relief when I made it to an open spot where I could gather my thoughts. This was ridiculous!

Maybe I was really hyped up and I had already shopped the "other" Holiday Market the weekend before, but I was expecting something much greater in size and grandeur. However, I had a blast. I was alone and lovin' it. Although, I probably would have bought tons more had my Mom been there to second my thought on a few items. I found lots of great things. As in all of these markets, you have to weed through the crafty things (only because I am not a fan of crafty). However, the hip clothes and glitzy jewelry were there in full force. I grabbed a pair of Miss Me jeans (my favorite), some Yellow Box shoes, sassy T's (so cute!), and a fabulous necklace that is all bling (don't we all need some bling?). I found some great decor and lots of gifts that I can't mention. I missed out on several items I said I would come back to, as when I came back, they were gone. Things were being picked over left and right and I can't tell you how many elbows, albeit unintentional, I received. Things were moving fast. My strategy for next year will be to get a babysitter and go the first day. I can't begin to imagine what was available a mere 24 hours prior to my Saturday shopping spree. I am exhausted just thinking about it.

In summary, I survived my first Nutcracker Market. I am grateful Babe and the boys didn't come with me. I accomplished a lot of Christmas shopping and by golly, I got THE spaghetti sauce. I felt like such a follower as I just hopped in line like Suzanne told me and bought a jar to which the lady said, "You only want one??" Yes, ma'am. I guess I was the only person in Houston to ask for only one jar of "the sauce."

Lessons learned. Notes taken. Take two next year.

Pregnant Sons?

For some reason, in our house, it has become popular to be pregnant....among the Y-chromosome carrying children in my house. I can assure you this is not in any way imitating my present state of being. If it is, it is an insult to my abs, if you can call them that.

My mom gave me a really soft neck pillow that has a buckle...to attach around the headrest in a car. JBS, however, finds its purpose to be useful for buckling a pillow around his waist. Of course, JLS can't be left out of the party and repeatedly comes to me to stuff a pillow up his shirt.

Needless to say, Babe is less than enthused.

Senior Pictures...in Preschool

The boys had their school pictures taken a few weeks ago. I was expecting the standard blue or gray background pictures, but I picked up their pictures yesterday and found these cute things! It looks like the good ole Senior Picture pose, but I think they turned out quite well. JBS's hair is combed, no scrunched nose. JLS is looking at the camera and standing still...success!

Looking at these two angelic toots, you would never think we had a morning like this...Yesterday morning when we were getting ready for school, the toys in the playroom were everywhere. I asked the boys to pick up their toys before we ate breakfast. JBS started, but wanted help. JLS just looked at me and said, "No." I told him he had to help JBS or he would get a spanking. He glared at me and sat down on his hands. He got a spanking. I told him to help JBS and he refused. I knew I had to walk away, as I was short of launching JLS into the Solar System. So, I walked downstairs to take a shower. JLS immediately started screaming, wanting me to carry him down the stairs. I am working on him and breaking his hard-headedness. (Is that really possible?) So, I left him screaming (and not picking up any toys) while I took a shower and got ready. Lo and behold the toot was still screaming at the top of his lungs in the same spot when I got out of the shower.

JBS, on the other hand, refused to pick up toys because JLS's yelling hurt his ears. Evidently, no one in my house was hungry for breakfast because I told them they weren't eating until the toys were picked up. Of course, through tears, JBS ended up doing the deed...for the most part.

They both knew I was angry and here is the difference in the boys' personalities. JBS gets extra nice and tells me I look beautiful and chats it up about school and the like. JLS folds his arms, scowls and pouts. I gave them both big hugs and told them I loved them, but explained what upset me about them not doing what I asked them to do. JBS was fine and smiling. By the time I dropped JLS off in his classroom, he was still mad at me and refused to say, "Good-bye."

JLS knows how to hold a grudge. A big one. We are in this for the long haul and it doesn't look pretty. I think that might be why God made him so cute. He needs something to capture me, as his obstinate attitude does not help him out. LORD! Please go before us and bring blessings from this strong-willed child of mine. I know his strength will be an amazing attribute in the future, but right now, I am just trying to raise his sassy and oh, so cute, little bottom.

Trip to Wal-Mart

Today, my Scottish neighbor, Catriona, is my second ever guest writer on HOTR. Her story from Wal-Mart is so funny, I had to share it with you. THIS is the kind of thing that would happen to me. I especially love it when she imitates us Southerners and uses the word, "Ya'll."

Since moving to Texas from Scotland we have had several visitors land on us for some southern hospitality and glorious sunshine. The most recent visitors were friends who came from
Scotland and I spent the week before their arrival cleaning and shopping. I had decided that I’d do a big shop at Wal-Mart so that there was plenty to eat and drink should we decide not to eat out.

On the shopping day in question I had my 2 assistants with me, Mr J (aka Neighbor J) who is 4 ½ and Ally Bally who is 17 months. We hit the ground running with Mr J in charge of the shopping list and Ally Bally already out of the seat and shouting "Bye" to anyone that would listen. Having started at the dairy section we picked up milk, juice, cheese, a dozen eggs, etc. The basket filled quickly and Ally Bally was unusually quiet. I should have noted this and paid attention, but given the peace Mr J and I charged on.

By the time we got the cereal aisle I was in a deep discussion with Mr J that he wasn’t getting a whole box of choco choco pop thingys that would keep a dentist in business for months and that a small variety pack would be OK for us to try. As I went to put the choco choco pop things back on the shelf I noticed that Ally’s mouth was hugely swollen ……..there was no doubt he’d put something in his mouth but what?

I gently squeezed his cheeks to open his mouth and unbelievably out popped a whole unbroken egg! Oh……my………. Goodness! Where did you get that? I asked reaching behind him to put it back in the pack of 12 only to discover there were only 3 eggs left in the box! AAAAARGH!

Mr J at this point is saying, "Mummy look at the floor." Turning to look back up the aisle which now seems to have every single Wal-Mart shopper looking at us, there are 8, yes 8 eggs smashed on the floor! Ally Bally has now returned to decibel level 7 and shouts "Bye!" to everyone. Of course, they are looking at me thinking, "Didn’t you see him take out and throw 8 eggs on the floor?" No. I didn't.

So we had to find a member of staff to let them know of the omelet contest my son was starting in the cereal aisle. And across the pa system came the announcement that a mad Scottish woman had let her son throw eggs all over the store and would some one please remove them quickly before they reach the flour and sugar section and start a cup cake mixture. At least that’s what I heard when they requested a cleaner to go to aisle 7!

We quickly paid and exited with our goodies including another dozen eggs. Life is never dull with my 2 toots, this eggventure being the latest………… the story of Wal-Mart, Ally Bally and the electric toothbrush is a whole other blog.

Santa's Gingerbread Workshop

I apologize for being out of the loop, as I have been working at the Junior League's Holiday Market since Thursday. So many CUTE things to tell you about on Penelope's Pitstop this week for sure! On Sunday, they had Santa's Gingerbread Workshop for the kiddos and it was pretty fun. Neighbor J and Neighbor D met us there, aka The Three Amigos, and we made Gingerbread houses, had pictures taken with Santa, painted faces/hands, ate Christmas snacks and listened to Santa read a story or FIVE :) Thank goodness that the other two Amigo's mommies remembered their cameras and took pictures because I didn't!

All in all, it was a great time for the boys. It doesn't really matter where The Three Amigos are, they always have fun together.

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Getting his hand painted. Everyone else wanted reindeer, Santa, snowmen, but JBS wanted a rainbow "because I have never seen a real rainbow before, Mommy!" A rainbow it was.

Working intently on JBS's gingerbread house...

The Three Amigos and Santa....

Eating yummy holiday treats...

Neighbor D and his mommy....who remembered her camera. :)

T-Ball Time

It's that time again...T-ball!! I think that this season, JLS was more excited about "P-Ball" than JBS was. The entire day of practice or a game, JLS would run around the house yelling, "P-Ball!! P-Ball!!" Of course, he wanted it to be his game, too. When Babe would warm up with JBS before the game, JLS was right in the middle of it demanding his turn to bat or throw. Next year, JLS, next year. That will be the beginning of organized chaos for this family. Practices and games for two and I am certain they will never be at the same location.

Here's to JBS. It is fun to see how each of the boys on the team has progressed this season. They finally understand what they are doing and why the adults are yelling at them to hit the ball and run the bases.

Here he is. Visualizing a homer :)

So, he might have missed the ball on this one, but it captures his seriousness about the game!

And it's a hit!

Waiting with great anticipation for the ball to head his way...

So, T-ball at age 4 might get a little slow...

Tossing the ball like it's nuthin'...

It really does get slow....

With his buddy, Neighbor J...And, of course, it is still all about the "cross"...no idea where that came from, but all of JBS's trophies are proudly displayed as "Crosses" in his room. When we came home he put his new (and third) trophy up and said, "But Mommy, I wish I had FOUR crosses!"

We Do Have A Life

Actually, we probably don't, but that is beside the point. Saturday night a bunch of old Williams folks that now live in the Houston area got together for dinner at Hugo's. For Babe, it wasn't a big deal, as half of the guys now work with him at JP Morgan. For the wives, however, it was huge. We had so much fun seeing everyone and catching up. It's not like Tulsa where we can all meet so easily. Between the ten couples, we are all in polar extremes of each other on the Houston map. Kind of sad to think about it. It was really fun to be back together again. Unfortunately, it will never be like the old Williams trading floor again. It was definitely too good to be true back then.

This is Jason and Whitney...(whom I received directions from and was an hour late...hee hee. She feels bad. At least we got a great tour of the Saturday night city traffic.) Jason and Babe have worked together since the dawn of time. Together they make up the "Grumpy old men" with their banter and cynicism. Jason and I did discuss the fact that I met him before I met John on a night Spencer and I were out in T-town. (see below)

Eric and Leslie...they live here in the Woodlands and, in fact, their 4-year old daughter goes to school with JBS. He loves her. Eric doesn't work with Babe now, but I get to see Leslie more now than I did in Tulsa. I love it!

And here we have Spencer. That would be Spencer that I have known since 7th grade (ie when he had hair). He got a job at Williams and was part of the approval process that allowed me to give my phone number to Reid, who then invited me to meet Babe. I would never have done it if Spencer didn't say Babe was a decent guy. This is also the ninny Spencer from the boat story. I got to meet his girlfriend that night and she was darling.

That's it for pictures. A good time had by all and we should definitely do it again!

Halloween 2008

For some reason I didn't take too many pictures this Halloween. Maybe it was the terrible memories from last Halloween trying to get a picture of my baby Yoda. Yoda and Darth had great potential together! This year, we were on a mission to save the world one policeman and a batman at a time.

JBS was super-proud of his attire, especially the gun. When he walked in to his Halloween Party at school, the boys oogled over him and his friend said, "Woooow, JBS. You look cool." That only accentuated JBS's swagger for the rest of the Halloween celebrations. JBS was in heaven.

Of course, JLS required a little more prompting to get in his costume. I was going to have him go as a pumpkin, one of JBS's old costumes until he saw a costume of "mat-man" and went nuts. I knew I would never get him in the pumpkin suit after that, so I ordered Batman. When it arrived JLS was desperately concealing a smile with his tongue peeking out between his lips. He was SO proud, but refused to touch the costume for 2 weeks. Finally, on the morning of the school party he stepped into it and "Mat-man" became JLS's reality. He was swishing and flying all over the house with his fist in front of him making noises I have never heard before. JLS became Batman in his heart. The funniest part was that I bought the Batman suit that had all the muscles and made him look all buff. The minute he put it on, he pointed to his muscular chest and said, "Daddy!" JLS thinks Daddy hung the moon. Daddy can do it all and Daddy has it all...even Batman muscles!

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Neighbor J and A trick-or-treated our house as Batman and Robin....old pals together again!