JBS Flag Football

JBS decided he wanted to play Flag Football.  We had a bit of a debacle trying to find a team for him in the proper league, but ended up signing up cold turkey for the KCFC league.  As it turned out, there was a group of boys from Indian Hills that had a team that JBS already knew!  He slid right on the team with ease.

These boys elected to not have a coach.  They had one practice at the beginning of the season and that was it.  The first game was quite entertaining.  The team we played had arrived 30 minutes prior to game time.  They were warming up.  They had two large football coach looking dudes.  And when it was time to take the field, they had a cheerleading squad in tow.

Our boys.  They were like the Bad News Bears.  They didn't have their uniform top because we had no coach.  They were throwing on their shirts as they took the field.  I covered my eyes thinking this could be really good or really bad.

The first two plays, JBS told me that they were going to get sacked so they could see what their defense was going to do.  With those two plays, the other team was laughing at them and I was getting really nervous.

Before I knew it, we were up 45-0 and there was no chance of them catching us.  In the end, I finally exhaled and the boys have been undefeated the entire season.  They are the best sports, always helping the other guys up or congratulating them on a good play.  But they play like the Globetrotters.  A field of goofballs.  While the other team is getting coached to death at half time, our boys play leap frog.  Its quite funny.

Most coaches can't stand playing them because they are so angry they can't out coach them.  One coach loves them and thinks they are the best team to play.  Good old-fashioned fun.  And the above, is JBS' number one fam, WHS.  Cuties.

Flag Football Champs

We stumbled upon this sweet little flag football team last year when we first moved here.  One of JLS' new besties was on this team and his dad was coach.  So, they asked us if we wanted to jump in a little late.  JLS was glad to!

We quickly discovered this team was comparable to the wonderful flag football team we played on in Magnolia.  The kids were all great athletes that had another primary sport.  So, practices rarely occurred.  Much like our other team, The Cowboys, this team, The Alpha Force, was undefeated.  It irritated all the coaches of the other teams we played because they knew we didn't practice.  This team even defeated an 8th grade team during a scrimmage...the same 8th grade team JBS' team defeated during the season.

Now, there was one little glitch with the Magnolia Cowboys once upon a time.  There was an older man (a physically fit old man) on the other team that was trash talking our team.  Babe doesn't do well with this, so he removed himself to the end of the field for the remainder of the game to avoid confrontation.  However, the old man ended up at that end of the field, too, where he proceeded to talk trash about JLS.  Babe tried very hard to keep his mind focused on the game because even I, who runs from conflict, had a moment at a LAX game defending my JLS.  Mama {and Daddy} Bear will come out.  Unlike me, Babe welcomes conflict.  Then the straw that broke the camels back was dropped when the man started slinging accusations about our coach.  Our coach was a rock star and completely ethical and fair.  He didn't get sucked into all the politics of the game.  He just had a really great team of boys that liked to play football.  It was that comment that put Babe over the edge and as I was packing up my chair, I looked up to see Babe and some old man swinging at him.  Dear Lord.  I wasn't even registering what was happening and truly couldn't believe my eyes.  My friends look at me as if to say, "What is going on?" and who the heck knew?  All of a sudden the old man's daughter came over and held his arms back and Babe was in his face.  My friends were cracking up at me because I was just an onlooker, but truly, what was I to do?  Stand in between them?  Lawsie. 

Once Babe snapped out of his moment of heated anger about the man bashing Matt, he realized what a fool he had made of himself and was completely mortified.  As it turned out, this man had picked fights in the past at his GRANDSON'S games, but it made no difference to Babe.  He was so embarrassed and to this day, will NOT talk about it.  My friend, Shelley, and I like to laugh about it now, but truly, Babe still isn't laughing.  And I am sure that man has picked another fight since the infamous one with Babe.  

With all the intense sports around these days, its so great to be on a team like this and watch the boys simply enjoy playing football together. And in Kansas, we have not experienced crazy parents like we experienced in Texas.  Wait, were WE the crazy parents?  :)  They are a great group of boys!  They may not be our original Cowboys, but they are the next best thing ;) 

Arrow of Light

By the time we moved to Kansas City, for the most part, JLS had completed Cub Scouts.  The leader of his den was a dear friend and very well organized.  JLS attended two meetings here and he was finished with his Arrow of Light, the highest honor you can receive in Cub Scouts.  Since he had been with his buddies in The Woodlands' pack since first grade and only been to two meeting in Kansas City, I thought it would be fun to surprise him by taking him back to The Woodlands for the Arrow of Light ceremony.  They make a big deal of Arrow of Light there.  It's outdoors as only you can do in Houston in January.  JLS was ecstatic.

We spent the weekend with Levi, his best buddy, and even surprised him at school, which was a tear-jerking moment itself.  Levi saw JLS from across the cafeteria and jumped over tables and gave him a huge hug.  The whole cafeteria was watching and knew that JLS and Levi were best buddies.

Saturday night, we went to the Arrow of Light Ceremony in The Woodlands.  Alastair (above) and JLS have been friends since they were learning to walk!

The Bee-utiful cake that Catriona ordered.

With Thomas and Alestair, his buds.

JLS had a wonderful night.  It was great to close out Cub Scouts with his friends that he began with.  It made it more meaningful for JLS and motivated to move on to Boy Scouts here.

Environmental Committee

The 6th graders have a highly sought after committee just for 6th graders called, "The Environmental Committee."  Ultimately, the committee goes in to school early every Thursday and gathers all the teacher's recycle bins and dumps them in the back recycling dumpster.  

Its a big job and a great help to the teachers.  And the 6th graders think they are super cool because it is only open to the "oldest" in the school.

So, every Thursday morning, JLS gets up early on his own and heads out to school by 740 to go dump recycle bins with his friends.  He loves it!  And its a great service to all.

Mouthware

Well, the preparation for braces has begun on this child.  We lucked out with JBS, as he doesn't need braces.  He has a big mouth, big teeth and a beautiful smile.  The big mouth and big teeth take after his mother :)

JLS and WHS are a different story.  They have little mouths, little jaws and little teeth like their Dad. JLS still has a mess of teeth to lose, but in the mean time, the orthodontist wants to start creating and saving some space on the bottom for the future.

JLS has been very excited about the process of getting spacers, then bands and impressions and back for the permanent fixture.  Both times, the spacers fell out, which tells you what a jumble the teeth are.  Yesterday, they put the permanent appliance behind his bottom teeth.  

I asked the Ortho to look at his top left, as he has a tooth that is growing in forward/outward from his jawline, so the tooth below it isn't falling out as planned.  He said, "Oh yeah.  I can pull that one if you don't care?"  JLS said he didn't care and the next thing I saw were enormous pliers and pop!  He pulled that tooth out like you would imagine in a children's book about the evil dentist.  JLS loved it and said he wished every time he had a loose tooth, he would do that.  

After his appointment, JLS was having a hard time getting used to the appliance in his mouth while talking.  I just had my tonsils out and am having a hard time talking.  It was clearly a poor choice for the two of us to head to the gas station to buy a lottery ticket together because I couldn't say "BINGO" properly as I was trying to translate what JLS was saying.  He wanted a BINGO scratch of lottery card.  The Indian guy couldn't understand my nasally BINGO so I asked JLS to say "BINGO" and he couldn't get it out with his lisp.  We were a piece of work together.  Ultimately, our point was made and they didn't even have a BINGO card.  

Here's to our very expensive future of braces for JLS and WHS.

The Last Drive "Home"

The boys and I loaded up in Kansas City and headed South via SW Oklahoma to get ready to move.  We had the dogs and found this awesome Dog Park on the highway in Oklahoma.  Funny story in that on our way TO Kansas, I ran inside the gas station to use the restroom and Babe and the boys took the dogs to the park.  Mona jumped out and ran to the gate, anxious as ever.  When it  was  time for Ollie to hop out, he cried and howled and whined like crazy.  Apparently, the concrete was too hot for  his feet, so John had to carry the giant poodle across the parking lot to the dog park.  John was mortified, Ollie was a baby, and all of us were dying laughing.

                                                 

                                         

We made a stop at Great Granny's in Snyder to take her to lunch.

And play on her cellar door...

And as we were heading back, our dear friends, The Verachterts, were on the same highway heading south.  So, we rende-vous'ed on the side of the road at a restaurant to tell them "Good-bye" as we headed north to Kansas City.

The Kids...

Me and Nida

Life was changing.  Big changes ahead with new schools, new city, new life.  We were living on a wing and a prayer.

Enchanted Rock

Every year, Pack 772 from The Woodlands takes their favorite camp out to Enchanted Rock.  The boys have a blast and hands down, they all say this is their favorite camp out of the year.

They get to climb, rappel, be lazy, enjoy time with friends.

This is the same camp out where JBS actually rappelled for his rank advancement.  He was so scared, but he did it anyway.  So proud of him!

JBS misses these boys the most after our move.  Campouts were a lot of fun for him with all his besties from growing up in scouts.  And who can beat this view in the Hill Country of Texas?

Mexican Bakery

I can't believe it took me all the years of living in Houston, to finally make it down to the Mexican Flea Markets and Bakery about a month before we decided to move to Kansas City.  The flea markets were amazing, row after row of fresh peppers and fruit and veggies among hundreds of other Mexican specialty items.

Then, we popped in to the Mexican Bakery.  Holy Hannah.  As you walk in the door, you pick up a pizza tray and tongs and walk thru the bakery loading up your treats to take to the cash register.  The decisions were big!

 Heather and I both loaded up on tortillas and cookies for our kids.  And do you know that they didn't like them?  Not enough sugar.  They weren't sweet enough!  If that tells you how many things we have these days loaded with sugar.  It has dulled our senses.  Despite the lack of sugar, it was so much fun and what a treat!

Yet another wonderful slice of culture in Houston.

The Birthplace of Texas

I am not sure if I posted these pics back when they occurred or not.  But they bear repeating if so.  This is JLS and his sweet buddies in Magnolia on a field trip to "The Birthplace of Texas," Washington on the Brazos.  It was a gorgeous day and a place I had never been before, so I was thrilled to chaperone.

JLS and LC

The L's and a G....

Mrs. Roachelle's class...

We saw the original houses, schoolroom and a church.  We walked thru the museum which had a great deal of information about Texas History.  Before we headed back to school, we had a wonderful picnic on the grounds trying to envision our favorite Texans walking around this place. I love history!

Hog Hunting

The boys have been hunting several times with Heath without finding anything to shoot.  So, Babe wanted to take JLS (who has yet to shoot something) and JBS on a hog hunt.  He found this place online in Purcell, OK.  I knew the hogs would be big, but this mother's heart stopped short at the site of this picture.  With JLS, all I could say is that if the hog turned toward him, I know that boy can run like a gazelle.  

They spent the morning up in deer stands and reported seeing beautiful deer and goats.  They were out of season, so they just watched the beauty of some pretty large deer walk right in front of them.  After lunch, they went on a "stalk" where they drove around in a Polaris and found herds of pigs.  JLS got his first shot here.  One big nasty hog. Ick.

Then, JBS went out and he got one right off the bat, too.  He said this hog jumped in front of his bullet ;) and that he was aiming for a different hog.

All in all, they had a great time.  You pay by the hog, so when they completed their first day and had two hogs, they loaded up and headed home.

I love that the boys love to hunt and fish.  Its our best bet on getting them off the Playstation and out in nature.  JBS and JLS, at least.  WHS told me, "Mom, I'm just not a country boy."  Ha!  Not sure where he came from.  Our lone Texas baby born to a dad who grew up in the country and a mom who grew up learning to hunt and fish with her dad.  Then, there's WHS.  I still have hope for him....maybe! 

Bicep Work

This cute picture came up in my Facebook feed today and I am not sure I ever put it on the blog.   It is dated June 4, 2016.

When I commented on this little guys bulging biceps, he said, "Well, I have been doing some work on the monkey bars at school." What a hunk.

I love him so much.  I could just eat him up!