A frog & a fairytale

One may wonder how this title all fits together. It is a story to be told. I may have to consume deep breaths while typing in order to get thru it. You may have to consume alcohol to even feel like reading.

Faith has been at Lamar each day this week for the Superkids program so Will's nap schedule was off. She gets out at 3:00 and Lamar is a trek compared to Regina or Trinity so he needed to nap from about 1:00 -2:30. Well, he decided that idea kinda suxed so he was kinda pill-ish for naps all week. By Thursday, he hit rock bottom. I think he just decided the answer was no.

He screamed and cried when I put him in his crib and before I could turn around, he was at my side. Over & over and over again, I put him in his bed. I was actually very patient! (I know, I was shocked as well.)

On of the many times he got up, he told me he hit his ear jumping out. I caught him once, he looked like a frog leaping out. His ear was red but I did not fall for it. 30 minutes later, it was time to retrieve Faith from camp. As I buckled his happy-not-to-nap-self in the car, I noticed blood on his left shoulder. I gasped as I looked at his ear, it was oozing blood. I told the doc it was gushing but my forever friend Kristi said, "let's call it oozing." I was so thankful she was across the street at her Mom's.

While on the phone with the pedi, they called an ENT and got us in right away. After 2 packs of gum, a busted eardrum, some ear drops and Dunkin Donuts, he was fine. The doc said to give it a week to heal and hopefully his tube did not get pushed further in and his hearing is not damaged. (Please pray!)

Once again, I felt like a super mom!

The bigger problem was the sleeping situation. We put him in the big bed that night, he finally fell asleep but it was pete & repeat for hours between 2 -4:30. I thought he was fast asleep and at 6, I went to check on him, he was passed out on the COUCH in the den. At the moment I did not care, but decided I needed drugs for my head to cope, as I walked in the kitchen, I stepped on something sticky. The child had opened the fridge and eaten watermelon - all over the floor! When I asked him about it, he said, "I tried to clean it up, it was a mess!"

Needless to say, I was a zombie Friday, where was my sweet sleeper? On a happy note, I did not miss Faith's Superkids performance this year like I did last year. Glad I did something right!

Now for the fairytale part, the kids went to the lake with my in-laws. Craig & I ran errands all day and then ate dinner at Suga's . Between the divine food, atmosphere and the new diamond for my wedding ring Tiger bought me, I nearly forgot about Prince William turned frog! It was such a special evening (and 11 years!!!)

We headed to the lake late Friday night and went fishing the next morning. Tiger & frog were discussing sleeping in a big boy bed and probably catching fish too.

The 3 insisted on lily pads! Hmmm...interesting!

Speaking of little miss independent, she is in the trundle bed in Will's room and he is in the big boy bed next to her. Takes one to know one! She should know how to train him, she has done some hopping herself!

Time will tell who is a true Captain!

Super or not?

Faith has been in Superkids this week at Lamar University. It is a highly enriched science-based program teaching through centers and hands-on learning. She has thoroughly enjoyed every day and was very excited about the ending festivities today, deciding to wear the butterfly shirt she made. She chatted on the way to Lamar about the botany room, safari room and her bug program. She offered to sing songs but changed her mind in order to save them for the presentation.

Oh, I had big plans to attend. I actually dressed and did my hair - without a cap. I went to Heb and organized groceries with several coupons carefully choosing the next 2 nights of dinner. I watched my clock, it was 1:45. I ran the groceries home and headed down the freeway to the lovely Harvard on the Neches.

Claire fell asleep in the car and I hummed along to Mercy Me's Goodbye Ordinary. I glanced at the clock as I entered the parking lot, 2:12. Good, 3 minutes to spare. Except I noticed there sure were a lot of people there, where are the late WEW's, I am the last one? I swerved in between Suv's & minivans, I was nervous. Am I late? Is my clock wrong? DID I MIX UP THE TIME? I yanked , I repeat yanked Claire from her seat and ran in the side entrance running past a huge poster " DON'T FORGET PARENTS! PROGRAM AT 2:00!"

Well, it could still be going on, I will just sneak in the back of her room and wave at her. Oh, is that her? It is, weeping in the hallway with a friend of mine, who was on the phone, calling yours truly. My friend looks at me, I mouth, "I THOUGHT IT WAS at 2:15?!?!?"

It was at 2:00, I missed her 35 seconds of fame but you would have thought I missed the first day of kindergarten. Her sweet tender heart was so broken she could not sing the songs so my friend pulled her out of the line-up to sit with her.

All the parents gazed at my stupid forgetfulness. They know me, all except the teacher who probably thought I was a schmuck. They all felt so bad for Faith b/c she was so upset, not bratty upset just little girl despair. All my earlier thoughts of when I was at Lamar and used to wish of being chosen to teach Superkids faded as I realized I cannot even manage my first superkid's schedule. She cried in my shirt for a few moments and then quietly got her stuff together, all 13 art project and plants for the day. She brightened as she showed me her ladybug rock and candle she made.

I apologized and offered to take her to get a treat, what else could I do? I asked her in the car if she was mad at me. She said no, she thought I was caught in traffic. She said she knew I would not forget, she just got sad when she kept looking for me and I was never there. So sweet, so forgiving, so tender, so faithful.

Honestly, I can look back and almost be glad it happened b/c it showed me her sweet heart. She did not throw a fit, she just accepted it and was happy to see me. I think she has almost forgotten about it, after I boosted the economy over Dunkin Donuts.

I am sure of one thing, I may not be super but she is my superkid! We don't even need to make ant farms or sand paper scorpions to figure that out.

Here is a clip of her performance. :)

under the surface

i have been getting back in the groove today. i have yet to take a shower, i could care less. technically, i would still be in my pjs if i had not taken faith to superkids this morning. it is a cap day.

i could have taken the younger 2 to MDO but we decided to stay home. will has driven his car all over me and the house and managed to knock all the books off the coffee table 17 times. claire & i played dress up for a few minutes while i folded towels. she wore a pink silky skirt that ma got a garage sale for 25 cents with a t-shirt that says "pretty is as pretty does" - i am sure my friends at thera-wear would be oh so proud of her ensemble. the pic was priceless, if i would have taken it but she fell & hurt her foot right as the idea popped in my mind. so. . . no.


i am forever grateful for my mom, mere & adrienne for the help the last 2 days. my children loved playing with abby, mimi and their aunts. the girls kept the house tidy, tended the kids and even did a little shopping. mom & mere bought me new everyday flatware and adrienne got me a wallet for my early b-day present.

it was nice to call home and hear how well the kids behaved and their tender words to me - i have a very sweet fam.

Ad - thanks for leaving the skinny cows, i have had 2 today.

Mom - don't worry about dad's fresh maters, we ate 2 for lunch, they will all be gone by saturday, even in the fridge. if the in-laws don't hurry, they may not get any! btw, you have one of our pillows b/c i have yours.

Mere - I did laundry all day, as you can see below.

one problem: i now have more ironing! you did such a great job, i need you to come back, maybe once a week. :) also, you left a bunch of stuff - found it buried, under the surface of the place we call home. Abby's baby doll, u-wear, swimsuit & skirt all emerged at different times today. I am not through so more may peek from the mysterious hole i can not find. miss all of you . . .see you in hot springs!

i just caught a cute pose of claire, perfect snap with my i-phone would have been perfect. i could have sent it straight to the blog. oh yeah, i don't have that phone.

Lately...

Lately may also be termed "a few weeks ago" since I am just now posting these. Faith & Claire attended Superkids this year at Lamar. I was super mom since I did not forget and no one had to be rushed to the dr or ate watermelon in the middle of the night.

They were young medical scientists while also studying oceanography & children around the world. Ironing was not part of their curriculum, nor is it in my daily routine. It just sits on our dining room table beckoning me to use it.

I never find the time to iron, I am too busy picking up my desk!


These dishes were my dear friend Kristie's grandmother's everyday dishes. They are called Independence China. I have always wanted white dishes to match everything. Kris gave me a steal of a deal!

The kids and I have been learning about proper place setting. Not that I am unaware of how to set the table, I just rarely apply it to my table. My etiquette days are linked with some other oh-my-gosh days that I have blocked out my memory as far as fine china. Some days I feel like we are lucky that I served dinner, let alone make it look full of southern charm.

Dinner plate, salad, soup, cup, saucer, & bread n-butter, dessert bowl. There are about a billion more little rules, but we settled for the informal place setting. I don't think the kids will need to know about fish, salad, & dessert forks anytime soon. Sometimes all of the forks are dirty! Claire is enjoying setting the table, Faith just wants to ask more questions and naturally, Will has no interest at all.

He would rather make funny faces at the camera during an impromptu art session because it is so darn HOT outside.

And, do not try to tell him his shirt is on backwards; he will disagree with you, no matter the time or hour.