Make that a FOUR Ring circus...

Jack was super excited about going to the Ringling Brothers' Barnum and Bailey circus this Friday night.

That is, until last night, when Mom e-mailed him some pics hoping to generate even more excitement.



Jack: "Mama, are our seats going to be really high up?"

Me: "Maybe, but I think they'll be awesome no matter where they are."

Jack: "I think we should call Mamaw and make sure that the seats are really really high up so I can't see the clowns and they can't see me."

Oh dear...

Lost...

Oh digital camera... I cannot find you.

I left you at the gym. Or at the pool. Or under a pile of crap in the house right under my nose.

Wherever you are, please come out before Friday. I need you to go to the circus with us.

I did all that I could.... and labeled you with my name and cell phone number.

Unfortunately for you, if someone finds you right now, I will not get the call.

That is, until I find my cell phone charger.

What?!

Billy Mays died yesterday?! We love that show "Pitch Men"... and OxiClean for that matter.

What is happening? Our celebrity infrastructure is crumbling.

Goes to show, you really never know what tomorrow may bring.

Mother's Day with Shamu!

So I guess I had better finally blog about our Mother's Day festivities. I used my "Queen for a Day" status and totally got my money's worth. I dragged... I mean, invited Jeff to a full summer day out at Sea World. Jack, Davis and I have been several times, but Jeff has never been able to join us.



Davis and I enjoyed watching them on the Shamu Express, Jack's favorite roller coaster.

And, because it was a "Special Day" we even paid the $5.00 to feed the seals, a first for Jack. He wasn't a fan of the stink or the messy fingers, but he loved finally getting to feed the hungry, barking sea lions.

Another huge treat - feeding and petting the dolphins. I absolutely love this part of Sea World. They were extremely friendly with us on this particular day and we all got to pet several of them during our short visit. (Then, straight for the hand sanitizer.)

Oh my goodness... it was SO incredibly H-O-T! The water park had not opened yet so we had to grin and bear the South Texas heat. Trying to find shade at Sea World is very hard, and the entire walking path is black asphalt... not to mention how hot it is trying to nurse a baby in the metal grand stand at the Beluga Whale show. Davis stayed hydrated with his little water cup, and got some rest, too. He was a little trooper the entire day (we were there from 10am to 4pm.)



Left: Here I am holding a big yellow snake with Jack. Once again, his new-found bravery surprised us. We were too cheap to buy the Sea World picture, but Jeff snapped one from the hallway. Right: Me and my boys stopping for some shade!

I spent much of the day amazed at how big Jack is getting and excited about Davis seeing a few more wonders of the world for the very first time. It was a memorable Mother's Day for sure.

Fine Dining for Father's Day

Our Mother's/Father's Day rule is that the parent being honored gets to choose the agenda ALL DAY LONG. He or she gets to sleep in (or not), choose the menu (or restaurant), the movie (or theme park), etc. Inevitably, we choose to spend the day enjoying time with our kids doing something special for THEM. Last year for Father's Day we took Jack (and Davis sort of) to the San Antonio Zoo. This year, it was Chuck E. Cheese. That's right... bad pizza, annoying music, germy games... a recipe for a really fun time together! We actually had a great time.

Davis LOVED it! We are not shocked that he wasn't afraid of ANYTHING. He was all over the place.



His first slide. And no surprise, he conquers it HIS WAY and then lets out one of his signature victory shrieks at the end. I can't believe he is eleven months old already!



He and Stuart Little have the same facial expression in this picture. And no, we don't buckle him in. I know, even I am a little shocked.



Left: This picture almost makes me cry. Right: I can't believe how far we've come that Jack will get in front of the entire restaurant on four huge big screens and act silly. Maybe he'll take after me after all.

Davis and I took on Jeff and Jack in some Police Emergency race car action. They won every time... while Davis slammed his hands on my steering wheel and I took pictures...

In their Father's Day shirts before we left. Davis holds a light saber while Jack tries to turn his head toward the camera.

Happy Father's Day, Jeff! These boys are extremely lucky and so am I!

Funny Defensive Driving class!

I am totally convinced to just take the live class, but...

At midnight last night I found this class on-line and it looks pretty funny. I loved the ad on the homepage that says, "100% animation... requires NO reading!" I thought, "How lazy are we?" However, I was intrigued.

Here are 4 quick sample pages... I was totally cracking up, especially on pages one and three.

Sample Funny class...

Jeff thinks this would get really really old... especially after five hours of it. He was laughing too, but we agreed that it might have been because it was almost 1 o'clock in the morning.

What do you think?

I think he might be right.

Sign of the times...

In the car on the way to VBS:

Jack: "Momma, I hope we get there early so I can play cell phone."

Me: "What's cell phone?"

Jack: "It's a game where someone whispers something to the person next to them... and then they whisper it to the person next to them... around the circle... "

Me to Jack: "Ah yes, did you know that back when I was a kid... we used to call that game TELEPHONE...?"

Me to myself: Wow, I really am getting old.

Defense is the best Offense.

So, the Easter cop stopped me on the way to hunt eggs at Grandma's house Easter weekend. Yes, Jack was thrilled to see a "real police man" at my window, but needless to say, I was not. The officer, upon issuing me a speeding ticket said, "Don't let this ruin your day, ma'am." I replied, "Sir, Jesus has risen from the dead... nothing can ruin my day!" Actually, I just rolled up my window but that would have been so much better.

So, here we are getting close to the deadline to take the Defensive Driving Course (Texas' version of the "Get Out of Jail Free Card.") Unlike during my teen years, I did not have to call the DMV to see if it had been a full year since I had last taken the class, so I entered a plea of "no contest," or "no lo contendere" as they call it here in San Antonio.

Anyway, here are the options and I need you all to vote on which I should choose. I have outlined some pros and cons to assist in your.... ahem... my decision.

1) Take the course in a classroom setting:* **

Pros: Costs only $25.00
Taught by professional comedians... could be entertaining.
Get to spend an entire afternoon without the kids.

Cons: Takes six hours, 10:00am - 4:00pm on Jeff's only Week-day off
Have to shower, get dressed, and get somewhere at a particular time.
Have to stay awake and focused and pass a test at the end... with no notes or help.
Have to spend an entire afternoon without the kids.
* Upon proof-reading, Jeff wishes to stress that he would be stuck home all day with the kids.
** Melissa wishes to insert the sound of tiny violins playing J.T.'s version of "Cry Me A River"

2) Take the class on-line:

Pros: Can blog and check e-mail between sections.
Can complete the class in chunks, potentially during nap times.
Can complete while nursing a baby and/or wearing pajamas.
Test can be taken with notes and/or help from potential onlookers (Jeff).

Cons: Cost of course: $30.00
Potential technical difficulty - no live person.
Requires me to ignore kids for extended period of time while staring at computer. This is in addition to the regular amount of time spent on this same activity.
Totally taxing to my A.D.D. brain, requiring much reading and concentration... and the tests are really hard.
Can't do ANYTHING else around the house.

3) Rent the DVD video course from Blockbuster:

Pros: Watching from the comfort of my own big screen.
The pause and mute buttons.
Use of my mad auditory learning skills.
No babysitter needed.
Can fold towels, hold babies, do puzzles, etc.

Cons:
Costs $30.00 and a trip to Blockbuster Video, a.k.a. "Mommy, can I please rent Transformers? I promise I won't say any of the bad things on it!"
The six-hour course can turn into a 10-hour experience between naps, lunches, and requests to "find my T-Rex, fill my juice cup, or wipe my hiny."
Children and/or Jeff are forced to watch the six-hour video with me.
The schedule requires you to take designated breaks between sections, which may or may not correspond with the kids' naps or phone calls from Emily.

So, what would you do if you were me? The live class, the on-line course, or the DVD? And why?

Don't feel too much pressure... if I am not pleased with my choice... there's always NEXT year.

One Pticked Off Pteradactyl

I really love it when he acts this way in public... Especially WHILE wearing the "A Happy Child Makes a Happy Home" bib.

That's right, no tears, just screams across the entire restaurant, pretty much between every bite. And there I am like an eediot putting my fingertips together signing, "More? Davis, are you saying you want more?"

The good thing was that the blood-curdling Pteradactyl shrieks could hardly be heard over this guy... who was equally annoying:

Yep, when they say "a baby changes everything..." apparently they really do mean EVERYTHING.

"For those about to walk.... we salute you!"

Oh goodness, he's taking it to the next level... Davis used Vacation Bible School as a platform to make his official walking debut. I was glad I was in his classroom at the time and cried as he walked from Miss Stacy to Miss Pearl, back to Miss Stacy... and back again. He sticks that little tongue out any time he concentrates... just like his Papa used to do.



Mr. Weeble Wobble showing off his moves in my fave PJs.

... enjoying VBS, sleeping in the church nursery with woobie. Ah, the magic woobie. As usual, he managed to take one sock off before falling asleep.

Couldn't resist the matching swim trunks this summer.

Here he is enjoying the back yard pool with big bro. He is fearless, climbing the slippery plastic steps and sliding down while brother keeps a tight but precariously wobbly hold on him. I would post a video but you'd immediately think to yourselves, "Ooh, that's really dangerous."

And, last, but not least, here is video taken after we got home Wednesday night. I just love hearing Jack whisper, "Go Davis! Go Davis!"

This dimpled dare devil of a boy is mischievous, loud, squirmy, impatient, and wonderful... all rolled into one.

Happy 11th months... This next year is sure to be quite an adventure!

Little Roo's VBS craft

When I went to pick up Davis from VBS, here is what was waiting for me in his classroom...

And as soon as I can, I will post his first little hops on his own.

That's right... he's walking.