Lucky October??

Earlier in the month at National Night Out, I won a $20 gift card to Walmart (given away by our HOA). Then... this past Saturday I took the boys to Old Navy because they needed some long sleeve shirts... I wanted to get in the store early before the crowd came so we got to the store just before 9:30. I walk in and an employee hands me a little Halloween bag and a covered card and said 'open up the card to see if you won'... Well, I won a $50 gift card to Old Navy! How about that?! The funny thing is I had no idea that they were having an event called 'freaky fun day' (or something like that)and the first 100 poeple in the store had a chance to win. I can't believe I was one of the first 100 people in the store and that I actually won!

OK... I'm off to buy some lottery tickets!!! Ha!!

Kindergarten Pumpkin Scientist Night

Last night at Tyler's school Lovejoy had Pumpkin Scientist Night for just the Kindergarten classes. We all went, including baby bro, and carved a pumpkin. Tyler did an experiment with the pumpkin and had to choose if the pumpkin would sink or float in a tub of water. Tyler said the pumpkin would float and Jason and I said 'are you sure, Tyler... it's a big pumpkin'... we were both totally thinking the pumpkin would sink. Well, we are big'ol ree-rees because the pumpkin floated!! When we saw it float we both immediately said 'oh yeah, they are hollow - derrr!!! So, Tyler was right... smarty pants!!!
They did a couple other 'experiments' like guessing how much the pumpkin would weigh (Tyler guessed 10 lbs and his weighed 12) and how many seeds they thought the pumpkin had inside. It was a good time except for the two year old screaming in the background... Oh, wait, that was my two year old - fun times!!

Big Orange Pumpkin Farm

Here are some pictures from the Big Orange Pumpkin Farm. We have been the past several years and I always enjoy taking the boys. This year we went on a Monday when Tyler was out of school so I got some good pics of both boys (well I tried to get some good pics)! We met a few friends out there, had a picnic lunch, and lots of fun!!

National Night Out

Our neighborhood had a small event for the residents of Stacy Ridge on National Night Out (thank goodness it is in October instead of August)! They had cookies and treats for the kids and raffle prizes for the adults! And guess who won... ME!!! I won a $20 gift card to Walmart! Woohoo!!
Above are a few pictures from the evening. The first picture is of Tyler inside a police car... and he is, of course, asking the officer what all the different buttons do! The officer let Tyler talk over the speaker and even turn on the siren!

We all had a great time at the park and enjoyed meeting new neighbors!

Fun Girls Night...

We had a super fun girls night last week... Maybe a little too much fun! We had a small group this time, only the 3 of us, but we had big amounts of fun!! Luv ya, girlies!!

iPod + H20.... Don't try this at home!

Yeah, those two in combination together do not work - especially when it's salt water. My iPod took a dive yesterday in the pool during a deep water rescue. Colby and I were taking advantage of the warm sunshine, splashing around in the pool, and he fell off the steps into the water. He is not a great swimmer so I had to retrieve him and when I flew off the lounge chair to get him out, my iPod chord got tangled on my arm and it went in the pool with me. So sad. I let it dry out but still nothing. RIP... my beloved iPod. :(

Football Season

Are you ready for some football?!! Go Cowboys!! We started off the football season at the annual Sinclair Football Bash - fun times! Here is a pic of Daisy and I... both representing our teams!!

















The football party was adults only so I took the boys over to their Granny's house... Granny helped me out and took a little group photo of the boys and I in our Romo jerseys!!

9/11 - Never Forget

Colby's first day of school

I can't believe my baby boy is so big! He will be going to school 2 days a week (Tues/Th) from 9:00 to 2:00... just the perfect amount of time for me to accomplish a few child free errands and for him to play and learn with some new friends.

I got misty eyed for a brief second when he walked in his room like it was nothing... didn't even notice he was leaving mom. He walked right in like he knew what he was doing and was an old pro. I said a quick good-bye but then I found myself wanting to stay and linger. I wanted to see how he acted, the things he did... I found it much harder leaving him than it was for him to leave me. :(

When I picked Colby up the first thing his teacher said was that he was a 'busy little guy' ... humm... I figured I would hear some sort of report like that!

Colby had a great first day and I think one of the most exciting things for him was his new Lightning McQueen lunch box - he loved it!!! Oh, and I tried to get a picture with him in his packback - wasn't happening... he acted as if I was putting him in a straight jacket. Enjoy the pics!

Colby Meet the Teacher Night

Colby's first day of school was Thursday, September 4, so we had his meet the teacher night the Tuesday before. We all loaded up and went to his 'church school' (as Tyler calls it) and when Colby got to his room he rushed right in and sat right in one of the chairs. When I would pick Tyler up from school Colby would always do the same thing... rush into Tyler's room to try and claim a chair as if to say he wanted to stay, too. Now it was finally Colby's turn!!! Colby did not stay in his chair long... as soon as he saw the toys out he went from toy to toy like a busy little bee. We met his teachers - very nice- and that was that. Here is Colby from meet the teacher night - so busy he would not even look up at the camera!

Here he is at home 'practicing' sleeping in his nap mat!

Green... or Not?

So, Yes, I do drive a big, huge, gas guzzling, Lincoln Navigator (mainly because hubby wanted me to get a Full Size SUV) but I do try to do my part in the whole 'Green' movement. Seriously. I really try not to waste water and have taught my kids the same, I am good about recycling at home (even down to the smallest raisin box), I actually take plastic bags back to the store and put them in the 'recycle plastic bag container' ... and I do have to admit, lately, I have stopped using plastic bags altogether and have my own reusable bags.

I did a little investigating on the reusable bags and I think I have found some pretty good ones. NO, I did not go out and spend $40 on 'trendy' reusable bags made out of fabric and all that... who wants to wash those things over and over?... but I looked at several of the grocery store reusable bags and found the best ones (IMO) at Market Street! They have a sturdy bottom, are very wide, green in color, and only $.99/bag. With the extra-wide width, you can actually fit a ton of groceries in one bag. So, like I said, I do try to do my part ... every little bit counts, right?!

Watters Creek

If you have been around me much within the past month, then you have probably heard me mention the Watters Creek area (located at Bethany and 75 in Allen). I love, love the area... it is nice and quaint, somewhat small but large enough to not be overly crowded. The area has several nice restaurants, several shops, and best of all, a Cru (wine bar). The Cru is located in the best place, too... one weekend we ate dinner at MiCocina (with kids), we all walked around afterward and came upon this great patio area - which happened to be at Cru! Jason and I sat and drank some wine while the kids played in the nice, big grassy/creek area. The creek is maybe only a foot deep and has big boulders for the bigger kids to climb on and around. The boys love it out there, as well! I took a picture of the two of them (hot and red cheeked from playing so hard) one weekend to try and get the creek in the background, but it didn't turn out very good. We all love it out there and if you have not been definitely need to check it out!

Tyler's first week of school

After figuring out the carpool line and which direction you are supposed to go (it can be a little confusing), etc... Tyler gets in the car and says (after his first day) 'Well, I didn't learn to read today... Maybe I will learn that tomorrow.' Made me laugh!!

I took pictures each morning of Tyler's first week and wrote down a few things.

Monday: His teacher walked him out to my car and said he was a fun little guy!! She also mentioned that he could work a little bit on his voice level (Tyler can get very loud at times) but that he had a great day and did very well. Good job, Tyler!

Tuesday: Today Tyler came home with a picture of R2D2. I know it was R2D2 because he wrote the letters "R2D2" above the picture... and it kind of looked like him, too!! How he came home with a picture of R2D2 I do not know, but that is my guy!!!!

Wednesday: Tyler came home pretty excited about school today. He was going on and on about a drawing/story that he didn't get to finish so when we got home we finished it! He drew a picture of a person, a pizza and a person playing games all on the same sheet of paper. He wanted to write a story about the drawing so this is how it went: "A guy is at a party. The guy was eating pizza. And then the guy was playing party games." The end! Too funny

Thursday: Tyler also said he enjoyed school today. He came home with a drawing of Alex. He kept talking about Alex and I of course thought it was a boy... Nope, this Alex is Alexandra!!! Could it be a crush, already? Please no!! As it turns out, Alex sits right in front of Tyler at his table... I guess it makes sense for him to talk of her a lot.

Friday: Still excited for school! Tyler came home and explained to me all of their kindergarten 'rules'... They have different 'codes' for voice levels, walking in the hall, raising hand, etc... His teacher sent home a sheet explainig them and Tyler knew them all really well. He actually does listen!! His teacher walked him out to my car and said he was a great little guy. I was beaming with pride and joy on the way home!!

Tyler's First Day of School

Wow! What an exciting and heart wrenching day! I was excited for my baby boy to start this new adventure, but so sad to let him go. I did get teary eyed several times that morning but dried it up very quickly because I didn't want Tyler to see me and to think this day was sad. The worst part for me was in the classroom and I started telling Tyler the same things that we used to tell him when he went to preschool: "1. Listen, 2. Be respectful, 3. Do as you are told, and 4. Have fun!!" For some reason, that really put me ove the edge and I had to get up and walk away because the tears came on strong. But, then I see Tyler sitting at this desk and so eager to start things that he asks the teacher, " Ms. Faughn, what do we do next?" He had been sitting at his table for a while now and I think was getting bored. He wanted to get this show on the road!! Ms. Faughn politely explained to Tyler that this morning might take a little longer to get things started and then she added "Good question, Tyler" ... made me chuckle a bit!! Here is our excited Kindergartner!!!

Meet the Teacher Night - Tyler

I can't believe my baby boy is leaving the 'mommy bubble' and will be entering a totally different world. I was really worried at first but after we went to Meet the Teacher Night at Lovejoy, my fears were put aside and I felt much better. Seeing Tyler check out his new desk and chair, the school supplies, seeing him so eager to get things started really calmed me down. And, seeing and meeting Tyler's new teacher really put me at ease. She was cute and bubbly and you could definitely tell she was excited to be at Lovejoy and for the year to start. She was what you would want to see when entering into a Kindergarten room and meeting a teacher for the very first time.
Pic of Tyler outside the new school playground (school was still under construction!)

Palin makes the cut!

I like the Palin pick!!!

Some qutoes said about her:

"Sarah Palin is pro-life. She is a hunter and fisher. She is a mom. She is a reformer... from what we've seen already, she is awesome."

"I am absolutely delighted by this selection. Once again, John McCain has shown that he is an independent thinker who paints in bold strokes. Sarah Palin is a conservative reformer with executive experience who will bring a breath of fresh air to Washington. She will be an ideal running mate for John McCain, and will make a major contribution to our country's future."

"Sarah Palin Runs A State. Barack Obama Runs His Mouth."

Singing in the Rain

The week before school started we got some good rain down here in Allen, TX! It was actually in the 70's, not too humid, and no lightning so the boys and I put on our rain boots and went out to play in the rain. We had a fun time!

Kindergarten Round Up

Our neighborhood has a little party every year for the soon to be Kinder kids... I love the idea, gives the kids and moms a chance to meet. A friend and I organized the party and we had a pretty good turnout. The party was at our community pool - pizza, juice boxes, good times!!

Super Heroes

Is this a good looking group of Super Heroes, or what? The masked bandits are: Jack Jr-Optimus Prime transformer costume and Tyler-Spiderman costume.

Due to the lack of dress up clothes in toy stores for boys, I have always kept my eye out after Halloween for inexpensive costumes I thought the boys might enjoy. Over the years, I have managed to gather a pretty good costume collection. They are usually a hit with all the kiddos!

Summertime Fun

The Big Yellow Cup

Don't you just love a good Dickey's cup? Not only are they good for rinsing out the kids hair in the bathtub, watering plants, filling up the dog bowl, shower cleaning, but apparently they make great pool toys, too! Colby had to have a Dickey's cup when in the pool. Who knew filling a cup up with water and pouring it out over and over again would be so much fun?!!

Funny Pic

Doesn't every mother have some sort of picture like this? I guess Tyler thought he would use Colby as a canvas to practice his brush strokes! In Tyler's defense (somewhat), Colby did have the marker first and had drawn on himself so Tyler only added marks... Anyway, this picture does not do their 'art work' justice... you should have seen Colby's arms/legs. I'm just thankful it was a washable marker! Tyler did admit to me that he drew on his brother so he had to help me clean Colby off. Luckily the washable markers come off super easy!

Tyler Preschool Graduation

I can not believe how time flies. And I can't believe my baby boy is going to be in kindergarten this fall. On the last day of preschool Cottonwood had a little graduation for all the soon to be Kindergartners. It was a real cute little ceremony... they all wore little graduation caps and walked the stage to receive their diplomas. As the children crossed the stage something was read about each them (written by the teacher) ... when Tyler walked teacher read "Tyler Tucker - Our future Lawyer. Always negotiating and could win over any jury!" This really cracked me up because if you have ever spent any amount of time with my son you know how accurate this saying is! He will try and talk his way, negotiate, barter, do anything to get an answer he thinks is sufficient. He does not act snotty when he is 'negotiating' and he does not throw tantrums, he just talks and literally debates with you until he gets a sufficient answer. Here are a few pics from graduation:

Muffins with Mom

Every year Tyler's preschool has a Muffins with Mom around Mothers Day. All the moms go to the classroom for breakfast and then the kids sing songs and give us a cute little gift that they made. It is always a joy to see Tyler in his school setting... I love it! THis year he decorated a ceramic pot and put beans in it to make a pen holder! The pens have big blue and pink flowers attached to them - very cute!

Camping with the Boys

Tyler finally got to go on a real camping trip!! Jason decided to organize an annual camping trip with the dads and the kids. Woohoo for the moms!!! Jason called around and found a great area at Lake Ray Roberts - not too far from where we live (wanted to stay pretty close incase someone had to bail and come home). They set up their tent, grilled hot dogs, fished, threw rocks, went on hikes, and did boy things! When Tyler got home he said he had a great time. Next year maybe baby brother will be able to tag along! Here is a group photo

Colby Birthday Party

We had a super small birthday party for Colby... had a few friends over, ordered some pizza (one of Colby's favorites), ate some cake and played some Guitar Hero!!


THis picture below just cracks me up!! I opened the pantry door and snapped a picture real quick and look at their expression... I think they were up to something!!!

Colby's Birthday (4/17/06)

I can't believe Colby turned 2 already! The 2nd baby seems to go by much faster. When Colby woke up on his birthday I made him a birthday breakfast, french toast, and then we sang Happy Birthday to him. (On Colby's actual birthday we were getting our carpets cleaned so that is why you see practically all of our furniture in the kitchen behind him.)

Later that day when Daddy Duda got home we all went and played outside. Since we had to pretty much be out of the house because our carpets were wet we decided to go out to eat for his birthday and then went and saw a movie - Horton Hears a WHo I think it was called (not a very good movie). Colby was so worn out from the days events that we postponed the cake and presents and did it the next day. I did get some cute pics of him trying to blow out his candles... he was soo cute!! I just love this age (well except for the tantrums)! Happy Birthday to my precious Cheese Man!!!