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Tuesday, June 30, 2015
Thursday, June 11, 2015
Rin: 2 down, 11 more
I can't believe Rin is done with first grade. I know people say that time flies, but I felt like this year really did fly by. She loved her school and her teacher. I loved watching her learn and going to eat lunch with her on Thursdays. We couldn't have asked for a better first grade year than at Chambers Elementary. Go Chargers!
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| 8/25/2014 |
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| 6/4/2015 |
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| Her lovely teacher, Ms. Rodriguez |
Easter Weekend 2015
I can't believe Easter was 2 months ago and I'm just not writing about it. We had a crazy month of April and then moved May 2nd, but still, I don't work during the day. I should have found time to blog at night or while the kids rested. Oh well, I'm writing now (while the kids are resting). As usually we planned to spend Easter weekend in Hammond, at my Uncle Charles' house. We were excited that this year our drive would be much shorter and we could actually stay for Easter service and a meal before heading back to Houston. We left Thursday afternoon around 3 when B got home from work and drove through a drive-thru for dinner. Just before we got to Baton Rouge, a deer jumped out and hit Cherry on the front passenger side. UGH!
We had to pull over and work on Cherry for a while, but with the help of 3-4 kind strangers, Cherry was drivable so we made our way to Hammond. Friday morning C&H came over and we talked about our plan. Since we had damage done to Cherry, I didn't know if it was safe to drive, but B & Chris agreed that it was fine, so we loaded up and drove to New Orleans with the Bryant's. R and I rode with H and Lincoln and B & C and our 3 littles rode in Cherry. The plan was to get beignets at Cafe Du Monde, but the line was ridiculously long, so we found another cafe du monde in a shopping mall and ate there.
We walked around New Orleans for a bit, before heading back to Hammond. We were expecting mom and chuck, the Marshs, Hantlas and Gran/Papaw sometime Friday evening, so we wanted to get back. Friday evening was fun as usual. All of B's side of the family arrived so it was a little Hantla Family reunion for a while.
They all stayed in a hotel together in Hammond somewhere and when my mom and chuck left, they took R with them for the night so she could have some special time with them. After we put A, W, and E to bed, B and I played cards with Grandmalupe and Uncle Acho. I had the best time playing cards and I'll be very sad when I can't play cards with Grandmalupe anymore. It will be a very sad day when Grandmalupe isn't around anymore. Saturday started with a very light drizzle, but then cleared it and the weather couldn't have possibly been any better. The sun was out, but it wasn't too hot. The food was yummy as always, and I was able to see friends and family that I only get to see once a year. My favorite holiday of the entire year is Easter only because of the crawfish boil. To me, it's what holidays should be about. Spending time with family and friends enjoying life that the Lord has given us. Now, since the reason we celebrate Easter is because of Jesus death and Resurrection, I did feel convicted that there is never any mention it. So I prepared an egg carton filled with little things that represented the Easter story.
We gathered all the kids under the carport before the egg hunt and Bryce shared the story with them. It started with a piece of a palm branch to represent Palm Sunday and ended with an open section to represent Jesus' resurrection. I only heard the last little bit because I was hiding eggs, but everyone said B did a great job. Ella wanted to know where I got that from because she wanted to do it in children's church, so I gave her my egg carton. At least some of the kids and adults heard the REAL reason we celebrate Easter. Next year B and I have talked about having another part of the weekend related to Jesus, but we haven't decided yet. We don't want to offend anyone, but we feel strongly that we need to be vocal about why Easter is celebrated in the first place. I'll be looking up ideas on pinterest.
Saturday ended with a softball game like normal and for the first time, Lil' Charles was on the adult team. It's been such a long time since I've played with him, so its nice to have him on our side! Paul & Marcus played and all the kids played (I think) but it was a nice time like usual. Saturday night my mom and Chuck took Rin and Ell back to the hotel with them and we roasted marshmallows with the boys before putting them to bed. We played some cards Saturday but didn't stay up as late because church was at 7:30 am. Yeah, mass started at 7:30 so we had to leave the house at 7:00. It was early, but it was fine. Mom and Chuck met us there and we followed Uncle Charles and Grandmalupe. I'm glad that we made the effort and we will continue to make sure our kids go to an Easter service somewhere on Easter Sunday. The kids were dressed up and I regret that we did not take a family picture, but I know we looked good. After church when we got home, we helped clean up a little and then packed our bags. Originally we were going to stay for the meal, but with the head light missing on our van, we did not want to drive in the dark so we got on the road a bit earlier than normal. We ate at Taco Bell and then headed back to Houston with just the girls. W and A went back to Mississippi for the week with my mom and Chuck. I knew they would have a great time and they were so excited for the trip. We got back to our house and had enough time for a quick bath before bedtime. It was a lot quieter without the boys. I didn't realize how much noise they generate, but it's quite a bit.
Oh, how I love Easter!
We had to pull over and work on Cherry for a while, but with the help of 3-4 kind strangers, Cherry was drivable so we made our way to Hammond. Friday morning C&H came over and we talked about our plan. Since we had damage done to Cherry, I didn't know if it was safe to drive, but B & Chris agreed that it was fine, so we loaded up and drove to New Orleans with the Bryant's. R and I rode with H and Lincoln and B & C and our 3 littles rode in Cherry. The plan was to get beignets at Cafe Du Monde, but the line was ridiculously long, so we found another cafe du monde in a shopping mall and ate there.
We walked around New Orleans for a bit, before heading back to Hammond. We were expecting mom and chuck, the Marshs, Hantlas and Gran/Papaw sometime Friday evening, so we wanted to get back. Friday evening was fun as usual. All of B's side of the family arrived so it was a little Hantla Family reunion for a while.
We gathered all the kids under the carport before the egg hunt and Bryce shared the story with them. It started with a piece of a palm branch to represent Palm Sunday and ended with an open section to represent Jesus' resurrection. I only heard the last little bit because I was hiding eggs, but everyone said B did a great job. Ella wanted to know where I got that from because she wanted to do it in children's church, so I gave her my egg carton. At least some of the kids and adults heard the REAL reason we celebrate Easter. Next year B and I have talked about having another part of the weekend related to Jesus, but we haven't decided yet. We don't want to offend anyone, but we feel strongly that we need to be vocal about why Easter is celebrated in the first place. I'll be looking up ideas on pinterest.
Saturday ended with a softball game like normal and for the first time, Lil' Charles was on the adult team. It's been such a long time since I've played with him, so its nice to have him on our side! Paul & Marcus played and all the kids played (I think) but it was a nice time like usual. Saturday night my mom and Chuck took Rin and Ell back to the hotel with them and we roasted marshmallows with the boys before putting them to bed. We played some cards Saturday but didn't stay up as late because church was at 7:30 am. Yeah, mass started at 7:30 so we had to leave the house at 7:00. It was early, but it was fine. Mom and Chuck met us there and we followed Uncle Charles and Grandmalupe. I'm glad that we made the effort and we will continue to make sure our kids go to an Easter service somewhere on Easter Sunday. The kids were dressed up and I regret that we did not take a family picture, but I know we looked good. After church when we got home, we helped clean up a little and then packed our bags. Originally we were going to stay for the meal, but with the head light missing on our van, we did not want to drive in the dark so we got on the road a bit earlier than normal. We ate at Taco Bell and then headed back to Houston with just the girls. W and A went back to Mississippi for the week with my mom and Chuck. I knew they would have a great time and they were so excited for the trip. We got back to our house and had enough time for a quick bath before bedtime. It was a lot quieter without the boys. I didn't realize how much noise they generate, but it's quite a bit.
Oh, how I love Easter!
First Grade Field Trip-Zoo
In Alief ISD, all the elementary schools are allowed 1 field trip per grade level free of charge for students. I was excited to hear that the first grade at Chambers always goes to the zoo and I would have a chance to be a chaperone for R's class. The field trip was on Monday, March 23rd and we had to be at school at 8:00 for an 8:30 departure. I had a group of girls : Rin, Michelle, Navaeh, and Aisha. Sara was supposed to be with us, but she didn't come to school. We were sad about that. R sat with her friends on the way to the zoo so I sat alone and chatted with Ms. Rodriguez. I really like R's teacher!
Once we arrived at the zoo, we were told our leave time was 12:30 and then we were sent off to explore. The girls and I decided to see the elephants first and we stumbled upon bath time. There was a baby elephant that was very cute as well as big elephants getting treats as they were getting
washed. I can't even remember everything we saw, but we walked A LOT. We stopped for snacks a few times, and a couple of potty breaks, but we wanted to maximize our time at the zoo. The Gorilla exhibit was closed for remodeling and we were bummed about not getting to see the gorillas. The giraffes and ostriches were pretty neat as well as the other monkeys. 
Aunt Mo watched my other 3 for the day and she actually brought them to the zoo. She has a membership, so I think she was able to get in for free and we met up with them near the Lion exhibit. We walked around with them to see the tigers, cheetahs, puma, and cougar. After that, my girls wanted to venture a different direction than Aunt Mo wanted to go. We said our goodbyes, but it was cute to see them. I know I won't be a stay-at-home mom forever, but I will wish I could chaperone all the kids' field trips without having to take a day off of work. One of the benefits to being a SAHM.
On the bus ride home, R sat with me and actually fell asleep while leaning against me. All the kids were tired and Ms. Rodriguez said she was going to show a film to the kids after they at lunch back at school. I gave R the option to just come home with me, but she wanted to stay at school with her friends. That was fine by me. I had a little time at home alone before Aunt Mo dropped the other kids off around 2:30. All in all it was a fun day and I'm so thankful to have these opportunities with my kids while I stay at home.
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| After a fun day at the zoo! |
Tuesday, June 2, 2015
College Station Trip
We like to visit M & M when we get the chance so we decided we would drive to College Station when R got out of school on Friday, March 27th. Their Friday night eat spot is Lupe Tortilla's so we met them there for dinner. Lupe's has a playground for the kids so the adults can talk. It's great, except for the fact that it's a sand playground....not my fav but oh well. The kids have a blast and we adults get to chat a while. After dinner we headed back to their house and put the kids to bed since it was way past their bedtime and the adults did some exercising. Mandy and I did a home workout that she had recorded and B & Marcus went for a run. I enjoyed working out with M. She pushes herself which motivates me to push myself and I like that in a workout partner. I wish we lived closer.
Saturday morning after breakfast, we went to Ethan's first soccer game followed by video games back at the house. Since it was March, it was a little too cold for swimming or I'm sure a dip in the pool would have happened. Ethan had a second soccer game that we went to after lunch, but the weather was great so it wasn't a problem being outside for 2 games. M & M's neighborhood was having an Easter Festival in the afternoon so we walked there. There was an egg hunt for the kids, face painting, a rock climbing wall, a petting zoo, and a train ride. Our kids had a blast and they even sat with an Easter Bunny for a picture. Ell's face painting was the cutest and she was so proud of the finished product.
We need to leave around dinner time so we could get home and get the kids bathed and a good night's sleep for early church the next morning. We grabbed dinner at Chick-fil-a with M & M before hitting the road. We always enjoy our time with M & M and wish we could see them more.
Saturday morning after breakfast, we went to Ethan's first soccer game followed by video games back at the house. Since it was March, it was a little too cold for swimming or I'm sure a dip in the pool would have happened. Ethan had a second soccer game that we went to after lunch, but the weather was great so it wasn't a problem being outside for 2 games. M & M's neighborhood was having an Easter Festival in the afternoon so we walked there. There was an egg hunt for the kids, face painting, a rock climbing wall, a petting zoo, and a train ride. Our kids had a blast and they even sat with an Easter Bunny for a picture. Ell's face painting was the cutest and she was so proud of the finished product.
We need to leave around dinner time so we could get home and get the kids bathed and a good night's sleep for early church the next morning. We grabbed dinner at Chick-fil-a with M & M before hitting the road. We always enjoy our time with M & M and wish we could see them more.
Potty Training E
The week after Easter, the boys went to MS with my mom and we just brought the girls back with us. I decided I would attempt to potty train E since R would be in school all day. I wasn't confident that it would go well since she was a month shy of 2 and the other 3 I trained after they turned 2, but this was the ONLY time I would have E all alone without other kids. We started Tuesday because Monday we were dealing with rental car issues (another post) but Tuesday morning I put her in panties and let the training begin. I sat her at the table coloring and doing puzzles since I didn't want her on the carpet. I think in the first 30 minutes, she peed in 4 different panties and I was getting discouraged. By nap time, she's gone through all of her panties (about 10 pairs) so we were done for the day. I just put her in a diaper and did a load of laundry.
Wednesday went much better. She only had a couple of accidents in her panties before nap time, and after nap time, I put her back in panties and she did great. I still wasn't brave enough to leave the house, so we didn't go anywhere. Thursday morning she stayed dry all morning, so we went to R's school for our Thursday lunch date. I took her pee pee before we left, once at R's school and as soon as we got home, and she stayed dry. I felt like she was finally getting it. So Thursday night, we went to the Y for an hour and she went potty for Ms. A (our favorite) and got a treat. From Thursday on, she was good to go. I'm not saying she didn't have any accidents, because she has had some, but overall, she's potty trained. She even made a trip to Beaumont and back to pick up the boys, staying dry both ways. We are so proud of her, but we shouldn't be surprised because she has hit many milestones earlier than the other 3. Most people just say it's because she has 3 examples to watch, and while I agree, I think it follows in line with her personality of being independent and smart....but I guess I'm biased right?
Wednesday went much better. She only had a couple of accidents in her panties before nap time, and after nap time, I put her back in panties and she did great. I still wasn't brave enough to leave the house, so we didn't go anywhere. Thursday morning she stayed dry all morning, so we went to R's school for our Thursday lunch date. I took her pee pee before we left, once at R's school and as soon as we got home, and she stayed dry. I felt like she was finally getting it. So Thursday night, we went to the Y for an hour and she went potty for Ms. A (our favorite) and got a treat. From Thursday on, she was good to go. I'm not saying she didn't have any accidents, because she has had some, but overall, she's potty trained. She even made a trip to Beaumont and back to pick up the boys, staying dry both ways. We are so proud of her, but we shouldn't be surprised because she has hit many milestones earlier than the other 3. Most people just say it's because she has 3 examples to watch, and while I agree, I think it follows in line with her personality of being independent and smart....but I guess I'm biased right?
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