Life around here has been, in a word, nuts! We've been busy with school and fun and family time with not room for much else. It's a good nuts, but if the 2 hour accidental nap I took today is any indication, I'm in need of a little rest.
The week before Thanksgiving was chocked full of fun including a field trip to hear Aesop's Fables at the George Bush Library. Turns out my cousins kids were watching via long distance learning and their school was selected to ask the presenter questions. I got to see their sweet faces and the kids were excited too!
We headed up to Dallas the Friday before Thanksgiving. We had the twins second birthday on Saturday and got to see The Star movie with my in-laws that evening. Francis had to head back Sunday evening but the kids and I stayed in Dallas to play with family. The boys loved climbing the trees at Sweetie and Papa's house (William even fell out and was rescued by his leg getting caught...which he thought was "amazing" and I thought was terrifying). All the kids loved driving around the pasture and playing in the playscape. Tuesday my entire family (minus Francis) went to Legoland for the twins actual birthday. The kids had a blast especially since we had more adults than kids to take them on rides and such. Wednesday was my birthday and my sisters, Kevin, Francis (who returned the night before) and the 5 cousins all went with me to the mall for shopping and lunch. I wasn't feeling great, so we had a quiet evening of Pizza and present opening at home (I got some good stuff!). My mother was was feeling even worse than me, and it turns out she had the flu and strep. So come Thursday (Thanksgiving) she was unable to join us. My sisters and I along with Mom Noble and Aunt Camille bravely forged ahead and made a delicious Thanksgiving meal. My dad cooked all the turkeys, so he really should get much of the credit for the meals success! Although my mother's absence was felt it was still a nice day and the weather was perfect.
Friday we made our pilgrimage to San Antonio to be with the Phillips clan. We got to the hotel shortly after my in-laws and settled in quickly. We all ended up happily eating and watching the parade from my in-laws room (Hannah was particularly fond of following Abby around, and Abby didn't mind). I was surprised by a cake and more gifts! So I ended up having 2 birthday parties. How many people get that?? Saturday we all went to Sea World. Cyndy and Chris were kind enough to take Abby and William on some of the bigger rides. Hannah and Nana rode the carousel and Robert loved the Shamu roller coaster. We saw a few shows and Grandad even took one for the team by getting soaked with Abby and William on a river raft ride. We had dinner with Santa to finish off the night. It was an excellent day.
We headed home Sunday where they kids (and Francis) were eager to put up Christmas decorations. As a result, they did most of the decorating this year. The boys have our old tree in their room and Hannah has my tree from College in her room. It looks very festive. I'm working on getting Christmas shopping done and then I will focus on getting it wrapped so I can sit back and soak in the wonder of our Savior's Birth. I'm hoping to be done buying this week and be done wrapping next, but we'll see!
Update on the kids: Hannah has developed her own fashion. She has been wearing her dress up clothing with, on top of or instead of her regular clothing when we leave the house. I just roll with it because she looks so happy and it's kinda cute too. Robert is ever the creative thinker and has developed a love of telling jokes. When he gets the hang of it, I know he's going to be hilarious. William is plugging away reading all the time. We had the 100th day of school yesterday and celebrated with ice cream. William said it was the best day of school ever. Maybe we should have ice cream every day? or not, haha.
That's it for now!
Thursday, November 30, 2017
Thursday, November 9, 2017
November 9, 2017
Time is going fast these days. And it's the Holiday season so time around here goes at light speed.
Friday before last The kdis and I drove up to Abilene for HSU Homecoming and my 10 year College Reunion. It was a dinner and I got to spend time with Rebecca (even though she wasn't an '07 graduate). It was a fun time and I'm glad I didn't miss it. Saturday continued Homecoming with a breakfast in Moody, pictures with Rachel, Rebecca and Jonas, and Kids' Posse outside (where Hannah loved riding the horses and the boys loved the bounce houses) all before lunch! We had lunch with my parents, Danielle, Kevin, Rebecca and Jonas. William had the crepe for which he has waited all year. It did not disappoint. They had a piano man and so my kids and Jonas happily danced after they ate. We watched the first half of the Homecoming football game before he had to head home. My kids are actually great at cheering at Football. Robert is particularly enthusiastic, and it adorable.
The next say (Sunday) was Fall Fest at church. The kids got to jump in more bounce houses, play games, eat, and collect candy. Hannah was great at this last skill as she fully believed "take two" meant two handfuls. And when I went to correct her, they would always say, "no she's fine. Isn't she cute." Okay kid, but next year, they won't let you get away with it! Tuesday we had the week off from CC so we went to the Children's Museum in the morning. They happened to have Trick or Treating there (I had no idea) so after the kids played they got to get some fun toys. It was particularly bad weather Tuesday evening, but we ventured out any to Wolfpen Creek Park where they were having an event. We got soaked from the rain and after about 30 minutes lightning struck nearby and they had to cancel the rest of the event. But the kids got a ton of candy and we were even on the news! How do I know we were on the news? The Jehovah's Witness ladies we see every Wednesday at the Library told us so, lol. They said, "I saw two Iron men and an Ariel on the news last night!" FYI they were Charizard, a Transformer and Elsa at Fall Fest two days before. I love that they just pick whatever they want from our dress up clothing!
Friday was another crazy busy day. We had play group in the morning, a short break that included school, then Jude's birthday party in the afternoon and parent's night out that evening. Francis and I got to see Thor on opening night! If that wasn't enough action, when we got home, the Burgess family came in town to spend the night. All the kids were up past 10 and the adults up well past midnight. Such a fun day!
Saturday was a reunion of Francis's college friends: the Burgess Family, us and the Browers (most of them). We had breakfast and played at Dave and Tracy's. The Burgesses, Audrey Brower and we had lunch at Blue Baker. Then we let all 7 Burgess-Phillips kids play in the afternoon before seeing off our friends over Bahama Bucks. You can bet our kids slept well that night!
This week has been moving along too! Yesterday the kids and I went to the Texas Renaissance Festival. It was so fun! We got to see Jousting (and learn about the 100 years war as the characters included King Henry the VIII and Joan of Arc). We learned about blacksmithing. We learned about falconry. We also learned about whips and how they break the sound barrier. We saw shows, played game and ate yummy food. We also walked through a beautiful garden that looked like jungle. I carried Hannah all day but the boys walked and I was super proud of them. We made it back to the car just in time for it to start raining so it was a win all around! I'm so glad we had the opportunity to go.
Well, that's all I've got time for just now. Until next time!
Friday before last The kdis and I drove up to Abilene for HSU Homecoming and my 10 year College Reunion. It was a dinner and I got to spend time with Rebecca (even though she wasn't an '07 graduate). It was a fun time and I'm glad I didn't miss it. Saturday continued Homecoming with a breakfast in Moody, pictures with Rachel, Rebecca and Jonas, and Kids' Posse outside (where Hannah loved riding the horses and the boys loved the bounce houses) all before lunch! We had lunch with my parents, Danielle, Kevin, Rebecca and Jonas. William had the crepe for which he has waited all year. It did not disappoint. They had a piano man and so my kids and Jonas happily danced after they ate. We watched the first half of the Homecoming football game before he had to head home. My kids are actually great at cheering at Football. Robert is particularly enthusiastic, and it adorable.
The next say (Sunday) was Fall Fest at church. The kids got to jump in more bounce houses, play games, eat, and collect candy. Hannah was great at this last skill as she fully believed "take two" meant two handfuls. And when I went to correct her, they would always say, "no she's fine. Isn't she cute." Okay kid, but next year, they won't let you get away with it! Tuesday we had the week off from CC so we went to the Children's Museum in the morning. They happened to have Trick or Treating there (I had no idea) so after the kids played they got to get some fun toys. It was particularly bad weather Tuesday evening, but we ventured out any to Wolfpen Creek Park where they were having an event. We got soaked from the rain and after about 30 minutes lightning struck nearby and they had to cancel the rest of the event. But the kids got a ton of candy and we were even on the news! How do I know we were on the news? The Jehovah's Witness ladies we see every Wednesday at the Library told us so, lol. They said, "I saw two Iron men and an Ariel on the news last night!" FYI they were Charizard, a Transformer and Elsa at Fall Fest two days before. I love that they just pick whatever they want from our dress up clothing!
Friday was another crazy busy day. We had play group in the morning, a short break that included school, then Jude's birthday party in the afternoon and parent's night out that evening. Francis and I got to see Thor on opening night! If that wasn't enough action, when we got home, the Burgess family came in town to spend the night. All the kids were up past 10 and the adults up well past midnight. Such a fun day!
Saturday was a reunion of Francis's college friends: the Burgess Family, us and the Browers (most of them). We had breakfast and played at Dave and Tracy's. The Burgesses, Audrey Brower and we had lunch at Blue Baker. Then we let all 7 Burgess-Phillips kids play in the afternoon before seeing off our friends over Bahama Bucks. You can bet our kids slept well that night!
This week has been moving along too! Yesterday the kids and I went to the Texas Renaissance Festival. It was so fun! We got to see Jousting (and learn about the 100 years war as the characters included King Henry the VIII and Joan of Arc). We learned about blacksmithing. We learned about falconry. We also learned about whips and how they break the sound barrier. We saw shows, played game and ate yummy food. We also walked through a beautiful garden that looked like jungle. I carried Hannah all day but the boys walked and I was super proud of them. We made it back to the car just in time for it to start raining so it was a win all around! I'm so glad we had the opportunity to go.
Well, that's all I've got time for just now. Until next time!
Tuesday, October 24, 2017
October 24, 2017
It is so true what they say: the days pass slowly but the years pass quickly. Some moments take what seems like forever and then I turn around and more than a week has passed since I last wrote.
Sunday before last was our church's The Church Has Left the Building event. After a brief worship that morning, more than 1,000 people left to serve in our community. Our group of 70 or so went to help at a special needs summer camp called Kingdom Ranch. The men cleared many trees and brush and completed many other jobs. Most of the women painted a small house near the front of the property so that a family could have a place to live while managing the grounds. Any child over Kindergarten had to go on the service projects with their parents (younger kids had fun at church all day), so William came and helped clear branches, picked up, and even helped me paint. His biggest job was helping put down painters tape all over the house which he took very seriously. I really enjoyed serving with him. It took a good part of the day and at the end we were so tired, but it was good to be the hands and feet of Christ in our community.
Monday was Francis's birthday. It was also his preliminary for his PhD. I'm proud to report he passed and is now officially a doctoral candidate! When he got home Robert was not feeling great so we had Layne's Chicken at home, but on Tuesday we did get to eat out at Texas Roadhouse. Francis loved all of his gifts from family including the gifts the kids picked out especially for him. He also loved the carrot cake the kids made an decorated for him. Overall it was a good birthday. I'm so happy he is mine.
Thursday was a big day. The kids and I got up early, piled in the car and drove south of Houston to Space Center Houston for Homeschool day. We met up with Angel, her mom, Ranger and Asher and had an amazing day! They had so many exhibits and presentations from scientists and astronauts. The kids got to see what the space shuttle actually looks like up close! They also saw the module from the first moon landing. My kids did not want to leave when it was time to go and I don't blame them one bit. there was so much to learn!!!
Friday evening the boys and Francis went on a very successful Father/son camping trip with our Sunday school class. Hannah and I had a picnic in the living room and then walked to two different parks to play. Hannah insisted on bringing all her babies with her but finally settled on bringing just three. She put them each in a swing on the playground and pushed them much to the amusement of passers-by. It was a good evening with my baby girl.
Saturday was another early morning. The boys got back, picked up Hannah and me and we drove the Blessington Farms outside of Houston. We met up with the whole Phillips clan and my kids got some much needed cousin Abby time. My father-in-law got his birthday presents a day early, and a good time was had by all. The weather was touch an go for a while, but it all turned out great. Talk about an exciting 3 days in a row! This time of year, we never slow down. Fun fun!
William is reading every chance he gets. He is also beginning to test the boundaries of rules as he asserts his independence. He's not doing anything particularly bad or wrong, just trying to figure out life. I love him and his amazing brain. It is never dull with him around and I never know what question I am going to get next.
Robert is also sharp as a tack. He thinks up situations that never enter my mind and then asks every question he can think about said situation. He is also so cuddly still and I will hold on to every moment of it for as long as it lasts. He is just too cute (something William refuses to be called but Robert loves). He's also recently grown a bit and is hovering right at 40 inches. It was weird to see his shorts be over his knees one week and just above the next week. My day is not complete with out a sweet smile from his 4-year-old face.
Hannah is showing signs of becoming a preschooler. She is talking so much, making jokes, playing with her brother collaboratively, and and has an unmistakable personality. She lets you know what she is thinking and will make sure she gets her turn to talk or do whatever the boys are doing. She's getting tall and 3T clothing is currently the best fit for her 2-year-old frame. Like her brother Robert, she gives the best hugs. She can see you from across the room and come running at you to give you a huge hug. The boys know this and sometimes intercept these hugs from me because they are so amazing. Fortunately she usually has more than enough hugs to go around.
That's it for now. It's time to gear up for the rest of my crazy week and weekend. Till next time!
Sunday before last was our church's The Church Has Left the Building event. After a brief worship that morning, more than 1,000 people left to serve in our community. Our group of 70 or so went to help at a special needs summer camp called Kingdom Ranch. The men cleared many trees and brush and completed many other jobs. Most of the women painted a small house near the front of the property so that a family could have a place to live while managing the grounds. Any child over Kindergarten had to go on the service projects with their parents (younger kids had fun at church all day), so William came and helped clear branches, picked up, and even helped me paint. His biggest job was helping put down painters tape all over the house which he took very seriously. I really enjoyed serving with him. It took a good part of the day and at the end we were so tired, but it was good to be the hands and feet of Christ in our community.
Monday was Francis's birthday. It was also his preliminary for his PhD. I'm proud to report he passed and is now officially a doctoral candidate! When he got home Robert was not feeling great so we had Layne's Chicken at home, but on Tuesday we did get to eat out at Texas Roadhouse. Francis loved all of his gifts from family including the gifts the kids picked out especially for him. He also loved the carrot cake the kids made an decorated for him. Overall it was a good birthday. I'm so happy he is mine.
Thursday was a big day. The kids and I got up early, piled in the car and drove south of Houston to Space Center Houston for Homeschool day. We met up with Angel, her mom, Ranger and Asher and had an amazing day! They had so many exhibits and presentations from scientists and astronauts. The kids got to see what the space shuttle actually looks like up close! They also saw the module from the first moon landing. My kids did not want to leave when it was time to go and I don't blame them one bit. there was so much to learn!!!
Friday evening the boys and Francis went on a very successful Father/son camping trip with our Sunday school class. Hannah and I had a picnic in the living room and then walked to two different parks to play. Hannah insisted on bringing all her babies with her but finally settled on bringing just three. She put them each in a swing on the playground and pushed them much to the amusement of passers-by. It was a good evening with my baby girl.
Saturday was another early morning. The boys got back, picked up Hannah and me and we drove the Blessington Farms outside of Houston. We met up with the whole Phillips clan and my kids got some much needed cousin Abby time. My father-in-law got his birthday presents a day early, and a good time was had by all. The weather was touch an go for a while, but it all turned out great. Talk about an exciting 3 days in a row! This time of year, we never slow down. Fun fun!
William is reading every chance he gets. He is also beginning to test the boundaries of rules as he asserts his independence. He's not doing anything particularly bad or wrong, just trying to figure out life. I love him and his amazing brain. It is never dull with him around and I never know what question I am going to get next.
Robert is also sharp as a tack. He thinks up situations that never enter my mind and then asks every question he can think about said situation. He is also so cuddly still and I will hold on to every moment of it for as long as it lasts. He is just too cute (something William refuses to be called but Robert loves). He's also recently grown a bit and is hovering right at 40 inches. It was weird to see his shorts be over his knees one week and just above the next week. My day is not complete with out a sweet smile from his 4-year-old face.
Hannah is showing signs of becoming a preschooler. She is talking so much, making jokes, playing with her brother collaboratively, and and has an unmistakable personality. She lets you know what she is thinking and will make sure she gets her turn to talk or do whatever the boys are doing. She's getting tall and 3T clothing is currently the best fit for her 2-year-old frame. Like her brother Robert, she gives the best hugs. She can see you from across the room and come running at you to give you a huge hug. The boys know this and sometimes intercept these hugs from me because they are so amazing. Fortunately she usually has more than enough hugs to go around.
That's it for now. It's time to gear up for the rest of my crazy week and weekend. Till next time!
Thursday, October 12, 2017
October 12, 2017
I can't believe it's been two weeks since my last post. So much has happened I have no hope of putting it all down.
Friday before last I awoke very early (after arriving with the kids and Francis in Dallas late the evening before) to catch the 6:00am flight to Denver. My amazing travelling companion was my sister Danielle! We were picked up at the airport by the bride-to-be Erin. We had a long but productive day getting all the decorations ready, having a bridesmaids lunch and getting checked into our hotel that evening (an adventure in itself!). Erin did introduce us to some pretty impressive Pizza, though, and the hotel we stayed in was just perfect. I went to bed completely wiped out, but glad I was able to be there for Erin. The breakfast that morning was amazing and after a few errands and brunch at a sweet little place near Georgetown, the bridesmaids, Danielle and Erin all got ready for the big event. Next we headed to the venue, which was a train station. Midway through setting up, a cold front came through and the rain started. That did not deter the dedicated crew and I stood cold but happy as Erin took her vows. The train ride reception was both unique and fun. Also, thankfully, it was warm and dry. Danielle and I sat across from another one of the bridesmaids, Lilly and her boyfriend. Together the four of us had a delightful time. After loading all the decorations back in the cars, We hugged Erin and Tom goodbye. Erin's sweet mom drove us back to a hotel by the airport that evening where we spent another short night.
Sunday morning we were up for a 7am flight. It ended up being extra fun because Dani and I were part of the first flight by Southwest's new MAX 8 airplanes. It was cool to be the first one to sit in a seat on a plane, and the crew was super peppy! Because we are crazy, we headed straight for the great State Fair of Texas upon landing in Dallas. We met up with the rest of the Noble Clan as well as Francis and my kids. Francis and the kids had done the Grapevine Aquarium, Legoland, and the Dallas Zoo all in the two days I was gone, so they are slightly crazy too. Anyway, the Fair was fun even though the puppet show wasn't there this year. It was nice to have Francis there for once since he usually has to stay home. Poor Alexandra fell off a tall step and hurt her foot. She's still healing so please be praying for her! My kids particularly loved the new Magic show and the fireworks. They've been reenacting both ever since (with Pokemon added in for good measure).
The week was a bit of a blur, but I did have Tutor training, Parent's night out (we had dinner and then relaxed at home...yeah we're old), and generally tried to get back in the groove. Thursday the kdis and I went on a CC field trip to Barrington Family Farm (the home of the 3rd president of Texas, and the Star of the Republic Museum at Washington-on-the-Brazos). The kids learned all about the 1850s. They did chores on the farm, saw all the animals, made old fashioned toys and were exhausted by the end. It was a good day full of fun and learning. I found out Hannah really loves washing clothes on a washboard and hanging them out to dry. Who knew? Saturday evening I went with Robin to see a local production of Beauty and the Beast. Turns out than in real life Belle and Gaston are engaged so that made some of the interactions more interesting/compelling than they would have likely been otherwise. Not sure how else to say that, but the show was very good!
This week we've been getting ready for Francis's birthday which is on Monday. I've been giving him a little gift each day (like a special edition luggage tag which I got from my special flight, or his favorite drink or snack, etc). I've also been making some of his favorite food. He doesn't get to pick very often and the kids usually don't want to eat what he loves (like Lasagna and Meatloaf) so this week he gets it all. We decorated today and will make and decorate the cake tomorrow (this is one of my favorite traditions to do with the kids!). Today we also spent most of the morning at Walmart so that the kids could each get a gift that they thought Daddy would like. This was hard for them, but after much thought, they each came up with something they thought Daddy would like. It is hard to get Francis stuff because he never tells you what he wants, but I think he will be pleased with what they chose.
Well that's it for now!
Friday before last I awoke very early (after arriving with the kids and Francis in Dallas late the evening before) to catch the 6:00am flight to Denver. My amazing travelling companion was my sister Danielle! We were picked up at the airport by the bride-to-be Erin. We had a long but productive day getting all the decorations ready, having a bridesmaids lunch and getting checked into our hotel that evening (an adventure in itself!). Erin did introduce us to some pretty impressive Pizza, though, and the hotel we stayed in was just perfect. I went to bed completely wiped out, but glad I was able to be there for Erin. The breakfast that morning was amazing and after a few errands and brunch at a sweet little place near Georgetown, the bridesmaids, Danielle and Erin all got ready for the big event. Next we headed to the venue, which was a train station. Midway through setting up, a cold front came through and the rain started. That did not deter the dedicated crew and I stood cold but happy as Erin took her vows. The train ride reception was both unique and fun. Also, thankfully, it was warm and dry. Danielle and I sat across from another one of the bridesmaids, Lilly and her boyfriend. Together the four of us had a delightful time. After loading all the decorations back in the cars, We hugged Erin and Tom goodbye. Erin's sweet mom drove us back to a hotel by the airport that evening where we spent another short night.
Sunday morning we were up for a 7am flight. It ended up being extra fun because Dani and I were part of the first flight by Southwest's new MAX 8 airplanes. It was cool to be the first one to sit in a seat on a plane, and the crew was super peppy! Because we are crazy, we headed straight for the great State Fair of Texas upon landing in Dallas. We met up with the rest of the Noble Clan as well as Francis and my kids. Francis and the kids had done the Grapevine Aquarium, Legoland, and the Dallas Zoo all in the two days I was gone, so they are slightly crazy too. Anyway, the Fair was fun even though the puppet show wasn't there this year. It was nice to have Francis there for once since he usually has to stay home. Poor Alexandra fell off a tall step and hurt her foot. She's still healing so please be praying for her! My kids particularly loved the new Magic show and the fireworks. They've been reenacting both ever since (with Pokemon added in for good measure).
The week was a bit of a blur, but I did have Tutor training, Parent's night out (we had dinner and then relaxed at home...yeah we're old), and generally tried to get back in the groove. Thursday the kdis and I went on a CC field trip to Barrington Family Farm (the home of the 3rd president of Texas, and the Star of the Republic Museum at Washington-on-the-Brazos). The kids learned all about the 1850s. They did chores on the farm, saw all the animals, made old fashioned toys and were exhausted by the end. It was a good day full of fun and learning. I found out Hannah really loves washing clothes on a washboard and hanging them out to dry. Who knew? Saturday evening I went with Robin to see a local production of Beauty and the Beast. Turns out than in real life Belle and Gaston are engaged so that made some of the interactions more interesting/compelling than they would have likely been otherwise. Not sure how else to say that, but the show was very good!
This week we've been getting ready for Francis's birthday which is on Monday. I've been giving him a little gift each day (like a special edition luggage tag which I got from my special flight, or his favorite drink or snack, etc). I've also been making some of his favorite food. He doesn't get to pick very often and the kids usually don't want to eat what he loves (like Lasagna and Meatloaf) so this week he gets it all. We decorated today and will make and decorate the cake tomorrow (this is one of my favorite traditions to do with the kids!). Today we also spent most of the morning at Walmart so that the kids could each get a gift that they thought Daddy would like. This was hard for them, but after much thought, they each came up with something they thought Daddy would like. It is hard to get Francis stuff because he never tells you what he wants, but I think he will be pleased with what they chose.
Well that's it for now!
Monday, September 25, 2017
September 25, 2017
It's been a whirlwind couple of weeks. Francis went to Houston to help with Hurricane Harvey cleanup Saturday before last. William did not understand why he had to be gone on a Saturday. Nothing I could tell him would make him understand. Finally I asked him to imagine that all his Pokemon cards had gotten ruined and that he would have to start his collection over. He had tears well up in his eyes. I told him that many people lost all their Pokemon cards, all their furniture and all their things. He was then glad Francis was there to help. I'm thankful for a husband who wants to help.
This past week we continued in our weekly routine until Thursday night when my sweet friend Rebecca and he son Jonas came to visit us from Abilene. She is on sabbatical from work and blessed us by spending some time with us. We took the kids to the park Friday morning for playgroup, had lunch at Mcalister's Deli (where I left my credit card and didn't discover it until Saturday, but it was safe!), played around the house in the afternoon, had a delicious tortellini dinner and then went on an evening walk to the closest park. It was a lazy day, but the kids had a blast. Rebecca and I talked past midnight that night. My soul was renewed by spending time with this kindred spirit. I could've talked hours more. Saturday morning after breakfast they headed back. The kids were sorry to see Jonas go. Hopefully we will see them again when we go to Abilene in October!
Saturday was a busy day. After our house guests left I discovered my credit card was gone while checking out at Walmart, and had to go get it. I'm so glad it was still there! All of us then went to the Classical Conversations Family Fun pool party at someone's house. They had a pool and a huge inflatable water slide. We were able to swim and watch the A&M game (which we couldn't do at home). After the party we headed to Hadassah's 3rd birthday party at a gym place in town, so my kids got to run around for another hour and a half. It was such a fun day, but whew we were ready for bed that night!
In other news, Hannah has taken a shine to wearing jewelry. She has been wearing ALL of her jewelry (3 necklaces and 6+ bracelets) every day, all day unless I make her take them off. She keeps saying that they are "beautiful". She also wants to wear the googles from swimming all the time, but I finally hid them and she hasn't asked today. I would let her wear them except they are hard and leave marks on her face. She tries to sleep in them too. She loves to accessorize!
Robert is starting to spell and read a few words. I'm not pushing him. He wants to read like William, so we are taking it slow. He's also started doing single digit addition on his own with high accuracy. I love that he's motivated. He's becoming more of a preschooler every day. I'm biased but I've got some smart kids over here.
William is doing great with his first grade curriculum. He's getting faster at wiriting (thank goodness as it's not his favorite!), and he's loving all the challenges of 2nd grade math. He's doing well in AWANAS (so is Robert) and I've decided to build in some time for studying his verses during rest time. It's been working out really well and I think he's starting to meditate on what the verses actually me.
All the kids are starting to do more around the house. I'm working on creating responsible future adults, and in turn they are teaching me to be patient. Just because I can do it faster down't mean I should.
That's it for now!
This past week we continued in our weekly routine until Thursday night when my sweet friend Rebecca and he son Jonas came to visit us from Abilene. She is on sabbatical from work and blessed us by spending some time with us. We took the kids to the park Friday morning for playgroup, had lunch at Mcalister's Deli (where I left my credit card and didn't discover it until Saturday, but it was safe!), played around the house in the afternoon, had a delicious tortellini dinner and then went on an evening walk to the closest park. It was a lazy day, but the kids had a blast. Rebecca and I talked past midnight that night. My soul was renewed by spending time with this kindred spirit. I could've talked hours more. Saturday morning after breakfast they headed back. The kids were sorry to see Jonas go. Hopefully we will see them again when we go to Abilene in October!
Saturday was a busy day. After our house guests left I discovered my credit card was gone while checking out at Walmart, and had to go get it. I'm so glad it was still there! All of us then went to the Classical Conversations Family Fun pool party at someone's house. They had a pool and a huge inflatable water slide. We were able to swim and watch the A&M game (which we couldn't do at home). After the party we headed to Hadassah's 3rd birthday party at a gym place in town, so my kids got to run around for another hour and a half. It was such a fun day, but whew we were ready for bed that night!
In other news, Hannah has taken a shine to wearing jewelry. She has been wearing ALL of her jewelry (3 necklaces and 6+ bracelets) every day, all day unless I make her take them off. She keeps saying that they are "beautiful". She also wants to wear the googles from swimming all the time, but I finally hid them and she hasn't asked today. I would let her wear them except they are hard and leave marks on her face. She tries to sleep in them too. She loves to accessorize!
Robert is starting to spell and read a few words. I'm not pushing him. He wants to read like William, so we are taking it slow. He's also started doing single digit addition on his own with high accuracy. I love that he's motivated. He's becoming more of a preschooler every day. I'm biased but I've got some smart kids over here.
William is doing great with his first grade curriculum. He's getting faster at wiriting (thank goodness as it's not his favorite!), and he's loving all the challenges of 2nd grade math. He's doing well in AWANAS (so is Robert) and I've decided to build in some time for studying his verses during rest time. It's been working out really well and I think he's starting to meditate on what the verses actually me.
All the kids are starting to do more around the house. I'm working on creating responsible future adults, and in turn they are teaching me to be patient. Just because I can do it faster down't mean I should.
That's it for now!
Thursday, September 14, 2017
September 14, 2015
Life has been rolling along here at Phillips Manor (or whatever you want to call where we live). Labor Day weekend we ended up in Dallas. We got to spend Saturday with my family hanging out and supporting my mother at a Labor Day rally. The kids had fun on the massive playground and loved the popsicles. Hannah even got her face painted for the first time and loved it. Sunday we went to church and spent time with my in-laws. they had been in Houston the day before helping with clean-up efforts, so it was nice to see them. We headed back to College Station after dinner. My second week of tutoring the boys' class went much smoother. We are checking out more and more books at the Library on Wednesdays and William is blowing through novels in a day or two. This kid loves loves loves to read. In fact, he doesn't hear you when he is reading. I'm working on finding the best way to get his attention when he is reading, but I'm not complaining that he has a thirst for the written word. It will serve him well in life.
This past weekend was Robert's 4th birthday. Since his birthday was a Sunday, he got to chose his birthday activity early. On Thursday we went to Jumping World trampoline park and had the place pretty much to ourselves. The kids really love the foam pits there! Since there were not other kids (only a couple at the end), the employees played "dodge-ball" with my kids and ran around with them too. It was so fun! Saturday we had Chick-fil-a for dinner because Robert wanted it for his birthday meal and they aren't open on Sunday. We ended up buying extra so we could have it for dinner Sunday too. Robert was one happy kiddo. His actual birthday consisted of opening a couple presents, church, lunch at Rudy's BBQ (his choice), rest time and playing with his toys, AWANAS and chick-fil-a for dinner. Robert is so smart. He can write his name, draws pretty interesing pictures, asks why questions all the time, is always thinking, has an imagination that astounds me, is active, is loving, cares for others, and is cute as can be! We love you Robert. Happy Birthday!
This week we are settling into our routine. This Tuesday went pretty smooth also and I am starting to look forward to Community Day. The kids in my group are so smart and eager that it does make my task a joy. Yesterday William and Robert had their yearly check-ups. William is over 52 lbs and over 47 inches. He's looking forward to riding the "over 48 inches" rides soon, though I'm not sure where or when he thinks that will happen. Robert is 32 1/2 lbs and over 39 inches. He's growing right on his growth curve and healthy as can be. He's starting to look long and lean just like his momma did as a kid. The kids all got their flu shots. Hannah was eager to go first, Robert was content to go second, and William hid under the table and we had to hold him to give him hid shot. It takes all kinds, and it just proves my kids have personalities all their own.
That's all I have for right now. Life's too busy to type too much. Gotta get back to life! Till next time!
This past weekend was Robert's 4th birthday. Since his birthday was a Sunday, he got to chose his birthday activity early. On Thursday we went to Jumping World trampoline park and had the place pretty much to ourselves. The kids really love the foam pits there! Since there were not other kids (only a couple at the end), the employees played "dodge-ball" with my kids and ran around with them too. It was so fun! Saturday we had Chick-fil-a for dinner because Robert wanted it for his birthday meal and they aren't open on Sunday. We ended up buying extra so we could have it for dinner Sunday too. Robert was one happy kiddo. His actual birthday consisted of opening a couple presents, church, lunch at Rudy's BBQ (his choice), rest time and playing with his toys, AWANAS and chick-fil-a for dinner. Robert is so smart. He can write his name, draws pretty interesing pictures, asks why questions all the time, is always thinking, has an imagination that astounds me, is active, is loving, cares for others, and is cute as can be! We love you Robert. Happy Birthday!
This week we are settling into our routine. This Tuesday went pretty smooth also and I am starting to look forward to Community Day. The kids in my group are so smart and eager that it does make my task a joy. Yesterday William and Robert had their yearly check-ups. William is over 52 lbs and over 47 inches. He's looking forward to riding the "over 48 inches" rides soon, though I'm not sure where or when he thinks that will happen. Robert is 32 1/2 lbs and over 39 inches. He's growing right on his growth curve and healthy as can be. He's starting to look long and lean just like his momma did as a kid. The kids all got their flu shots. Hannah was eager to go first, Robert was content to go second, and William hid under the table and we had to hold him to give him hid shot. It takes all kinds, and it just proves my kids have personalities all their own.
That's all I have for right now. Life's too busy to type too much. Gotta get back to life! Till next time!
Friday, September 1, 2017
September 1, 2017
This past week has held a lot of tears (both happy and sad). The rain started in earnest here early Saturday morning. It wasn't so bad here at first, but I woke up truly believing my kids would have no one at their party. I underestimated the wonderful people that we have in our lives. After fretting far more than I should all morning, every friend came save the ones stuck in Houston (which is understandable!)!!! I shed tears of joy at the love these people poured over us. It was a sweet time with cupcakes, pinatas and, of course, Pokemon. The kids had a blast!!! My family and in-laws all made it in miraculously by early afternoon so we had a family party with the whole family save those stuck in Houston and Austin. The boys got a ton of Pokemon cards (their favorite)! Again I shed happy tears. Thank you friends and family. You touched my heart more than you will ever know. Thank you for loving me and my children!
The rain continued through Sunday, and we had a little trouble making it to church, but it was fine. we had 700 people in the service when the pastor was thinking there would be less than 50. We don't like missing church! It rained through most of Monday, and we got around 25-30 inches over the weekend, but thanks to a ton of pasture land and good flood planes, I was never worried about flooding. And now because we are in such good shape and so close to Houston, we are able to house many of the rescue workers in town, fuel up aircraft and our church is currently open to house medical teams at night. I'm happy with how available our community if to help the victims of Hurricane Harvey. We are in it for the long haul.
Francis had volunteered overnight and gone through official disaster relief training. I pray he will be a light when he is called down to Houston in the next month or two for clean up. I've been collecting up needed items and getting them to people/group who are driving down. I cry because it doesn't feel like enough. But God is in control and so I pray for those impacted.
Tuesday we started a new year of Classical Conversations. I am tutoring the boys' class this year, and so Tuesday was my first day back teaching in a classroom setting in years. It was bumpy and teaching my own kids was more challenging than I anticipated, but we made it through with the grace and love of the other moms in the room. I love my CC community. Hopefully next week will run smoother and I will get into a good groove. It was Robert's first time in class ever and he LOVED it. I'm so glad.
That's all for now. The kids are doing well. They have been enjoying the boys' birthday gifts, doing school, and being kids. Till next time!
The rain continued through Sunday, and we had a little trouble making it to church, but it was fine. we had 700 people in the service when the pastor was thinking there would be less than 50. We don't like missing church! It rained through most of Monday, and we got around 25-30 inches over the weekend, but thanks to a ton of pasture land and good flood planes, I was never worried about flooding. And now because we are in such good shape and so close to Houston, we are able to house many of the rescue workers in town, fuel up aircraft and our church is currently open to house medical teams at night. I'm happy with how available our community if to help the victims of Hurricane Harvey. We are in it for the long haul.
Francis had volunteered overnight and gone through official disaster relief training. I pray he will be a light when he is called down to Houston in the next month or two for clean up. I've been collecting up needed items and getting them to people/group who are driving down. I cry because it doesn't feel like enough. But God is in control and so I pray for those impacted.
Tuesday we started a new year of Classical Conversations. I am tutoring the boys' class this year, and so Tuesday was my first day back teaching in a classroom setting in years. It was bumpy and teaching my own kids was more challenging than I anticipated, but we made it through with the grace and love of the other moms in the room. I love my CC community. Hopefully next week will run smoother and I will get into a good groove. It was Robert's first time in class ever and he LOVED it. I'm so glad.
That's all for now. The kids are doing well. They have been enjoying the boys' birthday gifts, doing school, and being kids. Till next time!
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