Planting

Tis Spring - planting time. So Logan got his first lesson in planting. I bought him two "comes with everything" pots at Lowe's. One is a pumpkin, and the other a sunflower. His favorite part about planting the seeds - pouring the water over the peat to get it to fluff up. We also planted some beans in the green pot - I figure they'll pretty much work for any sort of thumb you've got - green or otherwise.

After planting - he was not impressed that his hands were dirty. When it's okay to get dirty he doesn't like it, but when he's supposed to stay clean, he gets dirty. BOYS!

Our little garden - right off our patio. Hopefully, we'll get some sort of crop this year! Last year all our tomatoes cracked (we got all of 5 from 3 plants) and our bell peppers were pretty much nonexistent. I'm praying for better returns this year!

My roses - all mulched and ready to bloom (we have a bud on the small yellow rose). They some how survived the light freezes that we had this winter. After Shane dug up the plumeria (it was dead from the freezes - along with our Mexican lemon tree), we had a huge space. So we planted a Knock-out rose, sort of like an old fashioned rose. It's a beautiful, almost hot pink color. It'll be a nice addition!

This isn't a snake - some day, I'll actually have French drains! We're one step closer! Our side yards do not drain for weeks and it makes the ground rather odoriferous. So if we're ever home on a weekend, we might actually dig a trench and put gravel and this pipe in.

Zoe makes a good road

Zoe, sweet dog, loves being up on the couch (where she's not allowed to be unless invited). But if she's there, she has to deal with whatever else may crawl up.

Like Logan. And Logan's Motorcycle.

She makes a very good road, and is very good at cuddling too!

Antique toys

The other day, Logan found the antique toys in the hutch. He brought this one out, and went to blowing on it again. It makes me laugh because the last time we played with it was before Kayleigh was born - a year ago! But he remembered how to blow on it and hook the little ball on the hoop.

Then we showed Kayleigh how to do it. And she loved it too!

The kids had so much fun playing with this little toy, that the next day, Logan got it out again for them to play with! As Shane said, Grandma and Papa would have been so impressed that we were using this toy from their house!

Cousin Zoo

On Saturday, March 20, the kids and I went into town to see Chris, Amy, Adam, and Lottie. Apparently, everyone wanted to go into town, because we couldn't find parking anywhere. We ended up parking over close to Reliant Stadium and taking the Light Rail over to Hermann Park. Logan was super excited to take the train. Here the kids are waiting on the platform.

Here comes the train!

Logan and Kayleigh on the train. They watched the world go by. Logan grabbed the camera and took some pictures of people on the train - they thought he was hilarious! (Thank goodness!)

Finally, after getting off in the Medical Center, we walked to the Houston Zoo (it seemed like it was a mile away). We found Uncle Chris, Aunt Amy, Adam, and Lottie. The kids wanted to get as close as possible to the animals.

But Logan wanted "up" to get an even closer look...

The boys kept together by holding hands - Logan had a death grip on Adam's hand.

We went to see the giraffes. Amy really loves giraffes, so Lottie called them "Mommy".

Bapa's two favorite girls!

Adam in the piranha tank - no, you really crawl in a tube through the tank.

Logan went in the tube, and I waited for him on the other end. But a little girl crawled out and said there was a baby going out the wrong way. Yup, that was Logan!

After a few hours of Zoo-ing, it was time to go home. We walked back to the Light Rail station, took the train back to Reliant Park, walked back to the truck and drove the 80 minutes home. Seriously, a usual 30 minute trip took 80 minutes. But the kids got a nice nap in after looking at animals all day!!

Helping Angela move

This past weekend, we took an adults only trip to Austin to help pack up Hope's sister, Angela, and move all her big stuff back to Houston with us. Happily, Shane's mom was able to fly down and watch the kids while we took the truck and trailer to Austin. How awesome is she, that she'll make the ~12 hour trip to watch the kiddos?!

The kids had a great time with Grandma. Logan was a bit concerned when he went to bed the first night she was in town - he wanted to say goodnight to Grandpa. After explaining that Grandpa was at his house, Logan finally went to sleep. Kayleigh enjoyed walking on the bubble wrap, with a little help from Grandma.

Okay, Sunday afternoon, and we're ready to go. Filling up the truck and mugging for the Japanese tourist, aka Karen.

The soon to be neighborhood gang (Shane, Karen, Phillippia, Hope, and Angela) at one of the four Kerbey Lane's in Austin. Yummers! Between that and Bone Daddy's the night before, we needed to lift some heavy boxes to burn some calories!

While Shane packs up the trailer, puts tarps over all of it, zip-ties the tarps together, and then winches straps over all of it, the women have a nice coffee break, with yummy Starbucks Angela made for us.

Angela should be moving in officially this weekend. We're really excited to have a new addition to our neighborhood family!

Party time - in the bathroom

To keep Logan on the potty, Daddy thought a fun way to keep him there would be to pass a huge ball back and forth. It works! And Kayleigh likes to watch all the action, too. What a riot!

Some people pay good money for this...

Some people pay good money to have scantily clad males clean their houses. At my house, it's free!

And others pay good money to have young management this good looking - again, free!

Then there are those who pay to have their yards taken care of, but these two are cheaper than any lawn service out there!

Potty time

Logan has been doing really well with potty training. Although I'm convinced that half the time he just goes so he can get some candy, but I can't complain, because he always goes. He would much rather "stinky" in the potty than go in his pants. The hard part is getting him to stop playing long enough to go tee-tee. On a happy note, we went to Papasito's tonight with some friends, and Logan told Daddy and I that he had to be tee-tee. The three times he went, he actually went. And when we came home and got ready for bed, he had a dry diaper! Wow!!

Today, though, Mommy had to potty (I know, it happens on occasion). Kayleigh had decided to stay in the bathroom after Logan had gone potty. So I went in, sat down with my pants over my knees. Pretty soon, there was a toddler in the bathroom saying, "Up, please, Mommy". After getting shot down on that request, started playing with his trucks on my pants - that were between my knees. Two kids in a small bathroom - privacy is a myth! Or perhaps something only Daddy's get.

Clap your hands

Kayleigh has learned a new trick! She can clap her hands! And sometimes she says, "Yay!" and claps at the same time. Logan thinks this is great and will start in on the clapping and "yay"ing as well.

Yay! *Clap* *Clap* *Clap*

Houston Zoo - in the rain

Today, we went to the Houston Zoo - in the rain. Which in some ways was not too bad since there was no one else there! Most exhibits we had to ourselves, and we tried to stay inside as much as possible. Of course, it is almost back up to normal March temperatures, so it was rainy, but around 65F, so not too bad.

We went to one house that had several fish tanks in it (one was a piranha tank with a crawling tube through it...which was unfortunately closed). But Logan got to see the Coral Reef tank - where he found both Dori and Nemo-fish! Good eyes, Logan!


We got to the zoo early enough to see the elephants get their baths! Their keeper even came out and talked to us. He told us that elephants get bathed everyday to check their skin, to check their disposition (which will tell them if they are getting sick), and to just clean off all the muck on them. We heard some big BANGS from inside the elephant house, and the keeper said it was the other elephant making noise because he wasn't getting any attention while the other elephant got a bath!


Her Daddy and Kayleigh are looking at the giraffes. Kayleigh really enjoyed the giraffes and kept reaching her hand out to try and touch them.


Logan, the helper boy, had to push the stroller for much of the time we were at the zoo.


At the end of the day (we left just before noon - with zoo memberships you don't feel bad not making a full day of it), we saw the sea lion show. Did you know the difference between seals and sea lions? Sea lions have external ears and can "walk" on all four flippers over dry land. Both kids really enjoyed the show.


For lunch, we went to Texadelphia in the Rice Village. Yum! Cheesesteaks with nachos - can't be beat. On the way home, Kayleigh and Logan slept, which meant when we got home, though they were tired, they were not ready to go back down for a nap. Looks like bedtime will be early tonight...

Number SIX

Well, Shane and I have officially been married SIX years. Count 'em, that's more than a handful people! I, being the slacker I am, did not get him anything. I figure I'll get him some swishy pants when I can get his cute butt out shopping.

But Shane - he is amazing...

Saturday morning, Shane is late coming home from work. I thought he was doing the last minute Walmart run, as he did on Valentine's Day. But no, it was union business, and as a shop steward, he had to stay.

Anyway, at 11am, the doorbell rings. Flowers were delivered! Amazing! Shane rarely gives me really nice flowers, usually it's just the grocery store flowers. So yay! That was enough for me! They were beautiful.

Then I opened the card. "PS. Something special awaits you behind my favorite food." I knew he'd gotten pizzas, so I looked behind them in the freezer. Sure enough, there was a card waiting for me as well as a carton of ice cream (oh no, so not on WW!). I didn't open the ice cream, thinking we'd have it that night.

When Shane got up, he asked me if I'd had any ice cream. When I answered in the negative, he told me to go get some. When I opened the lid, there was a small Tupperware container in the middle. Inside that was a white gold locket, something I've been wanting for a while. Awesome!

Then, because six years is the iron or candy anniversary, he wrapped up cereal boxes that claimed to have "IRON" in them! Heehee!

I'm so glad to be married to such a creative man with a great sense of humor! He apparently is blessed with a great amount of patience, because he's put up with me this long. What a blessing he is to me and our kids! And what fun!

Hey, Babies, only 44 more years left - then you can ditch this old bag... heh heh.

Gram's birthday!

On Thursday, February 25th, Logan, Kayleigh, and I went up to Arkansas to help Gram and Bapa celebrate Gram's 60th birthday. We forgot to bring her a red jacket, as is Japanese custom when you turn 60, but we figured with her on Weight Watchers, she wouldn't fit into anything we brought anyway after a few weeks!

The flight going to Arkansas was pretty easy, and thank goodness for the new TSA "slow lanes" for people with kids! The regular line was over 30 minutes long, but we got in the "slow lane" and in line for the x-rays in 10 minutes! I also had gotten Logan a few presents (2 matchbox cars and a pack of Starbursts for the flight) and wrapped them up. He opened one car in the airport and the Starbursts as well. It made waiting for the flight much more pleasant. Plus, he met some friends as he threw Kayleigh's ball with them. Anyway, we got on the plane, and he turned to me and said, "More presents?" So much for that attitude of gratitude!!

Gram was waiting for us at the gate (yay!), and once we picked up our luggage, we headed out to get hamburgers at the place that makes HUGE hubcap hamburgers. Dad and I split one, and we were both full! They have amazing onion rings though. Yummy, yummy!

Friday, Mom, Kayleigh, and I went to a birthday lunch with a sweet bunch of Mom's friends. What a fun gaggle they are! They were more than delighted to have Kayleigh there, and were very happy to have me along for the ride as well. Kayleigh got a little tired when we reached the tea room where we had lunch, so I walked her around the store. Once she fell asleep, we made a coat pallet for her on the floor where she slept all of lunch. Another patron of the store wanted to look at the cute baby doll on the floor. We told her, no, that's a real baby, though cute as a doll!

While we were gone, Logan and Bapa went to the church playground. Bapa put Logan's carseat in the front seat of Mini, which Logan LOVED. He loved seeing out the front windshield. So after that, he always wanted to go in "Bapa's car".

Saturday, we went to the Peabody Hotel to see the ducks swim in the fountain, though before we went there, we stopped by the Arkansas Nature Conservation place and got to see fish from different locations in the state. Both kids enjoyed looking at the fish, trying to catch them through the glass.



Then we made our way to the Peabody hotel to see the ducks. Logan was super impressed with their glass elevator. We took the elevator up on the other side where you could see the river. Not so impressive, but going up on the hotel side, so neat! Lots of laughing and waving.



Gram and Bapa knew the duck master, Lloyd, and he set it up so the kids got a free duck for their visit. There were so many ducks to choose from: Elvis ducks, cowboy ducks, soccer ball ducks, basketball ducks, just married ducks, keychain ducks, snowmen ducks, Santa ducks, and the list could go on! This picture shows about a third of the duck selection...


Logan chose a green keychain duck, and we got Kayleigh a duck with a ribbon. Apparently, it was a tasty duck! (Maybe it was Peking duck?)


The kids and grandparents waited pretty patiently. Logan did well not to jump in the fountain.

Finally, it was time for the ducks. The red carpet was laid out and vacuumed, junior duck masters were introduced, and then the ducks came down the elevator. Seriously, the elevator was closed to everyone but the ducks. Then it was a race from the elevator to the fountain!


Once the ducks started swimming in the fountain, Kayleigh had a front row seat with Gram. She liked watching the ducks swim from platform to platform.


Logan also had fun watching the ducks. He met a new friend, Ava, who he was telling, "Ducks, swimming!" So exciting! The two of them talked for a long time before Ava had to leave.


Sunday, I got to sing with Mom and Dad's praise band at church. I only got to sing in the second service due to no nursery during the first, but it was great fun anyway! Logan was confused that Gram and Bapa left him on Sunday. I kept telling him that they were at church, but he went around the house yelling, "Bapa, are you?! Gram, are you?!" Of course, this was a favorite refrain all week. The "where" part of the sentence gets dropped for convenience, I guess.

Logan got to do lots of fun projects while he was at Gram and Bapa's house. He got to watercolor, make egg carton caterpillars, and help bake Gram's birthday cupcakes. Fun! He also got to play the guitar and sing.


Kayleigh and Logan had fun knocking down blocks with Bapa. Lots of clapping and screeching. Logan also became a pro at "The Little Red Caboose". Now I read it and say, "The little red caboose always came" "LAST!" He loves that story!


Gram and Bapa got a little sick on Saturday (thankfully, it wasn't the stomach bug we had, but a day deal), so we weren't able to see Aunt Delma and Uncle Wayne. That's sad, because they are such neat people. Anyway, Aunt Delma dropped off Easter baskets for the kids anyway. The bunnies were a huge hit! Logan got a BLUE BUNNY, which means, according to Uncle Doug, it much NEVER be thrown away, or the loss of the bunny will be held over the mother's head for eternity.


We had such fun at Gram and Bapa's (I actually got some scrapbooking down, happy days!). So much fun that when we got off the plane in Houston, Logan ran out of the jetway and saw a woman and yelled "Gram!!" He didn't quite comprehend that we had left Gram and Bapa at the other jetway in Little Rock. Then at baggage claim we saw a slightly balding man with a leather jacket on. "Bapa!!" Then on the way home, "Mommy, Bapa's house? Bapa's house?" Maybe we'll go back sometime, I'm sure it's WAY too quiet up there...