March madness

But nothing to do with sports...

These last few days have included time with a lot of my favorite people of ever.

We finished off "spring Break" with the Ponce bunch on Thursday of last week.
We went to see 'Mr Peabody and Sherman' and had lunch at Chickfila.
The movie was very cute, the kids had a great time playing, and Amanda and I got to chat for hours like old times!
It was a good day.

My mom called me Friday morning and asked if I would run errands with her before my brother's babies came over to stay the night...
My sister didn't want to go but volunteered to keep the boys for me so I could go.
We squeezed in manicures, pedicures and icecream while we were out, and made it back just in time to catch Ellie and Gunner and play for a few minutes.

We left mom's and met up with my SIL and her family for dinner.
They came over afterward and the boys rode around on the Ranger while us girls stayed in and chatted.

Landry and Dane stayed the night, and Lance played mommy-- since I had to get up and go to work Saturday morning.

Saturday night my kids went camping with my dad and Julie and we went on a "parents night out" on our friend's party bus.
I had a killer headache that wouldn't budge with Advil, Tylenol, or a Joe T's margarita-- but I still had fun with some beautiful people.
...I just had it over cocacola, water --and a nap on a "party bus"!

Wendy (who can wear a trashbag and still be beautiful) talked me into red lipstick.
Que the blog were I vowed that I would never wear it--
I wore it.
I loved it.
I over-selfied...
And I already bought my own.
Because Wendy knows what's up!

 

Monday is my laundry day, so typically there's not much fun to report.
It was St Patrick's day but as a SAHM, that's about as important as flag day.

My sweet husband however, walked in from work with flowers and candy for me, "because it's Monday" he said...
And a special delivery from our friend Kaleb for the boys.

Tuesday was an emotional one for me.
I let something dumb hurt my feelings and couldn't ditch my own drama.
But then I stopped in to my high school job and chatted, laughed and had lunch with my old boss Rayanne.
She not only picked up my mood, but also my tab-- and turned my day around!

Maddox had his first tball practice that evening...
but I was juggling Beckham, and call ...and only took one picture.

That night at dinner, I noticed something black in the back of Maddox's mouth.
He calmly said, "oh, it is probably just meat.  It sometimes get stuck in my hole."
I flipped out!!
Sure enough, there was a chunk of beef jerky in a space that use to be part of a tooth missing in the very back and though he said it didn't hurt, it needed to be fixed!

Julie was able to get him in the next day with the dentist that she works for.
Mom took Beckham with her to pick up Allison's car,
so Wednesday was just Maddox and I, which hasn't happened in 3 years!

We had lunch at Golden Moon, he took two fillings like a brave soldier, and then we got Legos at Target as a reward for being so incredible!

Dr Kemp was so kind and gave us an amazing rate, since he knew we were without dental insurance.
And I was very very thankful!

Thursday was pretty.
And we took advantage.

Maddox had practice again that evening, but we showed up a little early to play at the park next to his field before they got started.

A couple other little boys Beckham's age showed up for their brothers' practices, so he made two friends while Maddox practiced!

We drove to Alliance and met Candace and Audrey at the park on Friday to play.
It was a disastrous picnic of Chickfila but the weather was so pretty and we soaked it in.
And any time with Candace is good for my ab muscles.
And Al was a bonus.

We ran a few errands and Beckham was fit to be tied.
After shooing me away to poop in peace, I found him in only shoes--
in a public restroom.
You can't win them all.

Lance plays softball on Friday nights, so Allison and I made pizza bread and rented Red Box movies with the kids.

I worked Saturday.
My step-mom had promised the boys last weekend a movie-night to see the new Muppets movie--
and called to ask if she could take all 4 of the grandkids this Saturday.

Maddox had tball pictures and then we traded kids--  she borrowed my embarrassingly filthy car to fit everyone-- and then she picked up my Nana for their date.

I went to dinner with a few gal-pals,
and Lance and my sister went shopping for new pants!

Let us take a moment to see the difference two sizes down in pants make.
...And put wood on the fire to burn the old ones that he's never allowed to wear again!

Let us also notice that Paradise Panther gear he is sporting. ...And giggle.
I'll be working with him on the fight song, soon enough!  ;)

***
Chaney recommended Cane Rosso, and it was incredible!

It was also another weekend that I tried to order a drink and let it go to waste!
I tend to be an all or nothing kind of girl.
My $10 glass of wine was yucko, but the salad and pizza was the bomb.com, so it all evened out!

The company was perfect, and I had a grand time as always with some of the prettiest chicks I know!

All four babies wanted to stay the night with my dad and Julie, so Lance and I had a second Saturday night in a row; kidless.
Which is so strange!!

We picked up the kids today and went to my parents to ride the Rangers and four-wheeler.
The boys were wiped out from their slumber-party but LOVE-LOVE a little mud!
Mom said that we were gearing up for our Red River trip and Beckham very angrily shouted back, "dis not wed wiver... dis brown wata!"
And I guess he was right.
It was brown, stinky and fun!

 Tonight we booked a little fun for my thirtieth birthday in a few weeks,
and I am super-crazy excited!!

Not about turning 30--
but for the celebration.

Beckham turns 3 a few days after my birthday so I have got to get busy planning him something too.
March has been fun--
but with tball games about to start and three of the four people living in my home having birthdays,
April is going to be madness!

Another week in Paradise

Another week here has passed.
And despite another stomach bug invading our lives (the third one since December), it was a favorite!

***
Our friends Buster and Kelly had given us their son's old Hot Wheel but after buying a new battery, it still wouldn't work.

The boys were so excited about it and super bummed when it wouldn't work that I broke down and bought them a new one from Sam's.
It was some off-brand and only $149 --and since I had paid $70 for the battery for the red one, I justified it by promising myself that I would take the battery back and it would be like I was only paying $80 for the new one.  (that's how my mind works, in case you have ever wondered.)

I accidentally left the receipt home the day that I went to make the purchase and swap, and before we made it home, Pop found the part to fix the Hot Wheels for $15 and ordered it.

I was very thankful because the few days while we waited for the part, were full of fights.

The Hot Wheels one is definitely a better ride, but they don't seem notice-- they just love to roam!
And since Maddox is passive and Beckham loves red, he usually ends up with the faster one!

When they aren't outside on their new machines, they are ate up with Legos right now!
Both of them!

I don't love the fact that I step on one at least once a day or constantly suck them up in the vacuum, but I do love to see their imaginations come to life...
even Beckham who, without any help, made this and said, "I made Daddy's sticker for him!"
I was quite impressed!

Which brings me to my second splurge for my bigger love where we bought him the $6.99 Minecraft on the iPad after he told me that the free one resets all of his stuff every time he logs off.
I usually max my budget at .99 cents for apps...
that's even a splurge, if I am honest.
But he is really creative with that game and sometimes I am in awe of the things he can build with blocks and bricks and ladders.
He'll show me the houses he builds with rooms and book cases, and a BBQ grill and windows...
and I felt terrible that the poor kid starts from scratch each time so I went against my norm, and he was stoked!  Beyond stoked.
He is limited on how long I will let him stay on it-- because he'd build houses and roller coasters and jails 24 hours a day, if we didn't.
He still will not actually 'play the game', and I am good with that also!
He just builds and builds and builds... and in the new paid-for app, he types words on things so I justify that by telling myself he is learning to sound out words and spell... maybe a little geometry too?
Again, I like to justify.

And so does Lance, I guess.
Or he knows how to work me...

We met him Wednesday after he got off work for some Pho noodles that Maddox and I had been craving and to get his tball stuff.
I was overwhelmed with the price of this stuff... and we didn't even get him cleats or pants yet!
Lance reminded me that he will use it for another 2 or 3 years before Beckham will use it again, and we will get our money out of it.
Poor B.
Justified, no less.

After dinner and buying out Dicks Sporting Goods, Lance took the boys home and I went and had a snow-cone by myself and a little aimless shopping.
I left with a bottle of nail polish, a $10 shirt off of the clearance rack, and a breath of fresh air-- without kids.

...Until I got pulled over on the way home
...driving 15 BELOW the speed limit, and a light around Lance's license plate out.
The trooper was really nice.
No ticket.
I was appreciative, but also nervous, cold and trembling as if I was caught going 120 on a drug run.
I was a good 5 miles down the road before I realized I didn't have my headlights on-- and yet I don't remember turning them off?
I had a snow-cone, I'll reiterate.  No alcohol.

Thursday, I also got my new necklace in the mail from "Lance".
I am really into gold right now (including the bracelet my brother bought me when I graduated, and I wear daily) and my silver M and B necklace no longer matched my stuff.
Basically I ordered my own Valentine's gift...
That's how that worked.
No shame.

That same morning, Beckham woke up telling me his legs hurt.  He told my mom that his hip hurt and by that evening, he was a ball of whine.
At 11:00 I was talking on the phone to patients while wiping the puke off of my tiny boy-- straight multitasking.
We were up every 30 minutes to an hour the remainder of the night, until 4:00am when I finally gave him zofran which only bought us two and a half hours of rest-- but it was two and a half hours that I appreciated.

I stay at home 99% of my life-- and my kids are with me 100% of that time...
but of course the one time of ever that I had plans to leave them, we are hit with the beast.
David had taken off work so that he and mom could go to the Youth Fair, so in the spurts of sleep that I was getting; I kept dreaming that they were so mad at me.

I called mom and after she didn't answer, I went ahead and got dressed and woke the boys to take to her.
She was too kind and held my baby so that I could hop over to Jacksboro and judge a cheerleading tryout for one of my old Jr High teachers and I made it back by 11:00, where he and I napped.

Saturday, he perked up but I felt down.

I was on call both Saturday and Sunday, and I will almost have to lose a limb to give up my call-- so I pushed through.
Sunday I was better, call was fabulous, (as Maddox prayed for it to be... technically he prayed that "I wouldn't get crazy on my call", tomato/tomato) and we all spent the entire day out playing.

Lance woke up about 3:00am, following Beckham's lead.

Maddox woke up pale and listless also, but he (like myself) must have had just a mild case.
He stayed in bed until around noon, and then popped up ready to go.

Beckham was ornery and called me a "dirty robot", in a fit.

The man in my life clung to his life... as the most sickest human to ever vomit or have diarrhea ever has... and slept.
All day.
Have I mentioned that I would have never made a great adult nurse?
Well, I wouldn't have.

I cleaned... Quarantined them to one end of the house,
And hopefully bleached this bug right out the door.

Last night when laying down to sleep, I was telling Maddox all of the things I love about him...
"you're so kind, and smart, and funny, and helpful, and honest, and handsome, and so on" when he cut me off to tell me that I forgot a major one.
"He's incredible at karate."  He has never participated in karate... but by his own acknowledgement, is most likely incredible.

Today, Lance went to work and Beckham woke up by sitting straight up in bed and shouting "rock and roll" so I knew we were off to a better start!!!
We played in this gorgeous weather... all... day... long!
I just love sunshine.
Beckham pinched the hell out of Maddox... his words, not mine.
Maddox said he didn't know hell was a bad word-- but now he does.
And I am an idiot and the idea of sunscreen never crossed my mind, therefor my boys both have red shoulders.  I am sure they'd agree that bubbles, and Popsicles, and dirt, and rides until both batteries were dead were worth it.

Unless it peels, and then I'll feel ultra-terrible.

But I love it here.
It is like camping every day-- but with showers and air conditioner.

I love the warm weather...
And I am so ready for summer, if I haven't mentioned that before.

Another week in Paradise down...
(que the Phil Collins song!)

Everything is awesome!!

That was the theme song to the Legos movie that I took the boys to see Friday afternoon.
They sang it all day, and I think it was rather fitting.

Our date cost us a whopping $10, we had the entire theater to ourselves-- aside from one couple who stopped at us as soon as they walked in and said, "don't quiet them.  Let them enjoy this movie as if we aren't here."
Which is funny, because I have never seen the boys be so animated during a movie-- talking to the screen, telling me about what was "real" and what was not, clapping and cheering on the main character... so I was glad they gave me the 'go-ahead', I didn't censor them a bit!

Maddox picked Cici's for lunch and they each got 4 quarters to spend in the arcade-- to which Maddox somehow finagled Beckham into giving him one of his.

It was awesome.
And a stark contrast to my date from the Friday before.

It was the ten year anniversary of the date that Lance proposed to me (and the 12th anniversary to the day that he asked me to be his girlfriend)... Somehow he remembered that and he redeemed his botched Valentine's Day with a surprise dinner at Bob's Steak and Chophouse, and it was so good.

The in-betweens of the week were great too.
Mom and I finally painting the boys' bedroom...
We played with the Vest girls before they increased their family size by one...
We finally received our missing mail-- and Valentine's Day treats from my dad and step-mom, and their cards with cash from Nana.
And I went against all that I am made of and surprised the boys with a little Power Wheels thing-- that they have fought over, since the minute it was put together.

Saturday was beautiful and 80 degrees... We stayed outside all day, and cooked out that evening with my parents.

I typically work on Saturday mornings but was on call instead-- though it was busy, it was nice to be home.

Maddox said that he wished I could get fired so that I would never go to work again.  ...Or I could get hired at Chili's as an assistant manager, so he could come eat at my work!!

Sunday it froze.  12 degrees and ice.
We went to church and Beckham started crying as soon as he saw his room.
I asked if he and Maddox could be in the same class but they said no.
I started crying, because I am a cry baby like that and I could tell that he was truly over-whelmed, which I hate.
Then I spotted an old friend in his room.
Lindsey took him from me and loved on him like I would.
I snuck out during the service and watched the video, and she was still holding him and reading him a book.
I was so thankful for her being there--  and Beckham said he had so much fun too.

We spent the rest of the day in our PJs, watching movies on Pay-preview and then the Oscars at my parents.
Beckham hosted a dog-show with my mom's dogs, saying "ta-da" when the dogs did absolutely nothing and gave them treats!

I love it here.
I love the simplicity of this place.
I love that we don't eat out very much anymore...
Lance drives almost two hours to work some days, so he is just ready to be home-- and we are ready to see him.
I love that my boys don't have wifi on the iPad anymore, and spend far less time on it.
I love the weekends.

Everything is awesome.
Ordinary... simple... but awesome.