The Monkey is 3!!!

Today is Macy's 3rd Birthday. I can hardly grasp that she is 3.... seems like yesterday that we were so blessed and were at the hospital with our sweet baby girl. She is so amazing and fun, my neighbor called her the queen of the rag-a-muffins yesterday and it fits. I love how she loves all things girly and carries purses with style, and play make-up all the time and yet loves to take rides on the 4 wheeler and play in the dirt too....usually while wearing a dress and with a giant bow in her hair! Her is a recap of her first 3 years....This morning I said Happy Birthday Angel....and she hugged me and corrected me saying I am a Monkey mommy....its the monkeys birthday.

Kid Classic

Ok so we are watching Enchanted....the princess gets pushed into a well, goes through some water and pops through a man hole in New York a real human. This all confused Macy...
"why did the mean lady do that...what happened to Gisell, how did she get real?"
So we said "the mean lady was the princes step mom, dressed up, and she does not what the Prince to get married, b/c she could not be the boss anymore, so she pushed Giselle in well that went to the magic hole and it sent her to the real world."
"So that is how she got real....through the magic hole?"
"Yes that is right."
"Is that how I got real...through the magic hole?...And Dale and Reid too we came through the magic hole?"
Duke and I look at each other and grin and say "yes that is how."
Macy adds...."Daddy too right." and Duke said "yes but a different one."
So she is ok with this answer and is now convinced she and Dale went through togeather....he held her hand underwater....
I guess my birds and bees speech is done...totally wrong and so messed up but done....

A few weeks back Reid asked How did Tanya get the baby in her tummy...I said she prayed with Scott to God to give them a baby, and took some special vitamins. Macy then terrified looks at me and asked "How did she open her mouth that big to swallow the baby." So we went throught how it starts small and grows big. Open can number 2 of worms....Reid asked "How do they get the baby out?" I told him she will get a really bad tummy ache and go to the hospital and the Dr.s take out the baby....HOW....he persues. Well you know your belly button...through there...it opens up big and then they tie it closed...that is how the baby and mommy are attached by belly buttons. He looked at his belly perplexed....I jumped in and said it ONLY happens when you are pregnant with a baby. A little relieved we dropped the convo and went on to something less permentaly destructive on the psyche. Again Birds and Bees speal botched....I am sure there will be more opportunities to mess this up again and again.... Dukes dad had him convinced he could lay eggs...and he turned out kinda normal.

Tons of Fun

We have been busy having fun here. This past week we started a rock quary in our front yard.....not really but that is what it looks like. We now have new retaining walls in the backyard and frontyard, and side yard, and new garden beds..... it started much smaller and we were going to do a couple walls and then it looked so great we decided to do another part and then had one bed/wall that was different and my OCD kicked in and Duke said Ok have them do it too and make it all match... So now we will have a much more level front and back yard and some great looking rock work, but the levelness will make the yard so much more usable and play friendly. So the sprinkler guy and landscaper will come this week.... weather permitting at the end of this week we will have sod. This is a huge high for me as I am tired of DIRT on clothes, in hair, on the floor...the dirt smell that has invaded my house...eeeewww... but all worth it in the end. I am sure my neighbors will be releived too as their kids have been playing in it and they have to look at the demolition.

Momma Sam came and gave us our Easter gifts that included Season Passes to Fiesta Texas, so on Friday...good Friday....we went. It was fun, but crazy crowded....much more than I think the park expected. They were very understaffed, and were closing food stations at 3:30 b/c all their minor aged workers had reached their hourly limit for the day. There was a 2 hour wait for just about every ride....which is torture for a child....and pretty rough on an adult too. Reid got in line for so many rides and we made it 30 mins and he said lets go I do not want to wait....we did this about 3 or 4 times. Macy fell asleep in one line and ended up sleeping on jackets by a building....actually not too bad...in the shade and clean so we took turns sitting with her and waiting in lines... the passes will be wonderful in the Summer on weekdays when we can go and enjoy with out all of San Antonio too. The Easter Bunny also delivered a bubble machine, giant hopper balls, playdough, hollow chocolate bunnies, sleeping bags, shoes, camping lantern, and stuffed animals and the Bee movie....good stuff... here are a couple shots of the egg hunt....Macy got a head start, then Reid and Dale....all found a big load of eggs filled with candy and money!

Reid has become really good on the 4-wheeler....he is convinced he is a stunt man....here are a couple of his latest jumps off a ramp Duke made for him....side note Duke also used the jump last weekend ....on the 50 cc motorcycle. Mind you Duke looks like a schriner on the motorcylce to begin with....he has to ride with his legs out straight infront of him and then is a foot off the ground....so he decides to take a Jump....obviously his brain was on vacation at this moment. He jumps... lands...feet hit the ground, knees get stuck in the handlebars....so he cannot turn....the bike keeps going and his crotch hit the rear tire and tore his leg up....and he falls to the ground....then jumps up and said TA DA....yes TA DA....no real damage road rash to the knee, torn jeans , and torn up thigh....could have been much worse....back to Reid ....here he is landing his jumps.




We also celebrated Macys birthday....a bit early so I am going to make you wait to see her AMAZING CAKE that my friend and co-worker made her....no kidding so much work went into that cake....it was so outrageous. Rewind....I started a tradition of having Macys cake match her dress, and doing a 2 tier cake....so when she was 1 it was pink and white, 2 multi-colored dots, and this year was this cute pink outfit with black and white gingham accents and a antimated Paris scene on the top....Sarah recreated the whole thing....WOW....she should do it professionally...really outstanding, and even named the cafe she drew as Macy's Cafe.....soo soo cute. And to top it off it was great cake too!....ok here is a picture of the cake

That is some searious detail on the cake....a perfect match to the outfit....traditon still in place...more birthday pics soon...and landscaping pics too..

10 YEARS AGO TODAY...

Duke and I and our family are celebrating our families 10th birthday. This is how we choose to celebrate our anniversary....a family birthday. SO 10 years ago this is was us.



Unfortunately we did not have the digital age then, so I had to manually scan in those photos....so there are not very many...Wow times have sure changed. That night was awesome...great party, great friends, great beginning. Duke and I said last night that we hope the next 10 years is just as good as these 10 have been. Duke and I are going to go out tonight and this weekend we are all going to IHOP for the family celebration....huh IHOP you might say....this is where we ate our first married meal....at 2:00 a.m. we walked 3 blocks in downtown Austin to eat, we were starving, as the the Reception meal that was packed for us did not make the limo and we had champagne and m&ms in the room and that was not going to cut it....so our IHOP tradition was born and how lucky for us b/c the kids eat great there!

4 wheeling bug

I have been pestering Duke to take the kids to a 4-wheeler ranch to ride. So this Sunday we did it. We went to Buffalo Valley MX. Wow the boys had the best time riding their 4 wheelers, over little jumps, and in mud holes, short trails. We were on the very tame end of the spectrum as there were bikes and 4 wheelers flying through the air like you would see at a motocross show. Reids little face when he saw a 4 wheeler fly over a jump was priceless...then he says...I wanna do that. So Duke took him out and he did a little jump and caught about 2 foot of air unintentionally and was sooo scared he stopped mid track and Duke had to convince him to keep going...and he did and loved it. He also found a mud hole and rode all day through it...over and over and over....with a HUGE grin. Dale was so scared but wanted to ride the motorcycle again, so we did it once with me on the back with him and then he did it alone.... sans the concrete wall, and he did great....not a pro yet and not ready for anything other than do not fall...but he is getting it. Macy also had a great time riding with Duke and I and the boys gave her small rides around the truck and thru the mud. I have no pictures as we figured no evidence would be best in case there was ever a CPS filing...no I forgot it, but Duke and I were very impressed with their focus and awareness of surroundings and other vehicles....I am sure there will be more of this soon to come as Reid is already asking when he can go get his 4 wheeler dirty again.
Also I got a great gift this weekend....not one I would have picked had I had the choice but will love and use .... a new washer and dryer. They are on order since my old big washer crapped out on Monday/ last week.....I do have my other small unit so I am not out totally but am certainly crippled a bit, anyhow it was cheaper to buy a set rather than separately.... a whirpool duet front load washer and dryer for 799.98...or just the washer for 799.98 no negotiating ....and the cheapest other front load washer was 599.99 and it was smaller in capacity...that the small one I have....and anywhere else the Duet is 1200-1300 bucks...so well worth the price, so I can rival a small Laundromat with my soon to be 2 washers and 2 dryers again...

Dis enchanted Voter

Ok we all know I am NO rocket scientist....Scott and Brad stop laughing...but I felt really stupid at the primary voting I did. I went in and the lady said what ballot...kinda off-guard I said a party....(we will keep all parties nameless)...."OK sign here," ....."take this to that man," .... I go to the booth and he pulls up a ballot...I see my ballot....THIS IS NOT WHAT I WANT! Too late now.... so I voted only for that party....which I did not want to do I wanted all the options, all the candidates, which is what I assumed would be there, so I could do a few Democrat a few Republican....I like to see all the names when picking the ones I like best for the offices...example: Wilbur McDoorstep I would pass over for Police Chief but would go for Colt Fastdraw. My question is am I really in the HUGE minority of idiots in not knowing that my party affifiation statment limited my options? I think you should be able to truly choose who you think would be best regardless of party affiliation? Not every Republican is the best for every job and same hold true for Democrats, but I had to pick only one side blindly. I know that the clear winners will go on and that you have the chance at the general election to vote either candidate but think a fairer way would be able to hand pick your dream ballot or the lesser of all evils ballot and submit it for thus by giving all a fair shot to all to get on the ballot. Duke said I should have said Independent and then I would have been given the ballot I wanted and option on all candidates....have not researched that, but he is a whole lot smarter than I so I assume he is right. And feel a little better that a friend of mine, who I think is really smart, did not know that to be an option either...., and if this is an option than it should be offered to you...what ballot Democrat, Republican or Independant. I think we have seen that the general public is not all election brainiacs and clearly I am not one, lets recall the "chad" fiasco....all the more reason to overly educate the public and tell them. But none the less my goal of going in to record for posterity that honestly I am not sold on any candidate, but really think it will come these 2 and if so, I want this one....FOR SURE NOT THAT ONE, never happened b/c I had the wrong party ballot to do so. But the right ballot of who I would like to ultimatly get it just a hair more, which is I guess is ok that I "voted for my team," although not my mission, b/c I think there is a snowball's chance in Hell it will happen, so if "THAT ONE," makes the ballot I will be ticked that I did not have to opportunity to share that I did not what them there...which as bassaquadards as this all sounds was my goal, and it TOTALLY MAKES SENSE IN MY OWN HEAD, so whatever and what if Colt Fastdraw was on the other ticket and I had no chance to see his cool name and honor him with my support and instead had to pick Shi Thead...b/c he ran unopposed on my ballot....get it Shi Thead...s h i t h e a d ...just a laugh to end this on....lets see what the rest of Texas said, b/c in November I might move to England!

I aged 7 years in 1 min today

What...ok I will explain. since I know this makes sense in my head, but you are not in my head....are you???
SO we have great neighbors...no news there....one has 2 boys that ride dirt bikes...the oldest is almost 15 and really talented on his bike....so Reid has an idol, and younger of the boys is in 5th grade. They have been riding so several years and have gotten pretty good, Dale learned to ride a 2 wheel bike uhhh 2 months ago and is still very much a beginner at that and a never ever on a motorcycle. We do own a small dirt bike....but the boys have not ridden it since they could not ride a regular bike and enjoy the 4 wheelers. The neighbors boys were riding the little 50 bike this weekend just for fun, and actually was good for the bike since we really have never ridden it in the 1.5 years we have had it. Dale decided after seeing how cool the older boys thought the bike was that he too wants to ride it now... did I mention he was a never ever on the motorcycle...ok so I am chatting with a neighbor....the one whos kids ride and Reid is riding a 4-wheeler...all is pretty good ...then I see in our front yard Dale, Duke and the motorcycle....ok...litterally all in like 30 seconds Dale guns it on the bike and is FLYING, Reid is rubbernecking to see and it not looking in front of him and there is a car backing out down the street, I holler at Reid who avoids the car and stops and Dale well he did not stop until he NAILED a 2 foot tall concrete wall on the other side of the driveway next to our yard...and flys off....Thank GOODNESS for Helmets...he was unharmed, a small bruise on the leg, huge shot to the ego as the older boys were watching him and he was embarrassed that he did not ride like a professional on his first time. So all the motorized things were put up for a while, but Reid did make a ramp with some plywood and a block of wood and did stunts and jumps off of that ALL day on his bike and on a razor scooter...which is nothing really new for Reid as he was doing "stunts" and "wheelies" on his foot powered 3 wheeler since he was 1 yr old, only difference is he is actually getting a little air off his jumps and stunts now...and the helmet is actually necessary rather than something to make parents giggle at their walking bobble head kids.
Hopefully in the next few weeks there will be great pictures of so new landscaping to our yard...hopefully Rock walls, leveling, new sod and plants and I was going to price a hot tub but think that will have to wait from a cost standpoint as the money tree I planted never took, died and gave a fungus to all the plants around it.