Brotherly Love....

After a quick visit to see Jon at the shop, the boys decided to walk back to the house ahead me. As I followed them, I saw Tyler stop and give Ryan my shoes (Tyler had put on my garden shoes to walk to the shop and I had carried Ryan). They walked on hand in hand…Ryan in my big shoes and Tyler barefoot. This simple act of brotherly love brought tears to my eyes as I watched them walk back home….

Toy Story 3

Toy Story 3

I took the boys to see Toy Story 3 this afternoon. Toy Story has always been my favorite animated childrens film and Toy Story 3 is probably my favorite one yet. Toy Story 3 is such a sweet and heartbreaking movie about a boy who out grows his toys and goes off to college.

I am glad I had extra napkins…I sure needed them…not because of sticky fingers, but because as Andy and his mom were looking around his room one last time before he drove off to college I couldn’t help but think of my own boys going off to school some day (too soon).

So until the day the boys outgrow their toys and I have to pack all them all away, I will cherish the days of:

toys all over the living room floor, hidden legos in the carpet just waiting for my foot to step on them, a play room that looks like a tornado went through it, and yes, trips to the toy store.

I treated the boys to lunch and a trip to Target after the movie….Ryan picked out this Woody costume and Tyler picked out Slinky. When they got home they gathered all their Toy Story toys and had me take a picture. Oh…these are the days!!!!!

tired...

Tired....

too tired to write today....I'll be back tomorrow.

Living in the country...

Living in the country has lots of advantages. One in particular is all the animals my son’s have had the opportunity to see first hand. They’ve seen: a calf being born, horses, cows, swans, ducks, rabbits, long horns, sheep, goats, raccoons, armadillos, possums, turtles, and recently an owl.

Jon’s parents live just down the street from us. A couple of months ago his mom told us that an owl was nesting in their trees and just had a baby. Some times she even finds the baby owl taking a bath in her sprinkler.

Every time we go over to their house we search for the owl…and he is always close by. We found him one day just sitting on the ground by a tree…we probably got within 25 feet of it…he just sat there. (of course I didn’t have a camera with me)

We don’t know how long he will stay….we hope for a while. It is neat having a “pet” owl.

I tried to get a picture the other day, but he was high up in a tree and it didn’t come out that great. The picture above is from a web site. I will keep trying to get a good picture of our owl.

There are many types of owls, some are really ugly!!! “Ours” is called the Barred Owl…we think he’s pretty cute!

My handwriting

My handwriting….not so good I guess.


Tyler just told me the funniest thing and I thought it was worth another post…

I am helping him with “summer home work”…to keep his mind fresh on everything he learned this past year. Anyway as part of his writing activity he is writing a thank you note for one of our neighbors. I wrote a couple of lines to help him out and he had to copy them in his own handwriting. After several questions of…”mommy what does this say”…he told me….”Mommy good thing you draw much better than you write…you have the worst handwriting…you need to go back to kindergarten.”

Mom, if you’re reading this I remember telling you the same thing about your handwriting…guess it must run in the family.

I guess my handwriting does look a 7 year olds....bubbly and loopy...at least I didn't dot my I's with little hearts....

Hair Cut Day

Hair Cut Day


Today was “hair cut day” for the Dahl boys….daddy, Tyler, and Ryan.

I have to say I am so proud of how they act when they get their hair cut (I am talking about Tyler and Ryan). Since their very first hair cut, neither one of them cry, fuss, or move when they are getting their hair cut. They just sit perfectly still.

I remember the days of having to take them to the “kiddy” hair cut places…you know the ones, with train tables, children crying, tv screens at every station, and chairs that look like fire trucks. Thankfully, we have long since out grown those places and now we take them to the ‘big boys” hair cut place….Sport Clips. Gotta love Sport Clips…they do such a great job on boys hair…it’s fast and every hair cut looks great. They have a special hair cut that is called the MVP….it includes: hair cut, hair wash, head massage, steam towel, and back massage. It’s not cheap, so when my 7 year old asked if he could get the MVP, I was surprised and a little amused. It was right before the new school year so I agreed. He had the best time! So every now and then for special occasions he will get the MVP. My little one hasn’t asked for one yet…but, I’m waiting. For those of you who are wondering….yes, daddy gets the MVP too from time to time.

So needless to say, this mom never dreads, hair cut day. And don’t they just look so cute!!

It’s the simple things…

It’s the simple things that make me happy…like coloring with the boys.

After breakfast this morning, Tyler, Ryan, and I cuddled back up in my bed to watch cartoons. Then Tyler left and came back with paper, crayons, and a magazine for each of us to use to color on. Although I have been known to be crafty…drawing is not something I am good at. I still draw like I did in first grade. But, don’t tell my seven and four year olds I am not good at drawing ....we all drew pictures of frogs, ladybugs, butterflies, monkeys…and you know what, they thought my pictures were pretty good.

The photo is of our artwork we made this morning….I bet you can tell which one is Ryan’s, but I bet you CAN’T tell which picture is Tyler’s and which is mine…..like I said, I still draw like I did in first grade…our drawings look pretty similar.

But, it doesn’t matter to me if I can’t draw….I had a great time!!!!

June 21st 2010: Offical First Day of Summer

Swimming

I asked the boys today what the best thing about summer was and they both answered: swimming and snow cones.

Today is the “official” first day of summer…although here in South Texas it seems summer starts in April, it starts getting….hot hot hot. So when the thermostat reads 100 and the heat index is 107, the only thing you can do outside (and not suffer from heat stroke) is to go swimming.



It’s time again to break out the swim trunks and bikinis and head to the pool….but before you do don’t forget the sunscreen. Did you know?


Sunscreens have not always been so prevalent. The first commercial sunscreens came out during World War II, when U.S. sailors used zinc oxide preparations to prevent sunburn. The general public picked up the practice in the 1950s and 1960s.

Annual sunscreen sales in the U.S. and Europe are each about $100 million.

Although some believe that sunblock and sunscreen are both the same, they are not. Although they have similar properties and are both important in caring of the skin, sunblock is opaque and is stronger than sunscreen since it is able to block a majority of the UVA/UVB rays and radiation from the sun, thus not having to be reapplied several times a day.

Happy Swimming!!!

Father's Day

Father’s Day


Happy Father’s Day Jon, to the best husband and daddy in the whole world.

Definition of a daddy according to Ryan: Daddy is someone who works, kisses, hugs, and plays.

Definition of a daddy according to Tyler: Dads work, love, play, and best of all dads’ love your family.



The history of Father’s Day:

The idea for creating a day for children to honor their fathers began in Spokane, Washington. A woman by the name of Sonora Smart Dodd thought of the idea for Father's Day while listening to a Mother's Day sermon in 1909.
Having been raised by her father, William Jackson Smart, after her mother died, Sonora wanted her father to know how special he was to her. It was her father that made all the parental sacrifices and was, in the eyes of his daughter, a courageous, selfless, and loving man. Sonora's father was born in June, so she chose to hold the first Father's Day celebration in Spokane, Washington on the 19th of June, 1910.

Random Father’s Day Facts:

Father’s Day is celebrated in 55 countries.

This is a big day for the 66.3 million fathers in America.

Mr. Mom is becoming a more common sight at parks across America with 147,000 estimated “stay-at-home” dads

In 1916, US President Woodrow Wilson approved the idea of observing an annual Father's Day.

In 1966 President Lyndon Johnson signed a presidential proclamation declaring the 3rd Sunday of June as Father's Day.

Father's Day is the fifth most popular card-sending holiday, with an estimated $100 million in card sales. Husbands, grandfathers, uncles, sons and sons-in-law are honored as well as father.
“

Stupid Smelly Bus

Stupid Smelly Bus

Junie B. Jones is on a 17 city bus tour, called “The Stupid Smelly Bus” tour. She travels from city to city in her pink bus driven by Mr. Woo. Friday I took the boys to see her at Barnes and Noble in the Woodlands. She put on a free half hour show and at the end stamped all the children’s books and posed for pictures.

She is just as silly in person as she is in her books…ok, maybe sillier in person….she had me laughing so hard I had tears in my eyes. The boys were enthralled by her…Tyler couldn’t wait to get his picture taken with her…Ryan was too shy.

This “free” show ended up costing me $25 for 3 books and one t-shirt….but this mom’s not complaining. It was worth every penny and any thing I can do to encourage a love for reading is worth it to me.

Definition of a Friend....

Definition of a friend according to a seven year old boy:

“A friend is someone you care about. If they fall down you help them get up. A friend is someone you want to have a play date with.”

I looked up the definition of friend in the dictionary it’s as follow:
1 a : one attached to another by affection or esteem b : acquaintance
2 a : one that is not hostile b : one that is of the same nation, party, or group
3 : one that favors or promotes something (as a charity)
4 : a favored companion

I think I like my seven year olds definition of friend better.

Definition of a “girl” friend according to a seven year old boy:
“Someone you want to kiss”

Here’s the dictionary’s definition of “girl” friend:
1 : a female friend
2 : a frequent or regular female companion in a romantic relationship

As a mom to this seven year old...I like Webster’s first definition: a female friend better.

Page 3 of my summer essay:

Today while picking up Tyler from CCE or (Vacation Bible School), a young girl (but WAY older than Tyler, I think she is in middle school is a helper in Tyler’s class) came out to say good bye to Tyler and patted his head and said, “I just think he is such a doll!!! He is so sweet!” She said this to me as Tyler blushed.

In the car he hands me a picture she drew for him. It said To: Tyler From: Frankie I think you are so adorable and my favorite. Oh my I thought to myself…isn’t she a little old for him!! I told him I was going to keep this and put it in his baby book (along with this journal entry…hoping he will get a kick out of it someday).

I am not bothered by this “older” girl’s affection for Tyler. I have to agree with her rather kind words...I am biased of course, and for those of you who know him…he is a rather sweet and cute boy. I am also not bothered by this because of the following conversation. (We talk about everything! I always want them to feel like they can talk to me about anything….yes, even girls.)

Our conversation:

I ask him, “Tyler, what is your definition of a friend?”

Tyler responds, “a friend is someone you care about. If they fall down you help them up. A friend is someone you want to have a play date with.”

“Oh”, I say, “That’s a great definition”. I then ask, “What is your definition of a “girl" friend?”

He says, without batting an eye, “someone you want to kiss.”

“Oh, do you have a girlfriend?” I ask. (Already knowing the answer)

“No!!”

“When can you have a girlfriend?” (I ask again already knowing the answer…we’ve talked about his before)

“Not until I am at least 16. You have to be old enough to drive so you can go on a date. Now, can I just play my game and not talk about this anymore,” he says.

I smile as I drive home, but think to myself…the answer used to be “not until I am 18 years old”…uh oh!

The picture on top is of Tyler and his first “girl” friend: female companion. They hadn’t seen each other in over 2 years. We met for lunch the other day and they picked up right where they left off….playing in the sandbox!!!

The 3 R's: Roaches, Rats, and Raccoons

The 3 R’s: Roaches, Rats, and Raccoons

If you know me, you know that I am terribly afraid of mice and rats. I can’t stand to see them in person or on TV…watching Ratatui was even hard for me. And forget about going to the pet store…I break out in goose bumps just having to walk by the mice display (and why is it the mice display is in the center isle of the pet store and the cute cuddly cats are always way in back?????).

Soooo when my friend told us about a new show called Billy the Exterminator I thought uh oh……but being the “great” mom I am I tivoed it for the boys so we would see what it was all about. Guess what? Surprise…it is all about roaches, rats, raccoons, and any other ferment you will find living in southern Louisiana. And guess what?? The boys love it! The first show we sat down to watch was about a rat infestation. I had to walk out of the room. Tyler, my sweet son, says “mom it’s OK Billy is talking about Raccoons now, you can come back.” I walk back in to see rats and more rats….THANKS SWEET TYLER….as he laughs. Why do boys think it’s funny when mom gets grossed out?????

I will admit the show is pretty interesting, that is, when they aren’t exterminating a house with such a bad roach investigation that Billy finds a dead rat being eaten by more roaches. I once told a friend I would rather have a million roaches crawling on me than see one single mouse….I might reconsider this after watching this roach episode.

I must thank Billy, the inspiration, for this great picture of the boys. They took it upon themselves to dress up like him. Oh ya, and thanks Billy for letting us know what is good Raccoon bait….we seem to have our own little Raccoon problem here.

Page 2 of my summer vacation essay would sound something like this:

“The boys and I went out to swim one day while Jon was away. As we turned the corner we heard an unfamiliar sound. To our surprise we saw a baby Raccoon trying to get into the shop. The boys and I froze as we watched it. We finally decided to get in the pool. The boys tried to be quite as they swam…they didn’t want to scare the baby Raccoon. A couple of minutes later I could feel an unfamiliar pair of eyes staring at me….yes, it was the mommy raccoon coming out to get her baby. I jumped…which caused the boys to scream…as we watched her and the baby disappear up into the rafters of daddy’s shop.

Tyler then says, “Mommy can we call Billy to come get these Raccoons?”

“No Tyler, Billy lives too far away…but we are lucky, we have our own Billy the Exterminator aka…Daddy. When daddy gets home he can trap them.”

Now 2 traps are set with Trail Mix (thanks Billy for the suggestion) and it’s been 2 days and no Raccoons yet…..maybe we will be giving Billy a call after all.”

What I did on my summer vaction

Remember the days of your first day of school when the teachers made you write a short essay titled "What I did on my summer vacation". I was always worried my essay would be boring, but some how it was always filled with lots of exciting adventures, travels, and tales.

As a grown up I still look forward to summer vacations and with 2 wonderful boys I don't have to worry that if a teacher asked me to write a essay about our summer vacation that it would be boring....no quite the opposite I'm sure!!!

So we are in only week two of summer vacation and so far my essay would sound something like this....

"How I got my son to eat more vegetable during summer vacation"

"We are only in week two of summer vacation and so far Jon went to Rhode Island to install a large cabinetry job. This was the first time he was away from home. I didn't know how the boys would react to him being gone so long....well 9 days is a long time for us. They did great until bedtime on day two. Ryan began sobbing saying he misses his daddy and Tyler starts crying saying his lower abdomen hurts. Oh my, I say as I grab the phone to call daddy. He talks to Ryan to try to sooth him as I see what's bothering Tyler....OK talking to daddy 2000 miles away didn't help, made it worse. All the while Aunt Renee who is vising from Nashville is taking a relaxing shower and unaware of the drama that is unfolding in the bedroom. Ryan and Tyler finally fall asleep. Then an hour later Tyler wakes up complaining of pain again. I immediately think appendicitis.....no fever, no nausea, but I was worried. I know if Jon were here he would have said it's just gas and not to worry. Not me. I wake up Aunt Renee and ask her to stay with Ryan as I take Tyler to the emergency room. An hour and $2000 later, I found out I was right....it's gas or severe constipation. We left after the doctor told Tyler he needed to eat more vegetables......like that is going to happen. Did I over react? Maybe, but Tyler and I got home and had a great night sleep. And the next morning he said..."mommy what kind of vegetables should I try to eat". Who would have thought that a visit to the emergency room would make my son try vegetables....what ever works....right?