Spampinato Family

Not so much fun on the trampoline

2012-01-04T07:02:00.000-08:00

On Sunday, November 13th we finished lunch and headed over to the neighbors to bring them a "Welcome to the Neighborhood" dinner. As we were walking back across the street, I thought it would be a great idea to jump on the trampoline. The weather was just beautiful and we really needed some outside time. We all took turns and I bounced Kade a few times. We were laughing and sharing stories....just a great afternoon. Krew started to get a bit fussy so I took him in for a feeding and Mike stayed with Kade. About 30 minutes later I heard knocking at the back door. I could not get up because Krew was still eating and I knew they would come around to the front. Sure enough they were soon at the front door and Mike was carrying a teary eyed 7 year old. I had to first calm Mike down before I could check on Kade. Kade pointed to the area around his knee and said it hurt. I had him try to stand and his leg buckled. I knew right then that his leg was broken. I then started to get upset.....but I had to remember that Kade would be as calm as we were. I quickly go online to check him into the emergency room (love that you can do this now) and called mom to come and keep the baby. We headed to Lake Pointe Hospital and they took us back right away. The xrays began and I was curious as to why they were focusing on the upper part of his leg. It never crossed my mind that it was his femur, but it was. He had broken his femur, the hardest bone to break in your body. They informed us that we would be transported by ambulance to Children's Hospital in Dallas. WHY? They felt more comfortable with a pediatric orthopedic taking a look at Kade and deciding whether or not he needed surgery. SURGERY? This terrified me, but I did remain calm (very proud of myself). They put on a temporary cast so that Kade felt more comfortable and off we went.

The ambulance driver said that we would be seen quickly since we were being transported with them. This was reassuring. We arrived at 7:30 (keep in mind that Kade had not eaten since 2:30 and they wouldn't let him in the event he needed surgery), a few nurses came to get Kade set up, and then we waited.......and waited.......and waited........and waited. It was now 2:30 am and the nurse cornered the doctor to find out when he was going to see us. He shrugged his shoulders and said he had some things to take care of. I watched him enter data on a computer for an hour and then he walked past us without an acknowledgement and that is when I came out of seat. I know that it's always best to stay calm, but I couldn't. Kade had not eaten in over 12 hours and he was miserable. I confronted that doctor, probably not in the best way, but my confrontation had us out of there within the hour with a cast and directions to see the doctor on Thursday. I know that Children's hospital does wonderful things for sick children, but our visit was not pleasant.

After we left, we found the nearest 24 hour McDonalds and got my baby some food!

The next day, Angels of Care dropped off a wheel chair for Kade. The hospital tried to get him to walk out on crutches and he fell.

Obviously Kade stayed home for the rest of the week and on Thursday, we took him back to Children's to see the orthopedic. It was determined that he did not need surgery. WOOOHOOO!!!! He would be re-evaluated in one month.

Stationery card

2012-01-03T21:12:00.001-08:00

Celebrate The Bang New Year's Card

Elegant holiday invitations for your friends and family.

View the entire collection of cards.

1st Grade/1st Semester

2012-01-02T22:29:00.000-08:00

In one year, my son has grown almost 4 inches. I thought as a Kindergartener he looked old, but looking at those pictures from last year and him now he was a baby.

We love his teacher this year. Mrs. Alders is wonderful and very patient with Kade. Right away she tested all of her students to find out their reading level so that students could be grouped together. Kade tested at a level 16, which is where he should be at the beginning of 2nd grade. She had no one to group him with so she found a student in another teachers class (who happens to be one of his best friends) and they meet during reading time. I'm so proud of my little smarty!

Kade has been struggling to stay on "Green" on the behavior chart. Mrs. Alders mentioned that maybe we should test for ADD. She said that she hated to see him get in trouble for things that he can't necessarily control. SO, we filled out all of the paperwork and met with a doctor. She reviewed the Connors questionnaire and then sent us home with a few more questions to answer. I met with her yesterday and she said that she could not diagnose him with ADD and would not prescribe him any type of medication. SIGH...so what is the problem? She said he has slight tendencies,but he is a NORMAL 7 year old boy. I am relieved and in the same breath frustrated. I sent his teacher the information and this is why I love her...she said, "Then we will just have to make sure we find alternative ways to stimulate Kade and make sure that he is challenged. I miss that little guy and can't wait to see him on Thursday." I hope Kade always has teachers that truly love him and want the best for him.

The 2nd semester of 1st grade begins tomorrow and we're ready!

Sweet Photo Session

2012-01-02T01:09:00.000-08:00

Father's Day, 4th Of July, Florida 2011

2012-01-02T00:36:00.000-08:00

I usually buy Mike and Kade a shirt that matches to wear on Father's Day. I was fortunate enough this year to find something for all 3. My husband is a great sport and will pretty much wear what I ask him to. All three of my boys wore their matching shirts to church that morning and I loved every minute of seeing them. They were precious. After church we stopped for lunch at On The Border and then headed home to get ready for an evening with my family.

The boys and their Bop-O

May as well have called it Grandpa's day because my dad was on cloud 9 with his two grandsons on such a special day.

This time last year I was grieving over a miscarriage and now we are celebrating with such a treasure from God.

This 3rd of July was spent at my brother's house. He had a barbecue with games, a water slide bounce house, and fireworks!

Then we went to mom and dad's for the 4th and popped the rest of our firecrackers.
Getting ready to go to Mimi and Bop-O's

At about 9:30 that night, we sat on our front porch and watched the fireworks at Harry Myers Park. This is what I love about where we live. We have a front row seat to an amazing show.

Danny, Mike's best friend, contacted me in May about coming back to Florida. How can we say no???? Kade absolutely loves the beach and mom decided to travel with us to help out with the baby. This year we flew. I can't even fathom an 18 hour drive with a 2 1/2 month old baby. That would have probably turned into a 36 hour drive with all of the stops!

We spent as much time at the beach as possible. Like I said last year, I don't go but about knee deep, but Mike and Kade like to go out to the sandbar and look for shells. It makes me soooooooo nervous. My eyes stay glued on his little head. If I don't see it, I'm calling for the both of them.

Our usual burial in the sand!

He was so upset with me for not feeding him before we got into the pool!

Krew is such a great traveler. He slept on the plane, there and back and slept on the beach for most of our stay. I had bought a protective tent for him and it was perfect. I layed a couple of towels in there for cushion and off he drifted.

Mike and Kade created their usual creature in the sand. This year they sculpted a dolphin and people would stop to ooooh and ahhhh over it. I'll admit...I was proud!

We did take a break from the beach one day and went to the Clearwater Rehabilitation Aquarium. I loved this aquarium. All of the proceeds from admission are used to save injured marine life. The shows that you see are not "Sea World" shows, they are training sessions for the animals. This aquarium also houses Winter, the dolphin from the movie Dolphin Tale. Kade had an amazing opportunity to feed him. They also offer camps in the summer and provide opportunities for the kids to learn to properly care for the animals. If we go back this year, Kade is signing up! I just think it would be such an amazing opportunity.

Adjusting

2012-01-01T23:44:00.000-08:00

Going from 1 to 2 is tough! I have no idea how my mother did it with 3, two of which were only 8 months apart. Krew came at the beginning of our summer break when Kade and I are normally on the go. This was a huge adjustment for Kade. We always get our passes to Hawaiian Falls and we did, we just couldn't go right away. I decided to sign him up for vacation bible school and a few camps over the summer with his friend Reid so that he wasn't stuck at home in front of the television and blatantly aware that the baby was consuming all of my time. I think the adjustment would have been much easier had he been in school all day and only seen me with the baby for a few hours a day. But, things happen when they are supposed to and this is just one of the trials we will go through. It was hard. There is no way to sugar coat it. Kade was frustrated and angry with us. Again, he loves his brother, but was very angry about all of the time that the baby needed. I tried so hard to make sure that I spent time with him and focused solely on him. I never want Kade to feel neglected or pushed to the side.

Vacation bible school was great! He attended last year, but this was his first year without me as a leader. He was grouped with two of his good friends, Gavin and Jack. I offered to have them over one afternoon and we made biscuit pizzas! The kids loved making them, baking them, and eating them!

I'm not sure what I was thinking when I decided to do this, especially with a 2 week old baby. BUT, Kade had a great time with his friends. After pizza, they played with the legos and then headed upstairs to play games, transformers, and nerf guns in the playroom.

He went to art camp for 3 hours a day for one week. He created 3 magnificent Texas themed pieces. He drew a Texas self portrait, a bluebonnet pastel, and a longhorn sculpture.

His art school also offered a 1 day camp on a Saturday morning. The theme for this camp was Italy. I thought it was fitting to send him to a Texas camp, since he is a Texas boy, and an Italy camp because of his daddy's heritage. During the Italy camp, they studied clay sun art and made a replica with paint.

I also signed him up for a camp at The Arboretum. They studied the sun, the moon, and all of the planets. He came home each day with something they had created. I will send him to this camp every year! He and Reid really enjoyed hanging out together this summer. Since Reid's mom works during the summer, he would come home with us and the boys would play in the backyard, despite the heat.

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We finally got to go to Hawaiian Falls about 5 weeks into the summer. Mimi came over to keep Krew so that Kade and I could have our much needed alone time. We went and ended up running into several friends of ours. It was a perfect day for my Kade man. That evening after Mike got home, I took Kade on a date to Cold Stone and we sat and talked for about an hour. I have realized just how important those small moments really are not only to me, but to him.

A sweet arrival

2012-01-01T22:22:00.000-08:00

On May 5th I was placed on bed rest. I wasn't confined to my bed, but that is where I stayed most of the time! I dropped Kade off at school each day and absolutely loved picking him up. That is something I rarely get to do since I work until 5 every day. The night before Krew's arrival, Kade had a flag football game, his first, and I wasn't going to miss it! So I waddled my way down to the field and cheered him on as I always do! After the game, I decided that Baby Krew needed some Snuffer's cheddar fries and a grilled chicken sandwich!

The next morning, I was awake by 5 am and Kade followed shortly. He could NOT wait to put on his "Big Brother" t-shirt and meet his baby brother. The hospital is only about a ten minute drive from our home, so we left around 7:15. I had to check in between 7:30-8:00.

After getting checked in, Mimi and Bop-O arrived to keep us company...and they were a bit anxious too! We also gave Kade his big brother bag of goodies from Krew and a special note I had written for him.

Dr. Cowart arrived and the nurses said it was time. I watch a little too much Grey's Anatomy and I get very worked up about any type of surgery so tears started to flow as I hugged my baby boy.

Throughout my entire pregnancy, my doctor forecasted a huge baby. Kade weighed 9 lbs 11oz, so as big as I was, we thought Krew would be close to the same. I remember with Kade, my doctor had to tug and pull to get him out (I had c-sections with both). Krew came out very quickly and the minute I heard him cry, I cried. Dr. Cowart popped him over the curtain for a brief second to show me my beautiful baby boy and then off to get cleaned up and weighed. Mike went over to the scale and he said 7 lbs 14 oz and 21 inches long. WHAT? Are you sure that 7 is not a 9??? Now I have no excuse for my size!!! I didn't know what I was going to do with such a small baby!!! I'm going to love that baby, that's what I am going to do....and I'm going to have to buy some newborn clothes ASAP!

This time around I was wheeled back into the prep room where my family was almost immediately. I saw my sweet 6 year old waiting to make sure that I was okay and right behind me they were wheeling a our precious little package in for all to see. The grin on Kade's face will forever be ingrained in my mind. His pride gleamed from ear to ear. We let him hold Krew first and what a special moment that was. Kade could not believe that he was actually here. I said, "You did it! You're a big brother!". He was instantly in love!

Throughout the days, we had many special visitors that came to check on us and to see our newest addition. We are so blessed to have such caring and loving people in our lives. I'm thankful that they took time out of their day to come and see us .

Others visited, but they came when I didn't have the camera!

After 4 days in the hospital it was time to go home!

The End of Kindergarten

2012-01-01T20:59:00.000-08:00

Kindergarten ended. What? Already? NO WAY? How did this happen so fast? What an educational year for all of us. We learned that Kade was further ahead than most of his classmates. We learned how quickly he became bored. We learned how to handle a signed folder on a regular basis. We learned that our little boy was becoming a little too independent for our liking. My Kade learned how to read, and read well. By the end of the year he was reading Dr. Suess books to me! This is the most precious time I get to spend with Kade.

As the year was coming to a close, I was getting ready to deliver a baby. Unfortunately I had to miss Field Day ( I WILL BE THERE FOR 1st Grade), but Mike was off and he spent the day with Kade. They played all kinds of games and boy did I get an ear full when he came to visit me at the hospital.

A week later it was time for Kindergarten graduation. It's amazing to me how he changed over the coarse of 9 months.

That morning we woke up and daddy treated us to donuts! Mimi and Bop-O came over. Mimi stayed with baby Krew and Bop-O joined us for the awards ceremony. Camera-CHECK Kleenex- FORGOT (and I needed plenty of it!)

He was sooooo excited about the ceremony and told us that each kid gets a special award that the teacher picks just for them. He wondered for days which award he would get. When they called his name for the "Thinker" award, he was so proud as were we! Mrs. Rowe said that he always has his thinking cap on!

After the ceremony we were invited back to the classroom for a video full of memories from the past school year. The kids signed yearbooks and stuffed animals and Mrs. Hartmeier, Kade's teacher, gave each of the students a bucket with a calendar and supplies. The calendar had an assignment for each day of the summer so they would not lose the skills they had worked so hard to learn throughout the year. I LOVED THIS and appreciated it! One day she asked the students to write her a letter about their summer vacation thus far. Kade did, and he received a follow-up letter from her. He smiled from ear to ear when the mail came that day!

The kids were allowed to leave after gathering in the classroom and so we took Kade with us. He said his goodbyes to his friends and his teacher and.....cried just a little when we got in the car. He said, "I'll never have Mrs. Hartmeier again as a teacher. I hope she doesn't forget about me." I said, "How could anyone forget about you sweet boy."

Once we dropped off Bop-O we took him to lunch, just the 3 of us. He chose Kyoto, and I didn't mind that at all! We dined on some delicious teriyaki chicken, fried rice, and veggies. What a delicious way to celebrate our little man!

Kindergarten came and went in the blink of an eye. I'm excited and nervous about the years to come!

Thoughts from a Kindergarten Kiddo

2011-05-22T19:16:00.000-07:00

I have saved EVERYTHING that has come home with Kade this year. Mike and I were going through all of it tonight and sifting through what we really don't need to keep and what is extremely special and I found a few things that I had to record:

"When I am 100 years old, I will sit daoin and woch TV."

"in 2011, I will eat less junk, I will save money, and I will xcrsis."

"If I had 100 dollars, I would buy a Limow."

"If I went to the moon, I wuD play taj (tag)."

I am sure I will be adding more soon!

My Mom: By Kade

2011-05-10T19:34:00.000-07:00

Kade made a book for me at school for Mother's Day. He forgot that it was in his backpack and gave it to me today. These are his beautiful words about me:

My mom smiles when I: mac her bed.

I like to cook with my mom.

My mom is luveg.

My mom is byutfol.

My mom is cind.

My mom is never awt of love.

I love this child

2011-05-08T13:38:00.000-07:00

I love this child.

He is the best thing I've ever done in my life. I think back to all of the mistakes I made in my past, and he washes them all away. Had I not gone down certain roads and made certain choices, my life would not be the same. Everyday my life is special because I get to be his mother.

We had a big weekend planned for Mother's Day and it didn't quite turn out like we had hoped. We bought Kade Jason Aldean tickets and he started running a fever early yesterday. We had to give them up and he was so upset. I told him we would get the CD and sing along in the car and pretend to be at the concert. Today, we planned to go to the Ranger game, but since Kade is sick and I am supposed to rest until this baby comes...that was axed too. BUT, my little man, despite not feeling well, made this morning very special for me. At 7:00 am he walked into my room with a smile and greeted me with "Happy Mother's Day". He wanted me to open my presents right then. So, without contacts in I opened up his handmade card from school with his little thumbprints that made a flower and the words "I love you". That's all I need right there! BUT, there was more. His class made bath salt for us and I will be using that this evening. All week he has been teasing me about what he and his daddy got for me. I let him help me and he pulled out a belgian waffle maker!!!!! I have been wanting one of these for quite some time now....and topped it off with Eclipse. After he scrubbed his little hands with soap and sanitizer, he made me a beautiful waffle for breakfast.

I love you sweet Kade. Six and 1/2 years ago you made my dreams come true. You made me a mommy after so many years of longing to be one. You've taught me more than any book, sermon, or lesson could. I learn something new with you every single day. I'm so proud of who you are becoming and the love you show to others. I can't wait to see you as a big brother. I know you will teach Krew the many things I can't.

Church Baby Shower

2011-04-10T19:56:00.000-07:00

Mike and I have been attending Lakepointe Church for almost 3 years now. We have been a part of a life group for almost a year and have really developed some lasting friendships. Five wonderful ladies in my group hosted a necessities shower for me today. I feel so blessed because they have welcomed me in as if I have been a part of the group for years. I am the oldest of the ladies, and I'm finally okay with that because of the friendships that I have made!

Chelsey, Amanda, Me, Emilee, Alisha, and Shanon

My mother brought 12 packages of wipes!

,

Baby Shower!

2011-03-27T18:42:00.000-07:00

I have some of the most amazing people in my life! Three of my dearest friends, Paige, Erin, and Sandy hosted a baby shower for me today and I just can't get over all that I came home with. It was so great to see everyone, especially those that I don't get to see very often.

Getting ready to go! Why am I standing like this?????

Sandy, Erin, FAT FACE ME, and Paige!

Let the fun begin!!!

UMMMM....did Krew get a few things or what???!!

Baby Krew

2011-03-22T19:02:00.000-07:00

We have had two 3D sonograms and both times this sweet baby has been DIFFICULT. Anything that could be in front of his face was....he had his legs straight back in a pike position, his fists in front of his face and his cord. We went back this evening and they did manage to get one picture. This baby boy is going to look just like his big brother! I can't wait to hold him and love him and to see Kade interact with him.

Spring Break 2011

2011-03-20T13:22:00.000-07:00

Wow! This week has flown by...makes me sad that I didn't accomplish all that I wanted too. Here's a run down of the fun we had this week:

Tuesday night we took Kade to the Studio Movie Grill in Plano. I got an awesome deal through Groupon. We got tickets to see Gnomeo and Juliet plus drinks all for $15! We did decide to eat there and then finished the evening off with dessert from Corner Bakery! The movie was super cute and Kade recommends it! Wednesday was my birthday and it was great! Mike and Kade went to get Chiloso for breakfast and then they took me to Motherhood to shop! We did end up at Academy to do a little shopping for the two of them too! Kyoto was my pick for lunch and then we headed to my mom and dad's for a pancake dinner! Thursday, we took Kade to Adventure Landing in Richardson for some golf, go carts, arcade games, and bumper boats. We spent a good four hours there. All of us got a hole in one on our second round of putt putt.....Kade got TWO! Friday my mom took Kade to see Mars needs Moms while I did a few things for school and then that night we headed to Fish Camp in Royse City for dinner and fishing. Kade caught quite a few fish and really enjoyed himself. We will definitely go back again! The bread pudding and Dr. Pepper Chocolate Kade was DELISH! Yesterday, mom picked Kade up and took him to the car show in Royse City. My dad entered his truck and my brother Cole entered his Nova. They both won prizes and Kade had a great time! Today we went to church and had a great lunch with my Nanny and our Life Group at Joe Willy's. It sounds like all we did was eat!
Bumper Boats!

Sporting our Green!

One of many fish caught at Fish Camp

I wanna be like Mike....

2011-03-20T07:39:00.000-07:00

My child is going through a phase where he MUST dress like his daddy. I wish I had been taking pictures over the last week. On Wednesday, we took him to Academy b/c he has been begging for an Under Armor shirt. Guess what...he got one and so did his daddy. He had to change into it right away as did Mike. Friday night we went to dinner with some very dear friends and Kade picked out a turquoise and white striped polo....Mike just happens to have one with turquoise and black stripes. They both wore their black Vans. Yesterday while getting ready for our 3D sonogram, which was a bust but that's another story, Kade put on his Florida State shorts and black t-shirt....and made Mike follow suit. It has been hilarious! For church today....they match exactly. They both have on Kelly green and navy striped polos, blue plaid Vans, and jeans with holes in them. Now that church is over they have their Ranger gear on.....how long will this continue???

Maternity/Family Pics

2011-03-16T08:45:00.001-07:00

My friend Shanon took our pictures last weekend and these are a few that I will share! I am huge, to say the least, and so I'm guarded on what I will let everyone see. I wish we had taken them maybe a month earlier when my face wasn't so swollen, but overall she did a fantastic job!

Iced in

2011-02-04T10:39:00.000-08:00

I think he's too cold to smile!

What we woke to this morning

For the past four days we have been "iced" in and we have loved every minute of it! Mike ventured to work yesterday, but has been home with us the other three. Kade and I stayed in our jammies all day Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of this week! We watched tons of movies and tv and ate on tv trays...a rare occurrence in our home. However, since it was like a mini vacay, why not!?!!?

We woke up this morning to 6-7 inches of snow and Mike and Kade took off to go sledding. The snow is a bit too soft to get any traction, but they tried anyway.

I also posted about the NFL experience. Check out the pics!

NFL Experience

2011-02-04T10:14:00.000-08:00

The NFL Experience is in town because we are hosting the Superbowl. After the weather we are having, this may the only time Mike and Kade get to "Experience" this because we may never host another one! Mike, Kade, Tracy (Mike's friend) and his son Gavin loaded up and went last Sunday. I expected them to be gone for maybe two hours. Their tickets were for 1pm and I didn't see them until 8 pm. Apparently they had a BLAST! I had them meet me at IHOP on the way home for dinner and they shared their experience with me. Kade came home loaded with football cards and autographs. He left not really interested in football and game back a HUGE fan! This definitely makes his daddy happy.

He did it!

2011-01-08T22:56:00.000-08:00

This is a SUPER short post just to remember a date. Kade learned to tie his shoes on Sunday, January 3, 2010!!!!!

Art Class

2010-12-28T23:22:00.001-08:00

Also check out my Christmas post....I don't know how to link it or do two posts in one.

Back in October I signed Kade up for an art class in Dallas. It's a class where they work on 3 pieces per semester, which I love. They progressively work on one piece for four weeks. I really don't know where Kade got his talent, b/c all I can draw are stick figures, but he has a magnificent talent and I intend on catering to that and supporting it in any way I can. So..every Saturday we get up and head to University Park for his one hour art class. Mike and I sit in the Starbucks on the corner and eagerly wait for him to finish.

We went to get an estimate on custom framing for his two pieces ( he also did a sculpture) last night and it's unreal what it costs so I decided to just have a custom matte cut and fit it into a larger frame!

Here are his two pieces. One is of a bird b/c they were studying Audubon and the other is a self portrait. I can't wait for the matte to come in so that I can display these on my walls for all to see.

We've signed him up for next semester and I am so excited! He starts back January 8th. Look for more masterpieces to come!

Christmas break so far...

2010-12-28T21:34:00.000-08:00

Once again...it's been a while since I've posted.
The Sonogram
The Tuesday before we got out for Winter break, we took Kade with us to my sonogram to find out the sex of the baby. The sonographer didn't realize that we were there to find out the sex and said it might be difficult at 15 1/2 weeks...but she had me move in all sorts of directions and didn't give up. After about 20 minutes she was able to get a picture of his bottom and in between was what she was looking for....100% boy! All of my friends and co-workers were convinced that it was a girl, but Kade wasn't. I was even surprised. On the way to the doctor I asked Kade what he would do if this baby was a girl and he said, "i'll deal with it." I was cracking up! Our sweet boy is set to arrive on or before June 3rd. His name will be Krew Gentry. About five years ago I met someone with a little boy named Krew and I have kept it in my vault since then! Gentry is my maiden name and my parents are thrilled that we've decided to use it as his middle name. I've found the bedding I want and I've have gone through all of Kade's clothes and separated them by size. I think I am only going to need 0-6 months! I have about 7 tubs full of clothes up to size 6. This poor guy will have hand me downs for most of his early childhood...he'll never know the difference though!

Kade's 6 year check up

I always take Kade to his yearly appointments in December so that we don't miss school. Here are some of his stats:

20/25 Vision (thank goodness he doesn't have the same vision I have!)
65 pounds
48 1/2 inches tall

I have a tall, SOLID, kid! My doctor always gets on to me about his weight and it really bothers me. However, when we have had to visit his partner, he thinks Kade's height and weight are proportionate and isn't worried at all. If you have seen my child, you know he does not look overweight. Kade is a very healthy eater. He loves to eat salads, broccoli, and just about every other vegetable known to man. We always have fruit for breakfast and lunch and, though we have eaten out ALOT over the break, we eat at home and I always make sure that he is eating healthy. The doctor said that maybe it's just his genetics and he has a slow metabolism...that's probably it b/c my metabolism doesn't even work!!!! HA!!!! I am not worried about him in the least. He's active and healthy. I wouldn't have it any other way!

The Holiday Shop Story
The next day, I gave Kade money to buy gifts at the school holiday shop. I had no idea how much to give him so I sent him with $20. On the list I said for him to buy for Mike and me and if he had enough money, he could buy for Mimi and Bop-O since we had already done our shopping. As I have posted in the past, Kade puts alot of though into his gifts and loves to give. When I picked him up from school that afternoon he had his bag full of gifts. He was so excited to tell me what he had bought. His first words were, "I bought you the BEST GIVE EVER MOMMY!". Then he proceeded to show me the Grandmother Votive he bought for Mimi and the tool kit he bought for his Bop-O. Then I said, "what about daddy?" This is where I could hardly keep a straight face. He said, "two spiders." I said, "What made you buy daddy two spiders?" And he said, "That was all my quarter would buy." I wanted to die laughing, but I said that I am sure daddy will love them. He later told me that he had a pen picked out and that the lady told him he was all out of money. That must have been the last present she went to ring up. I took him out shopping that weekend to find something else for his daddy.

Kade's Christmas Party
On Friday, Mike took the morning off to attend Kade's Christmas party at school. I couldn't go because I had two exams to give :(. From the pictures. it looks like they had a great time! They rotated rooms of each of the kindergarten teachers and did an activity in each. In one room they watched Rudolph and ate breakfast, another room was a tree ornament, a jingle bell game, jingle bell bingo, and cookie decorating. Normally I have to pick Kade up from daycare, but that day I was able to pick him up early from school. I loved it!

Cookie and Ornament Decorating

Every year we decorate cookies and this year was no exception. We cut snowflakes, christmas trees, stars, snowmen, and gingerbread men. However, I haven't quite mastered the thickness of the dough yet. My cookies always tend to lose some of their shape, but he still enjoyed decorating and EATING them!

For the past 5 years I have always let Kade pick out an ornament from Santa's pen, but this year they did not have a nice selection. So why not start a new tradition and a more meaningful one...let him decorate his own ornament. This will be something that we do on Christmas Eve for many more years to come. I hope to have a tree full of his and Krew's ornaments.

Christmas Lights
Highland Park Christmas lights are also a yearly tradition. I absolutely love traveling through the streets of Highland Park and seeing the lights and wondering about the people that are behind those lights and beautiful homes. Next year I would really love to do a carriage ride with the boys and see the lights while drinking hot chocolate!

A few of my decorations

Candlelight and Carols

We attended Candlelight service on the 23rd this year. Last year was the first year we took Kade because he had the attention span and found the love of singing Christmas Carols. It's one of my favorite things to do during the Christmas season. The message this year was about putting Jesus in a box. Pastor Stroope talked about how we set out our nativity scene each year and the day after Christmas we put Jesus in a box for another year. Why not keep Jesus out of the box (metaphorically) all year long. I love this message.

Christmas Eve

Since I was a little girl, we have always cooked lots of appetizers and opened presents on Christmas Eve. Maybe my parents started this tradition in the hopes we would sleep in just a little before we awoke to see what Santa had brought. We still continue this today and I decided to host at my house this year. I cooked meatballs, smokies, veggie pizza, baked raviolis, taquitos, cheese dip, ranch dip, and southwest egg rolls. I'm hungry just writing about it. As far as presents are concerned we were all supposed to cut back, but I don't think anyone did when it came to Kade. Let's see if I can list what he was blessed with:
Spongebob Mini Fridge (for the playroom)
Spongebob CD player
Spongebob Walkie Talkies
Crayon Maker
Guitar
IPOD Touch
Art DS Game
Toy Story 3
Flashlight Kit
Science Kit (to make bouncy balls...it's so cool)
Magic Show Kit
Spongebob Air Hockey Table
Modeling Clay
McDonald's Gift Card
BB Gun
Skateboard/Helmet/Pads (I protested this, but my brother bought it for him)
Trouble Board Game
How to Train A Dragon
PJ's/Slippers
10 new Dr. Seuss Books

From Santa:
Trampoline
Desk
Art Supplies

Is that it? I certainly hope so!

Here are a few pics from our Christmas Eve event!

My dad and brother Cole

My nanny and Kade

Opening his skateboard

His BB Gun

Mom and Dad aka Mimi and Bop-O

The family

My brother Blake and sister-in-law Ali

Christmas Cards are ordered!

2010-11-22T19:11:00.000-08:00

Well, this is the card I chose for our Christmas cards this year! I love the way they turned out and love them even more because 50 of them were free!!!!

We chose to take pictures this past Sunday, which I believe was the windiest day of the year. Only about 3 turned out that I was in due to my hair blowing everywhere, but I got one for the card and that is what matters! Here are a few of Kade that I took.

I am really looking forward to our Thanksgiving break. Lots of cleaning and organizing will be going on so that we can get our Christmas decorations up!!!!

FREE FROM SHUTTERFLY!!!!!

2010-11-17T07:42:00.001-08:00

I am so excited about the holiday cards this year from Shutterfly. I have ordered my cards from there the past 3 years and have always been pleased. Shutterfly has such an assortment to choose from to meet everyone's needs. Last year for Christmas I ordered books for my parents and in-laws. I could not believe the quality and so I ordered once again a book for my brother and sister in law of all of their engagement pictures. They are such nice keepsakes. My plan is to put together a book for each year of Kade's life because I'm not much of a scrapbooker! If you have not visited their website, you MUST..right now! You will not be disappointed. You can do all of your holiday shopping on one site. You can get your Christmas cards, Holiday party invitations, picture books, mugs, etc. Here are a few of my favorite holiday cards this year and once we have our family pictures taken next weekend, I will be able to see which fits our pictures best!

To find a card and fall in love, go to:
http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/holiday-cards
http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/photo-christmas-cards
http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/birthday-cards-stationery

To find a book go to:
http://www.shutterfly.com/photo-books

Kade's Birthday/Halloween/Go Cart Fun/World Series

2010-11-14T07:03:00.000-08:00

It's been August since I last blogged and I have a few things to cover! The last two months have been very busy for us and very tiring. The Rangers consumed our lives and made us NON PRODUCTIVE. I half-way decorated for Halloween and haven't even decorated for Fall...I guess I will just worry about Christmas!

I had my first parent/teacher conference at the beginning of October. It went very well, but his teacher recommended that he be tested for ADD...ALREADY??? I told her I would rather wait and see in January how he has matured. He is not hyperactive, but he does space off sometimes and you do have to ask him several times to do something. Does that mean he needs meds??? I don't want to medicate him unless absolutely necessary. His first report card was AWESOME! He got 10/10 on everything except for taking off the beginning sound of a word and identifying the word. He missed 3. We are working on that and my kiddo is reading! I know that since I am a teacher he should have already been reading, but I teach high school. I have no idea how to teach someone to read. He is doing very well and I am a super proud momma!

My Kade man turned 6 on October 25th. Every year I make him a huge pancake and make the number out of candles. This year his birthday was on a school day. The night before Kade asked me if he would be getting his pancake in the morning with candles. I love that he counts on me doing this. However, I had to send Mike to get candles at 10 that night!

This is a gripe: I scheduled a swim party at the YMCA back in June, because I like to plan early. No one told me that if it rained, the kids couldn't swim. I had already changed the day of our party because the girl at the YMCA doubled books and so I GRACIOUSLY changed our day and time. Well, it stormed that day. Here I am setting up at the Y and they come and tell me the kids can't swim. WHAT???? Are you kidding me? We are indoors. I was in tears. They offered to set up a bounce house in the gym until it stopped raining...guess what? They couldn't find the bounce house. So the 25 kids that showed up and expected to swim are now in the gym playing kick ball, as they do every week in gym class. At the end of our party time, the YMCA staff came to me and said that the kids could now get in the pool and we could extend out time. The kids rushed into the pool only to be called out 10 minutes later b/c it started to rain again. I was furious and let them know. Yesterday in the mail I received a full refund. :)

Kade's party was Spongebob themed. Spongebob is everywhere in our house. We live in a sea of yellow. Even though the party did not turn out how I had planned, the kids did have a great time and that is really all that matters. Here are a few pics from his party.

On his actual birthday, we picked up Pei Wei, one of his faves, and headed to Mimi and Bop-O's. I would post pictures, but we left the camera at home. We stuffed ourselves with spicy chicken, mongolian beef, dan dan noodles, lettuce wraps, and edamame beans! YUM! Then Kade got to open all of his presents. We bought him a spongebob portable DVD player and 7 of the "Arthur" series books. Those were one of my favorites as a child and I want him to enjoy them as much as I did. When he opened the books up he said, "Mommy is the book fairy!" Mimi and Bop-O bought him a Go Cart! We go over there every Sunday and he rides until he can't ride any longer! Best gift ever!

Every Halloween weekend my friend Lori hosts a Halloween party for the kids. They hook up 3 trailers for a hayride around her neighborhood in Mclendon-Chisolm and all of the neighbors have candy ready for the kids. She hosts the party for about 60 people and prepares a delicious dinner and treats for all of us. She has games set up for the kids and when we return from the hayride, she has hot chocolate waiting for them. It's so much fun and it's safe for the kids. This year Kade decided to be a spooky skeleton! He was the cutest one I had ever seen!
Look at the size of the candy bars this lady was giving out...

Kade telling a funny story on the trailer!

On Monday, November 1st, we headed to the World Series! I can't believe we got tickets. The morning that they went on sale, Mike, my brother Blake, and I all had about 5 windows open on the computer and our phones too. Within minutes games 3 and 4 sold out. About 45 minutes in, I finally got in to buy tickets for Game 5. I should have bought more, but I wanted to make sure we got our tickets! I bought 5 and now all the Rangers had to do was beat the Yankees!!! We had already attended a game against the Rays and Game 2 against the STANKEES! Those games were exciting in themselves,but to get to take my kiddo to the World Series is something I will never forget. My brother and I had been attending games for as long as I can remember. I know my first game was when I was 4 years old and I still remember it. I remember Nolan Ryan's 5000th strkeout and his 7th No Hitter. I am a true Rangers fan! My brother and I attended a game in 1999 when they were the AL West Champs and the Yankees beat them to move forward. So for us to go to this together was very special. Even though they didn't win, the feeling in the air at the Ball Park was amazing. We were ten feet away from the trophy and we got to see a team win in person...WOW! I can't wait until April and for all of this to start up again!

Letter to Kade

2010-08-24T18:25:00.001-07:00

Dear Kade,

It really does seem like yesterday that we brought you home and now you are entering Kindergarten. When they say, "they grow up so fast", it's true. It's exciting to see you grow and learn new things, and sad at the same time because you will never be 4, 3, 2, or 1 again. I don't think you will ever fully understand how much love I have for you, but I will do my best to show you everyday of your precious life. When I walked you into your new school and realized that you are in "big" school this rush of emotions flooded my heart, soul, and mind....will he be okay? will he know what to do? where to go? make new friends? You walked right into your class without hesitation, picked out your cubby, and sat down with such a pure sense of belonging. Tears began to well up in my eyes, but I knew I had to be strong for you. This would set the tone for the rest of your day. I quickly wiped away the tear that escaped and kissed you good-bye because I knew you were going to be okay and that you felt safe with your teacher and classmates. As your daddy and I walked out he assured me that you were going have a great day. Because you were so happy, that set the tone for the rest of my day and I had to think to myself, "I can do this." I talked about you to every new class that I met that day and at 10:50 I thought about the conversations you were having with your friends at lunch. Picking you up and seeing you run to me with a smile from ear to ear was the absolute highlight of my day. You couldn't stop talking about all of the things that made kindergarten great like: staying on green, taking a tour and seeing the Apple computers in the lab, going to gym class, and playing on the playground. I can't wait to see who you become in the next 9 months and where your mind will take you. Mommy loves you and I am looking forward to this journey with you.

Godspeed little man...
Sweet dreams little man....
My love will fly to you each night on angels wings

Hugs and Kisses,

Mommy

Summer Vacation 2010

2010-08-21T22:09:00.001-07:00

Well, I have finally found the time to write about our 2010 summer vacation. We had such a good time and came back EXHAUSTED! We spent most of our time just "bumming" on the beach and then a day at sea, I guess you would say. We rode around in a friend's boat and then docked to eat lunch and then headed back out. Kade even jumped in to the ocean off of the boat! The boy has no fear of water and I am glad. I, on the other hand, will not get in water unless I can see all the way to the bottom. I am T-E-R-R-I-F-I-E-D! I have this fear that the one shark attack of the summer will be ME or the attack of water moccasins in the lake will be ME. We did have one day where the water was completely clear and I got in up to my waist...for a quick picture!

We decided to ask our neighbor's son to go with us..it was totally random. He is 18 and will be a senior at RHS this year. He is such a sweet boy and really good with Kade. We feel very comfortable having him around, almost like he is our own.

OH, before I forget...the first night we were there, August 6th, Kade lost another tooth! AND YES, the tooth fairy does come to Florida. According to Kade, there is one in every state. She left Kade $5 and he was thrilled.

My sweet boy played his little heart out on the beach and helped his daddy and Colt build an amazing sand castle with a moat that stretched to the water and a sand whale too. He loved chasing the birds that were waiting for one ounce of food to drop and most of all he LOVED that his daddy buried him in the sand.

Something very cool that we saw on day one was a funnel cloud that was in the water. Of course it was far enough away that we didn't worry, but it was amazing to watch. That just happened to be the day I did not bring the camera...not sure why.

We were very touristy with our food selections. We ate tons of seafood (fresh mahi-mahi and scamp) and had to get conch fritters at every meal...Mike's favorite. Because we called them "hush puppies", Kade ATE-THEM-UP! If he had known what they really were...fugettabouit!

After five days, it was time to say good-bye and prepare ourselves for the long drive ahead and the chaos that was waiting for us when we got home.

Surfer Boy

Lost at sea

My one day in the ocean

Colt and Kade on the boat

Buried ALIVE!

Little Helper

2010-08-01T17:14:00.000-07:00

We have had lots of projects going on at one time in this house and they must be finished by the end of this week! I am famous for doing things like this, especially when I am about to host a shower or a party of some kind...and that is exactly what is going on! My brother is getting married in September and I am hosting their shower in two weeks. Here are the projects that I have created: build a new dining room table, paint upstairs bathroom/cabinets, paint downstairs bathroom and redecorate, paint our bedroom and redecorate, paint in the laundry room, redecorate my dining room to match my new table, clean out closets and organize, hire a cleaning lady....you get the idea! Anyway, Kade has been quite the helper. Anytime Mike has a tool out or we have paint close by, he wants to help and we let him. Sometimes my husband could exude a little more patience :), but I love that Kade is learning to use a saw, drill, paint brush, etc at such an early age.

Working on my table...

Mowing in his cowboy boots and Ranger gear!

Hanging pictures....

I just walked into the living room and found this....

He said that Chuey looked like he needed a bandage on his leg...

Chuey doesn't look too happy about this!

Swim School 2010

2010-07-22T14:47:00.000-07:00

Kade has been going to swim school for two weeks now and working with the swim coaches from RHS and RHHS. He is working toward being on a team within the next few months. Today was the last day so I went for the last 45 minutes to take a few shots. It was fun day so they got to jump off of the diving boards as many times as they wanted. Yesterday, Tommy, the RHHS coach, told me that he was jumping off of the high dive and did at least 15 times. Today, he needed coaxing of course...since I was there with my camera! I'm so proud of him. He's a little fish!

Gettin' ready to jump off of the high dive...

He's not so sure about this...

REALLY not sure...

Give me a minute... (look at his hand up talking to his friend)

Coach is putting the pressure on...

He did it!!!

A few shots from the smaller diving board...

Proud of his certificate!

Summer Catch-up

2010-07-15T21:48:00.000-07:00

I need to catch up on the good things that have been happening this summer.

Father's Day 2010: I had read in the Lakeview magazine that we get monthly that there would be a fishing competition in Rowlett the Saturday before Father's Day. I told Mike about it and he was excited to take Kade. The lake was stocked with catfish and they were giving prizes for the biggest catch. Unfortunately my two guys did not catch anything, but they saw some friends of theirs and they enjoyed hanging out...just the guys! While they were gone, I finished up my shopping for Mike. Kade told me what he thought his daddy needed, so I ran up to Home Depot and picked him up a hedge trimmer, per Kade's request, and a new GRILL!!!! This was my surprise. They held it for me and I had our sweet neighbor, Colt, run up there and pick it up for me. That night I had Colt put it in our sunroom while the boys were upstairs playing and then called for them to come down. Mike was shocked, to say the least. The next morning we headed out to church and then straight to Mimi and Bop-O's house to surprise dad with his gift. On my papa's deathbed, 20 years ago, he told my dad that he could have his old army jeep from the 1940's. (I need to get some pictures) With my dad having 16 brothers and sisters, this seemed to cause conflict and so my dad never brought it home. Now that many of them have moved on or passed, my mother sent my brother Cole to Mt. Pleasant and he loaded it up. We parked it in the drive way and took dad out to surprise him. He was speechless and really touched that we were able to get his jeep. It's the only thing my dad has from his childhood and I am so happy we were able to give it to him. That evening everyone came to our house and Mike fired up his grill. We blew up the pool, lol, and enjoyed the great company. I think the dads had a great day.

Painting- I love to decorate and really love to steal ideas from magazines. I was looking through a Southern Living Magazine at work one day and saw a kitchen similar to mine...but the cabinets were a different color and had bead board in the middle of them. I asked Mike if he could add the bead board and he did! We then painted, with Kade's help of course, and I think it looks alot like the magazine. I just need a few things to finish the look.

Six Flags- I guess we are making it a tradition to go with my best friend Paige and her two sweet kiddos, Madison and Jacob. Paige has this program at her school where the kids read and earn points toward Six Flags tickets. She always ends up getting a ticket for Kade so we tag along with them. Kade and Madison are connected at the hip I think and had a blast. Ali, my sister-in-law, went with us this time to help me with Kade....it had only been a week since I miscarred the baby. Getting out of the house did me some good though. It was soooo hot, but around 4 pm it began to rain and we decided to head home. It hadn't rained all summer except for the day we chose to go! I think the kids were worn out anyway, I know I was.

Artistry- My son is very much an artist. He loves to draw, paint, and create. I have had some canvas in my closet for quite some time now and finally figured out what to do with them...let Kade paint the pictures. So, we headed to Hobby Lobby and I bought him canvas paint, brushes, the works. He has created one painting of Chuey, our dog, and it's precious. While he was painting, I was trying to give him a few pointers and he politely said, "Mommy, I am the artist...I got this." Okay then little man, go forth and create. We plan to work on the others before school starts. I plan to hang them in my room as a part of my decor!

4th of July- One of the things I love about living where I do is that we get front row seats to any parade in Rockwall. They always go down our street and the 4th of July parade is no exception. While I was making a late breakfast, Mike and Kade sat on the porch and watched as the horses, cars, etc. went down our street waving the American Flag.

That evening around 6 pm we headed to my parents house. They live in the county part of Royse City and so they are able to pop any type of firework that can be bought. My brother and Ali decided to host a huge barbecue there and to also celebrate Josh (he's like my brother...love him) being home for the weekend. He serves our country and I am so proud, yet scared for him. We smoked brisket, ribs, corn on the cob, veggies, and had mom's famous baked beans, corn dip, cole slaw, potato salad, etc. For dessert I made a homemade coca-cola cake and a homemade coconut cake. Kade had the best time running around with the other kids and couldn't wait for the sun to go down so he could pop his firecrackers! I don't think the child ever slowed down. My dad also debuted his 1955 chevy pick-up truck that he just finished restoring...it's a beauty and will one day be Kade's...I hope!

Husband Mike, baby brother Cole, Josh, and brother Blake
These guys always fool around when I want to get a good picture...Josh is pretending to hold Mike's hand...this was the cleanest shot I got of the four of them!

Kade and Bop-O (my dad!)

Dad's truck!!! Isn't it a beaut?!?!

Haiwaiin Falls- This year we decided to get passes to H Falls instead of the Wetzone. Kade needed some bigger slides and more to do. We meet Paige at least twice a week. Our favorite thing to do is go down the Pineapple Express and then lounge in the Lazy River!

Baking 101- Since my miscarriage, I have found a passion to take my mind off of things...baking from scratch. I have mastered a coca-cola cake, banana cake, coconut cake, chocolate peanut, and strawberry. It's so rewarding and SOMEONE loves to help me out...he's the official taste tester! He's the cutest one I've ever seen! Side note...I'm messy when I bake...you can tell from the pictures! It's a bit embarrassing! Oh well!
Strawberry with strawberry buttercream frosting!

Chocolate Peanut with Peanut Butter frosting!

Mother's Day 2010

2010-05-10T10:54:00.000-07:00

Five years ago I celebrated my first official Mother's Day, but was also grieving over the news that my mother had just been diagnosed with Breast Cancer. I was a new mother and thought I was about to lose mine. Mother's Day had a different meaning for me that year. I was so happy to finally be a mother and to be honored on that day, but I could not erase the sadness from my heart either. Five years later my sweet momma is still here and we get to celebrate Mother's Day together...HAPPY and WORRY FREE! Mom, I love you so much. I don't know what I would do without you in my life to guide me and continue to help me grow as a mother. The love you show toward me, Blake, Cole and especially my baby is amazing. You have made us all feel special and brought out the best in all of us. You focused on our strengths and guided us to where we are now. Thank you for preparing us for life, thank you for teaching us right from wrong, thank you for showing us how to live independently, thank you for helping us understand the importance of education, thank you for living a selfless life for the sake of your children, and most of all thank you for loving us unconditionally!

Mike is guest blogging :) Here goes.....

Mother's Day for me is a day to appreciate all the things that a mother has done for their child/children. I love my mother a lot and I am unfortunatley 2000 miles away from mine so I don't get to see her very often. I attempt to call/e-mail and send up-to-date pictures of the family whenever I can. I know that this makes her very happy to see the outtings/events that her grandson, daughter-in-law and son have been up to since the last time we spoke. I know for a fact that I am guilty of saying that I have a busy life, and forget at times to call/write, but in the end, I only have one mother. Mom you are a very special person to me and I am glad you are there to talk to when needed. I Love You, Happy Mothers Day.

Now back to me....

Linda, thank you for raising a loving, hardworking man. I celebrate you for giving me my husband and for being a great Nonna to our sweet Kade. I hope you enjoyed your purple bouquet and your day with Nonna Regina too. Hugs from all of us here in Texas.

My husband and son made Mother's Day so special for me. Mike really went above and beyond this year, more so than he ever has. We woke up to the creaking of the stairs and one little man hopping between us to let us know that it was Mother's Day! My child is a giver and LOVES to see the joy others get when they open gifts. Mike had taken Kade shopping several weeks ago and I can't believe he kept it a secret for that long. He loves to tell! We all got up and headed to the kitchen to make breakfast and on the dining room table was two dozen red and white roses and two pink gift bags. In Kade's was a new set of pj's, bath and body, a new watch, and a pedicure....WOW! In Mike's was a new dress and a game to play as a family. I could not believe all that he bought. I have never been one to want or expect material things for Mother's Day or my birthday so this was a really big surprise. After church we headed home to pick up the house and take a nap!!!! Kade and I ended up sleeping for about two hours and woke up to a CLEAN house. My husband had cleaned the entire downstairs!!! That made my day even better! Thank you Mike!!!! We then began to cook for my mom and grandmother. On the menu was homemade pizza, sun-dried tomato pasta with pine nuts, salad, lemon pie, strawberry cheesecake, and funfetti cookies!!! Mike helped me prepare everything and Kade had helped with the desserts the night before. Once everything was ready we loaded it up and headed to mom and dad's house for some good food and great company!!! Every Sunday at mom and dad's we play a game of whiffle ball (sp?) in the front yard and yesterday was no exception. I kicked boo-tay!!!! :) Those memories will forever be with me!

I have a few pics to post...coming soon!

It is a bittersweet Mother's Day for my cousins Robin, Teezo, and Damon. My aunt Gay, their mother, is quickly losing her battle with cancer. It started in her lungs, then spread to her brain, and now her entire body. I know this is the last Mother's Day they will have with her and my heart hurts for them. I hope you all made the most of your day. We are sending prayers up nonstop for Aunt Gay and for you to be filled with strength as you say good-bye to your sweet mom.

Mommas of baby boys

2010-05-06T18:58:00.000-07:00

Being a momma to a baby boy is like no other feeling in the world. You hear when you are pregnant, "Boys love their mommas" and they certainly do. I grew up with two brothers and I saw that love and that connection that only a mother and son can have. I guess it's like a daddy/daughter relationship. Not to say that my mom didn't think I hung the moon, b/c she thought I hung the moon, the sun, and all of the other planets...but there is a difference, I believe. I knew it the moment I found out I was having a boy. Something in me began to shine and when he looked at me for the first time, nothing else existed in that moment. While reading other blogs I stumbled upon one about a mother who had given a baby boy up 12 years ago and the connection that she still felt. Through her blog I found another with a similar story and when I opened it up, her playlist began. A song came on called Godspeed by the Dixie Chicks and it is about the love a mother has for her little boy. I can't stop playing this song or singing it. It is now the first song on my newly added playlist. I open my blog just so I can hear it.

I love you little man!

To be cont....

Down on the farm

2010-05-02T19:24:00.000-07:00

What a great weekend! I picked Kade up from school on Friday, minus a tooth!!! He now looks like a hockey player...it's the cutest thing ever! He said, "How will I eat corn on the cob?" He left his tooth under the pillow and the tooth fairy visited leaving him $10.

Mom had called earlier in the week and had said she wanted to take Kade to her boss' farm in East Texas. His momma goat had just delivered triplets and he wanted Kade to see them. Saturday afternoon around 1:30 we headed that way and he was sooooooooooo excited. Mimi was telling him about all the animals he would get to see, including Sugar the donkey! It was so neat to see all of the animals and get up close. Next time we go we are definitely taking Sugar some apples and carrots. Kade got to hold the baby goats, collect eggs out of the chicken coop, hang out with Sugar, and get up close to the BIG BLACK ANGUS COWS. He had the best time. Mrs. Lyons even let him bring home some fresh eggs for breakfast. Before we left the tiny town of Point, TX, we made a stop at Dairy Queen. I miss having one in Rockwall...dipped cones...ahhhh!

Being out there really made me want to live on a nice piece of land far away, but not too far from the city. It's so peaceful and SLOW. It reminded me of going to my Granny's house when I was little and feeding the pigs and riding my horse in the pasture where my Pa Pa was plowing. It seems like such a simple life and I seem to want that more and more the older I become.

Playin' Chase

Check out those missing teeth!

Checkin' out Sugar's teeth

Fresh eggs anyone???

Brave little boy...

2010-04-26T12:38:00.000-07:00

My little man was in the "Piggy" chorus in the 3 Piggy Opera at school. Isn't he the most precious piggy ever?!?!?!?!

My photography debut....

2010-03-18T22:11:00.000-07:00

My brother recently bought me a canon camera and I decided to test it out today on my little model. :) We first went to North Park b/c every year I have his picture made with the bunnies and I set all of them out for Easter. I'll try to scan that picture and post it soon! Then after lunch we headed to Arlington Lee Park at Turtle Creek to take some pictures. He is such a poser! He came up with all of the poses himself...it was quite comical. "Mommy, how about this...Mommy, I could pretend I am asleep in the sunshine...Mommy, how about I look serious." HILARIOUS!!! I have created a monster! I dressed him in his Easter attire for these pictures and I am really pleased with how well they turned out with my "lack of talent"! Since he did such a great job with the pictures, I took him for a surprise dessert stop..SPRINKLES! This was a first for both of us. I let him get TWO. He chose the chocolate marshmallow and the vanilla with a shamrock on top! That boy was on the biggest sugar high I have ever seen. I had the banana, which was DELICIOSO!

We are off to the Arboretum either tomorrow or Sunday for some more pictures for Easter if the weather cooperates! I hope they turn out just as cute.

PS Anyone notice his missing tooth!

It's tball time again!

2010-03-06T13:49:00.002-08:00

Mr. Serious...

Just sharing a few sweet pics of my little man at practice today. He is the only one on his team so far in two practices that has hit the ball from the coach...everyone else has needed the tee!!!! He thinks it's all because his Bop-O bought him a new Dan Marini bat!!! Maybe so kiddo...

Look at that stance!

Are the Olympics in our future????

2010-02-25T16:47:00.000-08:00

Kade has been taking private swim lessons at his school, Galaxy Ranch. This is what 8 days of lessons will get ya'!!! He doesn't even take a breath...WOW! I'm pretty darn impressed! His backfloat video won't upload at the moment...hope to have that one up soon!

Let it Snow Part II

2010-02-12T18:29:00.000-08:00

Also scroll down to see my other new post about my new baby boy!

Kade and I were so excited to have a day off. Unfortunately they did not close Mike's office so he had to go in, but we had a good time anyway. Actually today has been an adventure. We took Chuey outside to do his "thang" and as we were coming in, Kade had not closed the door and off he went. I had to chase him clear to the downtown square. I have not sprinted in a LONG time. I was finally able to catch and drag him back home..in the midst of an asthma attack. After I cooled down, so to speak, we called Paige and she decided to venture out to come and see us. I really wanted Kade to play with some friends in the snow. Kade and I headed off to Chic Fil A to grab lunch for everyone and met Paige back at the house. With our tummies full, we headed down to this big open area at the corner of our street and just let the kids run, play, and throw snowballs! It was an awesome day! Once we were settled in, the door bell rang and to my surprise it was the florist! My sweet husband had a beautiful bouquet of flowers delievered to me today! I told him not to do anything for valentine's day since we are going out with our friends to Bob's, but he did any way!

My little snow angel!

Madison, Kade, and Jacob

The backyard covered...

My beautiful flowers!

Chuey Before/Chuey After

2010-02-12T18:25:00.000-08:00

We rescued a sweet boy from the Rockwall Animal Shelter last weekend. Bless his little heart, he was stinky and his hair was matted. SO, we took him to Petsmart tonight to get him groomed...here is the before and after! We love our new baby!

Before....

After!!!!!!!!!!!!

Let it snow, Let it snow, Let it snow!

2010-02-11T17:00:00.001-08:00

I am loving this snow!!! When I woke up this morning I called up the stairs telling Kade that it was snowing and to hurry up!!! Next thing I know he is coming down the stairs, in his jammies and SNOWBOOTS!!!! We took our new dog, Chuey, outside in the snow for a potty break and couldn't believe how much we had! I was really hoping for a snow day, but I am glad we had school after all. If we are out tomorrow, I think I can cope with that! As soon as we got home today we all got our boots on and went right back out to build a snowman. Chuey even got involved! Kade has seen snow like this before in Canada, but never in his own front yard. As we were finishing up our snowman, Bop-O pulled into the driveway and the snowball fight began!

Just a ramble....

2010-02-07T20:21:00.000-08:00

I'm sitting here at my computer and can think about nothing other than my child and the test results I will get on Tuesday from my CT scan. I've always been a healthy person, but now things are complicated. I put off having another baby b/c of finances, thinking I couldn't afford two daycares at the same time..however, people do it everyday and they survive somehow. Now that I want a baby so badly and for Kade to be a big brother, it's not happening and my high blood pressure is a mystery. When you become a mother, or at least when I became a mother, I immediately started to think about how to ensure that I would be alive to raise this child. I see kids all of the time in my classes that have lost a parent at an early age I am letting that fear take over me and I don't know how to stop. What if my test results come back and something is really wrong with me? What if it's not fixable with medication? What if I need surgery and don't make it through? Everyone says I am being irrational and crazy, but I am truly scared about what these results will show. For the first time, I don't want Monday to ever end.

Our Break 2009

2010-01-05T19:18:00.000-08:00

What a wonderful break we had! We ended the year on a great note and have started on an even better one!

I wanted to share a few photos of Kade's Christmas program. I absolutely love his school and I thought the program was wonderful. He was so excited and everyday when I would pick him up from school, he would give me preview of the songs he would be singing...Winter Wonderland, Holly Jolly Christmas, Silent Night, and Silver and Gold.

Kade and his friend Lexie before the show...

Walking to the stage (it was too dark to get a good pic of him on stage)

Over our break we

....saw the trains at North Park

....looked at Christmas lights in Highland Park (This is our favorite house. They have 8 Jack-in-the-boxes in their front yard)

....went to the Ice Exhibit at the Gaylord.

I think this is the sweetest picture!

....built a gingerbread house with daddy and Uncle Cole. BUT THE PICS WON"T LOAD

....went to Jacksonville, Beach.

Helloooo...

....fished in Aunt Gay's backyard!

....went to Downtown Disney.

....cheered on the FSU Seminoles and Bobby Bowden at the Gator Bowl!!!

On Monday, January 28th, we left for Jacksonville, Florida. I surprised Mike with Gator Bowl tickets to see the FSU Seminoles play West Virginia in Bobby Bowden's last game. If you don't know who Bobby Bowden is..shame on you, but I will tell you anyway. He is the best coach of all time in college football history, unless you belive Joe Paterno to be. Anyway, he coached at FSU for 34 years, that's 417 games, and ended his run with 389 wins!!! WOW! We are HUGE FSU and Bobby Bowden fans so I thought it would be amazing to be there for his last game..and we were! My aunt lives in Jacksonville so we were able to stay with her for the duration of our visit. Mom traveled with us to help with Kade and to visit my aunt as well. Man, did we do alot!

Christmas has come and gone...

2009-12-28T16:33:00.000-08:00

I can't believe that as I get older, Christmas time goes by faster and faster. It would seem like an eternity for it to get here when I was younger. Our break so far has been awesome!

Kade and I finished up the last minute shopping on Tuesday at Charmin' Charlies..if you haven't been, you must GO! He was the sweetest thing. He looked around while I was shopping and found this little black velvet box. He didn't realize I was watching him open it up. It has the BIGGEST CZ diamond earrings in the box and he turned around and asked if he could have some money. Of course I asked why...he said, "I have found the best gift for you mommy and I don't want you to see." So I handed over the $8 he needed and he was beeming with pride. When we got home, he wrapped it himself. He cut the perfect size of paper and ribbon...he must take notes inside that brain of his. I was VERY impressed.

That night we exchanged gifts with Ali and Blake. This is the first year that I didn't have both my brothers with me on Christmas Day. Now that my brother Blake is married, he has to split time...kind of stinks!

Thursday afternoon we attended our first Carols and Candlelight service at Lakepointe. We were joined by my mother and grandmother. It was absolutely beautiful. Every week as I sit in my chair at service, I can't help but tear up. Everything about our church makes my heart happy. Kade truly enjoyed the candelight service and sang Silent Night (his favorite) as well as signed the song in sign language. It's the sweetest to watch.

Our tradition is to open gifts on Christmas Eve and await Santa's arrival on Christmas morning along with celebrating the birth of Jesus. You couldn't find Kade due to the mounds of gifts that he recieved. It was a bit overwhelming!

Part II of Christmas and our break to come next weekend...Pictures too!!!

A few more of our family pics!

2009-12-02T06:13:00.000-08:00

Breaking the Ice

2009-11-29T18:07:00.000-08:00

We wanted to make sure that the last day of our break was fun! We were either going to go to the Arboretum or ice skating. The weather decided for us...ice skating here we come!!! Kade is obsessed with Home Alone and loves when Kevin, the main character, is running from the police and slides across the ice. That made him want to ice skate..that of all things. Before our stop at the Galleria we had to eat at The Angry Dog in Deep Ellum. Mike and I loved eating there when we lived just two blocks away and as soon as Kade was old enough, we started taking him. He loves an angry dog!

Our tummies were full and it was time! On the way we had to give him a "pep" talk. We said that if you fall, don't get discouraged, just get right back up and try again. It's normal to fall. Mike told him that he would teach him how for sure. Kade said, "I don't need your help daddy. I know how to skate. I can even do a figger 8 and skate on one foot." REALLY? Where did you learn that? "I saw it on TV."

Things changed the minute he hit the ice. It was much more difficult than he thought. They happen to be running a special today for a 15 minute private lesson so we booked one. The sweetest girl, Alysa, was his teacher. She was so patient and he listened and really started to do quite well. He wants to go back now!!! We are going to have "Miss Alysa" teach him privately once or twice a week to get him comfortable with the ice.

I will say...he lasted an hour on the ice. That's pretty darn good! I would not have lasted 5 seconds!

OOPS!

Be Ye Thankful

2009-11-29T17:50:00.000-08:00

My little pilgrim has really enjoyed his break from school. So have I! When I asked Kade what he was thankful for he said, "I'm thankful for my family and that we get to read books every night."

There are so many things that I am thankful for, not just on Thanksgiving, but every day of my life. I have a healthy 5 year old, a husband that takes care of us, and beautiful home, parents that live 7 minutes away, great friends, a JOB, and for the next day that comes.

My thoughts always venture toward those that have so little and are struggling right now. I'm trying so hard to teach Kade the joy of giving and that we live a very blessed life. Each year we adopt a family at Christmas and so last week we spent our Monday evening shopping for the three kids that we adopted. We had such a good time picking out things that they needed and that we wanted to give them! This year for Christmas, my hope is to show Kade another side to it. We are hoping to volunteer to feed the homeless this Christmas and want him to be right alongside of us. This will hopefully become our yearly tradition and will be something that will always keep him humbled.

Sneak Peek at family pics

2009-11-08T20:41:00.000-08:00

This weekend my friend Casi took our family pictures! We decided to take them on the railroad tracks, around..and in some trees, near an old shed, and on the bridge at Harry Myers Park. Here are a few as a sneak peek! The rest are being enhanced and cropped. It's so hard to pick which one will end up on our Christmas card!!! I'll upload a few more this week. I love the one where Mike and I are out of focus and it's all about Kade!

Halloween 2009-Also check out Kade's 5th birthday post

2009-11-01T18:48:00.000-08:00

This year Kade decided to be Woody from Toy Story. He looked just like a little Roy Rogers...so cute!

We spent Friday night at the Great Wolf Lodge with our good friends Maddie and Jacob (Paige's kiddos). On Halloween we woke up and had a wonderful breakfast with Mimi at the lodge and then headed to the waterpark for 4 hours of splashin' fun! Around 3, we decided we had had enough water and headed home...not before stopping at Mi Cocina..it was on the way! WHY NOT!!!! Kade crashed on the way home and I certainly wanted to, but I knew we would have to get ready for the Halloween party soon and I didn't want to take the chance of not waking up in time.

For the past two years my friend Lori has had a Halloween party at her house. Her husband Jay hooks up the trailer and takes us all on a hayride around her neighborhood. He stops at each house and lets the kids get out to trick or treat. It's such good fun and SAFE for the kids. There are about 30 houses in her development and each one of them know that the kids are coming! They load down each one of them with tons of candy. After the hayride we headed back to her house for some yummy desserts. Kade was pooped so we grabbed ours to go and headed home. My little sheriff was "worn plum out"!

I have a 5 year old!

2009-11-01T17:30:00.000-08:00

On October 25th at 12:30pm, my little guy turned 5!!! How could he already be 5? Time goes by fast whether we want it to or not and you only realize it once you have a child. Here is our day:

I always make Kade a HUGE pancake for his birthday. So...I woke up extra early and made pancakes, eggs, sausage, and fruit cups, ALL HIS FAVORITE! Once the table was set, I started up the stairs singing happy birthday to my baby boy! His eyes were closed, but he had the biggest smile on his face! After breakfast we let him open his presents from us and his grandparents that live in Canada. Our big surprise was a night at the Great Wolf Lodge. He loves this place. After presents it was time to get ready for his fireman themed party. We found a firetruck bouncehouse and found a fireman that would bring a real fire truck to the house and take the kids for a ride. We served "Blazin' Berries", "Great Balls of Fire" (cheese balls), "Smokin' Sandwiches", and "Fire" crackers and cheese! The kids (28 of them) started arriving and went straight for the bouncehouse...and some adults too! The fireman was set to arrive at 3:15 and so we sang happy birthday and had cake so that the kids would be ready to go when he arrived. HE NEVER CAME and called when the party was nearly over. He forgot...are you kidding me???? We told the kids he had an emergency. Thank goodness I rented the bouncehouse! The kids played and had so much fun. It's a great feeling to have so many happy kids in your backyard! As the party was coming to an end, we sent each of them home with a Lego fireman that we found at the Lego Store. Kade had SEVERAL girlfriends at the party. I hope they have this much adoration for him when he is older! All in all it was a blessed day! After everyone left, we opened presents, and more presents, and more presents...CRAZY! We finished our night with dinner at Joe Willy's with Mimi, Bop-O, Uncle Cole, Bubba, and Alicat.

Here are some pics from his 1st five birthdays...tears are rolling down my face....
Welcome to the world: M. Kade Spampinato

Snuggle Bunny

1st Birthday

2nd

3rd

4th

I'm 5!

Pumpkin Carving

2009-10-23T21:34:00.000-07:00

Just sharing a couple pics of my kiddo carving a pumpkin! I think he did a pretty good job!

Dang pigs!

2009-10-17T23:14:00.001-07:00

Well, since Wednesday we have been home with the piggy flu. Early Wednesday morning Kade woke up with a 103 temp, sreaming...scared us out of our minds. I immediately called in for a sub and took him to see the doc. He swabbed his nose and sure enough it was the flu. GREAT!
I have been a sanitizing maniac at my school. I lysol after every class leaves and no kid enters without hand sanitizer from me. Guess they aren't doing the same in the world of Pre-K.
I guess I can say that luckily my child has a history of coughing and asthmatic symptoms, otherwise he would not have been given tamiflu. So we have been on meds since Wednesday, the humidifier is going non-stop and I am filling him full of liquids. You wouldn't even know he was sick b/c he is just as happy as can be. Friday and today I had him outside in the fresh air and I think that was the best thing for him! He is cleared to go back to school on Monday, but Mike is going to stay with him one more day. It's been great staying at home with him. We have completely vegged out for four days straight and I have loved it. Sometimes we watched tv together, other times he wanted to be in his room drawing and watching "his shows". On Thursday he told me that if I wanted to come in to his playroom, I needed to sign in on the door. WHAT???? He has a dry erase board on his door and to enter you must sign in. OKAY little guy! Whatever you say! I am thankful to have my job as a teacher, but man, what I wouldn't give to be able to stay home with this fella on a regular basis! He's my love!

I am relieved that he is doing better and that I will have him well for his awesome birthday party next Sunday. Knock on wood, but it looks like the weather is going to be great.

Oh and before I sign off...Hook 'em!!!!! Way to go Colt!

5 year pics

2009-10-08T13:52:00.000-07:00

These are just some of the precious pics that my friend Casi took! Enjoy! I just love how she captured all of who Kade is....

Almost 5 years old!

2009-10-07T20:03:00.000-07:00

Wow! I haven't blogged since August 1st. Our lives have been so busy with school starting back up that time has just flown by. Kade started a new school, Galaxy Ranch, in Rockwall and LOVES it. He gets to go to swim class once a week, spanish, art, music, sports, and computer all for the same price I was paying at Primrose. We have also been playing soccer for Lakepointe and T-ball in Wylie. I haven't even made time to go to the gym in two weeks. It's just madness at the Spampinato house!

Kade's new love these days seems to be LEGOS. He eats, sleeps, and breathes them. I took him to the LEGO store at North Park about a month ago and it was love at first sight. Kade loves to build, draw, create etc. I think he is going to be my academic prodigy and my next child will probably be some kind of star athlete that battles the "no pass no play" rule each six weeks!!!! HA! I think I have a future architect on my hands...no complaints here! He is also in love with gift cards. I have bought him a couple to McDonald's and Chic Fil A and he thinks it is the neatest thing to pay for his own food with his own "credit card"!

In a just a few short weeks my little man will be 5 and I am filled with so many emotions. I can't believe that 5 years have come and gone since this beautiful little boy was given to me. He is the love of our lives. I don't even remember what life was like before he came along.

We have an awesome party planned to celebrate his 5 years. It's all about fire trucks! We are having a real fire truck come to the house and take the kids for a ride around Rockwall...how cool is that?!?! We also found a fire truck bounce house to continue with the theme. While at the LEGO store I found a LEGO fire man for each of the kids as their party favor! And the backyard will be decorated with balloons, flames, fire hydrants, and dalmations! We are looking forward to this day and are praying for another beautiful day of weather. Each year we have had Kade's party outside and the weather has been gorgeous. Let's hope it's a 5 year record!

One of my dear friends, Casi, took pictures of Kade for his 5 year photo shoot. They turned out great! As soon as I get them downloaded to my computer I will be posting for all to see.

To be continued....

More fun, more flags...Six Flags!

2009-08-01T10:42:00.000-07:00

Maddie, Jacob, and Kade

My friend Paige, her two kids Madison and Jacob, her sister Carlie, her mom Marsha, and the two of us decided to go to Six Flags on Thursday. We didn't get there until around 3pm so that we could stay late and watch the parade. It was perfect timing too. The weather was nice and we didn't wait in line for one single ride for longer than 5 minutes. It was great. We started out in Spain and road the sombrero and conquistador....I forgot how high that went. Kade wasn't a fan! We rode both mine trains, crazy legs, all the rides in Looneytoon Land, the cave, and watched Jacob and Carlie ride several rollercoasters. The kids were great the entire day and had such a fun time together. They didn't once complain and about being tired or hot. Kade and Madison are just the cutest together. The rode every ride side by side and held hands throughout the park. We went on this one 3-D ride and the seats were sort of high so Kade, being the gentleman that he is, gets out of his seat and wraps his arms around Madison to lift her out...it was the sweetest. At around 9:45 my little man started to cry and said his head hurt so I immediately thought he was dehydrated. I got him some water and had heard that ice cream helps to soothe headaches. The parade was nearly over so I carried my 54 pound child to the car and he went fast to sleep. As soon as we got home the poor thing vomitted...sure enough he was dehydrated. I felt horrible. However, the next morning he was ready to go and wanted to tell eveyrone about his trip to Six Flags. Another great day this summer! Our next adventure will be the Roughriders in Frisco, then to the circus! We are trying to let Kade experience as much as possible this summer with us since it may be his last as an only child...here's hoping!!!

SO SWEET!!!

Swingin'

Muscle Man and Hot Momma

Paige and Jacob

Take me out to the ballgame....

2009-08-01T09:57:00.000-07:00

Kade has now experienced one of my favorite things EVER to do...go see a Rangers game. Tuesday night was "kids free" so we got some awesome seats. We stopped at Wal-mart on the way and got a t-shirt to support our boys Kinsler, Hamilton, and Young! Kade was mesmerized by the size of the ballpark. After we got our peanuts, hot dogs, nachos, drinks, and of course cotton candy...we settled into our seats.

These seats cost us 16 bucks on "kids free" night...AWESOME!

The woman in front of us apparently doesn't know how to have a good time or hasn't been around kids in an awfully long time. She was irritated with EVERYTHING Kade did and I made it apparent that I knew. However, the guys in front of me were talking to Kade the entire time and really playing up his first game. They knew the woman was on my last nerve! Anyway, a homerun was finally hit and guess where Mike and Kade were....the restroom....OF COURSE! Kade missed the fireworks and the music they play when a homerun is hit. At one point during the game we looked over and saw Kade waving. We asked him who he was waving to and he said, "Mimi told me to wave at her so that she would see me on TV"...precious!!! We called her right away to see if she had seen him. All in all it was a great experience for him and they won!

Gotta' have cotton candy at the ballpark!

Brave New World

2009-07-26T21:38:00.000-07:00

My child is becoming more and more brave as the summer days go by! On Thursday when I took him to Hawaiian Falls he decided to go on the Pineapple Express...this is a pretty big slide for a 4 year old. I told him that if he met the height req. I would take him on it, not thinking that he would...well he met it alright. Momma doesn't like big slides, roller coasters, etc....that is daddy's cup o' tea! BUT, I didn't want to discourage his new found bravery so we made our way up the stairs and down the slide we went. He LOVED it..me..NOT SO MUCH. However, I told him that was the most fun I had ever had! Anyway, we went back today with my brother Blake and his gf Ali, aka Alicat, and not only did we ride the Pineapple Express again, we rode the other "BIG" slides as well. He didn't meet the height requirement, but we managed to get passed the lifeguards and now my child is a little daredevil! I am so proud! We are going to Six Flags on Thursday...I wonder what's in store for me there! I draw the line on the Texas Giant!!! Here are some pics from our day today-

Blake, Ali, and Kade

Kade is coming down on the far right!

Big splash!

Sleep-over

2009-07-23T22:04:00.000-07:00

Well, we are having our first sleep-over tonight with my best friend Paige's little girl Madison. Kade and Madison get along so well and really love hanging out. Today we met them at Hawaiin Falls and then we had to leave to see a another new baby. After we left the baby we headed to Paige's house and before we left Madison asked if she could come with us. How could I resist? At first Paige said NO, I guess b/c she thought I didn't want her to come, but I convinced her that I was completely okay with it! We started out on the couch watching Snow Buddies, eating popcorn, and drinking milk. Now at midnight, they are in Kade's room just giggling and being silly. I just told them to go to bed and Kade says, "Madison is on my side!" LOL!!! Here are some pics from our night and the new baby Kylie that we got to love on and hold. ALSO, check out Kade's mohawk. I have never been a fan of them, but I think little kids can pull them off and not look like punks! Kade has seen tons of little ones at the waterpark with mohawks and asked me if he could get one. I agreed for the summer. Once he goes back to school...it's gone! Keep in mind we don't have gel in his hair...I will post some other pics tomorrow after our day with Miss Maddie!

Kylie Clair Rawley

Chillin' watching Snow Buddies

Bedtime!

Simple Fun

2009-07-18T14:40:00.000-07:00

I don't have any pictures from today, but we had so much fun! We took off on our bikes and were headed to get Kade a haircut, but they were closing when we got there...dang it! I guess the mohawk will have to wait a few more days! Anyway, we rode around the downtown square and then decided to get a drink from 7-11. While Kade and I were in 7-11, I thought, "Why not pick up some sandwiches and fruit?". So we did! We took our lunch to the county courthouse and had a nice little picnic on the steps in the shade! After lunch it was off to the nearby park. We played tag and wore that little booger out! His cheeks were so red, but I knew he was having a good time with mommy and daddy! He laughed, and laughed, and laughed...that's what I love the most! Once we got home, he took a shower with his daddy and now he is fast asleep. Tonight he is going to ASI for parents night out and he can't wait.

Dallas World Aquarium

2009-07-15T22:44:00.000-07:00

Today I decided to surprise my little man. We got home from the gym and TJ MAXX around 11 and I got ready as quickly as I could. I changed his clothes and he wondered what we were doing. I told him that it was a surprise and he must have asked me that same question ten more times. I took him to the aqaurium two summers ago, but he doesn't remember...that's what I love about pictures! They remind us of the some of the good times we've had. Anyway we pulled up and I told him where we were. He was so excited and couldn't wait to see the sharks! SHARKS-YIKES! He said he wants to ride on the back of one in the ocean...uh, not in my lifetime! As I was paying for our tickets there was a sign in the window, "We are expecting 500 students around 2 pm." It was 1:38. We hauled booty up to the 3rd floor and began our adventure before the place was flooded with kids. He was fascinated by the flamingos that were fighting each other today, the royal blue frogs, and the hammerhead sharks. He could not get over the fact that we could stand underneath the sharks as they swam. We must have stayed in the tunnel for at least 15 minutes. We had a wonderful day together and as we were leaving the gift shop with his canteen, ant glasses, and t-shirt he said, "Mommy, I just love you." It doesn't get any better than that!

Kade told this guy next to us that this was the teacher from Finding Nemo!

Check out the Jaguar napping behind Kade.

Standing like a "mingo" two years ago....

Now he's a pro!

Look at that sweet face! He would move his mouth as if he was talking to us!

His Fire Ant glasses...SCARY!

Little bit of fun

2009-07-14T21:42:00.000-07:00

Kade has had a great week and it's only Tuesday. Sunday evening around 7pm he asked us if he could jump on his trampoline...this requires going to Mimi and Bop-O's house of course. So we headed over there and dad had bought a new lawn mower...guess who just had to ride on it and then DRIVE it???? Of course my dad said yes!

My dad is the best Bop-O out there. He loves his Kade man and will do anything for him and pretty much lets him do anything he wants when I'm not around...typical grandparent. I really think my dad sees this as a second go at things. Here's a quick backstory on my pops. He is one of 17 children all born from the same two parents....natural and none in a hospital. That's what happened in East Texas many years ago! Anyway, my papa was abusive to my dad and spent some time in prison making moonshine...needless to say he wasn't the best role model. My dad took from those experiences and swore that he would always do better for his family. He quit school two months before graduating from high school and began working as a mechanic at Jim Alle Oldsmobile ( now Rusty Wallis Honda). This is where he and mom met. I was born two years later and was an only child for 6 years. We went on trips and spent many days and nights in the backyard on the toys he would build for me. In 1982, my brother Blake was adopted and 2 weeks later mom found out she was preggers! My bros are 8 months apart..probably harder than twins. I remember this as being the time that my dad started working alot. He went from having to feed 3 mouths, to 5 very quickly. We needed a bigger house, car, etc. Dad left Jim Allee and started his own business in Sachse..still there if you need an honest mechanic! Dad felt the way he needed to show his love was to give us everything we wanted, because he never had anything. We never went without EVER and I am very grateful, but it wasn't until I felt confident as an adult to tell him his time was more important, that he got it. My dad and I are very close, just as he is with my two brothers and I think he truly regrets the time he missed b/c he felt he needed to work. Now he makes up for that with my baby. I am teary eyed writing this b/c my dad is so special to me and I love seeing him as a Bop-O. I can't wait to see him with future grandchildren, whether they are mine or my brothers. Kade is a very lucky little man to have my dad in his life.

NOW, on to the pictures from this week and a few videos from the trampoline.

Riding with Bop-O

Bop-O better hold on...

I have some video clips of Kade jumping on the trampoline and showing us his new trick, but it's not uploading...I will upload them once Mike figures it all out for me!!!

Today when Mike got home I was headed to the gym. He decided to take Kade fishing at Harry Myers Park. I expected them to be done by the time I was headed home, but they were still there. I decided to see if any "catching" was actually going on and it WAS! Kade seems to be a master fisherman!!! I love this little boy!

Six Years!

2009-07-12T13:24:00.000-07:00

Well folks...it's been six years since I walked down the aisle with my dad! Mike and I met on April 26, 2002. I was teaching at South Garland HS and also working part-time at Outback in Garland AND The Bone in Deep Ellum! Anyway, I had just started working at The Bone as the rooftop bartender and Mike was one my 1st customer. I had already made up my mind when I started working there that I didn't want to date anyone....just wanted to have fun and people watch. Low and behold, Mike asks for my number that first night. Honestly, I gave it to him not really having any interest...he knows this. He called me that night and left a message knowing I was still at work. We played phone tag until June....really I was just not that interested. But June came around and I had just gotten back from cheer camp with my girls when he called. We made plans to have dinner and watch the Stars play the Redwings (his favorite team). Dinner was great and we had the best conversation and THEN...he told me his last name. I don't think I could even pronounce it! I thought to myself, "I can't marry this guy, my students will torture me with that last name." The next day I was out with my friend Paige and we were talking about the date. I told her that Mike was just "too nice". At that point she had been married for a year and said...don't let him go! Guys don't get any nicer! So I called him up and we had our second date at his apartment. We ordered in and as he was showing me his apartment our faces got super close ( no kissing yet) and I know this sounds silly, but as soon as I looked into his eyes, I knew I was going to be Mrs. Spampinato! By September Mike told me he loved me and on November 8th he proposed at my favorite restaurant...PF Changs. We planned our wedding for July 12,2003.

A few engagement photos-

My favorite of all my bridal portraits even though it doesn't show my dress.

We had two beautiful weddings. The first was in Dallas. We were married at Royal Lane Baptist Church at 10 a.m. and our reception was at Fairview Farms. I wanted a traditional ceremony and a TEXAS reception so that all of Mike's family that came could experience good barbecue and Texas wildflowers. Our second wedding was in Toronto. Mike's parents gave us an "Italian" wedding just like you would see in any mafia movie like Good Fellas! We had an 8 course meal including a roasted pig, and every guest brought us "envelopes" filled with money as our gift. It was GREAT. It was important that we honored both of our religions and we were able to do so with both ceremonies.

About to walk down the aisle...

Mr. and Mrs. Mike Spampinato

Toronto Wedding

The stuffed pig I mentioned..didn't eat a bite of it!

We went to Puerto Vallarta for our Honeymoon and it was amazing. I loved every minute of it and couldn't contain my excitement for being Mrs. Spampinato.

We settled into our first home in Mckinney and six months later we found out Kade was on his way! Everyone had bets that we would have a honeymoon baby b/c I wanted a baby so badly. We proved everyone wrong, by a few months! Here is a picture from our first anniversary....

I have to say that I am very lucky, but I also have to say that I haven't always been the most appreciative of what I have. I am embarrassed by that, but it's the truth. I love Mike very much and I know he loves me more than I deserve sometimes. The past year has been a tough one on our marriage, but we are working hard everyday to make our love stronger and be an example for our child. We also want our family to grow and know that we need to be solid. A blog buddy of mine, Taren Toth, mentioned a book called the Love Dare and it sounded like something Mike and I could greatly benefit from. I found the book last week at Sam's and asked Mike if we could do this together everynight. It's a 40 day challenge and we are on day 6. Since we started this book, it's like night and day in our relationship. I feel closer to him than I have in a very long time and we are TALKING more and on a deeper level. Thank you Taren! I am forever grateful to you.

So...for our 6th anniversary we made plans for Kade to stay the night with my mom and dad. Our friends Toni and Jeff celebrated the night with us. First we had dinner at my favorite Mexican food restaurant, Mi Cocina. I love the Lucychanga!!!! Once dinner was over and we were walking around the shops at Legacy, I told Mike that we were all staying in a hotel tonight..this was my surprise! Toni and Jeff got a room and we had one right next to theirs! We stayed at the ALOFT in Frisco. We checked in, got a few drinks, and then got into our swimsuits. We swam and acted like fools in the pool until 2 am. The guys then headed to Whataburger for some taguitos and diet coke...great mix, I know! It was a wonderful night and one that really made a difference in our marriage. I love you Mike and I know that what we have ahead of us is going to be amazing!

It's out, but where did it go?

2009-07-08T20:23:00.001-07:00

Friday morning Kade woke up soooooooo excited...his bottom front/right tooth was loose. I thought, "How can this be at 4 years old?" Anyway, apparently this is normal, but I couldn't help but think back to him being 3 months old and seeing those first two bottom teeth breaking through the gums. After a full day of wiggling that tooth and eating from the side of his mouth we were really thinking it would just come on out...but NO..it took until today. At dinner this evening we were talking and all of the sudden he says, "By the way, my tooth is gone." WHAT?!?!?!? Where did it go? When did this happen? How can this be? We have come to the conculsion that he must have SWALLOWED it. I will never have my baby's first tooth...kind of sad about that. Of course my 25 year old brother says, "Just wait till he poops tomorrow." GROSS, but that is to be expected I guess. Kade's only question was how the tooth fairy would get his tooth if he swallowed it.

Tonight before bed, we decided to write the tooth fairy a note and leave that under his pillow. Hopefully she will oblige by his sweet request.

Florida 2009- Days 1-3

2009-07-02T21:43:00.000-07:00

We are back and exhausted! We got home around 8pm last night, Kade had surgery at 7 am this morning and I volunteered my home for the team t-ball party. This is my first opportunity to really sit down and relax.

Day 1- We left the house around 5:30 am and headed to the airport...mind you I had stayed up until around 2:30 to finish packing and making sure that my house was spotless and all the laundry was done and put away. I wanted to come home to a nice, clean house. After boarding the plane, Kade called his Bop-O (my dad) to tell him good-bye. It was so sweet. He started to tear up a little and said, "I'm going to miss you Bop-O". I knew my dad's heart was swelling at that moment and he must be grinning from ear to ear.

We arrived in Orlando around noon and took the Disney shuttle to our resort. We stayed in the Jamaica suites at the Carribean Beach Resort. It was beautiful. We couldn't check in to our room until 3pm so I took the guys suits out and they tested the pools! How do you like their matching suits???!!

Once the concierge sent our bags to our room, mom and I changed into our suits as well and we swam until 9pm that night, with a dinner break of course. From the pool you could see the fireworks that go off every night at Disney World. We had the best seat in the house.

Day 2- Off to Disney World!!! We woke up super early to dress and have breakfast before the crowd..then it was off to the shuttle to the "Happiest Place on Earth", except when you wait in a two hour line for a 1 minute ride!!!! Let me just say that the heat/humidity in Florida is RIDICULOUS. There is no point in fixing your hair at all...just a sidenote.

On our way to breakfast

Back to the trip..we made it to the Magic Kingdom and what really impressed me was that if you are staying in a Disney resort you get in one hour earlier than the general public. We were able to ride about 5 of the rides with little wait time before the crowd. Our first ride was in Tomorrow Land; the space ships and as soon as we got off we saw BUZZ LIGHTYEAR....Kade's favorite! His eyes got so big and it was the sweetest thing. By about 4pm we were ready to leave the park and head to Downtown Disney for some dinner. I wish we had more time to look around Downtown Disney, but Kade was pooped. His little body just couldn't go any longer. So we had dinner, which Kade fell asleep about 4 bites in, and then I made my way to Goofy's candy shop and bought the most amazing chocolate covered pretzels and chocolate covered peanut butter sandwiches. I could not leave without getting my little guy some cookies and the biggest lollypop they had! He was certainly surprised the next day when he woke up to that. Once we got back to the hotel, we made our plans for the next day...we were going to go to Animal Kingdom. Now, I am not a zoo person AT ALL so this was not something that I was too terribly excited about...but it wasn't about me, it was about a kiddo named Kade. I can't imagine what Kade must have been thinking while we were at Disney World. Seeing all of that through his eyes must be amazing. He studies everything he sees and the look on his face at times made me wonder what was turning inside of his mind. Oh, I can't forget to mention the DELICIOUS chocolate covered frozen bananas we had after lunch...nothing like 'em!

Shooting aliens!

Waiting for the parade on Main Street

Mike, Kade, and Buzz

My attempt to take a picture of the two of us on the rockets!

Mimi on the rocket ship!

Kade the fearful dragon

Action shot on the teacups!

My little guy at dinner

Day 3-Animal Kingdom

Did I mention it was hot and humid in Florida..UGGH! I don't mind visiting, but I could never live there. Like I mentioned earlier, I am not a zoo person and Animal Kingdom is pretty much a big zoo. However, there were a few things that I enjoyed. We went on an actual safari which was really neat. We saw all kinds of animals that could have easily walked right up to our jeep or could have just as easily attacked us..comforting isn't it??? There is also a section called Dino-land, with a huge "Dinosaur graveyard". It's a place the kids can run around, climb rocks, slide through a cave and play in the water. Kade really enjoyed this part and so we stayed there for about 45 minutes. Then we were off to stand in line for the Lion King show..this was amazing and air conditioned! I enjoyed this show more than the musical I saw at Fair Park last summer. We also saw the Finding Nemo musical. Quick funny story..we were on our way out of the park and the boy working the gates
( couldn't have been more than 16 years old) says to me, "I'm off at 6, I'll see ya' later" and winks at me. It was hilarious! It gave us all a good little laugh!

Crusin' Kade

We met Mickey!

About to go on our safari!

Dinosaur Graveyard

After sweating all day, it felt good to get our swim suits on and go for a swim...here are a few shots of Kade having blast in the pool.

Cannon ball..sort of!

He's so proud of himself for jumping in

What a little poser!

So, that's the first 3 days...I'll blog about the rest tomorrow sometime!

It's always sunny in...

2009-06-24T18:39:00.000-07:00

Florida right!!! Well, we will be departing from the airport tomorrow morning at 7:45 am. We are spending 6 full days in Florida to visit with Mickey and all of his friends! Mike grew up in Clearwater and so we plan to go there Sunday and see some of his old buddies that I have never met and hang out at the beach. Kade is so excited, but I don't think he realizes that it's all happening tomorrow! I will have lots of blogging to do when I get back and hopefully some great pics!!!

Boy:n: a noise with dirt on it

2009-06-21T19:03:00.000-07:00

Recently I went to a friend's baby shower and she had this definition on the wall of the nursery..I thought it was perfect for my child! Check these feet out from playing on my dad's truck trailer today...

I hope that my husband truly enjoyed his day. We woke him up around 9 am and Kade couldn't wait for him to open up his presents. Kade picked out some new shorts and swim suits for our trip and Nike's. I had planned on cooking, but Kade wanted to take his daddy to McDonald's...so off we went. From there it was time for church. It was a fantastic sermon about leading your family. It really touched a nerve for both of us and we both agreed that some changes need to be made within our household...for the better!

Kade had made my dad a nuts and bolts box for his present and filled it with all kinds of "necessitites" for building!

My two brothers are building my dad a windmill and Kade decided that they might need his help as well! Here are a few pics of his craftsman "expertise"...

After playing outside all day with the dogs, working on the windmill, eating a fabulous dinner of steak and potatos, followed by ice cream cake...my little guy was pooped. I left Mike at mom and dad's for some guy time with my bro's and brought Kade man home...it's hard bathing a half asleep 4 1/2 year old that weighs 54 pounds...but I got the job done!

Happy Father's Day Mike! Kade and I love you!

Also, I just have to add that The Hangover is HILARIOUS!!!! It's one of the funniest movies I have ever seen and Bradley Cooper is super dreamy!!! Mike and I actually had a date night last night...we don't really have much of those, but we are going to start..our marriage needs it. Anyway, ASI gymnastics has a themed party once a month and allows parents to drop their child off from 7-11. They feed them pizza and play all sorts of games. I was unsure at first, but several of our friends recommended this to us and Kade BEGGED to go. He had the best time and this allowed Mike and I to have a dinner alone and go see a movie. We have vowed to do this once a month!

Out last night.....

2009-05-18T20:08:00.000-07:00

How can you not be a fan of Kenny Chesney I ask???? He WAS....IS....AMAZING!!!! I originally went to his concert on May 3rd and stood in the rain singing my heart out along wtih him as we all got drenched. I did that for Kenny! I was so sad when the show was cut short and knew that somehow he would come back b/c that is how great he is. AND HE DID! Of course it was scheduled the weekend we had to be in San Marcos for my future sister-in-law's graduation from college..OF COURSE! We headed to San Marcos on Saturday and morning and due to two major wrecks and the rain we made it there by 5pm. The next day we had to get her packed and ready to move to Dallas AND head back to Frisco for the concert. We made it to Dallas in record time and got in line for the concert. The line wrapped around 3 times and the seats were first come first serve. Anyway, I had one field ticket and 2 stadium seats...BUT...we paid the attendant 20 bucks and she let all three of us down on the floor. We were oh..about TEN rows back from the stage. This was Kade's first concert and he was mesmerized! HE IS AMAZING...I'll say it again...HE IS AMAZING!!! He came out of stage and said, "Now, where were we Dallas?" and immediately started to sing "Something Sexy About The Rain". He sang everything from She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy to U2 and David Allen Coe. It was 3 and 1/2 hours of FUN and EXCITEMENT. Right after he sang a U2 song, he sat down on the stage and took off his boots and socks, rolled up his jeans, and went back to singing. You could tell how tired he was, but he kept on for his fans. That is a true Entertainer. How on earth did he not win Entertainer of the Year over Underwood???? Yes, she is a wonderful singer, but HE is an ENTERTAINER! It was worth every ounce of "tired" that I felt this morning and I am still feeling in my old age!

I love the man.....

Mothers Day and lost at Dick's

2009-05-10T19:24:00.000-07:00

We celebrated a bit early and went to dinner on Saturday night at Salt Grass..it was yummy! We had to wait a while, but it was worth it. Kade man fell asleep half way through his salad, but I he had a full tummy and that is what was important.

Sunday: What a great day! I woke up to a beaufiful breakfast of pancakes, eggs, sausage, and toast cooked by my thoughtful husband and sweet son! Kade is just like his mother in the way that he can't wait to give gifts. He couldn't stand it any longer so he went and got my gift for me! I got two bags of jelly beans, two bags of double bubble, and the Ed Hardy perfume I had been wanting. It smells DELICIOSO! Kade had also been working on this book at school that he gave me...here are a few excerpts:

My mommy and I go to: The dentist! (we've been once!)
My mommy and I like to read: books about red? ( no idea what he is talking about)
My mommy and I play: race cars together (okay!)
My mommy and I like to eat: spaghetti and meatballs (yum!)

He illustrated the book himself..it's the cutest thing ever! So once I read my book I got the idea to make my mom one as part of her gift. Here is Kade working intently on it-

We kept with the same concept for mom's book, but at the end I decided to add some extras that Kade came up with like-
Age- 21 (she loved this)
Weight- 80 lbs
Height- 49 inches
Hair- White and warm
Looks- pretty like my mommy and wrinkly!!!
Loves- Diet Coke and me

After we brought mom her gifts we had to head to Firewheel mall b/c my 4 1/2 year old needed new shoes AGAIN! Keep in mind his age when I say that we had to buy a size 13 shoe for him...it's crazy. So while we were at Dick's we were letting Kade run around the track they have in the shoe department...the next thing we know he is gone. My heart was in my stomach and we were yelling for him all over the place. It was a nightmare that seemed like an eternity and it was only about 2 minutes. We found him up at the front with a sales associate crying. Thank GOD he knew to go find someone in charge. It was the scariest moment of my life. I think he now understands why I get upset when he won't stay beside me in the store and why he ends up in the grocery cart all of the time. I told him my heart would break into a million little pieces if I ever lost him.

After he took his nap we met Mike back over at my mom and dads. They are in the process of building a fence so Kade got to help paint! I think he got more paint on his clothes than the wood, but he had a great time!

At last it was time to practice catching. He just started t-ball and he can hit and throw, but catching is our issue. He practiced catching tonight with his daddy, bubba, and Bop-O. Hopefully he will get the hang of it soon...at least he's not afraid of the ball! Practice is so cute. We go every Monday and Wednesday and the games will begin in June. I can't wait! Here is my little guy practicing tonight...

Old videos

2009-05-06T20:42:00.000-07:00

Everyday I look at my friends blogs and see their babies and think back to when Kade was that little and going through those stages. It goes by TOOOOO fast. I love seeing him grow and continuing to learn, but I do miss those "baby" days too. Here are a few short videos that I love from when he was a baby....

We visit the Celina Pumpkin patch every year.....

Kade broke his leg the summer before he turned two.

He loves his bath time....

The boy can eat some veggies...

sleeps like a baby

2009-04-30T20:40:00.000-07:00

The other night I went to check on Kade and the way he was sleeping reminded me of when he was a baby. I couldn't find the exact picture I was looking for from when he was a baby, but it's close. He would always sleep with his arms above his head....

The Easter Bunny can climb stairs....

2009-04-30T20:24:00.000-07:00

Apparently he can! I am terrible at keeping up with my blog and with all of you who blog on a daily basis! Anyway, our Easter was great! Kade woke up to a trail of eggs that led him downstairs to an enormous amount of candy, movies, a lightsaber for he and his daddy, markers, crayons...you name it, he got it! After hunting eggs and eating chocolate bunnies for breakfast we headed to church! I was so proud of Kade b/c Easter was the day he decided to go to Sunday school all on his own! He can't wait for Sunday each week to see his new friends and learn about Jesus. After church we headed to mom and dads for lunch and an egg coloring EGGSTRAVAGANZA....

2009-04-07T19:33:00.000-07:00

It's been several weeks since I last updated my blog. I didn't realize I was so busy! So, two weeks ago my husband and son came home. Kade crawled up on the couch with me and I immediately noticed something...HE CUT HIS HAIR. He got a hold of my brother's clippers and shaved a piece right in the center. I tried to mask it with gel, but NOTHING worked! He thought I would be mad at him, but I think all kids do it..RIGHT?!?!?!? How do you like his buzz cut??? It's pretty cute and perfect for T-ball, which we start in May..YIPPEE!!!

This past weekend we went to the local Easter Egg Hunt here in Rockwall. We did it last year and Kade really enjoyed it. They have a little petting zoo and the baseball fields are covered with candy...every kids dream.

Well, I need to go and read a few books to my kiddo before bed...I'll update more later!

My birthday

2009-03-19T23:44:00.000-07:00

When it comes to buying gifts...Kade is the best. For a 4 year old, he truly puts thought into what he wants to get someone. We started letting him pick gifts out for everyone about a year and a half ago. He always has a great reason as to why that person needs the gift. Well, Mike took him shopping for me and this is what I got....a bag of chocolate covered raisins, a bag of double bubble gum, Dove body wash, bubble bath, and bath salt!!! My card played the chicken dance...how can you not love that?!?!? You should have seen the smile on that childs face as I was opening my present. What made the day start off great was when he came into my room and was trying to get me up. He was talking to me and then all of the sudden he said, "mommy, it's your birthday"...he's 4! What a gift he is!

The rest of the day was great. We went to the park and had a Chic Fil A picnic and then he rode his bike down to the play area. He made me a birthday cake in the sand pit...it was "delicious". I'll attach pics later! Then we napped and went to my parents for dinner. I'm 33 and blessed!

The Great Wolf Lodge

2009-03-14T23:55:00.000-07:00

We had the best time! I picked Kade up from school on Thursday and we headed to Grapevine. (Mike met us after work. ) He was sooooooooo excited. Funny story....he and his friend Emily were betting who would sit in more hot tubs while on vacation...how does a 4 year old know about hot tubs???? Anyway, his teacher said that once Kade said he would be sitting in "1 MILLION", Emily was stumped...she had nothing left to say! That's my boy! I can't say enough about that place. I know we will visit at least once more this year and I may even have Kade's birthday party there in October. Mike is definitely ready to go back. He is just as big of a kid as Kade, and that makes it fun! I saw too many parents wrapped up in their books and their phones and not watching their kiddos. What's the point if it's going to be that way? I have to be involved...I want to remember every moment.

My mom met us Friday night and she and Kade slept on the bunk beds....mom tried to get him to take the bottom bunk. She said she was kidding, but I think she really wanted to sleep on the top bunk. :) What made the trip even better was that Kade met a little boy named Sam. They hit it off and went to the arcade together and we gave Sam's dad a break and took them to the water park for a couple of hours. It's tough keeping up with two boys...but I would love it. I wish sometimes that Kade already had a little brother to play with.

Anyway, we are completely exhausted and full of new memories!

I've been challenged!

2009-03-11T21:22:00.000-07:00

Sunday I will be taking on the "Buffalo Wild Wings" challenge. Some friends at school have dared me.. so I have to do it. You have to eat 12 wings in 6 minutes without a drink or napkins. We'll see what happens. I better have "team Kaci" fans there to cheer me on! We will be there at 7, if you would like to join.

What a day! My kids at school are so ready for Spring Break and so am I. I just need a mental break period. I love my students dearly, but man are they nuts right now.

I can't wait to pick Kade up tomorrow and head to the Great Wolf Lodge...he doesn't even know we are going! I really want to tell him in the morning, but I am trying to wait and keep it as a surprise. Why am I up...I still have to pack...I am such a procrastinator!

Just wanted to add this picture b/c I think my baby looks GORGEOUS here!

A Day of Fun

2009-03-08T20:17:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful day it was....78 degrees! Mike had to work today so I took my little guy to the park. He rode his bike around the trails while I walked beside...I mean behind him! He is sooooooooo fast. Then we stopped to watch some kiddos practicing t-ball and I think his interest has been sparked! We then rode down to the play area where he made me "soup" in the sandbox and spicy chicken to-go! Sonic was on our minds as we left and Kade wanted a BIG ocean water. Mimi called so we dropped by her house and jumped on the trampoline...he loves to play "crack the egg". We promised him that if he made good choices this weekend he could go to the carnival at Firewheel Mall...so we surprised him. He had a blast. There is nothing better than seeing a smile on your baby's face and hearing him laugh! Since we were already at Firewheel, Pei Wei was a MUST followed by a trip to Braums...what a full/exhausting/fantastic day!

2009-03-06T20:08:00.000-08:00

Kade

2009-03-06T19:56:00.001-08:00

So I just want to write about some of the things that I love about my baby:

His blue eyes, his cute butt, the way he can't say his r's, his fat little hands, the way he says "l Love You Mommy", when he saw his Bop-O on television and asked-"How will Bop-O get out of the TV to get home?", when he hid in the closet from the "tormato", how we watched The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown twice a day for an entire month, his fake laugh, slap me some skin brotha', singing womanizer and circus non-stop, his love for art, watching him hit the baseball, riding his bike, the way he intently listens to a book each night, his love for eating with chopsticks, making messes, when he helps me cook each night, singing kareoke, hiding out and shooting me with his nerf rifle, his love for pancakes for dinner!

First time blogger

2009-03-06T19:30:00.001-08:00

This is my first time to blog! I've been wanting to do this for quite some time now. I'm not even sure where to begin. I guess when my life really started...when I had Kade. Man, you really have no idea what love is until you have a child of your own. You hear that but can't really wrap your brain around it until that precious baby is here and in your arms. Life becomes so much more than it ever was before. Right now we are dealing with the stages of a four year old.....parenting is hard! I feel like 4 years have walked right past me with this baby and I cry. I just want to make the right decisions and be the best parent I can be, but everyday I second guess myself.