Birthday Boy

Nathan counted down the days until his birthday on Wednesday. I told him Grandma and Grandpa Rogers would be here on Friday, so we could do a family party then, but he excitedly told me he wanted a "friend party" on his birthday. I like celebrating on THE day as well, so he gets two parties (plus his two parties at school from two different schools -- wow, we did spoil him this year).

Nathan really wanted a chocolate Mario cake, like the one Grandma Drake made him last year at the family party. Unfortunately, he lost that Mario, but my Mom saved the day by ordering another one for his cake. Nathan cheered when he saw it. (It's hard to see, but he's there by the candles.)

Once you start buying Thomas the Train toys for your child, it becomes an addiction. Nathan already has quite a few trains, but Dan found this online deal from Toys R Us a few months ago with trains and DVD sets that we couldn't pass up.

"More than meets the eye": Nathan got two Transformers from friends.

Nathan liked everything he got, including his Mario pajamas from Mom and Dad. Grandma and Grandpa Drake got the basketball hoop behind him; Nathan wanted to "shoot hoops" with friends and family. It's on the lowest setting, 4 feet, and it goes up to 6 feet. Dan's parents are coming for the Fourth, so this kid is getting a truckload of parties. He is a special kid, and his excitement is infectious. He's gearing up to play Mario Kart with Gramps and Gram, whether they want to or not!

A few weeks ago the kids and I satisfied my curiosity about the signs for "Wild West Texas" store along a country road. I passed it a few times when I went to a play group, and I wondered if they sold a bunch of toy guns and cowboy hats and sheriff badges. So we pulled in and were greeted by these large metal statues of a cowboy and an Indian. Then we parked in front of this rusty old car, and I said, "Look, it's Mater!" The kids were happy to pose by this Mater lookalike (from the movie Cars). The structure behind us is where they have a weekly Farmers' Market. We went inside a few cabins where they sold everything cowboy and country style, from furniture to paintings of horses to cowboy hats to iron letters for branding cattle. But it didn't come cheap, and while the kids liked the little benches and rocking chairs, we just browsed and moseyed on out.

We decided to crack the whip and have Sophia mow the lawn. Just kidding, this is the kids' bubble mower.

She really does like to clean though. She held on to the Swiffer for dear life when I told her it was Nathan's turn to use it. I'm impressed that a cleaning tool is so cool that my kids fight for it.

Our kids get plenty of down time, don't worry.

I passed these cows every morning as I took Nathan into school. See, we really are in the country.

I had this beautiful view of Pine Valley Mountain and the red cliffs, not to mention the giant sand pile, from our home in St. George. I miss the mountains.


Quotes of the week

"I ate your brains." -- Sophia to her Mom, who is so proud that her daughter aspires to zombiehood. If you've played the video game "Plants vs. Zombies," this will make more sense.

"Here we go!" -- Nathan, copying Mario's chipper voice.

Grateful moment

I'm thankful for family and friends who stand by us when life doesn't turn out as we planned.

Nate's Kindergarten Graduation

Nathan had an official kindergarten graduation on Wednesday. The gymnasium was packed with families supporting the five classes of children who completed their first step of the public school system. I can't help but get teary-eyed as I look at this picture and think of how much Nathan has grown and how far he's come. When he was three years old, I was just hoping he would be able to talk to me spontaneously and communicate easily. Now he is nearly six, and he reads at a first grade level (level 10) and speaks his mind quite freely. I'm so proud of my Nathan boy. When the speaker announced that these children would become the Class of 2021, I gasped, thinking, "That seems so far away." I'm sure it'll come sooner than I think though. Don't grow up too fast, hijo mio.

Nathan celebrates with his best friend at school, Tyler.

Nathan and his other best friend, Sophia.

They even got cupcakes topped with little grad caps.

This was on the back of Nathan's program:

All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten

by Robert Fulghum


Most of what I really need
To know about how to live
And what to do and how to be
I learned in kindergarten.
Wisdom was not at the top
Of the graduate school mountain,
But there in the sand pile at school.

These are the things I learned:

Share everything.
Play fair.
Don't hit people.
Put things back where you found them.
Clean up your own mess.
Don't take things that aren't yours.
Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody.
Wash your hands before you eat.
Flush.
Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.
Live a balanced life -
Learn some and think some
And draw and paint and sing and dance
And play and work everyday some.
Take a nap every afternoon.
When you go out into the world,
Watch out for traffic,
Hold hands and stick together.
Be aware of wonder.

Mothers' Day and Kindergarten Circus

Nathan painted my nails purple and dried them with a purple fan.

I got royal treatment for Mothers' Day, and you'll never guess who pampered me -- Nathan! All kindergartners at Nathan's school invited their Moms to come for a "Mothers' Day tea party" last Friday afternoon. We rotated through each kindergarten classroom, and Nathan applied my lipstick, gave me a massage, painted my nails, and made a bracelet and photo frame for me. I enjoyed having Nathan do this more than any professional pampering because he was so sweet the whole time and happy to have me at his school. They ended the event with punch and cookies in the cafeteria, and we each got a silhouette of our child and a cute card where Nathan had to write about his Mom. He thinks my favorite TV show is "Dora."

Dan's parents visited for Mothers' Day weekend, and we went to see "Star Trek" in the IMAX theater as an early Fathers' Day gift -- not really, we all wanted to see it. We all enjoyed the movie, and while Dan's family are Trekkies, I've barely seen any of the Original episodes and thought the film was a fun ride. One reason why I wanted to see this Star Trek movie more than some in the past is because J. J. Abrams directed it, and he also created "Lost," which I think is the most compelling fictional television series of all time (one season left to FINALLY get all the answers). I'm amazed that Abrams got it so spot on considering he never paid attention to Star Trek until he made this movie. Go see it -- you won't be disappointed.

We went to a water park with the kids, and Grandma and Grandpa Rogers brought some cascarones or confetti eggs from San Antonio. This Mexican tradition is usually used around Easter. The kids had fun breaking the eggs on Daddy's head and scattering confetti over him, which I read is supposed to bring good luck.

The kids hold their cracked eggs before they throw the confetti.

Nathan's school presented the 19th Annual Kindergarten Circus on Thursday evening. Nathan chose to be a dog. His best friend at school was a "strong man." He wanted to wear black, and he wanted a white spot on his tummy. I didn't want to do anything permanent to his black shirt, so I just used construction paper on his tummy and for his ears. He looked cute. The day before the performance, he told me that he got to scratch his head with his foot. It was great to see all the performers, from the clowns to the hula hoopers. Sophia liked the ribbon dancers and twirlers. Nathan performed well as a dog; you can see his act below!

Nate's elementary school has a reputation as the best one in the district. At first it was hard to adjust to the long day and some of the expectations that were different from Utah, such as having good handwriting. Nathan has risen to the occasion, however, and has improved in his handwriting and usually gets 100% on his spelling tests. Now I'm glad he's in a school that encourages excellence rather than caters to the average student. It's fun to see his progress; he is doing some addition and subtraction now too and likes it. He's reading a book about Amelia Bedelia, which is pretty advanced for his age.
I like how his school has a separate gym teacher, music teacher, and art teacher. He does have long days, but I'm reassured that he's getting a quality education. The school events are fun too. Now I want to buy a home next year that's within this school's boundaries -- but I'm not sure if that will happen. The kids all got to watch a rocket launch on Friday. Go Austin Astronauts!

Quotes of the week

"I have to stay in the lines so you don't look like a clown." -- Nathan to me as he applied my red lipstick. His teacher taught him well!

"Wing, wing!" -- Sophia wants to swing whenever one is in sight.

Grateful moment

I'm thankful to live in a country where education is guaranteed for every child and in an area that strives for academic excellence. I'm thankful for the school events that help us parents remember how lucky we are to have these children.

Change of plans

My Relief Society (church group) planned to see the Golden Dragon Acrobats of China for our Enrichment activity. I was intrigued by just the name of the group. It was set for Friday, April 24, so Dan had a night with the kids and I had a night out with ladies from my ward. They even made up sack lunches for us; I was excited for it.

However, this is what I saw instead -- "17 Again." I would've chosen the acrobats over the film (no offense Zac Efron), but circumstances prevented it. Here's what happened.

Our car (I was a passenger) took a different route than the other cars. It started to rain like crazy, and we took the Southwest Freeway toward downtown Houston. The traffic was practically at a standstill. We assumed there was a major accident ahead of us. We noted the time and realized we wouldn't make it before the seats were given away. So we decided to do something else. HERE'S WHERE IT GETS INTERESTING. As we approached the police cars, there was no accident -- just police escorting a truck off of the freeway. We decided to take the same exit. The truck was taken to the left, and others in my car noticed it was unmarked and there were buses pulling in by the truck. A couple of the girls said the truck was probably filled with illegal immigrants, and the buses were there to ship them back south of the border. The driver got out, and he was wearing a sombrero. We didn't stay to see them open the back of the truck, but I think there was something illegal going on.
It was pouring rain, and the access roads to the freeway were becoming a river. We headed back on the freeway and caught the movie. We got there after it just started and had to sit on the front row. We had a good time anyway, and the movie had a good message. I wouldn't really wish to go back to high school -- college was much better -- but if I did, I'd make the most of it and have more fun and get over my shyness.
Even though our group missed out on the acrobats, we got to know each other and had quite an adventure for the evening.

My ward is great. They have a calendar of events every month to allow the women to get involved in different groups. I like to take Sophia to the play group on Fridays. I love this picture of the kids all hanging out on a hammock. What an adorable bunch of kids! Sophia's smack dab in the middle, and it looks like she's eying another girl's ice cream cone.

Quotes of the month

"Sophia, eat it, or you're going to die!" -- Nathan, after I scared him into trying a clementine by saying people who don't eat fruits and veggies won't live as long as those who do. Sophia refused to bite her wedge, and Nathan burst into tears.

"Meow!" -- Sophia, who thinks she's a kitten.

Grateful moment

I'm grateful to have landed in such a great area. I'm glad the women at church have been so friendly and helpful. It makes the transition so much easier. I'm thankful for friends, old and new.

Take me out to the ball game

We went to an Astros baseball game on April 7. They played the Chicago Cubs, which I found out is one of their biggest rivals. I'm happy to root for the Astros since the Red Sox are in a different league. Dan scored free tickets from work, provided from Westlaw. First we were invited to mingle and eat game food (hot dogs, nachos and popcorn) from the Union Station Rooftop and enjoyed the view of Minute Maid Park from there. After we ate, we headed down to the stadium to watch the game. We could catch some of it from the roof, but the kids got nervous looking down from over six stories high.

Go team! Sophia and Dan celebrate the Astros' runs.

I'm not one for watching much sports on television, but there's something about the live experience that is so sensational (because it stimulates all of the senses). The announcer, the music, the roar of the audience, the players on base and at bat, the ball whizzing through the air, the uniforms and the fans sporting their team's colors, the vivid green of the outfield, the fresh air, the buttery whiff of popcorn and the salty crunch, the sweet syrup of soda, and the stiff stadium seats all combine for a sporting event symphony. It's not Fenway, but we will enjoy rooting for our home team in Houston.

We stayed for nine innings, but since it was tied and already getting late, we headed home. We heard on the radio that the Astros finally beat the Cubs, 3-2. Even though we had a great time, Nathan had a hard time the next day because he was so tired. School starts at 7:45 a.m. for him, which I think is way too early for little kids. We may see them play the Dodgers next week.

Home sweet home: The kids play in the front yard.

Notice how Sophia can't stand still? Nathan is pointing a water gun at me.

We spent Easter weekend at Grandma and Grandpa's house in San Antonio. The kids liked coloring Easter eggs, finding eggs in the backyard, eating candy and getting lots of attention.


Quotes of the week

"I see a train!" -- Sophia, whenever she hears a train whistle.

"I want the Astros to win." -- Nathan, after we let him know we weren't watching the Red Sox play and the Cubs were the "bad guys."

"Worrying is like being in a rocking chair -- it's something to do, but it won't get you anywhere." -- Dr. Phil. Okay, so he didn't say this to ME, but I heard it on the radio and liked it.

Grateful moment

I'm thankful for my marriage to Dan. We celebrated our 8th anniversary over Easter weekend by eating out at The Melting Pot in San Antonio. (Mmm, artichoke spinach cheese with rye bread and stuffed mushrooms ...) I've learned a lot and I still have lots to learn. There's so much my present self could now tell my past self in the white wedding dress. Life is a learning process, that's for sure.

I'm also grateful for my Argentine friends. Erica DiFini, who I lived with at the beginning of my mission, called me a few weeks ago. She lives in Utah now. It was good to catch up and to hear her talking in English rather than me talking to her in castellano. I'm thankful for the friendship and kindness I experienced during my time in Buenos Aires.

So Long St. George, Hello Houston

Dan accepted a job offer as a trademark attorney for Healix in the Houston area (he works in Sugar Land). Dan finished his last day of work at Durham Jones & Pinegar on Friday February 28. Nathan had his last day of school at Sandstone Elementary that day too. We spent the weekend at my parents' home, and our family headed to Snow Canyon State Park on Saturday to play in the sand dunes and say farewell to the lovely landscape before our trek to Texas.



I miss the red cliffs and burnt orange sand and the mountains. On Sunday, March 2, we drove southeast, staying in Phoenix, El Paso, and San Antonio before ending up at a hotel in Houston. My kids had little to do other than jump on the beds and race down the hallways and play in the elevators. When Dan started his job, the kids and I took a shuttle to the Galleria Mall. This mall is ginormous -- many shops, of course, and some restaurants, a hotel within the mall, and the major attraction is the indoor ice skating rink. It's nice to know that the snow deprived Houstonians can still put on ice skates and pretend it's a winter wonderland.


After two weeks, we moved into the home we'll be renting for the next year or so. We live away from the city and we pass cows and train tracks on the way to Dan's work. It's green and wet here, which is a big change, and there has already been a tornado warning and hail in other parts of the city (just wait till hurricane season -- hopefully none will hit us this year!).
After we watched the ice skaters, we got fries at "Old McDonald's" for the kids, and then I had to return a heart luggage tag Sophia swiped from a pricey store (come on, it was a cute red heart, and she didn't know what she was doing -- and I didn't notice till I saw it in my bag at the ice rink). The leather tag cost $26, which is close to the price of my suitcase. We made a legitimate purchase at a Texas store of an ice cube tray with the shapes of Texas and stars (the kids want a star and a Texas in their drinks now).
Sophia has this bad habit of spitting out food when she decides she doesn't want it anymore. So guess who got to clean up a glob of granola bar off the white floor of the mall on our way out? Moi.

Check out the Texas longhorn, the mascot of UT Austin.

This is the prettiest turkey I have ever seen -- and this one knows it too. Talk about striking a pose!

We had one family outing two Saturdays ago to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, which my gal pal from Houston recommended. We didn't go to the rodeo this time around. The rodeo goes for three weeks, and people win bragging rights for their livestock, eat great food, ride on mechanical bulls, and go on carnival rides. Oh, and some come for the rodeo and performers too.

We went to see the animals first. We checked out the cattle, the sheep, the rabbits, the chicks and chicken, a turkey, and even buzzing bees. Nathan said he liked "all of it." They had a real pony merry-go-round, and Sophia wanted to ride on one, but we decided not to spend the money since we were going on a few carnival rides. I think it might be more worth it to ride on the real deal, though, so I think Sophia will get her wish next year. I really liked the rabbits. It reminded me of my neighbor Laura in California who had rabbits and let me and my siblings play with them. I think a French Lop would make a great pet.

When I told Nathan's bus driver in St. George we were moving to Texas, a boy excitedly asked, "Nathan, are you going to be a cowboy in Texas?!" I think he's going to be a farmer instead.

Sophia was too short to ride on the Ferris Wheel (which was so huge it kind of scared me!), so Nathan rode on that ride with his Dad. Sophia rode a zebra on the merry-go-round, and Nathan was miffed that we were left with plain old horses. Nathan and Sophia also rode on a magic carpet on the Aladdin ride, and Nathan found his way through the Hall of Mirrors. We are definitely coming back, and next year I hope we'll attend the rodeo (we watched clips on their huge TV screens).

I have registered Nathan at his new school. Now he's an Austin astronaut. He has a dress code here, and he's supposed to wear red, white, and blue polo shirts (talk about patriotic, and what do I do with all of his green shirts?!). The school is rated exemplary and won a blue ribbon award a couple of years ago. It's an older school, whereas Sandstone was fairly new. The school starts so early -- 7:45 -- and ends at 2:45 p.m. That's a big shift for someone who was used to 2 1/2 hours in the afternoon. I like taking him in the morning, and the bus stops right by our home in the afternoon.

So here are a couple of interesting things about his elementary school. First off, they not only pledge allegiance to the United States flag, but also to the Texas state flag. I saw this when I brought Nathan in last week. It's a short and sweet pledge to the Texas flag: "Honor the Texas flag; I pledge allegiance to thee, Texas, one state under God, one and indivisible." I suppose they do this because this state was once a republic when they defeated Mexico.
The second thing (that I guess is just part of this school district) is that the school had a paper asking if I approve of corporal punishment for my child at school. What??!!? Now, don't get me wrong, there are times when my kids might need a spanking. But to have a teacher do that at school? I felt like I had walked into a time warp. Dan said, "Well, they're giving the people the freedom to choose if they want it." I just think it's outdated. What do you think? So I checked "NO!" I imagine those who check "yes" don't get the nicest and best teachers. So while I was shocked by that, I am happy with Nathan's teacher, and I look forward to our life "where the green grass grows," as my buddy Tim McGraw (and Dan, who's a fan) would say.


Quotes of the week

"Special Phia!" -- Nathan calls this out at various times of the day. Sophia's nickname is Phia.

"I don't want to die! I want to live forever!" -- In a desperate attempt to make Nathan TRY a clementine, I told him people who don't eat fruits and vegetables die sooner than others. This brought on a traumatic discussion. He only stopped crying when I told him our family would be together forever. I didn't mean to scare him -- but he did finally take a bite of orange!

"Ants! Ants!" -- Sophia, after knowing that these fire ants can bite and are mean suckers, calls out to me when she spots any now.

Grateful moment

I'm thankful for new beginnings. I'm grateful for the chance to start anew and experience life in a new way. It is refreshing and awakens my senses like a sunrise.
I'm also thankful my children are each others' friends. They've been together so much during this transition, and when Nathan headed back to school last week, Sophia wanted to join Nathan on the floor mat for calendar time. Nate's teacher asked, "Do you want to hug your brother goodbye?" Nathan stood up, and they hugged each other, and the other kids said, "Awwww!"

Cute cousin, half birthday and working man

My sister Heather gave birth to a healthy baby girl on New Year's Eve. Her name is Lucy.

Nathan and Sophia met their newborn cousin.
Nathan said, "You're a super cute baby. Silly baby."

Nathan is really taken with babies.
Sophie seems somewhat interested.

Nathan celebrated his half birthday at school in January since his birthday is in July. His teacher, Miss Tobler, made him a candy necklace and even put "1/2" on his birthday hat. I came to the class to read Star Wars: Journey Through Space and to give each child a York peppermint patty, one of his favorite candies. I think his teacher found a clever way for the summer birthday kids to celebrate during the school year. (Miss Tobler tells the kids not to eat all of the candy at once so they won't get stomachaches, and every time I picked out a candy for him, Nathan was worried he might get sick. I let him know one a day is okay.)

Nathan drew this picture of President Barack Obama on January 20, the day of his inauguration. His friend drew the picture to look exactly like him, but I guess Nathan went with the rainbow look. He also had a paper that said, "If I were President, I would ..." and Nathan wrote, "help people do the right thing."

Nathan celebrated his 100th day of school on January 21. Yahoo!

On the way to church last Sunday, Nathan said he liked his suit and said, "I'm a working man!" Dan asked if he wanted to go to work with him, and Nathan said, "Yeah, I'll go to work with Papa." So the morning of January 20, Nathan dressed up with his Dad and packed his Nintendo DS and books into my laptop bag and headed into the office with Dan. He stayed there for a couple of hours, and then I picked him up to go to school in the afternoon. He said he liked "working" at his Dad's office. He said he likes school and work.

Quotes of the week

"I'm fifty years old. I'm a working man!" -- Nathan, who is trying to grow up too fast.

"I did it!" -- Sophia, who went potty for the first time on January 26. Hooray!

Grateful moment

I'm thankful for hobbies like scrapbooking. I like making cute things and giving them to others and recording family memories. It makes family history fun. These are Valentine's Day 6x6" pages, a card, and a gift I made at my monthly Stampin' Up group. I love the sock monkey stamp.