I Wanna Be a Rock Star

We got red guitar boots a few months ago, and that's when the boys decided they wanted to be rock stars for Halloween. They have been SOOOO excited about tonight ever since we got the red hair-dye spray and stick-on tattoos...that was a few weeks ago, and we chose not to have a trial run, so tonight was IT.

They came home from school ready to put their costumes on. They ended up looking terribly fab and really got into the spirit of it, pretending to do windmill guitar riffs and singing REALLY loud. LOL Cody's hair is so white-blond that the "red" dye came out neon orange on his head, but he sure did enjoy checking himself out in the mirror. I ended up carrying his guitar, and he removed his sunglasses and dog collar before we even left the house. Jacks just pushed his sunglasses on top of his head, which considering their shape, ended up looking rather funny (as you'll see in the very last pic). Here are some pics of my rock stars!

Lovin' their guitars (which they decorated with stars and Jacks even added some flames LOL):




Ooooooh, psychedelic, man:



Jacks really has the pose down:





Cody tried to be tough, cool and aloof, but he let his hair down before too long:







Presenting The Miller Brothers Band....first verse by Cody:



Take it home, Jacks:



Chillin' after our big Trick or Treat (and to Cody, going TOT'ing was not only the act itself, but also each piece of candy, ie. "Look at the Trick or Treat I got!" LOL...oh and he also says we're going to go again tomorrow ):

PUMPKINS!!!

We took advantage of Jacks being out of school today to hit the Owens' Farm Big Orange Pumpkin Patch.

It was BEAUTIFUL out, and we got there just ahead of a bunch of school buses LOL....so we enjoyed the tractor ride and feeding the animals before it got TOO insanely full.

Here's a few pics:

Belly Painting

The boys have been dying to paint my belly, so this afternoon I let them go to town.

The finished product, from the front:



Details...Jackson's train, complete with track (that went around to my back!):



Cody's train (he's more of an abstract artist LOL):



Luke (note that my belly button is his nose!):



Me and my artists:



After dinner, it was Anthony's turn...I've been really attracted to trees in art lately, so much of the decor in Luke's room has to do with trees. There was only one option, then, for the subject of Anthony's painting. Here's a shot of me with Daddy's finished product.

Cody's First Day of Preschool

He was SO ready today...he's in love with the backpack he chose, and he got a big kick out of helping me pack up his lunch. Plus, he is just so proud of his napmat that "Zoe's Mama" made him that he might just pop.

Here's my little guy, who's no longer little at all....where'd the baby go?





Last year, he only attended a week or so of school before we took him out after his surgery....but here's the best pic I got then.



And here was after school that day:



I so hope he has fun today! He's been looking forward to it for the last week+, since Jacks started K...every day he would ask if it was his turn to go to preschool yet. So I'm that all goes well for him.

Our Family

~*A "Cody"-bration!*~

Yesterday was an important day for us not only because Jackson started Kindergarten, but also because it was the 1-year anniversary of the day Cody was diagnosed with a brain tumor. It's hard to believe, looking at him now, how much he has gone through in the last year...he really is a champ. But we felt the day was very much worth celebrating for that reason as well, so last night we had a little "Cody"-bration.

After school, the boys and I made party hats and a cake. You can tell, they REALLY like their sprinkles (and dipped into the frosting a bit, too, shhhhhhh).







After Daddy came home, we sang Happy Birthday to Cody (his request because he automatically assumes that cake = birthday ) and really enjoyed that yummy cake.





Just to trip down memory lane a bit...here's my Neuro-ICU badge that I found while cleaning out the console of my car.



And here's Cody just a few days after his first surgery, looking remarkably normal until you see the back of his head.





Fast forward a year to now...and here's my beautiful boy, thriving, about to turn 3 in a few months, and just a joy to be around.

Jackson's First Day of Kindergarten

Jackson’s First Day of Kindergarten
August 27, 2007

The night before…

Jackson had complete freedom to choose whatever he wanted for dinner, and he requested that I make tamale pie. I brought out our fancy candlesticks and served him his meal on our “Celebrate” plate (reserved for special occasions) We toasted him and all said, “Cheers.” He felt very much like a little man, I think.



Before bed, we read “'Twas the Night before Kindergarten” and talked about our schedule for the morning: that I would wake him up at 6:45 so that we’d have plenty of time for breakfast and getting dressed and getting to school without rushing. I told him I’d walk him to the classroom and that then he’d be with Mrs. Murthy for the day, but Cody and I would be back to pick him up at 2:30, just like Mama always came back to get him at preschool. He seemed fine with that and asked no more questions.

After we sang our songs and said our “I love you’s,” while I was still sitting in the boys’ room for a few extra minutes in the dark, I heard Jackson’s little voice from up in his bunk whisper, “Mama, I’m SO ‘cited.” So whether or not I’m ready, I’m glad to say that I think HE is.

Anthony made this collage using our favorite pics of Jacks from Saturday...



The morning of....

Good morning Jacks! I did have to wake him up, but when he heard me he immediately popped up, raring to go.



Mommmmmmmmm, stop taking pictures of me already!





Just before we left the house, some final snuggles with Mama and Daddy...
(note where his fingers are in the pic with me)





My Brave Little (Big) Kindergartener, just before going in to school:



He was fine up until I parked the car, and then when we started walking towards the school he began dragging his feet and moving more and more slowly. He did get a big kick out of the "cowboy" (older gentleman wearing a cowboy hat and boots) who was the crossing guard.

When we got to his classroom, we put his lunchbox and backpack in his locker, and he went to his table spot and got started on a worksheet. He said he wanted me to stay, but when I pointed out that none of the other mommies were still in the room, he seemed OK and headed to his table.

After school....

He looked SO exhausted when he came out of the school!!! But he has since recharged with some Gatorade and crackers, and he seems to have had a good day.

He's a typical boy in that if you ask him if he had a good day, he'll just say, "Yeah." And that's it. Getting specific details is like pulling teeth. After asking many pointed questions, this is what I got out of him:

He did go to PE and liked it. He went outside two times to two different playgrounds. They did not do any ABC stuff today LOL. Mrs. Murthy was nice. Eating lunch in the cafeteria was fun, but he didn't get the spider on his tongue out of his fruit rollup. He got 4 Tiger Tickets which he can redeem for prizes out of the treasure chest. He "thinks" he has to bring his nametag back to school tomorrow.

I think he had a good day but he's really worn out...at first he said he didn't want to go back tomorrow because he was too tired after the 2nd recess. I told him it would take a while to adjust to the longer days, but that each day would get easier.

My big boy!