When You Already Have 3 Boys....

....really, what's one more? Heehee...

Jackson had his friend, Tyler, over to spend the night this weekend. It was Jackson's first sleepover , and it went just great!

The boys spent all afternoon playing Lego Batman, and then we headed out to get some BBQ for dinner. Luckily, the place was almost empty anyway, but the sight of our herd of boys did cause one older couple to quickly pick up their trays and find a table in a different section. :)

Everyone got along very well, and Anthony and I even commented that it felt like having one LESS kiddo instead of having one more, because Tyler and Jackson kept each other so entertained that we barely knew either one was there!

They settled down in front of Spongebob before bed, and both were completely thrilled that they got to stay up so late. Not long after lights out, I found this:


It was a great first sleepover experience for all of us. Now to see how Jacks does at someone else's house....

Spring has Sprung

Earlier this week, we took Aunt Emilie to the Arboretum to see the Dallas Blooms before she went home to Connecticut. Despite it being a little bit chilly and windy, we had a nice afternoon and enjoyed all the beautiful tulips and azaleas.

I just love this shot of Em and the boys. They could not get enough of her, and she was always so patient with them. (And Lucas kept demanding I go back to her picture while I was uploading this, so he could keep looking at her!)


Once again, the house on stilts (what Cody calls the "treehouse") as part of the Little House on the Prairie storybook playhouse display was the biggest hit.


Jacks had a VERY lucky day when this beautiful ladybug landed on him.


Here's the Eragon playhouse, which we think looks like a giant porcupine more than a Dragon, but whatever.


Despite it being a little cold, Cody still loved the water.


Jacks checked out the Hansel and Gretel cottage.


And one more of Emilie and me, in the same spot where we had a picture taken together 4 years ago when she came to visit (I'll have to try to find that one).


We also found some bluebonnets that same morning, to give Em a final taste of Texas. They aren't in full bloom yet and it was windy as all get-out, but we still had a nice time!

Sniffles and Band-Aids

Cody has really been coming out of his little shell lately and talking more and more. In fact, recently, it has been quite difficult to get him to be quiet! But the good thing about that is that we get to hear all the clever and wonderful things that come out of his mouth.

For example, he wears his favorite boots almost everywhere. He was taking a closer look at them the other day and said, "Hey, I never noticed my alligators had sniffles!" Apparently, nostrils are sniffles.

Cody certainly brings truth and honesty to all his interactions as well, not shying away from potentially delicate topics. He asked my dad why he didn't have any hair (LOL), and said to me, "Remember that time when you were fat and we painted your tummy?" (For the record, I was pregnant, not fat. :P)

And, hard as it is to believe, Cody trumped himself in the "Bungled Song Lyrics" game. Last year, his favorite song was Good Charlotte's "I Don't Wanna Be in Love" and for Cody, that song was called, "I Don't Wanna Be a WOLF."

Well, the other day in the car, we were listening to Bon Jovi's "Shot Through the Heart." The lyric goes, "Shot through the heart/And you're to blame/You give love/A bad name." Cody was singing along from the beginning (I didn't even know he knew that song!), and when he got to the chorus, we heard his new and improved version:

Shot through the heart
And you're to blame
You give love
A BAND-AID.

Hahahahahahahahahaha!!! As Anthony says, Cody has a unique and wonderful interface with the world. It is such a treat to hang out with him!

Fort Worth Stockyards

We have had a special out-of-town visitor this week: my college roommate, Emilie, who lives in Connecticut. The boys and I have really enjoyed showing her around and today we decided to give her a true Texan experience, complete with cowboys and BBQ. We headed to the Fort Worth Stockyards and arrived just in time for the 4:00 pm cattle drive.

The boys picked an excellent vantage point on top of a brick wall, although they did rush up to curb once the Longhorns actually started coming down the street so they could see them up close.


Later, both Jacks and Cody showed off their cowboy duds. Cody needs just a couple of extra inches of lift in his boots, I think. ;)


Jacks and Cody posed all cute-like near the Pig-Sheep Subway (former holding pens for sheep and hogs).

Then Jacks seemed to come down with a case of Mad Cow disease and went just a bit berserk.


His outburst caused a stampede, so the little man ended up in jail.


Luckily we broke him out in time to hit Billy Bob's for some BBQ (say that 3 times fast). :)

And a quick few shots of our morning at Arbor Hills Nature Preserve. We played on the playground and walked on the trails a bit, just enjoying the first sunny day since Em arrived. It was beautiful!

You can see Cody waded in the creek, and despite the boots, managed to soak his pants. :)


The boys and their Auntie Em.


It has been so wonderful having Emilie here! She fits right in with the crazy zoo that is our family (which is not to say that SHE is crazy, but that she goes with the flow LOL), and the boys just adore her. It's hard to believe that we have been friends for 14 years!

Jackson's First Grade Show

Last night, Jackson and his fellow First Graders put on a little performance where they sang 10 different songs that somehow tied in to the works of M.C. Escher. Please don't ask for clarification on that, because I myself just can't quite wrap my head around how "Go Tell Aunt Rhody" connects with Escher. But the kiddos sang some songs and did a great job.

Shockingly, Jackson actually moved his mouth and looked like he was singing! Whether there was truly sound coming out, we can only guess...


He also did most of the hand motions that went along with a few of the songs, and he even smiled here and there, too!


This next picture makes me proud and teary at the same time. He looks so mature and serious. I swear I can see the man he will be in that little face. Sniff!


Daddy and Jacks have matching buzz cuts!


That's my baby! I mean, young man (baby).


Cody was very proud of his outfit yesterday. I did insist that he wear tennis shoes to school, but for the rest of the afternoon and evening, he rocked the boots. Camo pants (his favorite) and boots...doesn't get better than that!

We enjoyed your performance, Jacks! Way to go!

Luke's First Haircut

Luke's hair has been getting a little unruly lately but he doesn't have enough of it to warrant taking him all the way into Cool Cuts. So since we were giving the older boys haircuts yesterday, I decided to give Luke a little trim, too.

There are no pictures of the actual process because Anthony was too preoccupied with hiding his eyes lest I accidentally chop off Luke's ear to hold a camera. :P But above, you can see the final look from the front, and below is a side view.


"Do these bangs make me look fat?"


"Oh never mind, these baby blues o' mine will distract anyone from any uneven spots Mama left behind."

Monsters vs Aliens

Gramma and I took Jacks and Cody to see an preview screening of Monsters vs Aliens on Saturday morning. We got there about an hour early, waited for just about 30 minutes, and then got in and found great seats. The boys looked fab in their 3D glasses and as always, enjoyed the candy just as much as (if not more than) the movie itself. But it was a really cute and funny movie (even Mom and I liked it), and we all had a great time.

Here's our little group outside the theater before the movie, along with a friend's daughter (her mom actually runs the online moms group through which I won the tickets...thanks Jamie!).


Terrible iPhone pics, but everyone looked so cool in the 3D shades!


I took a couple more shots once we got home, because the boys were still enjoying the glasses. LOL