Things I Have Learned This Month

#1 – If the kids have been playing outside and kindly get Mom a glass of ice water, Mom should make sure they washed their hands before getting the water or she may end up with a mouthful of sandy water.

#2 – Very tired pregnant mommies should resist the temptation to lie down “for just a minute” while the baby is asleep and the older kids are playing. The resulting mess from the “fiesta” they had on the front porch was not worth the few minutes of rest.

#3 – A gallon jug full of water makes an effective “lock” for the top of the trash can. EJ thinks getting everything out of the trash can is great fun. Now if I could just figure out how to keep her from opening the cabinet locks I’ll be all set!

#4 – Mom should remember that Daddy bought their son a 6 foot long rubber snake at the Texas State Aquarium when she goes to pour something in the sink and sees this:



I almost had a heart attack until I realized what it was! CJ’s reply to my yelling? “My snake was playing in the sandbox and needed a bath Momma! Did he scare you?”

#5 – Mom should be thankful that with a 6 year old boy in the house it wasn’t a real snake in the sink!

#6 - If you buy your son a 500ml bottle of water for a trip you should include explicit instructions that he is NOT to drink the entire thing in the first 20 minutes or else you will spend the rest of the drive trying to find bathrooms on the barren stretch of highway between San Antonio and Corpus Christi.

#7 - 3 1/2 year old girls who love gymnastics will insist on wearing a leotard all day, every day even when it is 60 degrees and wearing one requires them to ask "wrap me up in this towel so I don't freeze momma".

Hope all is well wherever you may be reading this from. We miss all of you dearly!

The Texas Coast

This was one tired little girl after spending a couple of hours climbing ladders on the USS Lexington.

I wasn't sure how CJ would react to the surf, but he waded out to where the waves picked him up off his feet and "body surfed" back in loving every minute of it!

EJ was trying to get off of the patio at our hotel to join her brother and sister on the beach.

We spent a couple of days in Corpus Christi and at the Gulf coast recently while we had family in town. The Texas Gulf coast isn't nearly as picturesque as the Florida side of the Gulf, but it is still beautiful in its own way and the kids really enjoyed collecting shells, finding crabs and playing in the waves. CJ has already asked repeatedly to go back to the beach, so we'll have to plan another trip soon. After spending a few days in the salt water breeze and listening to the waves I began to understand the attraction of living on the coast. I wouldn't mind having a house on the beach someday...