Well....A camera would've been nice!

Ya know what's the best kind of camera?! The one you have with you when your kiddos do a great job! Unfortunately I didn't take my camera, nor did I make sure others had theirs today and what a day it was!
Toby had a local quiz meet; he missed 6 questions and came in 2nd place!
Connor was nominated, along with 12 others from central Texas, for a chance to present his ideas on renewable energy for a chance to go to Washington, D.C. in June....HE WON!
Cole went to a qualifier quiz meet for a chance to represent the South Texas District at St. Louis in December....HE CAME IN 3rd!
Did I have a camera to capture ANY of it? Unfortunately not. So, you can BET that I'll pack them with a camera for the journeys they'll be taking! And they better use em!

Bootscootin' @ 16!

And yet, another birthday! Today our lil' Joshie turned 16! I picked up the boys and headed into the big city to pick out and buy a pair of boots for Josh's 16th. Now he's a real Texan! Of course Toby imitates anything Josh does, so he too dressed up in his best cowboy garb. After that, we headed out to eat then came home and had Marie Callendars coconut creme pie. Oh, how nice it is to have a friend like Marie! I'm getting tired of making so many cakes for these birthday boys! Josh really like all the cards but this one was probably his favorite!

Lookout World.....

Connor's 16!!!! How did that happen so quickly?! Thanks everyone for their thoughtful birthday wishes, along with the cash. Exactly what he wanted! This year (and ONLY this year) Connor received a visit from Ben Franklin himself...something he was very fond of! He is saving up for (drum roll please!) another airsoft gun. What is it with these boys and shooting things?! I guess it could be worse, he could be begging for a car at this point. Really?! Are they really getting that old?

What do you mean you can't learn by playing?!

Darth Vader at Cheop's tomb?!
Construction workers on the tomb completely outfitted with hard hats.
Our finished product!
Pharaoh Cheop in his sarcophagus.

Yes! I didn't know any of this either until we studied Egypt! AND we love to teach others. Case in point: when Grandma Sandy was here recently, she joined us in learning how to write in hieroglyphics! It is so much fun to learn alongside Toby and his favorite subject is history, which happens to be mine as well! We had fun today building Cheop's pyramid (which is the one you always see in pictures). It is by far the biggest, so therefore when we built a smaller version today, Toby asked if we could please build Cheop's. ugh! But, hey, if Lego's can teach history than I'm all for it! Playing and learning: how fun!!!

Dressup 101!!

Well, here it is again: Halloween! The older boys weren't real keen on dressing up or going out with their younger brother trick-or-treating BUT I can almost always count on Cole to be a willing party when candy is involved. So, the costumes we've had stashed away for years were pulled out and Toby decided he wanted to be a ninja. Not like we didn't have any of those laying around!! So, not only did we have a ninja outfit for Toby but also for Tom and myself! In my opinion Tom looked a little more like K.I.S.S. with his choice of ninja costume. Cole decided that the only thing that halfway fit was the jailbird costume and Josh....well....he's Josh; he didn't really have a theme. And yes, we do have one other child. He dressed up AND played the part of a studious student and stayed home and did homework. Too bad people don't come to you to hand out candy! All in all a good time but sad to see them grow up!

Pumpkin Masters!!

Toby's pumpkin!
13 pumpkins carved; a record!!
Josh's "modern warfare 2" pumpkin
Connor's pumpkin!
Cole's pumpkin!

This is the first year where the older boys were not really into the candy or trick-or-treating but REALLY into carving their pumpkins. And wow what a job they did! We had our annual pumpkin carving party and most kids that came carved pumpkins. There were some amazing pumpkins carved this year and the weather was just perfect! We really enjoy this tradition and I'm just glad that I'm only helping one kid get the guts of his pumpkin instead of 4!

What's in your Hobby Lobby?

People sometimes say that Texans are a bit into themselves. I must admit that it is a bit pretentious; I mean we name vehicles named after the state, our flag is plastered everywhere and even bumper stickers that quote Davy Crockett, "You may all go to Hell, and I will go to Texas." However, I didn't realize that we were gaudy when no one else was! I assumed that everybody wore mums and garters to their school on homecoming day and to the game that subsequent evening. Tom thought we were all crazy, but I thought it was just because he was a northerner. But not so!! Even a few friends from California and North Carolina said there was no such thing! So, my question is...what is in your Hobby Lobby?! There are dedicated aisles FULL of ribbons, bells, flowers and all kinds of fun knick-knacks to wear to root on your special team! So, I'm hoping to shed some light on a little more Texas gaudiness! On the day of your homecoming game, gals wear a mum (with lots of gaudy ribbons) and guys wear garters on their arms (equally as gaudy!) Popular girls have lots of mums, or what I attribute as a 'chest mum'. It's a fun pastime that I can remember with fondness as a teen and I'm passing the tradition down to my boys. Josh's garter was a bit different as I put a 'tiger' in place of a flower. He enjoyed it as much as I did making it! Connor was a bit hesitant to wear one this year but I'm workin' on him....after all he WAS born in Texas!!!

Is it ever REALLY finished?

Well, let's just say we are in!!! YEah!! We've had several people ask us to send pictures and this is the easiest way to do that. However, it's a work in progress as we have lots of decorating to do (and Tom does NOT want to hear that!) :) We hope you will all come and visit us sometime; there's always room in the inn!

Who needs a pool when you have tarps?

I will have to admit that from time to time in this Texas heat, I've missed the pool at our house in Austin. But, Josh found a way for him and his brothers to keep cool yesterday. Get all the old tarps out of the garage and a hose and you're good to go! Being boys, just 'slipping and sliding' didn't last long before they were trying to come up with new and inventive ways to 'slip and slide'. Ski ropes, skateboards without wheels and even a four wheeler were mentioned. I had to nix the last option. What a non-understanding mom I am. But, with a little 'boy power' they were able to propel themselves pretty good!

He's Grrreat!

Lucky Josh! He has been hanging out with 900 cheerleaders for the past 4 days, was able to go onto the UT football field as a mascot and has gotten a small glimpse of college dorm life. We were able to get a sneak-peek at what he has been learning all week when we went to see the "mascot follies" this morning. He, and 24 other mascots put on a full routine which was really funny. Connor and I were able to pick Josh out right away by his 'moves' and solidified that is was DEFINITELY Josh when he was the only mascot clapping on the downbeat. Now that's my son! Go get em' Tiger!!

Kids? What kids?!

Tonight is a bit quiet as everyone is gone (except Toby!) Tom is in California this week, Connor and Cole are still on their whirl-wind tour in Illinois, and Josh is at teens tonight. The house is NEVER this quiet! So, I snuck a few sacred minutes and scrapbooked a page. Now, to find the time to go and get a hard copy of the page....doubtful!

An old soul!

I've been called many things, but one term I would agree with, is that I am an old soul. And that has been the best thing about building this house. I have tried to incorporate pieces of the past into new construction. The ceiling in the master bedroom was put up today. It is pressed tin from an old building in New Braunfels, where my paternal family's roots are from. I can't wait to see all of the old incorporated with the new! Although many people would walk in, look up, and see rust on the ceiling...I walk in and see perfection! I love it!

Monkey See, Monkey Do!!!!

A few days ago, I finally took the plunge and bought my birthday gift...a new laptop! We have been looking for a while and I found one that fit the bill so I bought it. As most of you that are around Toby know, he loves to pretend. He will spend HOURS wrestling with 'fake' people (as he calls them), and playing dress-up in some form or fashion. I found him today on the couch with his "laptop" and cell phone. I guess I rank as high as the WWE wrestlers he imitates, because now he's imitating me!

Tile and Cabinets, and lights....oh my!!!

We have been busy, busy, busy over the past week. Well, WE haven't been busy, but the workers have been! Rock has been put on the inside (they are still working on the fireplace), the bathrooms have been tiled, electricity got turned on yesterday and cabinets were delivered and semi-put in....all in a week! whew....The only problem is...only half of us are here to enjoy it! Connor and Cole are in IL having a blast with grandparents, aunts, uncles, and of course cousins! Hope y'all are having a good time! Wish you were here to see all the changes to our house! :)

Rock On!!!

So much has happened to our abode since the last time I blogged. Time has both flown by,and stood still, in our lives. School is finally over, summer has begun and the house continues to take shape. 'Rock on' that the rock is finally on, and today they started hanging drywall. I can't wait for the skeletal house to start to look like a home with walls! {Hopefully} we are still on target to be in our new home by late August. I am becoming a self-proclaimed hoarder quickly, as I continue to buy used, vintage finds to go into our new house. My taste is not for everyone, but I can't wait to make it a home of our own!