Spring Bunnies

Last Friday, I picked the kids up from school while Don stayed home to mow the lawn. We pulled into the driveway and found Don motioning to us to hurry over and see! We all ran over to find much to our surprise a nest of little baby rabbits! Don noticed the hole after mowing over it and luckily did not hurt anything! We all enjoyed the surprise and a moment to hold the babies. They were so cute! They all just burrow into this hole and stay warm together. We aren't sure how many there are, but probably more than half a dozen.

We later read online about wild rabbits in North Texas and learned that the mother scavenges during the day and then comes back to nurse her babies. We also read that we should not have picked the rabbits up, but I am so glad we did, they were so cute and the kids loved it. Anyways, we have been good about not picking them up again, but we go and look at the hole and noticed that the babies have now opened their eyes, so they will probably soon be ready to go out into the world! Good luck little bunnies! What a fun little easter surprise! Here are the pictures.

My Little Easter Bunnies

I hope you all had a good Easter. Here are some pics of my little sweeties. I couldn't get one of Erick (stubborn) and I couldn't get Cami to look at he camera.





Emma has a fabulous primary teacher and look at this cute easter treat she made for the kids. The next is cocoa crispies made just like you make regular rice crispie treats, with a "peep" for the bird and jelly beans for robin's eggs. So cute!



Happy Easter everyone. I just love Easter and I know that Jesus truly does live again, that the tomb was empty that morning and the sting of death is swallowed up in Christ! He did this for you and for me and I am very grateful!

Best Friends

So, yesterday we went to the park in the afternoon and had a good time until I was pushing Erick on the swing, and he let go and fell off. He cried and I picked him up and comforted him and soothed him like any good mom would. He sat on the park bench with me for quite some time until he felt like braving the world again. In my "water bag" that I always bring to the park cause my kids get so thirsty, I for some reason, had one of those magic doodle pads. So Erick asked me to draw him falling off the swing and then erase it and then asked me to draw me holding him and comforting him. I did and then he asked me to draw those things again and again and again. I humored him. He went back to play.

The next morning, he was talking about how he fell and I said "yes, Erick and then I picked you up and held you until you felt all better." He said "yes Mom, you are my best friend." Pretty cute coming from a three yr. old. I don't say this to make myself look good and loved, but I (and Don would tell you this too), I am the apple of Erick's eye. He literally lights up when I walk into the room. Sometimes, I will be sitting and just doing whatever, and he will pass by me and say "mom, I love you" and go on with whatever he was doing. Other times, I will be sitting on the opposite end of the room, and I will look up and see him watching me and smiling with a little twinkle in his eye. I hope he will treat his wife this good whenever he is married. He really is my buddy right now and I have been enjoying him this school year while he is my oldest at home.

Spring Break

Well, we have had a wonderful Spring Break and I am sad to say it is almost over. Spring Break is always kind of a crazy week. Now with two kids in school, they just get used to that routine and when they are home they get bored and are more prone to fight and get into trouble! What? My kids? fight! Oh yes! Plus, Don had to work the night shift and both weekend shifts this week, so I knew that I wouldn't get much a "break" for "spring break!"

I tried to get the right attitude, and decided that each day, we would go on an "adventure" and get out of tbe house and do something that we wouldn't normally do. I didn't want to spend a lot of money cause frankly, we don't have a lot of money! So I chose small simple things and I can tell you, we had a lot of fun! I really enjoyed being with my kids and am almost sad to send them back to school.... almost! So, here is a brief report.

MONDAY: Monday morning we lazily got out of bed (that was a great part, each morning, not trying to rush everyone out the door)and we ate the delicious cinnamon rolls that I had made the night before see....



We played outside for a long time, the weather was beautiful. We also are dog sitting our old neighbor's dog Jose. They are from Mexico and they went to Mexico for spring break, so we get their dog for the whole week! Fun! We call him Senor Jose. It actually turned out really well having him here this week because the kids just fell in love with him. Seriously, it has given them something extra to do this week and they have all enjoyed playing with both Jose and Fritz. Emma especially took a liking to el Senor Jose. Here is a pic....



So after playing for a bit here at home, we needed to get out of the house, Don was on nightshift, and so he was asleep and we needed to leave so he could get some R&R. So, we went to LL Woods park, one that we dont go to very often. It was really fun, we all played hide and seek and went on an adventure. We walked to a bridge a little ways away. Camille was Dora, Erick was Boots, Ben was Diego and Emma was Tico. I was the Big Red Chicken. Under the bridge, there was a kind of drain like thing that had green moss growing in it. The kids told Erick that the green stuff was really a crocodile and he believed them. He thought it was pretty neat. But on our way back, Camille (Dora) kept trying to go back and he got really scared that the crocodile was going to get her. So, he kept grabbing her hand and walking with her and saying "I don't want the crocodile to get you Cami". He did this everytime she turned around to go back and finally asked me to please carry her so the "crocodile" (pronounced cockolile) wouldn't get her. I thought that was cute. Later that night while I was putting him to bed, he got real quiet and I thought he was asleep, but he said "I didn't want the crocodile to get Millie". Cute big brother!

After the park, we stopped at McDonalds which I never do because I am a germaphobe and in my mind McDonalds has got to be one of the greasiest/dirtiest kids places around. But, the kids love it and so we went and they had fun!

Ok, sorry this is a long post!

TUESDAY: We again lazily woke up and were going to go out somewhere so Don could sleep, but it was RAINING Texas style and there ain't no going out in that! So, we played blocks and read books and just played all morning. Don woke up and we spent some time with him and then around 3:00pm, I took Emma and Ben to the movie "Enchanted" at the dollar movie (actually now it is the $1.50 movie but $1.00 sounds better). In fact, Tuesday is .50 cent day, so it was great! LOVED the movie! Go see it. Since it was .50 cent day, I splurged and bought popcorn and I shouldn't have, I ate almost the entire bag!

WEDNESDAY: Don was off Wednesday, so we all went to the gym and the kids played while Don and I worked out. We came home and ate lunch and played a bit outside it was gorgeous and 70. Later, I rested while Don took the kids swimming at the park for a few hours. That is my kind of day! Don took Ben to scouts that night with him and Ben just ate it up!

THURSDAY: Don was off again, so I went to my cycle class at the gym while he played here at home with the kids. I got home and we did Easter stuff. We decided to celebrate today because on Sunday Don has to work and plus, we like to focus more on the real meaning of Easter on Sunday. So we opened the package from Grandma and Grandpa Hobson (thanks!) and colored eggs and did the whole Easter egg hunt and Easter bunny. Ben got new shoes, Emma a new dress and Erick also got new summer shoes. Cami got some new summer clothes. We had a good time. That night, I got to go to Bonko and hang out with the girls. Fun times! Here are some Easter egg decorating pics...






FRIDAY: We had to go to Cami's oral surgeon and get a post op examination. The office and staff loved Cami so much that they wanted me to bring all the kids which worked out well, since Don had to work that day anyway. We had a good appointment and Cami is doing great, I am extremely pleased with the way things were handled and how things turned out, I like the doctor and the staff, it was a bad thing but a good experience. After the appt. I surprised the kids with a trip to Pump it Up, perhaps their favorite activity of all time. It is a bunch of HUGE bounce and jump houses with slides and different things. They all had a ball! We went to lunch afterwords at Jason's Deli since the kids had free coupons for kids meals for their report cards. We played the rest of the day in the beautiful 70 degree weather. Gorgeous!

SATURDAY: Don is working the day weekend shift which means he will be working tomorrow for church too. Yipee! So, I drug the kids to the gym with me and lifted weights while they played. We stopped at Great Harvest Bread on the way home (they just opened one!) It is the best ever! Emma had a coupon for a free cookie and so we got that and more for the rest of the kids. We came home and Cami napped and now we are headed to the park for good times and great weather!

That concludes this long report of our spring break! It was a good week and we all enjoyed being together, altho, I think I am ready for school to start again, I'm tired!

Look What I Made!!

This is my dear sister-in-law's recipee and her picture of it is way better than mine! Did you take that pic Linda, because it looks professional! Just go here to get the recipee and do use the cream cheese frosting because WOW!

So, I made these tonight (Sunday) purely on impulse after seeing Linda's picture. They just looked SOOOO good (and they were, seriuosly the best cinnamon rolls I have ever tasted and I have tasted my fair share, so thanks Linda!). I have no reason for making them, no one to give them to, in fact, I am trying to lose weight, so I should not have made them. But, I think it was a comfort thing too. After Camille's ordeal (see below) and my strep throat and Don working the weekend night shift, I NEEDED these cinnamon rolls!

Have I told you how I feel about Don having to work the weekend night shift every month? I'll say it right now, HATE!!

So because of all that, I am now on my 5th cinnamon roll and I can't stop, so I think I will send the rest with Don to work tomorrow night, did I mention that he is on the night shift?

Four Cute Kids!

Sorry, about the shirtless guy, you are lucky tho that he has pants on! He loves to just run around in the whitie tities!

Also, here is a random picture of Erick eating cheese! When he wants cheese, he REALLY means it!

My Baby Lost her First Tooth

Ya, not the baby you probably thought I was talking about! Camille my 19 month old lost a tooth! 2 Weeks ago, after dinner, I was cleaning her mouth and her teeth and I saw something weird! Her tooth had broken vertically and was sticking out! I immediately called the dentist but they were closed. So, we went first thing next morning.

I have no idea how this happened! I don't remember excessive crying, there was no blood, I just have no idea. I suspect her 3 yr old brother (who shall remain nameless) had something to do with this, but I just don't know.

The dentist sent us right over to the oral surgeon and we set up an appointment to extract the tooth. Yes, people, EXTRACT the tooth! This means a toothless girl until she is like 6 or something! Anyways, I am grateful at least that it wasn't a permanent tooth, or a top front tooth. It was her front bottom tooth, the first tooth in fact that ever came in!

So, this last friday was the big day. We fought with the insurance company about how this was going to billed and bla bla bla, we still don't know how much we will be paying for this minor emergency! Ah, well, it had to be done. So, at 7am, I pulled the poor girl from her warm bed and took her to the oral surgeon's office. I will spare you all the details, but I am happy to say that there were no tears. She wasn't put totally out either, just given a sleepy potion and a numbing shot. The doctor was great and just adored Camille.

Well, the crying began once we got home! The numbing wore off and Camille pretty much lost it. I failed to mention that the night before this, I started feeling sick! Not just sick, terribly sick! It was like someone had a tight grip around my throat and ear and the pain would not go away! So, after Camille's extraction, I dropped her off at home with Don and headed to my doctor. So, Don dealt with the poor hurting baby. He got her to calm down and to sleep and I am happy to report that when she woke up, she was the happy Camille that we all know and love. She really was, it was like nothing ever happened! So, all in all, it turned out ok, except for the fact that she is toothless!

Oh, I have strep throat by the way. I got a shot in the bum and some pills and I am feeling about 90% better! Tomorrow, I might be 100%! I am thankful for modern medicine, for me and my baby!

Snow Day Redux

Here are the pictures from both snow days (94 shots with captions on a few of them).

Snow Night in Texas

So we finally got some snow in Texas. These were the BIG, wet flakes ... great for making snowmen and snowball fights. All the kids were in bed by the time it started to snow. We hope it will be around tomorrow morning when they wake up.