Bilibo

This is a Bilibo if you have not seen one before!  It is the toy that doesn't have a specific function...it is whatever you want it to be.  It is suppose to be a great toy for the kid who loves to play with a cardboard box.

Liddie got a Bilibo for Christmas, a red one too!  Anyhow the theme for this Christmas is that Parker liked Liddie's toys and Liddie liked Cale's toys.  Liddie finally took up with her Bilibo, sitting in it, standing on it, spinning in it and whatever else.  Liddie came up with a very unique idea for her Bilibo...it is a potty chair!  Hey how can I complain, easy to clean up, pour it out and wipe it out with a clorox wipe!  Needless to say, we talked to Liddie about this and she should not longer use her Bilibo as a potty chair!

Christmas 2008

We are blessed beyond measure!  We had a wonderful Christmas.  Although we traveled lots, we are blessed with family.  We started off in Grapevine while Brian took a class; then off to Tulsa to have a get together with Brian's mom's family; then to Springfield, MO to gather with Brian's Dad & his wife's famiy; then back to Tulsa to see my mom & sisters and my dad and brother & to gather with Brian's mom's husband's family (did you follow that???).  Santa came to Brian's mom's house for the kids.

Liddie was so in to Christmas this year!  She loved opening presents and really was just excited about everything.  Parker, of course loves Christmas.  Cale was oblivious to it all, but really made me realize how hard it is for kids to have birthdays around Christmas.  I know he will only be one, but thinking as he gets older how to make things work for him.  I can't believe he will be 1 on January 14!

We are home now and trying to get caught up and get back into a routine...I loved routine!

I smell chocolate!

Funny story:

We are driving from Grapevine to Tulsa to start our Chirstmas rounds.  Once settled and on the road, the kids are watching a movie, Cale is asleep and I decide it is time for a Momma Treat!  I pull out a half eaten chocolate bar that I have had with me on our trip and I would "sneak" a piece here and there.  Well with the drive ahead of us and a great book in hand (The Wednesday Letters) I thought I would finish up the chocolate.  I am in the front seat with my pillow between me & Brian, Parker is in the middle with Cale (diagonal from me) and Liddie is in the 3rd row middle. There is no way these kids see this chocolate because I have it sitting in the seat next to me closest to the console.  I get the chocolate "ready", I open my book and then broke off a piece of chocolate (a little slice of heaven!)...AND it was not two seconds later Lidddie said "I smell chocolate"!  I look at Brian and busted out laughing...I GOT CAUGHT!  How did this little girl "smell" chocolate from the third row from the first row???  This tipped off Parker and now I have to SHARE my chocolate!  She is female afterall!

Great Wolf Lodge - Part 2

We had a great time at the Great Wolf Lodge!  I highly recommend it for any family.  Also while we were there, we  did the Magic Quest...an interactive scavenger hunt.  It was really fun, Liddie enjoyed it as well, which is hard to find things that both of them enjoy because of their age difference.  Cale was happy as could be as long as he was in the sling, he even slept in it!

This top picture is one of my favorites!  I love pictures that are "natural".  This is one of the few times she would hold Parker's hand, usually it is "I want to hold Momma's"!

 

Great Wolf Lodge - Days 1 & 2 - Part 1

This week Brian had a class in the Grapevine, Texas area. We chose to tag along and let the kids have a mini vacation before all of the Christmas choas. It has been some great fun! Indoor water park, interactive scavenger hunt, arcade and so much more...even a full service Starbucks for me! Now that is a slice of heaven!

It has been a great week to be here, the last time I checked they were at 35% capacity...NO CROWDS! You can see by one of the pictures of Parker in the wave pool...He was the only one! It has stuff for the little ones and stuff for the big ones so it has been great for us. I have let Parker go do the slides and the big water structure by himself, but I won't let him go to the wave pool by himself. It has taken me back to my water park days when I was in junior high (Allison Woods...you remember!)

Liddie has so enjoyed herself...she will play in all the fountains and will let water fall all over her, but she will not down a slide for the life of her! She has enjoyed story time every evening at 8:00, and Santa has been telling the stories every night! How fun is that???

Baby Cale has gone with the flow all week. He has napped on my shoulder, played in the water and has been drug all around without compaint (Third Child).

Parker on the other hand has eaten this place up...went on the howling tornado with dad and rode water slides with me and just has had a blast!

Snow in Houston!

It snowed in Houston! Yes, you heard right, it snowed here! It is a rare occurrence and the kids were so excited! Parker dashed out the first time with shorts, t-shirt and flip flops; Liddie dashed out with a long sleeve (leaves as she calls them) turtleneck, panties and a hat (great combo)! This was just initially to see the snow...I cannot begin to tell you the excitement around here...you would have thought Santa arrived in the flesh!

The snow accumulated a little. It was odd to see snow on a Palm, imagine that! Four years ago Houston had their first White Christmas and we were in Springfield, MO. We were so disappointed then not to be home because that was a once in a lifetime occurrence in itself! We were excited to see this snow though! Of course, this morning you would not even be able to tell it snowed last night!

After dinner we let the kids go back outside for a few more minutes...better dressed though...Parker actually had a jacket and Liddie put on pants and crocs (go figure!). They threw little snowballs and just enjoyed the little bit of snow!

The Fruits of Parker's Labor

Parker is a golfer by his own choice. We have encouraged him, but not pushed him. Since he showed a real interest in golf, we encouraged him to try other sports too. Parker has tried soccer, basketball and flag football and he has always come back to golf. He did a little golf camp in the summer of 2004; then the following year he did a 3 day golf camp at a golf course that he now takes lessons at on a regular basis. I think that is where it really started taking off for him. Then in the summer of 2006 he played in the Little Linksters program though the South Texas PGA. He started in the Co-Ed ages 7-9 (5 hole modified). I will never forget that very first
tournament at a small little 9 hole golf course in Alvin, Texas. I am sure he was nervous as all get out...I know my boy! I didn't know what I was doing as a parent...I wasn't a "certified" caddie yet and really wasn't "allowed" to help him and all I wanted to do was hold his hand through out the tournament! He probably played 5-6 tournaments that summer. Then in 2007 he was really ready to get playing again and was excited about playing more tournaments, only this time he qualified to play 9 hole in his age group (7-9) which was a big change...yes 4 hole, but does make a difference in a kiddo. Oh, add on top of that I was pregnant with Baby Cale and had all the time sickness and it was a hard summer. Now with this most recent summer 2008 he is 10 and had to bump up to the 10-12 age group. His instructor felt with the age group bump, it would be best to bump back down to 5 hole and work his way up...there is a way to qualify for the next division up, I won't bore you with the qualification process, but it was Parker's goal all summer to bump up and he did the last two tournaments! He was so excited. Well for the first time STPGA is offering winter tournaments for the Little Linksters. Parker played in one the first week in November and then this past weekend, he played another. This past one was emotional for us...he placed 2nd out of 12 boys ages 10-12! Then on one hole he was hitting to the green from 50 yards or so from the fairway and his ball went into the hole! The picture of him standing by the pin was the hole that happened on. Brian said everyone was cheering, Bobbie and Alan saw it and were so excited for him too! Now for really seeing the fruits of his labor now that you have the full story...his very first tournament he shot a 44 on a 5 hole tournment...this past Sunday, he shot a 44 on 9 hole tournment and was one of the youngest in his division! If he continues to play on this track he will move up another division this summer! Although I don't think we are ready for that nor is he! To see him put so much effort into golf, and see him get excited about his lessons makes it all so great to watch him blossom and grow and to know as parents we have not forced this upon him, he is chosing it for himself. We are proud of Parker not for the second place, but for sticking with golf and giving it what he has and improving day by day, lesson by lesson, tournament by tournment and turning out to be such a great golfer! We love you Park!