Our summer can finally begin! Cade broke his wrist the evening of May 30. He was casted on June 1 and today he got the "all clear and everything looks perfect" from the Dr. So we are officially cast-free!
Of course "summer" always has to start off raining.... isn't that always what happens. We mostly stayed at home today- We did venture out to Trader Joe's and then came home to take the longest bath- ever. He splashed, he soaked, he played.... I let him enjoy himself. We've been doing 2 minute baths for the past 7 weeks and have been washing his hair while he lays on the countertop.... it's not really easy to wash a wiggly 5 year old who you think is about fall and slip in the tub while you wash him down. I'm so glad that this is behind us now.
So we are going to take it easy for a few more weeks- no climbing, running or falling down until the stiffness is gone (a week or so) then we can slowly add things back in. We got the go ahead to go swimming so we are planning on splashing around with Julie in the next few days.
Next week starts VBS. Yay! He'll be going for 3 hours each day! I'm planning on going to the gym each of those days. I've been looking forward to this week all month!
Jul 12, 2012
summer time, fun time
Apr 2, 2012
it's happening
In approximately 6 weeks school will be over and Cade will no longer be a pre-k kid. He'll be a KINDERGARTNER.
WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
That's me crying over the fact that I will not have him with me next year.
Like most moms who read my blog, they have had the opportunity to stay at home with their babies and watch them grow up. I've also had the privileged to watch him grow up at school. Every MTW for the past 4 years I have taken Cade to school with me.
I remember the days of the Owl class and how he cried everyday until Christmas (luckily this was only a 1 day a week class) so really it was just crying for half a day, one day a week. These were the days when I had to duck down when walking past his classroom door. I'm sure you can relate, SUZ!
Then came the BlueBird Class with Miss Gina and Miss Jennifer... oh how he loved/loves them! The days when I could actually pop in to the classroom and visit during a school event - like Fall Festival or Spring Fling. Those were also the days when we would come in early to set up my room and he'd venture off down the hall to be in the room with his teachers instead of me... that's when I knew he loved school.
Then the Robin Class... we both loved Miss Corky, Miss Melissa and Ruby Robin...everything about their class is fun! They also gave us the Ruby Robin Greatest Hits...which is seriously the least annoying children's cd out there. I tend to skip no.4 on the track list because I can only handle so much of "going on a bear hunt!"
Then came the day when we went to the other side of the hall to the Pre-K classes. We were assigned to The Cardinal class (really I picked them)! We adore Miss Deb, Miss Terri and Miss Donna! Cade counts the number of sleeps until he gets to go back to school. He loves Miss Deb and Miss Deb loves him. I can just tell... she laughs at his jokes and he laughs at hers. He runs into her room each and every morning saying, "hi, Miss Deb" and he gets a "hello, Mr. Cade!"
Do you see a pattern here?
It's LOVE.
See all the things I'm going to miss next year when he goes to public school.
I just want his teacher next year to love him as much as the teachers, my co-workers and friends do at ELP.
I don't know if it's possible to really do that in a classroom with 22, 5 year olds and one teacher.
I just pray that he has a Godly teacher who will encourage his love of learning and provide him fun learning experiences the way ELP does. That would be my one prayer, oh and that I will be able to let him go after the almost 5 years years of having him with me.
booo-hoooo.
Next week starts Kindergarten Round Up. I told Cade today that I would have to sign him up and his response was- "if you don't sign me up, I don't have to go!" I told him I liked his thinking.
I have 5 chances to sign him up. I'm looking at April 20, so if you pray, pray that I'll go that day if not earlier.
boooo-hoooo. Seriously need to dry my eyes before my husband comes home and asks me if I'm sad about Cade going to Kindergarten...again!
Mar 8, 2012
Road Rally 2012
Feb 19, 2012
February Birthdays
Daddy celebrated birthday- no. 68!
Mom & Daddy- about to blow out the candles
Cade helped spell out Happy Birthday with the candles! He did O-K!
Then my baby turned 5 on the 16th. 
We celebrated at Brother's Pizza! Cade didn't want to be sung to and he didn't want to blow out his candle either.
Feb 2, 2012
Go Tigers
"point to your goal"
We aren't sure if Cade actually likes soccer but he did put forth more effort the second day out on the field. So we'll see. He has a 45 minute practice and a 45 minute game... and wouldn't you know that he still doesn't take a nap after all that activity.
Go Tigers!!
Jan 5, 2012
Catch Up
Happy New Year!
We have had such a wonderful Christmas Season with friends and family. We were all wishing it would kind of last a bit longer but we are back into our routines and already counting down the days until Spring Break!
Here is a recap of our holidays.
On Christmas Eve eve we went to church. My mom joined us for the story of Christmas, carols and communion. Travis and I were selected to serve communion together.... I am happy to report- no spills! We had the stadium seating section and that is a bit intimidating for a first time server (me)!
On Christmas Eve we went to Memaw's house for a few snacks and visting. She got a new cat named- Tugboat or Missy... depending on who you are talking to (Uncle T or Memaw). I just stuck with Missy. Cade and Missy had fun playing fetch together and I of coursed loved playing with her too!
That afternoon we went to Julia's for a bit and then headed back to my parents place for dinner. Stephanie, Travis and Maxie came in town that afternoon. Cindy from across the street came by and dropped off some goodies for Cade and Maxie. Surprisingly the kids were able to open their gifts from her, early- and that never happens- we've always had to wait until the 25th but for some reason the kids (and us big kids too) were able to open up those presents that night!
We made it back to our house around 8 o'clock and that's when I made the mistake of telling Cade that Dillon (our elf on the shelf) was leaving- for good. I had no idea that Cade loved Dillon as much as he did. He must have cried for 30 minutes straight. I didn't know what to do. I even said thought to myself "well maybe he can stay in the hutch"..... but then I got smart and googled: How to say goodbye to the elf on the shelf and found this clever letter (from balancinghome.com) written from the Elf.
The letter reads:
Dear Miller Family,
I have had so much fun being a part of your family for the last month. You guys sure have a lot of fun around here. Sorry for any messes I made along the way. Guess I got caught up in the fun too!
Tonight when you go to sleep a little Christmas magic is going to happen. I will fly back to the North Pole for the last time this year. I will make my last report to Santa before he gets on his sleigh and heads around the world to spread Christmas cheer. When you wake up tomorrow morning I will be gone and presents will be under the tree. I know there will be presents, because I have told Santa all about what good children you are. I passed on all of your messages to the big guy and I know he will do his best to find the perfect presents for you.
Lucky for us Santa will lift my magic for just a few minutes after you are done reading this letter. In those few minutes it will be okay to touch me, hug me and kiss me goodbye. When you are finished with your goodbyes just put me back where you found me and I will find my way to the North Pole tonight. Can't wait to see you next Christmas season!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Love,
Dillon
Thank God for Google!
Once I explained to Cade that now he could finally hold and hug Dillon, he was ok with saying goodbye. So he held him, talked to him and gave him one last kiss and then he went to his bed and fell fast asleep.
(I admit I was sad too- almost had tears but I held it together). =)
Christmas morning we woke up at 6:20. Cade and I freshened up while Travis got the camera ready. Cade had the best reaction when he walked into the front room- he said "Yes! just what I wanted".
We spent the morning opening presents and went over to my parent's house at 10 for the rest of the fun! We stayed until late in the evening and just enjoyed family time. We watched movies, played with all the new toys and had a delicious turkey and ham dinner.
The rest of the week we spent up in Fredericksburg with my Grandma. She stayed in town over Christmas and my aunt and cousins went up there to be with her. We arrived on Tuesday evening and stayed until Thursday. We went to the Market Platz during the day and saw it all lit up at night. We took Grandma to the Chipmunk movie and we made a trip out to see "uncle harvey" (my grandma's brother who is very ill). It was a nice visit but really sad at the same time.
When we got back home to Houston we took down the Christmas and cleaned out the closets and cabinets. Ahhhh what a feeling to get rid of stuff!
We spent the new years at home- grilled an awesome steak and then did some fireworks with the neighbors. I was in bed at midnight...ok really I was in bed WAY before midnight...party pooper!
So there is my recap of events. Our next BIG thing is Cade turning 5. boo-hoo.
More on that later! I have the evening free and I have stuff I need to do!
Dec 24, 2011
bye, bye dillon
I'm actually sad to see Dillon, our Elf, go back in the box.
Each morning Cade has had so much fun finding the Elf. It is pretty magical.
Today Cade found Dillon sitting on his gingerbread house with a note.
Cade,
Where do gingerbread men sleep?
Under cookie sheets!
PS. I did a funny.
Love, Dillon
So Cade and Travis looked around and found that Dillon had taken all of Cade's underware and thrown them on our Christams tree. He left a note on the doodle board that said, "ha! ha! Underware Tree!"
Anyone with a little boy would know that the word "underware" holds special meaning. You can say underware after the word sandwich and find yourself laughing so hard that you get a tummy ache. Or you could chant "bazooka, zooka, zooka underware." Which is what we hear almost on a daily basis.
Today we're off to Memaw's house for a quick trip, then to Juila's and then to my parents house for dinner and Christmas Eve fun! We went to church last night so we could spend today doing holiday travels and have family time together! Can't wait for tonight!!
Merry Christmas!
Dec 5, 2011
our Elf
We've been having some fun with our ELF On The Shelf, Dillon.
Tonight he's going to be either in the fridge, under a glass dome or to keep with our Dare Devil theme we might have him climb up a piece of furniture!
Nov 29, 2011
Elf On The Shelf
Today on my afternoon off I went to Toys R Us to return two Lego sets that I no longer needed since Julie scored me that ginormous 1600 piece Lego set on Black Friday! I'm still in shock with that number. What are we going to do with that many Legos. I guess the question really is- what aren't we going to do with that many Legos.
So once I got my money back on my return I took a quick stroll through the store and then made my way out and headed down to Target to check out the Elf On The Shelf. I have seen and heard about it and last year the kids in my class were always telling me what their elf did and where they found him that morning.... so fun!
So once I had the package in my hands I debated for a while on actually getting this elf or just getting any ol' elf and calling it the elf on the shelf... I mean it's $30 for a doll that looks like it could be pulled apart just by looking at it. But it comes with a book and you get a $5 gift card if you buy it and I have a $5 coupon for my purchase today...so that's like $10 off in "coupon talk" so with out anymore hesitation I bought it.
This evening Cade and I sat by the tree and opened the box. We read the book and he followed along- looking concerned at parts- trying to figure out if this was real or not. It's REAL to him. So real that he wanted to know if Dillon saw him throw his empty juice box at me today. I said, he didn't because we didn't know about Dillon then. There was a sigh of relief on his face.
Tonight Dillon is sitting high on our shelf (the higher the better in this house) and we will wait to see where he ends up tomorrow morning.
By the way, google images and pinterest (if you're a member) has tons of pictures posted of elves in action!
Nov 28, 2011
black friday and turkey pics
Nov 25, 2011
turkey dinner, turkey dinner
Me: Hey Cade want to come look at the turkey in the oven?
Cade: Sure!
Me: Opening the door......
Cade: (looking in) Is that like a turkey that says, "gobble, gobble?"
Me: well... it was.
Cade: Did he like being cooked?
Me: How about you go play until lunch is ready!
Needless to say he didn't eat any turkey.
We had a great lunch. Mom and Daddy came and Lewis, Travis' dad joined us too.
Cade came down with a nasty respiratory infection with fever and all but he is feeling better today..... still a little scratchy voice but much more perky than yesterday.
Hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving!
A post about Black Friday 2011 will come later.
Nov 22, 2011
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving 2011 will be hosted at my house for the second time.
Of course no Thanksgiving is really complete with out my lovely Grandma but I think she'll be with my favorite Aunt Maxine this year in San Antonio. I have a feeling we'll all be together for Christmas which is my favorite time of year!
The Thanksgiving menu this year will consist of: Roasted Butter Herb Turkey, SkinnyCrockpot Girls Cranberry Sauce, Green bean bundles, Travis' Great Grandmother's homemade yeast rolls, mudslide pie, mashed potatoes and stuffing. Quite the feast!
I just pulled out our 11.6lb turkey to defrost. Over the weekend I made the cranberries (stove top way) and the bundles. So easy and so good! By the way, if you love green beans then fresh is the way to go- Costco sells a nice sized package of green beans and those are the ones I'll be serving.
I definitely think tradition is important at family mealtime. I remember when Travis and I were dating and I was invited to spend Thanksgiving with his family. Everything was great until the table was set and I excused myself to make a call to my mom to say that I couldn't believe they didn't have fresh cranberries.... I may or may not have been crying. I was just so used to having fresh jelly cranberry sauce on the table and to not have that piece for some reason affected me. Good thing the next year I spent with them we had fresh cranberries on the table.
As a child growing up I remember breaking the wishbone apart with my family or later on in life with my Grandma. Grandma and I would pull so hard I hands would almost slip off of it.
I also love to do something special for our table setting. Last year I made little cards for each person and wrote down interesting (nonsense) facts about thanksgiving day on one side and then why I was thankful for them on the other side.
This year we have some cute handprint turkeys that will have the bible verse: 1Thessalonians 5:16-18
(Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is Gods will for you in Christ) written on it.
This year I'm busting out with our wedding china. It has been sitting in the box unused, untouched for 5 1/2 years. It's time for it to see the light of day!
Happy early Thanksgiving!
Nov 20, 2011
camping
Two Fridays ago we loaded up the car and headed to Lake Livingston for an overnight camping trip. It was almost ridiculous how much stuff we "needed" to take to go away for one night. Phones, dvd player, glow sticks, flashlights, lanterns, 2 quilts, 1 set of sheets, 3 pillows, a dog bed, crayons, a grill kit, fishing poles, our luggage, food, water, and first aid kit were some of the must haves this trip.
Once we got there and noticed what other campers brought I made note of what we need to bring next time- Christmas lights (for outdoor lighting), a table cloth, and a broom with pan (we had to borrow from the campers next to us).
Travis and I used to go camping when we dated and when he brought up this trip I wasn't really interested in going at first. But I decided to tough it out and join in the fun! Besides, Cade wanted me to go!
We borrowed Julie's 17x10ft tent (that is bigger than Cade's room) for our first camping trip as a family of 3~ or 4 if you count Ladybird. Yes, she went and she was really very good. I know. I'm shocked too. The key was keeping her on a leash.
We arrived around 4 set up the tent rather quickly. We made hot dogs for dinner and smores for dessert. We played with glow sticks and told 3 not really scary - scary ghost stories.
Were in bed by in bed by 8.....and fell asleep watching Tangled. We made it through the chilly night- I think the low was 44. We were the first to rise the next morning. We made breakfast tacos-- or at least Travis did while I got the dog to do her thing and entertained Cade with a walk through the woods!
After breakfast we tore down our campsite and loaded up. We went up the road and tried to fish- but they just weren't biting. So we headed out to geochache. There are 14 caches on Lake Livingston. Of those we set out to find 2, and we did.
If you haven't heard about geochaching you are missing out! It's really fun! It's like treasure hunting. A random person hides a container that has a piece of paper of in it and usually some tokens/treasures. You use your GPS device to locate the hidden item. Once found, you open it, sign a piece of paper that has been folded inside (a film canister, jelly jar, small pill box) container and decide if you want to take the treasure and leave something of yours or do nothing but sign the paper. We of course took their treasure and left something of ours. I think we left confetti from the playground at school. Yeah, it's kind of dorky but it was fun for us... which I guess means we are a family of dorks but oh well- so are a bunch of other families!
This week is Thanksgiving at our house and then Black Friday with Julie and Susan.
I'm a little mad that the stores are opening early. We might be home by 3. Lame.
Nov 8, 2011
A quick post
Wow, feels like months since I posted! Our computer bit the dust a few weeks ago....but here is what my life has consisted of the past few weeks: JUNIOR LEAGUE- Holiday Market.
My friend Susan and I had the opportunity to plan an amazing event for the Junior League- Cookies & Cocoa with The Clauses.
We both worked are tails off the last few weeks. We made numerous trips to Wal-Mart, Sam's and Hobby Lobby- dragging our children around even when we ourselves didn't want to go there either! We pulled it all together this weekend and heard amazing things from friends, family and the guests themselves!
Sure we ran out of cookies and cocoa- twice BUT the activities were fabulous and those two things went almost unnoticed!
We had an amazing Santa and Mrs. Clause. These two are the real deal! This was Mrs. Clause first "outing". We had her read The Night Before Christmas at the end of the event. The children we so quiet for this soft spoken soul. We had handprint chargers, reindeer food, Christmas cards, snowmen on a stick, and a photo booth! Talk about fun!!
I will post pictures soon! Thanks Suz for all your hardwork! We are done...for now!
Oct 4, 2011
party pics and a trip to the ranch
Sep 16, 2011
Just an ordinary day
So we played. We used our packaging from (can't remember ) and have used it as a castle, a burning building, and a parking lot. See boxes are WAY more fun then the thing that came in it....
