Red Rockets 2009

Buck-a-roo's tball team took Team Pictures last week....











And, look who also got in on the action...

Sunny Saturday Swimming

Soaking {up the} Sun {in the} Swimming {pool on a} Saturday {afternoon}

Smiling {as always}

Swimming {underwater}

{being} Silly

Splashing {my mommy}

Stretching {to reach the wall in one breath}

Snacking {here and there}

Saving {a tired little brother}

Squeezing {the love out of one another}

graduating and debuting

Buck-a-roo officially had his last day of PreK3...






and Frank-o had the opportunity to celebrate with him because he was home from school "supposedly sick". He also was able to experience the fun of preschool for a day in hopes that it will inspire him to finish potty-training so that he too can join the PreK3 fun. Judging from the laundry that I just finished folding that contained 10+ pairs of Frank-o underwear from the past two days....I'm not holding my breath.








On a much more positive note for Frank-o....he made his Tball debut this week filling in on Buck-a-roo's team as there were several players absent from Thursday's game.





He was entusiastic, elated, even ecstatic....



He has dressed in a red tshirt and cleats for every game to play with his dad on the sidelines as he watched his big brother play "for real" and could almost taste it himself. Being too young to officially be on the team, he was pacified by practicing on the sidelines but his hunger was never satiated until Thursday evening when he took the field "for real".







All I can hope for, is that Buck-a-roo's teammates rotate weeks going on an early summer vacation for the next two weeks so that Frank-o can "pinch-hit" when called upon from now until the season's end.

Memorial Day thanks....

Check out my blogging friend, Tiffany, at her blog to pay your respects to her husband that left THIS morning for just another day at work and another deployment to Iraq.

Thanks Daddy Buck

Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday that commeorates the men and women who have lost their lives serving for our country in the military.

“The bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before them, glory and danger alike, and yet notwithstanding, go out to meet it.” ~Thucydides

In our home, we like to not only remember those who have served and lost their lives; but, on days like Memorial Day, July 4th, and Veterans' Day, we also like to recognize those who have lost their lives, those who have served in the past, and those who continue to serve to afford us the freedoms that we enjoy daily.

"And each man stands with his face in the light of his own drawn sword. Ready to do what a hero can.” ~Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Because, without brave men and women like our Daddy Buck, we would not be able to freely enjoy our barbeque cookouts with friends and family, swimming pools full our laughter from kids, and all around good times had by all today and everyday!

He typically does not like this much acknowledgement, so I might get in trouble; but, it's worth it to give Daddy Buck a great, big, blog Thank You for his service to our country.

“True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost.” ~ Authur Ashe

As seen in....

you may remember this post, my first installment of As seen in that took you around our rather typical, ordinary, yet picture-worthy and blog-postable kitchen.

here today in this, the second installment of As seen in....we take you on a walk through our front yard.

to gaze at the "stargazer" daylilies

admire the abundant chartreuse sweet potato vine

and stop to smell the (miniature) roses

Random Picture Challenge

This Saturday's Random picture challenge from 4 Little Men & Girly Twins is....

August 2008

28th picture

This is not an unusual sight at our house. B-a-r and F-o LOVE water, LOVE to play in the water, LOVE to squirt each other with the water and so on.


We hope everyone is having a super Saturday. The unpredictablility of the weather in Louisiana is leaving us unsure of where our weekend will take us. It is sure to include lots of family fun since it is Daddy Buck's weekend off.

2 boys. 2 bedrooms. 2 beds. {ding.ding} Let The Fight Begin

Since moving into our house 2 1/2 years ago (Buck-a-roo was almost 2 and Frank-o was 6 months), our boys have shared a bedroom allowing for the 3rd bedroom of our 3-bedroom house to reserved for a guest room. It is also important for me to note here before I get too in depth with this post, that we made the ultimate, uber mistake (in my opinion) in child-rearing by rocking our infants to sleep, as they got older allowing them to fall asleep in the living room with us and laying them in their beds, and granting them the opportunity to sleep in our bed almost nightly. Which brings me to our current situation that we now have a 4 year old and a 3weeks-shy-of-turning 3 year old that do not sleep through the night, do not fall asleep in their beds, and cannot put themselves to sleep AT ALL.

rewind.......

Remember last week, when I mentioned that Daddy Buck and I were re-staging our house for sale while also mildly adapting our boys to the idea of having their own rooms in our new home....we did away with the guest room and seperated the boys into two bedrooms.


fast forward......

They were thrilled and DID (using our old bedtime routine and "falling asleep" methods) sleep in their VERY OWN rooms for the vast majority of the first night. As if this wasn't enough adjustment, I have decided it is time to alter the nighttime/naptime routine to include falling asleep in their own beds and since I can't magicaly split myself down the middle into two people to remain with them at their bedside, this means "falling asleep" alone in their own beds in their own rooms.

stay with me.......

Day ONE of this new-found idea....TODAY!! Frank-o was home with me today running a fever (and running wild) and Buck-a-roo had his End of the Year party at school today. All this equals...the three of us at home for naptime. New plan begins at 11:45am (same general time that they nap at school). I lay them each down(after potty-ing), kiss them, tell them it's naptime (after much prep talk beforehand), and tell them I will see them after their naps.

{ding.ding}
In this corner room we have ~~ The Negotiator (aka Buck-a-roo). he's 42 pounds of "I'll do this ___________, if you let me ___________"!!

{ding.ding}
And in the other corner room~~ The Name-Caller (aka Frank-o). he's 36 pounds of "Mommy, you're mean" and "You're not the boss of me"!!

and they're off.......

"I'm not tired" "I need to potty" "I need water" "I need to potty" "I'm not gonna close my eyes, I'm just gonna rest" "IF I COME IN THIS ROOM ONE MORE TIME, I WILL TAKE YOUR NEW FISHING GAMES AWAY" {fishing games gone} {crying} "I need you to lay with me" "I need to potty" "THE NEXT PERSON THAT GETS OUT OF THEIR BED WILL NOT PLAY OUTSIDE THIS AFTERNOON" {crying} "I don't need a pillow" "I need covers" "Is it time to wake-up yet" "YOU WILL STAY IN YOUR ROOM UNTIL YOU NAP, EVEN IF IT MEANS ALL AFTERNOON, AND EVENING UNTIL DADDY GETS HOME" "I'm hungry" {crying}

update............

It's now 12:42. Frank-o is asleep-down for the count-out snug as a bug-TKO'd after me putting him in the bed at least 43 times. Buck-a-roo is in the living room over my shoulder blowing his nose for the 14th time and I am about to put him back in his bed, for oh say, the 53rd time.

I (we) have failed them miserably in this department and have caused ourselves 4+ years of sleepless nights. I am ready for that to come to a screeching halt. It will *stink* for me if we are stuck indoors this afternoon on this 75 degree bright sunshiny day because I have to follow-through with my threat for 'NO afternoon outdoor play' if Buck-a-roo does not fall asleep soon. I will not back down now!!

"GET IN YOUR BED SON!!!!"

Round 1......

goes to MOMMY!!!! After me standing in his door, arms crossed, for 13 seconds so he would not step foot out of his bed again, Buck-a-roo is the second TKO of the afternoon.

Wordless Wednesday

The Power of Prayer

You might remember in the past that I have participated in the i Y faces weekly photo contest. Each week they sponsor a different theme and ask for photo entries, primarily face shots, that exemplify the week's theme. This week's theme is special and involves a contest to be featured in the i Y faces publication. Their request: the best "face" photo of your choice....

Though I had the option of delving deep into my multitudes of photographs of my children, I have chosen a picture of Frank-o that I just took last week.

For me, Frank-o's tightly closed eyes, clinched fists, and evident veins in his forehead are fabulous in this snapshot that I took last week during the opening prayer before Buck-a-roo's End of the Year program at preschool. Lord only knows just what it was that he was so fiercely praying about. We'll just keep that between he and the Big Guy upstairs!

I am submitting this photo into the www.iheartfaces.com Blurb Book photo contest. I am granting I ♥ Faces permission to use my photo in a printed version of a book for commercial use and possibly advertising of a photo book on both the Blurb and I ♥ Faces web sites.

"Oh Where, Oh Where has my blog owner been? Oh Where, Oh Where has she been?"

work...tball...house guests...school programs...swimming pool...house guests...date nights....preparing house for sale....house guests

So, here I am tonight and I'm gonna try to catch you all up on last week's events!


My dad came in town Monday night for work on Tuesday morning and stayed through Tuesday night to watch Buck-a-roo play tball. Though the game was rained out, Frank-o was able to make his on-field debut with his big brother, as the coach allowed him to warm-up with the team and was even going to allow him to play that evening had it not rained. Warm-up was enough for him and he was elated that he got to PLAY TBALL.


Daddy Buck and I worked ourselves endlessly on Thursday re-staging our house to list it "For Sale". Their was moving furniture, removing furniture, storing furniture, splitting our boys into two rooms, downsizing our bedroom, and lots of DEEP cleaning. It ALL happened in one day and the sign now resides in the front yard. I'll link to the listing soon...


Tball was cancelled on Thursday night for the End of the Year program at their preschool for the PreK3, PreK4, and Kindergarten. Buck-a-roo is not much on "performing" and most especially he is not much on "performing" silly school-age songs complete with hand motions and a huge smile in front of 300+ parents, siblings, and grandparents.






Buck-a-roo did manage to:


::wave at the camera::




::smile for the camera::





::pick his nose for the camera::





And even,
::provide minimal participation for the camera::






It was a terrific night chock full of proud moments...






This weekend, once again for the second weekend in a row, my brother was staying with us at our house. Don't get me wrong, we so enjoy him being here. On Saturday, he and I took the boys to the swimming pool.





At the pool, there was plenty:

::jumping to Uncle J::








::playing 'torpedo' with Uncle J::







We capped off the weekend on Sunday by eating, I swear, 20lbs of crawfish a piece for Daddy Buck and I.



My brother leaves tonight to return to work offshore, tball is cancelled on Tuesday, and the house listing is a done deal, so I will attempt this week to do better at posting more frequently than once every 7 days.



And, just in case there weren't already enough pictures within this post, I will leave you with my favs from our swimming pool play on Saturday...