Rules of the Road

This week for Peyton's 11th birthday, we took her for a trip to Six Flags and a Ranger's game.  As I was being herded around at Six Flags and herded around at the Ranger's game, I looked around and saw other families in similar circumstances being herded as well through gates.  This made me come to realize several universal truths when it comes to travel.  These are my observations:

1)  If you offer a free firework show and a Continental breakfast, you could pretty much herd humans any where you want them to go.  After seeing such movies as Super 8 and Transformers this summer, aliens might take note.  I think Continental breakfasts and free fireworks are the key to world domination.

2)  If you have children, you will never ever set by the window again during a flight.

3)  If you fly, your children are guaranteed to win the hugest stuffed animal offered at the amusement games.  Thus leaving you to figure out how to get a Giant Angry Bird and Bugs Bunny through Security at the airport.  

4)  Giant stuffed animals can be stuffed in suitcases.  (Be thankful they did not win the Giant Chiquita Banana with dread locks or the electric guitar!)  

5)  If you are hot enough to ride the water ride first at the amusement park, you will suffer the consequences of looking like a drowned rat for the rest of the day with your hair stuck to your head and mascara running down your face.  (You will notice there are no pics of me at Six Flags for that very reason.)

6)  You know you are hot when you are willing to buy the giant memorabilia cup that costs $12, no matter how dorky you might look drinking  out of a big red sippy cup for adults or giant boot.

7)  Normal sized foods do not exist at amusement parks and baseball games.  Everything is TEXAS sized with giant prices to match.  (Hayden is that a good $10 hamburger)

8)  Inevitably, your friend will text you that they just saw you on national TV at the baseball game when you have just began consuming a giant footlong hotdog covered in cheese and drinking out of a giant boot cup.

9)  If you are asked if you would like guacamole added to that, say no.  No guacamole is worth $1.75 for a small scoop.  (Thanks Chili's Too)

10)  Nigerian cab drivers will rip you off to go a block and 1/2 back to your hotel rather than waiting 2 hours to ride a trolley with the rest of the herd.  (Be leery when he never turns on the meter)

11)  Your kids will want to talk about how such products that are being shown on poster as "not allowed items" at airport security could be used to build a bomb while going through airport security.  (Mom, how do you use hand sanitizer as an explosive?  SHHHH!)

12)  It is the luck of the draw as to what funky smell your rental car will have--this time we got a combination of old greasy french fries and feet.



I also came to the conclusion that you can tell if a trip was fun by the following:

1) Out of 46,000 people at the baseball game, your kiddos got picked out of the crowd on camera.  (Pretty awesome birthday story.)

2)  You got to hang out with awesome friends who had a 
flashpass at the Amusement Park so you didn't have to wait in lines.  (Thanks Haynes family, we had a blast with yall.)

3)  You are willing to come home, even though your flight was delayed, and stay up baking items for bake sale and packing and doing laundry for your kids to go to camp until midnight.

4)  Your son has an awesome collection of giant souvenir cups that you know you will never drink out of again.

4)  Your daughter is coming home with a really dorky hat from six flags that you will see every time they have hat day at school.  (she gets the dorkiest one every time we go)

5)   Your kids can't wait to do it again.


There you go, those are some little nuggets of travel wisdom you can use or not.

What's the point?

Psss!  Hey you, look over there.  Yeah, where the arrow is pointing -- notice anything different? 

Now look down there.  What's the point you ask?  Ok, I'll admit it, I am a sell out.  I now have ads on my blog.  I have decided to combine two things I enjoy doing ....blogging and shopping.  So if you will be so kind and each time you read my blog click on one of my ads.  You don't have to buy anything, just click and look around.  Every time you click I get paid a few cents. (I made .04 yesterday)  I have to make at least $10 to receive a check and no, I can not click on my own ads or they will kick me out!  I can't decide what to do with all of my big earnings -- maybe I will use it for shopping, maybe for vacation spending money or maybe I will tithe it.  I haven't decided yet.

Now for a totally random transition.  Every summer I look for camps and things for my kids to do so that they won't lay around all summer like a bump on a log watching television.  At the beginning of this summer I thought, "This is going to be a relatively slow summer, slow with not much to do."  It is turning out to be just the opposite.
My kids have been given an opportunity at Permian Playhouse to participate in their next production.  Any guesses as to which play it is?  (HINT:  It's a musical)

We've got trouble, right here in Odessa city, with a capital.....you get the idea.  We are coming in late on rehearsals so my kids are having to play catch up.  They will be performing in several song & dance numbers and Peyton will be truly stretching herself as she plays a boy.  (There is more to it than scratching & spitting)  Many of the other children have already had a few weeks of rehearsing, Hayden is having a bit of a challenge with the stage direction.  (Left, right, dyslexics get those a little mixed up)  Rehearsals are every night from 6:30-9:30 and they are getting use to this schedule.  (When do ac-TORS eat and bath?)  They are use to having day camps & going to bed at 9:30, so this is a change for this summer.  The cast has been very helpful & offer them pointers, cross your fingers because D-day will be 6/23.  They will cut those who do not know their dances and songs on that day.  We are so thankful to our friend Chalace for this opportunity.  They are working very hard & hoping to make the cut.  Hayden told me tonight he gets a tight feeling in his chest when he goes on stage & that it is the same feeling he has when he is playing soccer or taking a test.   I explained that it was anxiety & told him to take a deep breath and just relax and slow down his heart rate. 

He really wants to participate in this and I am hopeful he can conquer this challenge with his normal moxy.  What ever happens, we are so proud of them for taking a chance.

Body Language

Tuesday night we were lucky enough to have a power outage in 101 degree weather.  I decided to run some errands and get out of my house before it got hot.  I got all of my errands ran and had about 30 minutes until I had to pick up my kids and did not want to come home to my hot house.  I decided to grab a burrito and park my car in my office parking lot & stay cool under my car air conditioner. 

When I got there, there was a truck pulled right in the middle of the lot with a girl in the passenger seat and a guy standing outside with the door open and a major make out session going on.  They did not even notice when I pulled in.  I took a bite of burrito and that's when the show began.  I could not hear anything being said between the two, but their body language said it all.

The girl stormed out of the truck reading a text on the phone (the other woman?) with the guy chasing after her doing his best "Baby, Baby Please!"  She was so mad, she threw the phone down in the parking lot, at this point I imagine he was saying, "Hey! Don't break my phone, she's just a friend."   He tried to stop her by getting in front of her, she hit him in the chest a couple of times and headed down the street.  They were in the middle of the street arguing, he definitely knew I was there at that point.  I tried to give him my best "I'm just eating my burrito" face.    She took off down the street with him following. 

A while later they came walking back and got in the truck.  So much emotion in such a short amount of time.  They stayed in the truck for a little while talking and then all of a sudden she bolted out the truck and started running down a side street.  Of course, he followed.  By this time I was done with my burrito and needed to head downtown to get my kids. 

I started thinking on the way about the whole dramatic episode I had just witnessed.  Did she really want to get away?  If she really wanted to get away, she saw me there in my vehicle, she could have walked over and asked for a ride.  Was the whole display just a ruffling of feathers just to show, "This is how mad I will get the next time you do this to me."  In coming back, was that a statement of acceptance that she would allow him to treat her badly in their relationship?

This was like watching a novella, with all the drama of The Real Housewives.  Stand your ground girl, don't accept anything less because it will be something you will regret in the future.

School Daze





Today was the last day of school.  Most kids would be jumping for joy, but I have the saddest 8 yr old boy you have ever seen.  There were tears even!  Both his classroom teacher and his dyslexia teacher are retiring. (It is merely a coincidence that both of his teachers are retiring after having Hayden in their class, he's not the student that made them run for the hills!  Thank goodness.)  He is heart broken, he just knows he is never going to see them again. 

Both of my kiddos have grown so much this year, physically, spiritually and intellectually.  What a time of transition--Peyton will be a 6th grader next year and a cheerleader!  (Look out 6th grade teachers)  Hayden will be my big 3rd grade boy! (If his 3rd grade teacher retires after he is in their class next year I will have questions!)
This means Peyton will have her last year in elementary school.  She gets to be the big fish in the little pond.



1st Day



I have posted a picture of the 1st day of school and today, do you see any difference?  To think that before this year started we were so unsure of Hayden starting a new school and finding out he had dyslexia.  I am so relieved that he has thrived this year, he actually seems to enjoy reading.  So perhaps it is a true testament of his teachers making his transition go so easy that he is so upset they will not be there next year. 



Last Day

 Such a difference from 1st day to last, you have your new back pack and all your new school supplies with your new school clothes.  You are combed and tidy, ready to see which friends will be in your class, a little nervous but excited too.  The last day, you put on what ever you can find that's clean, your backpack has been dragged, stepped on, torn and probably has some kinda smell going on.  Your hair is a little disheveled and you don't want to see any homework for a while.

Sooo, goodbye 2nd and 5th grade, hello summer time.
  It is only a matter of time until I hear, "I am bored!"