Jason and Amanda Updates

Well, I don't really have any updates. Nothing really new is going on with me. One exciting thing I guess, is I finally hired myself a housekeeper. She comes for the first time in 2 weeks and I couldn't be more excited. If I like her work, I only plan on having her come once a month. Colby's baseball picks up on the weekends starting at the end of May and he has tournaments 7 weekends in a row!!! My normal cleaning routine that I do on the weekends won't exactly be a routine anymore once the tournaments start.

Jason is nearing the end of his semester and will soon after that be a certified EMT-B. He is testing for Denton Fire this Saturday. He plans on starting Paramedic classes in August and possibly doing an online certification for fire, as well. We'll see. He plans on starting softball back up in the next few weeks, too. Busy busy! I'll just be excited when his night classes are over. I know I miss having him at home at night and so do the boys.

I'll try to post some recent pictures soon!!!!

Colby Updates

Colby's baseball is in full swing. His team went from winning 1 game last Fall season to being 4-1!!! He has another game tonight and they could very well be 5-1!!!! He is doing great. He mainly plays 2nd base and is the lead off batter every game. Right now they are playing 1-2/week and practicing 1-2/week. Keeps me busy and I have 3 calendars to keep myself straight.

Colby hasn't registered for 6th grade yet, and he is still unsure what elective he is going to do. I think most of his friends are doing Band, so he has mentioned doing Band, but he isn't sure yet. Not looking forward to 2 instrument rental payments/month if he does do band. By the way, if anyone ever tells you kids get less expensive as they get older.....NO they don't!!!!

I can't believe we are going to have 2 middle schoolers on our hands next year. I think they will enjoy being back in the same school with each other.

Tristen Updates....

Well, Tristen finally got out of Hopper Jail - (read more here, if needed). He had his freedom for about a week and 1/2, and then he fell back two steps. He isn't in Hopper Jail, but he still struggles with not getting detention at school. (They give detention for EVERYTHING!!!! Running in the band hall, eating candy in the cafeteria before school, etc.) He got little over zealous when he got his cell phone privileges back. We have unlimited texting on our family plan, and well, he took full advantage of it. We can restrict their phone usage (who they can call, when they can call, how many texts they can send, etc.), but AT&T charges $4.99/phone for that. I'm too cheap to pay that, so I just stalk the phone bill and let them know when they are getting out of control with their phones. Honestly, their phones aren't used THAT much; Tristen just took his texting to a different level after getting his phone back after 6 weeks of not having it.

Tristen just selected his classes and electives for next year. OMG...he is going to be in 7th grade! Sheesh! As of right now, he is going to be in PreAP Math, Athletics, Band, Theatre Arts, and then the other core subjects (Language Arts, Science, Texas History). We aren't set on PreAP Math just yet. He has to take a placement test and from there we will decide if we think he can handle PreAP Math. He really wanted to do Band & Theatre Arts, but in order to do so, he had to do PreAP Math. If you aren't in PreAP math, you only get one elective. Odd to me, but whatever. He will get to play sports next year, since they aren't allowed to play sports in 6th grade. He for sure wants to play Football and Basketball, but he says he plans on doing all of the sports. I think for some of the sports you actually have to 'try-out' for the team. With football, I *think* every kid makes the team, but they have "a", "b", and "c" teams. Who knows....it is all a learning experience for me. In any case, I think athletics will be good for Tristen. Sadly, we've had him out of sports now for almost a year. We needed for him to prove to us that he could maintain his grades and adjust to middle school before we agreed to do additional extra-cirricular activities.

Tristen is growing like a weed and will probably pass me in height by Christmas if not sooner. He is 4'9"! He is still excelling in band and has a contest coming up. His private lessons teacher told me he has a Solo, but Tristen has yet to tell me that.

Finally...

Ok.....the lack of posting has been due to....lack of motivation, nothing interesting to say, and then the computer went out of commission for 2 weeks!

Now, I have no excuse! The computer is back up and running and I have this cool app on my phone, so I can blog from my phone!!!

I'll update more soon!

-- Post From My iPhone

St. Patty's Day 2009

St. Patty's Day 2009.....Block Party on Greenville....a somewhat annual tradition of ours.

Me & Kate

The hubster and I

John....trying to hold the porta potty door shut so Stacey couldn't get out.
(Yes, these people were charging $1 to use the porta potty as it was in their front yard. We were leaving and Stacey didn't want to wait in the FOREVER long line that was inside the actual block party.)
Uh oh...Kate's battery died.

Back at Kate & Allen's house, Jack decided to take a seat and join us. I LOVE this dog!

Slacker

Yes, that's me. I've been a slacker. Nothing exciting has been going on at our house. Oh...and the Project 365 blog = FAIL. I've had a couple people email me b/c I made it private. I'm not currently updating it, but once I update it, I will make it public again.

I've been debating whether or not to post about Tristen's debacles or not, but I don't think I can muster up the energy to type it all out. I always write about the good stuff and debate about writing the bad stuff. I'm mean it isn't always rainbows and sunshine, right? I don't want to paint a picture for all my friends (who are YEARS behind us) that it is always rainbows and sunshine. Kids are kids....and they all have to learn sometime, right. Some learn quicker than others.

After all, Tristen is 12. No one ever said 12 was an easy age, did they? Is any age easy? In short, the kiddo has been in 'Hopper Jail' due to his behavior at school. He has a hard time knowing when to keep his mouth shut. He isn't a BAD kid. He isn't out doing destructive things or causing fights, but he is an 'attention hungry' kid and always wants to be in the know or be the 'cool' kid, which then results in him being a distraction in class. He is learning the hard way, that sometimes, you just need to keep your mouth shut. We had 3 incidents w/in 3 weeks that resulted in us taking disciplinary actions at home. (Once for calling a girl a name after he'd been told to stop, once for refusing to do wall-sits in PE as punishment for breaking the rules, and once for being a distraction in class after a warning.) Sadly, for Tristen, he has been summoned to his room w/no toys, tv, video games, etc. for the past few weeks. Anytime he makes one step forward, he does something that causes him to take two steps back within the same week. We've tried different reward systems and different discipline techniques. He is a good kid and he means well, but there comes a point where enough is enough. He is slowly trying to earn his privileges back. :) I hope he earns them back soon!!!! There...I mustered up a tad bit of energy to post about it.

Jason's school is going well. He just took his mid-term and is about to enjoy his week off for Spring Break. Colby's baseball has started back up and we'll be fully indulged in baseball in 2 weeks w/games during the week/weekends and 6 tournaments in the upcoming months. One tournament being in Round Rock in June. I got a small raise at work, which was very unexpected due to the economy/market and due to my company experiencing its first loss last year in the 57 year history of our company.

We are heading to San Antonio/Sea World Memorial Day weekend. Jason's grandma is turning 80 years old, so we are going down there to celebrate with his extended family. We're making a mini-vacation out of it and taking the boys sight seeing in San Antonio and to Sea World. In late July/mid-August, we are plannig a trip with some of our friends to go to Beavers Bend, OK for another mini-vacation, but without kids. I'm uber excited about this trip!!!!!!

Spring Break is starts today, but the boys don't have any exciting plans. They will be going to their mom's tonight and then Colby will be coming back Tuesday night so he can go to a baseball camp on Tuesday and Wednesday. Other than that....they'll just be enjoying the week off of school.

Well, that's a wrap. Sorry, I don't have any pictures to post. Maybe I'll have some pictures to post after this weekend's St. Paddy's Day festivities.

Friday Fill-Ins

1. When I look to the left, I see my coffee cup, telephone, cell phone, and everything else on my desk @ work.

2. The office is the room that has the best view in my home.

3. Let it work itself out.

4. Cleaning done dirt cheap! (Idk....I clean w/vinegar and water....so i guess that is dirt cheap.)

5. Voting is a responsibility that all qualified citizens must share.

6. If you have any extra shopping money feel free to pass it along to me!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to taking the boys to their mom for Spring Break, tomorrow my plans include hang out with our friends at the St. Patty's Day festivities and celebrate Stacy's b-day and Sunday, I want to just relax and maybe start painting the boys bathroom!