We are the Marshall

Remember our friend, Mat?Blaine loves him! Well, we all love him, but there's something special about a big boy loving a little boy and letting him be "part of it."

Anyway, every time Blaine goes to Mat's house, he comes home with crap stuff, Mat's stuff he doesn't play with anymore. So last time he comes home with a huge popcorn tin full of legos and some other stuff, to include a key chain. **This is where I would include a picture of the key chain, if I could get it out of my six-year old's hands for half a second. More explanation on that in a minute.** ***UPDATE: I got the pictures!*** The key chain looks like a marshall's badge, and it says US Marshall around the star. On the other side, it looks like an old coin, and it has a year of like 1870 or something.

Blaine thinks it's real. Like for real real. He thinks it's really from 1870 and that "they", whoever they may be, are looking for it. Now let me tell you how I know.

He comes into my room Saturday and shows me this treasure. He tells me that it's real, like from the Army. I told him the US Marshalls are very important, but not from the Army. I'm not sure if he heard me or not, because this is a real treasure, and he's totally consumed by it. He says, "Mommy, can you set the alarm tonight?" Our house alarm, not an alarm clock. I say, "Sure, son. Why?" "Because, Mommy, they (again, whoever they may be) are probably looking for this, and I don't want them to break into our house while we're asleep." Um...okay. Then, "Mommy, if they find me, do you think I'll go to jail?"
"For what, son?"
"For stealing it!"
"Did you steal it?"
"Well, no. WAIT! Do you think Matty KNOWS he gave it to me? Do you think he accidentally gave it to me and doesn't know it?"
"No, I'm pretty sure he meant to give it to you, but we can ask if you want. Give it to me, and I'll take a picture of it (this is when I'd already figured out this would be a blog, and I needed a picture of this treasure) on my phone, and we'll text Mat and ask."
"NO!! You can't take a picture of it. This is super secret stuff, and we can't just let it out there."
"Well, son, I'm sure Mat wanted you to have it."
"Mom, how much money do you think I could get for it if I put it on Ebay?" (So much for super secret stuff.)
"I'm not sure, but probably a lot."
"Shew, I know!"

He runs off.

Sunday the phone rings, and as so often happens in our house, it was a telemarketer, so I hollered for nobody to answer the phone. He comes FLYING into my room, "Mom, what if it's them??" "Them who, son?" "Them looking for my Marshall badge!" "THen we really shouldn't answer it, huh?"

So this morning, it's in his pocket, the safest place he could think of (a-hem), and I'm praying it stays there and doesn't get lost. What a dee-zaster it would be to have it lost. I'm sure if it's lost, though, you will know, because it will probably be a more dramatic post than this.

Party Post!!

I'm so excited! It's my first blog party! Thanks, Lynette! Now all y'all go over to Dancing Barefoot on Weathered Ground!

I really enjoy being able to blog for my kids, as their baby book, if you will. I've discovered that I'm addicted to it. I think of everything they do in how it will be a blog post. What's worse than that is I stalk other's blog, as if I know them...when I don't. I follow several (a-hem, the number will not be revealed) blogs every day, like religiously. It's kinda sick. I kinda like it.

Now for the questions Lynette posted for us to answer for the blog party. Let's win some prizes!!

How would people describe your personality? (If they could only use ONE word.) Are they right? The consensus, when asked of a few friends, is straightforward. That is a nice way of my friends saying blunt. If you ask, I will tell you..the truth, even if it's hard. So, yeah, I'd have to say it's true.

What celebrity/celebrities would create a “Star-Struck” feeling if you saw them in real life? Probably Karen Kingsbury or Kelle Hampton.

Who is your favorite blogger? Why? My favorite blogger, hands down, is Kelle over at enjoying the small things. Why? She is so funny and so real and so loving. This post just today was so me. I can totally relate to her. She doesn't even know me or that I stalk her or that I'm writing this about her, either. Kelle, if, for some wild reason, you see this, I promise I'm not crazy, just obsessive. j/k..kinda

What is your comfort food/drink? Anything I don't have to cook

Be brave – tell us something very random and weird about yourself. I'm pretty sure I have an addictive personality. I'm addicted to blogs, Facebook, mango yogurt, angry birds, iPhone, iPod, iPad, Words with Friends, The Bachelor (eek!). I could continue, but I won't.

Do you have a strong desire to do something you’ve never done? What is it? Ummm....no. I don't think so. If I want to do something, I usually just find a way to do it.

Movies: Action, Drama, Romantic Comedy, Documentary, Comedy? What are your favorite genres? I'm kinda girly in this respect. I like me a good chick flick.

Books: Fiction, Non-Fiction, Romance, Biographies, True Stories, Self-Help, Devotional/Study? What are your favorite types of reading material? Again with the addictions. I'm addicted to Karen Kingsbury. I've read everything she's written, I think, and buy her new stuff the DAY it comes out. In true addict fashion, I then have reader's remorse as soon as I turn the last page, wishing I had waited longer to buy it or read it slower.

Music: Funk, Rock, Country, Jazz, Classical, Film Score, Blues, Classic Rock, Crooner, Alternative, Heavy Metal, Techno? What are your favorite types? Country. That's pretty much it. I like an occasional rock song that somebody introduces me to, but I would never find it on my own. I also like MercyMe, Chris Tomlin, and some others.

If you inherited a million dollars, what is the first thing you would do with your money? Buy "my" house! I found the house of my dreams. If I had designed it myself, I wouldn't change a thing. But my husband won't buy it for me. So what if it's out of our price range! Right? Okay. No. I'd buy it with my million dollars.

Name one weakness of yours (confession is good for the soul). If you know me in real life, you know the answer to this question. If you don't, I'm sorry you had to read this. My weakness is smoking. That's all I have to say about that.

If you could live anywhere at all (and take all your loved ones with you), where would you go? Y'all are gonna think I'm weird, but I'm a Texas girl, born and bred. I'd move to Midland, Texas, if I could take everybody with me. It's still west Texas; it's still small-town mentality, but it has big city restaurants; and it's probably perfect because I don't live there.

Strange Talent? Can you juggle basketballs, put your legs behind your head or perform some other strange feat? I'm not sure this is a strange feat, but it is different. I can "type" 225 words a minute. I'm a court reporter.

What’s something you consider yourself to be good at? (Don’t worry, it’s not bragging, it’s acknowledging a God given gift). I can find the perfect gift. It's not really a gift. It's more of an obsession. (I'm beginning to think I need real professional help!)

What is one of your favorite things to catch a whiff of? A baby slathered in some Johnson's baby lotion. Now that's heaven. Oh, and a good-looking cowboy with great cologne.

When you leave a social gathering, do you wish: You would have talked more or You would have talked less? Less, NO question!

If money wasn’t a factor, what stores would you shop in? Pottery Barn and Circle P (a small shop in West Texas)

What is your greatest fear or strange phobia? My greatest fear is losing the ones I love. Yes, I know they are going to a better place. I'm not scared for them. I'm scared for me!!

What is your greatest accomplishment? I haven't completed it yet, but I know I will. It will be to raise God-fearing, productive, great kiddos. They aren't raised yet, but they are off to a good start!

Are you a hopeless romantic? I almost wish I were, but I'm not. I'm jaded, I think. Maybe it's divorce court that I work in. Maybe it's just who I am.

What movie or book character can you most relate to? Ashley Baxter. Karen Kingsbury, ya know.

Now, anybody know a good shrink in West Texas to help me with this addictive personality seems to be rearing it's ugly head?!

Mad Skills

Randy Jackson is forever talking about somebody's "mad skills" on American Idol, and I'm forever telling Joey how I want somebody to tell me I have mad skills. Since nobody is telling me I have mad skills, I'm telling all of you my daughter has mad skills. I'll take her mad skills to brag about any day over my own anyway.

Kylee is amazing. I'm not sure how she's mine or how I was blessed to get to call her mine, but she's mine, and I wouldn't trade it for the world. She has so many mad skills I don't possess. You've seen her dance. She has mad dancing skills. I have no dancing skills.

Look what this girl can do with some poster board, a little paint, and a lot of modeling clay.

They are reading the book, Bridge to Terabithia, at school. I LOVED this book. Maybe I have mad reading skills. Kylee doesn't love any book. She had to do a project showing the exposition
rising action
climaxand
resolution of the story. Do you see how see took four poster boards and bended and folded and glued them together?Amazing!!

She spent so much time and a lot of effort on this project. Look at the details she put into the modeling clay. Look at Leslie drowning in the lake here.
And I loved this car.How in the world she got these clay people sitting in clay desks is beyond me.Mad skills I tell ya! She deserves an A on this project just for the effort she put into it.

She's so funny about things, though. I told her Joey would have to take her to school today to help her carry this heavy project in. She was mortified, in true middle-school-girl fashion. "Mom, NONE of my friends had their parents carrying in their projects. How embarrasing!" He did it anyway.

On the other hand, remember this post where I told you about her sucking her arm? Last night, after she had told me how embarrassing it would be to have her Daddy carry her project into school, she was telling me about sucking her arm in class. Another girl said, "Kylee, why do you have your arm like that?" Kylee said, "Because I've always done that, since I was born." She said, "What are you doing?" Kylee said, "Sucking my arm." She said, "Like sucking your thumb?" Kylee said, "I guess. I've done it since I was born." She said, "Well, could you stop? It's kinda freaking me out a little." Kylee said, "No. I'm not going to stop. It's not hurting anybody and it's my comfort." But she's embarrassed to have somebody help her carry a heavy project. Girls!

I still wish I had this girl's mad skills!

Play Ball!

We're baack! Tball preseason started yesterday. Blaine was so nervous! He said he had been "broken" so long, and he was nervous. He played great! He stopped several balls at shortstop to throw to Carlo at first for outs! We won 23-13. Welcome back, Rangers.

-isms

*Blaine is totally into "As seen on TV" ads lately. Everything he sees, he thinks is PERFECT for our family. He thinks we need the bags that make things smaller to store. He thinks we need Oxyclean to clean up. He wants some new powerful cleaner to get his toothpaste out of the sink. Addicted!

*Papi has a "collar" that goes around his tiny body, making it easier to pick him up and put on a leash so as not to choke his tiny self. She calls it a hurdle. (I think she means girdle)

*I told Blaine I didn't have any money because I spent it all on his dog. He said, "Now I KNOW you're lying to me because I saw you write a check for the dog!"

*Kylee calls cow manure "cow manuever." You know I can't correct her.

*Friday night we drove by Taco Cabana, and they had a band playing outside. Blaine said, "What's going on here? Must be Friday taco night!"

Kylee's First Dance Solo

Last night was the Americas Cup Dance Competition 2011. Kylee had her first solo. She was so nervous, but they ROCKED it. Check them out.
Kylee's first solo

Lorraine did their hair and makeup, and they looked
awesome! After they danced, they had to sit for almost five hours waiting for results. They visited,, ate and played games. Kylee even got to see Belinda, her dance teacher from a couple of years ago. When it came time for awardsthey got 3rd placebut really deserved better than that. We are still so proud of them.
This girl has mad dance skills that she did not get from her mom!

SUCKERS!!

We, meaning Joey and I, are total suckers! After Cuatro died, it was a sad scene at the Onick house! Blaine was so excited to have "his" puppy to sleep with, like Remington sleeps with Kylee, and Kylee was excited just to have another puppy.

They were devastated when we lost Cuatro. We think now he wasn't really as old as we were told, and he was too young and too tiny to be taken from his mother. That is why we lost him.

They cried and cried and cried. Then asked for another puppy. We caved. Suckers, I tell ya. Meet Papi.Blaine named him. The name comes from the movie Beverly Hills Chihuahuas. The name is actually Papi, Jr., which Blaine still tends to call him, but Kylee convinced him we had no Papi, Sr., and therefore could not have a Junior. Blaine acted like his parents caved too. His name is Papi Cuatro (in memory of our puppy). The kids are so excited!Joey and I have fallen for him, too. Our other furry family isn't too jealous either.We pray for a better outcome. We got him from a reputable person, and even had to sign a contract to get him and got his shot records. He is four months old today and in good health. Welcome to the family, Papi.

Happy 3rd Birthday, Winchester!!

The kids bought Chester a birthday cake dog treat in Ruidoso and gave it to him today for his birthday.

Happy birthday, Winchester!

Sad. That's All

Came home and found Cuatro dead. Not sure what happened. Stupid to buy dogs off the street corner. We're all devastated. Joey buried him. Kylee flipped. Blaine cried the tears streaming down his face while trying to fight them. This sucks. We're sad. That's all.

Happy --or not-- Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day was just off this year. For some reason, I never felt like it was Valentine's Day. It came anyway.

Kylee had the "best dance ever," according to her text, at school. Her Valentine present(the hoodie) may have done the trick.

What did Blaine get? Strep. Happy Valentine's to him. This is what his and my day looked like.(He really did get a present, a DS game he wanted. Just like his Dad. Joey got a DS game he wanted, too. Boys will be boys.)

And my Valentine rocked it this year.EVERY coffee drinker needs one of these. It's the best. There were actually more "K cups," but since Blaine and I were home two days this week, we drank them. Yes, Blaine loves my Keurig, too. My boy!

I also ordered my blog book. Last year I only ordered one, thinking they could share it. Grandmommy thought both kids needed one. I thought that was silly. They would say the same thing. So we consulted Kyle. "If our Mom did this, wouldn't you think one would be enough, and we could share it?" His response, "Um..NO! I would want my own!" So they each got one this year, and although I know they will enjoy them much more later, they seem to be enjoying reading them now, too.


I couldn't be happier.

Until next year...Happy love day!

Meet Cuatro

Sunday afternoon after breakfast at Mama's and a movie with the kids, we were headed to Roller Bomb to book birthday parties when our lives were forever changed...again. On the corner were boys and their dads with little baskets with something in them. Of course, as usual, the kids had to pull over to see them, and, as usual, we agreed. What was in the baskets you say?Jack Russell Terriers. Precious. Tiny. Perfect. NOT what we need! We have three dogs, remember?!! I said, "Oh, I love them. So sweet! Let's go." Joey said, "Hey, come over here a minute and let me talk to you." I knew then. He said, "You know, Remingtonsleeps with Kylee, and Chester is just too big to sleep with Blaine. But Blaine has always wanted a puppy to sleep with him. This has to be it." I said ok.

Meet Cuatro. His name is Cuatro, becuase, well,he's number four. Pretty clever, aren't we? He's SO tiny,but we already have big love for him.
And he's already fulfilling the excuse reason we got him.