Last of the 7 Hoorah

Monday night, after making Blaine's cupcakes for school on his birthday, I asked what he wanted for breakfast on his birthday. He asked if I could get up early on his birthday and make him a special breakfast. I told him that I sure would and that's why I was asking. He said, "Ok. I want Fruity Pebbles." haha!

So Tuesday morning, up I came with a cupcake and his Fruity Pebbles.He did not eat the cupcake. Then we put on his Phineas and Ferb birthday ribbon with his school uniform and headed to school.
For his birthday dinner, he wanted to go to "Houseback Steakhouse".Why? Well, on Mother's Day last year, we took Joey's mother there. There was a wait, so we sat at the bar watching to baseball finals. The Yankees were playing, and, of course, Blaine was enthralled. There was a bartender there who was equally enthralled with the Yankees...and Blaine. Juice (yup, that's his name) and Blaine became fast friends. He was slipping Blaine cups full of cherries and unlimited refills of Pina Coladas (minus the spirits, of course).

Last week when I began asking Blaine where he wanted to go for his birthday dinner, he wanted to go see Juice. He even asked us to take him by there to make sure Juice would be working on his birthday. Because if he wasn't, he wanted to go to Logan's. Get this: Juice was not scheduled to work on Blaine's birthday but traded shifts with somebody just to be there for him. We were treated like royalty, really.

This is Yankee (what Juice calls Blaine) and Juice.Notice the money on Blaine's Phineas and Ferb ribbon? Juice put it there. I think Kylee was jealous. When another waiter brought me my salad and asked if he could get us anything else, my sassy middle-schooler said, "Yeah, how about a staple remover." ha!

He had his third and final birthday candle and songand we headed home to play with his WWE wrestlers and ring.

So until next year, the birthday boy's celebrations are over.

Letter to My 7 Year Old

Dear Blaine,

Today is your 7th bithday. My baby boy is SEVEN YEARS OLD! Though I tease you all the time about not "letting" you grow up, it is so fun to watch. You are such a neat, special guy.

There are so many reasons to be proud of you. You are such an amazing baseball player and have such a heart for the game. It amazes me how quickly your brain works, and that doesn't include only in baseball. But to watch you watch the ball and your teammates and the other team's players and know exactly what moves you are going to make depending on where the ball ends up, amazes me, truly. I'm so proud of the way you are so dedicated to the game, your teammates, and your coaches. You give your all every time you are on that field, whether it be for practice or a game.

I could not have hand picked a funnier kiddo. Everybody who knows me knows if you or it makes me laugh, I'm all about that. You, my son, are funny beyond words, and it is not even something I got to pick or decide. The Lord knew you and I were meant to be a pair! Although you are such a boy and so into all things boy and so much like your Daddy, too, you and I are quite alike in so many ways. We love to read, you and I. I love to wonder where my rambunctious boy is because the house is so quiet, only to find you curled up on the couch or on your bed reading your chapter books. You love to relax in a nice, warm bath, too. While most, including the other two people living in our home, bathe simply for the necessity of being clean, you and I know how to enjoy us a good bath. Last month you sealed this bond of ours when you asked me to go get your chapter book while you were bathing.

You are so brave. We can put you in any situation, and you excel. When you started school, you went right in and made friends. You didn't need me hanging out to make sure you were ok. The teachers and faculty at school think the world of you. It makes me so proud that, although you can be a bit mischevious, you are so respectful of others. The adults and kids alike flock to you.

You are such a good "baby brother". You love your Diddy with your whole heart and soul. Have I told you how much I love that you call her Diddy? It makes my heart melt to hear you call her. Yes, you are still brother and sister, and, yes, you still have your arguments, but they never last long. You know how much she loves you and how much you need her to be you.

So while you are growing up and just yesterday got new "grown up" athletic shoes becuase your light-up Sketchers are so for six year olds and under, you are still and will always be my baby boy. Though you no longer say "hectacolla" for helicopter, you still say, "Let me guess" instead of "Let me think." And while I can no longer carry you in my arms and nuzzle that sweet neck, you still let me cuddle with you and kiss you in front of your friends.

So on this, one of the two greatest days in my life, Happy birthday, Blaine Caleb!

Love,
Your biggest fan a.k.a Mommy

Blaine's 7th Birthday Party

He's not really 7 yet. He will not be 7 until 5:13 p.m. on Tuesday, March 29th, but I let him have his party anyway.I'm a cool Mom like that, you know, letting them have parties while their getting older is breaking my heart. Selfless, I am.

He chose to have a Phineas and Ferb partyat Roller BombHe had an amazing turnout! 95% of his baseball team came, a few friends from school, and just life friends.Don't forget the grandparents
and sister, cousins, and aunt and uncle!Because so much of the team was there doing so much falling skatingJoey began to worry about not having a team for Monday night's game. He said, "Maybe it really wasn't such a hot idea to have Blaine's party at a skating rink!"

I'm glad we did. He had such a great time with all of his buddies and family and got so many great gifts. His school friends brought him baseball stuff, while his baseball buds brought him WWE wrestling stuff. I guess he talks about baseball a lot at school, and evidentally WWE has been a big topic at baseball. He's definitly developed his own tastes in his seven years and is becoming a such a neat boy.

The Phineas and Ferb Roller Bomb party of 2011 for seven-year old Blaine was a hit!

Blaine's 7th Party

Something to Write About

Remember in school when you would get back from spring break and, inevitably, your first assignment was always: Write about what you did for spring break? While planning our NYC trip, I quickly realized we weren't doing anything for spring break becuase of the cost. My immediate thought was, "Oh, no! What will the kids write about when they get back from spring break?!" Yes, I know I'm a total nerd. Call me what you will. My kids are going to have something to write about when their teacher tells them to write!!

I had to think of something that we could do on a day trip or short overnighter. Thisis what I came up with. The kids had never been, even though it's less than a two-hour drive for us. We asked Papa to go with us, and we were on our way.

I had an extremely hard time trying to explain to the kids what they were going to see. I kept telling them we would go in elevator that would take us down under the ground into the middle of the mountain. Why I didn't think of the word "cave" is beyond me. That totally would have done it for them. When we got out of the elevator and walked into the big room, Blaine said, "We're in a cave!" Uh, yea. Duh, Mom! After I took this picture,I asked Blaine why he was posing that way. He said, "Because we're in a cave. That's why!" Again, duh, Mom!

After seeing the Caver hats, we, of course, hadto have one. With those and our audio guides, we were off!

At first, they would stop at every number station to get their audio lesson. Then I think the Mommy in Kylee came out. I mean, once you've seen staligmiteor stalagtiteyou've pretty much seen them all, right?That's what Kylee was thinking. While Joey and I stopped with Blaine on every, single audio guide number there was,Kylee talked Papa into moving on out with her. I couldn't even get a picture of them ahead of us they moved so fast! While I must admit I would have loved to pick up the pace with her, it was amusing watching Blaine be so interested in EVERYTHING the audio guide had to say. He would repeat it to us and point things out to us. It was pretty cool.

When we got back to the main room, Kylee and Papa were sitting on a bench waiting for us, wondering if we had "taken a nap." The elevator line to go back up was an hour wait, due to the elevator renovations they are doing. While we waited, Blaine discovered he could be a Junior Ranger, so he used his sister's backto fill out his book. While he was doing that, I ran into Brian Dillonwho I hadn't seen since high school or shortly thereafter.

When Blaine was finished with his paperwork, Kylee took him over to be sworn inas an official Junior Park Ranger.

Then up the elevator, through the gift shop, and out we went. And that, my friends, is what my kids will be writing about next Monday on their first day back to school!

3rd Annual Interview

Just so you know, I do not ask the kids these questions together. So when their answers are the same, they didn't hear it from the other one. They just thought the same thing.

1. What is something your mom always says to you?
Blaine - I love you
Kylee - You know I love you, Kid

2. What makes mom happy?
Blaine - If I do what she says
Kylee - Loving from kids and not arguing

3. What makes mom sad?
Blaine - If I don't do what's right
Kylee - When you go somewhere without her (???)

4. How does your mom make you laugh?
Blaine - You don't really make me laugh. Sorry. Ok. Ok. When you scare me. There.
Kylee - When you try to do hip hop

5. What was your mom like as a child?
Blaine - Well, I don't know!
Kylee - I don't know...a cheerleader??

6. How old is your mom?
Blaine - 35. Is that right?
Kylee - 35

7. How tall is your mom?
Blaine - Like 10 feet
Kylee - 5 foot 1

8. What is her favorite thing to do?
Blaine - Smoke (eeekk!!)
Kylee - Spend time with her daughter more than her stinkin son!

9. What does your mom do when you're not around?
Blaine - Spend time with the girl, Kylee
Kylee - Shop without me or do laundry

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
Blaine - Working
Kylee - Writing, NOT hip hop!

11. What is your mom really good at?
Blaine - Spend time with her kids
Kylee - Reading and loving her kids when they are and are not sick

12. What is your mom not very good at?
Blaine - Baseball
Kylee - Dancing

13. What does your mom do for her job?
Blaine - Court reporter
Kylee - Court reporter

14. What is your mom's favorite food?
Blaine - Mango Yogurt from Yogo Berry
Kylee - Mango

15. What makes you proud of your mom?
Blaine - If she knows how to play baseball
Kylee - When she does something with me

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?
Blaine - Bugs Bunny
Kylee - Tweety Bird

17. What do you and your mom do together?
Blaine - Play together
Kylee - Shop, eat yogurt, and watch movies

18. How are you and your mom the same?
Blaine - We both like the computer
Kylee - We're girls. We like shopping, Facebook, and have a lot of friends

19. How are you and your mom different?
Blaine - Well, we don't have to same hair exactly. You're a girl. I'm a boy.
Kylee - Because YOU like to read

20. How do you know your mom loves you?
Blaine - Because moms and dads always have to love their kids. And because you don't want to break my heart
Kylee - Because we always hang out together

21. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?
Blaine - YogoBerry
Kylee - Starbucks

For 2009 answers, click 2009

For 2010 answers, click 2010

Talkin bout My Girl

Remember the drama when Kylee was first put in band? And then the drama of me trying to get her out when she didn't want out? Well, we've done it all again and come full circle.

The school sent out elective forms last week for next school year. Kylee was going to get out of both theater arts and band and take art and choir. A couple of weeks ago, her theater arts teacher selected her to take Advanced Acting. It's a "by invitation only" elective. She totally decided to drop choir and take art and advanced acting. Because you have to pick your top three, she put advanced acting, art, and choir.

Yesterday she comes home and says, "I think I'm going to stay in band." I was a little shocked. She's asked a couple of times in the last couple of weeks -- and maybe it's just spring fever -- to not have to take her instrument to school. She told me that her band director called her into her office and invited her to be in Honor Band, again, a "by invitation only" elective. She told her she would think about it. Right before bed, she informed me she is staying in band.

We've gone from dropping both electives to get new ones to keeping one and dropping the other to keeping both. Yup, that's my girl!

For another little Kylee-ism, our conversation over yogurt last night:
K - Do you ever just miss your Mom?
M - Oh, of course. Why?
K - Because sometimes I just miss you.
M - Like when?
K - Like when you go out of town without me. (which I've done TWICE in the last YEAR, one for work!)
M - Hmmm.
K - Or when you go to the movies with your friend w/out me. (which I've done ONCE in like six years....or more)
M - Hmmm.
K - Or sometimes I just miss you at school.
M - Well, I'm glad you miss me. It makes me feel good.
K - Can we go now?
(SO much for that moment)

Just one more -ism, but this time it's Blaine's. While snuggling with his best buddy, Papi, last night he said, "Mommy, if Papi was human, I would TOTALLY spend the night at his house!"

Blaine Blogs

Last night as I was cooking supper, Blaine kept asking me how to spell words. I said, What are you doing, Son? When I peeked around the corner, I saw him.He said, Well, since you weren't here this weekend, you can't blog about our weekend, so I am.

So I present to Blaine's Blog, his words, his spelling, his idea.

Dad and Son

My mom and sister went on vacation so my dad and I stayed home. We had so much fun. We rented a move. We played laser tag it was so much fun. On laser tag I only won four. He won the rest. On Friday we went to a hockey game. I went with a friend of mine. Would you like to spend time with your dad?

I'm SO proud!

Pecos in Pictures

Kylee and I spent the weekend at the Comfort Suites in Pecos with Dad Dad, Mom Mom, Kyle, Myra, a little bit of Michael, Kellie, McKenzie, Doak, Andrea, Gavin, Faith, Brodie, and even an appearance by Granny.

Blaine had a tball game, which he was given the option to miss but wouldn't, so he and Joey stayed home. They were going to come after the game, but after talking about it, decided they wouldn't be in Pecos long enough to make the trip worth it. I hear they had a great boys weekend. I'm told they went to a hockey game Friday night, and then on Saturday, they did Blaine's game, a little laser tag, and some roller skating at Roller Bomb. Sunday was Joey's softball game at the park. I'm not sure what all went on, but I do know when I got home, that boy was fIltHy and had not brushed his teeth since I left. I tried to take a picture of his hands last night before his bath because they were literally black, but he wouldn't let me. This,however is what the bathtub looked like when he got out. I'm glad they enjoyed it.

Back to our weekend. Some posts are done more justice by fewer words and more pictures. This is one of them.
There was lots of swimming
Lots of eating
Lots of visiting A little time at the park with lots of pictures And lots and lots of lovin! Brodie did a little showin off

and the girls decided, just in case they were rich and famous somebday, they would leave housekeeping their autographs.
It didn't even feel like we were in Pecos!