Friday Randomness

1. This morning on the way to school/work Carter was talking about how he could see something out of "the corner of his eye", and I explained to him how that was called peripheral vision which led to him calling it "riferal vision". Love it. I started thinking about what peripheral vision is, trying to wrap my brain around the concept of being able to see literally out of the corner of your eyes while seeing straight ahead at the same time. I drive myself crazy all the time by trying to understand things like this...just ask Ryan. For instance, how does pointing a camera at an object and clicking a button cause a image to be "recorded" and then printed out? Really? How? Am I the only one that thinks like this?

2. Last night was NOT fun. I had a "Come to Jesus" meeting with "The Teenager", Preston and Carter. It involved my voice having to be raised more than I am comfortable with and shedding a few tears...I can't even tell you the last time I cried because I can't remember. Teenagers are not fun. They think their parents know nothing, and they are entitled to everything. I was nothing like that....right? I had to get onto Preston and Carter because they have been arguing with each other constantly. Over everything. Stupid, silly things like who finished first, who has the most, whose toy it is....I.cannot.stand.it. I finally had enough last night, and I lost it on their precious little rear ends. I felt like I had been sent back in a time machine to my own childhood and had become my mother. I remember her saying to my sister, brother and I, "I cannot take y'all anywhere because all you do is argue!!" Pay backs really are a "you know what." This too shall pass...atleast that's what the Bible says.

3. Preston has a baseball tourney this weekend, and Monday Ryan and I are planning to spend the day at the pool with the kids. That.sounds.fantastic.

4. We are in the homestretch for the 2009-2010 school year...4 school days left. I can smell the sunscreen already.

5. The Soladay Caliventure is only 10 days away, and I have so much to do to get ready for the trip. I completely lost focus since the move but will take advantage of being kid free next weekend to finish up. It really is going to be such a fantastic time for our family and a much needed getaway to kick off the summer. Awesome.

6. I watched the Real Housewives of New York from last week on DVR yesterday. What.is.up.with.that.Kelly.chick. Did she really just have a mental breakdown on television? It was almost uncomfortable watching. All they all crazy?

7. Preston beat the pants off Ryan in Scrabble on Wednesday night. I think he might be a little genious.

8. I will dearly miss seeing Carter and Preston at school every single day next year. I will miss being called "Mrs. Soladay" in the hallway by kids whom I have never met but know me just because I am a teacher in their school. I will miss the kindergarteners saying, "Hi, Carter's mom!" when I walk through the cafeteria. So many things I will miss.

9. I have done my usual end-of-year check up with all four of the boys' teachers to briefly find out if they are finishing their grade level where they should and what would be something we could work on with them over the summer to keep their brains from turning to mush over the next 3 months.  Austin did well on all the TAKS tests (math, reading & writing) this year, getting commended in writing, and has made it through 7th grade. I really think a fresh start at a new school next year will be a good thing for Austin. School has never come easy for him, and he's realizing that he will have to put forth a little...or a lot...more effort to be where we all know he can be.  Preston finished strong as he usually does and continues to love school.  Trysten has made so much progress this year, and we're super proud of him. Way to go, T!! His teacher gave us some ideas of and sent home some things we could do with him over the summer. I cannot believe Carter is almost done with his first year of school. It's hard to imagine him as a first grader! His teacher said he is finishing the year well above where a kindergartener should be, so very we're proud of him as well. We'll make sure he's reading all summer, so all his hard work continues to pay off. He absolutely bloomed this year and has become so responsible with his school work, getting out his homework at night to complete and writing constantly. Makes a mama happy, and we're allowed to brag on our little guys every now and then, right?!

10. Yesterday in the car, Trysten and Carter had a discussion about the age in which a person usually starts needing a cane to walk. Trysten said about 65 and Carter said 40. I love listening to their perspectives on life, and according to Carter, I will be needing a cane in less than 5 years. Nice.

That's all I have!

Have a fantastic weekend, and a wonderful

Memorial Day!!!!

A Picture Says a Thousand Words...

Remember the days when we were kids when parents

 held their children responsible

for their grades, actions and choices instead of
blaming
anyone
and
everyone.
Ah...the good old days...

Familypalooza Time!

We....the adults, the kids, the dogs...are thoroughly enjoying our outdoor living space in the new house.  We don't have much furniture out there as of yet but are making do just fine! While Preston was spending some one-on-one time with his dad, Ryan cooked out some fab steaks last night, and we jumped at the chance to partake in a little impromptu patio picnic!

Really....does it get any better!? Nope.

Even "The Teenager" was in a pleasant mood...and that is saying a lot these days.

Little Lulu sure did want herself a bite of that tender filet mignon! Sorry girl.

I love the color of summer fruits and veggies! Yum.

Good times!

On a side note, a neighbor broughtthese over last night before dinner:

She said the neighborhood tradition is for us to make cookies, put them on the same plate, and pass them onto the next new neighbors just as they were doing for us. 

Love that!

Happy Wednesday, friends!

So Proud of My Boy...

Nothing makes me more proud of my children than when they do something of good character or excel academically....hence this little post.  We received Preston's TAKS scores.....and are thrilled to report he made a 100% on the math and only missed 2 on the reading portion which earned him a commended performance on both tests!  Needless to say, we are so incredibly proud of his hard work, not just on the test but throughout the whole school year.  The most important part, and most satisfying to Ryan, Preston's dad and I, is seeing him so

 proud of himself. 

That's what it's all about...

Congratulations, P!

You did it!

Weekend Recap!

Wow.

Have you ever had a weekend where you sat down at the end,

reflected on the happenings and said,

 "Damn, I'm good." 

We did. For good reason.

Our house that was once a chaotic monstrosity, is now a calm haven.

It took a lot of work, peeps, a lot of work. And a few injuries.

I have now been injured in spots I never thought bruises were possible. Weird. I can't even explain how weird, but that's all I'll say about that.

I managed to take a few pictures yesterday...the main parts of the house are still under construction awaiting curtains, bedding, etc, but here are a few of my favorite spots!

Welcome to our new home!

Isn't it cute!

Can't wait to plant some flowers!

The entrance feels so friendly and welcoming

A special spot for Ryan's garden statue...the one that used to have a baseball bat in the little boy's hand...wonder how that happened.

Our painting is the first thing you see as you open the door!

Preston informed me last night that I need 2 lamps on the buffet. Thanks, pal.

To the left is Ryan's office...the picture quality isn't very good, but you get the idea. =)

I love picture walls...this one isn't finished. I love walking by and seeing the faces of the people I love. =)

The reason I like this spot is beacause Ryan and I received the glass/iron platter as a wedding gift but never really had a good place to display it. Same issue with the blue and white tequila bottle, Clase Azul, we purchased on our most recent trip to Mexico. We tasted it for the first time at a friend's 40th birthday party, and Ryan discovered how good it was for cigar dipping. Everytime we travel to Mexico, we buy a unique bottle to add to our collection.

My infamous ottamon. Love it.

Here are the fabrics I am using in the family room. I had a lady I met monogram...with Ryan's and my initials...the black velvet fabric that I am going to make into pillows for our sofa:

In the kitchen...click on the pic, and read the wine bottle label!

See this chandelier from our kitchen...Ryan and I hung it all.by.ourselves. this weekend. No, it was not fun. Yes, it was tedious. But worth it.

Hello, Mr. Wine Chiller! I love you very much!

And Mr. Viking....I tried you out for the first time just the other night, and...bestill my heart...you are fantastic!

Late Sunday afternoon, my boys came home from their dad's...

 And they were in heaven...

And then we sprang a little surprise on them...

I cannot even begin to describe their reaction!

Priceless.

So many good times ahead for our family!

Happy Monday, friends!!!

Short & Sweet...It's Friday!

It's Friday!

I am thrilled, elated, delighted it's Friday.

My man and I are kid free this weekend

and DESPERATE for:

For now, I am headed to Field Day with my fantastic 5th graders, so alone time with my sweet hubby will have to wait a few hours to begin!

Happy Friday, my friends!!!

Have a great weekend!!!

Random Bits of Information

1.  Remember that little beauty of a dresser Ryan and I bought for our bedroom? Ya, so I went and picked it up yesterday and was too excited to see it in our room to wait for my sweet hubby to walk through the door, so I ask Austin to help me unload it. And he did.

Right.on.top.of.my.right.foot.

My foot that I was wearing a flip flop on so that I could absorb all pain possible. The top and bottom of my foot now resemble my sister's 9 months pregnant swollen appendages from years ago. And it hurts. And it's turning purple. Nice.

2.  Ryan unpacked our bathroom for us last night while I lay in bed with my injured foot. We can see the counter now. Greatness.

3.  Remember me saying Ryan and I had our bedroom painted, and I hated the color? Well...I had it repainted yesterday for less than half the price we paid the first time around, and I love it! It looks so much better...flows with the rest of the house. It had too much green the first go round. Ugly. Am I the only one who would have had it repainted, or would you have lived with it? I am so not a high maintenance person, but I had to pull the card on that one. Thank you, Ryan, for understanding my OCD in this area. You are an animal, and I love you.

4. I love lamps....I am returning the original ones we bought for our bedroom, and bought 2 more from Hemispheres yesterday. I really do have a lamp problem.

5.  There are only 10 more school days until I am a free woman and 19 days until we leave on the Soladay Caliventure! Our California park passes came in the mail yesterday, and I.am.stoked.

6.  I am feeling major Mommy guilt right now because I have been so consumed with house stuff. I am looking forward to getting the house organized over the weekend and returning to our regularly scheduled program with an emphasis in familypalooza time.

7. Nothing shocks me anymore. Just sayin.

Happy Thursday!!!

One Step at a Time...

There is only one spot in the entire house that actually resembles a home...

 One step at a time... =)

Holy Cow I'm Exhausted....

I am alive...barely, but I am alive.

Can I just tell all of you wonderful blogland people how much I dislike moving, unpacking and having to search through 10 boxes just to find my toothbrush?  Thanks...because I really do.  It took ELEVEN hours for the movers to pack the truck, drive from point A to point B and unload all of our worldly possessions and randomly place them somewhere  throughout our new home.  ELEVEN hours.  Do you know how much it costs to retain the under appreciated employees of the American Moving Company for 11 hours? A lot...It costs a hella lot of cash.  Those men are my heroes though.  For real...I would rather swallow a cup full of really sharp thumb tacks than go to work everyday and do their job.  It's hard work, people. 

Ryan and I spent the majority of Saturday afternoon moving things we didn't want the movers touching...which meant up and down stairs, in an out of the house and cramming things in my car into spots I didn't know existed.  I begged politely asked my parents to come pick up the boys for the night so that we could get things done without pausing every 10 minutes to break up a disagreement over who had the ball first or answer a random question about the dogs or some other incidental topic, and they willingly obliged the way grandparents do.  Thank you very much Mama and Daddy.  Yes, I still call my parents Mama and Daddy at the age of 36.  That's how my siblings and I roll.

Carol just happened to be passing through Texas on the way to Hot Springs to take care of some family business on Saturday, and we were lucky enough to have dinner with her and some of our new neighbors after a long day of loading and unloading.  It was such a nice break, and a cruel joke preparing us for the nightmare which lay ahead the following daybreak.  We ate at a little Mexican restaurant in Prosper...one of the ONLY eateries in the city, and if you've ever lived in somewhat of a small town, when there's only a handful of places to consume food, chances are you'll see lots of familiar faces...and we did...and Ryan and I looked like, as you can imagine we would after a long day of sweating, death warmed over.  Nice.  Great to meet all of you...No, we don't always look like homeless people.  We did manage to get a hookup on a golf cart which we'll be checking out this weekend, a painter...who came and painted yesterday...painted a color that I now hate and am stuck with for awhile...more on that later...and a neighborhood bunko group.  Seriously speaking, everyone we have met in Gentle Creek has been so incredibly kind and gracious, further solidifying our decision to call it home.

Sunday....the movers showed up at 9:15 AM...not to leave until 8:15 PM.  It was such a long, long day but so worth every hour, minute, second, dollar, penny, etc. 

We are IN LOVE with our new home.  The boys are in heaven with the pool table, the space and the dogs are loving a change of scenery with the iron fencing which allows them to see the world going on around them.  The satellite installers and audio gurus have finished with all the electronics....Ryan's favorite part...and I am slowly deciding what furniture goes where.  Our clothes are in boxes, but the flat screen is now hung out on the patio for future family fun...priorities, people......A little outdoor

Wheel of Fortune competition has already been discussed.  Lots of pics to come...as soon as I can find the camera.

Happy Tuesday!!!

We Pardon the Interruption...

I know I'm on a blogging hiatus....but I couldn't resist including this!

Ryan emailed Trysten's teacher a few weeks ago asking if there would be a time he could come and be the Mystery Reader, and his wish was her command!

Trysten was absolutely elated to see his daddy walk through his classroom door!

Click on the picture, and you can see the clues...

Proud little boy...You can see it in his face. =)

Two of the sweetest boys I know...Could they look a little more alike!?

Happy Thursday, my friends!

Now...back to your regularly scheduled program.

Break!

With our big move coming up this weekend,

I am taking a bit of a hiatus from blogging to

concentrate on all the exciting craziness. 

I will miss you all! 

Have a wonderful week!

Until we meet again, my friends...

Weekend Recap!

Busy.  That's exactly what this weekend was.  Busy.

Lots of packing was done.  Our home is in a complete state of chaos. 

The new owners of Ryan's bachelor days furniture came by and picked up their purchase, which means all of our clothing that was once tucked neatly away into drawers, is now packed in suitcases all over our bedroom floor.  Awesome.  Boxes have taken over every possible square inch of the lower level of our house...and though the disarray is frustrating, it symbolizes the exciting changes taking place this coming weekend!  I cannot believe we are moving in 5 short days! 

Ryan and I had a lot of fun this weekend shopping for things for our new digs, starting with new lamps for our bedroom....Those who know me well, know I have a serious 

addiction to love of lamps. I.LOVE.THEM. Really love them. We have a mini lamp store in the attic of ones I have bought that we do not have room for. To me, they are like jewelry or good shoes.  A good lamp can make a room. 

Moving on.....We decided to go to the historic square in downtown McKinney to check out some of the shops, and I'm so glad we did.  I haven't been in forever.  My mother and I used to shop and lunch there together years ago when I was a stay at home mom with little ones at my feet.  Lots of great memories.  It's nice to see the city working hard to keep downtown area alive.  Some of the old shops are still open with lots of new ones that are to.die.for., fantastic restaurants and a wonderful winery.  Speaking of the winery, after we made our way around the square, Ryan and I sat on the patio at the

Landon Winery and enjoyed one of the best glasses of Pinot Grigio I have ever had.  We like it so much, we purchased a case for our new wine chiller and joined their wine club! 

How fun is this!

I'm so excited to have new place to go relax, have a nice glass of wine, watch the goings on around and listen to the live music they have on the weekends after strolling through the shops. Love it, and the wine club has monthly social events, tastings, etc. to boot.  Greatness.

On to Mother's Day....without.any.pictures.

I sadly left my camera at home on Sunday, so you're forced to use your imagination once again.  We went over to my parent's house with the whole Carter family...we're up to 9 grandchildren now.  So much fun.  Needless to say, it was a great time hanging out together, despite the somewhat chilly weather.  The kids played baseball outside while the adults enjoyed a rare chance to catch up with each other.

Love my family.

I hope you had a wonderful weekend and Mother's Day!

Here's to another busy week!!

Friday!!

It is Friday!!!!

1. There are only 19 more days of school remaining until I will no longer be a teacher. Weird.

2. We have loads of packing still to do this weekend. I would like to also paint Carter and Trysten's bunk bed, but I highly doubt we'll get around to it.

3. I keep asking Ryan if he likes this and that for the house, and he keeps answering with, "Whatever you want to do, baby." The man is awesome.

4. I love our new house.

5. I am freaking out a little bit about having to buy bark collars for the dogs. The new casa has iron fencing, so Lulu and Shelby will be able to see EVERYTHING and EVERYONE that happens to pass by....which means Barkfest 2010. Has anyone used these before?

6. Did I mention it's Friday?

Have a fantastic weekend!

Happy Mother's Day

to all of the magnificent mothers in blogland!!

You Likey?

One of the best parts of moving is redecorating, and that, my friends, is what we are doing. 

No major changes...add a little something here/take away a little something there...except for in the master bedroom...Ryan's bachelor days suite has been sold via craigslist, and we are starting to purchase pieces one at a time so that the room has a more collected look...not so matchy matchy.  You follow?

Check out this beauty we have purchased to use as our dresser:

The colors in our prior master were very dark...we loved it...very cocoon-like...but we decided to add a little color in our lives and make our bedroom feel peaceful and calming...having 4 boys will cause one to do that.
Here are the fabrics we're working with...I'm making the bedding and curtains. 

Feels very peaceful to me.

You likey?

Bless His Heart...

Precious Trysten made it through having his tonsils out like a champ yesterday!  Thank you to everyone for the kind words and prayers.  It was a little unnerving camping out in the waiting room longing for updates, but Ryan was very sweet about texting me to let me know how he was doing.  He had a hard time coming out of such a deep sleep and was a little scared and confused which was to be expected.  Once he was alert, I believe his words were,
 "I didn't even know they moved me!"
Sweet boy.  You did so well, T, and we're all very proud of you!

Update!!

WE GOT THE HOUSE!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am still in shock and cannot believe it!

The boys are ecstatic, and Ryan and I.....well...we're relieved, ridiculously excited and ready for the next stage in our lives as a family.  Ryan has worked very hard for our family to be where we are, and this move is a result of his dedication.  Best of all, knowing we have done this all on our own makes me feel so proud...and blessed.

Thank you for all the prayers for our crew today!

They obviously worked!

Woo hoo!!!

So Much Going On!

What an incredibly beautiful day we are going to have here. 

So much going on...so little time to tell! 

Here it goes...

Since Trysten is going back to his mother's today after school, we decided to release our butterflies this morning.  Awesome.

Trysten was so excited to "hold" them. 

He desperately wanted one to sit on his nose. Maybe next time, sweet boy. =)

Now you can really see why they're called Paint Ladies. Still can't wrap my brain around the fact that this used to be a caterpillar just a little over 8 days ago.

Do you want to know why I am so happy today? 

I'll give you a clue:

I think we found our home!

We should know by the end of the day...praying big time...if the owners accept our lease offer or not.  Ryan and I agreed to full price, so I can't imagine a reason for them not to accept it.  It was a total fluke...or fate...that we came across this listing...long story...and it's in our EXACT neighborhood of choice in Prosper!  In fact, it's located in the same subdivision as my inlaws...love them, miss them like crazy and cannot wait for their return to Texas. 

Here are some more shots of this little jewel!

Cute little front porch and room for our favorite urns on either

side of the front door!

Beautiful hand-scraped hardwoods....a must for us with 4 boys and 2 dogs

The study with wonderful built ins for all of Ryan's sports memorabilia which we've never had enough display room for!

Love the spacious family room...

and the stone fireplace.

Another view with a peak into the kitchen! Love the hood over the gas cooktop.

Love the huge island.

I can picture the boys doing homework, drawing, doing art projects and more right here!  

Do you see what I see...a wine cooler and 2 ovens! Ya, baby!

Loving the built ins next to the fireplace!

Master bedroom with lots of windows to the beautifully landscaped backyard!

Master Bathroom...Lots o' room and handsomely finished!

Man zone!

Lots of family time would be spent here!

What do you think?!  Can you tell I love this house?  Isn't it great! 

The neighborhood is FANTASTIC.  I drove my boys by to see it yesterday while Ryan took Trysten to his guitar lesson, and the sweet owner just happened to be pulling out of her driveway...I stopped, and we both got out and spoke for about 15+ minutes.  I assured her we would take very good care of her home, and she told the boys all about the goings on of the neighborhood including soccer and basketball games between all the kids living there...they were stoked to say the least.  There is a park and pool within walking distance and tons of green area for the boys to play.  Perfect.

Please say a little prayer for our family today!

Hopefully the update tomorrow will come with good news!

Happy Tuesday!!