The Mail

I love checking the mail.

I love singing the Blue's Clue's song as I'm headed out the front door: "Here's the mail it never fails it makes me want to wag my tail - when it comes I want to wail....MMMAAAIIILLL!"
I know - you'll have ME to thank every day from now on when you start singing this song, too. (Insert evil wicked snicker here.)

I love the fact that you never know what is going to be in there when you open that little door. There's that suspense factor that builds just as you are about to open it.

There are some days when it's depressing because you get nothing but junk or bills.
There are some days when it's fun because you get an invitation to a party or a shower or a wedding.
There are some days when your kids get excited because there are things in there for them.
There are some days when you give it "two thumbs up" because there is a check in there for you!
There are some days when you stick your head completely inside the mailbox to make sure you haven't missed something because there is nothing in there.
There are some days when you do the above and then realize that you are the only idiot outside checking your mail on a government holiday.

THEN...

There are some days when you get that special something that makes you all giddy inside. TODAY was one of those days.

I opened the mailbox and found a letter from a sweet little girl who I love dearly. Had I not had my own daughter, she would have been the next best thing.

Jaydon was at the mailbox with me today, and when I showed it to him, he was quite jealous that it was addressed to me and not him.

I took it out of his hands and said, "It's MINE!" and stuck my tongue out at him. (Then threatened him to an inch of his life if he EVER did that to anyone else.)

So here was my special surprise...

Isn't that an AWESOME picture? It came in an envelope addressed to ME!

...and here was the other side - the message from the sender:

Thank you, Ash, for making my day a little brighter...I love you, sweet girl!

As much of a fan as I am of technology and email, NOTHING beats a special surprise in good 'ole snail mail.

What's the most special thing that you have ever received in the mail?

No Umbrella or Bra

For the past two months, Jaydon has been walking from my car into school on his own. This was a HUGE step for him, (Alright - he could care less, it was a huge step for his mother!) and he has done great at it.

His Speech teacher is always inside the main door to keep an eye on all of the kids, so it was reassuring when she told me one day how well he was doing on his own. A kick to the gut for his mother, but also a nice feeling to know that he was slowly but surely achieving independence.

Yesterday, it was raining when we pulled up to the car pool lane. Jaydon has never had a raincoat because we've never needed it. Jeremy or me always hold an umbrella over his head, and that's that. I'm really not much on letting kids "play in the rain" because nine times out of ten in DFW, it's lightning and/or thundering. The few times he has gotten this chance, there's no point in having a raincoat because well, boys will be boys, and why have something else to add to my laundry pile?

Before we left, I allowed myself a few extra minutes to make sure he knew how to open and close the umbrella. We practiced, and it went smoothly.

Remember how routine Jaydon is. You can teach that boy anything, and he won't forget it. He knows that when we get there, he kisses me good-bye, gets out of the car, shuts the door, and goes quickly (but carefully with no running!) inside and straight to his classroom. (Thank God it's the first hallway and the first classroom!)

So adding the umbrella to the mix really frightened me.

Back to the car pool lane...

He gets out of the car and already has the umbrella open. Two points for Jaydon. I always wait to make sure he gets inside - unlike most of the other parents.
As he's walking up, another little girl is rushing past him with no umbrella. Her feet slide out from under her, and my mouth just opens wide as I see her take a spill. (Y'all, I can't do ANYTHING about it because I'M NOT WEARING A BRA!)

Have no fear, Jaydon is here!

I sit and watch as my son leans over, and picks up the book she dropped. I see his mouth move, and I read his lips as the words "Are you okay?" come out.
She gets up and he waits for her. She is a bit taller than him - maybe a 2nd grader -and she gets under the umbrella with him. They both walk in together. Then when they get to the covered area, Jaydon stops and closes his umbrella. He turns around and gives me a thumbs up with a crooked smile, and walks in the doors.

I.lost.it.

I bawled the whole way home!

When did my little guy grow up?
Who taught him these things?
How did he know that helping this little girl was the right thing to do?
What happened to his daily routine?
How did I get so lucky to claim him as mine?

I'm so thankful that God did make Jaydon mine, and I hope that one day, he will do something for each of you that makes your hearts melt...like he did for the little girl with no umbrella.





Note from the author - and TMI as well:
The reason I don't wear a bra is because it takes too long to get my 16 lbs. of girlyness into one. (Yes, they each weigh around 8 lbs.) When you have to load 4 children into a car - 3 of which require assistance and car seats - you just don't think about a bra. I keep getting told that I need to put one on because you NEVER know what will happen, and do I really want to be walking home without one if my car should break down? I will get in that habit tomorrow...maybe.

Jacasso's First Masterpiece

For the past few weeks, Jacoby has been liking coloring. He has actually gone to Aydo's (Jaydon's) closet and stood on his tip toes trying to reach the marker box (which is on the highest shelf in order to avoid disaster from "Tornado Jacoby") a few times.

So every afternoon, I allow him to color - scribble - for a little while. We started with the dry erase board, but I didn't know how healthy it was for him to lick/sniff/suck on the dry erase markers daily, so we opted for washable markers or crayons instead. I mean, Crayola shavings in your mouth, or ink from the markers. Either way, I couldn't go right!

Since Aydo (this is how Jacoby says his brother's name) never wanted to do anything with anything having to do with art, this is a nice change for us, and we love allowing our left-handed Jacasso to have at it.

Below, you will find his first piece of art.

Everything on the page was done by Jacoby sans the dinosaur which I have pointed out was done by Jaydon. (Please tell me y'all knew that dinosaurs didn't have legs. DUH!)

A TRUE masterpiece if you ask me. (Which I know you didn't, but it's my blog, so I get to say what I want and you get to read it.)

What was the first thing that your child colored?
Will you share that special moment with me?

Twinky Dinks

Y'all remember when you were younger, and you had the BFF that you always wore matching things with? Then when you were asked at school if you planned that, you would say, "Nooooo - of course not!" when you knew fully well that you talked about it on the phone the night before right down to the matching different colored scrunchie socks. (PLEASE tell me that I'm not the only one who wore the same clothes as my BFF!)

So you had to guess by now that Jilian & Ava own some matching outfits. I mean really - two mom's that have known each other for almost 8 years and have girls - a first girl for both - that are a month apart?

Whenever Amanda sends something that they both have, I always put Jilian in the same outfit that day too. I think they have 3 or 4 matching things. (Yes, right down to the matching socks and bows!) (No, we haven't bought but ONE outfit together - seriously!!)

This was the first time they both wore their matching things together, so I had to document the moment...for them of course!

They can hate us later for doing this.

For now, tough cookies J & A. This is just the start of what is to come, so get used to it! (As Jilian's mom's mind is racing trying to think of which color cheerleading uniforms they will wear together for the first time?!?)

You are both just too darn cute for words...

Love,
Mommy & Tia








Side Note: Contrary to popular belief, I must stake my claim to the baby with no hair, white skin, and blue eyes.

Jilian is 3-Months Old!

The time has come for my monthly update...

Jili weighs 12.4 pounds today, and well - I kinda forgot to measure her before she fell asleep and you know the rule - never wake a sleeping baby.
She has gained just over 2 pounds in one month. She's finally chunking up, and we believe it is all going to her cheeks - NOT the rear ones, the ones on her face that we never stop kissing on!

She has another well-check at 4 months, so I'll update you with her "real" stats then.

This month has been really fun for all of us because she is developing a little personality. She is SUCH a mellow baby. She eats, sleeps, and eats some more. (I know you thought I was going to say that she eats, sleeps and poops, but she's not much on the poopin'. She goes once a day, and that's it - very routine. ...and yes, very TMI too!)
Then, there are the sweet smiles in between all of that. As soon as she catches your gaze, she just smiles. She really enjoys smiling at Jeremy! (I haven't told Jeremy, but she's already working him, and he's completely oblivious!)

There are the gurgles and "talking" to us. She just rambles on & on really quietly for minutes at a time. It's too cute!

Her loudest cry is when she is tired or colicky. She doesn't usually cry when she is hungry or because she wants to be held. She is comfortable wherever you put her, and doesn't require much attention at all. Sweet, sweet girl!

She is sleeping between 10-12 hours every night. We have yet to put her in her crib at night, but we are working on it. The only hesitation is that she shares a room with Jacoby and even though she is sleeping consistently, (knock on wood!) we just can't chance her waking Jacoby up. He also sleeps 12 hours at night. Ahhh - the blessing of good sleepers!
She takes most of her naps in her crib. Just two nights ago, we finally put her to sleep for the night on her tummy and that little girl has never slept more peacefully. She really enjoys that! She rolls over occasionally, but we just roll her back and once she is sound asleep, it works out nicely.

One day last week, Jili decided that instead of sleeping her usual 11 PM-9 AM, (ish) she would sleep from 3AM-1PM. THAT was not a fun night, but she was back on schedule that same day. Anyway, Jeremy was kind enough to stay up with her - because he was up working anyway. I didn't know how late she had stayed awake until the next day, I get this email:

Hi Babe,
I was tempted to get really frustrated with Jilian last night since she didn't get to bed until 3:00 AM. I don't know what was wrong with her. But then, she smiled at me, and she smiled at me again and again, and my heart melted. She is such a beautiful baby, and I'm thankful for her and thankful to you for making her so beautiful. We have a perfect family.
What's for dinner?

Okay, I'm kidding on the "What's for dinner?". I just added that in for humor so that you don't leave me in tears. The rest was copied and pasted.
Wasn't that the sweetest email ever? At least he knows where her beauty came from - smart man! :)

Just today, Jilian also rolled 3/4 of the way from her back to her tummy. She got stuck on one arm and then rolled to her back again.
Nina (Short for Madrina which means Godmother in Spanish) Jessenia was here with her the other night, and she couldn't believe how strong Jili's abs were. Jessenia thought she was doing sit-ups.

...and after my poll, 80% of you thought her eyes were blue, and the other 20% thought they were gray-blue. I guess they are still pretty blue then - WOO-HOO! I asked because I personally thought they looked more of a gray-green. I guess I must be color blind!

It's so weird how gentle we are with her. I don't want to hurt her. It's a little different than with the boys whom I always felt were so "thick" and "tough". I know - just wait until her brothers get a hold of her!

We are so blessed to have her, and we can't wait to see what this next month has in store...

PS: I have just started messing around with some picture editing websites, so please bare with me while I get used to them. (Hence my 15 pictures!) I have spent the past 2 hours just clicking at different options. That was the LAST thing I needed to find was something else to keep me on the computer, but oh well - it's FREE! :)

PPS: Yes Rae Carol, that dress is livin' it up! It's one of my favorites, and she has now worn it...TWICE!

Wal-Mart Rampage

Going to Wal-Mart on a Friday night is like sitting on 820 during rush hour, a$$ backwards in a car with leather, and no A/C in the middle of August with 3 screaming children!

Holy.Lord.Jesus! Have y'all ever been on a Friday night? Probably not, because I'm the only loser with no life.

It was floor-to-ceiling boxes, boxes, boxes, and then the occasional stalker boy or girl. I cannot imagine shelving all of the things that I saw tonight. Unreal, and insane to the membrane!

Then to top it off, Mrs. "Employee of the Month" (not!) at the check-out was totally PMSing. I get up there expecting to be greeted, and she just starts scanning groceries. Usually, I'm better than that, but tonight was not my night for idiots. I wasn't going to be the nice one. I'M not getting paid to do customer service!

So I try to push the button that says NO while saying out loud, "God, why doesn't the NO button work on this thing where it asks me if my cashier greeted me?" YES - I REALLY did say that out loud!

...which only lead to one thing. My groceries getting chunked into bags! Ahh - the maturity of a teenage cashier at 11:30 PM on a Friday night.
Honey, welcome to the real world of working. YOU picked your job, so live with it! Mr. Walton may have me excited about his little girls clothing, but obviously he isn't doing it for ya on the salary huh?

After a few more groceries got thrown, I asked her to PLEASE be careful with the baby food. She obliged - after the 360º eye roll and neck contortion act.

I put my $3 Enfamil coupon on the space to the left of the credit card keypad - where I ALWAYS put my coupons - and she didn't scan that, or the two others that I had. NOT because she was being pissy, but because she was busy turning around to talk to the other eye roller at register 11. Are ya kidding me? You are going to ask register 11 why she didn't call Trevan back while I'm standing there in front of you? ...and register 11 is GOING TO ANSWER!?! As the West girls would say - OY VEY!!!

Oh, you think that's it? Nope, sit back down! It just gets better from here...

I have everything loaded up into my cart and I'm headed out the door when who should stop me? The 4ft. tall receipt Nazi. I look up to make sure that I'm not at Sam's Club, and when I realize I'm still at Wal-Mart, I say, "When did y'all start checking receipts?" (Mind you I just spent $200+ here and my groceries are all bagged up and you can't see ANY of them.) She says, "Mam, your receipt." Aye, Aye Captain. I didn't mean to get you off track by asking you a question.
I tell her that I don't know which bag I stuck it in, thinking she'll let me go. Nope, the 48 inches of non-rule breaking, 60-year old chain smoking XX chromosomes just stands there looking at me. Y'all - I'm only 5'3'' and I felt like a monster over her. I wanted to stomp a mud hole in her...you get the picture.

I thought...If I ran, what are the chances of her catching me? Then I thought about my pretty little SUV outside and the thought of my hand prints on my clean car as I'm getting handcuffed just didn't appeal. Priorities here folks!

So I start digging through my bags while "Judge Judy With A Vengeance" watches.
I mean really - do ya think I just bagged 100 items and stuck them in a cart and walked out without anybody seeing me? I'm not part of The Incredibles!

At this point, 3 other customers have walked out. One customer didn't even have his 3 items in a bag. I ask her why they aren't getting checked, and she doesn't answer. Once again, my apologies for speaking.

I finally find the receipt and hand it to her. (Note to self - receipt in your purse next time!)
Do you know what Judge Judy, the 48-inches of Receipt Nazi does? She stares at it. She looks up and down, and up and down again. PLEASE tell me what you are looking for when you can't even see my groceries!?!? (I learned my lesson the first two times - I didn't ask.)
Then she hands it back to me and says, "Have a good night." (...at which point about 16 other customers had already walked out!)

So much for consistency there, Wal-Mart!

OY VEY!
Where is Charlie when you need him?

Toddlers & Tiaras or Baby's & Bows

...I'll take the latter!
I can have the glitz and glamour without all of the mama's drama! (Have you watched that show??)

A few weeks ago while I was on my drug of choice - Facebook - I came across a profile which lead me to another profile which lead me to Hairbow H-E-A-V-E-N! (If my blog could talk, that word would have been said in a high-pitched voice with angels playing harps.)

It's a blog called "Bow 'N Crazy Hair Bows" and let me tell ya...I about bowed over in excitement, and I did go a little crazy.
Okay...I went a LOT crazy and did a jig!
So much craziness occurred that I was officially banned from the Internet that evening by my "trying to get to sleep" (A.K.A - I pretend that all things GIRL bore me so my stay-at-home wife won't spend more money!) husband.

I met the owner of this operation via email - a sweet lady named Kim from Cornhusker Country. (I promised not to hold that against her because she really is THAT darn sweet!) INSERT-Go Texas Tech here!

I emailed her a picture of Jilian's Easter dress, and a request for a bow to match. She replied with her idea of what she thought would look good. Within the next few days, she replied with the picture of the CUSTOM MADE hair bow. She and I exchanged a few emails and within a week or so, I had in my possession an order of hair bows. Guess what? I did ANOTHER jig to the tune of $30 which included shipping!

Let me tell y'all...
I did some (a lot!) research, (y'all know how I am!) and there are stores out there that are charging upwards to $20 for ONE bow.
I got FIVE hair bows for $30 - and that included the $5 shipping. (Price of bows varies depending mainly on size. Talk to Kim for more details!) These bows are custom made, folks! You send her a picture or give her a color scheme, and she matches it.

She is making bows for a little boutique in Grapevine too. She's THAT good!

There are ginormous bows, medium-sized bows, teeny-tiny bows, and so much more!

How many times have you wondered what you should buy that little girl in your life that has too many toys, or too many outfits - but no bows to match? HELLO!
She can make sports themed, hoity-doity, prissy, or just simple bows. I guarantee you that nothing is out of her league.

She attaches the hair bows to barrettes so that you can interchange them with different head bands or wear them alone, but I'll bet that she can hot glue them to the actual head band, too. ...all you have to do is ask!

So here is the deal...
Kim is trying to make this a "real" business. She wants to stay home to be with her two lovely children, and this could be her calling...but only if we help!

This is by NO means a plea for anyone to buy anything, this is simply me asking all of my friends and family to pass this on to everyone that they know. If you want to buy something, please do that as well! I promise you won't be upset!

PLEASE pass on the link to her website: http://www.bowincrazyhairbows.blogspot.com/

Take a look through it yourself. At the top right, she has a new slide show going, and you'll find a picture of Ava & Amanda, and then another of Ava alone. I haven't had a chance to send her pictures of Jilian in her bows yet, but I'm sure she will soon be on the slideshow too.

I give her 2 thumbs up, but only because those are the only 2 that I have!

Enjoy the pictures of our sweet baby girl, and the beautiful bows...

Jilian's Entire CollectionJeremy is upset because Jilian has more hair bows than he does underwear and thanks to me, we can't afford diapers this week. KIDDING!

Close-Up of Kim's Work

Work it, baby girl...

Click on the picture below to see Jilian's beautimous eyes, and her newly pierced ears!
(Yes, she came out of my stomach. Yes, her father is Jeremy and yes, we ARE Hispanic. You would never guess that by looking at my white girl with blue eyes and almost red hair. Amanda noticed the hair today.)

Side Note: Amanda and/or I spent DAYS upon DAYS looking for Easter dresses for the girls. We finally found their dresses at Wal-Mart of all places for $10! So after finding the dress - the yellow & white one above - we got matching bows from Kim. This was almost 2 weeks ago. Come Easter Sunday, Jilian's dress didn't fit her. Yep - it was too small already. It took my mom and I both to button that thing. For fashion's sake, she was squeezed into the dress (really to pacify my anger!) and of course the bow. This didn't make her very happy, hence the reason you see the dress above with no Jilian in it. The other 2 outfits will be worn soon as they are just now starting to fit.

Two Holes are Better Than One

Stop RIGHT there - come back to a normal frame of mind. This is not a risque blog, and I'm not talking nasty. I know all of you moms out there that read my blog were thinking dirty thoughts...I KNOW you were!

We are talking earrings here folks! My littlest angel got her ears pierced today!

We wanted to have it done last weekend, but ran out of time. Today was quite busy, but I HAD to have her ears pierced before Easter tomorrow.

Our doctor told us that we could have her ears pierced whenever we wanted, so we just waited until after she was 2 months old and had gotten her first set of vaccinations.
Side note: In Miami, the doctor pierces the baby's ears AT his office during a well-check, should you so choose to do it then. TOTALLY different culture here! (Ear piercing rampage to follow - don't you worry!)
He told us to go somewhere where they do tons of piercings, (less chance of infection) and not some small "mom & pop" place where they may not follow proper sterilization protocol. (Which just brought this vision into my head of a man named Butch at some tattoo parlor in Podunk, Texas trying to pierce her ears. I think I LOL'd as the doctor was telling me this just thinking about my vision.)
When a doctor says stuff like that, it's only because somebody else has already done it - you know it is!

We went to a place called Sweet & Sassy at the mall. Sweet & Sassy just seemed cleaner than Claire's, which was right across the hall.

My grandma bought Jilian a pair of 18K white gold diamond studs as her first set of earrings. I wanted to use those, but they told me I couldn't. I told them I would pay them the same amount as what they charge if I used their earrings, and they still wouldn't do it. They said that they HAVE to use their earrings for sanitary and safety reasons, and because my earrings may not fit their gun. Alright, you kinda pulled me in with the whole sanitary thing. I'll bite! After 4-6 weeks, I can change them out, so I'll just be patient.

Jeremy of course went outside with Jacoby. He cannot STAND needles, guns, or anything like that. The thought of him passing out didn't really appeal to me, so I'm glad he opted out of this. Jaydon and I were the brave ones.

The lady asked me if I wanted to do both ears at once, or do them separately. She says that when they are older, it's better to do them both at once because they tend to chicken out after the first one. (Can you imagine only one ear pierced?) When they are baby's, she likes to do them separately because she feels like you get them more even that way. I opted for the latter knowing that she would cry twice, but "even-ness" is pretty darn important here, people!

After signing the waiver and giving them my left tit, (God they asked me a million questions!) we were ready to go.
She did cry - twice - but she was over it in about 3.4 milliseconds. After the first ear was done and Jilian let out her little lamb cry, Jaydon says, "Mam, I don't think she likes you!" He's so funny!

I got one of the girls there to videotape the whole thing so that Jeremy could see it later. (He still hasn't watched!) I'm not going to post it because I don't want to hear people's negativity about ear piercing at such a young age. I've heard it all already!
Sheesh...to each his own!

It's funny to me that people want to give their kids that "choice".
A)Who are the parents?
B)If they "chose" to have a tattoo, would you let them have that, too? No. If they "chose" to drink soda all day instead of something good for them, would you let them do that? No. So why all of a sudden do kids have a "choice" in ear piercing? At the end, isn't it really the PARENT'S choice in all that they do?
C)If they don't want the holes when they are older, take the earrings out, and let them close up...THAT is her CHOICE!
D)My daughter certainly didn't argue or put up a fight the two times that I've already cleaned them today.
E)She won't get mistaken for a boy gosh darn it! (...although this day in age, ya just never know!)

Phew - that was a nice release, and not intended towards ANYONE in particular! I have spoken to quite a few of you about this, and ASKED for your opinions AND treasured what you have told me, so again, not directed at anyone in particular.

To me, she looks like a little doll. I'm so excited we finally got it done!

Amanda made a SUPER cute Onesie for Jilian and Ava this past week. She ironed on some letters and she made them matching bows to go with the Onesie.
When I went over to her house last night to pick it up, we both got so giddy and excited. I don't want to tell you what they say - you'll just have to see them...RIGHT down below.
She is going to try her hand at bow-making, so that should be interesting. I have to say that she did a very good job for her first time around.

Oh - and my husband calls Jilian's bows, "mums" because of their size. Totally cracks me up, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

Today, we got to see one of my friends that I graduated from high school with courtesy of Facebook. SO freakin' cool! She lives in the UK, and was here for Easter with her 20-month old son, Ian. Cristina, her, and I went to prom together our senior year.

Anyway, I got to see her parents and two younger sisters as well. I hardly recognized the youngest sister. I think the last time I saw her, she was maybe 10 years old, and now she is a junior at Texas Tech - AMAZING!
Ian was so cute with Jilian - as you'll see below.
Since we didn't have a 10-year high school reunion, this was our mini 12-year reunion. Jeremy thought that seeing us together was nuts, so imagine us 12 years ago, pre-children?

It was GREAT to see you, Jill. (...and yes, of COURSE I named my daughter after you after so many years!)

Back of Onesie...

Whole Outfit...

Click for close-up of earrings...

Ian, Jill and Jil...

Starting to dig Jili...

Lovin' him some of my baby girl... Ian, stay on your side of the pond buddy. Her daddy owns a gun! :)

I'll be back a few times in the next few days, so stay tuned for more "As the Rogers Row". <---Sounds better than "As the Rogers Turn".

Peyton RyLEIGH "Brooklynn New" York

...all of that mess will make sense in just a few minutes.

This past Friday, I felt the need to leave my house for a bit. Jeremy was home that morning so I left the kids with him.

Some dear friends were having a garage sale, and I thought I would bring them donuts. I mean - who doesn't need a sugar high after waking up at 6AM to deal with old foreign woman trying to get a bargain for your 20-year old wedding dress?

I showed up with the donuts, only to be outdone by sausage rolls, but I got over it. (I KNEW I should have gotten there earlier dang it!)

I noticed that there were some main participants missing from the festivities...

You see, this is a garage sale held at one sister's house, and the other 2 sisters always participate. One of the "non-morning" sister's sent her husband, and the other was too busy working. (...or too lazy to get the garage sale stuff together?) Love you A.L.L & A.L.Y!

After a while, one of the sister's arrives with her cute little girl, Peyton. She's a 4-year old charmer. I had mentioned to her dad that I would be glad to bring her home with me so that they wouldn't have to keep an eye on her at the garage sale. Really - do ya want a 4-year old there with ya all day? So they agreed to let me take her.

All I can say is that I had a most WONDERFUL day with this sweet girl. She was a doll, and it makes me anxious for my little angel to grow up. (Okay, it doesn't really, because we know that I don't want her to grow up, but it just sounded good.)

I sent her mom an email highlighting my day with her - and here it is... ("SHE" is referring to Peyton - the 4 year old girl). I will explain everything after the email:

1. She was supposed to be named Brooklynn, but her daddy didn't like that name so she was named Peyton instead.
2. She asked how you spelled "Ryleigh", (her middle name) and thank God I called Aunt Andi to ask before scarring her for life by spelling it incorrectly. (You FREAKS of nature with the "Leigh" crap!)
3. She promised me not to tell her mommy that she got extra chocolate as her way of getting even more. (Did she tell you Ally?)
4. We built 6 puzzles together and she named every star on the Dora puzzles.
5. She LOVED Word World on PBS Kids.
6. She spilled Diet Coke on her dress and insisted it was just an accident all the while taking the straw out of the cup to drink from the bottom of it instead of sipping from the actual cup. Accident...I think not!
7. She drew me a picture of Aladdin.
8. She covered her ears every time Ava cried and said, "That baby sure is loud." (Does that tell you what kind of days I have?)
9. Jeremy gave her a hug when she got here and he asked her why she was skipping school today. She told him that she didn't go to school and he looked at me like...what? I had to remind him that Peyton just turned 4 and he couldn't believe how tall she was! (He LOVES her and thinks she's so cute. Watch out Ash - you need to come over to "Aunt Jessica's" more often. Peyton is taking over after just one visit! LOL.)
10. She apparently inherited the "snack" gene that all women get because she ate and ate and ate some more! ...and I ate every time that she did. LMAO!
Bonus: She reminded me why every woman needs a little girl in their life!

You guys have a sweet child on your hands.
I enjoyed my time with her, and I hope that she can come over more often.

=========================================
1. Her mom explained that she loved the name Brooklynn, but when your last name is York, ya just can't name your child that. (I like Peyton better anyway, York family!)

2. She wanted to know how to spell her middle name. Her two cousins - Ashleigh & Addyson - both have LEIGH somewhere in their names. AshLEIGH Shea Linder & Addyson SheaLEIGH Linder. So now I discovered that Peyton's name is Peyton RyLEIGH York - hence my "FREAKS of nature" comment. (...and I get made fun of for us all having "J" names. Hmmm...)

3. I kept snacking on Easter eggs and she kept eyeing them. How do you tell a sweet girl who looks at you from the corner of her eye "NO"? So she ate 2, and then made the comment above...so I gave her four more. (I will never be able to watch her again after that!)

4. I knew she loved Dora, so thank goodness I still had tons of Dora & Diego puzzles from when Jaydon was into that.

5. I haven't met a child who doesn't like Word World. (I guess I must be a child too.)

6. This Diet Coke spillage just cracked me up. Little girls are something else.

7.
I LOVED that Aladdin was a girl. To each his own...
PS: I do not hang anything on my fridge because I have a clutter phobia...and Peyton's picture has been hanging there since she gave it to me on Friday. :)

8. Yes, Ava has some lungs on her. Her mommy & daddy know this too.

9. Peyton is going to be 5'10''. That is my prediction. She keeps that cute face up, she can be a contestant on America's Top Model...and win!

10. No need to comment on that and my inability to control my snacking urges.

Bonus: God bless her!

It was a great day, and I enjoyed spending time with a new face.
Hopefully, we get to do it again soon.

That whole family - all 3 sisters - is too sweet for words. Maybe because they remind me of my own loving, loud, and loony family! LOL.

Thanks Pey-Pey, for making the start to my weekend so grand.
Love you sweet girl... (If you would like to fall in love with the same little girl that I did, visit her mom's blog at: http://theyorkfamilyblog.blogspot.com/)

Opening Day

Today was Opening Day for season number SIX for Jaydon. I cannot believe that our little guy has now played 6 different seasons of baseball!

They had opening day festivities with the North Richland Hills Fire Dept, Police Dept., middle school color guard, and the mayor throwing out the first pitch. This was followed by a carnival with tons of rides and games. Wait - I didn't mention that we had to be there at 7:30 AM for this! The game wasn't until 2:00. The weather at 7:30 was about -8º with the wind, and by 2:00, it was 80º outside. CLASSIC North Texas weather!

So we are in the RYA (Richland Youth Association) league this season and he is playing for a team called the Storm. They are very competitive - almost TOO much. I want Jaydon to have fun. I was quite concerned about this, but after today's game, my worries just went right down the drain...

Jaydon played like a TRUE champ. He is getting really good!

On his first time up to bat, he hit a single. After a couple other kids batted, he was on his way home, and he bit his tongue. It started bleeding (barely) and I freaked. He recovered in 2.3 milliseconds - after just 2 tears - (I warned him about crying after the episode at Thursday's scrimmage, so he choked it up in manly fashion!) and continued.

He was turning the corner at third base after his 2nd hit, and the 3rd base coach told him to keep going. He stopped, and the coach yelled, "Go, go, go!" so Jaydon took off again. We got SO nervous because the catcher was RIGHT there at home plate, about to pick the ball up. Jaydon slid into home JUST before the catcher made it, and he was called safe. PHEW! The fans cheered for my little superstar, and my heart returned to its normal location. (I admit it - I would have cried if he would have gotten out!)

He played in left field today, and sat the bench one time around. There are 14 kids on the team and with only 9 positions in baseball, five of them have to sit out when they are on defense. They all take turns each inning, so it works itself out, and they can relax for a bit when it's their turn to sit out.

He got his #22 which is good since everything we have equipment wise has that number on it. (That was Jeremy's baseball number.)

Only a few kids on the team have helmets, and it drives me NUTS to have to share ours! I am SO clean, and I freak out that somebody else may have head lice or not be as clean. I just think it's GROSS! If you are going to sign your children up for something, then be ready to buy everything they need! Sharing helmets is nasty - but how do you tell somebody "No"? I just don't have the balls to do it, and even though Jeremy "claims" to have the balls, he didn't say a thing when they asked Jaydon for his helmet for someone else.
When we coached, I just sent an email out letting parents know my feelings on sharing, and everyone bought their own helmet. Since we aren't coaching this season, I don't have that option. What are we to do???

Anyway, they won their game, and were all very excited!
Yes, they do keep score, they do get called out, and they will put the scores into a computer system for the season. This league is beyond competitive, but we'll try our best to make sure Jaydon enjoys himself.

He can't wait to play catcher - it must be in his blood!

We ordered shirts for Jacoby, Jeremy and me, but they won't arrive until Monday. I can't wait to get them and put Jilian in her new red & black - matching team colors - bow! :)

GO, STORM!


His first "at-bat" of the season...

Jaydon's two biggest (or smallest - depending on how you look at it) fans...

Of course, Aba followed all of this up with a trip to Chuck E' Cheese's...because she spoils her grand kids like you wouldn't believe!

...and here is the result of all that excitement...

I swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth... There are NO words to describe this shot...
The kids have never slept better.

Thank God for exhausting Saturdays!

A Day at the Races

Jeremy took the day off today to take his "best boy" (Jaydon) to the NASCAR qualifying round at TMS. (Texas Motor Speedway for those of you who don't habla.)

Jeremy has been talking for years about wanting to do special things with Jaydon and the time arrived...Jaydon is officially old enough to go to NASCAR without us feeling like bad parents.
I say this because we have gotten free tickets many times and we don't take him. It irks us to no end when we see people there with babies (or small children). ESPECIALLY when they don't have protective ear things on them!

Anyway, let's just start by saying that Jeremy does things like this for our family all of the time. He knows that "Home is Where the Heart Is", and I don't even have to ask him to do these things. In fact, I didn't even know about it until yesterday!
He is such a great dad & husband and we are all lucky that he is OURS! :)

Jaydon has been watching "Cars" lately, so he's back into the whole racing thing. This couldn't have come at a better time. He's been saying "Boogety, boogety, boogety boys...let's go racing!"

I made him go to school this morning - because God forbid he get counted absent or his mother might have a heart attack. Jeremy walked him in and told his teacher that he would be back at 10:30 - right before lunch - to pick him up. Jaydon must have told the teacher where he was going because when Jeremy got there, he overheard her tell him to have fun.
When the Birdville ISD calls me on Monday reminding me of the importance of a child's education, I plead the 5th. I wasn't here, I knew nothing, and somebody hacked into my computer to write this post!

(Side Note: Jeremy wrote "personal" as the reason for Jaydon needing to leave early. PERSONAL - are ya kidding? Kindergarten isn't corporate America babe. Who on Earth is going to believe that our kindergartener needed a personal day?)

They left here right before 11:00 and headed to Cabela's to buy ear protection. Jaydon is sensitive to ANY loud noises, so they were a must. Yes, I know...so why on Earth did we take him to the races? :)

I checked in with them at 12:30, and they were having a blast. Jaydon got to wave the flags, yell at the race cars, (like they could hear him!) and spend time with his favorite man - his daddy. Who could ask for anything more?

So for those of you who have asked me countlessly why I have only posted pictures of Jilian lately...here ya go!

PS: I am home all day long with Jilian and Jacoby, so it's easy to get pictures of them. Jaydon is at school - hence the fewer pictures. I'll do my best to keep it even. Just remember that he was an only child for 5+ years, so everything has ALWAYS been Jaydon, Jaydon, Jaydon. His brother & sister deserve a chance in the limelight too!
Jaydon knows that he will forever hold the first spot in mommy's heart. :)

PPS: Jeremy did an AWESOME job capturing the memories of their day! He takes days off, spends time with his son, remembers the camera AND takes pictures! I sure found me a winner!!!

You've got it ALL figured out, son - this is what racing is all about!
(Watch his head.)


I see the light! Wait, maybe I need to open my eyes to do that...

He LOVED waving the flags...

In his own world and enjoying his day...

At Cabela's...

The official sponsor of Coca Cola Classic. Nothing beats a Coke! Free endorsement courtesy of Jaydon Rogers.
Isn't that picture classic NASCAR?

Good Genes, or Good Jeans?

Jaydon and I have been having some in-depth discussions lately. I don't know what has gotten into this child, but he is making some of the quirkiest comments...and I love it!
Going from a child who said very few words the first four years of life, to this, is well...a true miracle!

Over the weekend, he was at my mom's with Jeremy, Jacoby and Jilian.
Tia Jessenia came by and took him to eat dinner at Cheddar's. On the way there, he randomly says, "Tia, I'm going to miss you when I go to college." So she starts asking him if he knows what college is, where he wants to go, what he wants to do, etc. He didn't really know what he wanted to do, (He has told me a time or two that he wants to be a fireman, but I keep telling him that it's just a phase! {Dear Lord, please enable my son to be a politician, doctor, musician, model or actor!}) or what college entailed, so Jessenia explained it all to him. He soaked it in like a sponge, and can tell you the in's and out's of college.

Then yesterday, I told him that we needed to cut back on his Chick Fil-A consumption. Even though Chick Fil-A is one of the healthiest of the fast food joints, his $7.11 daily "#5 - 12-count with a Sprite" (sometimes orange juice) is taking a toll on his mom & dad's checkbook - those poor people!

Let me just rewind...Jaydon won't eat much of anything. When he likes something though, he will CHOW DOWN. McDonald's - 10-piece nugget meal, Chick Fil-A - 12 piece nugget meal.
We haven't been able to buy kids meals anywhere for 3+ years. He's only 6. Can you see where this might head if I don't nip it now?
...which by the way his 14-month old brother is right on his tails with that. Although Jacoby eats EVERYTHING you put in front of him. Fruits, veggies, meats, breads, cheese, dog food, toilet water! ...but that's a WHOLE other post.

Back on track...

Jaydon eats it all up, too! You look at him and wonder where it all goes. He's solid, but lean. He stepped on the scale yesterday and that boy weighed 65 lbs. - unclothed! I know that not even half of the kids in his class weigh close to that. I noticed a few little (tiny!) dimples on his belly and I thought - HELL TO THE NO!

My hot son will NOT be gross - THAT'S where I draw the line! He has a GREAT body and a cute face, and we aren't going to ruin it!

We have NEVER talked about weight or even about eating healthy. I've never worried about it because he's really a healthy child and not overweight.

So, I started the discussion with:

"Honey, starting tomorrow, we will not be eating out as often as we used to."
"Why Mom?"
"Well, because we need to start eating better. I know that you don't much care for many things, but we really need for you to try to eat more than just chicken, hot dogs, and ham."
"Why Mom?"
"Well, because it's important to be healthy."
"Okay - I can drink water and not Sprite, and then I'll be healthy. Water has no sugar and it's good for my teeth."
"Yes Jaydon, that's true, but drinking water is not the solution. We need to eat healthier."
"Why Mom?"
(Is this discussion going anywhere???)
"Jaydon, do you know what genes are?"
"Yes."
"The genes that mommy is talking about make you who you are. You have good genes son, and we need to do everything we can to keep you healthy and strong. Eating healthy and continuing to exercise is really important. You love baseball and jumping on the trampoline - that's all good exercise. Now we just have to focus on eating better. We need to keep those good genes strong and eat vegetables like carrots and green beans. A banana or a grape is good for you too!"
"Okay mom. I will try."

...and that's all I can ask for...is that he try!

After his shower, I go to his room to read to him and study his spelling words (which by the way, he has gotten a 100% on EVERY spelling test this year!) and the door is shut.

House Rule #59 - We don't shut doors...period...and Jaydon KNOWS this.
(We had friends over on Sunday for a play date - 2 neighborhood boys - and he says to them, "Houserule #62 - NO BALLS IN THE HOUSE! Take them outside please!" I wonder where he gets those random numbers?)

Back on track...

I knock on the door (because even though the rule is no shut doors, I do want him to know that I respect his privacy) and Jaydon is sitting on his bed waiting for me. I notice a few pairs of jeans on the bed. I pull the covers down, and he is wearing his "GOOD PAIR OF JEANS"!
I look at him and before I can laugh or get a word in, he says, "Mom, you said I had good jeans, so I wanted to wear them to bed so that I could be healthy."

That was my cue to leave. I doubled over with the giggles for the next hour.

How can you not love that boy?

We'll try the whole "gene" discussion again later...a LONG time later!

God bless that boy, his "good jeans"...and his belly dimples! :)