A couple of weeks ago we went to San Antonio to visit with Vinny's dad. While there we wanted to do something fun for the boys since Summer was almost over, so we took them to a museum there. It was full of the city's history (which I LOVE) and was even in an old building..which was pretty cool to be looking at all this history in a historic building. There was also an outside exhibit of the animals and plants that live in the San Antonio River (which this museum sat right on it's bank). There was also a cool building dedicated to kids..all hands on exploration! The boys had a great time in there! But the coolest part (which is why we choose this particular museum) was their dinosaur exhibit! They had a ton of animatronic dinos. They looked pretty real and also moved and made noise! The boys LOVED it!

We also stayed in a hotel, which is always a big hit (except Ty was in a horrible mood and cried most of the night...) Ty did, however, love sticking his face in front of the a/c blower...check out the wind in his hair!

The kindergarten experience!

Tucker is now 7 school days into his kindergarten year! The first 4 days were great, got up early and ready on time! Friday was another story. He still woke up on time, but he was not excited about it at all. He told me that it takes to long at school and he just wants to stay at home. Of course I told him he had to go to school and he said he doesn't want to because he will miss everyone, so we went and found a family picture, wrote 'we love you Tucker' on the back and stuck it in his backpack. He seemed okay with that, but as he gets on the bus I can tell he is about to cry. After school that day, our friend tells us that Tucker was holding the picture on the bus crying...oh man...this made me so SAD! My poor baby, but when I talked to Tucker about it he tells me, 'I only cried a little bit, but then I was okay' Well, that makes me feel a little bit better!

He definitely enjoyed his weekend and Monday morning, he woke up a little late, so we rushed around and when we walk out of the house the bus is at the stop before his, so he runs the entire way to the stop! (Oh and he asked for a new picture to put in his backpack..so of course I did (the first one is the 4 of us at an Astro's game and the second one is the 4 of us when we went sledding in Colorado a couple of years ago..we need some more family pictures with Ty!)

Today, again, he didn't want to go to school, but Vinny isn't working, so Tucker got to be the big boy and show daddy where the bus stop is and how he gets on the bus! That made him feel much better! So far...it's not too bad of a start to the school year. We are having meet the teacher on Wednesday, so I'm sure I will have much to report after that!

Here are the pictures from the first day!
Getting ready to walk to the bus stop.
At the bus stop!
Getting on the bus!!!
My friend snapped this one of Tucker in his classroom!
Practicing his lunch code after the second day of school.

3/4 of a year old!

Ty is 9 months old!!! He had a great checkup at the doctor. 20lbs. 5ozs. (just above the 50th%) and 29 and 1/2ins. (75th%). He has started to have a little bit of stranger anxiety, so instead of being his flirty little self, he was only throwing the doctor a couple of shy smiles. He only had to get one shot and he took it like a champ and didn't even cry.
He is just so handsome!!!


Ty is into EVERYTHING!!!!! He is so curious..the wheels in his little mind are always turning.


Ty LOVES his big brothers and 99.9% of the time the feeling is mutual. Ty already thinks he is one of the big boys, always trying to 'hang' with the big boys!

Most recently Ty has been standing up without holding on to anything. He is thrilled about this. Whenever he gets up he squeals with delight! It won't be long before he is walking!

WOAH Hair!!!

Ty's hair is CRAZY, but I LOVE LOVE LOVE it!!! Vinny has been bugging me to cut his hair for the longest time now, but I keep holding him off...(All the boys had crazy hair..Tucker had his first trim at 7 months, another trim at 10 months, and then a real haircut on his 1st birthday. Trey's hair was the most crazy...and at 6 months I agreed to let Vinny *trim* Trey's hair..when I came back in the bathroom he *shaved* Trey's poor little head...I was pretty upset...well no I was down right pissed...and even today, almost 4 years later, I still am pissed about it.) So Ty's hair is OFF LIMITS!! But I realize...Ty's hair is getting really long..when it is wet, it is to the tip of his nose...so it is almost time for a *trim* These pictures were taken almost a month ago, so it's even longer now!

Day 1 under his belt!

Just a little bit ago I got Tucker off the bus! Day 1 of kindergarten DONE!

First off this morning...he woke up early and did all the things we said we were going to do and then we walked outside and waited for the bus!! It was a little bit of a wait, but Tucker was so excited...alittle nervous, but mostly excited! He was so brave when the bus came, he said his good bye's and got on the bus without a look back at me! I'm SO very proud of him!!!!

Of course I asked him all about his day. He told me how his teacher showed them all around the school and classroom. There was one kid in an orange shirt who wouldn't listen..and if you don't listen you have to call your mom and dad. He said they ate in the cafiteria and they didn't have very long to eat..and some kids didn't have lunches, so they had to buy it. He was very excited about his teacher having a treasure chest. They got to see the playground, but didn't get to play because it was too hot. (I asked him his favorite part of the day and he said looking at the playground!) He also sat at the yellow table and he didn't want to play with girls only boys because they are better...and I asked why the boys are better and because they can do anything right...girls don't do much and boys are smarter! Because they can find stuff! They didn't get to play only got to color stuff.

He is pretty tired now, he told me he is tired and that it was a very long day! I asked if he wanted to go back tomorrow and he said yes. So looks to me like it was a pretty successful 1st day of kindergarten!!!!!!!!!!!!

Got the camera and tissues ready

In about 7 and a half hours I will be putting my big boy on a bus for the very first time and sending him off to kindergarten! I cannot believe Tucker is actually old enough for this...how did this happen so fast?!?!

We have done everythig possible to prepare him for this. All day long we have been talking about how in the morning I will wake him up (even though I think he will be the one to wake me up), he will eat breakfast, brush his teeth, get dressed, I will do his hair and make his lunch, we will pack it in his backpack and then we will walk down to the bus stop and he will get on the bus and go to school. I told him that he is going all by himself...and he said he is fine with this because he is 5 years old now and he won't cry or be sad because he is a big boy.

This past Friday we had meet the teacher and he was so excited. We brought in all his school supplies and got to look around his classroom. He said it was pretty cool and was very excited about the computers. He was pretty shy while there and didn't really say much, but he told me once we got home that when he is there by himself he will talk...so let's hope that is the case.

Well, I need to get to sleep..we've got an early day tomorrow! I will hopefully get the pictures on here right away tomorrow. I'm praying everything goes smoothely and I can hold it together...I have a feeling there might be some tears.

Go-karting and mini golf

Since school is right around the corner we want to make the end of the boys summer memorable, so Vinny thought it would be fun to take them gp-karting and minature golfing. I was a lot of fun, but SO dang HOT outside! They keep asking to go back, but we will wait for it to cool down.

forgoten pictures

When we went to the sand dunes I didn't take my big camera down to the water with us..I was too afraid of dropping it in the water or sand getting into it, so I used our old pocket camera instead. I totally forgot that I did that until I took the little camera with us to the pool and saw these pictures on it!
Tucker and Trey sleeping in the tent.
Ty in his cute little sleeping bag!

Beautiful sunset on our walk down to the dunes on the first night.

All of the kids..one 9 year old the rest all 5 and under! It was really windy!

This is really one of my favorite places in the entire world..it's so beautiful! We had FUN!

My water baby!

A couple of weeks ago my friend asked us to come with her to the pool in our neighborhood (I'm behind again, but this time it's really not my fault). I was a little nervous about taking all 3 boys myself..she also has 3 kids of her own to keep an eye on. But to my surprise it actually went really well. Ty really enjoyed himself playing in water and Tuck and Trey were so excited to finally go to the pool. After playing in the little pool for a while, we braved the big pool. The big boys had on life jackets so they can "swim" by themselves and my friend had a floaty thing for Ty to use. It went so well, we have even been back a couple more times! (There aren't any pictures of Tucker and Trey at the pool...they were being little stinkers and not wanting me to take any of them).

They say "bad things come in 3"

Or so that is the saying I've heard before...and let's hope that's true because I have had my 3...and I'm done with it....(it being the bad things)....

my 3 things..

......Vinny's dad getting diagnosed with leukemia (he is still in the hospital getting treatments and is looking like it is going pretty well)...

....my best friend (whom I consider my sister), her husband (who I consider a brother) is deploying to Afghanistan in the near future...

....and today my cat died....she had been a little off lately and today she was completely out of it, so I took her to the vet this afternoon and they said they would need to do exploratory surgery on her to see what was going on and once inside there was nothing they could do for her, as her organs weren't working properly....I haven't yet told the boys...I know they are going to be so upset......

So again I am asking for some more prayers...for Grandpa T, my best friend's little family, and us too.