Tipper Update

I know I am a blogger slacker. I had some helper get a hold of camera and now my camera card is missing along with all the pictures that I never downloaded to my computer. So, as soon as I find my camera card, I will do some updates.

We have not found Tipper. I have thought a couple of time that I have heard her barking in the greenbelt, but when I go looking for her, it is not her. So, I just hope that she was taken in by a nice family and was killed during the storm. It took the boys almost 2 weeks before they noticed that she was gone. Then the conversation went something like:
"Where is Tipper?"
"I don't know, she ran away and we can't find her."
"Oh." That was it....

The boys have not been sad about it at all. Even when I gave away her stuff. It make me feel sad, that she is gone, and it seems like the family hasn't missed her. I think that we definitely wait along time before we consider a new dog.

Here is Tyson's explanation of where Tipper is. He told this to me at breakfast while I was making my "To Do" and I thought it was so cute. I had to write it down, so that I could remember it.

"I know where Tipper is Mommy."
"You do? Where?"
"I think that she ran out of the backyard during the storm and was running so fast that she didn't see the roller skates in the road. So, she stepped in the roller skates and then hit a big, huge ramp and it shot her into the sky. And now she lives in outer space."

So, there you have it. Tipper has found a new home in outer space, according to Tysie.

Drews Obsession

Drew has a beyond normal obsession with Corvettes and Hummers. When we are driving down the road from the backseat I hear "HUMMA" (you have to say this in a low grumbly voice and exaggerate the "M" sound)or "GWUVETTE". When we walked into the mall today Drew saw the corvette and started yelling "GWUVETTE!!!" and started trembling with excitement. I let him down, and he ran full speed to the corvette and started checking it out. Kathy was laughing so hard, and said that she has never seen anyone get so excited over a car.

Drew is in the orange shirt almost to the car, Tyson is in the blue shirt trying to keep up.

Drew checking out the tires - he must have learned this from Grandpa.

Field Trip Friday - Grapevine

Today we had intentions of going to a church in Grapevine that does a free play day for the kids. On their website it looked fun, but when we got there it was closed. They only allow a certain number of kids in, and they close it. It would have been nice if they advertised that on their website so that we could have been there earlier, but we actually ending up having a fun day.

Downtown Grapevine is a really cute little town. We went to the old train depot which is now a museum ran by the chamber of commerce. They were so excited to see us walk in with all our kids. They gave us a nice tour and we learned that Grapevine was originally called Grape Vine Prairie and they grew cotton. The huge cotton crops that they grew is why they got the train depot. But when they built DFW airport the land because to valuable for crops, and there are no more cotton farms in Grapevine - interesting huh!

After did our tour, they told us to go see the sculptor across the road and the glass blower. So we did. The sculptor was very nice and let the kids come in and he showed them how he make sculptures out of clay first, and then they are used as a mold for the iron casting. The thought it was great. I was also impressed the gentleman, when we asked him how he got into sculpturing he told us his story of being a cowboy in Australia and was hurt really bad in an accident. He was confined to a wheelchair for years, and during that time he started sculpturing. He is now a world renowned artist.

The glass blower was fun - but made me so nervous. As we were walking in through the store I started noticing the prices on his glass products. They ranged from a couple hundred dollars to a couple thousand dollars. All I could think of was my little Tasmanian devil Drew getting loose from me and see everything come crashing down.

After our impromptu tour of old town Grapevine we took the kids to Rainforest Cafe. Miles and three of Kathy's kids had earned a free lunch from school....so we thought why not reward our great kids. They kids loved the cafe, and watching all the animals come to life every few minutes.

Then it was out to brave the Texas heat of the afternoon with Letterboxing. Today we found our first hitchhiker. We caught the "Swine Flu". I hitchhike is a stamp that you find, and then you take it with you and move it to the next letterbox that you go to. So we took it and will hide it next time. We were trying to find 4 stamps today, but we only got the first one. When it got to the second one, it was covered with poison ivy, and it was to hot to continue on to the next one. This one that we were trying to find was on the bike route that went around the lake. I told my kids that we would try to do it in the fall after the poison ivy dies and bring our bikes.

Me and Kathy - we are the two crazy mom's that take off with 10 kids and are having a fun summer doing it.

I Smell Smoke

Yesterday was father's day. I think that we had a very nice day for Troy. I made him one of his favorite dinners - brisket and I think that it was my best one yet! We also had our friends the Turners over of cake and we celebrated Drew's birthday.

That night about 1:30 one of the boys came into our bedroom. As soon as they opened the door - I woke Troy up and said I smell smoke, something is on fire. We both got up and walked all through the house, we could find where the smoke was coming from, couldn't see, didn't have any flames - but we could definitaly smell it.

After about 30 minutes of this, I tell Troy lets go to QT and get a drink and see if we can see flames when we get back. Being the reasonable one, Troy called the fire department and told them we smell smoke - but can't see it. They said we will send someone over to look at it. In a couple of minutes here comes the firetruck with all the light on, and parks in front of our house and they all pile out in full gear. I am dying! All I can think is thank goodness it is almost 3:00 and everyone should be asleep. Then as they start going in the house and I see lights turn on and off in every room I am seeing every toy that was not picked up, and laundry basket of clothes that I didn't put away yet. I probably should have used the time before they came to pick up instead of trying to convince Troy to go to QT.

The boys and I are sitting in the car across the street from our house watching everyone walk in and out. Then I notice, there is a second fire truck and ambulance driving down my street. At this point I am a little excited that our house might actually be burning down and we might be rid of this nightmare. I watch all those fire fighters file in and out of house and at about 4:30 everyone packs up and leaves. That was very disappointing!!!

So - everyone was coming in and out house. They could all smell the smoke, but couldn't find the source, just like us. They did thermal imaging on our walls (hence the second fire truck) and still didn't find anything. They finally left with the ever so comforting - we smell smoke, but can't find it. We can't put out a fire that we can't find. Call us back if you see smoke or see flames.

By this time - the boys are energized and not ready to go back to sleep - neither is Troy. I am exhausted and go upstairs to bed. Just then Troy calls "Kristin! I found our smoke!"

Turns out that my water bottle fell on the coil in the dishwasher and melted. I turned it on just before we went to bed (about 12:30) so it would have been on the drying cycle while we were smelling smoke.

My Baseball Boys

Tyson and Miles both played baseball this year. We played Tyson up a year so that he could be on the same team as Miles and that Troy was coaching. It was a little challenging for him at the beginning, but by the end of the season he was able to hit the ball almost every game. That was of course do to some Mommy bribing of icecream after the game if he hit the ball.

Miles did great this year. He was ready for coach pitch this year, and he too hit the ball almost everytime. He did really good and really enjoyed playing this year. I think that this year it started to click - how you are suppose to play baseball.

Their team did so good this year. They were undefeated for the season and made it the playoffs. At the playoffs they lost their last game. They were a little sad about that - but all in all they had a great year, and played so good.

Field Trip Friday - First Letterboxing

My friend Kathy and I decided that this summer we are going to do "Mommy Camps" with our kids. We have a fun summer planned for kids. One of the main activities that we are going to do with them is letterboxing. We got the kids each a picture book to put their stamps in that they are going to collect. The kids are really excited about the summer. I think that it is going to fun also. This is our first summer that we are going to go on a big trip, so I wanted to make sure that they had something to look forward to during the summer.

Today was our first field trip day. We went letterboxing in McKinney and took a sack lunch. Most of the letterboxing that we have found in the area are in old cemeteries. So today we were are the Weir Cemetery. They were 3 stamps to find there, so it was good one to start with. The kids have so much fun reading the clues and looking for the stamps. I think it is going to be a fun summer.

Last Day of School

Today was Miles last day of school. WOW!! I can't believe that we have already gone through one year of school. I am so proud of Miles, he has learned so much this year. I am so proud of him.

I saw one of my other friends do this on her blog last year. He is Miles on the first and last day of Kindergarten.

First day of school.
Last day of school. I didn't realize that he was in the same clothes. :)

Kindergarten Graduation

Miles had his graduation today. What a fun morning. We got to the school this morning and the kids all did a little performance for us and sang a couple of songs. Then called all the kids up one by one and gave them a certificate. Miles was very somber through the whole performance. I think that he was just taking everything in and not sure what to time of it. Miles with Mr. "Mac"Williams his principal.

Miles with his class.

After the graduation we got to go back to Miles class, and have dessert. The classroom was decorated so cute. It was a little sad, Ms. Hopkins talked to everyone thanking them for a great year. She was really emotional telling the kids how much she loved having them in her class. I thought it was sweet. After she was done, Miles turned to me, and said I am not staying for the rest of the day at school I am going home with you. I thought your teacher is there balling her eyes out - and all you thought about was going home...OK.

Miles with his teacher Ms. Hopkins.