It's a Bluesy Rainy kind of Evening

Seth creating...


Cider keeping a watchful eye...


Wyatt gives Cowboy a massage...


Cowboy and his boy...


Wyatt "Fingers" Whigham



It seems like monsoon season in Dallas. Seriously..it has rained every day for the past 7 days. We have had a few breaks in the rain over the past 48 hours but it is still raining on and off. My children normally go out to play in the rain but after the first few days of rainy play I had to start keeping them inside. I don't want them to kill what little grass will grow in the yard. Tonight we had a peaceful, laid back kinda evening. After dinner Seth decided to write a comic book, Wyatt played with the dogs and Scott entertained the whole family by playing some blues. A fitting end to a perfectly lovely (yet wet) day.

Cute Wyatt in Sept

I know, right? Freaking adorable!




I think this goes on my head...


That's better...


It's a pants off - dance off!



Yesterday was such a hot day. Wyatt and I bought a big, fat watermelon. As soon as we picked Seth up from school, we hung out outside and enjoyed what we hope to be..the last of the summer heat. Later Wyatt decided to wear Seth's backpack on his head and try to dance off his watermelon high.

Speechless

There has been such an uproar about President Obama speaking to "the youth" of America. I think it's a great idea..stay in school, work hard, do your best, etc. That is, I thought it was a great idea. Seth's school has decided to show the speech to all grades. Kindergarten?!? They sent home a form for me to sign if I decided not to allow Seth to watch it. It seems so harsh, so black and white. (No pun intended!) It's like me signing the form is making some sort of declaration...some political statement...some stance about the President's views, his party or maybe even him personally. Oh sure, maybe it's not really that big of a deal. Maybe most of the class will be sitting this one out. It just irritates me that instead of me signing a form showing that I want him to participate, I have to sign a form to deny him from participation. Will I run the risk of making myself look like an unbending right winged nut job? Will I look like I have a racial issue? Thank you for making me dwell on this all weekend! Ugh. As I said to a friend earlier, I think the President of the United States of America should have the right to use public school as a forum. It's really not that. It's simply that my dear 5 year old with ADHD lacks the ability to sit still and/or be quiet. He can't sit through a tv show without a certain amount of chatter and fidgeting. We go to Church. I do not bring Seth into the service with me because he will be disruptive. So instead, he goes to a service designed for a child. This is logical. Why do I have to feel guilt and worry over what is so obviously common sense?? The picture above was taken as Seth and Wyatt watched President Obama being sworn into office. I love this picture. I am proud of this picture and everything that it stands for. I love this country. I love having freedom and choice. I just don't like feeling like my back is against the wall. In the end, I have to go with my gut and do what I feel is best for my kid. He'll have to miss this one. You want my child to participate? Come in person and be prepared with puppets, magic tricks and balloon animals.

Sidewalk Chalk Painting

Thank you to my friend Nush for the idea of sidewalk chalk painting! The boys had a great time. This morning after reading her blog, Wyatt and I went to the Goodwill in search of a muffin tin. We didn't find one but did find a vegetable tray for .59, so we decided it was perfect. "We" being me. Wyatt didn't care either way. When we got home, I gathered up broken bits, chunks and scraps of sidewalk chalk and let them melt into water. Once Seth got home from school, we had a painting party :) Seth painted, Wyatt liked stirring but that's OK. Someone had to do it. Good times.

A Giant Batch of Hatch

A lovely stack of hatch chilies


What they look like roasted and ready.


Yummmm...I'd love to go to their festival one day.

August in North Texas is almost unbearable. Know what helps you get through it? Hatch chili season. The season is coming to an end, sad I know. BUT at least my freezer is full of processed chilies. I couldn't be happier. I spent hours on Friday peeling roasted chilies. Saturday, Scott and I spent hours de-seeding, chopping, measuring and freezing chilies. I feel ready for the winter now. We've had hatch chili eggs, hatch salsa, hatch lime dip, quesadillas..if we've thought of it, we've made it. Some people in Hatch, New Mexico (wait...there's a NEW Mexico??) say they can tell if the chilies come from North or South of I-40. Oh to have been lucky enough to earn this skill!! Practice makes perfect, luck ducks. Today is the last day for roasted chilies at Central Market. I highly suggest to you all, go get yours now. Do it. Right now. Seriously. Go.

The Big K

Seth making the "K" in sign language. (no..it's not right but thats OK)


Seth walks with Daddy and Y to school.


Seth and I walking into the school. He wanted to hold my hand. I love that.


Seth and the teacher. We should call her "Miss Maybe" after my Mom's temp/perm cat.




I remember my first day of school. I was pretty sure the party was over. My days of sleeping in had to come to a standstill. I want Seth to love school. I want him to wake up in the morning and be excited to go. Today was the first day of kindergarten. The Big K. I had to wake him up 4 times. I had to uncover his sweet little head 4 times. I had to make him respond to me..FOUR. Different. Times. (Haha Looks like the apple is resting in the shade of the tree!) Scott's genes helped him read at four, my genes made him sleep in. It's a good balance. Anyway, once he finally got up and ready to go, we headed out as a family on this big day. Seth's teacher is a temporary/possibly permanent teacher. He really liked her so I hope she stays around. He was super excited about the cafeteria. Apparently so excited, he neglected to actually eat the lunch I packed. He did however, eat it on the 4 min car ride home. Silly boy. He enjoyed being the only boy at the girl heavy lunch table. Looks like the party is not over. It would appear that it's only just begun. :) I love my boy.

The Sacrifices We Make

What a one year old can do while you chop vegetables. Amazing.


He learned to climb barstools today.


The poor living room.

People love to warn soon-to-be Moms about the sacrifices that come with this maternal position. You are told how your sleep, your beauty, your body, your free time..will all suffer in the name of raising children. And to some degree, they are right. You start convincing yourself that caffeine is your friend, beauty is over rated and yoga pants look best when they have been worn for 3 days in a row. I was thinking about these "sacrifices" as I was putting away laundry yesterday. My clean and orderly bathroom and bedroom were sacrificed in the name of keeping the children busy, while I put away clothes. Today, it was my kitchen and living room up on the altar. I felt I had no choice but to allow these rooms to be destroyed by the worlds cutest 15 month old in order to prepare nourishment for his little body. Nigel Short says “A good sacrifice is one that is not necessarily sound but leaves your opponent dazed and confused.” Dazed, confused and/or possibly entertained? I'm abandoning the notion that my house, as a whole, can be clean and orderly at the same time. And while this does bother me, I know in the grand scheme of things, it is a temporary situation. Two decades from now, my boys will not remember if every closet was systematically arranged, if every sock was still married to it's original partner or if occasionally, they were dried after a bath with the towels we reserve for the car and dogs. Reflecting on the day once they are in bed asleep I realize, it's not that much of a sacrifice, it's not that big of a deal and it's just not that big of a mess. I'll happily do it again tomorrow and the day after that and the day after that....