Simply the Best (or so I thought)

Tina Turner could not say it any better : Simply the Best!!
I dropped my littlest one off at preschool (no tears, just a high five) and went and got a Spa Pedicure today! Now, I added the "spa" part because I went for the upgrade version. I turned on my new Iphone which might be the most awesome, cool, handy, wonderful gadget I have ever had (thanks to the hubby who surprised me with it last week) and blasted Tina on my way to the salon. What could be better about this? All kiddos taken care of for a couple of hours!! I admit that I had no idea what the upgrade meant and I must share/warn all of you about it. It's wax ... poured on your feet at a temperature that I could not believe left my feet without at least second degree burns. The wax (poured on as a liquid) hardened around my tootsies and supposedly they are softer, etc. from it but I still cannot get over the heat!!! Oh the heat!! I have never, repeat never, had something that hot on my body and not quickly removed it. No, I sat there and smiled and started sweating. It took approximately 10 - 15 minutes for the liquid (my foot was in a plastic bag) to solidify. Now, think about when a candle melts ... think how quickly the wax hardens as it drips down the candle ... not on my feet ... no there was nothing quick about this expensive torture method ... oh the heat. I kept thinking the wax had to be getting harder ... surely this had to be ending ... but on the outside I just smiled and sweated. Why do we do that? Why didn't I say "What are you doing?? Take that off of my feet NOW!" My hubby would have. But not me ... I didn't want to hurt the feelings of the precious woman who was so proud to be giving me this special "spa" pedicure. She had raved about the wax treatment for the first thirty minutes!! Oh the heat ... so let this be a warning ... pedicures, Iphones, kids at school, etc are indeed simply the best but do not, do not try to go overboard with an upgrade ... be happy with a pedicure ... plain and simple ... no upgrade, no "spa" treatment, no heat!!!! Say no to wax!!

First Day of Preschool

Kate started preschool.

I cannot tell you what the boys wore on their first day but Kate had shoes that matched the top that matched the bow and if it weren't against the rules we would have brought the matching purse, too!!!! Girls!!! She loves her backpack. She loves the fact that it has her name on it! She loves her Dora lunchbox and loves even more that she eats what she wants out of it and nothing more :)!!!

Ready to go!!

She hung up her backpack when we arrived and then never stopped.

She ran to the centers to start playing and I could hardly get her to look at me to say "bye"!

to a few hours "off", to a brave teacher putting up with 2 year olds, and to growing up - they do it whether we are ready or not!!

Aggieland

The first game ... whoop!!

Ok ... for those of you who do not like football or do not like A&M,

go ahead and exit because this is pretty sappy!!

We love Texas A&M - A LOT!!!!
We all (grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles, kids...) went to the first game on Saturday and in Glenney style we had maroon from head to toe, got our faces painted, arrived several hours before kick-off just revel in the joy of the day, walked around the happiest place on earth (where everyone says "howdy"), took dozens of pictures, reminisced wonderful memories (yup, met the hubby there the first day of college) ...

anyway, there is no place like Aggieland! The flyover before the game was flown by this pilot (whom we met after the game).
Caleb stretching his leg over the end zone ... McGee only had that far to get a touchdown!!

How we felt about the score ...

But...

regardless of the score

here's to the Aggies, to a family fun day on Kyle Field, to sharing with our children our passion of A&M and football, and to kisses after the touchdown!!

The "tail" is gone ...

Kate's "tail" as we lovingly call it would be perfect if ...

she was an 80's baby, was going for the mullet-look, wore a Swatch, chose between layering her multicolored socks or scrunching up her leg warmers, used hairspray and if she ran out just substituted with spray starch, wore blue mascara, had jeans with zippers, had a Members Only jacket (or even better got to wear someone else's), loved Esprit, must I go on????

The tail had to go ... she was born in 2006 and that stuff will be considered antique soon!!

So ... away we went to see Fontaine. My husband and I both go to him and Kate was ready to join in the whole haircutting experience (we are too cheap to let the boys go to him ... they had to settle on SuperCuts a couple of years ago).
Kate did not even move ... I don't even think she breathed the first few snips and then she sighed but her head did not turn, did not tilt, did not move up or down at all!!! She did not smile, did not cry, did not do ANYTHING but look straight into that mirror. Before sitting down in the chair, she took her purse put it down right beside mine. She was so pumped about getting "fancy" I think she was overcome by the whole experience.

Once she was done, he put some Smarties in her purse and took off her cape and

she came out of the still trance of waiting for beauty and ...

just grabbed him out of pure joy!

She knew she was beautiful and was so excited she could not contain herself.

We showed off her "no tail" look (and her purse full of Smarties) to his wife, Carrie, and all of the other precious people in the salon that day that stopped and oohed and aahed appropriately ...

Fun times with a two year old!!!

"The Homesick" virus

After the second day of school last week, Josh told me he was afraid he might be getting sick.
ME : "What hurts? Why do you think you are getting sick?"
JOSH: "Well, my stomach felt funny and kind of hurt. It may be that virus."
ME: "What virus???"
JOSH: "You know, the homesick!"
At that very moment I felt my heart break yet I had to stifle laughter ... THE homesick!
ME: "Well, I think that will go away without medicine."
JOSH: "It went away during recess some!"
Of course!

Day 3 at pick up
ME: "How is your virus, the homesick? Do you still have it?"
JOSH: "Oh no, Mom, it went away fast!!! And I did not take any medicine for it!!"
ME: " I love you, sweet boy!!"

Nine Years Old

I cannot believe it! My firstborn, my baby, the one I rocked many hours to sleep, the one I worried the most over, the one who has a place so deep in my heart words cannot do it justice, the one I labored the longest with (let's not get into the three, yes three, times I got sent home from the hospital to wait a little longer) ... he is nine today! Everyone says time flies by and I can confirm that boldly today!! His new shoes are my size, he tells jokes that really make me laugh (without that fake-laugh-sound), he has the largest two front teeth that could possibly fit in that smile, he loves his friends and still adores his family and grandparents. Caleb ... you live up to your namesake as a faithful servant to God!! I love you!

We had an army party to celebrate ... each kid got a camo bandana, camo face paint, and dog tags. Then, they went with General Glenney (hubby) to build their forts (40 boxes, camo paint colors and duct tape).

After the building of the forts, my plan was eating hot dogs and then having a "war" with the forts. We had prepared water guns and over 200 water grenades (balloons) for the battle. This would be messy but I never imagined this before the forts could even be completed ...

It poured for 15 minutes and not just a little but POURED! I feared we had a ruined party on our hands because the forts no longer existed. Instead, we had the party that will always be remembered ... wet, muddy, grassy, wet, humid, wet ... did I mention that it poured on those kids?!? They ran, played, threw water balloons, squirted every ounce of water possible on each other with water guns and well, had a blast!! Then, the sun came back out!! It was surpisingly a lot of fun with the added rain.

The little cadets...
and of course, the cake ...

Happy Birthday, Caleb!

First Day of School

The boys got up this morning READY to go!! We implemented one more step in our morning routine ... making your bed! Yes, I know most have been doing this for years but we would shower, eat and dress in as few minutes as possible to allow for maximum sleep ... this year things have changed. I am doing a neighborhood "boot camp" at 5:15 a.m. every morning and have plenty of morning time to make lunches, shower, etc. It has been so refreshing to start the day out early. Anyway, I added five more minutes to the boys' routines and it went perfectly!!

The first day of school is always such a roller coaster of emotions!

I am sad that yet another year has gone in the blink of an eye but I am excited to see the kids grow into the people God has purposed them for ... I love the organized pace of the school year yet I miss the laid back-swimming-reading-breakfast at 9-days of summer.

Yesterday, we met the boys teachers and got all of their supplies/desks/books in order to start school year. This is a great method our school has before school starts to make the first day of school seamless BUT I was sweating (literally, the 24-hour-prescription-strength-Secret did not stand a chance). Kate was attempting to empty the pencil bags that we were trying to organize like the teacher had instructed (pens and pencils go here, ruler and glue go there, this here and this there -whew). I was desperately wanting to appear to these new teachers that we handled our family of 3 kids beautifully, perfectly, calmly ... the sweat began to drip when 48 crayons came out of the first completed zipper bag ... and we still had Josh's classroom supplies to go!! I know by the time we left someone was sighing a deep breath of relief besides me (teachers, principals, etc)!!

Really, it all went well and sonehow Kate quite endeared herself to both boys' teachers with sweet "hi"s and hugs and kisses.

here is Mrs. Shields, Josh's first grade teacher

and here is Mrs. McClenny, Caleb's 3rd grade teacher

to school, to schedules, to early mornings, to sweet teachers and mostly I give this day to God and thank Him profusely for the blessing of allowing me to parent these precious ones and for giving me the strength to graciously allow someone else to teach them for 8 hours a day ...