Kindergarten Graduation

 

 

 

 

After Kaitlyn Joy received her certificate and left the stage with her class, she was called back and surprised with this video.

 

 

 

 

Last Full Day of Kindergarten

Here's Kaitlyn Joy and two of her friends on their last full day of Kindergarten.  They were just a little bit excited.

 

Build-a-Bear Party

A beary funny dance

 

We went to a birthday party at Build-a-Bear and had a good time.  I expected the party to go quick, but after finishing the stuffed animals and eating in the food court 2.5 hours had passed.  And the kids had their food waiting for them.  I also expected them to charge the party girl's parents everything and we needed to take care of anything over with them.  However, they were very organized.  After stuffing the animals they had the kids line up and one at a time they told them how much money was left for them to spend and pointed where they could look for that price range.  At the end they called all the parents up whose kids went over - us of course - and had them pay however much they were over.  In doing this the party parents didn't pay a dime more then expected other than what their own child got.  Over all I was impressed.  I didn't even see them ask the kids what they wanted to name their animals, but suddenly they came up with birth certificates and boxes.  It was a good experience.  Kaitlyn Joy told me before we even went that she wanted to go there next year.  She didn't know it, but we were going to go take her there a couple months ago for her sixth birthday.  Perhaps next year....

 

And these two, Heaven help us!  Like Landon's mom said, their just really good buds who are really very comfortable with each other.



Spiders!

Kaitlyn Joy and I both have a big fear of spiders.  I've joked that I married Neal so he could kill spiders (and other bugs) for me.  Here's the problem... she can't know I'm afraid of them.  I have to be the bigger person.  I was hoping to make them sound like their no big deal and in turn get her to kill them.  I could be a win-win for me. =)  Two bug killers in the house!  However, that's not to be.  She's not just scared, but she FREAKS out over the smallest ones.  I may barely see something run across the floor and she's plastered against a wall or standing on a chair starting to hyperventilate. Tonight she got in the shower and began to panic.  I NEEDED to get her some toilet paper so she could kill a spider.  This was after saying, "Kill it! Kill it!  Kill it!" several times.  I was cracking up!  I kept telling her to kill it.  She told me to kill it or hand her tp and I reminded her I was downstairs.  She said she would have to cross the spider.  I decided to grab my camera and record the exchange.  The only problem was once I started up the stairs and she realized I was getting closer so she calmed down.

Ahhhh!!!!  I tried to upload the video I shot which was mostly the floor while Kaitlyn Joy was over the top dramatic to what turned out to be a spider smaller then a pencil, but for reasons beyond me Blogger wouldn't upload it.  Although I tried to play it cool, at the end the tiny spider started running towards my hand.  Keep calm, turn off the camera, walk away from the bug.  It didn't lose it's life.  I was to busy trying not to freak out when it ran at me that after turning the camera off I couldn't find. =(

Floats

Yesterday while walking through the Commissary I told Kaitlyn Joy we should make a float.  Of course she was thinking a shoe box float.  I grabbed some Blue Bell homemade vanilla ice cream.

 

For those of you not fortunate enough to live in Blue Bell country, I feel sorry for you.  There really isn't anything like it.  Yummy!!!  After putting the ice cream in the cart Kaitlyn Joy wanted to pick out her own flavor.  Nope, nope, nope.

She agreed making a float sounded like a good idea then wanted to know what kind (aka theme).  I said how about a purple cow?  She said, "so a farm theme."  I said, "no we're only making a purple cow."  At that point we went for the grape drink.

After getting the drink she wasn't any closer to understanding what in the world I was talking about.  She was trying to make her own selection in drinks.

After getting home and putting away all the groceries I put some ice cream in some cups and poured the grape drink over top.

And just like that I had two purple cows and a child who now has a better understanding of what a float can be.  It's not all about construction paper and cardboard.

You want a float now don't you? =)

Updates

I wish my phone would let me post from it.  I spend more time on my phone then I do my laptop.  So much randomness goes through my mind while I'm away from home.  Then when I get back and look at my laptop I feel like I must write a novel and that just seems like to much work.  Here's to just jotting down thoughts!

Still Here

Yes, I'm still around even though I haven't posted on here since January.  It seems having a smartphone means I get on an actual computer less.  Unfortunately I can't post on here from my phone.  So... our last three months...  It was all a blur.  Last month I had oral surgery and Neal flew to Minnesota for his grandmother's funeral.  Kaitlyn Joy for once learned to sleep a little later and liked it.  The Monday after spring break she told me her alarm went off to early.  Now I'm just hoping she will go back to that over the summer.  I'm not a morning person. 

April 1st marked two years since we lost Sarah and Andrew.  I know we knew they were both gone nine days before that, but there's just something about permanently saying goodbye here on earth.  Rabbit trail: Recently I was reading the different responses on Facebook to someone's question on do you celebrate your child's due date or when they earned their wings.  And yes I know they're really not angels, but that's what deceased babies are typically called.  I was surprised how many people celebrate when they were lost.  It's not something I could do.  FYI, we celebrate their due date; it's on Halloween so it's hard to miss.

Another April happening is Neal beginning his one year remote tour.  I had to explain to Kaitlyn Joy that a remote tour meant family can't go along.  She looked at me puzzled and said, "It's only you and I???"  Now what in the world was I thinking?  We're not family we are his wife and child.  Why in the world would we not go?!!! =)  Him leaving gives us one thing to look forward to, Heart Apart events.  They're only once a month, but we really enjoy them.  They always have some kind of entertainment and a meal.  This time it isn't over a mealtime so perhaps they will only have snacks.  The author of Countdown 'til Daddy Comes Home is supposed to be there and each family is supposed to get her book.  Kaitlyn Joy still talks about the different places we went or things we saw at Heart Apart events when Neal deployed last time.  Part of this Saturday will be spent at one of the events.

Wildlife Safari Pictures

We went to the wildlife safari on Saturday and here's a few pictures I snapped.

 Look at all these rocks!  They were everywhere!!!

 Neal, "please don't bite my hand."

With these two it's hard to take just one photo.

Bye-Bye Christmas Vacation

Ahhh... I hate to see Christmas vacation end.  Neal has taken off work until the 10th, but Kaitlyn Joy goes back to school tomorrow.  I've enjoyed sleeping in even if that only means 7:30-8:00.  There were a couple days when our whole house slept until 9:30.  I'm guessing 6:25 is going to come much to early for me in the morning.

I've read five novels since school let out.  The one I finished today I knew was the first of I think six short story novels, but I was so caught up in the story that the "who shot JR" ending took me off guard.  Okay I know who "shot", but I don't know if the person died.  Lovely.  I wonder how many more months I have to wait for the next mini novel???

Today our 2nd & 3rd grade Children's Church class was packed.  That's how you know the holidays are over.  16 kids!  Ach!  If we have that many next week we will have to split the 2nd and 3rd graders up.  Splitting them is the only way to get our "small group" time in. 

Sea World

I tried to post this on December 9th, but my computer was being special; I couldn't upload the photos.  There's a new laptop in town so here's the Sea World post!

Kaitlyn Joy and I went to Sea World yesterday.  Neal's out of town so it was the perfect time to use those two ticket we got from adopting Rex.  Hey he may be gone, but we did our time.  We earned those tickets. =)

 Because we skipped all shows last time because Kaitlyn Joy wanted to try out all the kid attractions and rides, our first stop this time was the Shamu show.  And guess what...  Kj got to be one of the two kids who goes down and gets the whales to do a few tricks.

 Here they are getting her to wave at the whale so it will wave it's fin back at her.

 Eventually they got him to wave his tail at us and splash Kj and the trainer.

 Kj was wanting one of those Shamu Santa hats and I told her no hoping she might get picked and would then get a hat.  So here she is showing the fruits of her adventure.  And yes on December 8th she was able to wear shorts and a t-shirt; it's Texas remember!

 She was FINALLY tall enough to ride the Steel Eel.  Technically she's 47.5", but her shoes bumped her up to the 48" requirement.  Note to other parents of kids close to the cut off, grab the yellow pad you wrap around the lap bar.  They didn't offer one we had to get it ourselves.  On her first ride she didn't have the pad and after wrapping herself around the bar her chest hurt.

 It was a long, long day.  If you can't stay awake long enough to eat ice cream, you don't get any. =/

She has tried to tell me she didn't fall asleep on the toilet that she was just tired, but this picture doesn't lie.

 

The one thing I think is really cool about Sea World is they're not afraid to say "Merry Christmas".  They sing and play all Christmas carols.  I guess if you're going at Christmas time you know it will be the theme at the park so you better not get your panties in a knot.