New Discovery

Someone discovered how to take photos with the ipod during Cora's violin lessons...

Growth Spurts

You 4 kids ate like maniacs this summer!

Mason, you could never get full and were often eating as much and sometimes more than dad and Cristian.

Cora you are the perpetual snacker.  And picky these days...

Perry, you are our voracious eater and want to eat all the time.

Cristian, you slowed down a bit, you've become finicky about what you'll eat and pride yourself that you no longer eat of the kid menu at restaurants.

The weigh ins:

June 2012

Perry 63.0 lbs
Mason 51.5 lbs
Cora 71.0 lbs
Cristian 81.5 lbs

Sept. 2012

Perry 68.0 (+5)
Mason 54.5 (+3)
Cora 75.5 (+4.5)
Cristian 84.5 (+3)

That's 15.5 lbs in one summer!  I cannot tell you how many bananas and pb&j's that was!

2012 School Play

 Cora & Lena had a short play at the end of their 3rd grade school year.  Their drama teacher opted to do 5 or 6 small skits to ensure lots of kids got parts.  Cora was chosen to be a spider.

 She had this elaborate and quite expensive costume idea in mind.  I was not willing to spend the money for a 5-minute skit.  I had my own idea on how to make her into a sassy spider.  I explained it a few times and she wasn't sold on it.  I went ahead with materials we already had around the house.  Best part is that I got to use one of the boys many baseball caps.  This one was a freebie from Firestone.  REALLY?  Who's gonna wear that?

Lena was a fluffy bunny and Cora a purple spider.  The saga ended well.  Cora really loved her hat costume & I only spent $4!



can't be contained

 my man-child came downstairs after church and asked if this outfit "worked".  all these signs and symptoms of teenhood.  i turned to look at him and about died.  seriously, the boy has serious hot factor.

 i asked him where he got the idea for the outfit.  there wasn't really a reply.  what make him all the more adorable is that he is such a good, good kid.  so bright, kind, and respectful.  he really is the whole package.  i think i'm going to claw the eyes out of any girl that crushes on him. 



mother's day 2012

our primary this year made really cute magnets for the moms this year.  the kids actually picked out their flower petals and glued their blooms together.  i don't keep much memorabilia but when it's cute, i can't resist.  don't they have adorable mugs?

 Beauty.

A New Hobby

Cristian has started a new hobby over the past several months.

In May the middle school hosted a 5k and he decided to participate. He and Carlos trained for a few weeks before-hand and ran the race.  Since then, Cristian has wanted to go running on a regular basis so Luli stepped in and asked him to run during the week. 

 They have been running 3 times a week now for a couple of months and ran their first 5k together in July.

Cristian's time:  24:12

Cars and Coffee Houston - Aug 2012

I took Cristian and a couple of his good friends to a car show last Saturday.  We were supposed to get up at 4:30, but somebody slept in (yours truly) and we didn't get out the door until after 6am. I thought about skipping this one since we got such a late start, but decided to go anyways. 

The center piece of the show was this Lamborghini

(click on the photo to view album)

The drive was long but on the plus side, I got to listen to 11 and 12 year old chatter for 6 hours! At one point I asked the boys what they would talk about if they weren't allowed to quote movie lines to each other.  They swore they would still have things to talk about, but I have my doubts.  They were all super appreciative that I took the day to drive them down to the show, so it was definitely worth it. 

SAY WHAT?!!?

love.this.picture.of.her.
corpus cristi.march.2012

cora was retelling us something she watched on the tele.  she was talking about a guy who used another guy to talk.  we were all lost.  she kept trying to explain what she saw.  "i can't remember what it called."  she kept repeating.

i asked her to explain the idea again.  it was when a person had a puppet and they made the puppet talk and tell jokes. 

"i think it's called shrillaqueake."  she shyly said.

I started laughing, "Do you mean ventriloquism?"

"Oh yeah, that's it!"

Here's What We're Dealing With....

So...my kids are serious note writers when I am on the phone.  Their lives have all been threatened on numerous occasions so they have adapted.  It works.  This was a personal favorite of ours.  It demonstrates the sensitive balance that coexists in our home.

We are now privvy to all sorts of fun new terms like nipple cripple, nads, twig and berries, man sac,  tak'n a waz, wazz'n the wizzer, potato chip farts, diaper brownies, butt gems, and so on.  I reprimand ALL DAY LONG, only to realize (often in between my hysterical laughing) that this is my fate for the next 15 years.  That might even be cutting it short.  ahhh, boys.

Blue Angels Airshow

I have these 2 nephews that I adore.  Thankfully, for politics sake, one stems from the Cruz side and the other from the Carter.  Although now I think about them, what I adore about these two boys I believe come from their fathers who are not genetically bound to our families.  Basically we had to marry out for the traits I love in these boys.

Yesterday, Ian, my seven-year old nephew from the hubs side, held an airshow for all his cousins.  I imagine he spent hours creating the props for the event.  His ad posters plastered his house.  I think there was one on every wall.  He watched and became obsessed with a documentary on the Blue Angles.  Interestingly enough my older brother and I went to several of these air shows growing up.  I love these posters he did.  The colors are vibrant, its a great likeness of the actual planes (in a barrel roll), and I adore the backwards "s". 

Ian loves to rummage through the recycle bins and create.  Cardboard is HIS medium.  He made 5 or 6 planes out of toilet papers rolls, cardboard, and paper.  Then he created a whole landing strip and surrounding community.  There was an ambulance, a heliocopter, heliocopter landing pad, a park with trees and swings, a texas flag prominantly on display, and a storage building.  It was totally genius and brillantly executed.  This boy is always building and creating.  He is fascinated by the sky.  He knows all about the planets, stars, system.  He wants to be an astronaut.  And now he is flying with the Blue Angels.  He is absolutely brillant and precious!

Kavi stems from the Carter side but he gets his brillance from his dad too.  I guess there are similarities in the two boys.  They are both insanely ridiculous-smart  and I suppose socially quirky.  Kavi has a mind that is always going.  He is quick witted and too smart for his age.  He is an "outside of the box" type of thinker.  He can take an item and find a fun bizarre use for it that would never occur to me.

Part of me is jealous of these boys.  My mind is so literal and practical.  Even on my best day I am unable to create and improvise the way these two can.  Thankfully, a large part of me is in awe of them.  I am so proud to be their aunt.  I am proud to have part ownership in their blood.  I love to show off their talents and build up their gifts.

Which One of These is Not Like the Other?

We spent Father's Day with good friends the Costello's.  Linds got all creative on us and made mini Robb-los'.  She skewered them and plopped them into our watermelon that evening.  They definitely made the evening!  She and I are super blessed with WONDERFUL & supportive hubbies.  (I am a sucker for a man in houndstooth.)

Pink Poetry

Cora had an assignment in her class this year.  She was to write a poem about a color.  She, of course, chose pink.  I thought this was so beautifully, creatively, intuitively written for a girl her age.  Or maybe I just will always she her as my little girl.  She is growing up so fast these days.

PINK

Pink is the beautiful daughter of red.

The star at the ball.

Pink is the most feminine of them all.

It's the dress that was made for you.

It tastes like strawberry jam and raspberries.

It's the color of love and romance.

Pink smells like a rose in its sweet bloom.

It feels like silk.

Pink is the lipgloss you wear.

The sunset and sunrise.


Mrs. Lands Class
May 2012
3rd Grade

A day at the park

..the ballpark that is. 

I have been wanting to take the kids to their first major league baseball game (to see the L.A. Dodgers) for quite some time now.  So a couple of months ago I took a look at their schedule to see when they would go to Houston to play the Astros.  They were to be in Houston for the only time this year on April 20-22.  At least it is a weekend series so I bought tickets for me and the kids.  Jen had planned a trip to NY with her sisters that week so while she is there with them doing this and this.  I spent Saturday afternoon with the kids doing this! 

Sure - our seats were up in the nose bleed section, but 1- the kids really didn't care and 2 - youth ticket prices in that section are only $1!

 Cotton candy, popcorn and cracker jacks! Just couldn't resist.

Go Dodgers! We had a great time at the game.  And to top it off, Dodgers won 5-1.

Matt Kemp hit home run #9 of the season.

Clayton Kershaw got his first win of the season while striking out 9.

Finally an 'official' Family Picture

First, one of Mason's finer moments 

Many thanks to Robb Costello for making our family look presentable

My Sweet Cora B.

So... about a week ago I decided to take the kids camping for a night on my own. Yes all 4 kids and yes just me - no mom.  I knew Jen wouldn't be able to join us since her schedule wouldn't allow it and the weather is perfect for camping for just a few weeks in Texas.  I just couldn't wait too long or the good weather would pass and I would lose my camping mojo. I booked a campsite, planned meals, and schedule a mini itinerary. We just got back this afternoon and I for the most part enjoyed myself.  Sure, there was a few hiccups - a few insect bites, a couple of tantrums, and some burnt food; but overall I thought the kids and I had a good time.  The topper though was about an hour after we had returned home and settled in.  Cora brought me a tall glass of cranberry juice with this note taped to the side.  I am so glad she is grateful for our little camping outing. Any inconvenience I might have gone through was totally worth it the moment I read this note.

And some more photos of our little camping trip.