1st snow of the winter (fall) season

Holy cow!  Huge flakes just floating down for probably about an hour today.  And so early too.  Of course I killed my camera's battery last weekend at the pumpkin patch (and haven't taken the time to charge it) so I couldn't capture it any way other then on Matthew's shirt, with my phone.  Matthew might just get his wish for more snow slides this winter after all!

Football has arrived!

 1st K-State football game tonight!  (26 weeks-even a big t-shirt still shows the belly.)

 As you can tell, we're pretty pumped up.  I'm loving my preschool coworkers, as they are as dedicated K-State fans as I am.  All 3 of us showed up with K-State shirts and jewelry on.

Even the hubs is appropriately attired, deep in the heart of Texas.  Probably a little dangerous in Friday Night Lights territory, but we fly our colors with pride anyway.

Eat 'em up, eat 'em up, K-S-U!

Whirlwind

 A few days before we left Texas, Phil found this toad.  It looks different from our toads, rather fancy with it's little frill going around it's sides.

 That same weekend we test drove a truck that Phil wanted to get.  Not just a truck, his DREAM truck.  I have to admit I fell for it like a 15 year old girl with a big crush.  I kindof wanted to drive it home.  But that would have been stealing, so I didn't.

 The boys giving the backseat a test run.  Matthew fell in love with the back window, which completely rolls down.  A week later, Phil became the proud owner.  A week after that, someone else became the proud owner of the Celica.  Ahhh, life is good.  No more itty bitty car for me! 

 The real whirlwind started in when we'd almost made it home.  I wish I'd taken a photo, of the clouds, of the storm we ran into.  It was the scariest storm I've ever driven in and I've driven in plenty, in quite a few states across the western half of the country.  It was like being in a car wash, then clouds so low you could watch the lighting go from cloud to ground within feet of you.  After that the winds would blow the water literally off the ground like some huge industrial fan one way, to suddenly change to the other side and try to blow you off the road.  The weather report confirmed winds that were 60 miles an hour in there with me.  The way the 4-Runner was rocking, I thought we'd go over.  And then it would cycle through again.  Thank goodness we weren't in the Celica.  I don't think things would have had a happy ending.  I was sure a tornado was trying to form above us once I hit a calm eye of the storm only to plunge back into it again.  Again, the weather confirmed that is what it tried to do.  By time I made it to the next town, I was a wreck.  After consulting with people that had TVs, I decided to take an alternate route home, which meant I ran into serious flash flooding and turned around.  What a welcome home!

 Auntie brought a bouncy horse for the boys.  Matthew immediately became a Texas Ranger with his "rifle," taking care of the bad guys.

 Another day he used his pistols.  Can you tell that Poppa and him watch westerns together?

 Remember the creek Matthew I safaried in?  Well that won't happen for awhile.  We got so much rain for awhile that we almost flooded 2 different times.

 We were lucky.  People to the south of us have had major flooding problems.

 The last day the brand new pool was open, we went.  Matthew went down both slides.

 But the fast one hurt on impact, so he only likes the curvy one.

 Rain, rain, and more rain has been the story for the last 2 weeks or so.  Puddles were begging for his new boots to come stomp in.

 Although since he fills his boots with water and takes them off, I'm not quite sure why I bought a new pair.  (The old pair has a crack in them and leaks.  How would he know?)

But it's worth it to see him have a good time.

Back to School and 24 weeks

 1st grade!  Already!  Back to School night was Tues. the 13th and Matthew was very excited to go meet his new teacher that plays guitar.

 Matthew with Mr. England.  I'd say he was very lucky to get in his class, not that all the 1st grade teachers aren't great, but male teachers aren't plentiful in our district.

 Thursday the 15th was the first day for both of us.  Well, I'd been to meetings, but still first day of school.  The first day photo the Momma way.  Last year's photo here.

 And the Matthew way.  A side note, Matthew got my Mom to sew the fringe on his jeans so he could look like a real cowboy.  I saw him and thought rodeo cowboy.  Except with tennis shoes.  Gotta get him some new boots!

 Matthew took one of me the Matthew way.  *photo by Matthew

 It was also 24 weeks for the baby.  So us and the baby front...

...and sideways!  Matthew is already the best big brother, always looking for something his baby brother needs.  Today we went to 2 yard sales and he picked out a pair of tiny crocs, cowboy overalls, and a t-shirt that the baby really needed.  So of course I took his expert advice and bought the $1 worth of must haves.

So far, so good.  Matthew is loving 1st grade.  He rides the bus home.  First time ever.  He was very excited and then accidently got confused and tried to go around the bus the wrong way.  It made him not want to ride anymore, but he has little friends to sit with, which has made it more fun.  His teacher has a lending library in the room, so he's brought a book home both days.  Both days, Mr. England played the guitar.  Last night was the Back to School concert and Mr. England's band played.  We all enjoyed it. 

As for me, I'm tickled pink that since I have 8 bus riders this year to drop off at 2 different locations (3 that all went to the same location last yr.) I get back too late to do the 1st MIRP group I was assigned.  This means I only have one to deal with and I'm feeling optimistic that this year with go better with the middle schoolers and me.  I have a new preschool teacher and a whole new curriculum we are introducing.  (So far every teacher I've been an aide for has retired at the end of the year.  I wonder if it's me...)  It is very very hectic, but I think it will be great.  Afterschool is marching along like it always does.  I expect it to be the same.  Sometimes that's a good thing.  So far my energy is keeping up with the pace.  Next week being a full week will be the real test.  I may be totally fried by Friday and I can't have coffee to cope!

23 weeks

 Pretty big for me! 

And while I'm getting bigger, Matthew is working on new projects.  The red object is a needle case, the orange a wallet, and the white and blue is a pin cushion with an adorable Holstein on the front.  And he sewed them all by himself.  One of his stuffed animals sprung a leak the other day.  He didn't wait for Mamaw to have time to sew, he just got his needle and thread out and patched the hole himself.  I'm so proud of him!  He's much handier then his momma.

Matthew has news to share

As of tomorrow I'll be 22 weeks pregnant.  Matthew was very excited to learn it's a boy, even though he doesn't in the photo.  I'd had to tell him to calm down so I could take the photo my way, not the jumping around way.  A brother is just what he wished for.

And here he is, taking a sip on film, or maybe he really is just smiling. 

Sweet summertime

 I can't believe that in a few days, Matthew and I will be headed back to KS.  It seemed like we'd be here such a long time and it's gone too fast.  I feel like we just got here.  So here is Matthew getting his head shaved the day after his birthday.  First time Dad ever cut his hair.  Once again Matthew chopped a bit of hair off with scissors.  Just one cut this time to a cowlick in the back, but noticeable.

The next day I left for 5 days, by myself, for KS.  The boys immortalized their pleasure at my absence with a photo.

 A few days after I got back, Phil's Aunt Tara came to visit and we had an awesome time!  So much fun.  Here is Phil and Matthew in Phil's office.    *photo by Tara

 One day, while she was here, we took her around post.  Phil took her and Matthew to see a tank.  Matthew was so excited.  In the drivers "hole".  It was like 120 degrees inside.  Not for the faint of heart.

 *photo by Tara

 *photo by Tara

 With Aunt Tara.     *photo by Tara

 It was so fun to get on the tank.

We played crochet in the backyard with Tara and alot before and since this summer.   *photo by Tara

One day we went took her to San Antonio's riverwalk.

 This time there was baby ducks.  So cute!

 Gotta love my husband's photos.

 In front of the Megatron at Ripley's.  We saw Optimus Prime last summer.

 This sign just killed me.  :)

 The day we took Tara back to the airport, we walked around Austin's SoCo district.  Awesome shops.  This is looking down the street at Austin's skyline with the capital in the middle.

 With Matthew's birthday money, he was able to buy all these wall tracks.

 He was so proud!  Thanks Mamaw and Poppa, Auntie, and Aunti Tara and Uncle Dan.

 Enjoying the huge sucker Aunti Tara got him in the candy store on SoCo.  (She spoiled him just a bit.)

 The cats are learning to love each other again.

 Matthew transporting lawn games and himself.

 For 3 days straight it rained off and on.  What an awesome sight!

 Overnight it rained enough to create puddles.  I wonder why we didn't bring rain boots with us...

 For those of you curious, the back of our house.

 No scenic cows here out the back fence.

 The front of the house.

 As it's been clouding up lately, there has been some amazing clouds.

 What that amazing cloud let go a moment later.

 For the last week or two, Matthew wakes up and says, "Let's do a project."  That has been a challenge here, as we aren't as well equiped for projects.  It has had me scanning the internet for ideas, that we have the supplies for.  This bubble printing didn't work, but what we saw was beautiful.  It might have been because we used acrylic paints since we can't find where the tempera got packed.  Matthew still enjoyed blowing bubbles.  I don't remember who's site we saw the idea.

Another day we used our acrylic's to print with truck tracks.  It was a mess to clean up, but he like it and took a bath while washing the trucks in the tub.  Again, I don't remember where I found the idea, but it's very likely that I found both ideas on The Crafty Crow.

Anyway, here is the end result.

One day Matthew decided to make a rocket out of a box.

With a little help, we have the front...

...and the back.  He had so much fun.

Matthew has been making our bed lately and then decorates it with stuffed animals from his bed.  Which animal is real?

I've been stalking thrift stores for special clothes.  Matthew has taken advantage of this to pick up some "pretty sweet deals".  Here he is with his Thomas track.  He had a tiny part and the 2 trains from 2 Christmas's ago, but we were able to pick up a lot more track for pennies.  Since he's been stealing his Dad's tools to "learn about being a builder" we also got some "tools" for him to practice with instead.  "Cutting" the track, I'm sure, is a good way to learn.

Matthew cut a piece of hair out of his bangs this time, so he got another haircut last night.  We may have to hide the scissors.

Loving it.

That boy...

We made Reading Confetti's frozen popsicle chalk.  We used flour instead of cornstarch.

Looks good enough to eat.

When it dries, it looks like chalk.  Pretty cool stuff.

Today we redid his rocket, as the tape let go and we found packing tape in our car.  Don't ask.  Anyway, we decided to make some fun upgrades.  It became a family project.  I suggested letters and numbers on the sides.

Phil blinged it out with flames.

I cut a hole in the back cover, so people can see the wires in the back.  Matthew was thrilled with the end results.

Another day Matthew made a city out of magazine photos.  We got the idea from Se7en.  I liked the results a lot.

One day we found watercolors.  The one of the right is me petting a turkey.  Inspired by turkey hand prints.

The last project of note, is this paper plate frisbee.  We found it on How does she?.  We played with it outside one night.  It worked pretty well.

Ahhh, sweet summertime.