Smarty Pants & Traffic Light

Yesterday my sister asked if I could pick up Madelyn from school when I picked up Jacob since she was running late. Sure no problem...Jacob loves loves loves it when Madelyn comes to our house. He loves showing her all his toys. When we got home I was changing Madelyn and I was talking to her. I always ask Jacob how his day at school was and what he did that day. So I asked Madelyn, "How was school today?" she smiled and said "Good"!! What? Did she just answer me? Her "d" was a little faint but it was clearly the word "good"...I couldn't believe it. She normally repeats what you tell her to say but this time she answered the question and said the word clearly. I can't believe my little niece is growing up. Where have the last 18 months gone? So my sister and mom came to pick all 3 of us up and we headed to Hobby Lobby to get the material for Madelyn's costume. I also found Halloween gifts for Jacob's teachers...they had all their Halloween stuff 50% off...I love Hobby Lobby! I also found some thanksgiving decorations for my office. I LOVE FALL! On the way home my mom was asking Jacob how he was liking the PPK2 class (they moved Jacob up on Monday from PPK1 to PPK2). He said he liked his teachers and they have more computer time and he liked playing with all his old friends again. So my mom asked his friends names and he said, "Jayden his name starts with J, Connor his name starts with C, Jake his name starts with J just like mine and Jayden's, and Elliott his name starts with L." (First off I don't know why he thinks the first letters of his friends is important but wow at least he knows.) So I told him that Elliott starts with and E and he argues back no it's a L and I said no it starts with an E. My 4 year old stares me strait in the eye and said, "NO, you need to pronounce his name, watch me it's Lliot...did you hear me say e (making the e sound)" I guess he doesn't understand that "el" can just sound like an "l". That boy is too smart...what am I going to do with him? He gave us all a good laugh though!

Jacob has also been testing us...seeing what he can get away with. Not going to work buddy! So I remember when I was in kindergarten my teacher used the traffic light to show our behavior. Green was good, yellow was ok, and red was bad. So monday I went onto clipart and found a stop light. I printed it on long paper and colored it in. I then laminated it and cut it out. When we got home we hung it on his door and I explained to him that green meant he acted good and if I had to get onto him he would have to move his clip to yellow and if he got into trouble again he would have to move it to red. If he got red he would have to sit in time out. If he stayed at green for a few days he would get suprises. So lets just say he has been an angel! If he starts to do something bad I simply say, "Do you want to move to yellow?" and he straightens up very quick! I should have tried this earlier!

Here's my traffic light...I think it's cute & the best part it has been working!

Weekend Update

The multi-cultural parade at Jacob's school was amazing. Each class had their different theme and all of the kid's costumes were awesome. Madelyn did fine in the parade until she saw my sister & I and then started to cry. Jacob's class walked by and then she wanted to go with Jacob. His teacher said it was ok so there went Madelyn holding big cousin Jacob's hand. They played music from all the different countries. It was really cute. After the parade my sister & I had lunch at BJ's. I had gotten a gift card for there but had never been so I was really excited about trying it out. It sure was yummy! After lunch we did some shopping and then headed to pick the kids up from school.Jacob spent the night at my parent's house so Ruben & I watched some t.v. and went to bed early. Boring I know but it sure was relaxing. In the morning we woke up early and Ruben took me to breakfast. I love when just the 2 of us go and have breakfast. After we ate I dropped Ruben off at home and then headed back to my mom's to get Jacob ready...he had bowling league at 9:30 a.m. He was really excited. His first game he bowled a 59 and the second game he bowled a 77 (& also got the only spare of all the kids). There were about 6 kids in his age level and he got the highest score both times. Yey! My mom said I am too competitive and need to calm down but I just get so excited. There was another mom that kept going on and on that her son had bowled since he was 1 years old and he was so good and all they do is bowl...umm that kid cried every time it was his turn and he got the lowest score out of all the kids, he didn't even want to be there. That shut his mom up real quick. After bowling we went back to my mom's so she could work on his costume. She was only going to cut the pattern and measure him but ended up finishing it. It looks awesome...I can't wait until Halloween! Jacob & I went grocery shopping after than and went home to Daddy and had dinner and watched a movie together. On Sunday we headed to the Astros game. We had AMAZING tickets and it was the last home game of the season. We had a great time. After the game I went with my mom to Angela's jewelery show. I ordered a bracelet & my mom got me a necklace. Yey...love my mom! We went home and I got things ready for the week.

Grey's Party & Parade

Yey...finally...Grey's Anatomy is back!! We are having a Grey's party tonight at my sister's & I am super pumped. We are having snacks, pizza & wine...how classy. Haha! Glor & Krystal are joining in on the party too so all the kids can play together & us girls can watch the show. It's gonna be good!

Tomorrow at Jacob & Madelyn's school they are having a Multi-Cultural parade. It will be Madelyn's first parade so my sister is really excited. Madelyn's class is representing Mexico & Jacob's class is doing Brazil. They have made vests so I am excited to see what they look like. Should be super cute!

Sunday we are off to the Astros game. It is the last home game of the season...booo! We have great seats and I am beyond excited. Ruben makes fun of how excited I get about going to the games...but it honestly is my favorite place in the world. I hate that the Astros season is coming to an end...what am I going to watch now?

"Where Is It Going?"

Oh Jacob Ryan...never a dull moment with him. Yesterday my throat was sore and I had a headache. This morning when I woke up my nose was running like a faucet. Weather. So as the day went on my nose got worse. I was reading Jacob his library books when we got home from school today and I had to keep blowing my nose. I was tired of getting interrupted while I was reading when I decided to do a very unlady like thing...I rolled up a tissue and stuck it into my nostril. Jacob looked at me like "what is going on?" Here's how the conversation went:

Jacob: "Umm why do you have that tissue in your nose?"

Me: "Because my nose is running."

Jacob: "Where is it going? Can I come too?"

Haha..I had to explain that when I meant my nose was running it really meant my boogies kept coming out. He thought it was funny...any excuse for him to talk about boogers...boys!

24

24...24...24...my new age...have to keep reminding myself about that. Monday was my birthday & I had a great day. On Sunday my mom had a birthday dinner for me at my parents house. We had about 20 of our family friends over. We had a great time. The food was great and my birthday cake was even better...I love cake! I got a lot of gift cards, a hand painted plate with Jacob's hand prints on it, Astros tickets for Sunday and a Kodak all in one printer (so I can print all my pictures on...yey!). We had a great time talking & laughing after dinner...I am so lucky to have amazing people around me...especially my mom & sister...I am truly blessed.

Can you tell my favorite color is brown?

Monday (my birthday) Jacob & I slept in a little and then got ready and got breakfast and then headed to school. I met my sister & Madelyn there. We dropped the kids off and then were off to get pedi's. After that we did a little shopping and then went to the movies and watched, Love Happens...very good movie! We picked up a late little lunch and then picked up Jacob and Madelyn. We went to my moms and hung out with my mom and dad. When my brother in law got home from work we headed out to dinner. I had been craving Big Humphrey's so that's where we went. I love that place...it is the BEST! When we were done with dinner we went back to my mom's and watched a little Dancing With The Stars. Jacob and I headed home to wait for Ruben to get home from school. Soon after he got home we all crashed. I had a simple day but I was surrounded by my family & that is all I could ask for. Cheers to a new year & a new age!

Birthday Roses

Yesterday I got a surprise at work. Ruben sent me "birthday" roses. I was so surprised...I was not expecting it. They were beautiful! I love my bunny!

My sister, brother in law & Madelyn met Jacob & I at the park near our house. We had a blast & it was such a BEAUTIFUL afternoon/night...the weather was great. I hope fall comes real fast...I am tired of waiting for it.

My birthday is in 3 days! My mom will be cooking me a birthday dinner on Sunday with a few family friends. I can't wait. On Monday (my real birthday) my sister & I will spend the day together just doing anything...go to the movies, lunch...anything I want...should be a fun day...except for the fact Ruben has school that night & can't miss...he has a calculus test...boo!

What The H E Double Hockey Sticks...

Well not really...but it does have to do with hockey...lame...but funny (to me). Outside of Jacob's class (well every class) they have a bulletin board that the teacher decorates that corresponds with what they are learning about or a holiday theme. Yesterday I picked up Jacob and they had the bulletin board decorated with different sports and their origins. Jacob was so excited to tell me that the teacher picked him and a couple of others to paint the different sports. Jacob got hockey. He cut and painted the hockey puck and painted the hockey stick (the teacher added the "shadow" effect). It looked really good! I was so proud of him. So needless to say now he wants to learn how to play hockey. I didn't have my camera yesterday so I made sure to bring it when I dropped him off this morning. Here are some pictures of Jacob's hockey stick and puck...I am pretty proud of my love bug!

Grandparents Day & Almost My Birthday

Friday Jacob & I continued our routine of going to the library. Again he was thrilled. We brought a bag this time to carry all the books. Man it got heavy. He checked out 20 books & a DVD. One of the librarians knows his name already. I also got a book and have read about 3 chapters. Still doing good! We picked up a pizza for dinner and headed home to watch his DVD. On Saturday we went and picked up some flowers so we could take to Ruben's grandmother's house to visit her for Grandparents day. She was so happy! Jacob calls her his "soup grandma" because she used to always make him soup. "Soup Grandma" is the only thing he will call her...it's kinda funny. She made us lunch and we played Wii with his cousins. We had a good afternoon. The rest of the day we read library books and watched movies. On Sunday we had breakfast with Ruben's parents. We hung out all day and then had dinner with my parents and sister, brother in law and Madelyn. We had Central Texas...I forgot how good it was...lately if we are B-B-Q we went to Spring Creek but my mom wanted something different so Central Texas it was. Yummy!

So a week from today, September 21, is my 24th birthday! I can't believe it...it feels like I just turned 16. Time flys...I strongly believe that! I went online just now to renew my license...first time to ever do that. I have had the same licence since my sophomore year in high school. The long ones...man I hated it. So this year it was time to renew. It asked if I wanted to be an organ donor. I didn't know to check it or not. Weird as that sounds. I looked at the box and the question and honestly didn't know if I wanted to check it. It just weirded me out for some reason. I called my mom and asked her what to do...I'm still a little kid and love asking my mommy what to do! She said it was my decision but to think of it this way, "What if something happened to Jacob...wouldn't you want someone to help him if they could?" She knew just what to say...I checked it. I always knew it was the right thing to do but for some reason it just made me numb and want to be selfish for a second...that's my body...I don't want someone else to use something. Wrong way to think...if I needed something I would pray there was a match out there...why wouldn't I do the same for someone else. No matter how old I get I will always need my mommy! So the countdown is on...7 more days until my 24th birthday.

Halloween Costume Shopping

If you know me then you know I am a planner. I love to plan things. I hate that if things I plan go terribly wrong...I am obsessive & if something doesn't turn out right it's a jab to the gut. I also hate that some people seem to just throw things together last minute and everything turns out fine as to me who plans and plans and plans and something can go wrong. With that I have already known what I wanted Jacob to be for Halloween since well last Halloween. He is very excited because his costume can have so many accessories he can play with. Last night my mom, Jacob & I went to the new Halloween store they opened in Pearland (where Linens & Things used to be). We stopped by there on Sunday but they had a sign that they opened on Wednesday (yesterday). We got one of his accessories there and then headed to Party City where we found another thing we needed. We then went to Wal-Mart and found the BEST material for the costume. I was so excited. I already had a vision of what I wanted it to look like and one of the materials we found by far passed my expectations...I am so glad we found it! I need a couple of more things to top off the costume and then my mom will get busy and sew it. My mom is amazing at sewing. When my sister and I were little she used to make us beautiful dresses. She made Jacob's bam bam costume when he was 2 and last year made his Elvis costume....sorry if this sounds stuck up or you don't agree but that Elvis costume was the best flippin' costume I have ever seen!! I still love looking at it. We worked so hard on that thing and it came out awesome. Jacob even won the costume contest at the Pearland Trick or Treat Trail last year. So anyway this year he is going to be a....MAGICIAN! My mom is going to make his cape and we found the magician hat and wand and now all I need to find if cards, and scarfs so he can pull them out of his pocket. Madelyn might even be a bunny in a hat so they will match...my sister is still deciding on that. I can't wait. Here are some pictures of Jacob's Halloween costumes through the years, I don't have his zebra costume pictures saved on my computer but here are the others...

Family, Raiderettes, Beauty & The Beast and A Lance Berkman Autographed Baseball

On Saturday morning my family came into town. I was so happy. My 2 favorite cousins came in...Steph and Sarah. They live 6 hours away and we don't get to see each other as much as we would like. When they got here we had breakfast at my moms and then we off so I could take some pictures of my cousin Sarah in her Raiderette uniform. She is a sophomore and is Lt. of her team (their version of Pearland's Prancers). I probably took over 150 pictures but here are a couple I really liked. Jacob & his Raiderette
Our Roots says we are Cousins, but our Hearts say we are friends.

After the pictures we stopped and had lunch. When we got home we rested for a little while and then got ready to go to the new high school, Dawson, to watch the play Beauty and the Beast. It was so good...those kids did an amazing job. They sang great, their costumes were awesome, and they were really funny. We had a great time. When we got home Ruben met us there cause we were off to some bowling. Jacob and Madelyn stayed with my parents so we could have a good time. My family loves to bowl & we have a great time doing it. I don't think I have laughed so hard in a long time. My sister got the top score but I was only a few points behind...I think Gil, my brother in law, got the worst score....it didn't matter though...we all had a blast. Ruben and I went home and watched a movie before passing out. The next morning we went back to my mom's house and hung around there for a while. We all went to lunch at Pei Wei and then off to do some shopping. I came back early with my mom while my cousins and sister shopped. Jacob and I made some brownies for everyone and helped my mom make dinner. When everyone got back to my moms we enjoyed a great dinner and shared lots of laughs looking at old family pictures. I live for those moments!!! My cousins left early Monday morning and the rest of the day Ruben & I did laundry and played with Jacob. It was a very relaxing day.

On Saturday there was a package for Jacob...what could it be?...we didn't order anything. We open it and inside there is a signed Lance Berkman baseball and a certificate that says Jacob won the August drawing for the Buddies club...crazy! We were so excited. So know he has a Lance Berkman, Brian Moehler, Jose Valverde and Jose Cruz Jr. signed baseballs. (He also has his 1st Astros outfit from when he was a baby signed by Berkman and his Astros build a bear signed by Berkman). We are on our way to having a collection going.

Page 215...& Done!

Last night again I read my book after Jacob went to sleep and while I waited for Ruben to get home from school...to my surprise...I FINISHED IT! What I read a whole book in about 1 day? Crazy! Again note it was not a huge novel or anything but none the less a book. Once I finished the book I started to read the one I had checked out at the library and got to page 58. My eyes teared up a lot as she would talk about the horrible seizures her son would have. Breaks my heart that any child would have to go through that. Please be thankful for your healthy children!

Today is laundry and errand running day. I also need to get Jacob a haircut when he gets out of school...I swear we get that boy a haircut every 1 week 1/2 - 2 weeks. His hair grows so fast! We have family coming in tomorrow & I am so excited about that! I love my family like no other! I hope everyone has a great Labor Day weekend!

Rockin' Red Converse

Yesterday after work my mom picked up Jacob & I to head to Rack Room Shoes. We had went there on Saturday and we found Jacob some red converse shoes. They had his size but we decided to get a bigger size so he could wear them longer. They had to order them and they had come in yesterday so we went to pick them up. He was so happy...RED is his FAVORITE color! He has blue ones already but now he was happy to have his favorite color & that they match some of his uniform shirts. He couldn't wait to go to school today so he could wear his red Primrose uniform shirt and his new red converse...silly boy! Here he is this morning:

After we left the shoe store we went to Barnes & Noble. My mom got Jacob & Madelyn a couple of books and I was on a mission to find another book by Jenny McCarthy. I found the one I wanted....it's called, Life Laughs...The naked truth about Motherhood, Marriage and Moving On. We went home and I took Jacob a shower and put him to bed. While I was waiting for Ruben to get home from school I started my new book. Before I knew it I was on page 82. The book was hilarious I couldn't put it down. I am honestly proud of myself. I know these are not serious books or huge novels but I truly enjoy reading them & I never finish a book. So here I am a nerd carrying around 3 Jenny McCarthy books like I am her stalker or something but I want to read them any chance I get. She is a mom & I relate to her.

Library & Hooked On Phonics

When I picked up Jacob from school yesterday I had a little surprise for him...we were going to the library. HE LOVES THE LIBRARY! We used to go every other Friday but lately have been to busy to go. He was thrilled when we pulled up, I thought he was going to jump out of his car seat and run in. On the way in he kept saying what kind of books he wanted & how excited he was. We went strait to the children's section and within minutes he already had about 12 books in his arms. (Thank goodness there is a 50 children's book limit). We read a couple there and found a couple of others...I think he checked out about 16 books! I have finished the book I was reading, Mother Warriors, by Jenny McCarthy and was happy to have found the first part of that book called, Louder Than Words, in the library. So I took my book and all of Jacob's to get checked out. He loves handing his library card over to librarian...I think it makes him feel special. I can only hope he continues this love for books as he gets older. Ruben didn't have school last night so Jacob couldn't wait to show his daddy all his new books! We had dinner and thankfully Ruben fixed my laptop this past weekend so Jacob & I were able to start his Hooked On Phonics lessons again. The program was saved to my laptop and all his completed work so I was very happy my laptop is working again. Jacob has already finished the "yellow book" which is recognition and writing of uppercase letters so yesterday we started the "red book" which is the same thing but just using lowercase letters. We did a-d and he did really well. He has known his letters for some time now but we always showed him how to write mainly in uppercase so he is now getting the hang of when to use lowercase. He was so happy Ruben got to see how well he does, since usually we do it when Ruben is at school. I love the Hooked on Phonics program. We have a couple of other work books that he works with but the HOP has a computer program that goes along with the books and he likes to move the mouse himself and I think it makes him focus a little more. After shower time we read a couple of his library books and it was time for bed. I am so thankful Jacob loves to read and learn...I hope it continues through the rest of his school days...he is such a smart little boy & I thank God for that everyday!