What a trip to the beach is like

The kids and I were so lucky to get to go down to Christies "beach house" again this weekend. Chet is out of town again for training... so I thought I would take advantage and get some good beach time:) Here is how our trip to the beach went....


The kids ALWAYS ask, "Can we ride in the back of Christie's truck?" Like a million times- and no matter what you say they ask again- even if you say yes, they ask again because they are used to getting a no- and then they are like "really?":) So, whenever we go a short distance in her truck- they get to ride in the back with me! They love it!!



Since Christie lives 1 block away from the sea wall, we just parked on the seawall and grabbed all our stuff and walked down to the beach. This is the view from the sea wall while I'm walking. One of the many fishing piers in Galveston along with the jetty.



After swimming our favorite thing to do is lay our towels out and picnic or layout - Erin likes to follow me in whatever I'm doing:) The boys prefer to eat. I LOVE soaking up the sun! I could do it all day long for thousands of days and not get tired of it:)



Here is a game Dante and Ethan made up - as they kept picking up sand stuck together... they would throw it at the other and go SAAAAND BAAAALLLLL!!! I guess this is what happens when your kids are deprived of snow?? They had a blast though!


Here is Erin "trying" to stay out of the SAAAANND BALLLLLLL fight.... and crawling her way to safety. I'm not sure it worked to well.

We had sooooo much fun and we will be going back very soon again. Summer is almost here! I love Spring and I love Fall and Winter- but OH HOW I LOVE THE SUMMER!! (yes, even in Texas) - I guess that means I grew up here huh?? Yep- I'm a true Texan:)


PS- thanks for all the replies to my weight lifting post-- I will definitely do a "How to get flat Abs" post soon- because ANYONE can do it!! Maybe I'll even do like a fit tip a week! The possibilities are endless with this one... let me know what you want and I'll give it to you......(don't take that the wrong way- I know there are some of you out there and I'm not mentioning names- just turkey bones!):)

Weights

Can I please tell you how much I love lifting weights! I LOVE it! It gives me so much joy and pleasure... and when I'm all done with my workout, I feel like I can conquer the world... so watch out:)

I have started to notice some more women in the weight room, then I did a few years ago... so that is a good thing. But for the most part, I feel like women still shy away from weights. If you happen to be one of these women- please do me a favor, and DON'T. Lifting is the best thing you can do for your body- including cardio and eating well. Lifting is what gives your body shape.

Alot of people in the world want to lose 10 pounds, but do they want to lose 10 pounds and just be a smaller version of what they already are.... or do they want to tighten their rear end and midsection and have shapelier legs and arms??? The only way you do that is by lifting my friend.

The more muscle you have the more fat and calories you burn standing still. The only way to gain muscle is resistance training. So, hop to it! And feel like you can conquer the world.

(I don't mean to sound like an advertisement... but I just really LOVE, LOVE, LOVE weights!)

If you are intimidated or not sure of what to do when you get to the weights part...... let me know- and I'll try to help you out- (free)..... and it is always best to have someone with you the 1st time around- and until you feel comfortable- that knows what they are doing- because lifting is also all about form-- and if you don't have the correct form, then you could get injured or be doing more harm then good.

Until then- happy lifting:)

ps- for the record you WILL NOT look like a man for lifting heavy-- you WILL look like a man if you take steroids. Lots of women seem to confuse the 2. If you think I look like a man below- then DO NOT lift weights--
(2005 Ms. Fitness Texas)

But if you think only the woman below me looks like a man- then DO NOT USE steroids! I repeat DO NOT use steroids! They do some harsh stuff to your body! (obviously)
pps - I don't want to hear any BS about- well I gain muscle real quick and I will look like a man.... believe me- I thought that once upon a time too:)

What is this??

Ok- so I'm over the whole it is supposed to storm and it doesn't thing. Today was one of those days- and who knows- it may storm tonight... but at this point I'm peeved at Dante's school. SERIOUSLY! And if anyone else has had issues with this- please LET ME KNOW!

Today has been cloudy on and off and a few drizzles here and there, but nothing major and NOTHING enough to have to physically go and pick Dante up from school, because it is raining so hard that they won't send him home on his scooter.

Well, apparently I have it ALL wrong. They won't send him home on his scooter, or any other child..... if there is moisture in the air. I'm talking droplets that hit you every 30 seconds and that dry off of you immediately. After his normal time he gets home- I looked out the window and saw no kids coming down the street and was like ARE YOU KIDDING ME??!! I just put Erin and Ethan in the bath- and I'm NOT getting them out to walk and go get Dante. So- they stayed in the bath. I figured an almost 4 year old and 5 1/2 year old would be safe. I'd only be gone 10 min. tops.

I get to the school- honestly still expecting to see Dante riding around the corner on his scooter at ANY minute- but nope. ALL the teachers in the drive line had umbrellas, ALL the parents had umbrellas- and this whole time I'm like- WHAT IS THIS??? Are you serious??? If the crossing guards don't have umbrellas and they are out there from 3:00 to 3:15 or so-- don't you THINK if it was raining that they would have umbrellas?? Yes - they were wearing ponchos- but they had their head things off! So- it wasn't raining!!

The picture at the top is of when I walked outside to go get Dante because it is "raining". So you tell me- is it raining?? Do I have a reason to be just a little bit peeved?? I mean- I walked a whole 5 min. there and a whole 5 min. back in the "RAIN" for goodness sakes. And heaven forbid WITHOUT an umbrella! And guess what --- I didn't even GET wet! That is what really makes me mad- if it were truly raining--- FINE... but not for this- don't disturb me from my deep slumber to walk 5 min--- just to pick up my child when it was NOT raining... seriously- EVERYONE that had an umbrella got a "here's your sign" from me!:)

If I wanted to pick my child up from school- when it was NOT raining- then I wouldn't have him riding his scooter to and fro and I wouldn't have bought the house across the street from the school. Thank you very much!

Other then that- my day has gone great! What about you?

And we are back to our regular blogging....

FINALLY!!:) It seems for a while there I was blogging something everyday- and I have been off a little - I mean ELEVEN posts in MARCH!! Hellooo?? What is wrong with me? I guess it helps now that my camera is working again- it is AMAZING what a new pair of energizer batteries can do for you- they keep going and going and going and going... and you get the idea.

So- Dante seems to get left our of my blog quite a bit because he is always at school when my camera is working. This morning though- I was able to take some shots of him in his "cool" butterfly t-shirt.

Today is Dante's 1st grade field trip and they are going to the Natural Science Museum and to the Cockrell Butterfly Center. (and they all made butterfly t-shirts to match... AWWWW!)

When he came out with his butterfly t-shirt on. I was like- WOW- COOL SHIRT!! To which he replied... MOM! It isn't cool, but we HAVE to wear it. Ok- well- let's take some pics anyway:)



1st one when I asked him to smile!

2nd one when I asked him to pose- YES- THIS is HIS pose of choice (sometimes it is one hand on the hip and one hand behind the head):)!


This is mommy's pose of choice- and him showing you his manly muscles.



And lastly I told him to do the thumbs up to show EVERYONE how cool his shirt was (to which he again said- MOM! It isn't cool- it has butterflies on it! I'm a boy- and I have to wear it- and he says this while laughing) Then he gives me the thumbs up- stands on one leg (even though you can't really tell he is in the picture because i cut off his foot) and SNAP... now you have some pics of Big D to tide you over:)

Ps.... he is now my audio version of a grocery list. This morning after he brushes his teeth- he lets me know. Mom- you need to get more tooth paste the next time you go to the store. Then while I was packing his lunch I asked him- if he wanted pretzels or gold fish- because all our chips are gone. To which he replies... Goldfish- and don't forget the next time you go to the grocery store you need to get toothpaste AND chips now.

Gotta love it!

What did you just say??

WOW! I can't believe my 3 year old talked back to me! Well- he did do it in a very sweet way-- but I was still shocked. Here is how it went down:)

1st off- Ethan loves building blocks- he will build a castle for you anytime, anyplace, upside down, naked- whatever...you name it-- he'll do it! So- this scene is after he is done playing with his blocks (which we have about a million- NO- a GAZILLION!)

Me: Ethan, it is time to pick up your blocks now. Will you pick them up for Mommy please?

Ethan: No. You can do it.

Me: Ethan, that makes Mommy so sad when you won't pick up your blocks.

Ethan: Ok.

Me: Ethan- I guess you won't be able to play with your blocks anymore because you won't pick them up.

Ethan: I guess so.

Me: Ethan- I guess I'll just have to throw them away.

Ethan: Yeah, I guess you will have to because Dante doesn't like playing with them anymore, and I don't either. So, yeah, just throw them away. It's OK with me, Mommy!

Me: (thinking) purpose defeated- kind of like when you are sitting in church and your child is acting bad, and you tell them you will take them home or in the hall- and they are like- OK- LET'S GO!!!

Back to the building blocks, I guess. ( and I guess it doesn't help when you are trying to hold back your laughter, either)

Who can see the difference?

Anyone, anyone?? I see 2 right off the bat! LOL!

Pretty perfect day!

Friday just somehow magically turned out perfect. These kind of days are far and few between- but when I do have them, I sure enjoy every minute:) I knew it was going to be such a perfect day- that I captured most of it- for you all to be jealous! LOL!

FIRST HALF
Clean house- the WHOLE house was clean- and it always makes me feel so much better when I leave and everything is clean- and I have a clean house to come home to.

House clean- so we go on a walk to Grandmas (which is only a little over a quarter mile away)
Notice- I only have Ethan- Dante is at school and we are going to pick up Erin from Grandmas. She spent the night because Aunt Elise was in town.

The wonderful suburbia lake we get to pass every time we walk to Grandmas.:)
As soon as we are in eye shot of Grandma's house- all the kids go running! Hers is the one dead ahead!

We are here and we see Aunt Elise and Erin and Minnie in the FAR background and my Mom's beautiful pool!

We swing for a little because it is soooo beautiful outside. Erin with Elise.
My moms new backyard behind her garage. Isn't it beautiful! I think I will spend many a lazy summer afternoons reading out here while my kids enjoy the pool:)

And after a lovely time at Grandma's visiting we make our way back home!

(this outing would have been more perfect with Chet and Dante- but hey-- you don't always get what you want:))

SECOND HALF

That night- my parents gave me 2 tickets to The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
It was a cute play for the most part. Lots of laughs- but some inappropriate parts- that it would have been just as cute without. Since Chet was out of town- I got to invite someone- and I chose my good friend Shanna. We all had so much fun together (as my whole family went too- they have 8 seasons tickets). While we were there- the one and only George Bush Sr. walked in with his cute wife (and all their secret service) It was really neat!

After the play we all went to Maggie Moo's to get some ice cream- because if you are a Young- you can't go out without stopping somewhere to get ice-cream on the way back. Anyone who is with us- gets roped in and NO is not an option:)

It was so much fun- and I can't wait to do it ALL again!