Summer Family Traditions

I have been told
that being a part of the All-Star teamis a Coker boy summer tradition.These two played on the team with pride.
This one participated in the tradition this summer...And, this one dreams to do such...

Coker boy summer traditions - carried on...

Early Birthday

When you have a birthday on the 3rd of July, it is not super cool/convenient to have a party ON your birthday...You know, the competition is kind-of stiff with the nation's birthday. :)

Thus, we like to try to celebrate Ballerina's birthday before her REAL birthday.

However, what we have created because we do this...A BIRTHDAY MONSTER! See! A SCARY birthday monster!

Nonetheless, this past weekend we celebrated with our closest friends and family...

We had hot dogs, cake and ice cream. ...opened presents......and blew out candles.

Simple. Fun. Celebratory.

It was an awesome early birthday for our very special nearly 4-year-old monster.

Summer Track

This is the first year that G has been old enoughto runsummer track.But, because he had so much funparticipatingin every eventand winning tooI'll throw it out there that he will be participating again next summer too!

There are many things I doubt in my life. There are many things I can debate. There are many times when I can see a different point of view.

On the flip side, there are very few things I know to be true. There are few things I have never doubted. And, there are even fewer things I can say are absolutes -- with all my heart.

The statement that my husband is the most amazing father is one of those few things...

It is not the only reason why I love him, but it perhaps one of the, if not the, greatest reasons.

Know something funny? It IS the reason why I decided to give him "the time of day" that October almost 9 years ago in our school workroom...He was talking to another co-worker about his excitement to be able to spend a weekend with his boys just "being a daddy" and nothing else...and I completely went from loathing him to tolerating his existence! Ha! ...Then a few short months later...and, well...

But, in our years together that realization I had in the school workroom as only been intensified and proven true to me time and time again.

I believe he is an amazing father because of what he gives, but more, I have learned in our years together that he is an amazing father because of what he chooses to give up.

It is assuredly honorable to give, and he is one of the most giving people I know. But, I find it more noteworthy to have the heart to give up...

He will give up "silly" things for his children like 1/2 his grilled cheese or his seat at the baseball game; however, I have seen him give up "big" things such as prestigious job opportunities (that some would perceive) because he desired to spend time with his children more.

Today, on Father's Day, I honor my husband. I absolutely know there could be no greater!

I also give thanks for my dad. I am so grateful that he taught me what it means to be a good daddy and showed me what to look for when I married the father of my children. And, likewise, I give thanks for my husband's father assuredly taught him as well....and to each of you, happy, happy Father's Day. You are appreciated. You are loved.

A New Love for the Water

Last week
Ballerina
hated the water
if she was not clinging to the side.
This week
is a MUCH
different
story!
Ballerina
has assuredly
found
a new love
for
the water!

Not a Cat Bed

This is Nemo. Nemo is our cat. (And, that is my big, fat, pregnant belly he is trying to peer over.)

We found Nemo on the side of the road - tathered, wet, full of mites, malnourished - when I was pregnant with G. He was just a kitten. In fact, the vet said he was probably no more than 4 weeks old at the time.

That was 7 years ago this July.

We have lots of stories about Nemo in our house. We have stories of his brushes with death, our million dollar (or seems close to) vet bills, his tourment of our children and other pets, his payback rituals when we tick him off...Good stories.

But, there is something about Nemo that has always made us laugh.

As I said, we found Nemo when I was pregnant with G and he was just a kitten. Not long after we brought him home we put up G's baby bed. Ever since, the baby bed has really been HIS bed.

So, G never really slept in it because his room was upstairs and ours was downstairs and I was too "freaked" to let my child sleep ALL the way up the stairs. Thus, the bed remained reserved for the cat.

Then again, when Ballerina came her room was next door to ours, but when you are feeding them 10 times (or so it seems) in the middle of the night, I was not real interested in even walking her next door, so she slept with us too. And, Nemo kept his bed...

So, it seems only fitting that we we put up the baby bed again this past week that Nemo would think it was for him...See? Less than 20 minutes after the crib was up, Nemo was here.Crazy cat. This crib is for the little girl soon to arrive! Oh, well. Soon our little one will arrive and maybe, just maybe, she will stake claim!
But, until then...It is the cat's bed.

Another 6 Year Old

She turned 6.We celebrated her special day......in the pool!
Happy birthday Allyse! (Oh, and her Daddy too!) We all love you!One last thing...those were some good cupcakes! :)

Summer Lovin'

Summer.

It is hot in Texas during the summer. Real hot. And, since it has not rained in 101 days (or so it seems) it is real, real hot this summer.

I do not LOVE summer. I know...I am weird. It is too hot for me to love. I much prefer the coolness the fall and spring bring to Texas.

However, there are LOTS of things I DO love about summer.

What you ask?

#1 Mowing the lawn. It thrills me. Yes, this is sick....I know; however, I LOVE the act of mowing. Where else can I fulfill my OCD by making perfect rows with the mower AND get a workout at the same time? Love it. Mowing is awesome.Love this mower.And love this freshly cut grass before it looks burned because we have not watered in 30 minutes.

#2 Our American flag.
While I am not real sure why, we only put it out in the summer. Maybe because it is a patriotic time of year with Memorial Day and the 4th of July; however, I am burdened with logic, and I am pretty sure it is just because out flag pole seems to get crapped out about September each year...and then I am not motivated enough to buy a new one until I get excited about putting it out again for the summer. Nonetheless, I love our flag.

#3 Teaching summer school. Now, do not get me wrong, I love my job, but I really love (and will openly admit that I often miss) being in the classroom. Yes, I still work with kids (I assuredly work FOR kids), yet I do not REALLY get to work with kids like you do when you are with the each and every day in a classroom. No matter the relationship I have with them, it is different - very different - when you are their "teacher."

I know summer school is not the same as having a classroom for an entire year. I get that. But, it is enough (almost anyway) to sustain me...to remind me...to encourage me...to humble me...to inspire me...to motivate me...to fulfill me...for another year.

#4 My husband is the mom. This is not the first summer, and it assuredly NOT be the last that he is the stay-at-home mom. It is awesome. Really, it is...He ushers the kids to and from their activities, tidies the house, scrubs toilets, does laundry, has structured "at home" activities for the kids, plans meals, prepares meals, etc. He even bakes...almost daily! Now, it is interesting what my kids will be wearing, where he decides to put clean laundry, how he defines the word "clean," and what he decides to buy from the grocery store; however, I will never deny the awesomeness. Never. The good in this situation FAR outweighs the bad/weird, and I am truly grateful.

#5 A little more time at home. Our schedule during the school year is crazy - not bad...just a little crazy. We often long for time just to be at HOME. After school today we did NOTHING. We sat on the couch and talked. So, maybe we DID talk about how to was too darn hot outside to do anything fun - like go to the pool, pull the weeds in the backyard, pick berries at a local farm - but we sat there, and we loved the time we had together.

So, while summer might not be my most favorite time of year, there ARE lots of reasons I DO love it.

Here's to your summer lovin'...may it be a good one!