A day at the spa......

We had to go back to the doctor Tuesday morning because Ty's toe was looking pretty ferocious. He definitely had an infection and the dr. ordered up an antibiotic and foot baths every four hours. She suggested 15 minutes, but with a 2 year old, settle for however long I could get him to sit. Well, Ty evidently likes being pampered, and after over 30 minutes, I finally had to take the bowl of water away! Thats my guy!! It amazing what a good episode of Scooby Doo can do for the attention span! Now, if that darn toenail would just come off already!!!

Making cookies......

Getting ready to make cookies last night to take to school for the big 6th birthday today!!!

Where's my tooth?

Tucker lost his first official tooth on Monday. I say "official" because as some of you may or may not know, he had one pulled when he was 3 1/2 from an unfortunate bull riding accident in the bathtub! This one, however, was that of a normal kindergartener losing a tooth. Its been loose for awhile, so since it was Tucker's turn for snacks at school this week, we took apples on Monday. Just a bite or two in, and the tooth came out! He was very excited, but didn't want to put it under his pillow on Monday night. He wanted to wait until last night so he could wake up on his birthday with money from the tooth fairy! Pretty smart little guy!! Now if only that one floating in the middle by itself would come out!!!

Worst Mom

Ok, I am now officially the most horrible mother in the world. Tucker's very first wrestling tournament was today. We had to get up at 5:30am to be at the Youth Center by 6:45, and headed to the tournament an hour away. All the kids had to be weighed in by 8:00. At about 7:30, Tucker came in our room, and said, "Mommy, are we late?"

WE OVERSLEPT!!!!!!!!! I double and triple checked the alarm before I went to sleep, so I know I set it. But, it was off this morning. Apparently, at some point I turned it off and don't remember. I could not possibly feel more horrible. We explained to him that there was no way we could make it in time, and he was heart broken. He only cried for a few minutes, and told me he forgave me and wasn't mad at me, but boy did my heart ache for him. He was looking sooooo forward to this. To make matters even worse, Mike is one of the assistant coaches.

So, today is Tucker's day. Whatever he wants--its his!!! Please make me feel better with your own bad parent stories!!!!

Facebook

Ok, I finally bit the bullet tonight and got on Facebook. I've been avoiding it for a long time because I figured it would be a big waste of time. Boy was I right! I've just spent the last FOUR hours goofing around on there! Am I crazy or what?! And I planned on going to bed early tonight........Sadly, it was pretty fun catching up on people and what they're up to. Feel kinda like a voyeur though!

Good day, despite the obvious........

Well, its official, our country has made history, and I'm glad that our children got see something historic at school that they will remember forever. I, however, kept my TV tuned to Little Einsteins with Ty yesterday! "History" was never my favorite subject. It is what it is, and we just pray that Mike's new boss will prove us wrong and make decisions based on the best needs of the regular people of the country, and not just based on political parties and DC big wigs. Time will tell..........

On a more personal note, the Pearce's had a great day today. Ty's x-rays are normal-no breaks. YAY!! He does, however, have one ugly toe. The doctor lanced it underneath the nail so now it is draining and he was instantly feeling and walking better. Its pretty gross though. We can look forward to his nail falling off and waiting several weeks to months for it to grow back. Doesn't that sound fun?!?! Ty was a trooper and never made a peep. He actually looked at his book and peeked at the doctor with a "watchya doin'?" look. It was really quite amazing. What a big boy!

Tucker went with Mike and I to riding lessons tonight, and although he was very nervous, he did get back on Bella the Bucking Horse and walked around with Dad leading him. We were very proud. He was very brave and did a great job. Bella is actually the nicest, calmest horse in the barn. It was very rare that she would do what she did, so we're fairly confident that she'll behave in the future.

The best part of the day was when Mike told us that he got an email from Branch (that's the people who decide his next assignment, for those of you who speak civilian). It was his Request for Orders that say WE'RE STAYING!! Official orders will come in a few months, but we're not concerned that it will change. The news gets even better--we get to stay for two more years!!! We feel so blessed and cannot tell you how excited we are.

We also got report cards today--things looked pretty good for both boys. No one is grounded or kicked out, so thats exciting! Seriously though, they both are doing very well.

Yes indeedy, a good day here. Hope all is well with you and yours!!

here's to a better week......

Well, last week got even more eventful after I posted on Tuesday. Colton went back to school after lunch on Wednesday and once again, I scrubbed the house thinking everyone was cured. Then, Thursday morning, right as we were ready to leave for school, the diarrhea hit Tucker. Poor thing. So, needless to say, he was home again on Thursday. He was not a very happy camper because he felt just fine and was pretty mad to be missing school again. He was fine later in the day, and went to school on Friday. Mike and I managed to escape the funk this time around.

My parents came for a weekend visit on Friday. We had a really nice weekend and the kids had a great time. We went to the T-Rex Cafe on Saturday and had a little early birthday celebration for Tucker. He had a great time digging for dino bones, mining for gold, and making a "Build-A Dino" named Speedy. Mike and I forgot our camera, so as soon as I can get some pictures from Caitlyn or Mom, I'll post them!!

On Sunday, we went to Tucker's horseback riding lesson, which proved to be quite the exciting day. It has been so cold here that most of last week's lessons were cancelled and the horses hadn't been ridden very much. Because of that, the kid's horses were all a little jittery, but seemingly okay. I was warming another one up, the one I normally ride, and she was particularly cranky. One thing led to another, and Tucker and another little boy got bucked off. I was at the other end of the arena, and couldn't do much. I ended up getting down, only to get caught in the stirrup and hung up. It was quite the predicament when one of the loose horses was coming toward me, but one of the guys was able to get to me and help me get free, and all was well.

It was difficult getting Tucker to get back on, but after a whole lot of coaxing, we managed to get him to sit for a couple of minutes. He is willing to get back on tomorrow and MAYBE walk, but he says NO trotting!!! We'll have to see how this all plays out. It was quite the sequence of events, and we're both a bit sore, but all turned out okay, and no one was hurt.

Oh yeah, remember when I said that Mike and I escaped being sick? Well, Mike ended up in bed all day Sunday. He never got sick, so I don't think he had exactly what the kids had, but he had something nonetheless.

So, the rest of the weekend went well, and we took Grammy and Grandpa to the airport yesterday morning. Caitlyn went home, and Mike and I caught an afternoon movie while Colton watched the boys. It was a really nice day.

Last night, while getting ready for dinner, Ty was getting some spoons out of the drawer to play with and pulled the drawer out too far. It landed on his toe, and this is the result........

So, here's to a better week ahead............

yuck

The "yuck" has infested our house. It started with Ty's very nasty diapers on Sunday morning, then moved onto Caitlyn and Tucker, who both spent the majority of Sunday night heaving into the porcelain bowl. They both stayed home from school yesterday and have slept, slept, slept. Tucker was back to himself last night and went to school today. Caitlyn's mom said she is still home today, but has almost 24 hours of uneventfulness under her belt. I've been feeding everyone pretty bland stuff just in case. Sure enough, Colton's school nurse called just an hour into school today, so he's in bed now too. 4 down, 2 to go. At least if Mike and I get sick, the kids will already be about over it. Needless to say, we're keeping Lysol and Clorox in business and I've done a WHOLE lot of laundry!!!

The joys of flu season!!

The Price of Children

I've seen this on email many, many times, but received it again today and thought it worth posting. On bad days with the kids, this is a great one to read as a reminder of just how precious they, and our time with them, are.

This is just too good not to pass on to all. Something absolutely positive for a change. I have repeatedly seen the breakdown of the cost of raising a child, but this is the first time I have seen the rewards listed this way. It's nice.

The government recently calculated the cost of raising a child from birth to 18 and came up with $160,140.00 for a middle income family. Talk about price shock! That doesn't even touch college tuition.

But $160,140.00 isn't so bad if you break it down. It translates into:

* $8,896.66 a year,
* $741.38 a month, or
* $171.08 a week.
* That's a mere $24.24 a day!
* Just over a dollar an hour.

Still, you might think the best financial advice is don't have children if you want to be 'rich.' Actually, it is just the opposite.

What do you get for your $160,140.00?

* Naming rights. First, middle, and last!
* Glimpses of God every day.
* Giggles under the covers every night.
* More love than your heart can hold.
* Butterfly kisses and Velcro hugs.
* Endless wonder over rocks, ants, clouds, and warm cookies.
* A hand to hold, usually covered with jelly or chocolate.
* A partner for blowing bubbles and flying kites.
* Someone to laugh yourself silly with, no matter what the boss said or how your stocks performed that day.

For $160,140.00, you never have to grow up. You get to:

* finger-paint,
* carve pumpkins,
* play hide-and-seek,
* catch lightning bugs, and
* never stop believing in Santa Claus.

You have an excuse to:

* keep reading the Adventures of Piglet and Pooh,
* watch Saturday morning cartoons,
* go to Disney movies, and
* wish on stars.
* You get to frame rainbows, hearts, and flowers under refrigerator magnets and collect! spray painted noodle wreaths for Christmas, hand prints set in clay for Mother's Day, and cards with backward letters for Father's Day.

For a mere $24.24 a day, there is no greater bang for your buck. You get to be a hero just for:

* retrieving a Frisbee off the garage roof,
* taking the training wheels off a bike,
* removing a splinter,
* filling a wading pool,
* coaxing a wad of gum out of bangs, and coaching a baseball team that never wins but always gets treated to ice cream regardless.

You get a front row seat in history to witness the:

* first step,
* first word,
* first bra,
* first date, and
* first time behind the wheel.

You get to be immortal. You get another branch added to your family tree, and if you're lucky, a long list of limbs in your obituary called grandchildren and great grandchildren. You get an education in psychology, nursing, criminal justice, communications, and human sexuality that no college can match.

In the eyes of a child, you rank right up there under God. You have all the power to heal a boo-boo, scare away the monsters under the bed, patch a broken heart, police a slumber party, ground them forever, and love them without limits, so one day they will, like you, love without counting the cost. That is quite a deal for the price!!!!!!!

Love & enjoy your children & grandchildren & great-grandchildren !!!!!!! It's the best investment you'll make!

Countdown to 2009

We spent the first part of our New Year's Eve at the ranch, complete with DJ, live music, and lots of food and dancing. Here are a few cute pics....By the time we reached our final destination, and where we were at midnight, the pics were not nearly as good of the very tired boys. Thus, these are what you get!

Here Comes Santa Claus

This is what we found on Christmas morning........

The picture does not do the barn its justice. The thing is huge and the little guys love it!!!!

Take note of the awesome letter to Santa

Our annual family picture in front of the tree is normally taken on Christmas Eve when we're all dressed up for church. Ty, however, was so sound asleep that he was snoring when we got home. So, this is us SO lovely in the morning!


So sweet!

'Twas the Night Before Christmas......

Christmas Eve 2008

Memorial Chapel-Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

Branson

The weekend prior to Christmas, we ventured back to Branson (we were there for a couple days after Thanksgiving) to spend four days of fun. We had timeshare points that needed to be used up so three other families joined us. We had a blast! Nobody was interested in spending much money, so we swam, ate, watched the kids play, ate, played alot of cards, ate, and sampled a whole lot of holiday "spirit". What a way to spend a few days with friends. We couldn't have asked for a better time. I was having so much fun, that I didn't take any pictures!! Maybe its good that most of the weekend wasn't captured in an image for all time!!! Thanks to the Mobley's, Leible's, and Barefield's for going with us and making it a very memorable trip!!

First Big Snow

After having had a couple false alarms with only a few flurries, we finally had a really beautiful snowfall. It was strange though, went to bed one night with no idea it was going to snow, and this is what we woke up to! We are now fully equipped with snow pants, snow boots, and sleds. Bring it on!!

Ty's Christmas Program

Ty is in a music/art class once each week, and they recently had a Christmas program. All the classes combined for the night-- some sang songs, some played guitar or keyboard, and others, like our son, ran around the stage sugared up on cookies and fudge the entire time! We have some great video footage of him too. We will use it against him at some point in his life!

Wrestling

We have officially become a wrestling family. This is a hard concept for me to grasp, being that I am a Hoosier, and I grew up in a basketball world. My take on wrestling is that no boys/men should be wearing leotards and rolling around on the floor together. Mike says they are NOT leotards, but singlets. I say if you can put a tutu on them, they are leotards!!

At any rate, Colton wrestled for the first time this year, and decided that he really liked it. He did a great job. We weren't able to catch too many good pictures, but here is one. Tucker has started junior wrestling on post, with Mike as an assistant coach. Tucker really seems to be catching on and enjoying it. His season will go through March, so we'll see how it goes!

As for me, when is the game on???

Tucker had a family project in which the instructions were simply to decorate the tree using no crayons, markers, or paints. This is what we came up with. It truly was a family project. Mike came up with the idea to use branches from our evergreen tree outside, Colton retrieved the branches and woodmulch for the trunk, I ran the hot glue gun, and Tucker stuck everything on. Oh yeah, Ty slept--that was helpful!! Its hard to see, but the "ornaments" are beads we glued on. We all loved it, and it was pretty well received at school too!

Ice Cream

This was the first time we ever let Ty have his very own ice cream cone. Needless to say, we don't think chocolate agrees with him. He ended up with a rash around his mouth perfectly matching the ice cream you see here!

Incredible Edible Egg

Okay, I know this is so random, and you can call me weird, but we thought this was the strangest egg we've ever seen! Whats with the bumps?!

Eisenhower Elementary

I've mentioned before how much we love Tucker's school, but here are a few pics of just how beautiful the inside is......The first two are of the goldfish pond and waterfall. The third is from above, where Tucker's classroom is. The room to the left of the pond is the library and the room to the right is the 21st Century Science Lab. The whole inside is done as a city scape, like a little village. Its awesome!!

Mike and I took Caitlyn and the little boys to Wyandotte County Lake Park for a day of geocaching in early November. Colton opted to hang out at a friends house. It was a beautiful park with a ton of caches. We look forward to hitting it in the summer as well.

Mike in front of a beautiful, and rather large, Vietnam monument.

The kids enjoying a ride in the back of the truck!

3 of about 15 or more deer we counted in about a 20 minute time span.

In case I've not mentioned it, Caitlyn has FINALLY gotten braces! She got them on just a short time before this pic was taken. She's hoping they arent on a day more than the 22 months the orthodontist talked about. She's doing great with them, and being careful to follow orders. I'm sure she'll get sick of doing that eventually though!!

Raceos

I know this first pic is very hard to see, but it is Tucker at our first Raceo. Mike, Tucker and I are all doing horseback riding lessons, and a couple times a month we do "raceos", which consist of barrels, pole bending, flags, stakes, and several other mounted races. The indoor arena isn't very camera friendly, but I tried!!!

This is dirty and exhausted Ty after the raceo. He usually comes away looking like he's rolled in the dirt while eating it! We all get pretty filthy, but its a whole lot of fun!

Happy Halloween!

I couldn't get Ty to cooperate with pictures very well, but the little monkey looked adorable. My favorite part was his padded bootie, which you can't see too well in the pics. No one knew Tucker, which he took great pride in!! We really raked it in, just going around our own neighborhood. It was alot of fun. This year, we tried something different, and decided to pass out play-doh rather than candy. Tucker thought it was a great idea, as did many parents. We got lots of weird looks from kids though!!