Picaso

Elle and I have had some good times together lately. She's by far my most demanding and needy child (but when compared to Dakota almost everyone would be). She's also very charming and funny and manages to make me laugh at every turn. Which is confusing when you consider that she's also very shy and often takes a while to warm to strangers. But my point (for this entry anyhow) is that surprisingly, she's also very artistic...in a 3 year old kind of way.

Here you see her working on her latest watercolor/finger paint/stamping project. See what I mean? She's so creative that she's meshed three different art forms into one (ha!). I kept waiting for her to ask for some side walk chalk. Oh, and isn't her art smock adorable? My friend Tonya got it for her and it's monogrammed with her initials. You can get one of your own (plus other excellent gift ideas) at http://tatermash.com/.

I also took Elle to her first ever Disney on Ice - Princess Wishes. She was SO excited and said that Ariel was her favorite. She was a good girl and behaved the entire time. Her only need was popcorn which was fabulous because I expected to walk out with a $24 flashing toy and some $16 princess t-shirt just like the ones at Wal-Mart for $9.99. When she was ready to hold the drink instead of the popcorn, she got a little bossy. "Mom, listen to me!. You have the popcorn, and I'll have the drink now. Okay?". Well, okay my little princess. Anything your heart desires...

Go Pirates!

I'm so excited that I just HAD to share it with you all. Dakota scored 3 soccer goals today! He started soccer in the Fall of 2006 in an under 5 program which involved kicking the ball around amongst a giant group of little people. Spring 2007's under 6 program was more successful but Dakota still didn't get too excited about playing and rarely got contact with the ball. But Fall 2007 is here and he's got a new attitude.

He is getting several touches on the ball, getting more assertive and confident in his play and has even become a pretty good defender. The Pirates won 5 to 4 and Dakota scored 3 of the 5 points! I couldn't be prouder of him...and not because he scored or that they won...but that he tried. He really, really tried. I got tears in my eyes when I saw the calm, confident smile he wore as he walked off the field and into my embrace.

OU (62) vs. TU (21)

We had another great weekend of OU football. Hosted in our own back yard, the TU Hurricanes hosted the OU Sooners in last night's game. Our dear friends TG and Beau got us all tickets and we set out from their house just before kick off. TG was sporting some cute jeans and cowboys boots which she later regretted wearing (but she looked good). She teased Beau the whole way there for his scrunchy socks; to which he admitted that he's not "cool" and doesn't really care (Go Beau!).

Anyhow, along the way I encountered two different girls who I cheered with in middle school which was a complete blast from the past and frankly, I've held up okay over the past 20 years (all thinks considered). We had an excellent time with our friends and even met up with Doc's cousin Blake (who also wore cowboy boots that he later regretted wearing).

We rounded out the evening with a stop in at the Bearden home and saw the fabulous job they did at renovating their new home. It's brings me joy to see loved ones lives come together so nicely. What an excellent start to the weekend!

Been there, done that?

Would someone like to tell me how to teach a kid to ride a bike? It seems like we've been working with Dakota all summer. Now the truth is that we might work on it for 15 minutes and then go inside because of the heat or the mosquitos and then not try again until three weeks later, but the point is that we've been up and down the sidewalk lots of times and he's still not riding the damn bike!

What's most amazing is that this child can be one of the most courageous kids I know. He tackled kindergarden like a champ and he's not afraid to go up to a house and ask a neighbor kid's mom if his buddy can come out and play. But when it comes to anything physical (e.g. riding a bike) he lacks even a smiggin of confidence. Well, that's not entirely true...if I jump up and down and clap my hands like crazy if he goes five feet then he's beaming with a beautiful smile. You get the idea.

So, if you have any tips on how to keep of kid from bailing into the grass everytime the handle bars sway, or how to keep a kid from crying every time his mom shows a look of frustration, I'm all ears!

Making Memories

OU (54) vs. Utah State (3)

Jason and I took the kids to their first OU football game versus Utah State (we spanked em'). Elle lasted one quarter in the heat before I had to take her downstairs to watch on the TVs in the concession area. She and I retired to the tailgate around half time.

Jason and Dakota had 3rd row seats in the player recruit area...tickets scored via BTW connections! They had private access in the Switzer Center and entry via the player guest gates. They sat three seats away from Courtney Paris and right next to all the OU women's volleyball and basketball teams. As Jason put it, they had plain view of the Aggies sideline. Dakota lasted into the third quarter before he was ready for more food and drink. So we all met back at the Little's tailgate party which is OU football first class.

The Littles do the tailgate up right. They're equipped with a large TV, Dish network satellite, four tents, a futon, an American flag, and Oklahoma flag, a gas powered cooler on wheels and plenty of food and drink. The kids enjoyed playing in the horse trough with their new friend Olivia

and we enjoyed chatting with the Littles, the Harders (including Scott who it was great to see) and plenty of their friends. There are so many details that go into planning this event and we're ever grateful for them sharing in their hospitality with us. We stuck around long enough to help with loading the trailer (it was the least we could do) and even that had it's own entertainment value.

Everyone had a good time and I think the kids had a memorable Sooner experience.

Labor Day 2007

We had another great weekend at the lake. The Hudsons came up and we got to spend some time with the Zahns as well. The water was too rough for much time on the boat but the weather was perfect for spending time on the back porch. Of course, we fit in some OU football and witnessed a North Texas butt woopin. GO SOONERS!

Labor Day & Buddy

I had to add this one of Buddy at the lake. It reminded me of Scooby Doo for some reason...