California dreaming. . .

Because Tracie is there enjoying the sun and the heat and the Disneyland and the ocean. Here's to you, ya big turd!

Best. Date. Ever.

I knew you'd come running for that. I started something different last year for birthdays. The kids always get so many toys and other presents, so I asked if they wanted a present or a date. . . they all chose the date. Sorry I didn't write about my dates with Tor and Audrey last fall, but I'll do better this year. Brayden has been so excited about this, as have I. We have talked several times about what we would do and he had sooo many ideas. I told him that we may not get to all of them ("can we go to the movie feater AND swimming?" and at 6 am Saturday morning, "can we go to the zoo today?") but we would get to what we could.

I picked up Brady and Audrey around 5 and we headed to our Paul family party at my parent's church.
It was a lot of fun, but Brayden could not wait for us to get on our way. "Can we go on our date now?" was something I heard several times. When we finally got on our way, we decided to head to Walmart to get treats for our movie. As we were walking in to the store, I told him he had to hold my hand because we were on a date. "But it's not like a date where we're going to kiss." I told him I was going to make out with his face. "No, I'm just a kid." From that point on, he kept reminding me anytime I said "date" that it wasn't a make out kind of date. Good to know.

He got to choose four treats to eat while we watched the movies, plus cereal for the morning. He's hiding the spiderman fruit snacks, so don't forget those. And don't worry, we rationed everything out so he could take some (most) home to share with his sisters. We rented "The Last Airbender" and bought "Megamind" for him to take home. We watched "Megamind" first and it's so funny! But I was super tired and fell asleep. He kept checking, too, to see if I was asleep.

Once when we were talking on the phone, he said, "there's something that I really really really want to do. I want to stay up really really late. I stayed up until 1 a.m. once and I want to do it again." He got close. He fell asleep during "The Last Airbender" at about 12:30. I carried him down to bed and he is one solid kid. We woke up around 8:45, ate our Cinnamon Toast Crunch and headed up to Grandma's. He went with Grandpa to drop Tracie off (first spring break trip with the roommates to Disneyland! So jealous!) while I did my Saturday cleaning at the neighbor's. He also got to go for a ride on the 4-wheeler with Grandpa before we went bowling! I forgot my camera at home so I don't have any pics of that (except on my phone) but we had a great time and he is pretty good! We went to McDonald's for lunch and then headed back to Grandma's to play "Sorry" with Audrey and Ellie who had been dropped off while Alan went hunting.
We had a great time together and I loved spending time with him! He's such a sweet boy and I love to cuddle with him. I can't believe he is already 7!

Some recent pictures

Because I've been lame.

Laura Tuesday!

Thought I'd switch it up. Just for kicks. Maybe I should blog about real life someday.
(PS I was looking for a really AWESOME pic of Laura to use but I could not pass this up. It's too much.)

What time is it?

It's Valentimes!

Tuesday!

TRACIE-BIRTHDAY-GIRL-TOMORROW-TUESDAY

I'm posting this now because it's Tuesday and I'm trying to be on top of things, but really, tomorrow is Tracie's birthday. She's going to be 19, you know. And I realize that I don't typically do birthday shout outs and dedications but I figure that since I have a whole post series dedicated to her ravishing beauty, it's ok.
Once upon a time, I was almost 12. I still remember the night that I was laying in bed falling asleep and heard my parents talking and my mom said that she was either sick or pregnant and I had to bite my tongue to keep from shouting my excitement. Sorry I eavesdropped. I'm a rude person. I think they announced the news to us at dinner one night and I had to really try and not let on that I already knew. But I did know something everyone else didn't: I knew it was a girl. I even bet and won a brown topper from Arctic Circle (I think) on it. And when the phone rang at 5:30 in the morning and I found out I had a new sister, I couldn't contain myself and called several people with the news. I couldn't sleep, why should they?
Well. I loved my new baby. My baby, mind you. I loved to dress her up in different outfits and take pictures of her, which was a lucky day because film was expensive. I loved to hold and snuggle with her. One of my favorite things was when she would wake up (or I would shake her crib and wake her up) with me while I was getting ready for school and I would rock-rock with her while we watched a Disney movie then she would fall asleep and I would finish getting ready. Sometimes we would sit out on the porch when it was good weather, Tracie wrapped in her Mickey Mouse quilt, and wait for my ride to come.
Then, somehow, she grew up. She came to Oakcrest with me, visited me at college, and wrote me the funniest, most random letters on my mission. There were always many exclamation points used in her letters. I have always felt super protective of her and probably always will, which we have found is both good and bad. I have a really cool house to hang out in, but I can't handle driving with her. Remember, because she is only 12. She shouldn't be allowed to drive. Sorry, but you shouldn't. I'll try and work on that because I know it is annoying. I nag too much because I think I have this infinite wisdom that must be shared at all times. I try to keep her from making any of the same mistakes I did and have already told her that I will sell a kidney on the black market before she even thinks about taking out student loans.
Really, I think what I'm trying to say is that I truly lucked out in the family department. We didn't know it then and we certainly didn't believe our mom when she told us, but I am honestly best friends with my siblings. I have the best sisters in the world and I probably don't tell any of them that enough. I like that I'm the crazy one in the family because then I don't have to deal with one. I love that we can spend hours talking and laughing and just being. In some sick way, I think it's great that I get jealous of my sisters friends and how often they hang out with them and not me. :) [editor's note: I think it's really funny when my students write the sideways smiley faces on their papers and my board and basically everywhere. . .like that is all they know.] I've said it before, but I'm super-duper-up-to-heaven glad that my brothers married such amazing girls; they (my brothers) aren't the only ones that lucked out.
And with allll those words, I just hope that Tracie Louise Paul has a really stellar birthday.
I love you fart face!
Oh, and happy groundhog day. Please bless that winter will be over next week.