Bye Bye Filani!

Congratulations to Jenn's Filani who went to Tennessee in the NFL draft on Sunday.

Other Raiders who went

Kenyunta Dawson to the Colts

Manny Ramirez to the Detroit Lions - Paul is psyched

Fun with Metamorphosis

I bought Patrick a Lady Bug Land (like an ant farm only for lady bugs) when I was at the National Science Teachers Association conference. We sent away for ladybug larva. When we got them, we put them in their habitat and watched them change. They were in the larva state for a week or two, then changed into the pupae stage. And this weekend they all emerged as lady bugs!! They were fun to watch emerge from their pupae stage. They are light orange right now, but they will become more bright orange-red over the next few days. Next weekend we will probably release them into our flower pots. And send away for new ones. This has been a fun experiment for Patrick. He sounds pretty cute when he says "metamorphosis."

Ranch Day at the Ranching Heritage Center

Patrick & I had so much fun today at Ranch Day. He was super excited to ride a horse "like the Masked Rider." The horse he rode was named Clyde. And he rode bare-back! He is ready to ride one in Colorado. He also thought the train was pretty neat. We got to look in all the "houses" and we talked about the kitchens and beds and stoves that kept the rooms warm. I am not sure he fully understood the heritage part, though. We got to go inside a teepee that he thought was pretty neat except for the hole at the top "because rain could get in." He was also very interested in people cooking the chuck wagon meals. He asked them all "whatcha cookin'?" There was also a Buffalo Gap Chips baseball game played with 1890s rules. Some of our Heckler friends were the opposing team. Agaim, Patrick wasn't convinced this was really baseball since it wasn't at Dan Law. He was more interested in talking to Snead, our Heckler friend.
I am pretty excited to go back next year. We'll take the stroller for sure.

B's biggest fears. . .

Biggest fears. . . this might be the most open and honest I have been on my blog. I guess that time had to come. I could only think of four, whereas I usually can go on and on.

1. Being lonely. And I don’t just mean just "by myself." I know I have been lonely when I have been in the presence of another person or a group of people. I mean lonely in my heart. Not in touch from my friends and loved-ones.

2. Patrick becoming weird – like anti-social, anti-establishment, anti-adults, anti-authority. Does that make sense? I want him to stay the All-American kid he is now. This fear goes for another child, too. I know kids have to find their own identities and all, but I want to be able to relate to him.

3. Never getting out of debt. Paul & I will be paying on our student loans until 2037 – yeah, 30 years. That kind of debt hanging over our heads scares me.

4. Water. Especially water on my face. I always keep a towel in the shower with me to wipe the water off my face. I don’t enjoy water sports. Not that I am petrified of the water – I’ll get in it to relax, I just don’t like it on my face. Drowning would be the worst form of death. Underwater movie or documentary scenes freak me out, too.

Did you know. . .

Did you know that this is a PREYING mantis and not a PRAYING mantis? I sure didn't. I just learned this at the St. Louis Zoo. Hmmh.

Cheer Patrick

Saturday night after the party, Patrick put on a little pep rally in the driveway. We were out there watching the storm. I borrowed a megaphone from the Spirit Squads - thanks Stephanie. Patrick said it was his new "big trumpet." What did he choose to sing into the trumpet - The Fight Song! We also had some little pom pons that I gave him and asked him to show me what cheerleaders do. AND HE DID! He was waving them around and jumping around. It was pretty entertaining. How he had the energy for it, I don't know.

The birthday fun never stops!

Doodah & Papa J got Patrick a Spiderman fishing pole set for when we go to Colorado. Of course it had to be Spiderman. He has already gotten pretty good at casting it. Lake City here we come!!

He drove his little H2 towards the cul-de-sac and stopped in the gutter to "fish." Mom's bluebonnets are in full bloom so we got the picture of him by those, too. I like how he has his hands in his pocket. He looks like such a big boy.