It Wasn't The Worlds Biggest Ball of Twine.....But

Well, it wasn't the worlds biggest ball of twine.....but Spring Break at home had plenty of exciting things in store for the Malouseks this year. We stayed close to home ..again. Todd and I have a philosophy about how much money we spend depends on their memory capability....when Todd and I were young, we both had trips or vacations we went on with our families, but were too young to remember much abou them. So, we decided to put off spending the big bucks until both the kids are old enough to remember all the excitement.

We started off the week with a couple playdates for each child on Monday. It kept me very busy - especially Carter's play date. Daddy took vacation on Tuesday and Wednesday. Yeah for daddy and his vacation days!! Tuesday we went to the downtown Aquarium. Kelsey was really interested in the inside exhibits. She got a big kick out of watching a giant octopus suck up a huge bucket full of fish. It was very strange looking..to say the least. Carter, in his words, "was a little worried" about ALL the exhibits. He clung very close to Daddy while pulling him quickly through each dark room. Then we came to the touch and explore exhibit where they had the opportunity to touch many sea creatures. This was Kelseys favorite part

While she chose not to touch the stingray, she was very excited to touch the starfish, horseshoe crabs, corals, and giant hermit crabs. Carter...not so much. His only interest were the drains in each water pool. I'm not sure, but we never even got an answer out of him if he saw any of the creatures or not.
After we made it through the exhibits, we had lunch at the restaurant. This was a big hit since we were able to sit right next to the giant aquarium. Then on to the train and carousel. Great weather, crowd was not too bad. All in all it was a great Day #2.

On to Wednesday - we started off the morning letting the kids pick a place for breakfast. They picked Denny's....of course. Again, neither Todd's nor my favorite place to eat, but we did let them pick. I cringe every time they say the word. One never knows how clean, how dirty, or how greasy it is going to be, but they absolutely love Denny's. Then on to Lowe's to pick up a few light bulbs and air filters and of course a few plants. Kelsey especially loves to pick out her own plant and plant it in our flower beds. Next, finally, the big event of the day....time for Kelsey and Carters' 6 month dental appointments. I don't know about others, but our kids love going to the dentist. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that they get a toy, or the really cool sunglasses they get to wear. They both were champs. NO CAVITIES!!!Woohoo! ....yet. This trip to the dentist was extremely important for Todd and I - this set of X-rays confirmed we will need to start a special tooth fairy fund since they are both going to need extensive dental work as they grow older. Super! Hey, at least they both are blissfully unaware of the true meaning of no pain, no gain - right now.

To celebrate their great checkup, we did the famous Chick-fil-A drive through and went to a nearby county park. We had never been to this park tucked back off a county road, but were so glad we took the time to go stop. It had an incredible playscape - and it was shaded. The kids ran, climbed, bounced, slid and swung - they had a blast. We soon headed for home, with two tuckered out kids.

Thursday, Todd went back to work so we met up with friends at Ruckus Room. Every time I had asked the kids what they wanted to do this week, their first answer was always the same, go to a bouncy house. Ugh. Not my favorite, been to a million, wanted something a little more exciting. But, since the fog had been very dense this morning, we decided we might as well. So much fun for them. They ran and bounced and laughed and snacked and ran and slid, and bounced and ...you get the picture. They worked up such an appetite, after a couple hours the grown ups used this excuse for a change in scenery. By this time, the fog burned off so we headed over to Clay's for hamburgers and some outdoor excitement in the sandbox and petting the horses, calves, goats, donkeys, and chickens. By the time we got home, they were exhausted and slept for 3 hours. Woohoo for Mommy. I was tired too. Friday was planned around the house. We did go run some errands in the morning. one of them being to get Carter mop, ahhemm, I mean hair, cut. Upon returning home I was all prepared to get some laundry and housework finished that I had put off all week. I wanted to get it done before lunch since Carter had another playdate scheduled for afternoon. We had a unexpected fvisitor, but a very pleasant one, interrupt my plan. Not that I was complaining. Two grownups and 4 kids, all the kids ran and screamed and danced and got crazy. I made them all lunch and then they played some more before our friends had to head outand it was time for a nap. Whew. Would I always have to run them this hard to get them to take a nap? After their nap, we headed over across the street for Carter's playdate. Not realizing the time, Todd had already come home form work and joined us. We ordered pizza, let them run around some more, etc.. It was a late night for the munchkins - but super fun.

.
Saturday, we woke up early, not like that is any different, made a backpack filled with snacks, drinks and camera and headed out to Zube Park to ride the opening day of the local Houston Steamers steam engine train ride. We only stood in line about 45 minutes. Not bad! Watching Carter watch all the trains is fun. He is just mesmerized! We saw several friends and classmates while waiting in line. The kids love it and get so excited when they see someone unexpected in an unexpected place. So funny. Finally it was our turn. Yeahhh,


We soon headed out to God's country...where the cows are happy, the hills are pretty and the ice cream is yummy! Brenham, Texas. It has become a tradition for us to eat at the Brenham airport restaurant, The Southern Flyer, every time we head up there. Yummy food. Afterwards, we sit out front and watch all the little planes and jets fly in and land. Then we walked around to get up close and personal with the planes and thier pilots. carter was very fond of the planes with 3 blade propellers as opposed to the ones with only 2. Kelsey and I really liked the one with only two tiny seats in them.
On this particular day, there was also a Ford Model T collectors association there displaying all their cars. So cool! The kids had a blast walking up to the planes and checking out the old cars. Carter said this day was his most fun ever. Trains, plains and cars. What else could a boy ask for? Way cool. then of course, we finished up the day with a pit stop to frolic through the Texas Bluebonnets. Took a few pictures and headed back. Like I said, it was not as grandiose as going on the adventure to see the worlds largest ball of twine, but it was very memorable and sure was fun!! Now, I can get back to the laundry.

Ahhhh......Theres a Roach Under My Bed!

Carter....my very mobile, ornery, always excited, rambunctiously playful, temperamental, inquisitive, meticulous, sensitive, super lovable, silly, and very intense 3 year old little man. Yes, "little man". Carter knows exactly what he wants, certainly what he does not want, what he likes and definitely what he does not like. Please, don't call him "baby", "toddler" or even "little boy". Please don't tell him he is handsome - he prefers "cute". And as most 3 year old "little men" do, he despises being told "no". Carter does as Carter pleases - even when he knows he is breaking the rules. His only care in this moment is that it will give him instant gratification - the consequences don't worry him....until it's time to pay. The minute he hears mom or dad ask "why is there soap all over the floor and mirrors in the bathroom?", "who left the sink faucet running with water all over the floor?", "Where are the table chairs?", "why is the toilet overflowing?", "who unrolled all the toilet papers?", "why is there crayon marks all over the carpet?", "why is there a huge puddle on the floor?" or "Carter, we told you "NO" ", that little man starts running for his life .....straight to his room and scurries under his bed, way back to the corner.. and with a mischievous smile and giggle all of a sudden transforms himself and says very loudly, "Ahhh. I'm a Roach. No Carter under here. I'm a Roach."
Sometimes is so hard not to laugh.

Trains, Drains and Automobiles

Most little boys love anything that rolls, crashes, races, flies, makes noise, soars, splashes, spins, shoots, smashes, fires and goes to play with...so I have heard...and Carter is no exception. Carter's favorite toys since he was at least one year old have always been cars. It if had wheels and rolled, he was all about it. As he got grew, he was all about trying to take the wheels off and putting them back on. He spent so much time practicing, he could do it in his sleep.

Then around two years, he became keenly aware of trains and tracks. HE got his first train for Christmas right after his 2nd birthday. Now, at 3 years and a few months, he owns 3 different train sets and about 50 ft of tracks with his first remote control trains. Love to run them and watch the wheels turn underneath. He even gets his head on the floor level with the trains to watch this happen. Interesting.

Through all these toys, he has a favorite that has endured from the very young. When Carter was about 6 months old, one night while taking his bath, he would not stop looking at the drain in tub. Just watching the water go round and round and round and going down the drain. At first he giggled, a hearty giggle, and he would stick his little pointy finger in the middle of the hole where the water would spin down into the drain.

Ever since, Carter has an insatiable curiosity of drains. All kinds of drains. Anytime we go somewhere, be it the pool, a parking lot, a public restroom, riding his tricycle down our neighborhood streets or standing in the shower or tub, Carter ALWAYS excitedly bursts out to explain where the drain is a what goes down there. And then he stares at it... with a hypnotic look on his face. Even this past week at the Aquarium, when Kelsey had the opportunity to touch the starfish an horseshoe crabs, Carter only cared about the drain... the overflow drain. For the love of drains!

How Much is That Doggy in the Window?

Finally!! They're here! 27 Saturday mornings, about 13 of which were met with whining and resistance, $585 for classes and recital costumes, 2 pair of ballet slippers, 2 pair of tights, 2 leotards, and 1 pair of tap shoes!! This is the cost of finally having a Doggy in the Window - so far.



Kelsey has been taking dance this year - and I am convinced she does it so she can be on stage for the huge year end recital in June. She LOVES to get on stage and dance for everyone. We finally received her costumes for the recital. If only she could play and dance around in them until her heart is content before the recital. Bummer!

She is so excited to unveil her costumes she will be wearing for the Disney theme recital. she and her class will perform two dances with a costume change in between. Big deal for little girls. She is happily preparing to show off her talents in the upcoming dances to the songs of "How Much is That Doggy in the Window?" and "I'm Late for a Very Important Date".



We are very excited for her, but keeping her away from the costumes is just one added cost of having the Doggy in the Window! Kelsey, we are so proud of your continued practice and commitment to your dreams! Can't wait for the big Day!

A Texas Princess

This past Sunday, my longtime friend, Sandy, invited our family to join her on a day trip to her grandparent's farm. While Todd and Carter decided to stay at home and do some male bonding, Kelsey was very excited to go see all the farm had to offer. As it turned out, it was only us moms and our kids that went. Woohoo, a girls day trip. What fun!

While both Kelsey and Carter have been to farms in Texas and Nebraska, neither remember much about them. While she was so excited about the farm, I was just excited to go on a day trip with my favorite girl.

Upon arriving, Kelsey and the kids could not get out of the car fast enough. So much to do and see....so little time. Soon they made the difficult decision of which adventure to set out on first. First they would go and explore the "old farm". This farm has 3 generations of homes and farm buildings on the property. So off we went and trekked about half mile to the back of the homestead where the original buildings sat. First was the house that Sandy's grandfather was born. Very small, too rickety to go in. Next was the house that he and his wife built about 50 yds across from his birth house - also very old and rickety, but safe enough for them to go in and explore. Surrounding the old houses were all the original stables, barns, chicken coups, smokehouse(which they still use) outhouses, gasoline pumps and sheds. It like stepping back into history, and a little eerie. There were old rusted tractors, farm trucks and even an old Model-T, still stood among the tall overgrown grasses as if someone just left and forgot about them. The kids ran through the old houses and barns and sat on the rusted tractors. They were off in their own world while they climbed the old narrow and steep stairs in the houses and playing hide and seek in secret rooms and behind sliding doors in the barns.

After much exploration and a big lunch at the main house, Sandy Kelsey and I went to fly kites in one of the many the cow pastures. She was a champ. She flew that kite for 25 minutes before the wind died down and it fell to the ground. On to the next adventure about 3 acres across. Chickens.!

Yuck! That's what I think of when I hear chicken coup. When Kelsey hears it, she thinks ... awwww, how cute are they! So, Kelsey and Kylie got a backstage pass to go inside the chicken coup. She could not have been happier! All those dirty birds running around their own poop, and there was my sweet little girl - all smiles in the middle of it all. Crazy birds

After the chicken coup, instead of riding back to the main house in the Expedition like normal city people, my daughter hops on an all terrain four-wheeler with her friends. Not sure what the right age is to allow them to do this, but she was having so much - fun how could I say no when I knew the person driving - and she was super safe. I felt fine, really. I think. Anyhow, off they went and off we went down and around the long way to meet them on the other side of the property. After greeting them and seeing she was still all in one piece, off they went again. They all shouted for more - over the hills and through the cow patties, to grandmothers farm they went. Lovely.

As a mom of a little girl, I suppose I have the usual fantasies or ideas of what my little girl will like or where her interests will lie. The real interesting thing about Kelsey, is that she really is very girly, but certainly not shy of tackling many of the male dominated endeavors either. A little girl who sings and dances until her heart is content, loves to listen to the music of Andre Bocelli, Sara MacLaughlin, and all the Disney Princess movies, loves to see live musicals and adores dressing up - but can also kick a soccer ball over our house, hit a softball further than most boys her age.....and climb in barns, play with chickens and ride on the four wheelers. It sure is fun seeing her figure out what interests her. She had wanted to wear a dress this day. Of course I said it's not appropriate for the farm, but had I let her, nothing she did would have been different. She just would have been a very happy little girl with a very dirty dress.

From the Mouths of Babes

So, on Facebook (Yes, I do facebook), it has been a trend for friends send various lists of questions to be answered by the recipient and then forward on to others. Its a way to get to learn about your friends and see what others think. At first, it was fun and interesting. I think the first list was "25 Random Things about yourself". Then someone sent a list of different ways to use your name, and then so an and so on. The first list forced me to think alot about myself - which can be a good thing or bad thing depending on how truthful I was going to answer. Then a few more lists came and I would read them - some interesting, some not. I answered and forwarded a couple more that I thought were interesting. Then I received one that did not require me to answer any questions or think about myself. It was a list of twenty something questions to ask my kids. Cool, I can interview them. It's always fun to see what they have to say. Kids views are so much more fun to hear than an adults.

I read the list and soon realized ALL the questions had to do with Mommy. Super.I thought, now is my chance to show off how wonderful my kids really think I am. Yeah! Well, some answers were nice and others....well just don't forget the age of the people being interviewed. Here's what my darlings had to say...

Kelsey (5 years) and Carter (3 years)

1. What is something Mommy always says to you?
K: "Go back to bed, it's not time to get up...heheheh"
C: "Don't get in your bathtub...hahaha"

2. What makes Mommy happy?
K: "seeing me and Carter giggle"
C: "I don't want to talk to you"

3. What makes Mommy sad?
K: "When I say I don't love you anymore."
C: "nothing"

4. What does Mommy do to make you laugh?
K: "When you turn in to tickle monster and chase me."
C: "You tickle me"

5. Who are Mommy's best friends?
K: "Sandy, Daddy, and all my friends Mommies"
C: "Me"

6. How old is Mommy?
K: "50.. 80.. 25 pounds"
C: "not 3"

7. How tall is Mommy?
K: "40 pounds"
C: "little"

8. What is Mommy's favorite thing to do?
K: "get dressed for bed"
C: "not play"

9. What does Mommy do when you are not around?
K: "Cleans everything and do my laundry"
C: "leaves me at school"

10. What is Mommy really good at?
K: "taking care of us"
C: "nothing"

11. What is Mommy NOT good at?
K: "Hmmmmm......laughing, "hahaha""
C: "nothing"

12. If Mommy becomes famous, what would it be for?
K: "Painting a really good picture"
C: "nothing"

13. What does Mommy do for her job?
K: "cleans"
C: "nothing....building towers"

14. What is Mommy's favorite food?
K: "Ranch dressing and lettuce"
C: "poop..hahahahahaha" (gee! I'm surprised that one did not come out before)

15. What makes you proud of Mommy?
K: "When you take care of us"
C: "nothing"

16. If Mommy was a cartoon, who would she be?
K: "Angelina Ballerina's Mommy"
C: "Dora"

17. How are you and Mommy the same"
K: "we have brown eyes, and same lips and we both like Wizard of Oz"
C" "brown hair .....nothing"

18. How are you and Mommy different?
K: "Different clothes, nose, hair and eyelashes ....you have to draw yours on."
C: " I'm a boy"

19. How do you know Mommy loves you?
K: "you have a sweet heart and you do everything for me, Carter and Daddy"
C: "Poop.....hahahha" (okay, that's only 2 times so far)

20. Where is Mommy's favorite place to go?
K: "Bookstore"
C" "M&M carwash" (the carwash at HEB has letters that look like M&Ms)

21:What do you and Mommy do together?
K: "snuggle, color, get dinner ready, eat dinner together with family"
C: "play cars"

22. What do you and Mommy do before bed?
K: "dry my hair and read books and scratch my back"
C: "read books...and blow kisses"

23. What does Mommy do that you don't like?
K: "not listen to my way"
C" "time out"

So there you have it. I'm not completely glorified, but I'm not complaining. At least my best friends are not "poop".