San Antonio Rampage Hockey Game

 On Saturday night, we all went to our first hockey game as a family.  The Rampage are San Antonio's minor league hockey team.  They play at the AT&T Center, and Peyton was super excited to get to go back there!  (He was really impressed with the AT&T Center when he and Dustin went to the Spurs game in December!)  Saturday night was Specht Elementary night at the game.  The school choir was to perform during the first break.  So Specht families were offered a tickets and hot dog meals at discounted rates.  Peyton saw a couple of kids from his class at the game.  Reagan really got into the dance music they played to pump up the crowd!  At one point, she started moving her arms with jerky movements and said, "Look!  I'm dancing like a robot!"  She also tried to copy the moves of the Rampage dancers/cheerleaders!  

The kids had these goofy smiles going on all night long!

 Trying to eat ice cream and watch the game.

On Saturday afternoon, we found out that the Cullis had tickets to the game, too, so we met up with them after the second period was over.  We all agreed that two periods of hockey was more than enough for the kids, so we were all headed home after that.  Reagan is always so excited to see Caden!  They have become big buds!

The four kiddos!

Peyton thinks the AT&T Center is the biggest thing EVER!  Being the typical six-year-old boy, he likes things that are super huge - including words that mean big.  The bigger, the better!  He is always trying to come up with the biggest possible number that he can!  Since their trip to the AT&T Center in December, he has been comparing the size of big things to the AT&T Center.  Today in church, he drew a picture of a building with a cross on top and many windows.  He described it a church as big as the AT&T Center. 

A Good End to the Week!!!

The last couple of days have been really good ones around here!  On Thursday, Dustin got some great news from his manager at work (not to bore you with all the details, but it was something Dustin has been hoping his company would come up with a standardized policy for!)  After school, the kids and I met a friend from our days at The Heights in Richardson (and her kids) at a park.  The kids had fun playing and we had fun catching up!

Today, Reagan and I received a surprise package in the mail from a friend who has two girls a little older than Reagan.  The package was FULL of adorable size 4,5, and 6 girls clothes!  As we were looking through them Reagan said, "Ohhhh!  They're 'mar-gel-ous'!!!" (meaning "marvelous"!) 

After school today, we met some friends from our neighborhood at a nearby park.  The weather in the afternoons has been BEAUTIFUL this week, and a today's trip to the park was actually our third for the week!

Also today, we were notified that Peyton was accepted into the SAGE (or gifted and talented) program at school!  We're really excited for him!!!  At the suggestion of his teacher we turned in his application a couple of months ago, knowing that he would also be tested by the SAGE teacher.  We weren't sure how he would respond to the group and one-on-one testing, but, apparently, he did well enough!   Soon, he'll start meeting in a small group with the SAGE teacher for one hour every Friday.  

Writing My Name

If you look closely (and read backwards!) you can see that Reagan "almost" wrote her name!  The "E" has a few too many horizontal lines and the "N" is actually an "M" - but it's her name!

San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo

On Friday afternoon, we took the kids to the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo.  We didn't actually witness any "stock" being "shown" or a rodeo, but we still had fun checking out all the exhibits and the enjoying the dollar day carnival rides!  

 "Planting carrots"

 Checking out some chickens

Reagan "milking" a cow

 Peyton "milking" a cow

 There was a sign under this huge rooster that said "Please do not climb on display."  Peyton was able to read every word except "display"!

 Peyton and Reagan in the cattle barn.  When we were growing up, this is the place where Mommy and Uncle Brett and Grandpa spent most of our time at the Stock Show!  It did not appear that much has changed in over 15 years - including the smell!  Peyton was most impressed with the wash barn - where you take the steers and heifers to wash them off.  He said that he wants to show steers just so he can take them to the wash barn! 

Baaa! Baaa!

 Peyton checking out the little chicks.

 "Mooo! Moooo!"

 "Oink! Oink!"

 More "Oink! Oink!"

 Peyton on the big slide at the carnival.

 Peyton trying to buckle both his and Reagan's seat belts on the little airplanes.

 Daddy and the kids on the little roller coaster.

 Race cars

 Hot air balloons

 Carnival junk food late in the afternoon = nobody wants to eat dinner later!

Eating every last bit of cotton candy!

Valentine's Week

Around here, we seem to celebrate holidays and other special occasions for several days (and sometimes weeks!)!  We've been having lots of Valentine fun lately!  Over the weekend, Peyton decided that he wanted to make a Valentine for one of our neighbors.  I gave him a few choices, and he choose to make a Valentine for a little First Grade girl who lives two houses down from us (or as Peyton says - "that Grader Girl who lives over there").  He worked so diligently on his card and even insisted on putting it in an envelope.  On Monday after school, I walked Peyton to her house.  Peyton delivered his Valentine and was pleased that she seemed to like it!  

Peyton working on his Valentine card for Maddison.

Reagan continues to smother Comet with her love and affection.  If she can catch him, she'll drag/carry him to her bean bag, where she likes to "cuddle" with him as she watches TV.

Here is Daddy and Reagan - Reagan is wearing her "My Heart Belongs to Daddy" t-shirt.

Each week, Reagan's class celebrates one child as the "Student of the Week" and the child gets to bring an "All About Me" poster to school.  This is Reagan's week, so she took her poster to school on Tuesday.

Fun Dip and Other Fun

Tonight the kids experienced Fun Dip for the first time!  Reagan was given a couple of Fun Dips at her class's Valentines Party on Thursday, so she shared one with Peyton tonight.  

I think they liked it!

As for Comet, he has definitely settled in as the 5th member of our family.  We're not quite sure yet of his feelings toward Reagan.  We think he finds her antics entertaining to a certain point, but then, has enough and wants to get away.  Sometimes he runs from her; sometimes he allows her to pick him up and drag him all around.  It's not uncommon to see Comet streaking across a room, followed by Reagan running after him calling, "Come back Kitty!  I love you Kitty!"  Sometimes, he'll let her "cuddle" him while sitting on the bean bag and watching TV.  Comet seems to like Peyton better.  He likes to wander into Peyton's room in the evenings when we are reading and cuddle up in bed with us.  He has also discovered the warmth from my laptop and likes to lay on top of it.  He is usually the center of attention, whether he wants to be or not.  As far as he's concerned, an empty lap is his for the taking.  He is leading a very spoiled, very privileged life for a cat!  

Last week, Comet had surgery to remove his front claws.  He has recovered quickly from the procedure and is back to his usual, active self!  And we no longer worry about what item in our house the cat will rip to shreds! 

Reagan has discovered Netflix.  She now asks if she can "Watch a movie on 'Fetnix' on the Wii."  She also likes going to bed to snuggle under her 'cobers'. 

Dustin has been painting, painting, painting!  He has almost finished painting the entire downstairs!  The only room left is the bathroom, which he is doing this weekend. 

Peyton's reading is really starting to take off!  This week he brought home a little reader called "How the Bear Lost His Tail."  We were really impressed with how much of it he could read!  I have a short video of him reading, but it's not transferring onto the computer correctly.  So when Dustin has a spare moment (in between work, trying to figure out why his brand new work computer keeps crashing, painting, doing the taxes, killing weeds and other miscellaneous weekend chores!) I'm hoping he can figure out the problem and get it uploaded. 

Peyton is also excited that he and Reagan are going to have a new baby cousin in July!!!  Last weekend, Peyton told Brett and Stephanie that they should name the baby "Sylvana" if it's a girl.  (Sylvana being a girl in his class at school).  His only concern is that the baby is going to drool on his stuff.  

And speaking of girls in Peyton's class, one little girl has proclaimed her love for Peyton - to me!  Laynie told me last week, "I just love Peyton!  He's my best friend in the whole world!" 

"I pledge allegiance..."

At last night's PTA meeting, Peyton was one of the kids selected to lead the audience in saying the Pledge of Allegiance.  He and Reagan had been playing near the stage with a few other kids before the meeting started, while the PTA President was going over notes at the podium.  Peyton expressed an interest in the microphone, and, Chrisanne, the president, let him say a few words into it. Then, before the meeting began, she asked Peyton and a few other kids to lead the audience in saying the pledge during the meeting.  When it came time, she actually held the microphone in front of Peyton, so it was his voice beaming across the entire cafeteria.  Then she had Peyton ask everyone to be seated.  Peyton was as proud as a peacock for the rest of the night!  Unfortunately, Mommy was working in the kitchen helping to prepare the spaghetti dinner and missed the whole thing!  When I finally saw Peyton later that evening, he asked me if I had heard him all the way in the back....  I had to tell a little white lie that I could!  There was no way I was going to burst that bubble!  Peyton's teacher got to hear him and poured on the praise!  And unfortunately, again, Daddy couldn't take any pictures of Peyton leading the pledge because he was busy restraining little sister Reagan, who was desperately trying to get on stage with big brother! 

More Reagan Speak

If it's could outside, Reagan likes to wear her "hoop" (hood) on her head.

Today at school, Reagan played "Hotch Scotch" with a friend. 

San Antonio Snow Day

On Friday, we had our first snow day in San Antonio!  Well, it was actually a layer of ice covered with a "dusting" of snow, but it was still enough that the kids were super excited.  School was canceled because of the ice.  In fact, most of the main highways in San Antonio were shut down.  Most of it had melted by noon, and travel was completely safe by the afternoon. 

 Looking out our front door early Friday morning.  

 The swing set - not covered in quite as much snow as last year in McKinney!

 The trampoline is where the kids had most of their "snow fun"!  The snow was very powdery and did not stick at all - but it was still fun to bounce around in!

The front of our house.

 The kids playing in the street and on the sidewalk.  We were getting cold by this point, but Peyton kept asking, "But what other snow activity can we do?"

Making tracks on the driveway.

More Reagan Conversations....

Setting: Reagan in the bathtub.  Mommy cleaning up the kids' rooms. 

Reagan (calling out): "I'm not ready to get out yet!"

Mommy: "I didn't say anything about that!"

Reagan: "Okaaa-aay!  I didn't either!"

Setting: Reagan going potty in Mommy and Daddy's bathroom.

Mommy (calling out): "Reagan, are you done yet?"

Reagan: "Noooo-oooo."

Mommy: "Are you going poo-poo?"

Reagan: "Yes!  Don't talk to me!"

Daddy and Reagan's Conversation

Reagan (to Daddy): "You're a genius!"

Daddy (laughing): "Where did you hear that?"

Reagan: "In San Antonio."

Daddy: "But where in San Antonio?"

Reagan: "The Disney Channel."

Reagan's Recipe for Hot Chocolate

"You put some milk in.  And then you pour in chocolate milk and 'stirb'.  (not a typo - she adds a "b" to the end of the word "stir" for some reason!)  And then you put on ALLLL the little marshmellows!"