Super Fan

Parker has been a little bit (a lot) figity in kindergarten the past couple of weeks, so it prompted me to ask him how he behaves during the one minute of silence that Texas public schools are required to hold during the school day. Kids (and teachers) can pray, meditate, sleep, whatever--as long as they are still and quiet (or that's the intention, anyway). So, do you think that Parker can sit almost completely still and quiet for one. whole. minute?

I guess the answer is "yes," or so he says.
Apparently this is how he spends it, or so he says:

Notice how his hands are in the "double Warrior" sign--the sign that Martin Warriors hold up during the school song, game point in volleyball, or any other time that we need to show our support for our Warriors.

Parker is a Martin Warrior Super Fan.

Last fall the football team made playoffs and made a historic three-round run. We went to almost every single regular season game and the kids loved it. One of Parker's friends from kindergarten had an older brother that played on the team, Peyton loves to play with all the other coaches' kids, and after the games, the kids always went down on the field to run and play and wrestle around. I knew the kids liked the games, but I didn't realize just how much they loved the Warriors.

The second round of playoffs took us out to Abilene to played the famous Permian High School. When the Warriors took the field, our six flag runners donned huge flags with an "M" "A" "R" "T" "I" "N" on each flag.

"MARTIN!" Parker screams.

When Permian ran out on the field, their flag runners carried three flags--each of them with a big silver "P" on it.

Parker yells: "P! P! P!? That spells nothin'! HA! Permian can't even spell!"

The next week we were back in the metroplex playing against the to-be state champions, the Trinity Trojans. Unfortunately, we were behind most of the game. In the middle of the second quarter, Parker grabs his bottle of water, downs the last few swallows, and then crushes the empty bottle with his hands.
"Take that, Trinity!" he screams.

Quite the taunter, I must admit.

So I guess it's quite fitting that Parker "represent" during the moment of silence.

Some Lovely Things

Lovely Thing #1=Snow Day!

It started snowing on Thursday morning. Karen, Mary, and I were out in the clean and pristine snow at 5:30 a.m. for our run, and it really did give a whole new meaning to the terms "fun run." We were splashed by a car within the first five minutes on the road, and got splashed numerous times after, so our feet and legs were soaked, but it was worth it. I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

By 3:30 Thursday afternoon, Arlington ISD decided that they would cancel classes on Friday.

Yipee! I said.

Yipee! Parker said.

Even Peyton was glad to have a snow day.

Presley has been nothing but happy the past three days, so I think she was glad for it, too.

But Patrick, well, not so much.

Martin is hosting the Regional Wrestling tournament this weekend, so a change in schedule meant for a lot of adjustments on his part, a lot of time on the phone, and a whole lot of grief. Much of it came from other people who think they can run things better and apparently think that Patrick is so powerful that he can actually 1) dictate the weather, and 2) over-ride decisions made by the district superintendent and athletic director.

Who knew?

To top things off, Martin had no electricity from sometime Thursday night until this morning. Translation: more adjustments, more phone calls, more headache.

So, while we were building snowmen

tackling snowmen

playing in the snow

Patrick was spending 10 hours a day at school trying to get things ironed out for the tournament that will (finally) be held tomorrow and Tuesday.

If no one else appreciates you, honey, I do.

Lovely Thing #2=Valentine's Day

Because of the weather, Parker and Peyton's parties at school were postponed to this week. Since their parties would have been over (had traditional Texas weather had it's way) I expected today to be just an after-thought for them. So, as just another bit of evidence for my Mother of the Year nomination, I totally forgot to get the kids something until last night, when Peyton was helping me get Patrick's Valentine Basket together, and she said, "Who's going to get ME a Valentine?"

Apparently not your mother unless she can get to the store in the next twelve hours. Crap.

So Patrick made a quick stop by the store on his way home from school so that Cupid could visit the house.

But we were able to go out for dinner tonight, once Pat got home from setting things up at school.

Thank you, Regional Wrestling Tournament, for putting yet another creative stamp on our weekend.

Seven Months Old

It's tough to believe that Presley is already seven months old. She's been fighting a cold off and on this winter. It seems that one weeks she is congested and yucky, and the next week she's better and back to her old self, and then the next week she's back to this cold again. She's such a trooper, though. She's not super whiny...she just wants to cuddle. Which is okay with me.

She's been busy. She's tried bananas, applesauce, pears, sweet potatoes, carrots, and green beans. She seems to like them by the second meal. I guess it just takes her little taste buds a little while to adjust.
She loves to beat up her brother.














She's sitting up all by herself.














Resting...














And she's starting to do her own laundry.