threesixfive, days 91 thru 97

it was a great week here at the frans casa. allens first week back to work in a month went well for all involved. we missed him around here, but fell back into our routine pretty well for the most part. allergies kept us indoors a couple days (me and colby), but other than that it was a normal week.

sunday, day 91

molly was playing with my camera and decided she wanted a family picture. my camera has a timer, but it was so funny watching her push the button and try to run and get in the picture, that i didnt set it. there is a slight delay, so its possible. she finally got one, but i posted a few so you can see some of the 'no's'. you can also see where colby finally had enough with posing.

monday, day 92

my friend dawn gave these to me a couple of months ago, and i finally unboxed them and set them out. she has a set and she fills them with different things, usually seasonal. i love the way the jellybeans look, but its a challenge to not eat them!! just a couple more weeks.....

tuesday, day 93

we went to the park for a couple hours. colby made a friend and was playing hide and seek. hes 'whisper-yelling' at me to stop taking his picture or i'll give away his hiding spot.

wednesday, day 94

nothing like a new box of crayons.

thursday, day 95

my best guy friend from high school turns 30 on tuesday, and his wife is putting together a picture collage of all his friends doing something with the number 30. this is one of the pictures we took. we also did one with sidewalk chalk, and took one in front of a 30mph sign.

friday, day 96

spent a couple hours at the pool. i mentioned needing a picture for the day, and colby insisted on me posing with him in front of the water. then he didnt even look at the camera!! grrr.

saturday, day 97

this is one of my favorite movies; easily in my top 3. i watched is saturday for the first time in many years, and laughed just as hard as i ever have.

have a blessed week!!

silent screaming

so, being a parent is awesome, right?
you have this precious child, who cuddles with you, gives free hugs and kisses, and thinks youre pretty much the greatest person on the planet. most of the time.
you get to experience their firsts. from the first time they roll over to their first lost tooth, and eventually first job, first date, first car, etc.
i love my kids with all my heart.
i'm so proud of them, and so proud to be colbys mommy and mollys mommy. i want to bless them. i want to take them for ice cream, and let them stay up late becuase we've had such a great day that i dont want it to end.
i want to take them to do something theyve never done before just so i can watch them experience it for the first time.

but sometimes they dont deserve it!
sometimes, im finding, i really want to do something nice, but i cant because theyve been acting like toots all day!
this has been the recent development at our house. we've been working on being thankful for what you have, or what youre given; not expecting more, or pouting becuase its not the color you wanted. hey, i'm sorry you're balloon is white, not red. but theres kids in china that dont have balloons.
be grateful!!!
this happens much more often with molly than with colby, and we've decided that we're going to have to start being more intentional in teaching her what it is to be grateful, which will mean times of her having some things taken away. such a hard lesson to learn, and a hard one to teach too!! they're also learning more and more how to really push each others buttons. they mess with each other just for the sake of irritating them! seriously?!?
i'm an only child, so all this sibling...ness, is completely over my head. i'm experiencing it fir the first time through my kids. and my mom just looks at me and shrugs, like, 'i got nuthin.'
so, we've had to start having talking time outs, specifically in the car. they'll get so worked up, and always when i'm driving it seems, that they just start screaming. literally. so i say, "ok, thats it. youve lost talking priviledges. no sound at all for 5 minutes." this happens on a very regular basis, but the other day i looked in my rearview mirror, and saw colby silent yelling. technically, he was following directions, but man, he was yelling in spirit. then molly joined in too, when i didnt say anything. i pulled out my camera and caught some of the action. they saw me filming, so it became kind of silly yelling, but you get the idea.



Lord, help me.

threesixfive, days 84 thru 90

****blogger is not letting me space out my post and i dont know why!!! ive tried to fix it but i only make it worse. please excuse them and bear with me this week.**** this week wrapped up allens month long sabbatical. its been great having him around so much. the kids and i will definitely miss him when he heads back to work tomorrow!! we spent sunday thru wednesday in san antonio, staying in a hotel on the riverwalk. one of our 'couple friends' came down sunday evening and had dinner with us, then the next morning the guys played golf while emilie and i went shopping...and ate, and ate, and ate! the riverwalk is such a fun and beautiful place. its right in the heart of downtown san antonio, and its lined on both sides with fantastic restaraunts, and boutiques. tuesday allen and i slept in and after lunch went and walked thu the alamo, something i hadnt done since i was probably in middle school. i appreciated it much more this time! we also went to the rivercenter mall, did a little shopping, and squeezed in a movie. it was so good to get away without the kids, and just be with each other. we hadnt done that in a long time. the rest of the week played out as usual, with a few extras thrown in. i'll let the pictures show you that stuff, though.... sunday, day 84 dinner at the magic time machine. so. much. fun. this is emilie and i with our waitress, poison ivy. she was adorable! monday, day 85 emilie and i walked (much farther than we anticipated) to the guenther house for breakfast. its a historic home thats been turned into a museum and bakery. fabulous coffee, and i had the most delicious oatmeal pancakes. afterward i was thankful for all the walking we'd be doing! tuesday, day 86 i saw this place on diners, drive-ins, and dives (food network) about 3 weeks ago. i told allen we had to eat there while we were in S.A. it did not dissapoint! sandwiched between a car wash and a laundromat, their entire menu is organic and locally grown. we had spinach mushroom quesedillas (my favorite that day!); allen had the lamb burger; and i tried one of their fish tacos which was also fantastic. wednesday, day 87 the alamo!! very cool. thursday, day 88 i went today and got a feather hair extension. i've seen a few people with them and think they're so cool looking. one of the girls in the youth group, whos also our babysitter, has one and suggested that i go to the place she went. so thursday afternoon i drove down to south austin and got one! i love it!!! you can wash it, curl it, brush it; anything you'd do to normal hair. its supposed to last 2 to 3 months. i kept it pretty neutral this time. if i do it again, i think i'll add a little color. friday, day 89 allen took molly to the daddy/daughter dance. this was their second year to go, and they had a great time once again. saturday, day 90 our first pool day of the year! it got up to the low 90's today, but that water was still cold!! i'm so glad my kids are old enough that i dont have to get in with them!!!! have a blessed week!!

rv adventure/threesixfive, days 77 thru 83

we spent the first half of the week a an rv park in an rv some sweet friends of ours let us use. it was a fun relaxing time away for all four of us. when we got there monday, we checked in and walked around some, then drove a few miles south to a drive thru safari ranch. we've been several times before, and ive shared pictures on here, so i wont post too many, but it was a great time as always. tuesday we stayed at the rv park all day, went swimming, walked around and took pictures of all the different license plates (i think we saw 15 different states), and grilled out. there was also a jumping pillow the kids loved, and as well as a trampoline and a game room.

wednesday, on our way home, we stopped in new braunfels at the childrens museum. i'd heard it was pretty amazing, and we were not disappointed!! it wasnt so much a museum, but more of an indoor educational mini city. there was a farm, a campsite, a grocery store, bank, hospital, news station, etc, etc. even though it was about an hour and fifteen minutes away, we will definitely be going back.

the rest of the week was normal, with dance lessons, swim school, co-op and the like. heres our week, in more pictures than usual. :-)

sunday, day 77

colby was in a puzzle mood on sunday. we did 3 or 4 that afternoon.

monday, day 78

checking out the rv park, and the drive thru safari

tuesday, day 79

a day at the rv park

wednesday, day 80

at the childrens museum in new braunfels

thursday, day 81

this is mollys favorite thing to do in the shower.

friday, day 82

this is the p.e. class i teach at the homeschool co-op we're a part of. the weather was so beautiful outside on friday, that i just let them enjoy it. they all ended up on the sand volleyball court.

saturday, day 83

we had yet another birthday party today, this one was a friend from mollys preschool. all the little girls dressed as princesses (right up mollys alley, because we all know she probably would have anyway), and cinderella was there to spend the couple of hours with them. molly was in awe.

allen and i leave this afternoon for 3 days and 3 nights at a hotel on the riverwalk in san antonio that we were given by a sweet family in our church. what a great way to wrap up his sabbatical!!

threesixfive, days 70 thru 76

fun week here at the frans casa. allens still on his sabbatical, and we spent this week here in town just hanging out and doing a whole lot of nothing.

sunday, day 70

we went to eat after visiting a church here in the austin area. colby had a crazy long curly fry!!!



monday, day 71

i have a small part in an independent film, and had to go shoot a couple scenes monday night. the home we filmed at was in the hill country and was beautiful! this is the view from the deck off their kitchen. i was expericencing a tiny bit of envy.



tuesday, day 72

we met some friends at the carnival and had so much fun!! molly, as you can see, deemed her alice in wonderland halloween costume the appropriate choice for such an occasion.

wednesday, day 73

i love using my ipad as a cookbook!

thursday, day 74

this is my friend katie holding our newest pet, jake the snake. hes an albino corn snake. we love him!

friday, day 75

march madness has begun. i will be a basketball widow for the next couple weeks.




saturday, day 76

what a beautiful day! we met some friends for dinner and ate out on the deck at the restaraunt.

tomorrow we leave for a few days away. adventures will be had i'm sure! :-)

robbers and bad guys

we went to dinner with my parents one evening last week. my dad had taken colby to swim school earlier that afternoon, and went into the restroom with colby while he changed back into his clothes. an older boy (upper elementary) approached my dad and told him that two little boys, who were playing in the the restroom at that time, pick on colby every week, and he just wanted to let him know.
so many things went thru my head when my dad told me this. i was upset that colby hadnt said anything. i was annoyed at the rule that doesnt allow boys over 4 to go into the womens' room (although i do understand it). i was angry at the boys that have been picking on my sweet son. we were talking about it at dinner that evening
me: what do they do to you?
colby: they try to make me get in a locker.
me: do they push you or grab you or touch you at all?
colby: no. they just tell me to get in, but i dont.
me: what do you do?
colby: i tell them to treat others how they want to be treated!!
me: well, thats good. if they ever try to do anything to you, you yell for help and i'll come in there myself if i have to.
colby: ok. why are some kids mean?
me: maybe because they dont know Jesus.
colby: but they will when they grow up and have kids?
me: not necessarily. just because you have kids doesnt mean you know Jesus. lots of adults dont know Jesus.
colby: like robbers?!?
me: yeah, maybe.

i couldnt help but laugh to myself. robbers? really?
on a side note, he is completely unfazed by those two boys, which i guess is why he's never said anything. im torn between being upset that, according to someone else, hes getting picked on, or being glad that he a)hasnt given into what theyre trying to get him to do, and b)he hasnt let it bother him in the least.


i took the kids hiking last weekend, and we passed a boy and his father. the boy had a very tall walking stick that fascinated molly.
molly: does he have that so he can beat up animals?
me: maybe.
molly: and bad guys?
me: yeah, maybe that too.
molly: or bad girls?
me: bad girls too?
molly: yes.
me: are there bad girls? or just bad guys?
molly: bad girls too. there has to be bad girls so the bad guys will have friends.

makes perfect sense. and then they'll have bad kids that will pick on my son at swim school!!
sorry, sorry.
i'm done ranting.

one more.....
same hiking trip....
molly: can i have a drink?
me: not yet. (i was not trying to be cruel. we were SO close to the car, i was just trying to get there.)
molly: i'm going to stop breathing if i dont have a drink! i'm running out of breathing!
me: water helps you breathe?
molly: yes. of course. (of course is used often and usually not in the right context. its very funny.)
me: how?
molly: the bubbles in it have air in them, and that gives me breathing of course.

of course.

threesixfive, days 63 thru 69

we had a nice, relaxing family getaway at the beginning of the week as part of allens month-long sabbatical. hes been gone the last few days watching the UIL state basketball playoffs. he goes every year, and this year he didnt have to take off work to do it! :-) hes technically not gone. the playoffs are in austin, so hes still sleeping here, but hes come home after i'm asleep each night, and left before i'm awake each morning, so i really havent seen him since wednesday. i'll be glad to have him back tomorrow...or tonight if i can keep myself awake. time change. ick.

sunday, day 63

on our way to the camp (where we stayed earlier in the week) we stopped and met some friends for lunch in huntsville. this is molly and trinity, who just turned 3. they could be sisters! their appearance and personalities are so similar! which means together they're a hand.ful.

monday, day 64

we spent the day exploring the campgrounds. the kids found plenty to do.

tuesday, day 65

we got back in town late afternoon, and went to 'taste of round rock' with some friends. we go every year. restaraunts from all over the area set up tables and hand out food. there were, i think, 50 businesses represented. we were stuffed!!!

wednesday, day 66

we took advantage of the beautiful afternoon by washing the cars!

thursday, day 67

i go to zumba a few times a week at the gym. its so popular that they had to start handing out passes about a year ago, because more people were coming than could fit in the room. if you're not there at least 30 minutes before class, you dont get a pass. they go quick! today i was #1!!! that was definitely worth a picture!

friday, day 68

i took the kids to the library today. molly decided the outing was worth wearing a tiara.

saturday, day 69

my parents had some people over for dinner (the kids and i included). we roasted weenies and marshmallows at the fire pit. they said it was their fire farewell party. the above ground pool will be sitting there within a week or so.

its spring break here this week, which means we wont be doing much of anything because everyone else will be out doing it! enjoy your week if you have it off, or even if you dont!! :-)