Green with Envy?
March 17, 2009
I dare say you should be. :)
Matt’s out-of-town trial? Settled.
Draft beer? Check. (thanks kegerator)
Green food coloring? Check. (only 2 drops per mug, please!)
Green salsa.
Great weather.
Front yard swing.
Family.
Fabulous.
Popout
(try clicking on the “HD” button for the video. it may take a moment to load, but the quality is AMAZING!)
Sweet Dreams
January 24, 2009
Just a little peek at our nightly routine. I really, really love my boys.
Surprise!
December 19, 2008
I thought Wednesday night would never get here!
My in-laws have been bummed. Matt’s brother, David, and his lovely wife, Steffi, live in London and so we just don’t get to see them nearly as often as we’d like. Usually, they are able to visit at Christmastime, but a couple months ago, David broke the news to his mother that they just weren’t going to be able to make it. They were only going to be able to go to Germany to visit Steffi’s family, and a US trip just wasn’t going to happen. Needless to say, we were all disappointed.
Matt and I’s disappointment did not last long, however, because David let us in on his little plan…he and Steffi were planning to come after all, but it was going to be a surprise for John and Nancy. Fantastically sneaky. Just how I like it.
So for weeks, Matt and I have been scheming and plotting, trying to arrange details to ensure that John and Nancy would be as free as possible while David and Steffi were in town. Matt was going to pick David and Steffi up at the airport Wednesday afternoon and bring them to our house, and we wanted John and Nancy to come over that evening for the big surprise. It was no small feat. But, I took my task to heart and spun a delightful web of lies…and it worked beautifully!
In case you don’t know, my in-laws are incredibly kind and self-less folks who are always eager to come up and watch the kids for us. However, this is one of the busiest times of the year for John, a professor at Rice, as he has dozens of lengthy papers to read and grade on a very strict schedule. Nancy has also been furiously working to get things ready for Christmas. They are both so busy, busy, busy. It literally pained me to ask them if they could set aside all of their own important activities and make the 35 mile drive through Houston rush-hour traffic up to our house on Wednesday night so that they could watch the kids while Matt and I went out for a nice dinner. Sheesh. Talk about obnoxious! But, of course, they said they would be happy to. Bless them.
As soon as they pulled up, we shoo-ed David and Steffi into our bedroom to hide. Following my cleverly crafted plan, (hear my own horn toot-tooting?) I casually greeted John and Nancy at the door and ushered them inside. I suggested that, since I had my camera handy, we take a quick picture of them with the grandkids. I strategically posed them with their backs to the bedroom door, slyly switched my camera to video mode, and, while trying to contain my incredibly giddiness, began the “say cheese” countdown.
Shocked is not the appropriate word. I’ll go with dumbfounded. :) My favorite is John’s “What? Hee. What? Heehee…what?” (and confused Parker is asking “What? No seriously, what??”) And Nancy’s complete slack-jaw…classic. Fantastic execution, Team Surprise! I am SO enjoying our visit together. There really is nothing like family being together for Christmas.
Urine for a Treat!
December 12, 2008
Matt just sent this game to me, and I found it worthy of sharing with the masses.
You’re welcome.
Peace, Love…
December 6, 2008
Yesterday afternoon, Matt, Parker, and I were headed to lunch. As we turned onto the feeder road, the car that had been behind us suddenly sped up and veered around my car on the left side (where there was NOT another lane) and started swerving threateningly, and quite intentionally, toward us. It went on for several hundred yards. I slowed down, he slowed down. I sped up, he was right on me. The whole time, literally inches from us, jerking his car so close to mine that I was bracing for an impact. I was completely flustered and scared and couldn’t imagine what this guy was thinking…but then I saw his bumper sticker. And then I saw him high-five the two children that were in the car with him. And I just knew.
As we reached the intersection to u-turn, the man rolled down his window and sneered at us.
“Communists! I hate freaking COMMUNISTS! You are a communist and you make me SICK!”
It was because of my Obama sticker. The small adhesive piece of plastic slapped to my back window that simply states, “Peace, Love, Obama”.
Thankfully, we were able to get away from his nastiness when we turned. I was shocked. Appalled. Hurt. And OH so ANGRY. We had been violently threatened…and of course poor Parker immediately started asking questions.
“Mommy, why was that man driving so fast by us? Why was he talking so mad? Why was he yelling at you? What did you do, Mommy? Is he going to come back?”
How do you explain that knd of asshole behavior to a 4-year-old?? He was scared and worried and wanted answers and I just didn’t have the words…
I still don’t. 
Smiles
November 25, 2008
I had to scan some things tonight and just stumbled across this picture. I’m guessing it is from summer of 2003 or so, right before we got married.
Happy. :)
Less Than Awesome
November 5, 2008
Great news!! Matt is coming home tonight!
And then it all turns a bit sour. Because you see, Matt comes home tonight by taxi after his flight gets in…around midnight.
And then he has to go out of town again.
Tomorrow.
Morning.
Oh well, it can’t be helped.
At least I have this kind of cuteness around to distract me:
Parker, I mean. Not Obama. Though he’s cute enough, in that Presidential sort of way.
Hello, Autumn.
October 12, 2008
Ah, it’s that time of year again.
The temperature plummets from 97 to 92 degrees. The leaves on the trees turn from greenish-brown to just plain brown. And we make our annual visit to the Pumpkin Patch, to sweat it out among a sea of orange pumpkin piles. Rebecca-Linh, Jade, and Aja were able to join us and Parker was delighted to see his gals.
The highlight each year is undoubtedly the train. Where else can you pay $6 to wait in line for 30 minutes for a 4 minute ride? I’m already counting down the days until next year’s visit. 
Nevertheless, we got our pumpkin pictures and it truly did make me realize that the holiday season is right around the corner!
RLR and the girls bought us this pumpkin. Just the right size!
ETA:
Welcome to Memory Lane. Please enjoy your trip.
2005:
2006:
2007:
I Thought I had to PAY for Talk Like That
October 10, 2008
So Matt calls me in the middle of the day today.
There I was, driving along with Rebecca-Linh, on my way to pick up P-Bo from school, when I hear Matt’s hushed-because-I’m-at-work voice breathe huskily through the phone:
“I got a boner.”
Needless to say, I snapped to full attention. “Uhhhh…come again?”
There was a pause, and then again, a bit slower this time:
“I. got. a. boner.”
Now, I’m not saying Matt is not a spontaneous fellow, and I’ll admit he can be downright romantic at times, but this was more than a little bit unusual. I turned the car radio down, tried to ignore the slight hum of the cell phone static, and asked once more:
“I’m sorry Matt…you WHAT?”
“A BONER. I just got my quarterly boner.”
Still took a moment of utter speechlessness until suddenly… Ah HA! BONUS! He’s at work and he got a BONUS!
So congrats, Matt, and thanks, Matt’s employer.
Whew. Sure did dodge that bullet. (And still biting my tongue over smartass “quarterly boner” jokes. Just too easy.)
Bellaire Seniors, Make Some Noiiiiiise!
October 5, 2008
It’s hard to believe that it has been ten years since Matt and I went to the Bellaire High School Senior prom….uh, Matt with Clarissa and me with Andy. 
Matt and I had a nice little evening out last night for his 10 year high school reunion. It would have been a great occasion to sort of unwind and throw back a few drinks, but we flat out couldn’t afford it! $6.75 for a beer? Seriously?? It cost $65 a person just to get in, and that didn’t even include dinner – only “heavy hor’dourves”. (like pound cake. get it?… get it??)
Surprisingly, even entirely sober, it was still fun to hang out with Andy, Sam, and Brandon again. All that was missing was the big red Suburban. (and Chuck, for goodness sake! Where were you, dude?)
Well hello there, our little golden friend. It had, indeed, been too long.
A little slice of the c/o ’98
I know what you’re thinking and YES, a girl that cute really is going to marry Sam. On purpose!
(xoxo, Samuelito)
