Man Dates and Mommy Dates

Keith and I periodically take each kid out individually to spend some one-on-one time with each of our kids. We call them "Mommy/Daddy Dates." Today was a special treat, though. Keith took Joey to go see "Up" with our friends Arturo and Nicolas. So, we called it a "Man Date." Clarissa and I went for a walk and shopping while the boys were out having fun. (By the way, Clarissa has been saying "mall" for a while, now) It was beautiful weather and Keith and I were happy to share some time with our kiddos.

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Team Chapel won their game last night! I tell you, our guys are awesome! Keith even hit another homerun. Way to go Keith! Way to go Team Chapel!



Don't you think my husband is handsome? He often dazzles me.

Memorial Weekend

What a great weekend we had! Keith had an extra long weekend. He was off work Friday - Monday and we enjoyed every moment. The weather was absolutely gorgeous and we made the most of it.

Friday we headed to the beach with Natalie and her boys.



Saturday we took the kids to a (very) little fair. Joey had an absolute blast riding rides and the big slide.




Sunday we ended up spending most of our evening with the Fagundo's. We went to go out to eat at the Alamo and ate ice cream afterwards at Friendly's. Three three-year-olds in a restaurant (FYI) is CRAZY! Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera with me. Trust me, though, it was crazy.

Monday we had a cookout with our friends and afterwards took Keith's trans am for a ride. We ended up having a picnic for dinner at the Wayside Inn.

Beaches

Today was our first day to go to the beach for the season. Well, actually, it's the local state park . . . but you get my drift. The kids had a blast. Clarissa really enjoyed the water and Joey enjoyed playing in the sand. Today was the first time I actually let Joey roam a little. I was usually right on him or holding his hand. He did great and I don't believe I had any heart attacks.

First Dentist Appointment

Joey had a big day today. He had his first dentist appointment! I had originally had it scheduled at the beginning of this year, but had to cancel it. We finally found time in his busy schedule to reschedule.

Keith had his cleaning yesterday and the dentist sent home a sticker for Joey. Automatically, Joey thought he was cool. Today we made up a song about the dentist. We discussed how they would brush his teeth and count his teeth. They would also "tickle" his teeth. I was so happy I used this term, because the dental hygienist asked if she could "tickle" his teeth with her "cool" toothbrush.

Keith and I are so proud of our little man. I'm actually happy that we waited a little bit for him to go to the dentist. I don't think he would have done as awesome as he did today six months ago.

Here's Joey before his appointment:



Joey and Ms. Nancy after his cleaning:



Here's Joey's picture the office took to place on their wall:



*Joey was really proud of his picture hanging on the wall.

Operation Autograph, Day 1

Today we headed to the movie set in hopes of getting some autographs. Unfortunately, we were not able to even get close enough to the actors. They were filming when we were at the set and the police were not allowing people passed a certain point. Luckily, the weather was gorgeous and the kids and I were able to get some vitamin D and have some fun. We were rewarded with seeing Salma Hayek driving by us. I did not have my camera ready and my reactions were too slow to take a picture, though. So, you'll just have to trust me. The short moment I was able to see her I was able to notice how gorgeous she is. Seriously, her hair was absolutely beautiful.

Here's Joey having some fun. Apparently, I forgot to get a picture of Clarissa in her Dallas Cowboys Cheerleading outfit. She wasn't a fan of the camera this afternoon. She was exhausted.





After dinner we headed to the set with Keith in hopes of catching glimpses and possible autographs. Apparently, we arrived at the worst time. As we FINALLY found a place to park everyone was leaving. The actors had all left to have some supper for themselves. How inconsiderate! Just kidding. We were able to see Salma Hayek driving, again. Her's is the only car I recognize. I did get pictures of other cars that could have potentially have some of the other actors. The windows were too dark to see. So, I won't even post the pictures.

Here are a couple of pictures of the set. Look at how massive the equipment is. If you notice the headstones they are made of styrofoam. The movie set is an extension of an actual cemetery. I got some information from a local police officer. He told me about the headstones and what times the film is set to shoot. It was actually hilarious, because he had all of this extra information and promptly said that no one ever tells him anything. He also mentioned that this set up is for the opening scenes in the movie (which is currently titled "Grown-ups")and will be twenty minutes. The rest of the movie will be filmed in another Massachusetts town. He said they spent an insane amount of money for the other set and the houses that are being used were either constructed or if they were already built had extensions built. How awesome would that be? Have a major motion picture tell you they'd like to use your house for a movie and fit the bill to have it remodeled and built onto for you to keep?

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Go Team Chapel! We won another game tonight and it was an AWESOME game. I don't know the official last score, but I believe it was 28-14. The team did great together and in one inning they got FIFTEEN hits.

We were also able to stay for the whole game. Don't get me wrong, we almost left but Keith convinced us to stay. Oh my gosh, I wish you all could have been at this game. It was such a great game! The kids had a lot of fun, too. Clarissa kept yelling, "ball!" and Joey was just having a blast seeing Keith and playing with Miss Bonnie.

College Days

Last night Keith and I got to thinking about his college days when we seriously had little or no money. We used to go on free dates using the Texas Tech school system. What's embarrassing, though, is we were not the only people to take advantage of these "free" dates.

Keith was a member of IEEE (Institute for Electrical and Electronic Engineers). Monthly, they would host a meeting on campus and provide pizza. So, monthly, I would go on campus with Keith, listen to the information, and eat some free pizza. I actually learned quite a bit!

Our other date was during one of Keith's classes at school. For one of his requirements, he took a theater class . . . basically, it was a movie class. Weekly, they watched a movie. On those days I would go to class with him. Texas Tech had an awesome facility with stadium seating. We would bring snacks and a drinks. We always saw great movies, too!

Very pathetic . . . I know, but they're great and funny memories to us.

I wasn't the only one tagging along; Keith used to go to class with his friend David in a programming class. He wouldn't go for free food or a movie, but due to his curiosity and sense of boredom. The professor was a first-year and excited to have completed his first year of teaching. He asked for all of the students to take a picture with him. Somewhere out there a professor has a picture of his first class with Keith in it.

Since we're talking about odd ball things, I figure you'd like to hear about my first car:



(I don't have an actual picture, but this gives you the general idea)

Meet, the "Medallion." It was an '89 Eagle Medallion, a French car. These are no longer made. It didn't have much miles, but it drove like it did. It would overheat after four miles and it only lasted that long if you left the heater blowing. It only had one setting . . . high. So, my summers were interesting. A hundred degree weather with a heater blowing on your face and feet made for one sweaty person.

The seat belt would lock in place. You seriously could not budge. It was one of the seat belts that would lock in place when you started the car. So, unbuckling was not a great option. You might not be able to buckle it back together.

Once, my car battery died and EVERYTHING electrical died. I had to call Keith to pick me up from work, because my defroster was not working. Keith thought I was joking and brought a candle to appease me. A candle? Once he inspected it, he realized there was chance it was going to work. So, he had to drive my car home carrying a candle so he could see out of the window. Ridiculous. A few weeks later, the battery died, again, and it fixed itself.

I could go on and on with stories! As much as we joke about the car, it was a great first car. It saw its fair share of fender benders.

Lunches

We take advantage of the fact that we live so closely to Keith's work that happens to be across from a playground. With warm weather here we try to have our lunches with him outdoors. It's been a bit rainy lately, so the sunny weather today was a welcomed change and the kids had a blast finally getting to run off some of their energy.

Here's Joey melting:



A before and after picture:



And my favorite shot of the day:



When Clarissa swings she leans forward. I was laying on the ground underneath the swing trying to get a picture of her face and ended up capturing this. I love it!

We have a winner!

Joni was the first to mention she saw us on the church site. So, email me (or facebook me) your information and you'll be getting a special prize in the mail soon.

And just to make the post a little more interesting since I don't have any pictures to post, here's a note Tina tagged me on facebook:

Jailhouse Rock: Shuffle music survey.
put your ipod or itunes or media player or whatever you have on shuffle and click next song for ever answer.. write it down.. NO CHEATING.

What does next year have in store for me? TRAVELING SOLDIER BY THE DIXIE CHICKS. Hmmm, what do you suppose this means?

What does your love life look like? PROUD MARY BY IKE AND TINA TURNER. Just a little info for you, my dad LOVES Tina Turner.

What do I say when life gets hard? SUNRISE BY NORA JONES. Ooooh, I love this!

What song will I dance to at my wedding? CRYIN BY AEROSMITH. I already had my wedding and I'm sure Aerosmith could have played sometime throughout the night, but I didn't dance much. I have no rhythm. I do remember doing the Macarena, though. How embarassing.

What do you want as a career? LA BAMBA BY RICHIE VALENS. Maybe I want to be a dancer, but I lack the skills.

Your favorite saying? BLESSED ASSURANCE BY RANDY TRAVIS. This is another good one.

What do you think of your parents? FLIGHTLESS BIRD, AMERICAN MOUTH BY IRON & WINE. Hmmm. If I could choose a song for my parents it would be something like from the Monkees or the Carpenters.

Where would you go on a first date? I'LL BE BY REBA MCENTIRE. Keith and I had our first date at a Chinese restaraunt.

Describe yourself. AVE MARIA BY MARIA CALLAS. Love it.

The theme to your life? FEVER BY PEGGY LEE. You give me fever. Got it. CJ had a fever today, does this mean soon I'll get one?

What is the thing I like doing most? NEVER THINK BY ROBERT PATTINSON. True story.

The song that best describes the president? SWEET CAROLINE BY NEIL DIAMOND. That's not what I would use.

How will I die? SWAY BY MICHAEL BUBLE. I tell you, dancing is not an option for me.

The song that will be played at your funeral? LADY MARMALADE BY CHRISTINA AGUILERA. It's cause I'm a soul sister.

The song you'll put as the subject? JAILHOUSE ROCK BY ELVIS PRESLEY. I was hoping for something quirky like Hollaback Girl or truth like God Blessed Texas.

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Go Team Chapel! We won our game tonight. Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures. Clarissa was a little fussy tonight and we only made it to the fifth inning before heading home.

Since there is no pictures to upload, I figure I'll plug our church.



(Click on the logo to go to the church site)

We've been attending for about 3.5 years, now. We've not joined, yet, but the timing has never been right. We started with this church about a month and a half before we had Joey and we've never been able to attend a 101 class which is a requirement for membership. We enjoy our church, though, and we love the people. If you're in the area, you should check it!

(P.S. If you can find a picture of Keith, Joey, and myself on the church site I'll send you a prize)

Caught Red-Handed!

Tonight we had a special treat for the kids. We bought them Cookie Monster and Elmo cupcakes. Clarissa actually did really well with her cupcake. She ate it with a fork. For some weird reason Joey decided that he would wear it. You should have seen bath tub. It was DISGUSTING.

18 Months

Yesterday Clarissa turned 18 months! What's crazy about that is it's about the time I started this blog with Joey when he was 18 months. Click HERE to read his 18 month post. Clarissa's appointment went really well. Hmmm, let me rephrase that. She did as well as could be expected with needles, doctors, and nurses surrounding her. (She had her fifteen month shots today) She's still in the lower percentiles for her weight and height, but the doctor once again reassured me that she's well and healthy. She is just going to have my frame, small and petite. So, Clarissa, I apologize in advance if you had your hopes set high to be a model or flight attendant. I doubt you'll ever reach 5'8" with or without heels. I guess you'll just have to settle on being a doctor. That reminds me; Joey decided today he would like to be a doctor. We asked him what he'd like to be when he is an adult and he decided a doctor for the money. Oh man . . . my son and money. He loves the jingle in his step when he has change in his pocket.

Today we had an amazing day. Keith was off work and we enjoyed the beautiful weather!





Keith seriously is the best husband and father. He made us all breakfast this morning and watched the kids so I could go to the gym. We spent the whole day together just playing outside and eating ice cream. I love days like this! I love spending time with the family. Thanks, Keith, for being so wonderful. I love you.

Growing up in the 90s

Keith and I were both born in the 80s, but definitely grew up in the 90s and consider Adam Sandler one of the funniest comedians. We come from the era of Chris Farley movies and find that hilariously, dumb humor . . . well, hilarious. So, imagine my surprise and total excitement when I find out that the new Adam Sandler movie will be filmed right here in my town! It's going to have some of the greatest actors in it. Salma Hayek, David Spade, Kevin James, Rob Schneider, and Norm MacDonald . . . I think if it weren't for the fact that I am now an adult and can control myself I would explode. I went to high school with a girl that was totally in love with Adam Sandler and I wish we were still in contact so I could rub it in her face. Is that horrible of me? Actually, I would invite her to come stalk the set. Click HERE for the article.

So, stay tuned and maybe I'll have some good news to share. I'm hoping we'll be able to get some autographs for the kids. How amazing would that be? We've started a little collection of autographs for Joey, but unfortunately have none for Clarissa. Joey has President George W. Bush, Curt Schilling, Johnny Damon, and Bob Knight's autographs. Pretty impressive, huh?

I just hope I don't make myself out to be an idiot. I'm definitely not a person known to be calm in stressful or odd situations. Just ask Keith and Cindy. I hit a deer driving home to Amarillo from Lubbock once, yelled, and let go of the wheel. Keith had to grab the wheel and take control of me. Who lets go of the wheel? Only me. When I was younger (really young) we headed to Boots 'n Jeans (yes, that's a real store) to get an autograph of a country singer. Help me out, Cindy, who was it? Anyway, he asked my name and I couldn't speak. I couldn't remember my name. When I finally spoke I asked for an autograph for Cory and got it, but it was supposed to be meant for Tory. Oops. So, if we're lucky enough to even get close enough to ask for autographs I hope I remember Justin and Cher's . . . oops, I mean Joey and Clarissa's names.

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Keith played his second game last night. Unfortunately, they lost. It was a great game, though. Everyone played amazingly. Around the sixth inning things just started taking a turn for the worse, though.

Joey absolutely loves watching Keith play ball. He didn't want to leave, but Clarissa was slowly having a meltdown. The games are just too close to her bedtime.

Lunch is served!

I've been scrambling this morning to get things completed for school and before I knew it lunch was here. Luckily, we had some leftovers from last night and after warming the food I sat down to finish my school work while the kids were eating. Next thing I hear is Clarissa laughing and Joey making an airplane noise. He was feeding her and she loved it. They each had the biggest smiles on their face. Their love for each other is evident and I can only hope and pray they will always be there for each other and help the other if needed.

Winding Down

This week is my last week in school for the semester and I'm exhausted! It feels like I've been writing non-stop. I'm actually taking a break from writing projects for school so I can write in the blog.

Tuesday we hit ninety-two degrees! It really got me excited for summer. Everything is in full bloom. We were able to get together with friends throughout the week and I'm ready for all the outdoor fun we'll soon be having. Unfortunately, this week is supposed to be rainy.

Well . . . I'm finished writing.