'stros Game with the Girls + Jackson

So we had a girls night out + Jackson last Friday! Elizabeth, Mommy, Rachel, and Rusti all took Jackson to see the Astros in a great game against the Braves. Jackson loves the Astros--loves baseball games in general (okay, pretty much just the pro games) and at the end of the game, we got to see some KeeBooms!! Jackson was nervous and excited about the Keebooms! He liked them, but they were so close I think it scared him a little bit! His favs "I yike de Orwange Keebooms! I yike de Orwange Keebooms!" He repeated himself over and over, to no one, like Rain Man! Seriously!

My battery on my little camera went dead right when we got there, so Elizabeth sent me some pics of all of us from the game!

Jackson + Rachel dancing in between innings!

Jackson, say "Cheese!"

Mommy's Night Out (with Daddy!)

My best friend from high school has been living down here in Conroe for about a year. We've only gotten together 3 times in that year! Well, he and his girlfriend are moving--tomorrow! All the way to Baltimore!

So, we decided to meet up with them in Houston after the Astro's game for some drinks--and it was so nice to see everyone and catch up! Rachel and Elizabeth came along too, so we had a great time! Adam had been fishing ALL DAY with Jeff and Jackson, so he's a little pink in the face from all the sun! It was nice to get out and "party", since it doesn't get to happen that often!!

Flexing with Daddy

...before the Hurricane! This is just after we started boarding up the house...that night, the boys hung out before they both conked out on our bed! Check out all those muscles! Woohoo!!

"Good job Dad-ney! Good job! Niiiicccee!"

No idea....

Having fun with Dad-nyee!

**Note: No children (Jackson) were hurt during this stupid Daddy-style game.**

**2nd Note: Jackson has been told he is NOT allowed to play this game unless Daddy is home!**

The other night, I kept hearing Jackson laughing hysterically. I was watching TV and in the zone tuning out much of what the boys were doing--I try to do that often. Especially at night after a long day of mothering/working/cleaning/erranding/etc. But when I saw what they were doing, I had to laugh. As dangerous as it was, Jackson was having a blast and I couldn't help but laugh too. I still watch this video and think "What the hell were we thinking?" but then again, I see videos of myself and of Adam when we were little, and I ask our parents "What were you thinking? Were you nuts?!" So now, I feel like I am contributing to Jackson's adulthood in that he will actually have the same opportunity I did to ask that ridiculous question. See...I'm not a bad parent. I'm a thoughtful one who is looking out for her child's future......don't judge me.

Landscaping

This weekend was pretty jam packed. We had planned on re-landscaping the front yard since we moved in, but were waiting for everything to go on sale (why pay full price when you can get it for 70%off, right?!) and this weekend seemed like the perfect time. And it was! The weather was GORGEOUS!! Cool, crisp...the perfect "beginning of fall" day! So we got up and tore nearly EVERYTHING out of the front. The landscaping was fine, it was just boring and over grown....so we ripped it out!




My dad came by with his truck and somehow got suckered into helping pull out a few stumps and roots....sorry Dad. I think you are always working when you come over...sometime you should just stop by for a beer and sit in the driveway...someday, huh?!?!

We left our empty landscaping and our mess and headed to Houston Garden Center...

Jackson and I had been there earlier in the week and bought begonias and some flowers for my pots. That was the day we shopped with MeeMaw. We bought the plants, then picked her up and headed to Target for some gloves and tools--gotta love end of the season clearance! I got some really cute Sloggers to wear in the yard for $3.00!! YEAH! Jackson got some Go Diego gloves that day, some cute kids shovel/hoe set, and then insisted on a pot and a plant of his own.

Adam and I picked up a slew of foliage, and went back to start planting. We got all of the plants in and then had to get showered for a party that night. On Sunday, we got up and finished our outdoor project with more plants, mulch, and LOTS of watering! A job well done! We love it! We are the only house on the block now with color in our front yard--seriously. You'll know our house by the array of red, orange, yellow, and green!

Mommy's Mum and Jackson's little plant that he HAD to have...

Labor Day at Cedar Creek Lake

With the ensuing threat of Hurricane Gustav, we decided to head to the lake for early evacuation/labor day weekend. I really didn't plan on being around family and I couldn't swim or get in the lake, so I didn't think I would really have that great of a time. I took a book and planned on just keeping to myself. But the weekend was great, everyone was nice and didn't ask any questions, and Jackson played in the Hot Tub, the lake, the boat, on the jet skis, and laid in the hammock with us all weekend! So relaxing!


I got some video of Jackson on the jetski with Daddy--don't worry, they stayed in the cove the whole time. Surprisingly, I wasn't worried about him in the water this time around. I think b/c he's used to being in the water, and knows to keep his head up, I wasn't afraid of him going under and me not being able to see him. That's the one thing that scares me about lakes.

Aunt Peggy got a new dog about a week ago.....Tobi. I couldn't resist taking his picture.

The last night, we stayed up late with those that were still around (just me, Adam, Uncle Buddy, and cousin Kelli) and played Hearts. Honestly, I haven't laughed in a long time, and I laughed so hard that I nearly peed myself...other's at the table had different bodily function reactions to the laughter, but we won't go into that right now....

We came home on Tuesday since Gustav hit Louisianna this time and spared us.

I go Bow-ing!!

The day before my surgery, Thursday night actually (remember the LONGEST DAY EVER?!) after I had checked into the hospital and did all of my pre-op stuff, we went to dinner, washed the car, then headed to Main Event to go bowling. Jackson had been talking about it so much and I wanted him to have something fun to remember, other than sitting in the waiting rooms all day and seeing Mommy and Daddy stressing.

The video says is all:

So now, at 2 years old, Jackson has done the following:

--Gone Miniature Golfing
--Gone Bowling
--Seen a Movie in the Theater (Wall-e)
--Been to 4 Astros games
--Flown on an airplane 4 times
--Been to the Rodeo and Brad Paisley
--Seen his 1st concert (The Wiggles)

He's done more at 2 than I did in about 25 years.....

A few days later, after asking Meemaw a ton of times to take him bow-ing, she came over and brought Jackson this:

Astros with Jeff + Alicia

Our friends, Jeff + Alecia (the ones we went to Lake Tahoe with) invited us to go to the 'stros game on Wednesday. I was feeling better, although still not wanting to talk about anything, but I said I would go. And it was well worth it!

Alecia works for the Hyatt Downtown as a corporate sales guru (she's good--call her if you have a company that needs hotel rooms--I think. I'm not really sure what her job is, I just enjoy the perks every once in a while!) The Hyatt has great seats for the 'stros and they were not using them, so she got them. We got to the Hyatt at about 6:45pm and parked valet. Then, they had a blacked out Tahoe waiting for us to escort us to the front door of Minute Maid! We have such a hard life, I know! We were all joking that the paparazzi were going to be waiting for us as we got out of the car....oh wait, it's just Ramie!

Jackson had a blast, as usual. Daddy had bought him a suprise on his way home from work: a real baseball glove! He put that glove on when we were leaving the house and NEVER took it off--he actually held it up for the entire car ride there and in the car on the way to the game....





Jackson really wanted to see that train in the outfield move. He kept asking me when it would go, and finally, I got tired of him asking me, and the fact that we had not hit the ball all game, I said, "Jackson, when they hit the damn ball, the train will go. Tell them to hit the ball!" Not even realizing what I said, I continued talking to Jeff. Then, Jackson yells "HIT THE DAMN BALL! HIT THE DAMN BALL!" I couldn't help but laugh, and the entire section in front of us turned and started laughing hysterically. But you know what, they got a hit! And the train moved! He was so excited!

He also liked the WooWoo. We didn't know what the WooWoo was and he would ask, "Where WooWoo go?" HUH?!?! Then finally, he pointed to the field in between inings and we figured it out...the police officer. The WooWoo. He was excited to see a police man so close, I guess!

And the funniest part of the night: Jackson referred to his sippy cup as his "cold beer". Between the swearing and the drinking, we are raising a really classy kid, aren't we?!?! He'd tell us to raise our beers, and CHEERS! I had one Miller Chill and Adam had 2 Miller Lites....where he gets it, I don't know.....

Jackson fell asleep the minute we got in our car to drive home...such a busy week!