The Big K

Jaxon is officially registered for Kindergarten!!! That makes me officially old!!! Just kidding. Anh is old. Ha! Again, kidding. However, Jaxon's registration sort of snuck up on us. It seems like we were just enrolling him in 2-year old preschool. I guess the days/weeks/months all sort of start to blend together, and you can easily lose track of time. While the paperwork may be complete, the first day is still a few months away. That fact is sort of lost on Jax though. He's already telling people that he's in Kindergarten. Looks like we won't have to worry much about how he'll transition!

The only bump in the road I anticipate is making new friends or maybe I should say parting ways with old ones. Jax is very social. So, I don't worry about him meeting new buddies. However, Jax was sort of upset when he learned that his two main playmates weren't going to be at the registration session for his new school because they will be going to a different school next year. He seemed to understand when I explained that we'd still see them outside of school, but I knew he was dwelling on the issue when I saw the artwork Jax drew as a pastime while I completed the enrollment paperwork.

When I glanced down to see what Jax was working on with his paper & crayons, I saw that he had drawn 2 boys inside of big circle with a line through it. I asked Jax, "What's that, buddy?" He looked at me with big puppy dog eyes and said, "It's Christian and Aiden. They aren't allowed." I felt so bad for Jax at that moment, but something tells me he'll survive. As we took our tour of the school, Jax started to perk up, especially after he learned that he'd be able to buy ice cream at lunch and that Fridays are pizza & movie day in the lunchroom. Jax also approved of the playground and the P.E. area. I guess we know what his favorite subject will be!

After the tour, it was Jax's turn for assessment. The administrator took him to the back of the media center and went through a series of exercises to determine his classroom placement. I wasn't provided with any feedback on how things went, but I can tell you that Jax was with the administrator twice as long as the kid before him. I have no idea whether that's a good or a bad sign, but something tells me it's good because I've said it before & I'll say it again, "My kid ain't no dummy."

Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before

Does this look familiar? It's the house we were five days short of buying & moving into back in the Fall of 2008. Why am I digging up old pictures and wounds? Well, because the homeowners contacted us a couple of weeks ago via our shared real estate agent to see if we'd still be interested in buying the house. The immediate answer was, "No." After the deal fell apart in 2008, thanks to a low 2nd appraisal the week before closing that would have required a renegotiation of the sale price, we wrote off the possibility of this house ever being our home. We were disappointed at the time, but after focusing on all the negatives like the small bedrooms & hefty mortgage note, we moved on to new possibilities.

Never in a million years did I think we'd be discussing the possibility of buying that particular house again. Especially after the homeowners called us "cheap" because we were unwilling to overpay for their house and instead walked away from the deal. We asked them to drop their price to the amount that it appraised for so we could move forward, but they said they would never sell that for that price. I guess they thought we'd forget about that little "cheap" comment if they approached us with a new lower price a year & half later.

Well, we never forget. Plus, eighteen months later, the real estate market is even worse off than before, and their house is worth significantly less than the "insulting" amount that they previously refused to consider. I guess this couple just likes to live in denial and therefore torture themselves because we countered their proposed price (which was $175,000 less than the "insulting" compromise we proposed way back when) with a realistic figure for today's market that was about $50,000 less, and they were once again insulted.

Oh well. We thanked them for thinking of us first and sincerely wished them luck in securing a buyer for the price they desire. God knows they're gonna need it! Idiots!

Can I Get a Little Help Around Here?!

I don't really say that (outloud) when it comes to household chores, but everyone has that thought from time to time. Anh is definitely a huge help around here, shouldering quite a few duties. As a result, he sets a good example for the boys. Last week, Jax suddenly started showing a huge interest in helping with the dishes. To date, his only real responsibility has been picking up the toys before bed. So, it was definitely nice to have Jax ask to wash his own dishes. He did this completely unprompted, by the way.

Of course, as soon as Baylor saw his big brother climb on a chair and start messing with the soap and kitchen faucet, he just had to get involved too. I guess "the more the merrier" should be the attitude when it comes to cleaning duties. Although, Baylor's involvement usually leads to more cleaning time for mommy & daddy after he's done "helping." Oh well! Maybe next week the boys will be interested in some laundry! One can always dream, right?

Late for an Important Date

Little Ms. Hayden's 7th Birthday Party was Sunday afternoon, and we weren't actually late at all. We showed up early to lend a helping hand with the party setup. The theme was an "Alice in Wonderland Un-Birthday Tea Party," and the guests were asked to dress as their favorite characters from the movie. Jax decided to go as one of the Queen of Hearts' playing card guards. Goodness! That was a mouthful if you're reading out loud!Hayden came as Alice, of course. So did about half of the other girls. Everybody loves Alice! There were also several Queens, a couple of White Rabbits, a pair of Mad Hatters, and quite a few fairies which confused me. I don't remember the fairies. Maybe they were just recycled Halloween costumes that the parents thought would do. Oh, and Tweedle Dee was there, but Tweedle Dum didn't make it. Go figure? I thought they were inseparable! Oh, and Hudson was the cutest Caterpillar ever!A Mad Hatter magician was on hand to provide entertainment, but mainly the kids just enjoyed running around & acting crazy. They are kids. It doesn't take much to entertain them.After a bit of tea, some "Eat Me" cookies, and handfuls upon handfuls of M&M's, we sang "Happy Birthday" to Alice #1, enjoyed some cupcakes, and called it a day. Congratulations to Lisa on a job well done! I don't think I've ever seen a happier Alice!

Absence

I wish I could blame my week-long absence on some wonderful vacation, but sadly, it was merely everyday life that caught up with me and kept me away from the blog. Some weeks are like that. Life is always busy, but sometimes my stamina slips and I just don't do a great job of keeping up with everything. Since Jax and Baylor can't be neglected, the blog is usually what ends up being short-changed. I promise to do a better job of chronicling our lives and entertaining our readers this week. Don't abandon us quite yet!

We've also been co-miserating with some close friends over the past week. It seems like bad news is running rampant in our little circle right now. One friend has suffered the loss of a loved one. Another couple is dealing with a stressful & completely unexpected job hunt, and last but certainly not least, another couple we're close to is dealing with a nightmare of a situation related to the construction of their dream home. So, while the bad luck is swirling around us, we love our friends and feel the angst right along with them. All in all, it just wasn't a good week for blogging. This week is already feeling better though. Think positive! That's all you can do sometimes.

In the Spotlight

Allow me to introduce the Student of the Week, Jaxon!As Student of the Week, Jax was asked to prepare a poster that could be displayed in the classroom. He had to find pictures that he felt represented him and his personality. I'm not sure whether you can see it the picture, but cars (both real and toy) and ice cream are heavily featured in the poster. Jax also decided to include pictures that showed his love of swimming, fireworks, M & M's, bike riding, dogs, football, tennis, golf, racing, and his new favorite color, blue. I'd say the poster is a true representation of Jax!

Mad Science

This weekend, we attended a birthday party for one of Jax's classmates. At this age, the kids are happy with a playground and, of course, cake. Well, Jax would probably be happy with a huge tub of icing since he pretty much licks his cake/cupcake clean of icing & then loses interest, but I'm sure you get my point. It doesn't take much to entertain a bunch of 5-year olds.So when Atom Ali from the Mad Science lab arrived to entertain the kids with her wacky science experiments, I had my doubts about whether she'd be able to capture and HOLD the kids' attention. I mean let's be honest, 5-year olds aren't exactly known for having impressive attention-spans. They're all sort of suffer from ADD, especially when there is a playground less than 5 feet away. I thought, "Uh oh! Wasted money!"However, I couldn't have been more wrong. Those of you that know me, know that's not a phrase you're likely to hear...well...ummmm...EVER. I was wrong though. The kids were absolutely fascinated by Ali's experiments. Shoot! Who am I kidding? The kids weren't the only ones intrigued. The parents were captivated as well! Sadly, we (the parents) were welcome to watch, but the hands-on fun was strictly for kids. No parents allowed!I'll admit it, I was jealous. I wanted to turn styrofoam cups into silly putty and don't even get me started on how much fun it would have been to launch rockets! That special honor was given to the birthday girl. The rest of the kids had a blast retrieving the rocket after it parachuted to the ground. Unfortunately, one was lost to the mighty grasp of a huge, old oak tree. Oh well! The squirrels have a new toy.Even Baylor hung on Ali's every word. I couldn't believe that she held his attention for the full hour. That's truly impressive! I think I see a Mad Science party in Baylor's future.This has to be the first party where the cake was Baylor's 2nd favorite thing!

This Is Not a Democracy

I'm sure you think I'm about to rant and rave about something political with that as my entry title, and trust me, I could. However, I'll spare you from my political thoughts because it's Friday & we all just want some good light-hearted fun, right? So, instead let me share a story about a little dictator that has risen to power lately. His name is Baylor, and he currently believes that he alone controls the car radio.

Under Baylor's control, you are allowed to change the channel when you initially start the car, but I suggest you choose your station wisely because you may not get the opportunity to channel surf again until you exit & re-enter the vehicle. God forbid you dare change the station during an actual song. It doesn't matter if the song is annoying or completely inappropriate for a child's ears. Nope, Baylor does not believe in interrupting the artists. He will scream until you return to the original station, and don't think for a second that you can fool him. He knows what song he was listening to!

Oh, and don't assume that just because it's a commercial you can change the station either. Evidently, Baylor enjoys certain commercials or, more likely, he enjoys his new power over the radio. Either way, he'll scream until you're once again listening to the blah, blah, blah sales pitch of the moment. I have managed to outsmart the little dictator on one level though. If I hookup my iPhone to the car stereo, I can listen to MY commercial-free programming. Shhhhh! Don't tell The Boss!

They're Back

Not that they ever really left, but rather were probably just laying low. What am I talking about? Snakes! We've had 3 sightings in the last two weeks. One was a baby that came entirely too close to our bare toes as Anh & I walked home in flip-flops from our neighborhood street festival. He decided to slither across the sidewalk inches in front of us. Not cool!

The other sightings occurred yesterday while Baylor and I were over at my friend Whitney's house for a playdate with her son Ethan. We were walking the boys to Whitney's neighborhood park when we had the encounters. Oh, and they weren't babies. Nope, they were huge black snakes, and I don't care that they were likely Black Racers which supposedly aren't likely to bite. A snake is a snake in my book, and I prefer that they stick to their turf, the woods. The streets and sidewalks are for people. We can peacefully co-exist if we all follow the rules!

So, while I enjoyed a few months of living relatively paranoia-free, those days are over. It's back to my us vs. them mentality. Why oh why must Florida be so freakin' snake friendly?!?

Final Showdown

I just realized that I forgot to share pictures from our annual family Easter egg hunt. As always, the competition was stiff. Luckily, a few key players (Uncle Al and Aunt Kelly) were absent which increased the odds for the rest of us. So, while I can honestly say those 2 were missed during the majority of the family festivities, I'd be fibbing if I said I missed them during the actual competition. I love them & all, but come on...we're talking about cold, hard cash from the "Easter Bunny!"The less competition the better, especially now that Jax & Baylor both believe they should be able to get in on the action. This year, as in years past, we held a separate candy egg hunt for the boys prior to the main event, but they're too smart for us now. They wanted some green stuff to feed their piggy banks, and let me tell you, I was worried after seeing how fast they are on their feet when going after those candy eggs. Surely, they'd step it up another notch with money involved.Sure enough, both boys bolted out of the gates with their eyes on the prize! In the picture below, you can see that Jax beat Anh & Uncle Travis to the playing field. Baylor wasn't far behind either! Unfortunately, Baylor tripped and skinned his elbow a bit, but even that wasn't enough to slow him down. There were no tears, just dusted himself off, and took off running again. He was on a mission. Nobody was going to get his eggs!For most of us, there was no real strategy involved. You just grab any eggs you see because eggs = money. However, the Easter Bunny did play some pranks on us this year by hiding a few empty eggs. So, while I was quite happy initially with the five eggs I managed to snag, my excitement quickly faded when I discovered 2 of the 5 were EMPTY!Jax, Baylor, and I all ended up collecting $20 each which resulted in a 3-way tie for 3rd place. At least, we beat Anh. He didn't manage to collect a single egg. Although, something tells me he wasn't trying very hard. I mean he has a few years of experience under his belt now. Surely, he could have found at least one. Maybe he took pity on the littlest competitors. I don't play that way. It's every man for himself!Baylor clearly takes after me. He was so determined to win, he started ripping the decorative egg stakes out of the ground & collecting those.In the end, Uncle Travis put us all to shame by finding both the gold & silver grand prize eggs. Those to eggs alone, put him over the $150 mark. Aunt Nguyen placed second with $33. I'd say we all know who we're going to have to take out of the race early next year. Watch your kneecaps next year, Uncle Travis!

Oh-Oh-Oh-Oh

Confused? It's a verse from Ke$ha's hit song Tick Tock. Yes, the singer uses a dollar sign instead of an S in the spelling of her name. She's classy like that! Which leads me to today's funny story. As Baylor & I were cruising home after a morning full of errands, Tick Tock came on the radio for about the billionth time. So, I changed the station because while I do actually like the song, an individual can only handle so much of a good thing. Well, evidently, Baylor wanted to hear that particular song a billion & one times! He let out this high-pitched squeal in protest of my decision to try a different station. Oops! Sorry, buddy. I had no idea you were such a big Ke$ha fan!

As if that wasn't funny enough, moments later, I heard "Oh-Oh-Oh-Oh!" being sung in unison with Ke$ha from the backseat. Yep, little Baylor who rarely speaks sings along with class-act Ke$ha. Great! I'm so proud! At least, Baylor chose one of the more innocent lyrics from the song. I'm sure it goes without saying that a chick with a dollar sign in her name doesn't exactly qualify as baby-friendly.

Eggstravaganza

The Easter Bunny came early! He stopped by our neighborhood's Easter Eggstravaganza on Saturday. In addition to baseball fields littered with candy-filled eggs, the bunny arranged for some fun activities for the kids. Jax & Baylor were eager to explore the offerings, but paused momentarily so I could snap a quick photo. I'm not going to lie. There was some protesting to the delay of their fun, but in the end they smiled to get it over with and make me happy.
As soon as I gave them the thumbs up, both boys were racing towards the bounce houses. I'm beginning to think that bounce houses are required for any & all children's functions. You'd think the kids would get tired of them, but that just never seems to happen.Before Jax and Baylor were a complete sweaty mess, I suggested that we pause the bounce house fun and move on to visit the ponies. Baylor agreed to the proposal, but he refused to walk with me. Why would he when his best friend Grandfather's hand was available?Jax didn't seem to understand the need for a guide. He was ready to give that pony a little nudge that would hopefully result in some get-up-and-go!Baylor on the other hand, felt no need for speed, but I do think he would have enjoyed having his toy 6-shooters to complete the experience. Next year, we'll remember to pack those.As if ponies on the soccer field weren't enough, there was also a train on the basketball courts. It was like a little boy's dream come true...bounce houses, ponies, and a train! It was almost enough to make you forget all about those candy-filled eggs.I said ALMOST! Of course, Jax and Baylor weren't going to pass up the opportunity to earn a treat, especially if it included the chance to snatch it out of some other kid's grasp. I'm kidding...sort of. All manners are essentially out the window when it comes to egg hunting.And, they're off!!! Jax had a good strategy, passing up on most of the infield eggs and instead making a beeline for the heavily egged outfield. Always thinking!As a result, he ended up with a fair amount of loot. We'll be rationing candy for weeks, I assure you.With Baylor, I was actually worrying that maybe we should have taken the time to give him a little lesson about how to hunt eggs. I wasn't sure he'd know what to do because he was so little during last year's egg hunt.Well, let me just say that my worries were quickly laid to rest. As soon as the kids took off sprinting for the eggs, Baylor was right there with them! I don't know if he understood the point, but he wasn't going to let anyone steal his eggs. Let's just say he's every bit as competitive as his big brother!And, equally proud of his accomplishments!What a great warm-up for Sunday's main event.

This is No Joke

It may have happened on April Fools Day 2010, but this is definitely not a prank or joke. Baylor decided today was the day he'd take a big step towards a diaperless future. Evidently, 22 months is the perfect age to perfect your #2 skills! Woo hoo!