So I would say I can't believe I haven't posted anything since I wrapped up 2014 but in all honestly I can - we've been super busy, and I feel like this speed is going to continue through a few more big moths until the end of the school year...but these next few posts will at least get us caught up.
I got a new camera for Christmas and for quite some time this was the only picture on it - Owen (who is wearing pants) asked for a photo right after I got it charged and turned it on for the first time. Cheese!
As is the Mezger Men tradition - Kyle, Luke, Joel and Trey spent a weekend at the ranch in early January completing the year's deer hunting season and processing all their meet.
Joel and Luke
Trey
That same weekend I hopped a plane to New Orleans for a bachelorette weekend for my soon-to-be sister-in-law (photos in a different post).
Random fun times with Maggie and Nana blowing some bubbles (apparently post bike ride, still in Rebecca's old Christmas jammies).
I love this pic of Rebecca in the foam pit Kyle took from the observation deck at her gymnastics place. It's what we do Monday mornings for 45 minutes while Maggie is at school.
Texas Mammal Day - you would have thought it was a major federal holiday for all of these first graders - the excitement was palpable. Each got to pick any mammal that can be found in TX, dress up like the mammal (cue moms everywhere amazoning and hot-gluing), and tell 3ish facts about the mammal. Owen was a porcupine.
Brown t-shirt, black straws, white tape, hot glue, foam mask, spikey hair.
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Porcupines - by
Owen Mezger
*Porcupines
are covered in sharp spines called quills. Some adults have up to thirty
thousand quills. Baby porcupines are born with soft quills. Porcupines do not
shoot their quills, but they are released when a predator comes in contact with
them.
*Porcupines
are nocturnal.
*Porcupines
are herbivores.
*Porcupines
can live fifteen to eighteen years.
There were 3 foxes in his class - I wonder if they reported what foxes say?
Kyle and I celebrated our TEN YEAR ANNIVERSARY on Thursday 1-29-15. Bee babysat and we went to a fun dinner at Uchiko (had never been) to celebrate. A few weeks before we finally purchased the digital files of our wedding photos - I know, it only took us ten years. So, I printed off some photos and incorporated other photos from the past ten years (and the few dating years prior) and we had a little walk down memory lane, which was really fun. We have had it really really really good and we know it.
The following weekend we had the weekend to ourselves - Dahdo and Pam had asked several weeks before* if they could take the kids to her family's farm outside of Comfort (the kids love it there) and of course we said yes. We had talked about going to a movie or something that night - just taking it easy. And then...here's what I posted on facebook:
My husband took me out for a wonderful evening on our (actual) 10th
Anniversary on Thursday. And then tonight...I was told to be ready at
5:30 for some surprises. #ihatesurprises Including an overnight bag. #saywhat??? He even bought a gray sport coat (for himself) we've literally talked about for years. Introducing: Kyle Mezger - #internationalmanofmystery Did I mention he has run two short secretive errands while we've been on our date??? He's killing me.
We went to a great restaurant downtown (thanks Murrays!) with fancy friend chicken (yummo!!!) and still saw a movie (the Violet Crown is really cool, FYI) and then after walking in the rain for a few blocks (which gave me time to figure out where we were going) we ended up at the same hotel we stayed at on our wedding night, in the same room. How sweet is he???!!!
Things I learned later: 1) Kyle had arranged for the kids to be away, 2) I am bad at surprises (I already knew this) - but what exactly do I need to wear? oh man, are you taking me dancing or kareoke or something? i just want to sit in my jammies and watch a movie! 3) my husband knows me really well and loves me really well (no dancing or karaoke).
Jumping forward - Kyle has a routine upper endoscopy just to check some stuff out. Here he is all "gorked out" snuggling with Rebecca when we were picking him up.
More on Rebecca - I can't remember if she asked if she could do this or just started doing it - my guess is probably the latter. :)
Welcome to Rebecca's Nail and Hair Salon
Doing Bee's toes
She did mine the next day and then was almost in tears because no other customers had come (because there are signs on our first door so why haven't there been more customers?) so Christal saved the day by coming by after work (with Micah) to get some beauty treatments. Nails.
They ended up going with a swirly blend of pinks and purples that covered nail, cuticle and some skin.
She even got her hair done - squirted down, wound around q-tips for curl, then put in "Princess Leia" hair.
"Family Homework Time" outside - we had some beautiful spring days a few weeks ago - seems hard to believe its been so cold, rainy and gross since then!
Welcome to TX, right?
Maggie's homework
Rebecca's homework
Random ice cream break
brain freeze drama
Last Sunday we drove to College Station and met up with the Mukes, Fosheas, Mezgers and 2 other families to see a live show of the Kratz Brothers (from the PBS Show Wild Kratz). This is one of the only shows that all 3 kids really like. It started as Owen's favorite, Rebecca even likes it, and now Maggie loves it (mostly because "its what Owie would watch"). Maggie crashed on the way there and Rebecca proceeded to mess with her and die laughing - here is the poor girl with a gummy bear perched in between her sleepy pouty mouth.
All the kids except the 2 Murray boys right before the show.
Owen rode home w/ the Murray boys, we walked around campus a little bit and Kyle did some Aggie indoctrination for the girls - here they are under some huge statue - Kyle didn't even have to think before saying this dude's name (I think he's the original 12th Man).
We took O & R skiing again (see separate post) and watched Dolphin Tale 2 in our hotel room one night - Rebecca had already seen it "on my date w/ Dahdo." When we got home we decided we needed to watch Dolphin Tale (the original). The kids and I watched half one night and but didn't finish it before bed. K & I had plans the next night so told them they could finish the movie with our babysitter Marisela. Owen was convinced I would forget to tell her where we were in the movie - it would be impossible for me to remember "55," so he made a note and put it on the fridge.
Minute 55 on dolphin tale, wach with Sela
scweke
When we got home after our date the next night he had left us this note:
I do not know wat the point in to dolphin tale 1 - ask mom
I refused to watch the 2nd half of the movie by myself just to be able to answer his question so we talked in general about stories, movies, character development, points. At a minimum he was confused enough to let his question go. Go mom.
Okay, and from my list of things I don't want to forget, I leave you with these little tid-bits:
Owen:
*Was telling me all about the Founding Fathers and was convinced that George Washington ended slavery. Not yet, buddy...
*Was super wiggly while doing his homework one day - I told him to settle down and he very matter-of-factly told me he could not because he had ants in his pants.
*Actually did some reading on his own for reading round-up - this is a big change from him almost refusing to read alone for fear he would mess up and no one would be there to correct him.
*Spent $15 of his saved up money on a new watch - was over the moon when it came in the mail a day early (go, Amazon!) - if you give me 2-3 minutes he'll explain every amazing feature of it.
Rebecca:
*Her fear of ET (who may or may not live in her closet) has gotten better with the addition of a small ET doll - someone else's idea that has been super helpful - its harder to be afraid of something if you can touch/hold/hide it and always know where it is!
*Out of no where started crying one afternoon because she "missed Rosalon's wedding" - Rosalon is her American Girl doll and apparently she had been planning a wedding (in her head, hadn't told anyone) and then forgot to do it and when she remembered - tears tears tears. I told her we could reschedule it and do it another time. She said okay - that would give her time to find a husband for Rosalon. So glad we got that worked out.
*Can't seem to keep casserole and cinnamon rolls straight.
*Went on and on one afternoon on how "watchdogs" make great babyitters. So when she has 3-5 babies she'll get get some watchdogs to watch them if she needs to take a shower or go to a meeting or something. I asked her what she'd do if she needed to take a nap and she said she wouldn't because "Ninja's don't sleep that much - they have to keep an eye out for danger...and pizza."
Maggie:
*Hides things behind her back and says "Who's on my baaaaaaack?" Also says "I got a special for you"...
*It's a constant battle to keep her hair out of her face - "no pony or clippy" - but if my long bangs fall anywhere close to my face she freaks and says "momma, you got hairs in your face" and pushes them away.
*In the car with just me (or Kyle) this is the conversation: Soooooo mommmy, what should we talk about? how about horses? Okay, let's talk about horses Maggie. Two horses. Two blue horses.
*Often changes jammies multiple times after we tuck her into bed.
*Playing with play-do with me - tells me to make her "Ariel Princess" and when I said that was too hard she said "Okay, how 'bout a ball?!" A ball I can handle!
*Maggie has made huge potty-training progress. I'd say we've been without peepee incident for 3-4 weeks and that's her completely deciding when to go on her own (not us reminding her every hour), and in fact she wakes up most mornings with a dry pullup - so, yea!!! But #2 has been a different story. Our newest strategy has been to have her clean up her poopoo in undies indidents herself. I'll spare you the details...
*Best out of the blue phrases that shocked us at first and now delight us constantly:
Let's go, vaqueros! (probably from Dora), Let's go toots! (To me, probably from Daniel Tiger)
*Her sound track recently has been the Maggie version of Frère Jacques - the English version should go like this:
Are you sleeping, are you sleeping?
Brother John, Brother John?
Morning bells are ringing, morning bells are ringing
Ding ding dong, ding ding dong
Maggie's version goes like this:
Brother John John, Brother John John,
Brother John!!!!! Brother John!!!!!
Brother Brother John John, Brother Brother John John.
Brother John. Brother John.
Sometimes it's just all "la la la la, la la la la - Brother John! Brother John!..."
*She is constantly asking people "who gave that to you?" about everything - your shirt, my shoes, your breakfast, your keys. She loves to ask about my wedding ring over and over again. Oh, Daddy gave it to you! So cool!
*Our ever-evolving nap-time routine has changed recently - no more tent (what!?! we all thought this day would never come!) - she just sleeps on the guest bed downstairs in case Rebecca wants to play upstairs. Love this trend. Her preferred routine is to read her 3 current favorite books (yes, all 3: Llama Llama Red Pajama, Mille Mae in Winter (Sella gave this book to me!), and The Napping House (Ms. Stacy gave this book to me - it says, Ms. Stacy - I love you!). Then she asked me: what tomorrow is? Tuesday. Okay! Tuesday!
