The Big Day...

Well, today was the big day. My sweet, little man started Pre-K. It's a day that I have had mixed emotions about for so long. I couldn't wait for him to be at the school with me...but I also know that from here on out time will fly. My grandmother looked at me today and said, "Well, Aub, he'll be a senior before you know it." Please, Mema, not today! I'm just taking this one day at a time as is!!!

See, I've never been a hugely emotional person, so for me to be teary over this is very uncommon, but for the past week I've been on the verge of tears daily. I guess knowing all the changes that the start of school brings for kids is why. He will grow up. Unknowingly, he will. Of course, it will bring about a new stage that I can't wait to soak up, but I will miss all the small, innocent ins and outs that come from not yet being in school. Right now he doesn't know what it means to be made fun of, to fail at something, to be embarrassed that your mom kisses you in front of your friends, or believe he's not the smartest little boy on the planet. See, right now he lives in a world where he truly believes that Sandman comes each night and sprinkles sand in his eyes to help him fall asleep. He lives in a world in which he thinks God paints the sky his favorite color each night just for him. The innocence and magic of such a young age is priceless, and it's something that will never occur again. There are moments when I feel like I've taken this precious time for granted, that I should have tried to soak up more, written down each quirky remark like I was told, and so forth. Moments that I was so busy doing who knows what that I've missed something that will never happen again. I'm sure all parents go through these same feelings when big changes take place. I've been distracted and in deep thought over this for the past week or so, but today it all went away when he got to tell me about his day! He loved school! And right then I knew that this new stage is going to be just as fun as the last!...but tonight when he asked to sleep in bed with his mom, you better believe I said yes. I will snuggle him tight tonight and soak up every second that he wants to be mom's little boy.

Here are a few pictures from his first day at big kid school!

He's not 100% sure what he wants to be yet! That's fine by me....I still sometimes wonder what I'm going to be when I grow up!

He wanted to get his teacher something special for the first day! 

Of course, we had to take a selfie!!!

He loves having his cubby at school to keep his things in!

His Pre-K teacher, Mrs. Hamilton!

Giving a thumbs up and saying, "I've got this!" Yes, sweet boy, you sure do!!!!

Oh, and the most heart broken award of the day goes to sweet, sister Paislee. She didn't want Kai going to big school without her! 

Guilty Pleasures

There's so much hustle and bustle in everyday life, getting from here to there and making it on time (or no more than 15 minutes late in my case) that sometimes we forget to just take a breath and enjoy something. There are certain things in life that make the bad things seem not so bad even if just for a minute or two because realistically sometimes that's absolutely all you need is a minute of quiet. 

Disclaimer*** Obviously I'm not into hard drugs, or soft ones if there is such a thing (I felt like after saying hard drugs I needed to follow with soft ones to even it out), illegal activities or anything along those lines, those are definitely not the type of guilty pleasures I'm referring to. ***

It's just sometimes I think, this is a hard day, I'm stressed and dang it I deserve 12 of the walmart sugar cookies with the frosting that melts in my mouth! And guess what, not even for a minute do I feel guilty about it because for that 30 seconds nothing mattered except me and those calories. 

Of course, I have more guilty pleasures than just sugar cookies. I actually have several I can think of off hand, and I feel like if something brings you happiness then maybe it shouldn't be hidden. So, if in case you've ever sat down at breakfast or lunch, whichever, and thought "hmmm I wonder what Aubree's guilty pleasures are?", well this is the blog post for you my friend. 

 

1. Sister Wives 

This show, how I love this show. It's trash, I know it's trash and guess what, I.do.not.care. I anxiously await what the wives are up to week to week. I love knowing the inner workings of such a different approach at life. When I have 30 minutes at home with the kids content and one of these episodes recorded I'm in my own little moment of paradise, no matter what's weighing on my mind.

2. Creme brûlée 

If a restaraunt has this dessert, it's getting ordered. No matter how many calories I've consumed that day already, I'm eating this. (I'd also like to make a side note and say I really do not count calories lol). Also, even if my meal sucked royally and the creme brûlée was amazing, then nothing else mattered. 

3. Coffee with a good friend. 

Sometimes all I need in life is to call Tyler Pavlic and say, meet me at Standpipe. Even if it's just fifteen minutes of conversation and a Standpipe blended with no coffee, no whip, that's all I need. 

4. Serial Killer novels 

Of course, one of my guilty pleasures would be reading....but I have a sick fascination with a good serial killer book. The bloodier, gorier, and more sadistic the better. Tess Gerritsen is amazing at what she does, and anytime she drops a new book you can bet I'm buying it. 

5. Singing loudly in my car. 

Sometimes that's all I need is to just song very loudly in my car. Maybe I don't know all the words, and maybe that doesn't even matter! I think Lindsay Russell and I really could sign with a recording company if they could hear us in the car together. Maybe not, but it doesn't matter because it's something I can do and just relieve stress! 

So, for some a guilty pleasure is not a cookie, maybe it's a glass of wine with someone you love, or a night all by yourself where you randomly decide to get a tattoo, or it could just be a night at the lake just listening to the sound of the crickets...whatever it is, if it's something that lessens the stress of this life for a brief moment then enjoy the heck out of it, own it and don't regret it. 

My father

As I sat down this morning to write a Facebook post about my dad I realized I had so much more to say than would fit on a small status box. There are too many details on who he is and what he's done than just a simple "Happy Father's Day, dad, hope it's a great one". To do him justice I need to be able to describe his love, his selflessness, his faithfulness and all the other characteristics that make my father a dad. 

You always hear people say, "anyone can be a father, but it takes a real man to be a dad." I agree with that statement whole heartedly, but I can't speak from experience. You see my father is my dad. He's a man that I respect more than any other man on this planet. Not because he demanded that respect but because he earned it. He earned it by being present in my life. 

In case you've never met the man I call dad, here's a little history for you. He grew up in a small town, little opportunity and dirt poor. He married my mom when they were young, she 17 and he 21. They struggled financially for many years, but he worked, he never relied on anyone or assumed anyone owed him anything. I can remember being a young girl in elementary, I had absolutely no idea that we were poor. I knew my dad worked, I knew my mom stayed home, I knew we had food every night, and I knew that I didn't do without. A big item I wanted might only come at Christmas, but that was okay and expected. It wasn't until I got into my teen years that my father had worked himself into a position with more money. It didn't come easily though, it came with many days of him drenched to the core from working out in the 100+ degree Texas weather to provide a better life for his family. I can remember evenings when he would come home soaked and so tired that he couldn't take the boots off of his own feet. That's my dad. A constant provider. 

As I just stated, my dad worked very hard for the things that we had. It might be dark when he finally stepped foot in the house, but you can bet it was work and then home (except Wednesday nights and then it was church), no clubs, no late night hanging with friends, it was home. He made sure he was home when it was time to relax in the evenings. He might not make it to dinner, but he was there before my eyes closed each and every night. Another thing thing he always made sure of is that he was at big and small events....especially when it came to sports. I don't think he ever missed a single ball game I played, a cross country meet I ran, or a track meet that I jumped in. He was at the sidelines with advice, some positive...some realistic lol. He was my biggest fan, always wearing blue and gold proudly, and never ceasing to brag on a job well done. That's my dad. Always present. 

As with most people, I've had moments of great success and then great disappointments. I've had moments of joy at the birth of both of my babies, my dad was there to share in that joy. I've had moments of great success at college graduations, and my dad was there. And then during my moments of sadness at the loss of a loved one or a life disappointment, he was there as a shoulder to cry on. Neither my dad nor I are emotionally expressive, so in moments that we show it, it's a special connection. I can remember climbing in my dad's lap, in a chair and just crying over something that went wrong. He just held me me until I stopped. We may not hug, we may not express our love daily, but when it's time to celebrate or I-mourn he's there. I know if I need something all I need to do is pick up the phone. That's my dad. A stronghold. 

I could go on and on about the father that I have. I could tell you about the moments that we flew down mountains with the snow blasting us in the face, or how at every school dance I ever had that he always asked me to dance on "wonderful tonight", or how he never raised his voice at me or a hand to me that wasn't in love. I could go on about how Godly of a man he is, and how he showed me a love for God and people. I could tell you how I've judged every man I've ever met based on the way my father treated me and taught me to expect to be treated. I could tell you all about how we can sit and have in depth conversations over conspiracies. Or how I miss the sound of him banging on the piano every Sunday morning and the smell of his French toast that he makes and layers with powdered sugar. I could say so much...but I'll say that he is by far, hands down, the best dad a girl could have ever asked for. I love you dad, and I hope you have a fantastic Father's Day.

 

Paislee's Third Birthday

Today we celebrated Paislee turning 3, with a Beatrix Potter themed birthday party. Paislee has been asking for a Dora party for the past two years...I'm not a fan of the idea, so two years running I've convinced her of something that would be better. This year I had my heart set on this theme...luckily she is easily swayed :) After all the party is for the grownups and not the kids right?! 

Thanks to The Very Thing for the wonderful paint party! Paislee was in girly girl heaven! And a huge thanks to Biscuit Eater Bakery...they never cease to amaze me with their attention to detail. 

Her amazing cake!!!

And cupcakes!!

It was a very successful day! 

Oh and here's one last picture for your enjoyment. Thank you Destiny for the makeup....

Potty Training for Dummies

My sister and my best friend have recently both been diligently working at potty training their little loves. Having been through this already, twice, I have some words of advice. Take it or leave it...that's what everyone says when people are throwing all of these words of wisdom at you while you're raising your sweet little angels, right? Without further ado, my potty training experience with Kai.

With Kai being my first I wanted him to do everything perfect, and I wanted to follow the book completely. Literally if there was a book written about "What to Expect" or how to make my child the "Happiest on the Block" I had read it. I was like a round, fact-spewing, about to pop mama. Many of the things I literally followed the books precisely on. I went with the Baby Wise sleep method book, and it worked great for us. I knew exactly what milestones he should be reaching each month, and I was secretly so excited when he would reach a 6 month milestone at 4 months. He was my baby, so he had to be a genius, right? I'm glad you agree. Anytime he didn't hit the mile marker I knew it had to be the Tamez genes that were floating around in him...I kid. He was never on a paci, he was crawling right on schedule, he was off bottles before his first birthday, and he took his first steps on the same day that he turned one. Our future looked bright.

Then he turned two....and he was still in diapers. As a matter of fact he had no intentions of potty training. This was traumatic for me...he was falling behind on where he was "supposed" to be. I tried everything, and many times I was so frustrated, why couldn't he just get it?!?! Finally I gave up, I was certain that because he wasn't potty training at 2 years and 3 months that there was no way he'd ever get an academic scholarship to a prestigious university. I really wasn't that concerned, truth be told, I just hoped that he would get it before he started Pre-K. As we got closer to 3, I was certain however, that I would definitely be stopping by his classroom and having to change his diaper before lunch. He just wasn't having any part of this using the potty thing.

Finally about a month before turning 3 he decided he'd start wearing big boy underwear. We made a big deal about picking out a really cool pair, and that batman didn't want him tee-teeing on him, so we had to use the potty. I also started letting him tee-tee off the porch when he needed to go. He really picked up on it this time, it was like we just woke up one morning, and bam he was potty trained...except for number two. This is where we had the biggest problem. He rarely had a tee-tee accident...but he was going to poop his pants every.single.time. Then one day I stumbled upon an approach that I'm positive no one has ever used. I will never forget the moment that I figured out the magic key to really potty training a toddler. Let me set the tone....

          We were in Galveston for our yearly beach vacation, and he wanted to go outside and play. So, we were siting on the porch under the beach house just playing around when he said "Mom, let's kill zombies". So, we played around a little bit pretending there were zombies around every corner, sort of like a modern day cowboys and indians. Yes, our world is twisted. After playing this game for 10-15 minutes he asks me what a zombie looked like, so I happily googled "zombie" and showed him a clipart "friendly" zombie image. I had no idea what was going to happen next, but it worked out well for us in the end. He took his little finger and swiped it across the screen so that he could see the next image....the most grotesque, horrifying, straight off The Walking Dead set zombie appeared before his eyes. He immediately looked at me and said, "Let's go inside."Now most parents would have been worried that there kid was traumatized by seeing this image. They would have let their child sleep with them for the next week just in case he had a zombie nightmare. I on the other hand immediately recognized that I could use this to my advantage.

So, now for the first time, I'd like to introduce you to the Zombie Potty Training Approach. It basically goes like this....
Take child to the restroom.
Tell said child to poop in the potty and not in his underwear.
Threaten to call the zombies if he poops in his underwear and not in the toilet.

Boom. Just like that we were totally accident free. Just think of it like most parents use Santa around Christmas time..."Billy, if you don't mind, I'm going to call Santa"...
This is just in a more sadistic/traumatic manner..."Kai, if you poop in your underwear again I'm going to call the zombies".

I will admit that this is not the most common, nor will it ever be the most popular method of potty training. I will however stand behind it and say it gets the job done. If you are at your wits end with cleaning poo out of underwear, I can promise that a couple calls to the zombies will fix the issue every time.
You're welcome in advance.

Disclaimer- I do promise that my son is not traumatized (I don't think), and there is no reason to report me to Child Protective Services.

These are a few of my favorite things...

If you follow this blog then you obviously know I love books. So, here are a few of my favorite books product/things :) 

First, my Kindle Fire...I was hesitant about owning and using one because I love the feel of a book in my hand (nerd, I know). I will say though that the convenience of going straight to amazon and purchasing the next book in a series mere seconds after completing a book is worth every penny spent. 

This cute Vera Bradley Kindle cover would be next. The bright colors make it easy to find at the bottom of my school bag. Plus it protects my screen...win, win. 

This amazing little app right here known as Goodreads. I literally probably go to this site 10 times a day...no joke. They have the best summaries and reviews on books. Plus, you can log the books you've read and rate them, then it will customize a list of book recommendations to suit your preferences! Love it. Oh yeah, and it's free. 

My new favorite obsession...this app. I will place a disclaimer here and say I'm not sure this is legit, but I love it. If you want to know where the free stuff is, just ask a teenager. They opened my world to this website and it's free books! Not the sucky ones, but the really good, new ones! Like I said, I'm not sure how legal this is...but I'm using it while it lasts!!! The last 3 books I've read have been off of this site. Oh the website is 

eprint-studio.com

You're welcome. 

Last but not least, this fun little website called wattpad. This is where all my writers go and publish their books for the public to read and give feedback. You can also get on here and read upcoming books by new authors. I'm not a writer, but I enjoy following my students and reading their works. 

Ps. I promised these two gentleman a plug in my next blog topic, so if you would be so kind as to click on these sites and read their writings. They're obsessed with seeing how many reads they get (literally they check it every 15 minutes). 

http://www.wattpad.com/user/Jayelinj

http://www.wattpad.com/user/RobertStrisko

Blonde moments...

It's an ongoing joke around our family how "blonde" I am. When it comes to common sense, I'm not the brightest crayon in the box. My sister got all of those genes...however I did get the book smarts, sorry, Shea. I bring this up because I had a really large blonde moment this past week. Before I share, I'll give you a few in my past that my family can't seem to let go. 

During my senior year of high school I broke my ankle...I didn't realize it was broken, so every evening I would stick my foot in a bucket full of ice water. One particular evening I was also watching tv, with the remote in my hand. Something happened and I nearly dropped the remote in the bucket of ice water...I panicked, screamed, jumped up and out of the water, and almost dumped the bucket over. When my mother came running in to see what had happened, I frantically told her that I had almost electrocuted myself!!! Of course she died laughing and explained you can't electrocute yourself with a battery operated remote control. 

I had an all out argument once with my sister that a DPS officer and a state trooper were not the same thing.

I again argued with my sister another evening over the fact that you could not possibly get "mad cow" disease from chicken fried steak because it was chicken...duh. 

I was washing my car once and literally knocked myself unconscious with the water hose. I came to lying on my back in the grass...I have no idea how long I was out. 

In high school I took a food home economics class. We were going to make frosted banana bars one day. After cooking the bars, I headed to the freezer to put our batch in. The teacher stopped me and asked what I was doing, I explained that I was putting them in the freezer to frost....you can figure out the rest.

 

I've had to have help popping popcorn because I literally could not figure out which way the bag should face. This particular incidence left my mother in tears...not because she thought it was funny but because she was genuinely concerned about me.

The list could go on and on, but this brings me up to this week...Btw, I'm only sharing this story so that I can help any other blonde friends in the future. So, this week I decided that I was tired of being pale. I however have told myself that I'm going to try and not tan in a tanning bed this year...which leads me to sunless tanning lotion. Sunday night I lathered myself in it, knowing that when I woke up the next morning I'd have a nice summer glow. Unbeknownst to me, it's not a good idea to stop at the ankles when applying sunless tanner. It was awful! The first thing I noticed were the super white feet compared to my nice brown legs. It never crossed my mind that this would happen! I just assumed that it would all blend nicely. Wrong.  Stephanie Hudspeth and Jackie Cryer had quite the laugh at the track that evening. So, tonight I'm giving it another shot...and this time my feet will be nice and tan in the morning! 

I hope you had a good laugh at my expense. It's alright really, I'm very much used to it. **Although, the image below did not actually happen to me, I could see myself doing it. **