worrell wanderings

tooth fairy cometh

February 17, 2013- Pecos has been waiting for a loose tooth for so long now. Seems like everyone in his class last year and this year have lost a whole mouthful by now. So needless to say, he was extremely excited to feel a little wiggle. And wiggle it he did, every day wanting it to come out so bad.

He finally agreed to let Casey try and pull it. But the tooth was so tiny and slippery, daddy's fingers just couldn't get a good grip and dental floss kept sliding off.

So I offered to pull it out. Here's a video of the big moment. I promise he really wanted me to pull it but got very upset when it happend. I think it overwhelmed him.

But he quickly got over it once the tooth fairy visited and left two very special coins.

be mine

February 14, 2013-

Don't these cowboy cupids look cute?

Here's the card I made for Brazos to give his friends at Mother's Day Out. I used the same tractor graphic from his birthday party theme last year.

Front:

Back:

Then I converted it to this cute little bag topper and packaged the card and some other goodies in with it.

Then I couldn't just let that be enough. I had to get him this shirt to wear to his school party.

Pecos needed cards for his class party too and he requested Legos so I made this one for him.

Front:

And took this picture for the back:

He wanted to give out candy in addition to his card so I found these Lego brick candy pieces, made him a bag topper and packaged them up for his party.

Now, if that wasn't enough, we were invited to a kids Valentine party in Fredericksburg. I didn't have enough of the original cards to distribute, plus some of the same kids would be there from the Mother's Day Out program so I made these "Hugs & Kisses from the River Boys" bag toppers and filled them with Hershey's hugs and kisses candy of course.

Happy Valentine's Day!

XOXOXOXO

reveling in tx

February 2013- Here's the Instagram re-cap of our Mardi Gras revelry:

A new wreath I made for the door.

A delicious king cake from New Orleans sent from Oma. She knew we were missing it and that we would share. It was the traditional coffee cake type.

Pecos found the baby.

This king cake showed up when MiMi & Paw Paw came to visit. It is from Donut King in Jennings and sooooo good. This is more like the glazed donut/cinnamon roll type. Very yummy.

And the River Boys with plenty of beads. One day we'll take them to Mardi Gras in New Orleans. My sister lives on the parade route for the Krewe of Thoth parade and it would be a shame to miss out on that opportunity.

100 day celebration

January 31, 2013- The 100th day of school is kind of a big deal in kindergarten in Harper. I'm not sure how much the other grades celebrate it but it is pretty much a party all day long for the kinder kids.

One of the things they do is go out to the football field to form a human 100. I was there to photograph it and all was going well until Brazos decided he needed to pee. We were at the top of the bleachers in the stadium and the nearest unlocked restroom was a half mile away. So I did what any desperate mom at the end of her potty training rope would do...I took him around the corner of the press box and let him pee off the edge. He was thrilled, I got to take the pictures and no one even noticed. At least I don't think they did. There may be security camera video footage of it floating out on the Internet somewhere.

I volunteered with a couple of other moms to pick up 100 helium filled balloons for release on the football field. The weather was simply beautiful...until the exact moment we had to unload the balloons out of our SUVs and take them to the football field to meet the kiddos. That's precisely when the wind started to gust at 30mph. The strings were tangled, kids couldn't hold onto the balloons and we could barely hear the teacher's instructions on when to start counting to 100 leading up to the big release.

We managed to get them released in a semi-orderly fashion. Some of the kids were very upset that the balloons were gone and wanted to chase them down.

After all that excitement it was back to the school building for a snack of sugar cookies and juice, just what they needed after all that excitement!

One more picture with his 100 day project, then it was off to the playground and wouldn't you know it, there wasn't a breath of wind!

100 days of kindergarten

January 31, 2013- We made it to 100 days of kindergarten! For his 100 day project Pecos wanted to do leather stamping. He really does enjoy leather stamping but it is most likely the time spent with dad that he likes the best.

Since we knew Casey would be gone the week before and during the 100 day celebration they worked on this at about day 85!

The process went something like this:
Pecos selected a leather stamp very carefully. Casey held it in position. Pecos gave it a whack with his mallet {sometimes hitting Casey's knuckle instead of the stamp}. Casey checked to make sure it made the desired impression and gave it another few taps if it didn't. Repeat 99 more times.

Toward the end of the project they ran out of stamps and Pecos just did not want to repeat one so they had to come up with ideas of designs to make with the stamps they had.

Casey cut it out for him and tied the leather lacing so he could easily display it at school.

There you have it ~ a rather involved but very unique 100 day project complete.

{dis} r-e-s-p-e-c-t

January 2013- Pecos is having a bit of a struggle with boredom at school. I knew this would be an issue by taking a red shirt year of kindergarten. I know he feels like it is the same ol' thing and he already knows everything. But boredom shall not lead to disrespectful behavior...at least that's what I'd like. We are still 100% sure that keeping Pecos back because of his age was the right thing to do, we just have to figure out a way to make it to the end of the school year without boredom translating to bad behavior in class.

Today he didn't want to play alphabet bingo. I'm still not sure exactly what happened because I haven't had a chance to visit with his teacher but Pecos is honest with me for the most part with what goes on at school. Apparently he didn't care to play the game so his teacher asked if he'd rather go sit in the principal's office instead...and he said yes so that's what he did. But he says he wasn't in trouble, he just wanted to go there rather than play bingo.

We had a talk about respect and that even though he may not want to do whatever it is his teacher is asking him to do he still needs to respect her and do what she says. And do it nicely without being sassy. I told him Mrs. Randle has a hard job teaching so many kids and he needs to help her by listening and behaving. He agreed. He also agreed that it may have hurt her feelings when he didn't obey and that maybe he should write her a note to make her feel better.

horsin' around

January 2013-

"Sit tall in the saddle, Hold your head up high,

Keep your eyes fixed where the trail meets the sky,And live like you ain't afraid to die,And don't be scared, just enjoy your ride."

from a Chris LeDoux song, The Ride (written by Sony Tillis and Sam Weedman)

Brazos and Widow Maker

Pecos with Chief

Pecos on Pepper

progress report

January 2013- For those that have been following along in the saga which is potty training Brazos we have some progress to report.

Yes, this is my youngest child with his bottom in a feed bucket. Now, before you go criticizing my methods or turning me into the authorities let me share with you the backstory to this happening.

For quite sometime I've been requesting that the nightly bedtime story Casey tells the boys must end with the main fictional character ~ Boudreaux~ pooping in the potty. I really don't care what Boudreaux does during the story, as long as he poops in the potty at some point. As you can imagine after several weeks of this Casey was tired of telling stories with such a predictable ending and Pecos was tired of having to hear them for the benefit of Brazos. As for Brazos, he really could care less one way or the other and it really wasn't making an impact on potty training but I still insisted. To change things up a bit Casey told a story that Boudreaux was outside and there was no potty so he had to poop in a bucket. Not a big deal really, until you flash forward a few weeks.

So there we were, down at the horse barn. Chief was tied up to the rail and Pecos was brushing him. Brazos had made a few laps around the pasture with Widow Maker in tow and she was now tied up to the ATV and he was off collecting rocks and sticks. Low and behold he had to poop and he actually told me! See, I told you we've made progress. I knew there was zero chance I could get the horses untied and up to the house in time for Brazos to make it to the potty and I really didn't want him going in his pull-up. Can you imagine me taking off up the hill with poor Widow Maker racing alongside?

Since I had an empty feed bucket handy I told Brazos he'd have to go in the bucket. When he seemed a bit shocked at my reply I simply told him he'd have to poop in the bucket just like Boudreaux. Wow, that made sense to him! {See, those seemingly endless stories came in handy!}

Oh, it wasn't as simple as that....he really didn't want to. First he squatted on it and then said he was done without making a deposit. At that point I knew it was only a matter of time before he would say he needed to go again. So I started gathering our things and letting the horses go. But I wasn't fast enough and he had to go again. This time the Miralax was too much for him to hold off and he really did go in the bucket.

Don't believe me? Just watch for yourself:

Now, would anyone like some special candy made by Brazos?!

the potty training monologues

December 2012-

Every 2 months Amazon.com delivers a box of these:

Every time it arrives I get hopeful that it will be the last time we need them and I can cancel the next delivery. But I always end up so disappointed.

I've been sentimental about other aspects of my boys "growing up too fast" but this is certainly not one of them. Once the diapers are gone I don't think I'll reminisce or get weepy that I no longer have a baby. I'm ready to close that chapter of my life. Yes I want them to stay little; I'd just prefer it if they could at least use the toilet!

Defiant is a fair word to describe Brazos. And believe me, I've taken that into consideration as I have attempted potty training with him. The kid just won't do it. Nothing has worked with him. I've tried encouragement, punishment, praise and bribery. None of it matters to him.

I don't want to hear "just give him time; he's not ready" or "he'll be ready for it soon enough" or "just wait, you're pushing him to do this too soon" or any other variation of the concept that we need to wait for him to show an interest in it. Here's the thing: he CAN do it, he just WON'T do it. Yes, I've been consistent but I know my child better than anyone and I know he has ZERO interest in it- not now and maybe not ever. Therefore I've tried to nudge, and sometimes push, him in that direction. Afterall, if we waited for our children to "be ready" they'd never have given up a pacifier or bottle on their own. If we allowed them to sleep in our bed with us until they were "ready" to sleep in their own bed then they'd be in there until they are teenagers. Likewise, do you know any third graders that were "ready" to learn multiplication on their own? Probably not very many.

So here we are- me, the parent, who knows I'm going to have to lead the way on potty training and my precious defiant child who does not want to be led. Maybe I should try reverse psychology on him- did that and it didn't work. Get him new underwear with tractors on them- did that and he didn't mind one bit if he soiled them. A potty party- he doesn't want to attend. A new tractor toy, reward/sticker chart, candy, even Dr. Pepper. The kid is willing to let it all dangle in front of him and doesn't make even the tiniest of attempts to earn any of it. If I leave him naked without a diaper then he's pretty good at going to the potty to pee, but he absolutely will not tell us he needs to go if he has a diaper or underwear on. As far as #2 is concerned it is not going to happen anytime in the foreseeable future. There have been a few days when I knew we didn't need to leave the house so I gave him a double dose of Miralax, stripped him of his diaper and waited. And waited. And waited. A few times he thought he needed to go but once he got to the potty he just refused to do it. How can anyone just command their bowels not to move? Somehow he has mastered it. He waited until bedtime when he got a diaper and you guessed it, went almost right away once he had it on.

He's not afraid of the toilet. He just flat out refuses to use it. I've tried to not make a big deal out of it and just catch him right when I notice he needs to go but that little stinker (no pun intended) waits until I'm doing something like washing dishes or hanging up clothes then he makes a fast dash to his room to the corner and takes care of business in a matter of seconds. And he's pretty much a once a day pooper so then I have to wait another day for my next opportunity. Needless to say I gave up on that method. I even just quit trying it completely for a few weeks to give him (and me) a break. When we started back at it he pulled the same stunts.

I'd like to just ship him off to Oma's or MiMi's house and let one of them handle it since he and I can't seem to work together on this. But I'm afraid he'd be there until he's five years old. He adores his dad but won't even do it for him. So what's a mom to do? Write on her blog about it and wish for the day he has a child of his own that is just like him.

our christmas card and letter- 2012

December 2012- Our Christmas card list has grown to a nearly incomprehensible amount in the past decade. At a quick glance we've kept the post office busy in 24 states plus Australia. The list is comprised of so many friends, family, colleagues, clients and others we associate with both near and far that have come into our lives at some point. We think about you throughout the year and don't correspond nearly enough, but we enjoy sharing our Christmas card with you and hope you enjoy receiving it. If you aren't on the list I probably don't have your address! Even though my graphic design skills have improved quite a bit over the past few years, I probably spend way too much time working on the card to get it just the way I want it. This is our third year for our attempt to entertain and update you in the form of a letter that so many of you claim to love. Just in case you missed it, here it is- our card and letter for 2012:

Front:

Back:

Worrell Wanderings

2012

By the looks of our Christmas card this year you can tell we’re not in Texas anymore. But don’t worry; we haven’t left for good, just returned to Casey’s roots for a visit. Truth be told, Pecos & Brazos are the only Texans by birth in this family. If you were to guess which state Casey was born in, what would you pick- Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico? How far down the list would Maine be?

This summer the Kennebunkport Conservation Trust held a reunion for former lighthouse keepers and their families. While the thought of flying with a 2-year old was less than appealing, the chance to visit the lighthouse where Casey spent the first six weeks of his life~ Goat Island~ was too good of an opportunity to pass up, especially since the Trust let us stay in the house. It was a homecoming 40 years in the making that we will forever cherish filled with memories of beachcombing, lobsters, crashing waves lulling us to sleep, and jumping into the frigid Maine water. The all night foghorns, daily boat rides to shuttle back and forth from shore (have you ever hauled groceries in a boat?), rapidly short showers (fresh water is in limited supply), and “ghostly” visits from long ago keepers made it an experience we will never forget. Even after four days of what is commonly referred to as “island living” we wouldn’t change a thing and would serve as visiting lighthouse keepers for the duration of the summer in a heartbeat if the Trust should ever find themselves in need.

Aside from our coastal jaunt we’ve been busy with The River Boys. Pecos gave t-ball and flag football a try this year and had fun with both but until he can find boots with cleats it may prove to be a temporary thing. Tune in next year to find out. He is well on his way to catching up with Casey in height but if we’re going to keep that boy in jeans we’ll have to start our own clothing line, as everything is too big in the waist and too short in length- don’t you wish you had the same problem? Luckily his high top boots usually cover up his high water pants. Pecos started his first play day rodeos this fall; you guessed it, Casey was already looking for a replacement horse after the first night. His new mount, Chief, is a better fit for his long legs and arrived just in time to make it to a few play days. Our miniature pony, Widow Maker, can conserve her energy for Brazos. Pecos still swings a rope any time he gets his hands on one but has traded Charolais Kitty for a more challenging moving target- his brother!

Brazos is quite the character and although he keeps us laughing with his comedic ways, he is as stubborn as the day is long. Headstrong is an understatement. Mr. Independent would rather sit in the gravel spinning the tires of his John Deere tractor until the battery runs dead than have someone give him a push. Rarely does a day go by when he doesn’t call out “watch this” as he demonstrates his latest flip, jump or flying attempt. He is certainly not tipping the scales and never will if he doesn’t slow down long enough to eat a full meal. Even those trendy skinny jeans {that boys should never wear} don’t fit him. His favorite things have diesel engines, big tires and a green and yellow paint job. He can identify nearly every type of tractor and construction equipment so if he tells you about a bobcat he saw you can bet it wasn’t the 4-legged kind. Brazos attends a mother’s day out program twice a week and spent the first three months of it as the only boy in his class. The time spent with girls has been good for him but they are not interested in his tractor talk.

All the while Erin keeps up with them and continues in her role as an associate with Demeter Communications, plus a few other freelance projects that come her way. Modern technology in the rural world makes it all possible but she’d really like Santa to bring an AT&T 4G tower to Harper. She attempts to escape with her college girlfriends once a year regardless of the destination; this year they explored Portland, Oregon. She managed to learn a bit more about photography this year; even though it is mostly ~~trial and~~ error with camera settings, many of the boys’ activities are viewed through the camera lens with her obsession to capture the memories of our family. The good pictures plus a few not-so-good ones {and commentary} often make it onto www.theworrellfamily.blogspot.com. Anyone want to volunteer as her mentor?

Casey continues to put Ford trucks to the test with over half a million miles and counting between two of them. He has toll road passes for three states and uses all of them on a monthly basis- sometimes more, but if he makes any more trips to Kansas before the end of the year we may have to look into real estate in the Flint Hills. Even though he’s upgraded to an iPhone to keep in touch with us while travelling he just recently figured out what LOL means. His work ultrasounding cattle affords us a life out here in the country; the trade off is lots of nights away from home but at least it is with customers and friends who have become more like family with every passing year. We truly appreciate each and every one of you.

We continue to be blessed beyond measure, that is certain. As we close out the year to gather and celebrate the birth of our Lord, we pray you have a joyous holiday with the ones you love, and may the new year be filled with wonder, peace and meaning. If you are ever out our way please plan to stop by and visit.

Blessings and Beef,

The Worrell Family

Casey ~ Erin and The River Boys

thankful for everything

November 21, 2012- Pecos' kindergarten class did a project for Thanksgiving stating what they were thankful for. Here's the class bulletin board:

And here's Pecos' contribution. He's thankful for everything.

Happy Thanksgiving and hope you are thankful for everything!

1 little, 2 little, 3 little indians

November 19, 2012- I know I'm really behind on my blog postings and there's so many things that I promise will eventually get up here, but for now here's something to get you in the mood for Thanksgiving.

Brazos is just a bit confused on his heritage...a cowboy or an indian?