San Antonio 2010

One thing I love about my father is his love for the family vacation.  Growing up, around the end of the school year, he would either tell Mom and me to start thinking of somewhere to go, or he would simply tell us his vision.  I don't ever remember being disappointed with his vision.   I guess because he and I are so alike in what we consider fun.  As I got older, he would just hand me the Mobile Travel Guide and say, "Plan our route."

You see, we Pedens don't fly.

Not that we're afraid of flying or that we've never gone far enough to justify flying.  We just didn't.  The only vacation that required a jet was a trip to Cancun when I was 5 (still to this day my very very favorite childhood vacation).  We traveled to both coasts in a car.  More than once.  And I don't remember thinking that it was strange.  It was the way we did things.

So when my parents came to our house one June afternoon and in the course of conversation my father told Jackson, "You know what I want to do?  I want to take you and Sadie to see the glass bottom boats.  And then, I want to take you to the San Antonio Zoo,"  I can't say I was all that surprised.  As he left that day, he looked at me and said, "Check into that and let me know what you find out."  I felt the same twinge of excitement as I did when I was in high school.  I get to plan the route! (Don't judge me.)

The glass bottom boats Dad referred to were in San Marcos, also known as Stop #1 on our trip.  Anyone remember Aquarina Springs?  You know, the place with the flying pig?  Mermaids drinking Dr. Peppers under water? (This is where I should probably tell you that as a child I was easily sucked into any sort of roadside oddity that involved caves, reptiles, and/or mermaids drinking DP under water.  I'm pretty sure I got this genetic quirk from my dad too, although he acts like he made a huge sacrifice to stop there. Whatever.)  Well, don't expect to see any of that now.  The park is owned/managed by Texas State University now, and while structural elements remain, the park itself is  no more.  Except the boats.  For a small fee, students/tour guides will ferry you around the springs and give you little nuggets of geological info about what you're seeing.  The kids really thought it was cool.  Plus the ride is just long enough to hold their attention.

The next stop on Dad's agenda was the San Antonio Zoo.  The kids love zoos.  The kids just aren't big fans of zoos where the animals are hiding inside because it's so stinking hot outside. They did have a great time looking at the Gila monster (the real one), venturing into the butterfly pavilion, and riding the train.  But let's face it.  San Antonio is the hottest place on Earth.

Actually, that's not right.  San Antonio isn't the hottest place on Earth.  Sea World actually holds that title.  We went there too. I love this picture below because it was the kids' first experience with Shamu, and they were literally in awe.  We loved all the shows we saw, and we loved watching people feed dolphins and sharks and alligators.  Jackson even got to ride a roller coaster, but it wasn't a big one and he still wants to ride the big roller coaster.  Sadie was too short to ride just about everything, and that didn't sit well with her either...my kids are going to be coaster riders, and I am a happy, happy girl.

We stayed at the Hyatt Hill Country Resort.  I have no pictures of this place because we literally spent every spare moment in their amazing pool/beach/lazy river.   The kids LOVED it.  This place ranks in my top 5 favorite places to stay.  If you want family friendly old-school resort with every modern convenience and ammenity, this is it.  It is beautiful, it is comfortable, it has wonderful activities for the whole family (Movie night on the lawn?  Check.  S'mores around the campfire with a singing cowboy? Check.).  Kevin and I both talked about how we could come back there for a week and never leave the resort and be perfectly happy. 

On our way home we made what would be my very first ever stop in Gruene, Texas to visit the Grist Mill. I am now officially in love with Gruene and hinted strongly to my husband that it would be a lovely anniversary destination next spring.  It was a great vacation overall. The kids were ready to go back as soon as we got home.  Who am I kidding?  They didn't want to leave in the first place!  

The Big Reveal...

When we decided to tell the kids we were having another baby, we asked them both whether they wanted to have a baby brother or a baby sister.  Jackson immediately said a baby brother. So did Sadie, but she tends to go with whatever Jackson wants.  As time went on, Jackson stuck to his guns, but Sadie would waiver depending on the day...boy, girl--brother, sister...it didn't seem to matter.   For Kevin and I, it wasn't so much a matter of whether we wanted another boy or girl, but what we thought would be best for our kids.  Talk about a tough spot!  In some ways, I really wanted Sadie to have a sister.  I have two wonderful sisters, whom I love dearly, but both of them were out of the house by the time I turned 5...so our relationship is a little different than what we would've had if we were closer in age.  I really wanted that for Sadie.  At the same time, Kevin really wanted a brother for Jackson.  He didn't have a brother growing up and hoped Jackson would have someone to get into trouble with have adventures with.  He also watched Sadie trying to keep up with her brother and his buddies, and felt like she also needed a partner in crime.

So....as the day of  our 20 week sonogram approached, we tried to prepare both our kids for both outcomes.  Like I said, Sadie seemed completely okay with either result...but Jackson...oh boy.  Literally.  At night we would have serious discussions about how God was going to give us what He thought we needed.  If it was a baby sister, I said, that meant that he thought Jackson would be okay without a baby brother.  His response was almost always, "I think God wants me to have a baby brother," or "But I really WANT a baby brother!"  So much for reasoning with a four year old.

When the day of the sonogram arrived, we took both kids with us.  They were so excited to finally get to see pictures of Baby Reed #3.  I showed them their sonogram pictures so they would know what to expect and understand that it wasn't going to be like seeing a baby on TV.  We took our video camera along to record reactions for posterity, and while we were getting gas in Lindale, Kevin asked both kids what they hoped the baby would be.  Sadie said she wanted a baby sister...but again, she seemed pretty happy about the idea of a baby period.  Jackson looked straight into the camera and said, "But it could be a baby brother.  THAT would make me happy." 

I could've cried.

When we got to the doctor's office, the kids were so excited.  They had been to the doctor with me early in my pregnancy, but stayed in the car with my mom.  So they felt super special actually getting to come in the office and see what all the hubbub was about.  They did a great job, but it probably helped that we were the only ones in the office (my doctor was off that day, so it was only sonogram appointments that were scheduled).  When we were called into the sonogram room, the kids took their seats and Kevin asked if he could video the appointment.  I laughed because the sonographer eyed us a moment before consenting.  She said some people come in with 6 family members with all kinds of cameras, and they get kindof obnoxious about their videos, "But you look pretty normal."  HA!

As soon as the sonographer put the sonogram thingy on my belly, I knew what we were having.  Let's just say the baby, um,. bared all...but I waited for the official word--and Jackson's reaction.

"It's a girl!" the sonographer said.

"Aww man!" Jackson said quietly.  I had to laugh.  He tried to smile for the camera, but it was half-hearted.

He was a great sport though, and was especially in awe when he heard the baby's heartbeat.  After his initial reaction, he was nothing but positive.

So we're having another baby girl.  And that's fine by us.

She may just be "Baby Girl Reed" forever, because names are eluding us.

Of course, Jackson is still holding out hope that baby sister might end up being a baby brother.  He tells me these things when we have our deep discussions before bed.  This may also explain why baby sister kicks so much when he's around.

Retroblogging! The new craze!

I have been a bad blogger.

I could regale you with tales of how busy we've been, or how my computer has been on the fritz, or that my husband's recent entry into the blogging world has intimidated me (seriously...he's pretty great), or how my children recently told me that they are uncomfortable with me sharing their lives with such a wide audience (all 8 of you)...but it would be lies. Sad, sad lies.  Truth is, I've just been lazy.  What's even worse is there's been lots to tell.  T-ball, storms, birthday parties that weren't (then were), sonograms...oh wait, that hasn't happened yet.  But it's going to today, and I'm fairly certain I'm not going to blog about that in a timely manner too.

I tell you all of this to unveil my plan.

I will be retroblogging.  That's my new word for posting blogs months later, but putting the correct date stamp so that it will appear to the average Joe that I am a good blogger. 

"What?  You missed my post about the strong wind that blew the trampoline into the lake?  Where have you been?  I posted that over a month ago?! You must've just missed it.  No, really, it's okay.  Just go back and read it now. I forgive you."

It's genius I tell you.

So just get ready, because it's coming. 

Party Time, take 2...

Back in April, when the "strong winds" (as my children have come to call it) blew our trampoline into the lake and the playhouse into a crumpled mess, we had to cancel Jackson's backyard birthday party and reschedule it for a later date.  Kevin kept telling me, "I can fix it," referring to both the trampoline and playhouse.  He didn't have to tell the kids that, because the day after the storm, they told me, "Daddy will fix it."

I wasn't sure anyone was seeing the same mess I was seeing.  Oh me of little faith.

Problem #1...When Kevin pulled the trampoline out of the lake, he realized he might have some problems there--some pieces didn't make it out of the lake, and others were bent beyond repair.  If you've never priced replacement parts for trampolines online, let me just say that buying a new trampoline is cheaper.  Especially when you, um, borrow, from the kids' piggy bank to do it.  Problem #1 solved.

Problem #2...The playhouse was in pieces.   Lots of them. Some of the pieces were in pieces. 
(At this point you might be wondering why we didn't just file an insurance claim for all of this.  Because we are cheap, that's why.  We raised our deductible to a number we could still afford to pay out of pocket in an emergency, but this number was higher than what we paid for the trampoline and the playhouse together.  It's not a decision we regret, because we saved a LOT of money.  It just stunk in this particular case.)
...Anyway, as Kevin surveyed the damage, he still said, "I can fix it."  I smiled and nodded and patted him on the back.  Yes, I knew he could fix it.  However, I thought that our kids might be graduating from high school before it would happen.  Boy, he showed me.  It took a couple of weekends, but before we knew it, the playhouse was back in one piece.  We made a few modifications--we didn't replace the monkey bars because the kids are still too small for them anyway, one swing still needs to be hung, and the roof  still has a "sky light."  (So if you ask Jackson, "Did your Daddy fix your playhouse?"  he will say, "Yes!...well, not quite...") But it was fixed enough to reschedule Jackson's superhero party.

My original plan was to have an outdoor party with superhero capes as party favors.  We could sit and visit in lawn chairs while the boys saved the world, the playhouse, the sister, the trampoline...whatever. Let me just say that my plan was good in theory.   A May outdoor party is significantly hotter than an April outdoor party.  The boys were good sports at first, but finally they came to me, redfaced, and begged to be allowed to play inside...I totally understood, so upstairs they went, capes and all!  I was pretty proud of those capes--especially when you consider I didn't sew them--however, they weren't the sturdiest little suckers.

I think this is my favorite birthday cake yet.  Jackson and I sat at the computer looking at superhero cakes one night, and this was a combination of his two favorites. Only better.  It was as delicious as it was cute.  Jackson LOVED it. April did a wonderful job!

This is the only picture I have to show the new and improved playhouse.  Trust me.  It's fixed.  Note the capes.  Aren't they swell? :)

In the end, it was a great party.  The boys (and girl) had a wonderful time "heroing up."  It wasn't quite the outdoor extravaganza I envisioned, but it was everything Jackson wanted it to be, and that's all that matters.

Play Ball!

When Kevin and I married, there was really only one thing we disagreed on--baseball. Neither of us are particularly baseball fans, but my childhood summers were defined by the softball schedule. And I loved every minute of it. Kevin's opinion? "No way are we giving up our summers to sit outside in the heat to watch, of all things, baseball." I also think he probably used the phrase, "I'd rather lay down and pee straight up."

It was one of those bridges that I knew we were years from crossing, but I was pretty sure he was set in his way. Sooo...imagine my surprise when earlier this year he asked me, "You think Jackson will be old enough to play t-ball this year?"

Huh?

Who are you and what have you done with my husband?

Turns out being out of coaching and not having a stressful schedule mellowed my husband to a degree about summer activities. After some investigating, we found out that Jackson was (or would be) old enough to play. We decided to let the finally say be Jackson's. He was thrilled. So was Sadie, who thought that since her big brother was playing it only stood to reason that she too would have a team.

So we got all signed up and paid our fees and waited for the draft. Jackson was picked up by the Dodgers--a pretty great team full of good kids. The first few practices were a little rough though. Jackson's circle of friends are all younger than he his or very close to his age. He's never had a negative experience with bigger boys, but being on a team with mostly bigger boys was a little intimidating. He liked being there. He liked his coaches. But practice was long and I think he realized that he wasn't as fast or as good as the older boys. We even had some discussions about pulling him and waiting another year. But deep inside I knew that once games started he would be fine. After all, games only lasted one hour, twice a week. Sure, there would be tournaments, but there would only be a few of those. So we held our breath until the first game.

Games are definitely more fun to him than practice. There are a few aspects of the game that Jackson really likes. He likes batting. Even though he's not great at it, he can do it, and Coach David makes him laugh. He knows what to do after he hits the ball. He usually gets out, but he has a good attitude, and sometimes he even helps other runners score.

There is also a perfect position on the team for four year olds with short attention spans. It's called catcher. See, apparently, since there is no pitching involved, the pitcher covers home plate and the catcher gets to look cute. And occasionally play in the dirt. It works out well for the boy.
Another positive is that even though all the boys get to hit the whole game, the little ones only have to play two innings. Which leads to two innings on the bench getting to watch!
But Jackson's absolute favorite part of the game comes after the last out (or the sixth run, which happens more often than not in t-ball)...high fives! I don't have a picture for this part, but the thing he loves most of all is lining up and telling the other team "Good game!" Win or lose, doesn't matter. This is the part that he can do just as well as any other boy.
The first few games of the year involved tournament play. We lost the first four games we played. But apparently, when you lose out of a tournament, you get a medal. He loved those medals. And the funniest part? After all the tournaments were over and we were in the middle of the season--and after we'd won a few games in a row--a realization hit Jackson...if you WIN, you don't get a medal! :)

I assured him that winning gets you a trophy. He's willing to hold out for the trophy.