Our Busy Weekend

I will start with yesterday, and work my way back through the weekend. I am most proud of this one anyway!

Jackson can now ride a bike without training wheels!!!

I was milling around the house picking up and folding laundry (towels) in the living room yesterday after I came from from the Bridal Extravaganza when Jackson returned from the movies with Mimi and Pappy - they went to go watch G-Force. Jackson said the movie was "really awesome!". Jackson asked if it was okay if he rode his bike in our cul-de-sac while I finished the towels, and I said that would be fine. I started to go outside to help him open up the garage door, but he insisted that he didn't need my help, and that he could do it all by himself. Jackson waited for me to get completely inside the house before he opened the garage door to bring his tricycle out.

I had just about finished the towels when he comes back into the house telling me that I NEEDED to come outside right away and watch him because he could ride without using his training wheels. To be honest, I thought he meant that he finally found his balance on his bike and didn't need the assistance of his training wheels...boy was I wrong.

I go outside, not to find his tricycle, but rather his BIG bike that looks like a dirt bike that we were saving for him for when he got a bit bigger. The bike is easily 40 pounds, and he wants to show me that he can ride it. (It was then that I realized why he insisted on him getting his bike out by himself.) My heart must have been beating 90 to nothing as I was steadying the bike for him. Once he got situated, he began pedaling and made two circles around our cul-de-sac, and then went straight to the last mailbox without falling at all!

Giant tears filled in my eyes, and I ran over to him telling him that he was the Coolest Boy I knew, and how happy and proud of him I was! We ran inside and got Daddy so he could see too! Jack was so proud of him, and he went straight out to remove the training wheels off of his other bikes so we could put the other heavy bike up. I think it's too much bike for Jackson to be safe on...especially since he's just figured out how to ride without training wheels.

We are soo happy for him! He said that he's going to practice every single day until he doesn't have to wear his safety pads...I told him that it's going to take a lot of practice before that happens.

(I just wanted to note that once he came out and told me that he could ride, I immediately put his pads and helmet on. He fussed and whined and cried until Daddy, yes Daddy, said that he didn't need to use them. We explained that they protected him in case he fell, and he still insisted that he didn't want or need them, so he took everything off except for his elbow pads.)

Congratulations Jackson! You're getting to be such a BIG BOY!!!

The Bridal Extravaganza - July 2009

On July 25th and 26th, I was a model in the Bridal Extravaganza for Ventura's Bridal. I'm the second from the left. There were several fashion shows over the weekend for different bridal shops and designers. The gowns that I got to model were so beautiful! MUCH more expensive than my own wedding gown cost! My Mother came with me to help out backstage, and I was so happy that she was there. It's not very often that she and I get to do something together - just the two of us.

I got five blisters on my feet the very first day (Saturday) because Mom and I didn't know where to park, so of course we chose the parking lot furthest away from where we actually needed to be. By the time we walked to the Convention Center, I was limping (and complaining). I had to suck it up for the show, and if I do say so my self, I did pretty well. I didn't trip, or wince in agony while on stage. When I got home that night, I could barely move!

The next morning, I drained my blisters, and they felt a million times better!!! I could actually walk again! For the Sunday show, Mom and I certainly learned our lesson and parked right across the street of the Convention Center. This time, our fashion show was earlier, so we were able to find a close spot in the parking garage. The Ventura fashion show was a HUGE hit! The crowd was really into the models, the dresses, and the music!

I had forgotten how much I loved the runway from my old modeling days... It was a really good feeling. I did, however, get tangled up in one of the wedding gowns..my last one to be exact. The changing area backstage is so chaotic that we don't typically get to see what we are putting on next...we just grab and go. I didn't pay attention to the length of my train, and when I made a full turn in the middle of the runway, the train wrapped all the way around my feet! Some women in the audience gasped and their eyes were HUGE! I guess they really thought I was going to fall! I didn't though (THANK GOD!). As a matter of fact, I walked right out of my little predicament. It took about three good steps, and then my feet were free, and the train was trailing off like it was supposed to behind me, and I played it off so well! When I got to the end of the runway, I grabbed the side of the train and fanned it out so that the audience could see how pretty the back was. It got lots of "Oooh's" and "Ahhh's". When I walked back up the runway, I made another full turn in the center, sort of to make up for my first mishap, and it was perfect! The audience cheered loudly, and I very coyly looked over my shoulder, gave a wink, and exited the stage!

After the show was over, the owner of the store gave me a very nice hand-written note thanking me, and telling me how much she and the audience liked my performance, and she asked if I would like to be a permanent member of the "Ventura's Bridal Dream Team".

Going to the Mall for Earrings, Hair Combs, and Trampolines?? Oh My!

I had to run to the mall this weekend to grab some last minute items for the upcoming fashion show for the Bridal Extravaganza. While we were there, Jackson and I saw this set up in one of the wings in our mall. It's some kind of "Euro-Bounce" thing. They hook you up to a harness that it attached to bungee cords. They raise the cords, and then you begin jumping - higher, and higher, and higher until it makes every 'rider' squeal like a girl! It was very funny!

I told Jackson to do a back-flip, and he told me that he didn't know how so I explained that he needed to tilt his head back and look behind him, and then swing his legs over his head. He nailed it the second time he tried! In all, he did five back flips, and one flip going forward. The man working the trampoline told me that front flips are much more difficult to do than back flips, and he was impressed that Jackson was able to do it!

It was so nice that this was set up in the mall when we went. I normally don't go shopping at the mall, but it was nice for me to be able to go to a few shops, and then let Jackson do his thing. Then I was able to go to a few more of my stores, and then we went to get some cookies. Breaking up shopping trips like this makes it so much easier when little ones are with you, especially when they don't like "long stores". Helps to keep every one's sanity, that's for sure!

Jackson Lost His First Tooth!

Jackson lost his first tooth yesterday at school. We put his tooth under his pillow, and the Tooth Fairy came while he was fast asleep. When he woke up this morning, he saw that his tooth was gone, and there was a crisp two-dollar bill where his baby tooth used to be, and it was covered with glitter!!

I have to say that I am pretty disappointed in how he came to lose it. He forced it loose. Yup. Just kept pushing and pushing until it was wiggly. All of his friends have been or are losing their teeth, and he wanted to lose his teeth as well.

Here is a brief timeline of how long it took for his tooth to come out:

Last Thursday after his bath he says to me, "Momma, come feel my tooth! It's getting loose!" I felt it with my finger, and really tried to make it wiggle, but it wasn't ready. I didn't think anymore about it after I told Jackson to leave it alone, and it would get loose when it was ready to.
The next day, he left with my parents to go to San Antonio for a week. They went to Sea World, and also to a drive-through petting zoo. When they got back to Houston on Friday, my parents took him to Space Center Houston. By the time I picked him up Friday night, seven and a half days later mind you from the first "I have a loose tooth, Momma!"...his tooth was making sucking noises when he touched it with his tongue!

His teeth now looked to funny to me. His wiggly, bottom incisor was cocked over to almost a 35 degree angle, and it made it appear that he already lost a tooth!

I took him to school yesterday, and when Jackson would talk, his tooth would move back and forth and impair his ability to speak clearly. It was the cutest thing! When I picked him up after work, I was greeted by the happiest, most proud little boy holding up a Ziploc baggie with a teeny-tiny tooth inside. He was grinning from ear to ear!

Now, THAT'S talent!

Now, I know that I am horribly biased as a Mother, but I must say that I am so impressed by Jackson's talent. He has such a great imagination!

Just check out the tower he made! Have you ever seen anything like this? And the swirling turnpike...these are just wooden train tracks that he attached to his top drawer in his dresser. The entire thing is suspended by one simple attachment (his drawer) and somehow, the weight of itself didn't bring the whole thing crashing down! You can even see the two tiny rail cars he has positioned on the top of the track, ready to take off. Oh-ya...it worked, too!

I swear, if he doesn't grow up to be a politician or an engineer...

Jackson is taking Piano Lessons!

Jackson had his first piano lesson this weekend, and he LOVED it!. We enrolled him in the Suzuki Music Academy here in Houston, and he will have four half hour private lessons a month.

We have been waiting to put him in lessons for years now. To be honest, other than Jackson's apparent love for music, the biggest reason we put him in lessons is because Jack's mother, Evelyn (May God rest her soul), wanted more than anything for Jackson to learn how to play the piano, and in the end that became her last wish. After she passed, we inherited her piano. Jackson has always loved to pick at the keys, and create his own songs to put on 'shows' for anyone who will listen. I have to admit that it is actually quite soothing to listen to him play. He doesn't just bang at the keys, as a matter of fact, he never did. He is very meticulous and deliberate when he plays - and is very much a perfectionist.

My Mother came with us to his first lesson, and she and I both wanted to stay in the room to observe. I could tell that our presence was distracting Jackson's focus from his instructor, so I suggested that Mom and I leave the room. We waited in the lobby for about 20 minutes. After his lesson was over, he came skipping down the hallway with a HUGE smile plastered to his face! He was so excited, and said that he had a lot of fun learning the keys.

His instructor is Mariblanca De Pujadas, and she has quite the resume! Apparently, she was a child prodigy at the age of two, and began performing as a soloist, touring several countries in South America before the age of five!!! She studied with many prestigious master teachers, and eventually did her post-graduate work at Julliard School of Music in New York. She has over 35 years of teaching experience, and her students have been winners in many competitions and have also performed as soloists with symphony orchestras.

During the private lessons, students of an early age are taught the value of reading music, understanding note values and music theory to be able to understand the structure of music. Also, the student develops strong rhythmic skills as well as good sight reading skills. As the young student advances, he is introduced to the basics of music by learning scales, arpeggios and cadences for the development of technique and musicianship. Ear training is also emphasized as its an important tool to learn to recognize musical tones, chords and rhythmic dictation among other valuable things.

I am going to the store this afternoon to try and get "Key Cards" that identify each of the white keys on the piano so it will make it easier for Jackson to learn each key. If not, I'm not opposed to getting little stick-on letters to label each key, lol!

HAPPY (belated) MOTHER'S DAY!!!

Okay, okay. So I'm late in posting this, and I am sorry. This week has been one of "those weeks", and I, for one, am very happy that today is my "Th-iday" (pronounced Thigh-Day, and it means that I don't have to go to work tomorrow.)!

I had the BEST Mother's Day this year! It really was wonderful! My Mother's Day actually began on Friday at Jackson's school. They had a "Mother's Tea" to recognize all the Mommies in his class. Jackson got to open the performance by reading from cue cards, and let me tell you that I was soo impressed by his reading ability! He read like he had been reading for years! He didn't skip a beat! I really was moved to tears! He made me a (I don't really know what it is...sad, I know.) It is yarn that has been saturated in some kind of liquid starch, and then moulded to the bottom of a water bottle. The end result looks like dried silly string in the shape of a birds nest. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE it, and I will probably put it on my desk as a "catch-all" for paper clips and rubber bands. We also had tea and cookies. After the presentation and tea, we went to the book fair and got him a book and a science project.
On Saturday, my Mother took Jackson to the Home Depot and made me a wooden plant holder, all by himself! Seriously, this isn't just the Mom in me talking here...it's really great! He used a hammer and nails, and it looks nearly professional!
Jack came home from work with 9 cuts of Oriental Lilies (my absolute favorite flower in the WORLD!!!) inside a beautiful mirrored-mosaic vase...and a card! It was lovely!

On Sunday, after everyone woke up, the boys went to Denny's (we call it Lenny's) and brought breakfast home. MMmmmm....I <3>

Miss USA 2009

I know there is a lot of controversy about the outcome of this pageant. There are quite a few people, Miss Prejean included, who believe that she was "robbed of the crown" because of her honesty and personal convictions as stated in her response to the Final Question at this years Miss USA pageant.

Miss California chose a card out of a fish bowl that had the name of a judge on it. The judge she chose was judge number 8, Perez Hilton, a Hollywood gossip blogger.

Mr. Hilton asked of Miss Prejean, "Vermont recently became the fourth state to legalize same-sex marriage. Do you think that every state should follow suit, why or why not?"

Now, before I reveal her answer, please realize that this question was cleared in advance by the Miss Universe Organization. All twelve judges submit questions, six were chosen to be used during the telecast. This was NOT "a jaded gay man with an agenda" to corner Miss California because of the passing of Prop. 8 in the state where both Miss Prejean AND Mr. Hilton reside. If any of the other girls chose judge #8's card, they would have received that very same question!

Anyway, on to her answer of: "Well, I think it's great that Americans are able to choose one or the other. Umm, we live in a land where you can choose same-sex marriage or opposite marriage. And you know what, I think in my country, and in my family, I think that I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman. No offense to anybody out there, but that's how I was raised, and that's how that I think it should be; between a man and a woman. Thank you."

Okay, most of you who read this blog know that I am a former state title holder within this very system, and also have been asked to be a judge on numerous times for local pageants. I am fully aware of how this system judges and scores it's contestants.

Delegates are required to compete in Swimsuit, Evening Gown, and Personal Interview. Based on the scoring by the preliminary judges, and Mr. Trump, the 15 semifinalists are chosen to compete in the Finals. The fifteen ladies then compete in swimsuit, and the ladies with the ten highest scores, based on their confidence and fitness, advance to the Top 10, where they all compete in Evening Wear. Then, the ladies with the 5 highest scores will advance to the Top 5. They will then compete in the On-Stage Interview portion of the competition. The ladies are asked personal questions about themselves first, and then draw cards out of a bowl and answer the Final Question from the judge they choose. Based on their individual answers, their articulation, and presentation, each judge will rank the final contestants 1-5, 1 being the winner, followed by the consecutive runner-ups.

North Carolina, the eventual winner of the pageant led the entire competition that night! She scored a 9.198 placing her first in the swimsuit competition, while Miss California scored a 9.033, placing third. During the Evening Gown Competition, Miss North Carolina again came in first with a score of 9.470. Miss California, this time placing second, scored a 9.275.

It absolutely enrages me to hear people, especially Miss California, say that she lost the crown because of her beliefs on same-sex marriage. NO MA'AM! Miss Prejean was NEVER winning the pageant to begin with, and her scores prove it! ONE JUDGE cannot make or break a contestants placement, and there were twelve that night! Not only that, but if people were all that offended by what she said, she would have placed last out of the Top 5, NOT as the winner's 1st Runner Up!

Although Carrie Prejean was honest with her answer (and YES that is very much appreciated!), she wasn't very politically correct or articulate. Miss USA is supposed to be savvy, goal-oriented and aware. The delegates who become part of the Miss Universe Organization display those characteristics in their everyday lives, both as individuals, who compete with hope of advancing their careers, personal and humanitarian goals, and as women who see to improve the lives of others.

Someone, please tell me what the heck "Opposite Marriage" is?! Surely, she meant to say TRADITIONAL marriage. Also, when someone says that "they THINK they believe" something, well, it comes across as being soft on an issue. The point also needs to be made that Americans are NOT free to choose their respective partners for marriage because only 4 states recognize same-sex marriages...which is why this is such a "hot-button" topic facing our nation right now.

Seriously, ALL she had to say is: "While I personally believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman, we, as a nation are given the freedom to vote on issues that are important to us. This is not a federal issue, but rather a state issue, and I think it's best to let the people decide." BAM! She stays true to her beliefs, AND she doesn't offend the masses.

The point of my post? Her beliefs did not cost her her crown...she didn't win because she was never in the lead, and because she answered the question from the judge she chose badly. Are her 15 minutes of fame over yet?!?

Congratulations to Kristen Dalton, Miss USA 2009!

Easter Egg Hunt

Today is Jackson's Easter Egg Hunt at his school. I was actually a little disappointed in the selection of Easter Baskets they had at Walgreens. There were plenty of baskets clearly designed for little girls (ex, princess, pinks and purples, and small baskets that looked kinda cheap), but mostly sports-themed baskets for the boys. Since Jackson doesn't play any sports, I decided not to get him a themed basket. Instead, I found this wicker basket (durable for an egg hunt) that was fairly big (to collect a lot of eggs...) and the colors weren't to "girl-y".

***NOTE TO WALGREENS***

IT'S NOT JUST LITTLE GIRLS WHO PARTICIPATE IN EGG HUNTS, AND NOT ALL LITTLE BOYS LIKE SPORTS!!!

Each student was to bring a dozen plastic eggs filled with candy, stickers, or something fun. These eggs were the largest I could find. I wanted to get big eggs because Jackson's Primary class has younger children (ranging from 3 years to kindergarten), and I wanted to make sure that there would be big, brightly colored eggs for the younger ones to easily see and grab.

I will take pictures (not of the egg hunt since I am at work...grr.) of his loot when we get home and post them here.

I hope he has a good time, and that the weather holds up!