Texas A to Z

Yesterday was the 1st grade Texas A to Z production.

Some kids had speaking parts, (thanks to JR's talent as the morning anchor of the school news, both  mine were assumed to have some public speaking genes and assigned parts) but everybody got to sing a few Texas songs.

 

Kyle was cowboy #7 and got to say "The cowboy's pants are the color blue. These Levi's last the whole year through".

 

His costume was easy since these same cowboy duds date back to JR's preK days.

 

 

The chaps were either deemed too small before we moved and I got rid of them, or lost in the move, so Kyle and I made new chaps. 

Both costumes required sewing and both kids were excited to help me (I could have finished so much faster if they hadn't wanted to help so much).

 

 

Reed was ice cream. 

We made the ice cream out of felt, stuffed it with fluff, and sewed it on.

We just hot glued the "Blue Bell" letters on.

 

Reed's line was "I is for ice cream. Blue Bell is the best ice cream in the country. Yum!"

 

After he said his line, the parents broke out in whoops, cheers, and giggles. 

What can I say? We Texans are seriously serious about our Blue Bell...just like our Dr. Pepper, which if you look on the top row, you can see was also a part.

Mud Pit

The kids' school had their fun run for the PTA yesterday.

It's been raining and cold all week (I'm so glad this isn't our spring break).

 

Guess what happens when it's been raining nonstop since Sunday?

There's water standing everywhere...which turns into a big muddy mess.

 

Luckily, just a change of shoes and socks was all JR needed (I didn't actually see him since he doesn't want anybody to know he has parents) but check out the other two.

 

When I say they were covered in mud, I mean it. Look at Reed's mud splattered face!

This is Kyle. You can also see by his t-shirt how many laps he ran.

 

I stayed at school after the run and tried to help clean up children...because all this went down at 9:45 in the morning!  

(I can't imagine trying to teach such dirty, stinky kids the rest of the day.)

I'm glad I'm used to boys because that was certainly a big mess.

Food Paradise

I think I gained 5 pounds just watching my kids eat on Sunday.

 

 

Giant turkey legs almost as big as their faces.

Fried Snickers. Kyle swore up and down this was the best.

Fried Twinkie

and fried Oreos

 

Jason and JR said the fried Oreos were definitely the best. Pete Wentz (the bassist from Fall Out Boy that used to be married to Ashley Simpson) announced that it was indeed "their first rodeo" and which fried food should they try.  The audience also proclaimed the fried Oreos to be the "it" fried dessert.

 

 

And if all those fried goodies weren't enough, these two had root beer floats

(and yes, Kyle is also holding a cookie).

 

 

And this one had a brownie sundae (in a cowboy hat).

 

I'm thinking the kids might need a few days of detoxing!

Mom Doesn't Know Best

We went to the rodeo with the kids yesterday and while doing the fair grounds I began lecturing them on how not to waste their tickets on the games. I told them that they were rigged, and they'd never win...use the tickets for the rides.  Of course since I told them they shouldn't do the games, that's all the wanted to do. 

 

 

And wouldn't you know it, Kyle totally won. 

And proved me wrong.

(Yes, he's still sticking with the Davy Crockett hat.)

 

 

And if I wasn't already wrong enough about the games, I had to go and ruin Reed's selfie with Jason.  I thought it was hilarious I photobombed Reed, but he didn't find the humor in messing up his picture with Daddy at all. 

 

He could hardly take another one for looking back at me and giving me the evil eye to stay out of his picture!

No Fights Broke Out This Time

So I was wrong in my last post, there are a few things that go on in March that aren't rodeo related.

 

Last night we went to The Rockets game.

 

These two watch Rockets games on TV, so they know all the players and have lots to talk about and discuss during the game.  Jason and I....not so much.  

I've always said JR is the best person to take to any event (sporting, theater, whatever).  He takes everything (and I mean everything) so personally, that he really gets into it. (He was literally sweating from cheering at one point.) I'm quite sure James Harden and Patrick Beverley actually heard him screaming for them.

This was his reaction when they showed on the big screen that Andre Johnson was there watching the game.  I'm pretty sure that's the same face I made when I went to the New Kids on The Block concert in 1989.

 

 

The Rockets were winning the whole game, then couldn't make a shot in the 4th quarter.  They tied it back up, but then lost in the last 10th of a second.  Just look at JR, that's a tear-stained, forced-smiled face for sure.

 

I Smelled Like BBQ for 2 Days

So you'll probably get tired of seeing my rodeo posts, but seriously, I'm not sure anything else actually happens in the month of March here in Houston.

 

 

This weekend was the "World's Championship BBQ Cookoff".  Anybody can go, but unless you have passes in to a booth (and some of these booths are huge) I can't imagine it would be fun.  Walking around smelling BBQ but not getting to eat any of it doesn't sound like a good time to me.

 

 

There were 240 teams, and since Jason had passes in to 2 booths, we got to try the meat from those teams. (They weren't among the winners.)

 

Once you get in, it's all you can eat and drink. Plus, these booths both had a fun band. And the Half Fast Cookers even had a photo booth.

(We also went to the Brisket Cases).

As you can see we have quite a few layers on (especially for Houston).  I have on a long sleeve shirt, a hoodie, a jean jacket, gloves, and a coat.   We were planning on going back on Saturday, but we'd had enough of the cold (and crowds and drunk people) to tide us over until next year.

Square Dancin'

With Friday being Go Texan Day, it was the perfect time for Kyle and Reed to show off their square dancing they've been learning in P.E.

 

 

It was big 1st grade drama who their partners were going to be. They've been practicing with them for over a month, so it was important to get a good one.

 

 

Reed was thrilled his partner was Thalie.  They may be tiny, but they're big buddies.

Kyle's partner was Audrey.  I volunteer in Kyle's class a lot, and I love little Audrey.  I'm not sure these two could be any cuter.  (Look at them holding hands!)

They did 4 or 5 dances, and here's a little snippet of one.

Reed is first (look for his blue checked shirt) and then Kyle (look for that coonskin cap).

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVb4KPu8iPw