I Can Float!

by jack

i can do the swim float, i can do the underwater float, i can do the spiderman float and i can do the curious george float. today we went to the natatorium with none of our friends. i made a friend, though. i stayed for a long time without my floaties and then i stayed for a long time with my floaties. and i ate tostadas in the pool. it was full of tostadas and chips and cheese and grapes for mia. and i dipped my finger in the water and floated all over the place and i made butter. and then i drank my drink in the pool.

My New Happy Place
is whataburger field. where we went tonight to see dave throw out the first pitch in a hooks game. where the kids get to run wild on the playground, freak out over "scary" mascots, eat lots of cotton candy, dance to "the chicken" song, and roll down hills of grass. where if we can just manage as parents to get through the stress of corralling crazed and tired children, we are rewarded with an amazing fireworks display at the end of the night. and as we lay there with friends and family, every stress is forgotten. every bad behavior forgiven. pure childlike joy takes over. and this happy moment is etched in my memory permanently, or at least until i forget it. :)

Good Reads

caramelo is fiction-the story of a mexican family told by their only daughter, and i get so engrossed in it that i start believing i'm in the family after a few chapters. so then i try to speak spanish to the kids, but since i know NO SPANISH it only comes out as jibberish. this is the same reason i can't watch scary movies. i truly believe i am in them and then freddie krueger's (sp?) after me with his big ol' nails. heevie jeevies!

and grace-based parenting is AWESOME. a must read for all the parents out there. it is revolutionizing my thinking as a mom.

High Maintenance Harriet
ya know how when you order a treadmill from sears, they say "the cost of delivery does NOT include installation"? well, they mean it. i thought that since it was a "home delivery" that they came to your home with a fabulous new treadmill all assembled for you, and i was not about to pay extra just so they could come "install" it for me (i.e. plug it into the wall). so when the men came with a HUGE box and asked where to put it, i was like, "huh?"

i decided to tackle the project even though the instructions are clear that you need 2 people to assemble the thing. well, neither dave nor the kids were home so i didn't have a choice, did i? here's the shocker: there's no disaster story to tell. i actually got everything but the crosswalk arm pieces together and then dave helped me with those when he came home. so, now we have a treadmill. daddy, aren't you proud? i wrenched and hammered and screwdrived and sweated my little heart out, all without cussing!

oh, and we all got to run on it today, too. okay, mia mostly fell on it, which was hilarious. i know, it's a character flaw. you're not supposed to laugh at your kids. but darn, they are so funny sometimes.

beach bums
went to the beach on friday. had to post this artsy pic of the kids that crissy took. from left bum to right: jack, rylin, mia, claire, gwen, keegan.

it's been a bad day...please don't take a picture
well, at least it was a bad day for the kids. got bad reports from both teachers and had some loooong talks when we got home. :( hmf. well, at least momma had fun. sunny and i had a frame making party (see evidence left) while the kids were in school & got to go out to eat. okay, so i don't hate ALL crafts. just anything i make that's ugly.

the hunt for the perfect smoothie
so crissy (my marathon training partner) and i go for a 6 mile-er yesterday around noonish, and it is rough. we end up running some, walking some. i think we'll be good partners b/c we balance each other out...she was fine when i was exhausted, and i caught my second wind when she was tired, so we were able to push each other. nehoo, during the run she mentions that she used to work at a smoothie shop, and all of the sudden that sounds like the best food ever, and now we HAVE to have one after our run. oh, did i mention that are husbands are watching the kids during this time? so i call dave to let him know we're getting a smoothie. he is less than pleased as mia is having one of her psychotic after naptime episodes, but i assure him we'll pick up smoothies quickly and take them home. crissy and i are parched, sweaty and nasty and our hunt begins...

1st stop: subway. broken smoothie machine.
crissy: maybe we weren't meant to get a smoothie.
mariah: whatever. we'll get them.

2nd stop: subway #2. girl looks at us like we were crazy for even suggesting they might have smoothies there. she directs us to marble slab.
crissy: God does not want us to have smoothies. maybe if we put in more effort and WALK to marble slab, he'll let us have them.
mariah: that's ridiculous. but let's do it.

3rd stop: marble slab. yes, they normally have smoothies but today their yogurt machine is broken. so we convince the girl to make some ghetto smoothie with low-fat ice cream, low-fat milk and fruit. we have the smoothies in our hands, i hand over the credit card and BAM. they don't take credit cards! only debit, of course. so we leave, laughing and embarrassed. and we end our smoothie search after an hour with NOTHING to show for it but angry husbands to go home to.
crissy: God has not allowed us smoothies b/c of the bad karma we have with our husbands. this time i think i believe her.

the cool thing was that i prayed on the way home that dave would forgive me and by the time i got home he totally had. gotta love that grace!!

I Heart NY
just when you thought your socks were safe, jack goes and puts one on his ying yang. i guess he thought one of mia's socks was the perfect size for a cover-up? i love how he's already thinking big, even at this early age-it fell off pretty quickly, though. i blame bekah for this-she's the one that bought the sock.

Sleepover #2
yes, i'm just that crazy. rylin is in town for a few days, so we just had to have another sleepover to celebrate. totally wore the kids out today...playgroup, pool, park & pizza so hopefully they are on the cusp of drifting off to sleep at any moment. :) will let you know. in the meantime, here's a pic of the cuties.

Craft Bevy
well, as many of you know, i HATE crafts. but since this is a kids' craft group, i thought it might be fun to join. and then i wouldn't be held responsible for how fugly everything turned out b/c the "kids" did it. they love it at tammi's house (where the bevy meets) b/c the backyard is awesome: complete with rabbits, trucks, a trampoline, a pool, a playhouse and inchworms. plus she always makes the coolest snacks...today's were cupcakes in ice cream cones. and here's a shot of their craft, too. we were supposed to make flowers (ours are sort of abstract). also, little aryn seems to be doing well (check out blog below). they think she's going to make it, so thanks be to God and thank you for praying.

prayer request
just found out that our friends, eddie & amy, had their baby by c-section. she's VERY premature-just weighs 2lbs 15 ounces, so pray for them when you think about it. i think her name is aryn.

POOPED.
have completely wiped out the kids and myself today with some crazy errand-running. school, gym, bible study, book store1, book store2, toys r us, HEB. highlights: this was my final bible study on acts/ephesians, and we had a yummy luncheon to celebrate. got to sit and chat with sunny for a minute before we picked up the kids. they both had a good day at school, and they got to shop for toys with their easter money. mia picked travel size hungry hungry hippos (is she planning on going somewhere?) and jack picked out some ball shooter game (shocker!). did i mention this was after about an hour of deliberation? oh yes. it's like shopping with myself (a bonifide nightmare for many of you!). then we headed to the grocery store, in which jack had to walk beside me while i pushed mia in the cart. this is never a good idea. mostly jack likes to: a) run full speed ahead of me down the aisles, b) stand in front of EVERYONE ELSE'S CART and dance around while i beg him to move, c) "ride" on one of the ends of the cart or d) kick, hit, and find subtle ways to annoy his sister. nehoo, we finally got home where i let the kids: a) eat more of their chocolate bunnies (for some peace, people!) and b) play with their games. that's what they're doing in this pic. and that's why jack has chocolate smeared on his mouth.

obligatory chocolate easter bunny pics

here's PANCHO. we love him. sweetest, laziest dog you'll ever meet.

i guess i have some explaining to do here. easter eve was crazy, as is every holiday at the wright house. after the consumption of many margaritas, dave performed a michael mcdonald concert for us, playing air piano and wearing bekah's sunglasses. then she pretended to be patti labelle (they sing a duet together) and this is them posing for their album cover. thankfully, i caught these precious moments with my camera. otherwise, i fear no one would believe that this actually happened.

easter PIMP

how can i explain uncle stephen? he is just the coolest guy i know. who else can pull off a pink shirt, plaid shorts and white pimp shoes? thus, the easter pimp was born. bet y'all are jealous you didn't have an easter pimp visit you this weekend!

easter egg hunt @ church

Date Night!!!!

here we are posing for our pre-date night pics. i took jack to a mcdonald's he's "never been to but always wanted to go to" and dave took mia to wendy's, and then they spent some quality time at home together. good times, good people.

I stink.

as i sit here right now at my computer i can smell myself and it is gross. i did it, though...i ran 6 miles today just to prove to myself that the first time wasn't a fluke. i ate a good meal, ran at the gym, and no fainting was involved. ahh, relief! today we grocery shopped (twice!), met beth & josh at the park, and made new super hero outfits. we had to throw sandgirl's old outfit away b/c it was all ripped up, and she wanted a new one today, so we added a cape to a onesie. of course, when thing2 wants a cape, thing1 needs one, too, so now waveboy has one as well. and according to jack, the capes add flying powers so now the superheros can get to people in need quicker. just imagine how many more lives we'll save! okay, am off to take a shower before i really do pass out from my overwhelming stench.

KARMA, Baby

that's what it is. i was just bragging to everyone how i could run 6 miles now (yes, in a row, without stopping, on the very same day) and today i couldn't do it. i had the brilliant idea to run after bible study-around noon, when i hadn't eaten since 7 and when it was freagin HOT outside. but i thought, it's all mental...i'll just tell myself i can do it and i will. that lasted for about 4 miles and then i had to give up. that's when i started having that familiar queasy feeling and the visions played in my mind...i would pass out on this random patch of grass, a big van driving by would see me, kidnap me, and then the kids would NEVER get picked up from school. so i kept walking, b/c that's what moms do, right? they don't have the luxury of passing out and getting kidnapped. i got home and told dave, and he was all, "why are you so obsessed with passing out all the time?" and that's when i realized that normal people are not thinking about passing out all the time. hmm. but there is a reason behind my madness-i have passed out A LOT...on the playground, at the batting cages, getting my nails done, on the side of the road, and in school, just to name a few. dave's seen it once and says it's not pretty-my lips curl up and i sort of look dead. nehoo, a couple of life lessons not lost on me today are: 1) don't brag. 2) buy a treadmill.

Brokeback What???

jack apparently saw some kids' movie the other night at his friend's house called "candy mountain" but someone (ahem, starts with a "d" and rhymes with "cave") has been making so many brokeback mountain jokes around our house, that our poor son is all mixed up and is telling everyone that he saw "brokeback candy mountain" this weekend. i can't wait til he tells his sunday school teacher!

Go eggs, get dyed, it's your birthday...

mostly this is just proof that we did something productive today. other parts of the day include: going to the gym, playing @ sunny's, eating dinner together as a family (what?? gasp!!!) and listening to the kids cry a lot this evening. why everyone was in tears, i'm really not sure. am just thankful that the day is over and another school day is ahead of us. and jack is counting down the days until we get to be with the grandparents for easter. believe me, he's not the only one! :)

mariah, this is your life!
i was so sure i had nothing to blog today that i turned my computer off around 5, but i quickly turned that sucker back on when i discovered what the kids were up to in the tub. i found mia standing up screaming and jack sitting in the tub laughing b/c apparently mia had pooped in the water, and jack had proceeded to pee in it. yes, there was a time when mia was doing this on a regular basis b/c she thought it was funny. it's just been so long that it all came as a shock today. yes, i'm including a picture. i think everyone should share in this experience with me. it's the least you can do. after all, you didn't even bother to help with the clean-up.

beachy pics

why are they called sleepovers

when you know you're not going to get any sleep?? jack has been begging for a sleepover lately, so gwen came over last night, a little apprehensive but also excited. i was pumped! i thought this would be a great way to hang out with sunny while the kids were entertaining each other, and eventually they would just wear themselves out and CRASH. well, that shows you how much i know. they were excited for bedtime...we blew up the air mattress, brushed teeth, got all tucked in, said our prayers, turned on the music and as i shut the door behind me, i breathed my usual sigh of relief, knowing the night was now mine. hmf. when they first came out of his room, it was cute. they were scared of shadows and i tucked them back in. by the 4th time, i was getting the clue that the night might not go as planned. and then gwen started crying that she wanted to go home. panick mode! now, i could have done as sunny directed and called her to come get gwen, but i believed in my skills as a "sleep genie" and refused to give up on our FUN sleepover! so, i ended up laying in jack's bed next to them while we all watched the incredibles. jack fell asleep pretty quickly, but gwen kept asking me questions. i know what she was doing. i used to do that to my friends...keep them talking so i wouldn't be the last one awake. but around 10 she gave up and fell asleep. until 3, that is, when jack woke up b/c he was cold and gwen was a little p.o.ed @ me for not taking her home. thankfully they went back to sleep until 6:30, when jack cheerfully woke up and started asking gwen a gazillion questions, to which she could only reply in grunts. my favorite part of the sleepover was introducing gwen to poptarts (sunny is a very healthy momma!)-she wanted me to teach her mom how to "make" them. :)

polictically correct easter egg hunts

these days, you're only allowed to hunt for a dozen eggs and then you have to stop. where's the competition in that? my kids would have dominated that egg hunt if given the chance! i miss the easter egg hunts where kids walked around with bloody noses and broken arms because they were so determined to get the most eggs. okay, so i never officially saw any easter egg hunts like that, but i'm pretty sure there were some. oh, and if you're wondering why my daughter doesn't have any pants on-it's b/c of a diaper leak.

the duck park...by jack

i was chasing the ducks, so i can try to catch them so i can feed bread to them, so i can hold the ducks and bring them back, so i can feed them. but they didn't know that i had bread, but then they saw that we had bread so they wanted it. we were peeking down behind the tree and then our goldfish fell out of our bags. i had two glasses of apple juice and i wanted to swing but i couldn't since it was so muddy and wet. so then my goldfish spilled into the mud and then i wanted to find my goldfish but when i got them, i said, "yuck. yuck." then my macaroni fell and then my meat fell and then my plant fell.

meet n' greet

am getting way too into blogging...i made the kids take pictures with their teachers today so you could see them, so please meet ms. mimi (with jack) and ms. jeannette (with mia). ms. mimi's actually going to teach jack's class next year, too, which we think is pretty cool. she's a really great teacher and has two boys of her own, so she's not usually offended at jack's potty mouth. :) and ms. jeannette is just the sweetest lady ever, and she thinks mia is really smart (so of course we love her!).

mia's haircut

when mom came down the other week, she wanted to cut mia's hair b/c she didn't like the "wispies." this apparently runs in the family b/c they were the first thing granny noticed, too. :) so, we gave her a bath and she cut off about an inch. i noticed dave tense up a little when he saw her, but she really didn't look that different. well, one day the next week, mia woke up with dried throw up in her hair (well, who doesn't, right?) and it was so nasty that i didn't even want it in the bathtub, so i just decided to chop it off right there at the breakfast table. my friends and i think it looks super cute, but dave...not so happy. he said something like, "you and your mother better keep your hands off my daughter." nehoo, you can decide what you think for yourself.