Parties for Caleb

 We opted for a small cake (Olde Town Bakery) along with cupcakes (Mimi) and cookies (Uncle Jason).

The Birthday Boy

The trampoline was a huge hit for the kids.  

 About to sing Happy Birthday to Caleb... he was quite shy and hid behind the cake.

 Ethan, Caleb, & Jase

Caleb got a snazzy new belt buckle from his girlfriends.

 Avery & Austin had to give their expertise in gift opening.

 Blowing out the candles round #2.

Hot game of soccer at Party #2.

Party #1 Recap:  Saturday morning we celebrated Caleb's birthday with his Bouncing Bear friends at our house.  We pulled out all the outdoor toys and the kids entertained themselves only to break for pizza and cake.  It was the perfect way for a 4 year old to celebrate with his best buds and girlfriends.

Party #2 recap:  Saturday afternoon we regrouped for family and friends.  With the help of Uncle Jason, we put together a taco feast.  The temps were a little cooler than we were hoping for but that didn't stop us from having a good time.  Caleb didn't get a nap in so when it came time to blow out his candles a second time he was a little tired and insisted his dad help him out.  Over all we had a great day celebrating out litt'le man's 4th birthday.

Mardis Gras - Kindergarten Style

 Float Austin Maurer

 Float Avery Maurer

 Excited people along the parade route :)

 Crawfish Dance!

Get off those feet girl!

In the spirit of Mardis Gras, Kindergarten Kingdom puts on a parade followed up by a crawfish dance.  Each kid is a "float" and they had to decorate poster board with things that represent them with a Mardis Gras flair.  With Austin sick Mon & Tues and Avery sick Wed & Thurs, these were not top priorities on our list, but we got them done and everyone one was well enough on Friday to strut their stuff and throw out beads.

Backyard Addition....

 Caleb's 4th birthday present!

Breaking in the trampoline!

We were at a loss for what to get Caleb for his birthday... it's tough being close to Christmas.  From other parties and friend's homes, we knew the kids would love a trampoline so this was more of a group gift, but Caleb got the first jump.

Despite sickness striking our house this week, we've enjoyed a few evenings out on the trampoline.  I remember always wanting a trampoline as a kid, so the gift is just as much fun for me as it is for the kids. 

You will probably note that we decided to forgo the safety net and set the trampoline up without it.  We do have one, just decided not to add it on just yet.  It will probably take that first ER visit for a broken bone for us to put it up....



The Big F.O.U.R.

 Birthday morining... Caleb playing us a tune.  He was all smiles because I let him wear boots to school... his teachers weren't so happy with that decision.

 Singing "Happy Birthday" Bouncing Bear style.  Caleb picked out his own birthday snack - Homeade Vanilla cups, strawberries, and grapes.

 Smile!

 Caleb and one of his best buds, Ethan Ashenbeck.

 Caleb and his favorite girl - Grasyn Hinze.  These two are best buds at school!

These are 4 of Caleb's 16 girlfriends.

Happy 4th Birthday Caleb!!!

Happy Birthday to the little man that makes us laugh every day! 

Mornings with Caleb

I thought I had it bad with Avery, but when it comes to picking out clothes to wear for school, or any occasion for that matter, Caleb is near impossible.  A few months ago, things were much easier as he had a few pairs of jeans that we rotated through on a regular basis.  But this boy is all boy and most of those jeans now have holes in the knees.  I have put off getting him new ones with his birthday around the corner and the fact that he has about 6 pairs of jeans/pants that are just fine, he just refuses to wear them for various reasons.
One of those reasons - "crincks".  What is a crink you ask?  I haven't quite figured it out, but I think it is wrinkles or when pants are longer and the material bunches up.  He was crying the other day about pants I made him put on and when I asked what was wrong, he told me "I don't like all these crinks".  He will at least wear athletic pants now, but will only wear two of the pairs he has to school. I guess the other pairs aren't school worthy?  And shirts... he has about 6 that he wears regularly and the rest just sit in his closet.  I have just given up that battle.  His tears are not worth it.
Then there are the shoes.  He got a pair of Nike tennis shoes that have one velcro strip across the tongue.  On the tounge is a "nike" tag, and that tag has to be covered by the velcro strip or he won't put them on.  He brings them to me and says "cover them up". 
I am hoping this is all a phase although I remember Wes's aunts telling me when we first started dating how difficult he was to buy for because he was so picky.  We could be in for many challenging mornings!

 Look at what showed up at our house on Valentines Day!

As we stopped at the mailbox, these two puppies were sitting in the grass.  They followed the car up to the house and haven't left the backyard since.  In fact right now they are sound asleep on the mat right outside the back door. 
Up to this point, discussions regarding adding a dog to the Maurer Party of Five mix have been pretty short... we're not ready.  The thought of one more thing to look after is not the least bit appealing to me.  Wes and I both agree to no dogs in the house so that leaves it roaming our property and we'd possibly need to build a pen for it.  Again, we're just not ready.  I should add  one other very important detail - our kids don't like dogs.  That could be a determining factor, right?  Austin has just recently warmed up to them as you can see in the picture above.  He's the only one that will get close enough to touch them.  Avery will throw a ball to them, but won't get close to the ball if the dogs are close and Caleb watches from the inside out the back window. 
I guess having two dogs show up (likely dropped off on the side of the road) gives us some hands on experience with 3 kids and a dog, in this case 2.  I think we've already found a home for one of them.  Anyone else out there looking for a dog to call their own?!?!

Happy Valentines!

Wes left us all some goodies when he left for work this morning.  Yes, that is my 2 lb bag of Twizzlers.... he knows how to speak to my heart.

Valentines kind of snuck up on us and with a busy weekend this past weekend, making Valentines for classmates was put off until last night.  On a scale of 1-10, my creativity was a definite 1.5, but at least they got done!  There's always next year....

We've decided for a romantic meal of pizza tonight (at least I won't be cooking!) and might even watch a movie as a family.  Good stuff!!  Happy Valentines Day from Maurer Party of Five!

Grandpa Pete is 98!!

Sunday we celebrated a very special birthday with a very special man, Grandpa Pete.  Grandpa Pete turned 98 and he doesn't look a day over 85 :)  The entire family went to church with Grandpa, a church that brings back such great memories of my grandmother.  The church is very informal, everyone feels welcome and their love for Christ and each other is evident.  Before every service, they have anyone who has a birthday coming up that week stand at the front of the church and the congreagation sings "Happy Birthday" to them.  There were several with birthdays this week and when they got around to Grandpa Pete to ask how old he was going to be, his response was "a century minus two!"  Then one by one, the entire congregation stood to applaud him.  It brought tears to my eyes because I knew they weren't applauding an age, they were applauding the man.  Grandpa Pete is one of the most honest, loving, Christian men you will ever meet.  

Caleb(3), Austin (5), Grandpa Pete (98), Avery (5)

We decided not to put 98 candles on the cake this year!

Grandpa's cow cake made by my cousin Jennifer

We celebrated with lunch at Grandpa's house, the one where he still lives alone.  He's still getting around at 98!  He drives to church... though I'd hate to be driving behind him if I were in a hurry.  He goes to the farm daily with my Uncle Jimmie to give his expertise in how things should be done.  He even helped cooked his own birthday meal.  I hope I got some of his genes! 

Penguin Play

A special day for Kindergarten Kingdom is Penguin Play day.  For two weeks the kids learn all about penguins and then tell parents, friends and the rest of the school all about the tuxedo birds.  This years play was postponed due to the storm that I blogged about a few posts back, you know the one where we were stuck in the garage.  In the end, the Penguin Play was a huge success and our two penguins did a fabulous job!

 Kindergarten Penguins

 Avery Penguin - she wore goggles because she was a "swimming" penguin

 Swimming Penguin Austin

All smiles after their performance.

After the play, we had to measure the kids and order their Kindergarten Graduation gowns.  I was kind of taken back at the idea of these two graduating from Kindergarten already.  Pretty sure I'll need tissues that day.

Bella Vista Cottage

Wes & I opted for a short weekend away to the Hill Country to celebrate our anniversary with plans to book a summer getaway to somewhere beachy where we can lounge in the sun all day.  Our weekend away led us to Fredericksburg, a place we haven't enjoyed in a few years.  We were pleasantly surprised by all the new winerys.  Our biggest challenge was finding a place to stay.  We were looking for a B&B, no hotel since that is what the area is known for.  We wanted something to ourselves, nothing where we were sharing a house with someone else.  We also knew we didn't want to be surrounded in quilts and antiques, nothing against it... just not our thing. 
Wes found Bella Vista Cottage on one of his first internet searches.  The pics blew us both away and it was exactly what we were looking for.  The price was a bit steep compared to some of the other places, but as we continued to search, we knew we'd just be settling if we chose another place.  After almost booking something else, Wes called to book Bella Vista for our stay and found out that they run a special in the months of January and February - book two nights, stay a third night for free! 
I HIGHLY recommend this place for a couples getaway.  It's a good drive into town, about 20 minutes, but so worth it in our opinion.  If you love to cook they've got a kitchen you will love and the Master Suite is everything you could ask for in a romantic getaway.  The views are beautiful and deer can be seen roaming the property. 

http://www.bella-vistacottage.com/

10

10 years ago I said "I DO".... best two words that ever came out of my mouth.  I'm not sure that God put us on this earth specifically for one another, but I sure am glad our paths crossed and we fell for each other.  We've had our share of ups and downs, but I always know that our marriage is stronger than anything that tries to break us apart.

Wes-  Thank you for being my friend, my husband, and an amazing father to our children.  Thanks for putting up with my quirks and forgetfulness.  Not many men would have stayed around with a woman who still lets the water boil over the pot on the stove or someone who consistenly leaves cabinet doors open.  Maybe I"ll get it right by year 20.  I love you with my whole heart and look forward to another 10 years.

Jamie