The Polar Express

Saturday, me and the kids met a great friend of mine and her daughters and niece and headed to Lubbock to board the Polar Express. I didn't tell the kids where we were going until we were well on the way. I KNEW Sadie would love the entire event...a ride to Lubbock with a friend, riding on a train, all the singing, and seeing Santa. I was a bit more worried about Aaron. He is at that age where he questions everything and can't fully allow himself to enjoy the magical wonder that surrounds everything Christmas. He is, after all, a BIG KID.

We arrived at the Polar Express and got in line. Here, we met a Conductor and he posed for a picture with the kids...

Here was our engine. Not a BNSF engine, but considering that it was only pulling 5 cars, plus there was another engine on the back end (for the return trip), I figured it would work :)


Here's the hobo from the movie. He did a great job, but I don't remember the hobo in the movie wearing a Texas Tech cap. Hmm...I may have to go back and re-watch it. If so, no wonder the guys a hobo. Should've picked a better school...

Once we boarded the train, there was a bit of a wait as everybody else boarded. Sadie was getting bored...


Luckily, the wait wasn't too long...and then we were off!

Here is a picture of our Conductor, Rusty. He was a lot of fun, and anytime he saw a camera pointed at him, he just automatically stopped what he was doing and posed. Seems like he may have done this a few times.

"Tickets, please!" Sadie is admiring her punched ticket while Rusty punches another ticket. When he got to me, I told him he didn't have to punch a bunch of holes in mine...I figured I'd save him a little time. His response? "Where's the fun in that?" And then he threw up all those little holes he'd punch from everybody's tickets, and they fell on me like confetti. The kids all got a big laugh out of that :)

The hot chocolate and cookies were a favorite of the kids! Aaron gulped his down in no time. It took the girls a little longer, but they all enjoyed and ended up with hot chocolate mustaches!

And of course, what Polar Express trip is complete with getting to see Mr. C himself? He talked with each kid and gave them a bell. Here, Sadie is pointing out that she had lost a first tooth two days before.

And here is Mr. I'm Too Big For This. He actually ended up having a great time. He loved getting to see the train up close so that he could better understand what Daddy talks about when he talks about work. And he liked the story and getting to see Santa. He even said he'd go back and do it again. As for Sadie, she didn't want to leave at all. She wanted to just stay on the train for the next trip.

I Think...

...that this little girl...

...is going through a growth spurt. She is eating tons, and anyone who knows her knows that that is definitely not the norm.

This is my new favorite picture of Sadie. I love the freckles...

Here are 2 more of my favorites. My sister, Angie, took pictures for us last weekend. I am so blessed to have her in my family. She does a great job, and all I have to do is babysit her kids once in a while. Great trade :)

Here is a picture of the whole family. You can tell she's a great photographer because she got a decent picture of this group.

And here's the boy. He's growing way too fast, too. Someone told him the other day that he will be taller than me in about two years. Seriously? He's only 8...well, almost 9, but still. He's not supposed to be taller than me until he's about 17.

I guess they can't stay little forever, but I sure do wish things would slow down some. Can't believe that 3rd grade is almost half way over.

Here are my other favorites of the little man...

I guess I better just enjoy every moment I have left of them at this age...

Yes, I Did It.

And I'm not going to apologize. Although I do get angry at stores who put out their Christmas items and decor in August and at people who put their Christmas lights up (and turn them on) before Thanksgiving, I did change the music on my blog to Christmas music.

I LOVE Christmas music. It is so peaceful and nostalgic. I could listen to this music year round. And I'm already in the Christmas mood this year. Maybe it's because I've already started checking out the Black Friday ads and formulating my preliminary plan for that day. Maybe it's because every store I go in has their Christmas stuff out. Maybe it's because last night at Sadie's choir practice, they gave us a cd with the songs they'll be singing at Christmas Eve mass. Who knows. But I've longing to listen to these songs, and I've decided that only listening to this wonderful music from Thanksgiving to Christmas is just not enough. So now you're stuck listening to it also (or at least when you visit my blog).

Or, really, I guess you're not required to listen. If you're not in the Christmas mood yet, or if you just feel it is unfair to Thanksgiving to already be anticipating Christmas, or if you just don't like my choice in music, then feel free to pause the music. But, you're missing out.

Carpooling

This year, we are carpooling to school with another family. You see, because we have chosen to attend a private school, we don't actually live in close proximity to our school. At the end of last year, one of my friends mentioned that she was going to have to find someone else to carpool with because the family she was carpooling with had decided to send their child to public school. I quickly volunteered, thinking it would be fun and have some perks, like save me some time and a little gas. I never could have imagined how many other ways carpooling would change things.

First of all, the biggest perk is that Amy always picks up the kids in the mornings, and I always pick them up after school. This means that on the days that I'm not going into work, I can just stay in my pajamas and only have to worry about getting the kids ready in the morning. And, on the mornings I am going to work, I don't have to make sure that we're all ready to leave by 7:15 so that I can get to work on time. I don't know how I lucked into this arrangement, but you can bet that I won't be complaining any time soon.

The kid we pick up in the afternoons is in Aaron's class, AND she's a she. Wow! Talk about getting an entirely different perspective of life in the 3rd grade. I love actually getting some details about what happens during the day. And, now I tend to get the WHOLE story when Aaron tries to just tell me the parts he wants me to know. For instance, today Aaron mentioned that some of the boys were "talking behind his back." First, I didn't realize 3rd graders knew what that was, but apparently they do. When I questioned Aaron what it was about, HIS version of the story went like this:

"On our way to the cafeteria to hear about the new AR program, Maizy was behind me and I let her cut because she wanted to. One of the guys noticed and told all the other guys."

After Aaron's version of the story, Macy gives the real reason for the gossip. It wasn't just that Aaron had let someone cut in line and the people behind him were upset. Macy informed Aaron that "everybody thinks you and Maizy like each other. That's what they were talking about. But you guys are just friends."

It was all I could do not to peek back at Aaron's face after Macy announced what people were thinking. Aaron would NEVER admit to "liking" any girl, and I really wonder if he was blushing or grinning. But I refrained. Instead, I simply took the opportunity to teach Aaron a valuable life lesson.

My comment: "So now you know that girls are nothing but trouble."

Here's Your Sign...

The priest at St. Mary's is always using the phrase "Here's your sign" in his homilies. And it is always nice when you do actually get signs from God that help direct you. However, I am somewhat illiterate when it comes to reading those signs from God...with one exception.

You see, my kids go to our church's school. Yes, it is a Catholic school and therefore we do have to pay for our children to attend. And yes, we do still have to pay our taxes to fund the public schools that we have opted out of. And yes, we do question whether or not we have made the right decision. After all, money doesn't grow on trees, and there are always other things we could easily find to spend that money on.

However, anytime I begin to doubt that we should be paying to send our kids to this school, I always get a very clear sign (one that even this illiterate can read) that we have, indeed, made the right decision. It is always refreshing and lifts that weight from the doubt off my shoulders. Last week, I was blessed with another one of those signs.

I was sitting in the office catching up on facebook and e-mails when Sadie walked in. She looked at me and said, "Mom, I know what the Epiclesis is."

I was floored. Sadie is 5 and is in kindergarten. I literally JUST learned this word in our Sunday school class a few weeks ago. And my 5 year old walks in and not only informs me that she knows what it is, but also pronounced it properly.

Just to be sure that she really KNEW what it was, I asked her to explain it to me. And she did. She did so using kindergarten language, but she knew!

I absolutely love watching my kids learn not only about the 3 R's, but also learning about our faith. I love that they are so excited about it. The joy and enthusiasm they have about God is inspiring. And, it let's me know, without a doubt, that they are indeed in the right place.

That was one of my many signs...

You Know Your Kid Watches Too Many Crime Shows When...

First, let me set the scene (as with any good crime show)...

Tonight after supper, the kids asked for a treat (as they always do). We're pretty low on groceries right now, so I told the kids I'd improvise and make them something. Came up with peanut butter and chocolate chip burritos, which turned out pretty good. However, they had a big potential for making a mess.

We all sat around the table eating our dessert, and I opened Aaron's library book to the chapter he was on. After a minute or two of me skimming his book and munching on my burrito, I told Aaron, "I guess I better close your book and put it away so that I don't drop a chocolatey-peanut butter glob in this page."

Aaron replied, "You'd have to pay for it."

My response (which in retrospect wasn't exactly teaching him good morals) was "I could just lick it off and turn it back in and no one would know."

Aaron said that the next person to check out that book would find it. I told him that we could blame it on the person who had it before us and claim that we never made it that far into the book and that's why we didn't find the mess.

Aaron's reply: "They would give it to the cops and they'd find out it was you." I told him that they'd think it was him because HE was the one who checked it out last.

But he told me: "No mom...the page would have your saliva from you licking it off and they would find your DNA."

Obviously that boy has watched one too many NCIS.

Flag Football, 3rd Season

This weekend, we began our 3rd season of flag football. The last two seasons have been a bit disappointing, with notches in the win column being few and far between. We have the same great coach we've had for the previous 2 seasons, and he told us at one of the first practices that he thought we'd win a few more this year. I, however, was skeptical. Afterall, we're a 3rd grade team with only 5 third graders, and the other 13 players are 2nd graders. Even if they are very athletic 2nd graders, that still doesn't exactly mean that they can dominate teams that are all 3rd graders. Plus, we have 6 (or maybe even more) girls on our team. Now don't get me wrong. I have nothing against girls playing football, but when a third of the team is girls, and two-thirds are 2nd graders, it's difficult for me to be optimistic.

However, I did not share this sense of dread that I had with Aaron or Coach Travis. I simply smiled and hunkered down for another season of teaching my son about being a good sport and not pouting after a loss.

Saturday was our season opener, and due to the torential downpour we had on Thursday, we didn't get to practice. So, we showed up to the game extra early to get our game shirts and go over a few things.

Here are a few pictures from that game:

First, Aaron got to be team captain. He was really excited about that. Notice how attentive he is to the ref. At least when I snapped the picture :)

Here is one that will likely never happen again. Toby actually VOLUNTEERED to run the down marker. Probably just hoping my dad would see this picture so he can win some points with him (my dad was a member of the chain gang in my hometown for years).

Here's our first huddle of the season. Looks like Aaron is only partially paying attention...

Aaron played offense the whole game. In the first half, he was a tight end, and than he played center in the second half. Here he is snapping the ball.

We ended up losing that first game, which really upset Aaron. I think he was really hoping to dominate this year. I explained to him why we are going to be underdogs again this year. I don't think it really made him feel any better.

Today was our 2nd game. Aaron informed me that he really thought they'd win today. I didn't squash his hope, but inside, I felt like the chances for a win were pretty slim. However, Aaron did have some new receiver gloves. Maybe that's why he thought they'd win today...

Today, Aaron started out on defense. I think he was an end, but I don't really know all the positions in 8-man. And really, it doesn't matter. What really matters is this: On the opening drive of the game, on one of the 1st plays, Aaron INTERCEPTED a pass! And if he wouldn't have been a little shocked the he actually intercepted, I think he would have run it back for a TD. Next time, he'll know :)

He also pulled 5 or 6 flags in that half, many of them across the field from where he was lined up (those gloves really are great). That may not seem like many to those of you reading this, but considering the fact that we held them to 4 and out pretty much the whole half, I think he did great. Also, I think he may have pulled 3 or 4 flags all season combined last year. So he has really improved and he had a terrific game today defensively.

In the 2nd half, he played offense and was a back. He did get one hand-off, and ran for a short gain up the middle.

And, he was right. We did win. We held them to only a few yards the entire game, and didn't let them score a single point. Great game. In fact, Toby admitted that he actually enjoyed watching the game. Here's to hoping for many more notches in that W column...Keep proving me wrong, boys :)

Songs

It is amazing just how powerful a good song can be. When I hear certain songs from my high school years, I am instantly transported back to what seems like a lifetime ago. Or when I hear a song that reminds me of someone I miss, I instantly feel closer to them. It seems that great lyrics, when combined with a beautiful melody, can profoundly impact me.

That's the way the two new songs I've added to my blog are. They are the 1st two listed on my playlist. "Lead Me" by Sanctus Real and "Safe in My Arms" by Plumb. If you haven't heard these songs, take a moment to listen to them (even though they are listed 1st, they don't play 1st because I have the shuffle turned on and can't seem to turn it off...so you'll have to click on them). They both send an eye-opening reminder to me of just exactly what my job is (or should be) as a mom and wife. I know, "Lead Me" is from a husband's perspective, but it very easily fits for a mom/wife as well.

You see, these songs perfectly highlight that I am to raise my kids (and Toby, although "raise" isn't really the correct word for him) in a manner that will lead them to God, and ultimately, to Heaven. Sometimes, that part of my job gets overshadowed by the things the world thinks my job as parent (and wife) should be...football and scouts and music lessons and homework and cleaning the house. Now don't get me wrong, these are all important as well, but even the focus of these should be centered around God.

"Whatever you do, do it for the glory of God." 1 Cor 10:31

Even when it's football, or scouts, or music, or homework, or house cleaning, or anything else...I should do it in a manner that will glorify God. I should be a better example for my family. I know that I do lead my kids (and Toby)...but my example does not always lead them in the right way...to the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

Does my family feel safe in my arms? Do they know that they can count on me? That I will always there for them and do everything I can to protect them from their storms? Do they know that they are the most important thing to me?

So, Jesus, in the many times I fail to lead my family to You, strengthen me, and lead me. Fill me with You so that I can lead them. Amen.

First Day of School

More accurately, this post should be titled "First DayS of School" because Aaron and Sadie started school on different days. You see, the kids in Kindergarten had orientation on either Wednesday or Thursday, with half of the kids assigned to each day. Sadie's assigned day was Thursday, so she didn't go to school on Wednesday. So, here are a few pictures of Aaron's first day of 3rd grade:

These first two pictures are as we headed out the door. The first is the picture we made him smile for...


...and this picture is how he really felt about going back to school.

Then here he is at his desk, and one with Sadie...

This year has a lot of "new" to it for Aaron and the other 3rd graders at his school. First, his teacher is new to 3rd grade. For the past several years, she has taught 4th and 5th grade reading/language arts. We have heard fabulous things about this teacher from other parents, so we are excited, but still have some apprehension about the fact that she is accustomed to teaching older kids...

Also, this year will be the first year that Aaron brings home textbooks for homework instead of just worksheets. He got to experience book covers for the first time, and I have to say that book covering sure has changed since I was in school. He has fabric book covers. I do have some gripes about the fabric ones, though. When you try to grab the book, the fabric stretches and slips a bit, making it tougher to get a good grip.

Another "new" this year is P.E. First, there is a new P.E. teacher. She was previously the 3rd grade teacher, so she isn't new to the school, but is new to P.E. at this school. Also new to P.E. is the fact that 3rd graders actually change their clothes for P.E. Should be interesting to see if I can remember which days to send P.E. clothes...

Next, we have Sadie's first day of Kindergarten. I can't believe how big she is. She isn't allowed to be starting K, but if I even mentioned waiting a year to start, it would be the end of the world for her. She is SOOOOO excited to be in K, and we love her teacher.

Here is Sadie on our way out the door...

Here are the kids before they walk into school :)

And I always try to get a picture like this each year...

This is a picture of Sadie outside of her classroom.

So even though it will be a year of "new" things, we are really looking forward to a great year...new possibilities, new friends, new teachers, new learning, new responsibilities. We can't wait!

Summer Pictures, Part One

Wow! This summer has blown by, and I have been slacking on getting pictures and updates on this blog. So, today, you get a three-for-one deal. I am posting lots of pictures from the summer, but I am breaking it into 3 posts so that I don't overwhelm anyone. This first set is the most recent set. They are pictures from August (some from today, even).

These first few are from Groom Day.

These next few are from a terrific trip to Ute Lake, where we met some friends. We got to tube (Sadie's first time ever on a tube) and kayak (first time for all of us Vincents...lots of fun), and have loads of fun swimming and jumping off the boat. Thanks to the Ramsey's for inviting us!

And these are from today. Toby took the kids across the street to ride Aaron's dirt bike. Toby is the one who took these pictures. He did a pretty good job :)

Look at the pictures in the next 2 posts as well. As you can see, we've had tons of fun this summer. And these are only a small sampling of all the pictures we've taken.

Coming soon, a back-to-school post :)

Summer Pictures, Colorado Vacation

Our vacation this summer was to Canon City, Colorado. We went white water rafting (we LOVED this and highly recommend it!). Aaron also had the opportunity to shoot a REAL gun (a .22) for the 1st time. He had a blast. Thanks Uncle Dan and Aunt Debi for hosting us and making sure we had such a terrific time! We also went to the Royal Gorge, a gold mine and to a place in Colorado Springs called Mr. Bigg. Here are (a few) of the pictures.