Port A Girls Trip '08

I got to go again this year to Port Aransas with the "girls" for the weekend. We had a good time mostly catching up with each other with a little relaxing, shopping, beach & pool time, reading up on celebrity gossip, and dancing at Sharkey's!

This year we all were slacking on the pictures. I only have 2 from this night at dinner. We ate at the Venetian Hotplate - and it was REALLY good. By far the best restaurant I have eaten at in all my trips to Port A. I'm hoping to get a few more pictures from the other girls to add.

We always make good memories when we are there! Thanks for a fun & responsible free weekend girls!

(pictured from left: Jill, Wendy, Amy, Janet, Erika)

Scrappers game & Party

We got to the game and Maya immediately wanted to go sit under the tree in the "shape." We were on the side further away from the tree, so instead I found her a little piece of shade closer to us. She was set in a chair with her juice box.

Mason was ready for a big hit.
And he got one! He runs to first.

Maya wanted some company, so Hidy found a place they could both sit, see the game and sort of be shaded. I don't know what they were doing, but they sure were laughing.

After the game, we had the end of the season party -- even though there was one game left. Mason poses with Preston and Chance.

The party was complete with baseball cupcakes decorated by the one and only Gigi! All 12 players had their name on a cupcake. The extras were for the siblings and parents. I think they turned out super cute.

Coach Brian and Coach Greg handed out trophies after all the boys enjoyed some cake and ice cream.

Maya wanted a trophy too, so Hidy gave up his water jug and she took that as a trophy. She always wants to be a part of whatever is going on.

The players all signed a huge baseball and gave it to each of the Coaches. It was a fun season!

Silver tooth

Mason told me a couple of weeks ago that his tooth was bothering him. We have known for a while that he had a cavity, but about 5 months ago when they tried to put a temporary filling over the tooth, Mason gagged so much that they couldn't do it. They said they would try again at his next appointment 6 months later, or to call if the tooth started to hurt him. It has not been hurting him at all until now. So, I made an appointment for him to be seen again. We found out the cavity had gotten bad enough that his nerve was exposed and was painful -- and it was infected now and needed to be treated right away. We were told they wanted to put him under anestetia with an IV to give him a "baby route canal" and a crown.

This was very concerning to us all. I was nervous about putting him under, but I knew we had to get his tooth fixed. The dentist was able to see him the next week, but we had to get him worked into the anestetia schedule that was already booked. He would be the last patient of the day at 2:00 p.m. He could not eat after 8 a.m., so by about 12-1 p.m. he was cranky and asking for food. I tried to just distract him the best I could until time to leave. Once we were at the dental office, he forgot about eating and got busy playing in the waiting room.

When it was time, Brian and I were called back with Mason. Mason sat in my lap Dr. B (the anestetiologist) had asked Mason to distract him toward the right side. Dr. B gave him a shot in his left arm that in probably less than 2 minutes made him non responsive but awake. We had been fully briefed that this is what was supposed to happen. Once he no longer responded to anyone, Dr. B carried him away. Back in the room without us, they put in the IV for the anestetia. Then the dentist, Dr. G was able perform the procedures. We waited in the waiting room. About 20-25 minutes later on of the assistance came to let me know they were finished and all went well. It would take them a little bit to start to wake him up. Dr. G came to show us the Xrays and explained that we might be glad to know that he believed this was not from poor brushing or negligence. He showed us how he could tell that the tooth probably never fully formed and was more suseptible to decay. This did make me feel a little better. As a mother, I often feel guilty about things if I think I could have prevented them. After speaking with Dr. G I was taken into the room where they were trying to wake Mason. Seeing your child wake up from anestetia like that is a very strange experience. On one hand I wanted to cry and look away, but the Mother adrenaline starts pumping and you do what you need to do. I started trying to talk to Mason, asking him questions. He could not see or speak normally. He was extremely hard to understand at this point. I could tell he was asking me to hold him so I asked if it was okay to pick him up and hold him in my lap. They said that was fine but I had to be very careful to hold his head as he had no control, like a newborn in a 5 year old body. He kept repeating something and I finally figured out he was saying he was feeling "STRANGE" and this was upsetting to him. I explained to him that he would soon start feeling more like himself. I carried him to the car and had to sit right next to him to hold his head. In the car he was looking out the window and he started to cry. He was upset that he couldn't see right and talk right and he thought that he would never be the same. This was really sad, but I knew soon he would be feeling better. As a couple hours passed his vision and speech were much improved, but he still couldn't walk on his own. I thought for sure he would come home and take a nap, but he never did. We watched "High School Musical" together on the couch. By bed time, he and Maya were running around like nothing ever happened. By the next day, everyone he saw was asked "wanna see my new silver tooth?"

I was so glad it was over with and all came out okay. He is all better now!

Sleeping Beauty

Wow -- what a beautiful dance,... OH! WAIT! You are not dancing, you are laying on a bench.

I cannot believe, but the by the 2nd dance class, Maya was not interested in staying in her dance class. I was so surprised. Only 15 minutes into the hour long class, Reese came out to really go to the restroom, but Maya and Zoe followed Reese out and never went back in. The girls both asked me to go home repeatedly, but I was going to make them stick it out. So we stayed around the studio until all the girls were released from class. It wasn't too much fun for me.

This is not what I expected when I signed up the girl who walked around at home on her tip toes saying, "I'm a beautiful dancer...."

N 2 10 S

Only Hidy or someone from my immediate family will quickly get the title of this post. My dad used to have a personalized license plate many years ago that read "N-2 10S"...or....."INTO TENNIS"

Mason has been interested in tennis since before he turned 2. Since Hidy still loves tennis and typically plays several times a week, Mason likes to hit around the ball too. Hidy and Gigi let Mason take home an old tennis raquet when he was 2. For his 3rd birthday he got his first and his own new racquet.

When Grandmother and Gigi needed birthday ideas for his 5th birthday, I suggested tennis lessons that our fitness club had coming up in the summer. They both liked that idea and gave this to him for his birthday. He started the lessons the first part of June. He has been having a good time.

Happy Father's Day

I didn't get any pictures on Father's day, but I got these from my Mom's camera. Hidy and Brian both opening new shirts. We had a lot of fun in the pool and that was where we spent most of the afternoon.

Brian later got to get his gifts from the kids that they made at school. Mason made a special hangar with a picture of he and Brian mowing on it. Maya gave him a magnetic picture of herself dressed as a Cowgirl.
I hope all the Father's had a great day.

Happy Birthday to Pops & Grandmother

Pops had a birthday May 31 and Grandmother on June 12, so we celebrated their birthdays together with dinner and a visit.



Maya brought her favorite book of the week with her and read it to Grandmother. It is the same book I filmed her reading to me "A Surprise Party." She has just about perfected it. Since we started this, after every book I read to her she says.. "now will you help me read it?"







And it was also a early Happy Father's day to Pops!

Scrappers pictures and big hit

Coach Greg and Coach Brian with 11 of the 12 Scrappers.

Mason in action -- his big hit at his turn to bat.

Maya reads "A Surprise Party"

Maya and I read this book a few times. She surprised me one night after I read it to her she said, "it's my turn to read it." I said "Okay."

She read the book almost word for word. She amazes me.

I also like the way she says "you're not helping me" and then a few pages later "DON'T SAY IT"...

Dancing queens

Maya has been looking forward to and talking about her dance class for over a month. This year's class would be different than last year because it was not "Mommy & Me" it was just the girls. We know all the girls in the class which makes it really fun. Reese, Kirsten, Zoe, Paloma, another Zoe, and Maya are all in the class. Most of the pictures are taken through a window, so they are not as clear, but still cute.

Maya, Kirsten, and Paloma


Mommies and girls after class.





Maya and Kirsten hug
Reese, Maya, and the other Zoe
All the girls make a dancing train

Paloma, Zoe, and Maya look at the "big girl" dance class doing their stretches.

A night out - Riverwalk

Hidy and Gigi were nice to keep M&M while Brian and I went out to an adult only dinner with Amanda and Zak. We decided to head down to the Riverwalk and find a place to eat. We picked a place that didn't have a wait but did have a table outside on the river. The food was excellent. I found an interesting drink on the menu named "Paloma" just like my niece! I know the picture isn't good, but I took it to show Angi.

It was a fun evening out and we really enjoyed catching up with Amanda and Zak! We wish we could do it more often.

The Lost Lagoon, Sea World

The 2nd day of Sea World was the most fun for me. We had decided that we would do the water park part of Sea World, The Lost Lagoon. We didn't even realize, but found out when we got there that it was the first day the Lost Lagoon was open for the season. There was plenty for the kids to do and we all kept busy all day. One of my college roommates, Amanda, and her oldest daughter Madison met us at Sea World, too! Madison took a long time to warm up to the water, so she isn't in any of my pictures! bummer. That is also because I don't think I ever got my camera out -- Hidy and Gigi did a few times, thankfully.

Maya, Zoe and Mason playing on the water see saw.

Mason really liked this HUGE bucket that would fill up with water and then dump out every once in a while. The kids, and some adults, would crowd up waiting to get poured on.

And here comes the water. That is Mason with the yellow life vest on. That was another really nice perk - there were plenty of life vests of all sizes available for free.



Here Mason poses with one of the characters performing where we ate lunch.

And then Maya poses with the shark.

If you wanted your picture taken on stage with the dolphin and Shamu, you had to get in line. Maya was the last one to get her picture taken before the sea creatures did their last song and dance and left the area.

They put the rope up in front of the stage and started to sing and dance. Maya was so funny.. she stood there in a trance MUCH closer to them than anyone else in the building.

The last thing we did before leaving was the lazy river one more time. Maya got in a ring with me and fell fast asleep. The kids lasted a lot longer than I thought they would, but it wasn't without any meltdowns, unfortunately. After lots of fun in the sun, Mason, Zoe and Maya say goodbye to "Shamu" on our way out of the park.