Happy Anniversary! (kinda)

We have lived at 9041 Crockett Drive in Lantana, TX for 1 year now!  I know, I know….most people don’t celebrate such anniversaries, but when you are the Deffenbaugh’s you do!  Since we have lived in 7 places in 11 years, each consecutive year in one spot deserves a little celebration!! 

One reminder that it was our 1 year anniversary here was that Ritchie was on his Annual Guy’s Weekend!  This year the boys went to Phoenix to golf and hang out.  Fun was had by all — Ritchie played quite well — and I am happy to say that the kids and I survived just fine!

One event we had over the weekend with Daddy out of town was another football game for Grant.  It was definitely a ‘Candid Camera’ moment for Mommy — try to imagine the scene:  It was sunny, 91 and Caroline’s naptime when I dragged 3 kids, 3 lawn chairs, 1 small umbrella and a large bag to the fields.  I got us all set up on field #1 so that I could take Caroline to the siblings childcare area, only to be told that No – in fact they aren’t offering the childcare that they had emailed telling us was available.  We trucked back to our chairs in the heat – fumbled around for the Natl. Anthem – then realized that Grant and his team were no where around.  Oh!!!!  They moved to field #2!!!!  So here we truck again — in the heat — me and 2 girls, 3 chairs, 1 small umbrella and 1 large bag (are you getting the picture?)  By this point there are no spots open but near the end zone, so the 1st half of play was unseen by us!!  Grant was the starting QB this week and I desperately tried to see him, but no luck.  The 2nd half of the game they switched ends, so he was playing right in front of us.  They never let him throw a pass (I know that no one could have caught it, but he can throw REALLY well!!!) and so each play took a total of 5 seconds for him to be hiked the ball, hand it off, and have the kid’s flag pulled.  Think I am kidding?  Watch this…..5 seconds…..

So his sweet coach, Mr. Wagner – I’m sure feeling frustrated himself and wanting to help a brother out – put Grant in for one play as running back.  That boy took the ball down the entire length of the field but got a flag pulled as he hit the end zone!!!  At least we had a little excitement!!!  And no, I got no photo or video of that one.  I think I had Caroline by one arm and one leg to pull her off the field as her brother went whizzing by!!  Though bless her heart, she was chanting – “Go Bubba Go!”

Grant is playing football

FLAG football, anyway!

His Upward League has been practicing for the last few weeks and had their first game on Saturday. 

 

He spent most of the game as running back and scored 2 touchdowns for his team!  On defense, he was involved in most plays and was all over pulling the flags.  I think we have finally determined that we just have an athletic kid on our hands!! 

The team they played was pretty skilled in “play making” and at first really had the kids confused by running reverses.  After a bit Grant figured it out and started to make a run for the kid running the reverse….only to find that they faked a reverse route….who DOES that in 1st grade flag football for goodness sake!!!

A plug for the system:  If you have never heard of Upward, it is a National Christian sports league run through various local churches.   A perfect format for first time exposure to a new sport since it is very non-competitive, all kids get a chance to play, and practices/games are built around halftime devotionals and prayer.  Grant has done basketball, soccer and now football through Upwards.  Peyton did soccer last year as well and when she saw that they have Upwards Cheerleading for the football games she about came out of her skin!!  Maybe next year!! 

Anyway, we recommend the program highly!!

http://www.upward.org/

**Added Note**

Just got a recap email from Grant’s coach with various comments on the game.  Here is what he had to say about Grant.  I’m not sure if I could be any more proud!!

“Grant (who had a phenomenal game) being so polite and returning the flags immediately to the players he tackled…just great sportsmanship.”

Photography 101

Here’s the deal:

People who have 0-2 children will often comment how they would like to see an updated picture of all of our kids together.  Join the club.  The one sitting out on display in our house is of Caroline when she could barely crawl and Grant still had all of his baby teeth (circa Easter ’06)!  We haven’t had a ‘group’ Christmas card photo in 2 years. 

Now, people with 3+ children (especially if any are under the age of 5) know exactly what I am talking about.  We thank the Lord for programs like Photo Shop just so that we can sleep at night knowing that we “made” a family portrait out of the 32 digital pictures we snapped in less than 45 seconds.  I have become 1/2 an expert at splicing heads and (if you didn’t know this before) you may in fact own a couple of our past Christmas cards with just such work done.

So, I thought I would share a video clip – a mere 6 seconds – but a documentation of why it is impossible at best to get a nice picture of 3 kids together.  This was a slip up in that the camera was set to “movie mode” while we were trying to take a still picture, but illustrates my point to a tee!!!!!!!!!!

I’ve heard of ‘Beer Goggles’….

…but what would you call these????

 

 

 

 

 

 

Maybe ‘Margarita Goggles’….‘Mai Tai Goggles’…..?????

Caroline’s Big Day

So I guess in our house, you get about a week of being 2 years old before we ship you off to school!!  Little Caroline Renee started preschool today.  She is going to the weekday preschool at our church, Rockpointe, which is where Grant went at 3 and Peyton did pre-K last year.  I think she was very excited!!  She was proud to put on her backpack, which was entirely too big for her, but was a Pet Shop Butterfly which matched big sister’s Pet Shop Kitty backpack!

Caroline was eager to take off and even gave a Ritchie a very loud and clear “Bye Dad!” as we closed the van door.  Dad???  What happened to ‘Dada’ or ‘Daddy’ even???  She talked all morning of her teacher, Miss Misti, yet drove to school with her trademark scowl and I was a bit nervous that she was going to turn on me!  But as soon as I put the car in park she yelled, “My Teacher!” and was scrambling to get out of the seatbelt.

Here she is marching up to the doors…

…and down the hall with her lunch sack…

…and we weren’t in the room 10 seconds before she forgot I was there!!

The report I got at the end of the day was that she had a great time!!  Played twice on the play ground, did circle time, learned about ‘red’, went to chapel and sang, ate a big lunch, and was so wiped out that the entire class was asleep when we came to pick up!!

All in all, a great day.  For Caroline and for Mommy!!!!!!

Happy Labor Day!

Is that official??  Do you say ‘Happy’ Labor Day??  Anyway…..

We had a very fun holiday weekend and in the spirit of blogging figured I would dump the details on you.

Saturday we spent the morning at our community pool and went to a birthday party in the evening.  Daniel, a good friend of Grant’s from Kindergarten was turning 6 and had a party for not only his friends but their families as well.  It was fun to visit and hang out, and the kids thoroughly enjoyed the show put on by the Zooniversity, where they got to learn about, see and touch 6 creepy animals:  a hissing cockroach, a giant frog, a hedgehog, a bearded dragon, a tarantula and a VERY long boa constrictor.  Made Grant’s day!

Sunday we had our typical church/lunch/small group rotation, but extended small group to include a cookout.  2 friends brought guitars and played out on the patio while kids played and we visited….it was like our very own little coffee house with homemade ice cream and everything!!!!  Good ‘ole fashioned fun!  Peyton was very intrigued by the music and brought out her fake guitar to play along.  Phil sweetly let her strum his guitar while he played the cords…she thought that was very neat!

Monday we drove out to see our friends the Smith’s and spend the day swimming in their fabulous pool.  The Ritz Carlton has nothing on them!  Gorgeous pool on a beautiful day (I have the sunburn to prove it!) and our kids thought it was heaven — root beer and snacks flowed like water!

But, we had to hurry home and get everyone in bed to start the school routine all over again tomorrow!  AND – one last little Deffenbaugh gets to spread her wings at school tomorrow!  Miss Caroline has her 1st day of preschool!  Stay tuned for pics!