Park date

 On the Monday after we went to Corpus, John and I had a park date with some new friends.  It was warm that day and we got to eat lunch at the park.  While eating John decided he needed to give me a wink.  I love this face I captured!

I love how he concentrates at times, usually showing this face or sticking his tongue up over his upper lip.  This particular bridge is one of John's favorites.  He's been bouncing on this bridge since he could walk.  On this day, he had to be very careful.  It's been so dry that he was slipping on the dusty bridge, landing on his bum a coupe of times.

He was having the best time playing.  And for once, he wasn't bothered by the camera and actually played to it.  I usually get the best photos when he does that.

-EBP-

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Spring(ish) Photo

Here's John's school photo from this Spring.  It was taken the end of April by Higgins Photography (copyright purchased).  It's one of the better ones he's taken recently.  Of course, I had to photoshop out the glistening on his upper lip (lots of clear drainage) and the Rex tattoo on his right hand (totally my fault!  I'd forgotten about taking that off even though I knew it was picture day!).  Otherwise, a handsome fellow!

-EBP-

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My mom, the college graduate!

It was almost two weeks ago now.  (I'm so behind blogging.)  We went down to Corpus Christi to see my mom graduate from college.  I'm incredibly proud of her accomplishment!  It took her 20 years to reach her goal, taking one class at a time.  Finally, she has her diploma in hand.  On Saturday May 14, we went to see her walk across the stage in her cap and gown.  We tried to come up with something cute to put on her cap.  She decided on XX to represent the 20 years of study.

 This is my favorite of the day!  Jim was wishing her good luck before she went in to join the other graduates.  It shows her extreme joy that she wore all day on her face.

 She and Jim afterward.  She's wearing her honor cord for her Cum Laud status.

Later, we went to my Aunt Charlotte and Uncle John's house to enjoy a meal and celebrate my mom's success.  Lots of family and friends were there.  After the meal, we gathered to watch Mom open some gifts.  The kids sat on Aunt Jane's lap for a time.  June's laying a big smooch on John in this photo.

The kids had trouble sitting still and often volunteered to help Mom with her gifts.  Here Mom is opening the gift a bunch of us family members gave her.  I'm sure she's wondering why we gave her some travel sized toiletries.

But after she read our card, she understood that we were sending her and Jim on a trip of her choosing to celebrate her graduation.  She's just needs to decide when and where.  (And Mom, if you are reading, your travel agents are waiting for your call!  That's me and Jimmy!)

My cousin Chrissy brought her new puppy Buckley.  JHP wasn't so keen on him since he's all puppy, jumping, playing, and generally moving too fast for John's taste.  But at this moment Buckley was enjoying a rest, and John was at ease enough to approach him and even pet him.  But as soon as Buckley started moving again and approached, John's fear returned.

My mom and her sisters, Charlotte (c) and Betty (r).  They were just about as proud as I was to see their older sister graduate.  The Vidaurri girls - all of them college grads!

-EBP-

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Really plan to catch up

Really!  Like in the next few days!  Promise!

-EBP-

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Family Photos

Remember when we went and took photos last month? Well, here are the favorites! Rosie Suerdieck of Reflections By Rosie did a wonderful job capturing the special relationship between JHP and each of his parents. And then she got a great non-traditional family portrait or two!

-EBP-

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The Gathering Place

Last Thursday John woke up with a fever, having had it also the previous night.  He was supposed to go to school and stay to nap while I was at the monthly Gathering Place (an Alzheimer's respite ministry) at church.  But that plan had to be revamped.  We got into the doc early, was diagnosed with an ear infection (which I suspected based), and then headed to the church.  While I could have missed, John wasn't feeling poorly enough to just stay home.  And he enjoyed the trip out and the free reign with the DVD player.  Our theme was a Fiesta.  My friends made sure that he had a hat, too.

One of my "jobs" is to take photos and I was sure glad I had my camera because I got these cute photos of John and one of our pastors Rev. Rosemary. After devotion, they sang some fun songs and since these were some songs John knew, I encouraged him to go "help" Rosemary out.  So he got up in front of about 40 adults and sang "If You're Happy and You Know It."



Stomp your Feet!

Shout Hooray!

And your face with surely show it!



The last song was "Down in my Heart."  I've got the joy, joy, joy down in my heart!

He really managed the day very well, although he was quite attached to the DVD player.  You wouldn't have known he was even sick.  Poor guy had to wait for a nap, however, because I really needed to get the oil changed on the van before we headed out of town Friday.  Once we finally made it home, he crashed hard.

-EBP-

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Bonus photos

All photos by Jaci Barnwell

A couple of weeks back I got an email from someone I don't know who'd been up at the school with her own kids taking photos of a class Easter Egg Hunt.  She graciously stuck around and took some other photos of various kids.  John was among them.  In fact, she took several.  So sweet of her to share!  He was curious and so he asked her name and introduced himself.  Then he proceeded to give her a bear hug, which totally won her over.  She told me later in an email that she really thinks he'll be a "very successful politician."  Maybe even President, she suggested.  Really?  I'm hoping not.  I'm pretty sure this blog will ruin his chances!

-EBP-

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Sprinkle(r), sprinkle(r)

Don't fall over!  These photos are from TODAY!

  

Is it wrong that my son only now is learning about playing in the sprinkler?

Clothes, shoes and all!  With permission!  He loved it!  It was warm here this evening with a nice breeze.  Just enough to convince him that going inside wasn't such a bad idea when it was time for a real bath!

I'll just need to remember this trick later this summer when boredom sets in... and the grass is crying out for water.

-EBP-

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Worth the wait?

A whole week!  These photos are a whole week old!  I'm not doing so good at keeping up these days.  But I did work on these photos a bit more than normal.  Because I liked them.  A lot!

 Daddy decided that the pear trees in the back needed trimming after he listened to them scratch the roof just about all night long the night before.  It was case of hoping for rain but not getting any.  So while Daddy cut the limbs off, John's job was to move them to a pile.  And he was real good at it!

Lately, we've seen this a lot.  Not the upside down part.  The winking!  He's using it on everyone.  His teachers.  Girls in class (whom I hear have also been the recipient of kisses on the lips!). Twenty-something's at an adjacent table in a restaurant:  Barbara was dying laughing when she caught sight of him flirting with those girls.  (Daddy was clueless because he didn't realize that John was winking at them.)  Even me while I was trying to discipline him across the breakfast or lunch table one day.  He certainly knows how to use his CUTE!

 
As we were playing around, I thought about a photo I recently ran across of John in the grass.  So I thought I'd get an updated one.  This one was cute, but missing the catchlights.  So I turned him around and was much happier with the results.

He tolerated me as long as he could (much longer than I expected!) and then he had to pull out the silly face, which led to the laughing!  Be sure to check out the WebAlbums.  Lots more photos of us hanging out in the backyard on that beautiful spring evening!

-EBP-

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Three Ring Fun

Last Saturday (that would be April 30), we left from the house early (830a) to make our way across town to Rosenberg to see the Arabia Shrine Circus. JNP had bought these tickets months ago when the solicitors called the house. The 10am showtime we selected fit our schedule the best. But the adults in the house bemoaned the early departure on that Saturday. We decided we needed to get over the attitude and make the best of the outing.  And it was good thing we did.

The circus was enjoyable (yes, we ALL enjoyed it) and there was plenty to see.  There were some notable acts, like the trained domestic cats and the trained bears, and not too many un-notable ones.  All the prices were very reasonable, except for the animal rides, which John wasn't much interested in anyway.

We bought a program to get the Shriner clowns to sign, although JHP either grew bored with the endeavor or he was afraid of the clowns after a while.  But he had fun looking at the different clowns from the stands.

At intermission, we bought this really cool bubble gun which, to JHP anyway, totally ranked above the second half of the circus.  But by that time, we'd sat in the stands for over an hour and half.  So I was surprised he had any ability to pay attention left.

We stopped for lunch on the way home at Chick-Fil-A and finally ended our trip some seven hours after we'd left that morning.

-EBP-

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No Bunny here!

I know this was over a week ago, but I am trying to catch up!  April 24, 2011:  We had some confusion on Easter this year. Daddy told John that some of the stuff in the basket was from Aunt Celia and then I followed up the everything else was from Mommy and Daddy. That wasn't the confusing part.

John was excited to see all that was in the basket.

He got some candy, two Diego cars, two Legos, some bubbles, and a dollar bill.

The dollar bill, after posing for a photo, went straight into the piggy bank. He's obviously his father's son!

The confusing part came when we went to church and everyone asked if the Easter bunny came to our house. "Umm, no!" was his response. Of course, we got some evil looks from the grandparent-ly types. What no Easter basket? Well, yes, he did get an Easter basket, but the bunny did not deliver it. That's my story and I'm sticking to it! I'm sure next year he'll assume the bunny brought it!

-EBP-

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Before Easter

Way back when... This was the Thursday before Easter - April 21.  At school, they flowered a cross during chapel.  It was really sweet and when the kids started to sing Jesus Loves Me, this momma boo-hoo-ed like a baby!

The next day was Good Friday and John and I made a quick trip to the park.  It was nice out and he enjoyed playing with the rocks on the playground.  What is it with ground cover under play structures?  Doesn't matter if it's rocks, mulch, sand.  He always wants to dig in it!  But he did humor me with this red-cheeked look.  So I was happy.

-EBP-

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