completely irrelevant because I waited so long

I figured since we're halfway between Thanksgiving and Christmas, about 2 weeks after Turkey Day and 2 weeks before Christmas, I'd talk a little about our Thanksgiving. It's just for memories sake, but we did have a wonderful holiday, so it's worth remembering.

Starting the Saturday before Thanksgiving, we were able to celebrate the 5th birthday of my college roommate's little boy. I still get tickled we are able to do things like that since moving to Texas! It was a super hero party. My girls were less than enthused about the theme, but they had fun anyway.

We left the party and headed to Rainforest Cafe to meet Holly. That was a first for me! I'd never thought I'd really meet someone I met online :) But, she was just as real in real life as she is on her blog. She has a precious family that includes 4 fun kids and her Chris. (I just love that she always calls him "My Chris" on her blog.) Thanks for the meeting, Smith family!

The girls didn't have school the week of Thanksgiving. We stayed busy on Monday, ate lunch with my parents and grandparents on Tuesday and celebrated Bryan's birthday on Wednesday. Thursday morning we got up and dressed the kids in their Aggie overalls (While we didn't really believe the Aggies would end up victorious, you won't catch us allowing our kids to be 2 Percenters (That's just Aggie lingo basically meaning Fair Weathered Fan (Appropriate as it would be for an Aggie joke, I must tell you I didn't learn to use paranthesis inside paranthesis inside parenthesis while earning my degree with an emphasis in English at A&M!))). We ate with my mom's side of the family at Black-Eyed Pea for lunch. The best part was seeing everyone. Levi got to meet some family for the first time and bonded with his great uncle.

After lunch, we hung out at my parents' house.

My kids were spoiled by grandparents and even got to spend a little time with my grandparents, Meme and Papa, aka Mean and Rotten.

My grandfather would have been perfect in the movie Grumpy, Old Men, except it's all an act. He likes to aggravate people and likes being aggravated even more. Addison is too sweet for this sort of game. She just smiles and doesn't usually retaliate. Libby is the perfect candidate. And, so Mean and Rotten and Libby Lu banter back and forth. He tells her she is mean and rotten, Meme always has to interject, "No she's not! She's sweet and precious!", and Libby claims that Papa is the original Mean and Rotten! This mean and rotten/sweet and precious talk has been going on since their first grandchild (me) was a little one. Libby has taken it to a new level, though, with actually nicknaming Papa "Mean and Rotten". On the way to her Christmas program yesterday, I told her Poppa wouldn't be able to make it because he had to go out of town for work. She asked, "Poppa or Mean and Rotten?" I clarified and she said, "Good! Don't let Mean and Rotten come to my preschool. My teachers will be scared of him and my friends will be scared of him and I will have to say, 'Don't be scared. It's just Mean and Rotten!'" The funny thing is, she always talks about him and tries to think of ways to aggravate him the next time she'll see him.

This is where the pictures end because I left my camera at my mom's house on Thanksgiving. I'm hoping I can get my hands on some pictures that were taken Friday. We drove to Tyler to spend the day with Bryan's mom's family. All of Meme's (Bryan's grandmother) daughters and their kids were there. Levi got to meet more people and tons of pictures were taken. We even got to meet Makenzie for the first time!

On Saturday, we were able to celebrate Gracie's 1st Birthday! Again, I was tickled that we could be there. The girls had a blast playing with Cade on the pool table. And Addi was in awe of the diamonds that lined the walkway to the house. They really were Christmas lights, but why ruin the magicical images a 6 year old has :)

It was a wonderful week and a great beginning to the holiday season for us. We are truly blessed to live so near many friends and family.

Did you hear the one...

about the Aggie that walked into the DPS office to get a new drivers license because she had to have a Texas license in order to take Defensive Driving for a speeding ticket she got just days after moving back to Texas?

It turns out that little mini-diploma card they give you when you graduate from Texas A&M University really does serve a purpose. I mean, other than being your membership card in The Association of Former Students.

Today, I waited in line with my 2 kids for an hour only to almost be turned away without a Texas drivers license. I had my North Carolina license, my insurance card, my car registration, my social security card and even a piece of mail with my name and new address, just in case.

However, my car is not in my name. I mean, technically it isn't my car. All I do is drive it and put gas in it occasionally. Plus, Bryan decided a couple weeks ago that the Pilot just wouldn't cut it with 3 kids and he spent too many hours in a dealership haggling over my new Odyssey. I didn't even see what color it was until he got home with it, so I certainly didn't get to sign my name on anything for it.

So, I was supposed to have my lisence plus two other forms of identification. One was the social security card. I didn't have anything else on the list. The lady kept reading items off the list in hopes that I could pull my birth certificate out of my jacket pocket. I kept listing the items I did have in my wallet, including a Sam's card and my expired dependent military id, in the hopes that she would say, "Oh, a Sam's card is right here. Number 32 on the list of DPS Acceptable Forms of Secondary Identification."

Things were not looking good.

Then, she read, "High School Diploma?".

Of course, I have this little, rather homemade-looking, laminated card that's been in my wallet since my college graduation. It has never been used for anything, until today. They accepted it as my secondary form of id?!!

I walked out of there with my paper license and a promise that my new Texas drivers license would be in my mail box within two weeks.

I think Aggie joke, Schmaggie joke, the joke's on them!

Everything you ever wanted to know about our trip and more

Obviously, we're back. Well, 3 of the 4 Texans are back in NC. Addi is still in Texas with grandparents. And having a ball, so I'm told. She's not really needing to talk to me once a day like I had planned. I got a call from her about an hour ago, which was the first she's initiated during the 3 days she's been away from us. I, at least, am going to believe she initiated the phone call rather than the alternative...her grandparents forced her to call.

We had a great trip. I am having a little trouble getting out of vacation mode though. And, no, the mountains of laundry surrounding me aren't doing much to slap some reality back into me. We have 7 people (including Addi) showing up at the local airport on Thursday. They will patiently be waiting for Bryan, Libby and I to pick them up. Then, we'll see what we can do to entertain 4 more adults and 2 more kids for a week while it is supposed to be scorching hot and raining. Maybe that knowledge will kick me into gear...at least by tomorrow night :)

So, like I said, the trip was great. We spent the first afternoon with Bryan's family where we were introduced to our newest family member, sweet Rachel, and the girls were introduced to a cool new treehouse that Poppa and Uncle Clay built. It goes without saying that the girls loved both Rachel and the treehouse.

The next morning, Bryan and I drove to Houston. We were able to hang out with good friends all weekend and see lots of old friends at the wedding. We took advantage of being child-less by eating everything we wanted....chili-cheese Fritos with peanut butter Twix and Big Red for a snack on the road, Mexican for lunch, yummy seafood at the rehearsal dinner, Shipley's for breakfast, Sonic for lunch, Whataburger for the next breakfast, and Wings-n-More for the next lunch. My mouth is watering as I type.

We enjoyed our fried pickles, cheese fries, and wings at the "new" Wings-n-More in College Station. Bryan and I took our time at the Bonfire Memorial. We walked around campus remembering different spots we would always meet and noting the inevitable changes.

Bryan was amazed at the Century Tree. I guess, being a guy, he didn't pay much attention to it while he was a student. I don't really remember the whole "story" with the Century Tree, but, basically (and please feel free to correct me in a comment if I'm wrong) there is this huge tree in the front-side of the Academic Building with a path leading right under its branches. You aren't supposed to walk under the tree by yourself or??? Who knows?...you'll never get married or something. If you walk under it with someone, that will be the person you marry. Lots of people get engaged under the tree. Anyway, all I know is I avoided that path at all costs while I was a student. I guess, I walked under its canopy for the first time about a week ago! We also drove around College Station and spent way too much money outfitting our family in current Aggie garb.

We were more than ready to see our girls by Sunday evening. Monday night we all ate at Babe's in Burleson. My belly was full by the time we made it back to Nana and Poppa's house. Not too full to enjoy some Blue Bell though!

Tuesday we ended our time with Bryan's family and began our time with mine. That night we were able to catch up with the neighbors I grew up next to. On Thursday, we drove out to Sprinkles and ate a cupcake. I have to say, that none of us were overly impressed. Don't get me wrong, the cupcakes were delicious, just not overly delicious.

We swam, ate more Blue Bell and more Mexican, spent time with my grandparents, played with the little girls next door, and made pancakes while at my parent's house.

Then Bryan, Libby and I came home. Addi cried when she found out she had to ride with Grandpa while he dropped us off at DFW. We'll miss you too, Kid! I started crying when I hugged her good-bye and she did her best at impersonating a sad person. I cried as we drove to our house from RDU and wondered what in the world I was thinking when I agreed to leave my child 1100 miles away from me. I called Addi the minute we walked in the door and she humored me for about 2 minutes. I really didn't want her to be miserable. I just thought she would want to talk to me once a day (maybe before bedtime). I thought wrong and that has been a little hard to come to terms with. My baby's growing up. She doesn't need me like she used to. It's part of life and before I know it my other baby will be just as independent.

I don't know that I'll be posting much more for the next week or two. I really do need to tackle this laundry. I've been trying to do fun Mommy-Libby activities while Addi is away. And, we will have company for a week. Until then...

a Sunday story (6)

With our recent basketball loss still weighing heavily on my mind, I've decided to look ahead with a hopeful and renewed attitude...football season is only about 5 months away!

The Aggies open their season at home on September 1st against Montana State. In fact, their first three games will be played at Kyle Field. What fun Aggie football games are!

A little Aggie football 101 is in order, I do believe.

1. We stand the entire game. Well, you can sit while the other school's band is on the field. Besides that, you stand...on bleachers that tend to, well, sway. It's the whole Twelth Man thing.
2. We have Yell Leaders. Not cheer leaders. Yell Leaders. And, we yell. We yell at the games and at the Midnight Yell Practices before the games.
3. We "Maroon Out". Now this says only one game a season is designated as the "Maroon Out" game (must be some new Army thing :) I really thought every game was "Maroon Out" now, but I was only around for the first 2 years of it.
4. Before home games, there is always a Corps march-in which is essentially a parade where the Corps of Cadets outfits march from the Quadrangle to Kyle Field.
5. The highlight of the games are the halftimes put on by the Fightin' Texas Aggie Band.

Those are the basics. As with all things A&M, there is so much more to it. Explaining what is so incredible about an Aggie football game is challenging without actually being at a game.

I spent a couple years as a "regular" attendee to those games. Then, I met Bryan. Bryan was a member of the Fightin' Texas Aggie Band. He played bass before I knew him. When we met, he had just made Bugle Rank...the guys who march with the bugles at the front of the band. Only he forgot to mention that to me. Our first "date" was to Parents' Weekend Yell Practice. This was also the first time he would march with the band as part of Bugle Rank. As a band date, I "marched" in with him at the front, but I had told everyone to look for me with the bass section...at the end. I straightened it all out by the time football season began and spent that year wearing dresses and extremely uncomfortable shoes to all the games...never know when you'll get some time on the jumbo-tron! Aggie football games are fun on their own. I was able to experience them at a whole new level that year. I've never done so many posed kisses. Oops..that reminds me of the most important Aggie football 101 lesson...we kiss when we score. Yep, that would be why you want to go to the game with someone you really like :) And, that would be why Bryan and I posed some of our kisses. The cameras liked to "catch" people kissing after an Aggie score and since we sat on the first row with the other Bugle Rank members and since there were usually only a couple other dates at the games, we posed our kisses quite a bit.

I don't think I've successfully described what it is like to actually be at a game. But, it is something Bryan and I love and something I hope our children will learn to love one day.

Stunned

The game just ended. It can't be over...I don't want it to be over. I would cry if it wasn't about something as trivial as basketball. I mean, I really, really want to cry. I guess, I could moan and belly-ache about taking 1.1 seconds off the clock for something that really (in my most professional basketball opinion) lasted about .2 seconds, but I won't. Bryan and I are both just sitting here grumbling. We'll be in better spirits soon, but not tonight. No, not tonight.

We must be doin' somethin' right

Of course, our TV has been set on basketball for a while now and Addi has even stopped complaining about not wanting to watch "golfball". Bryan is currently watching the Tennessee/Virginia game. Addi sat down on the couch and said "Yucky orange team. We don't want the orange team to win!" Bryan and I looked at each other both wondering if we should explain that you don't dislike all orange teams, just the burnt orange variety. Nahh, as Bryan vocalized, "We'll just keep brainwashing her!" As far as she's concerned, no orange can be good and we'll just let her believe that until we're sure her little eyes can distinguish between regular orange and burnt orange.

Exercise your right.**

Your right to vote for Acie Law to win the Lowe's Senior Class Award, that is. He was in 3rd place with 21% of the votes as of this evening. We did just spend the evening checking ESPN.com for constant updates on the score...time ran out on the Aggies tonight. I'm not feeling so "Farmers Fight-Beat the Hell Outta-[and one of my favorites]Sit Down Bus Driver" right now, but I clicked right over there to do my 12th Man stuff and support a fellow Ag. After all, I'm not a 2%! It takes seconds, so take a second and give Acie a vote, lest you be branded a 2%!

For those of you who think I've lost my mind, just come back in a few days and my next post will be back to normal! And for some reason my title keeps making me think of the Beastie Boys song Fight for Your Right to Party...:)

And, now we're back to checking ESPN.com to see baylor (hopefully) outscore those sips! The bears are winning for the moment 19-14...we'll see...

**Updates
The link should be fixed now. For some reason the whole address did not copy the first time. And, baylor, baylor, baylor...you were up 20 points!

"Goodbye to texas university,

so long to the orange and the white..."

What a game! All the Parkers watched the Aggies BTHOtu on Friday - the girls even learned how to whoop! Well, Miss Reagan's is more of a yell and Addi's is quite high-pitched. They have a few years to perfect it!

Watching that game makes me wish we could replay ou and nebraska! I'd take that win anyday if we could only win one of those 3 games though :)

Our house is ready to watch those number 11 ranked Texas Aggies play some basketball out here in b-ball country! (When did we get good at basketball?!)

hbta and bthoou

That's Happy Birthday to Addison and Beat the H@#& Outta ou! I have pictures to post of Addi's birthday party, but will have to do it later when I have more time. I really just wanted to say that Bryan and I are getting pumped about the game tonight. We got a babysitter and are going out to watch it. We recorded Game Day while we were at the birthday party and have come home to watch. Of course, that is really getting us excited! So...we love you Addi (and I'll devote a real post to your birthday later) and Gig' Em Aggies....Whoop!