Need. More. Coffee.

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One thing has been evident since February 4, 2008. I need more sleep. Gina would echo my thoughts here, I'm 99% sure. Although we were not necessarily models of good sleep habits before the boys were born, we normally got enough so that we didn't feel tired all the time. But now that Sam and Nate are in the picture, we are pretty much always behind on our sleep, even though the boys go to bed early and stay asleep all night. Here's a rundown of my routine from the time the boys go to bed: fall asleep in Nate's room while he is falling asleep, wake up after 30 minutes or so and go into the office, check my e-mail or begin working on whatever I need to work on, watch TV for a little while, go back to the computer, eventually go to bed way too late. Not a good routine. I go through mini-cycles of being exhausted then getting over-stimulated all evening. Well, I recently read an article about sleep habits that may explain why I feel tired all the time. It seems that my old friend technology is not such a good friend after all.

So, I am going to try the advice given in this article, which is not to use any electronics (TV, computer, etc.) for one hour before I plan on going to bed. I can tell you now, this is going to be a hard pattern to break, but I think I can do it. I will definitely keep everyone updated on hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

The Great White Way

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On Saturday, Sam and Nate went to their first musical. They have been to other live performances, such as the Dixie Stampede and the Chinese acrobats in Branson, but this was their first live performance that had an actual story. This is good timing for them, because they are getting really good at following stories. Gina and I have been reading to the boys since they were tiny, but recently they have started telling the stories back to us. One story that really captured their imaginations was Pinocchio, one of the stories in a book that GiGi gave them. They were especially interested in the fact that his nose grew every time he told a lie. As Nate loves to say, "His nose grew another INCH!"

Well, at about the same time as their interest in Pinocchio developed, I got Gina tickets to Casa Manana for Christmas. I got her 4 Broadway tickets so she and I could attend two shows together, and 4 Children's tickets so we could attend a show with the boys. We were able to choose between Pinocchio, Brer Rabbit and The Wizard of Oz, but once we learned how much they loved Pinocchio it was an easy choice.

Overall, they did pretty well during the show. We sat on the very back row, which turned out to be a good thing because both boys talked through the entire show. Sam processes his information verbally, so he is constantly asking questions and repeating things. Nate loves snacks, so most of his talking was asking me what else I brought for him to eat. They loved the songs and dancing, and they were able to follow a lot of the dialogue. After the show, we were able to get photos with some of the cast members: the Blue Fairy, Pinocchio and one of Stromboli's puppets, who happened to be dressed like Jessie from Toy Story.

I think the real proof that they really loved the show was that three days after it was over, they were still talking about it. Sam is still telling me how Pinocchio's nose grew "for not listening," (which is his explanation for everything bad that happens) and that he got swallowed by a whale. I have always loved going to plays and musicals, and I am glad that Sam and Nate like it too.  I hope we will get to see many more together as a family.

Sierpinski's Triangle

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While at an education conference several years ago, I listened to a math educator talk about a gadget he developed that would simulate what he called the "chaos game." In his demonstration, he started with an equilateral triangle and plotted a point randomly inside. He then measured half way between the point and one of the 3 vertices, where he plotted another point. One after another, he plotted about a dozen points halfway between the previous dot and one of the vertices. He stopped the demonstration and asked everyone to predict what would happen if he did this 100, 1,000 or 10,000 more times. The existing points looked random to me, so I predicted more points would just look like a huge mess. Using his gadget, the presenter sped the process up to plot 10,000 points in a matter of seconds. The result was not only surprising, but it was also beautiful and amazing. He called this phenomenon Sierpinski's Triangle, and the result was an intricate design of perfectly symmetrical equilateral triangles, facsimiles of the original shape. You can play with a pretty neat little gadget that simulates the process of creating a Sierpinski's Triangle (also called Sierpinski's Gasket). I have to admit, the mathematical and technological objectives of that demonstration were totally lost on me that day. But God used that presentation to speak to me in a profound way. I don't remember the exact thoughts I had during the presentation, but when I walked away I could hear God telling me, "Curby, that is your life. You are Sierpinski's Triangle." Parts of this revelation were not that hard to comprehend: a triangle, Jesus, God and the Holy Spirit. I figured that part out pretty easily, although I am pretty sure that is not what God was trying to teach me. The real learning objectives from that day are something I have struggled with for years and continue to wrestle with. My life has been anything but settled since I was in high school. Since I graduated in 1990, I  have lived in 6 states and moved 7 times. I have been in school, taught school and now work behind the scenes at a school. I have encountered just about every variety of human you can imagine. I have taught at a university that I would not have been admitted into as an undergraduate, and I have taught 6th graders in a school that, as a student, I would not have survived. I've lived in a variety of different dwellings, from a one-bedroom apartment to a fixer-upper in a minority neighborhood. And at some point in every stop on my journey, I have asked myself the same question, "What mistake did I make in life that led me to this place?"

But my encounter with Sierpinski's Triangle that cool September day in downtown Washington, D.C. quieted that question forever. God changed my thinking about my life, which is that nothing is random. Just like the dots in the triangle, my life is being lived inside a context that is bigger than me. My choices, my moves, are connected to the last move, most often in ways that I cannot see or interpret, which in turn, is connected to the next move, which I don't even know about yet. The end result is something beautiful, bearing purpose and mission, and definitely not random. So, if you will indulge me for a few weeks, I would like to use this forum to occasionally share some of the points within my Sierpinski's Triangle that have shaped who I am. Gina and I write a lot about Sam and Nate, and trust me, there is nothing in the world I would rather write about. But I also think it's important to reflect on the events that got us to this place. God has written us into His story, and it's worth telling too.

Three is the Magic Number

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Last week we had the great privilege of celebrating Sam and Nate's 3rd  birthday. Their actual birthday was on a Thursday, and we were all cooped up indoors because of the bad weather. The truth is, it was great being home and getting to spend the whole day with Sam and Nate. We had some presents for them to open, and Gina made them each a small cake to eat that afternoon. After a(nother) day of hanging around the house trying to stay warm, we went to Rosa's Cafe that night for some fajitas.

Here is a video of us singing to the boys on their birthday. Notice how Nate uses the "arm pump" technique for blowing out his candles.

Then, on Saturday, we had a party for the boys. The weather warmed up just enough to melt away most of the ice and snow. But alas, their Great Outdoors party was held indoors. The boys definitely knew this party was for them, and they loved playing with their cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents (both sets!) and friends. I think this was the fullest our house has ever been, and we wouldn't have had it any other way. As usual, Gina hit a home run with the boys' cakes, which were decorated with camping and fishing Duplo blocks. The boys also got to wear their great fishing outfits from Cousin Dee, which fit the party perfectly. Other party activities included playing in the tent, listening to a campfire story and eating cake and ice cream (of course). Click through our Picasa page for all of the pictures.

This was a great day for everyone, and though we would love to keep the boys this age forever, we are grateful to be able to share such joyous milestones with family and friends. We love you oh so very much, Sam and Nate!

When life makes you slow down

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The last 72 hours or so have been quite interesting, to say the least. Last weekend we enjoyed temperatures in the upper 60's, and I even contemplated wearing shorts. As I was leaving class on Monday at UNT, I could sense a real change in the temps. It wasn't exactly warm that morning, but I was definitely cold as I made the very long walk back to my car. By the time I got home and saw the news, I knew DFW was in for a real arctic treat. And I am not talking about Baked Alaska. The ticker on the news showed that several ISD's and private schools were already closing up shop on Monday night, so I knew there was a pretty good chance that TCU and Good Shepherd would follow suit. I did what any person would do who thought he was not going to have to go to work the next day: I stayed up late, watched a lot of TV, made no preparations for the next day and didn't bother responding to a few e-mails that would normally be considered urgent. My wild gamble paid off when I woke up early the next morning only to see messages from TCU, Good Shepherd, Keller ISD and UNT, all of which were closed for the day.

And they are still closed. We got the message late this afternoon that each respective institution will be closed again tomorrow, Feb. 3. This is great news for us, since tomorrow happens to be the boys' birthday. We are guaranteed some more family time, which has been great the past two days. We have watched movies, made indoor tents, played chase in our long hallway, baked cookies, played games and read a lot of books. What we haven't done is go outside, even at the pleading of this mountain man daddy. I did convince Nate to go with me to the mail box, but I ended up carrying him the whole way.

So, here at the beginning of a very busy semester with a mountain of things I need to get done, life has given us the gift of slowing down for a few days and being together as a family. These days, it's hard to justify just taking it easy for a few days, but we really haven't had any other choice. I am not thrilled with the weather outside, but I don't think I would change a thing.

Happy Dance

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I recently had a chance to capture Nate and Sam doing their happy dance. Nate is especially passionate about his happy dance. I have caught him on more than one occasion doing it in his room when no one was looking. This is usually after we tell the boys we are about see GiGi and PaPa/Granny and Granddad, go to Uncle Tommy's house or to see Ruby, Jude and Baby Kara. We still have no idea where he learned this, but it's pretty cute.

Ready, Set, Go!

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This morning Gina and I fulfilled a long-time goal for us and the boys: we ran a 5K race as a family. Technically, Gina and I ran while Sam and Nate got pushed in the stroller. Yes, we could have waited until the weather was a little warmer to do this, but we decided to just bundle up, get out there and do it. The race was at Lake Grapevine at 8:00, a 40-minute drive from our house. We had to arrive before the race in order to pick up our timing chips (that sounds cool ... but it's really not). We also had to make sure the boys had breakfast before we left because they get VERY cranky when they're hungry (just like their daddy). All of these little tidbits add up to a very early morning for all of us. Actually, my morning got started even earlier because I took GiGi and PaPa to the airport at 4:45 AM. Anyway, we made it there with plenty of time to get ready for the race.

The temperature at race time was a balmy 46 degrees, but my adrenaline was pumping a bit so I didn't feel it so much. The race got off to a bit of a slow start because it's not exactly easy navigating a double stroller through large crowds of people while running.  We all stayed together for the first mile. I was pretty comfortable running at an easy pace, especially with the stroller. However, I could feel my pace picking up and I noticed that Gina was having a hard time keeping up. She eventually told me to go ahead, which by this time I was eager to do. Many of you already know that I am extremely competitive, and I can't stand to run a 5K without pushing my pace and passing people. My attitude slowly transformed from "Oh, this is so wonderful running a 5K as a family," to "Move it slowpoke before I mow you down with my double stroller!"

My first mile was about 11 minutes, my second mile was 10:13 and my third mile was 8:41. I am not sure what my last .1 mile was, but I guess I could do the math to figure it out. My overall time was 31:07, which put me at 15th in my age group and 193 overall. Gina's overall time was 36:33, which was good enough for 11th in her age group and 273 overall. So, in comparison to her peers, she outperformed me.

Here are a few more stats/facts for you:

  • Pre-race breakfast: coffee
  • Post-race breakfast: omelette
  • .5 miles: the distance left in the race when Nate started screaming
  • About 100 pounds: the total weight of the stroller with the boys
  • 369: the total number of people in the 5K
  • 302: the total number of people in the 15K

The funniest part of the whole race was that Gina ran with the camera and took pictures mid-race. Only a dedicated mom would think of doing that. Here are a few of the shots she took.

Pre-race team photo

Race-timer chips to record our blazing times!

Our competition

Making our move

We are already looking forward to our next race, and you can expect to see better times because we will be training between now and then. We'll keep you posted.

Big, Wide Eyes

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I guess that is the phrase that comes to mind when I think of this Christmas. It seemed that with every gift the boys opened, their eyes just got bigger and wider. Nate also got really good at yelling, "Oh! Wow!" every time he opened a new present. Gina and I have already discussed that we want to be purposeful in making sure the boys know that Christmas is not just about the gifts, but it still was a lot of fun watching them get excited with every new toy, book, puzzle, set of pajamas, pair of boots or shoes, etc.

My favorite part of the whole Christmas season was staying up late on Christmas Eve (and into Christmas Day, actually) playing Santa Claus and putting their gifts together. This was always a special time for Katie and I growing up, and I have always looked forward to setting up the toys and seeing the boys discover them first thing on Christmas morning. Their reaction to Santa's goodies did not disappoint, and we had so much fun playing with their toys that morning. I hardly even noticed that I was functioning off about 4 hours of sleep (until later in the day, that is).

We spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at Tommy's house in Roanoke, which is only about 30 minutes from us. We had a great time sharing delicious food and playing with the cousins: Zach, Kendal and Kierra. We were also able to attend a wonderful Christmas Eve service at one of the churches in Roanoke.

Sam and Nate playing with their new car track

And taking a ride in their new wagon, which they pretended was the Polar Express.

Woody and Buzz even took a ride on Bullseye at Uncle Tommy's house.

The day after Christmas we gathered at my grandparent's farm to celebrate Christmas with the Gooches. It was always Big Mama's tradition to have everyone over on Christmas evening, or the day after, to eat Mexican Stack (burritos and all the fixins') and open gifts. We wanted to honor this tradition by meeting at their house and meeting together for some great food, fellowship and of course, an old fashioned gift exchange ... complete with stealing and swapping presents. The boys got a complete set of farm toys, including a big rug they can run their tractors and gators on.

As much as they loved all their new toys, the best part of the night was rolling around in all the wrapping paper with Callie Kay. She is pretty much Nate's hero and he followed her around all night doing whatever she told him to do, which included holding a plate under his chin when he ate cookies so he wouldn't get crumbs on the floor. Let me tell you, Callie Kay runs a tight ship. Big Mama's spirit was alive and well at this Christmas gathering!

And before I sign off, I need to share a couple of Christmas traditions of my own. I am pretty sure only my sister Katie will understand these, and I really don't feel like going into the details. So, just let me be self-indulgent for a minute (as if this whole blog isn't self-indulgent enough!)

I hope your Christmas and New Years were filled with as much joy, love and fun as our was. Happy 2011!

Christmas Fun

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This is Sam and Nate's third Christmas, but I have to say that this one has been the most fun yet. They still don't quite understand why Christmas is such a big deal, but they are aware that something is going on and involves a lot of activities, Santa Claus and candy canes. We have been very busy this Christmas season with several fun activities.

The first big activity we got to share together was putting up our family Christmas tree. After a couple of mishaps with ornaments (i.e., throwing them back into the box or across the room), the boys did a beautiful job of hanging ornaments on the tree. They continue to be fascinated with the decorations and lights, and they insist that they tree stay lit at all times. Sam got to put the cross on top of the tree this year, and thank goodness for photos so we will remember that it is Nate's turn next Christmas.

The next big event was a Santa Claus breakfast put on by the Fort Worth Mothers of Multiples group. Gina and I weren't sure how the boys would react to Old Saint Nick because, well, he's a little scary to those who haven't been indoctrinated to associate him with gifts, candy and two weeks off from school. For a couple of days leading up to the event we talked about Santa Claus and showed them some pictures. I even rehearsed what Santa would say when they sat on his lap (and you WILL sit on his lap!), and told them how to respond. Well, the big day came and we made our way into the church that was hosting the breakfast. We went straight to the room with Santa, and much to my surprise, both boys RAN to him, JUMPED in his lap and sat very still for several great pictures. They never cease to surprise me!

Our next stop was Zachary's Christmas choir concert at his school. We made it to the school just in time for the music to start, and we got to enjoy a very well done choir concert. Afterwards, we all went to get frozen yogurt before we headed back to Ft. Worth.

A little bit of Christmas came early when Gina ordered the boys some new house slippers. These were just to cute to wait, and with the cold weather we've been having lately these slippers have kept their feet quite cozy.

Finally, last week the boys had their Christmas program at school. We got them all gussied up for the event, and headed to the school. Nate was not too happy to be back at school at first, but he settled down pretty quickly. I think it was a case of pre-performance nerves. The boys' class went first in the program and sang a little song about Jingle Bells (not THE jingle bells song). Sam was right on cue, and Nate warmed up pretty quickly. Here is a video of their first ever live performance. I also included song from one of the older classes. I was pretty amazed that they could pull this off.

There will be more activities to report, I'm sure, so check back and we'll keep you posted.

Austin City Limits

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This past weekend we traveled to Austin to visit several different family member. Austin is one of my favorite cities, so I was really looking forward to getting down there to hang out a little bit. Our first stop was with the Kelly's: John, Carrie, Max and Wes. Max and Wes are close in age to the twins, and they all had a really good time together. The highlight of the night was when the three older boys ran in circles giving Frosty the Snowman high-fives. John wrote about our visit on his blog. The next stop was the Gooch family reunion on Saturday morning. We were able to connect with several of the family members in the morning at breakfast, and we saw everyone else at my Great Uncle Bo's house. I had not seen many of these family members in several years, so it was wonderful to get a chance to catch up with them. The highlight of the day for me was Uncle Art's fish. He makes the best fish I have ever eaten, and this batch didn't disappoint. He fried 25 lbs. of fish for everyone, and I'm pretty sure I ate about half of it. We stayed and visited until the sun went down, then we decided to take Sam and Nate back to the hotel (or as Sam says, the 'otel) before there were any meltdowns.

One Sunday morning, we met my cousins on the Alexander side for breakfast. Don and Elizabeth and their two children, Brianna and Braden, live in Round Rock, and they drove to the hotel to visit with us. I had not seen them in about 10 years, so it was great to catch up. It is always great to reconnect with family we haven't seen in awhile. It was actually Gina and the boys' first time to meet these family members. We are looking forward to our next trip to Austin so we can visit everyone else again and get to know them even better.

A Season of Thankfulness

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We have been so very blessed during this holiday season that I keep forgetting to update our blog. So, after some prompting by a few influential people, I decided I better share with everyone a little of what has been going on with us. The Thanksgiving season kicked off for us at the boys' school. They had a Thanksgiving Feast, which Gina was able to attend and snap a few photos. The boys sat at a "big boy" table with their classmates, as well as the parents who were able to attend. They wore traditional Thanksgiving garb (an Indian head dress made out of paper), and ate that time-honored meal of turkey and all the fixins'. Except they didn't want to eat. Maybe it was all the activity. Maybe it was the fact that Mommy was there with them. Maybe they don't like Turkey. There could be a lot of reasons, but they showed no interest in the actual feast at the Thanksgiving Feast. They were much more interested in the event. Oh, and Sam refused to wear his head dress, which is similar to his response to the clown wig at Halloween. He takes some time to warm up to new things. Gina was eventually able to convince him to put it on for some pictures.

Another Thanksgiving treat for us is that GiGi and PaPa came to Texas for a visit. They arrived on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, stayed until Monday and then left for Shreveport. We met them there on Wednesday, and we were able to stay until Saturday morning.  We had a great time with my parents and MaMa. We ate a lot of turkey, and it was great spending some quality family time together. The boys put on quite a show, as usual.

On Saturday we drove to Merit, Texas to attend my Uncle John's annual Wing-Ding. He always throws a big party on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, and it is really fun. We got to see all of the Gooch family, as well as some of Nancy Jane's family. The boys made some new friends, played with Callie Kay, went on a hay ride and totally filled up on desserts.

Of course, the best part of the event was Big Daddy's prayer before we ate dinner. He has always had a way with words when it comes to praying over these types of events, and this year was no exception. I was with it enough to capture the moment with our camera.

As usual, we feel very blessed in so many ways. We have Sam and Nate. We have good jobs. We are healthy. And we have the Lord to keep us all together and sustain us until the next Thanksgiving rolls around.

The Music Man

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Music has always been a huge part of our family. From singing in the church choir to singing professionally, and everything else in between, when the Gooches or Alexanders get together you can bet there will be music. This weekend we dropped in to see my grandfather, Big Daddy. It didn't take long for him to pull out his harmonica and put on an impromptu concert for the boys. I guess I know where I got it.

Send in the clowns

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Well, GiGi did it again. Last year Sam and Nate were dinosaurs, and pretty cute ones at that. This year, GiGi outdid herself and made clown costumes for the boys. I wasn't sure what they would look like, and when I opened the box and saw how elaborate they are I could hardly believe it. They got to unveil their costumes this morning at the Halloween parade at their preschool. From what I hear, all the moms went crazy over the costumes and are ready to send their orders for next year to Wyoming. I'm not sure GiGi is ready to take on a sewing clientele, but I sure am glad we're on the list.

Captain Underpants

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We have a new daily ritual on Mountain Lane. It used to be that when the boys and I would come home after a long day at school, we would get a cup of milk, eat a snack and play together. Sometimes we would watch cartoons or read a book, but mostly we just relaxed. Well, things have changed. Now when we come home, both boys can't wait to strip down and make a run for the potty. They know that a "successful" trip to the potty gets rewarded with a chocolate chip and a mini marshmallow. It may not sound like much to you, but Sam and Nate think it's the best thing ever. Then, after that business is done, they both like to put on their big boy underpants and proceed with the rest of their day. This has actually been pretty successful, with very few accidents. This whole potty training thing is a slow process, but we think this is  a step in the right direction.

Notice the shoes!

State Fair of Texas, among other things

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The past weekend Gina and I took the boys to the State Fair of Texas. We took them to the Illinois State Fair last year, and we knew this was something we wanted to do again. If you had asked me last year which state fair I thought we would take Sam and Nate to, I would've thought you were crazy for asking. Well, a year later it doesn't seem so crazy. I met Gina and the boys there after work, and after a quick change out of my work clothes in the parking lot (classy, I know), we were ready to roll. Things got off to an awesome start when we saw at the front gate none other than Mater himself (or at least the guy who does Mater's voice). Larry the Cable Guy was there filming a show called Only in America. I think we even made it into a couple of shots.

Our next stop was the corn dog stand for a quick bite to eat. Nate and I shared a corn dog, while Sam and Gina had a hamburger. This was our first of several stops to the many food vendors. Here's Nate doing his best "don't mess with me" look.

Sam doesn't look nearly as ominous.

During our stay at the fair, we got to see Big Tex, some exotic wild birds, some clowns, a really cool train display and fire works ... oh, and did I mention we saw Big Tex!?

Another activity we have really been enjoying is the TCU football games. We have now been to 4 home games, and the boys have gone to the last two games with us. I wasn't sure how they would handle the crowds and tight space in the stands, but it turns out that they love the games and attract quite a bit of attention (the good kind, so far). We went to the game against Wyoming (my home state) by ourselves, then last weekend we met Gina's cousin, Jennifer and her husband Sam at the game. We had a great time, and then went to eat Mexican food afterwards. This is us outside the restaurant in the Fort Worth Stockyards.

And this was only the second quarter! Ouch!

I would say that so far, life in Texas is treating us pretty good.

Cool weather campin'

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Gina and I decided to do something different this weekend, so we took the boys camping at Ray Roberts Lake. They got to experience camping this summer at the Johnson Ranch, but they stayed the night in a hotel. But this time we wanted to see how they would do sleeping in a tent. The weather has been unbelievably great, so we took advantage of the cools temps by giving this camping thing a test run.

I remember camping several years ago with my uncle and cousins at Ray Roberts Lake, and it seemed like a good place to start. They have running water, bathrooms, playgrounds and a lot of trails to explore. Our choice turned out to be a good one.

We got to the camp site around 4:30, and I had everything set up by 5:00. This gave us a little over two hours to explore and eat dinner before it got too dark. Remember, we weren't exactly sure how this would go over, so we didn't want to overdo it. The boys loved every new thing we discovered, which culminated in an extended rock-throwing session at the edge of the lake. They even met some big boys who would search for rocks for them to throw. It was a lot of fun.

After a delicious meal of hot dogs and baked beans (and s'mores!), we put the boys in their warm PJ's and Gina stayed with them until they were asleep. Gina and I stayed up awhile longer, eating more s'mores and talking by the campfire. We eventually decided to turn in, and everything went well for most of the night. However, at about 4:00 a.m., I could hear the pitter-patter of rain on the tent. Sprinkles turned to a steady hum, which turned into a full-blown thunderstorm. The tent stayed dry for the most part, though there was some wetness around the edges. Both boys found new places to sleep (Sam in my sleeping bag and Nate in between Gina and I), and we hung in there until about 7:00 a.m. I must admit, I didn't sleep all that much, but I must have gotten enough sleep early on because I haven't felt tired all day.

We all got dressed and had muffins (or as the boys say, muffin man) and scrambled eggs, then we packed up to come home. I had to lay everything out in the garage to dry, and Gina and the boys headed straight for the bath.

Gina and I brainstormed some different camping adventures we want to have, and I am pretty sure the boys will be up for the challenge. Here are a couple of shots from the trip.

Me and 92,000 of my closest friends

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I had the opportunity to go to Baton Rouge this weekend to see the LSU v. West Virgina football game. I have been to a lot of college football games. Utah State, Colorado State, UVa, Texas A&M, TCU, and a handful of others, but this was by far the most unbelievable college football experience I have ever seen. I say experience because the game actually turned out to be only kind of exciting. But the whole experience was amazing. 92,000 fans, major league tailgating, marching bands, traditions, etc. It was amazing, and I will see the TCU games in a whole different light. Of course, the TCU games have actually been a lot more exciting on the field, but when it comes to the overall experience, LSU has my vote.

I would especially like to thank Uncle Norwin for taking Don and me to the game. He graciously offered to let us use his tickets, so he made this whole adventure possible. And if it weren't for Uncle Larry's expert navigation, we never would have made it to the game in time or home at a decent hour. It sure is nice when you know the right people.

Words to live by

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Life in the Alexander home has gotten very interesting and entertaining since the boys have been talking more. We are always amused, and sometimes shocked, to hear what they have picked up from TV, school and Gina and me. I am definitely becoming more mindful of what I say around the boys. Yesterday, as the boys and I were driving home, we passed a blood donation bus in a parking lot. Sam, who is usually the first to point out interesting vehicles from the car, said, "Daddy look! A school bus!" Wanting to be accurate, I said, "Yeah, look at that Sam! Actually, that is  a bus where you can donate blood." Nate immediately shouted, "No, daddy, no!" His tone was very stern, which I'm sure he learned from me. I had to know why he suddenly got so serious. "What's going on, Nate? Why are you telling me no?"  Nate pointed at me (we were at a stop light, so I could see him), and said, "Daddy, no! Don't eat blood!" I guess he thought I was telling his brother not to eat blood (don-ate blood), and these wise words really resonated with him. You know, I couldn't argue with that. I just said, "That's right, Nate. We don't eat blood." I guess Nate won't grow up wanting to be a vampire.

Daredevils

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I have been meaning to post this for awhile, but I just now thought about it. A couple of weeks ago we went to my uncle's house in Garland, and the boys loved swimming in their pool. It took a little time (and coaxing from me) but they eventually started jumping off the diving board. Once they each tried it, that is all they wanted to do. Hal got some footage of them taking the plunge.