..is not nearly so exciting or well thought out as yours. But here goes...
Julia Roberts - walked by her exiting the law school (filming Pelican Brief) while I entered the library to study for finals.
Lenny Kravitz - sat on curb beside him outside Tipatina's inhaling his second hand "smoke"...nice!
Tom and Nicole - jogging in Audubon park (I was walking) while he was filming Interview with a Vampire.
Quentin Tarantino --was sitting just down from...
Lionel Richie at the Ivy in LA. (seriously lame sightings considering it was the weekend of the Golden Globes)
Tia Carrere - of Wayne's World fame (schwing) walking down the street in London.
Don Henley - might not count since we only talked on the phone a couple times a month. He was a client when I was a florist...in a former life.
George W. -- did we shake his hand at graduation? Anyway, he was the commencement speaker for HPHS class of '90...before he was gov or pres.
That's all for now. Have to check with Liza 'cause I think we saw someone else in London.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Ames' Top 11 Celebrity Sightings
Everyone has had their little brushes with fame, and I suppose we all have our own criteria about who is famous and what constitutes an actual celebrity sighting. I don't think it's quite fair to include people you went to school with (Hi Harrison! Hi Angie!) especially as they weren't really celebrities back in school. (Well, Angie became one while we were still in school, but...) Likewise for the local rock star (Hi Ken!) or former work colleague rocker ('Sup, Andrew?).
In any event, these become interesting cocktail party chatter or get-to-know-you type conversations.
Knowing that I'm probably leaving someone off, here is my personal Top 11 list of celebrity sightings, Letterman-style:
11. Oliver Stone. See number 1 below.
10. Lionel Ritchie. Cathy and I were eating at the Ivy in Los Angeles several years ago and saw the singer dining several tables away. No, he wasn't dancing on the ceiling, just eating. (Cathy claims that Quentin Tarantino was at the restaurant too, but I don't remember that. Maybe he'll make Cathy's list.)
9. Col. (Ret.) Oliver North. Not too long after his trial over the Iran Contra affair, I met Col. North at a W&L football game, where he was watching his son play for the Generals. I sat behind him at the game and spoke with him a little.
8. Coach Don Nelson. My most recent sighting; I saw the Coach at the Ritz Carlton in New Orleans last month when the GS Warriors were checking in and I was getting ready to leave. He walked right by me and I couldn't hold back: "Hello, Coach, we miss you in Dallas!" After he finally realized I was talking to him, he said "Oh...thanks. Thanks a lot." and continued into the courtyard, where he fired up his stogie and read the newspaper.
7. Roger Staubach. Ordinarily, I'd put this much higher toward the top of this list. However, I don't remember it actually happening, even though Dad tells me that it did, and I've got an autographed picture of Roger Dodger from Culwell & Sons that I got when I met him. I'd like to meet him again so I can put the sighting closer to the top of my list.
6. Harvey Martin. Another great Cowboy of the 70's, I got his autograph when I ran into him at a park in Dallas. He wrote something next to his name and number that I've always remembered: "Nothing worthwhile comes easy."
5. Morgan Fairchild. This one is a bit of a stretch, but she made an impression at the time. Back in the 70's, my dad's business partner had a cousin (Bee Spears) in Willie Nelson's Family band. So the first concert I ever attended--2nd row, center stage at Reunion Arena as I recall--was opened by BB King and headlined by Willie Nelson. With Dad's connections, we got backstage passes and met much of the Family. We also got to visit one of the tour buses, and I was looking out the window at the other tour bus where I saw Morgan Fairchild! Hubba hubba. A thrill, even though I didn't get to meet her (or Willie Nelson, for that matter).
4. Jerry Jeff Walker. As long as we're on country singers, I've met JJW twice. Both in Lexington, VA; the first was when I helped "tear down" his set up for a concert at Zollman's and also helped recover his hat from my fool of a fraternity brother who had stolen it (hi Chad). A year or so later, I got to meet him again (much more sober this time) and recorded some promos from him for the campus radio station, WLUR.
3. Colt McCoy. I walked into a UT basketball game at the Drum with him last season (2008). He was very unassuming and polite; held the door for a lady in front of us and didn't attempt to draw attention to himself. Just a good ol' boy. (Honorable mention: I saw Ricky Williams several times on campus when I was in law school at UT but never had the nerve to speak to him.)
2. Ross Perot. When I was just a little guy, my dad used to take me to the barber shop on Saturday mornings, and I'd pick out a magazine from the rack and sit at Dad's feet, picking out words I could read for Dad and the barber. One morning when I was about 4 or 5, the man in the chair next to Dad commented on my age and reading, and then said to me: "Son, I've got a little software company. Come and see me when you need a job." Unfortunately--and probably unwisely--I have never attempted to take up Mr. Perot on his offer.
1. Tom Cruise: Back when I was a junior in high school, the movie Born on the Fourth of July was filmed, in large part, in Dallas. One of the opening scenes was a wrestling match involving Tom Cruise's character. As a high school wrestler of roughly his build, I was invited to try out for the part of his opponent (and, failing that, one of the other wrestlers in the scene). So one Saturday afternoon I headed over to Richland College to try out. After working out for about 30 minutes, I headed out in the hall to the water fountain. In the hall I ran into this short gentleman with a hat pulled down over his eyes walking into the wrestling room with a taller, more heavyset man with a scruffy beard. Yep, Tom Cruise and Oliver Stone. They were both polite if reserved. When I got back in the room, I was paired up with Tom Cruise and wrestled with him for a while. He was significantly shorter than I was at the time--I'd guess probably 5'7'' to my then 5'9''--and (I was told by the casting folks) I was too much bigger than him for the film. I was invited, however, to be in the crowd during the scene, but my football coach at the time did not see the potential upside to me missing (from the bench) a Friday night varsity high school football game to be in a movie!
So what celebrities have y'all sighted?
In any event, these become interesting cocktail party chatter or get-to-know-you type conversations.
Knowing that I'm probably leaving someone off, here is my personal Top 11 list of celebrity sightings, Letterman-style:
11. Oliver Stone. See number 1 below.
10. Lionel Ritchie. Cathy and I were eating at the Ivy in Los Angeles several years ago and saw the singer dining several tables away. No, he wasn't dancing on the ceiling, just eating. (Cathy claims that Quentin Tarantino was at the restaurant too, but I don't remember that. Maybe he'll make Cathy's list.)
9. Col. (Ret.) Oliver North. Not too long after his trial over the Iran Contra affair, I met Col. North at a W&L football game, where he was watching his son play for the Generals. I sat behind him at the game and spoke with him a little.
8. Coach Don Nelson. My most recent sighting; I saw the Coach at the Ritz Carlton in New Orleans last month when the GS Warriors were checking in and I was getting ready to leave. He walked right by me and I couldn't hold back: "Hello, Coach, we miss you in Dallas!" After he finally realized I was talking to him, he said "Oh...thanks. Thanks a lot." and continued into the courtyard, where he fired up his stogie and read the newspaper.
7. Roger Staubach. Ordinarily, I'd put this much higher toward the top of this list. However, I don't remember it actually happening, even though Dad tells me that it did, and I've got an autographed picture of Roger Dodger from Culwell & Sons that I got when I met him. I'd like to meet him again so I can put the sighting closer to the top of my list.
6. Harvey Martin. Another great Cowboy of the 70's, I got his autograph when I ran into him at a park in Dallas. He wrote something next to his name and number that I've always remembered: "Nothing worthwhile comes easy."
5. Morgan Fairchild. This one is a bit of a stretch, but she made an impression at the time. Back in the 70's, my dad's business partner had a cousin (Bee Spears) in Willie Nelson's Family band. So the first concert I ever attended--2nd row, center stage at Reunion Arena as I recall--was opened by BB King and headlined by Willie Nelson. With Dad's connections, we got backstage passes and met much of the Family. We also got to visit one of the tour buses, and I was looking out the window at the other tour bus where I saw Morgan Fairchild! Hubba hubba. A thrill, even though I didn't get to meet her (or Willie Nelson, for that matter).
4. Jerry Jeff Walker. As long as we're on country singers, I've met JJW twice. Both in Lexington, VA; the first was when I helped "tear down" his set up for a concert at Zollman's and also helped recover his hat from my fool of a fraternity brother who had stolen it (hi Chad). A year or so later, I got to meet him again (much more sober this time) and recorded some promos from him for the campus radio station, WLUR.
3. Colt McCoy. I walked into a UT basketball game at the Drum with him last season (2008). He was very unassuming and polite; held the door for a lady in front of us and didn't attempt to draw attention to himself. Just a good ol' boy. (Honorable mention: I saw Ricky Williams several times on campus when I was in law school at UT but never had the nerve to speak to him.)
2. Ross Perot. When I was just a little guy, my dad used to take me to the barber shop on Saturday mornings, and I'd pick out a magazine from the rack and sit at Dad's feet, picking out words I could read for Dad and the barber. One morning when I was about 4 or 5, the man in the chair next to Dad commented on my age and reading, and then said to me: "Son, I've got a little software company. Come and see me when you need a job." Unfortunately--and probably unwisely--I have never attempted to take up Mr. Perot on his offer.
1. Tom Cruise: Back when I was a junior in high school, the movie Born on the Fourth of July was filmed, in large part, in Dallas. One of the opening scenes was a wrestling match involving Tom Cruise's character. As a high school wrestler of roughly his build, I was invited to try out for the part of his opponent (and, failing that, one of the other wrestlers in the scene). So one Saturday afternoon I headed over to Richland College to try out. After working out for about 30 minutes, I headed out in the hall to the water fountain. In the hall I ran into this short gentleman with a hat pulled down over his eyes walking into the wrestling room with a taller, more heavyset man with a scruffy beard. Yep, Tom Cruise and Oliver Stone. They were both polite if reserved. When I got back in the room, I was paired up with Tom Cruise and wrestled with him for a while. He was significantly shorter than I was at the time--I'd guess probably 5'7'' to my then 5'9''--and (I was told by the casting folks) I was too much bigger than him for the film. I was invited, however, to be in the crowd during the scene, but my football coach at the time did not see the potential upside to me missing (from the bench) a Friday night varsity high school football game to be in a movie!
So what celebrities have y'all sighted?
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Just when you think...
...that you are going to lose your mind. Two of your children are so tired, so beyond tired, that they can't even speak coherently...all they can do is cry and whine and scream and cry again. You cook a healthy, wonderful meal...but you your husband's fish is underdone and nobody likes your vegetables. You realize the slow, dull headache that has been creeping up the back of your skull is now a full blown, eye-crossing pain that leaves you unable to focus, be patient or even really care. That is when you need a little comic relief. That is when your oldest son, wise beyond his years, after eating his dinner without a word of complaint, disappears into another room and comes back ...like this...
Ladies and Gentlemen....Elvis has entered the kitchen. Two things I know to be true....laughter is the best medicine...and timing is everything! Thanks Elvis!
Ladies and Gentlemen....Elvis has entered the kitchen. Two things I know to be true....laughter is the best medicine...and timing is everything! Thanks Elvis!
God Bless Texas...
It was just another typical day here. The sun was shining in a cloudless blue sky. It was very warm,about 85 degrees, with just enough breeze to keep you cool but also quite enough to stir up the dry, dead grass and grey-black sand. The kids were all barefoot outside, striated with red, orange and purple lines on their arms and legs from delectable, sticky popsicles, long-ago devoured. Sarah and I sat under the quiet whirring of the ceiling fan enjoying an ice-cold glass of Pinot Grigio and listening to the rhythmic sound of the back door...banging open, slamming shut, banging open, slamming shut. We watched through the paned glass windows the endless parade of princesses, football stars, army men, superheroes, vikings, knights and villains as our children came in again and again for necessary costume changes emanating from the progressive dramatic storyline taking place outdoors. There were breaks for drinks, snacks, tattling, resolutions, apologies and the potty and then the action would resume. The filthy finger and toenails were a testament to the potions and concoctions being invented by the thespians and to the bare feet of all 8 kids. Yes, this was just another typical day among great friends...except for one tiny minute detail....it is FEBRUARY!!
God Bless Texas!
God Bless Texas!
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Wine always pairs nicely with whine....
I love to cook. Always have. Before we had kids (ah, back in the day), I used to read Bon Appetit regularly and flag pages with recipes I wanted to try. Needless to say, Ames loved this phase in our lives, and I feel sure, he has missed those wonderful meals that have been replaced with chicken, french fries, frozen peas and pizza. Now that our kids are getting older and things are a bit more manageable (did I say that out loud???), I find it easier to cook again. I'm also always in the market for quick, healthy recipes to try. I have been daunted by the idea of hours in the kitchen when all I really have is a good twenty minutes to spare at best. I also get pretty sick and tired of cooking for little urchins who begin complaining about dinner before it is even on the table....case in point tonight. Will walks into the kitchen post-bath and sees roasted tomatoes with homemade pesto waiting on a cookie sheet. In one long whining breath he says "ohmomyuckidon'tlikethatdowehavetoeatit?" Nice. Nothing like a little positive reinforcement in the workplace to make the worker bees feel like they are doing a good job. I must say, however, that once we sat down to eat our meal (Parmesan crusted pork tenderloin, almond rice pilaf and the aforementioned tomatoes), the kids did a pretty good job. There was actually a moment there where I thought to myself "I can do this...they are going to eat what I make!" Ames and I even reminisced about our days in Europe eating fresh pesto from Pesto, Italy and wonderful goat cheeses from the south of France....ah the good ol days! Tomorrow's meal of tilapia piccata and orzo with spinach and pine nuts should tell the tale. I will relish in my moment of glory tonight before the whining, refusing, cajoling, complaining begins anew. One of these days my kids are gonna thank me for exposing them to more than chicken and french fries...yea right. And we wonder, how is it we finish a bottle of wine each night at dinner....hmmmm!
Monday, February 23, 2009
Monday, February 16, 2009
Tragedy!!
I know, I haven't blogged in like, decades, but I'll fill you in on all that later. First I must tell you I'm in mourning. A tragedy occurred in the Hutton kitchen last night...a tragedy of gargantuan proportions. Now, I know all mother's think their children are beautiful, and rightly so! But, my children were blessed by the Almighty with the most beautiful hair on the planet! Especially the boys (isn't it always funny how He gives boys those things that women long for...long, thick eyelashes, beautiful natural curl in the hair, but I digress). I have always had a wee bit too much hubris over the boys' hair. It is different colors, textures, styles, but they all have this thick, gorgeous hair that just makes you want to run your fingers through it.....until this week. This week we were exposed to that infamous elementary school villain..the louse. Yes, lice invaded first grade at WRE and ultimately found its way into the fabulous locks of my Jack. We tried to treat by conventional methods..lice shampoo, combing, etc, but still, in all that thick, wonderful hair, it was just too hard. So, that brings us back to the tragedy of last night. Now, I must inform you that Ames has been lobbying to buzz the boys' heads for years. In fact, he has taken immense, perverse pleasure in brainwashing them into thinking that they actually wanted to have their heads shaved and look like little paramilitary street urchins. And last night, Ames got his way. I couldn't watch, couldn't see all those golden curls lying there, massacred on the floor of our kitchen, couldn't see the moment of regret in my children's eyes as they realized there was no going back. But, I did. I did go in the kitchen, and I did try to be supportive. Funny thing though, there was no glimmer of regret. Only laughter and joy. And Ames, instead of having to encourage the boys or calm their fears while they lost their hair instead, sat there saying to them "Isn't Mommy being brave?" To which they all sweetly replied, "Yes." I was brave. When the tears sprang into my eyes, I looked away. I stood there and smiled and told them all how handsome they are. And truly, they are. Oh yea, by the way, only Jack had to have the buzz, but because the boys want to do all things big brother does, the little ones waited patiently in line for their buzz too. So, here they are, the befores and the afters. I will be ok. Life will go on. I will look at this as a lesson in pride and try to remember not to put too much emphasis on those things that ultimately don't matter. And I will look forward to the day when that beautiful hair grows back in...of course by then it will be summer and the massacre will take place again.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Change is Afoot at the Huttons...
OK, so you 3 or so faithful readers out there have probably noticed a drop-off in our blogging over the past week or so. A few reasons for that:
We're currently back in 1985 at our house as we are without our latest addiction, AT&T U-verse, which means no TV (gasp! Lost started last night!) and more importantly, no computer. Our friend Miguel and his great crew are working at the house doing some much needed repairs and cosmetic changes (did you know there was such a color as San Francisco Bay? I didn't until earlier this week...it's blue, apparently), but that involved disconnecting the U-verse brain and thus we're without TV and the 'puter. It was funny last night trying to watch Lost on the 11 inch TV that we inherited from my parents which had its first life in my sister's room in high school!
We're also having a huge pecan removed from in front of our house today. Not the expense I wanted to have right now, but I figured that (as it's got some slow decay running into the trunk) it was probably cheaper to have it removed this way than from the top of our neighbors' house! (Hi Dennis and Erin! And Maya!)
Not that anyone will notice, but we also had a roofer (Hi Bret!) out earlier this month to fix a "gash" in the roof right above Annie's room (which necessitated Miguel's internal repairs). So we've had a busy month so far at the Hutton house--just our way of trying to jump-start the local economy!
I'll try to update as I can with pics of the developments--stay tuned!
Oh yeah, one more thing. If anyone was keeping track (Hi Kyle!) of my progress on the Rocket Resolution, you may have noticed that I didn't update the widget on the right side of the page over the past 10 days. Long story short: I hurt my shoulder, tried to rest it by slowing down but ultimately had to give myself about a week off, but am getting back in the saddle effective today. Was able to do about 50 yesterday without problems, so I'll be working my way back up to 100 per. And I hope--before the end of the year--to make up those I've missed between 1/12 and today. Kudos to Kyle who is still cranking them out...and I understand that our friend Jason T. is on the bandwagon as well. Congrats and keep it up, guys!
We're currently back in 1985 at our house as we are without our latest addiction, AT&T U-verse, which means no TV (gasp! Lost started last night!) and more importantly, no computer. Our friend Miguel and his great crew are working at the house doing some much needed repairs and cosmetic changes (did you know there was such a color as San Francisco Bay? I didn't until earlier this week...it's blue, apparently), but that involved disconnecting the U-verse brain and thus we're without TV and the 'puter. It was funny last night trying to watch Lost on the 11 inch TV that we inherited from my parents which had its first life in my sister's room in high school!
We're also having a huge pecan removed from in front of our house today. Not the expense I wanted to have right now, but I figured that (as it's got some slow decay running into the trunk) it was probably cheaper to have it removed this way than from the top of our neighbors' house! (Hi Dennis and Erin! And Maya!)
Not that anyone will notice, but we also had a roofer (Hi Bret!) out earlier this month to fix a "gash" in the roof right above Annie's room (which necessitated Miguel's internal repairs). So we've had a busy month so far at the Hutton house--just our way of trying to jump-start the local economy!
I'll try to update as I can with pics of the developments--stay tuned!
Oh yeah, one more thing. If anyone was keeping track (Hi Kyle!) of my progress on the Rocket Resolution, you may have noticed that I didn't update the widget on the right side of the page over the past 10 days. Long story short: I hurt my shoulder, tried to rest it by slowing down but ultimately had to give myself about a week off, but am getting back in the saddle effective today. Was able to do about 50 yesterday without problems, so I'll be working my way back up to 100 per. And I hope--before the end of the year--to make up those I've missed between 1/12 and today. Kudos to Kyle who is still cranking them out...and I understand that our friend Jason T. is on the bandwagon as well. Congrats and keep it up, guys!
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Resolutions...
Each year, most of us make the same resolutions...eat less, exercise more, help the world, save more money, etc. As part of our New Year's resolutions, and in our own efforts to be more budget-minded and watch our spending, Ames and I decided it was time to start really teaching our kids about money. So on the first day of this new year we sat down with the kids for a little heart to heart. Among other things, we established a new chore system, new expectations regarding those chores, and new allowances....whew! Since I have been falsely accused, on many occasions, including being ratted out to Santa himself, of not paying allowances (even tho part of the deal is doing your chores without complaining), I decided that this would be one of my new year goals, to make sure I followed thru on paying my kids for their efforts. I'm proud to say that last Sunday, after the first full week, all four kids did their part, and we were able to (and remembered to) give them their first allowance under the new system!! Way to go AJWS!
Now, all this "newness" led to a need to reorganize the children's banks, i.e. find them and find the money that was supposed to be in them. As it turns out, our kids were loaded! They had money stashed all over the place!! Gold coins here and there from the tooth fairy, baggies of coins from Big Mike, and various and sundry bits of cash from...well, I'm not sure. So, we counted, organized (into the give, save, spend categories) and decided to set some goals. Annie, Jack and Will each gave me "seed" money for a real savings account which they are all excited to open later this week. On top of that, Annie is well on her way to a savings goal for an IPod. Jack hasn't decided yet where his savings will go, but a Nintendo DS is looking very attractive. Will has his sights set on some new clothes for John his elephant to be purchased at Build-A-Bear. Not bad. All in all, I'd say the four of them were pretty excited once all was said and done. And, they were very motivated to not only keep earning (good for me) but to keep better track of their money from now on (always good).
But what about Sam's goals you might be wondering. Interesting. Now Sammy, who is only 4, has lost no teeth, has never earned allowance even back in the days when I was supposedly paying it, somehow has amassed a small fortune of $26.44!! None of us are quite sure how this happened, but we cracked open his piggy, and there it was. Sam considers himself the luckiest boy in the world, but not for the reasons you might think. Even though he apparently has a magic piggy bank that mints money (could be the only thing that can help our new president out of this mess), that is not why he is so excited....no, no. Sam is excited because he has decided he is lucky. And when you see him, he will tell you without hesitation, "I am a lucky boy." And when you ask him why, he'll tell you, "because I have a Chuck E. Cheezits penny." He is lucky because he is the only one who in all the counting and reconciling, plotting and planning, has found real treasure....a Chuck E. Cheese coin in his bank...a priceless commodity. So, in these rough times, when we all are looking for a little financial security, making resolutions about saving and budgets, and hoping for our future, it's nice to know some things remain steady and certain. You can rest assured that even in our current economy, the future of Chuck E. Cheezits is secure, thanks to Lucky Sam and him money-making piggy bank!
Now, all this "newness" led to a need to reorganize the children's banks, i.e. find them and find the money that was supposed to be in them. As it turns out, our kids were loaded! They had money stashed all over the place!! Gold coins here and there from the tooth fairy, baggies of coins from Big Mike, and various and sundry bits of cash from...well, I'm not sure. So, we counted, organized (into the give, save, spend categories) and decided to set some goals. Annie, Jack and Will each gave me "seed" money for a real savings account which they are all excited to open later this week. On top of that, Annie is well on her way to a savings goal for an IPod. Jack hasn't decided yet where his savings will go, but a Nintendo DS is looking very attractive. Will has his sights set on some new clothes for John his elephant to be purchased at Build-A-Bear. Not bad. All in all, I'd say the four of them were pretty excited once all was said and done. And, they were very motivated to not only keep earning (good for me) but to keep better track of their money from now on (always good).
But what about Sam's goals you might be wondering. Interesting. Now Sammy, who is only 4, has lost no teeth, has never earned allowance even back in the days when I was supposedly paying it, somehow has amassed a small fortune of $26.44!! None of us are quite sure how this happened, but we cracked open his piggy, and there it was. Sam considers himself the luckiest boy in the world, but not for the reasons you might think. Even though he apparently has a magic piggy bank that mints money (could be the only thing that can help our new president out of this mess), that is not why he is so excited....no, no. Sam is excited because he has decided he is lucky. And when you see him, he will tell you without hesitation, "I am a lucky boy." And when you ask him why, he'll tell you, "because I have a Chuck E. Cheezits penny." He is lucky because he is the only one who in all the counting and reconciling, plotting and planning, has found real treasure....a Chuck E. Cheese coin in his bank...a priceless commodity. So, in these rough times, when we all are looking for a little financial security, making resolutions about saving and budgets, and hoping for our future, it's nice to know some things remain steady and certain. You can rest assured that even in our current economy, the future of Chuck E. Cheezits is secure, thanks to Lucky Sam and him money-making piggy bank!
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Our boys are....
.....growing up so fast!!! This week marked a couple of milestones. First, Jack lost one of his upper teeth, making him look like a prizefighter...
You should see the other guy!!!
And, Will, trying to be in all ways like his older brother (definitely in that stage of hero worship right now...too cute), tried his first cheeseburger!!
This may seem like no big deal to most of you, but for us, living in the land of chicken and french fries only, this adds a whole new dimension to the Hutton menu options! Way to go boys!!
You should see the other guy!!!
And, Will, trying to be in all ways like his older brother (definitely in that stage of hero worship right now...too cute), tried his first cheeseburger!!
This may seem like no big deal to most of you, but for us, living in the land of chicken and french fries only, this adds a whole new dimension to the Hutton menu options! Way to go boys!!
A complete misnomer....
Sleepovers. Completely misnamed. More like, no sleep while you're over, but I guess that is just too long. We are in that season of our lives (acutally in that season of Annie's life) where sleepovers are becoming an every weekend event. I must start by saying that we are still slightly lucky. I mean, Jack hasn't really started having sleepovers yet (not because he doesn't want to but because his parents are in complete denial that he is old enough) and the little boys are a few years off. Our Jack does get asked over to his friend Jack W.'s house often, but having his friends here, just hasn't happened much yet. The Grahams don't really count, I mean, of course they count, but they are more like family. Annie, on the other hand, is all over it. Last night is a perfect example. Her sweet friend Brigitte came over after school for a playdate. This is always a slippery slope on a Friday. The girls had a fabulous time at the block party that ensued in front of Sarah's house (I think the grand total was 4 moms and 18 kids, not counting the one in Ginger's belly). And I was actually quite surprised at how long they waited before the lobbying began.
"Hey Mom, do you think we could have a sleepover?"
In a moment of weakness I responded, why not! I must say that Brigitte couldn't be a more lovely guest. I guess being the youngest of 4, and Annie being the oldest of 4, and both girls having only brothers, well, they just know to expect and embrace the craziness that comes from big families. So, the block party ended and we went home, the Grahams joined us for dinner and a movie (although I'm not sure this is ever truly enjoyable for Sarah since inevitably one of her boys leaves my house in tears...usually it is Kyle, but he was working late last night). After a couple of quick stories, the boys were out like a light. We told the girls they could stay up until 9:30 (very early by most sleepover standards, at least so I'm told by the girls) which is way past normal (my) bedtime. Ames, Annie and Brig played a fun-filled game of Monopoly, including a hilarious "I won Free Parking" dance started by Ames and perfected by Brig. Finally, at 9:50, the girls settled down on their bed and whispered until who knows when....I went to sleep! At 3:20 I woke to the sounds of more whispers (who am I kidding, I woke to a 4 year old climbing over me trying to get to the good spot in the middle of our bed...but I did hear the whispers). The girls assured me that they had just woken up and couldn't get back to sleep. Too sleepy to pursue the truth and hopeful that it was just a bad dream, I went back to bed. Only to be awakened for good at 6:30 by Jack (don't these kids know it is Saturday and they don't have to get up!!!) Low and behold....Annie and Brigitte were already awake and watching TV in the den!!!!!!!! Yikes, do they ever sleep. So, later today, after friends have gone home and 3 basketball games are played, the crash will occur. Thank goodness we already have a babysitter lined up for tonight! Good luck to her!
Beautiful girls!!! (yes, they do brush their teeth, but couldn't resist this pic after a little black frosting from a snowman cookie....may come back to haunt them someday...heh heh!)
"Hey Mom, do you think we could have a sleepover?"
In a moment of weakness I responded, why not! I must say that Brigitte couldn't be a more lovely guest. I guess being the youngest of 4, and Annie being the oldest of 4, and both girls having only brothers, well, they just know to expect and embrace the craziness that comes from big families. So, the block party ended and we went home, the Grahams joined us for dinner and a movie (although I'm not sure this is ever truly enjoyable for Sarah since inevitably one of her boys leaves my house in tears...usually it is Kyle, but he was working late last night). After a couple of quick stories, the boys were out like a light. We told the girls they could stay up until 9:30 (very early by most sleepover standards, at least so I'm told by the girls) which is way past normal (my) bedtime. Ames, Annie and Brig played a fun-filled game of Monopoly, including a hilarious "I won Free Parking" dance started by Ames and perfected by Brig. Finally, at 9:50, the girls settled down on their bed and whispered until who knows when....I went to sleep! At 3:20 I woke to the sounds of more whispers (who am I kidding, I woke to a 4 year old climbing over me trying to get to the good spot in the middle of our bed...but I did hear the whispers). The girls assured me that they had just woken up and couldn't get back to sleep. Too sleepy to pursue the truth and hopeful that it was just a bad dream, I went back to bed. Only to be awakened for good at 6:30 by Jack (don't these kids know it is Saturday and they don't have to get up!!!) Low and behold....Annie and Brigitte were already awake and watching TV in the den!!!!!!!! Yikes, do they ever sleep. So, later today, after friends have gone home and 3 basketball games are played, the crash will occur. Thank goodness we already have a babysitter lined up for tonight! Good luck to her!
Beautiful girls!!! (yes, they do brush their teeth, but couldn't resist this pic after a little black frosting from a snowman cookie....may come back to haunt them someday...heh heh!)
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Sam's 4th Birthday!
It snowed on Sam's actual birthday, and typical Texas weather, 3 days later at his party, we played duck-duck-goose in the front yard in our jammies! Happy Birthday Sammy!
First, a little pizza picnic with friends watching Snoopy...
..then a little duck-duck-goose
...red rover for the over 4 crowd!
Followed by delicious cake!! Thanks Casa Linda!
Yea Sammy!! Happy Birthday my little monkey man! We love you!
First, a little pizza picnic with friends watching Snoopy...
..then a little duck-duck-goose
...red rover for the over 4 crowd!
Followed by delicious cake!! Thanks Casa Linda!
Yea Sammy!! Happy Birthday my little monkey man! We love you!
It's been such a long time....
...but, I'm back!! Happy New Year!! It has been such a long time since I last blogged, and so much has happened, that I don't really know where to start. So the highlights are as follows: We spent the week between Christmas and back to school enjoying time with friends from other places (not necessarily low places, but then again...) as well as good friends from right here in the hood (thanks Grahams for a great NYE and Bertas for a fun-filled NYD). First, Uncle Sambo and Aunt Kendra came all the way from North Carolina to Big D and that, my friends, is a present to my children (and to us) all by itself. 
They are such amazing folks and will, someday, make unbelievable parents. I hope time with the Buttons doesn't provide too much birth control. Bring on the cousins!! But sweet Jack, especially, is always very sad to say goodbye and wants to know when we will see our favorite Asheville residents again. February, my sweet little man, February!! Yea!!
Then, we got a chance to visit with our favorite Houstonians (and that is saying a lot for Ames who hates all things Houston). Aunt Valerie (a born and bred Houstonian but we love her so much we overlook that terrible distinction), Dr. Matt (an HP Scot like us who made the ultimate sacrifice for love) and their 3 precious children, Mary Shannon, Rachel and baby Will (he is going to hate it, but he just might be Baby Will all his life). Got no pics to share..so sad....really need a new camera. Thanks for the vino, Christmas goodies and time spent laughing and talking (and maybe there was a little drinking, but I'm not too sure.....).
Last but certainly not least, a brief, but fabulous, visit from the Knippas....minus K-Dawg, the Grand PooBa (woof woof).
...beautiful children, with a gorgeous mother (unfortunately not in any pics). Brad, how did you manage to marry so far up!! Next time, it is all Huttons and all Knippas...let the fun begin.
So, after pick-up soccer games, movies at the mall, sleepovers, playdates and good old-fashioned hang out in your jammies until noon days, our vacation has come to a close. And, as always, it was so much fun to spend our time with all these incredible families. We are truly blessed to be surrounded by such amazing people! Thanks for sharing your holiday with the Huttons!
They are such amazing folks and will, someday, make unbelievable parents. I hope time with the Buttons doesn't provide too much birth control. Bring on the cousins!! But sweet Jack, especially, is always very sad to say goodbye and wants to know when we will see our favorite Asheville residents again. February, my sweet little man, February!! Yea!!
Then, we got a chance to visit with our favorite Houstonians (and that is saying a lot for Ames who hates all things Houston). Aunt Valerie (a born and bred Houstonian but we love her so much we overlook that terrible distinction), Dr. Matt (an HP Scot like us who made the ultimate sacrifice for love) and their 3 precious children, Mary Shannon, Rachel and baby Will (he is going to hate it, but he just might be Baby Will all his life). Got no pics to share..so sad....really need a new camera. Thanks for the vino, Christmas goodies and time spent laughing and talking (and maybe there was a little drinking, but I'm not too sure.....).
Last but certainly not least, a brief, but fabulous, visit from the Knippas....minus K-Dawg, the Grand PooBa (woof woof).
...beautiful children, with a gorgeous mother (unfortunately not in any pics). Brad, how did you manage to marry so far up!! Next time, it is all Huttons and all Knippas...let the fun begin.
So, after pick-up soccer games, movies at the mall, sleepovers, playdates and good old-fashioned hang out in your jammies until noon days, our vacation has come to a close. And, as always, it was so much fun to spend our time with all these incredible families. We are truly blessed to be surrounded by such amazing people! Thanks for sharing your holiday with the Huttons!
Monday, January 5, 2009
Sunday, January 4, 2009
More on the Rocket Resolution
So a few days ago I teased with announcing my grand new year's Rocket Resolution of doing 100 pushups per day for 2009. Brief update: I've "successfully" done 400 pushups (total) in the first 4 days of the year. So long as you're quantifying "success" in terms of pain.
The real purpose of this post is to give the back story for the inspiration for this resolution. So subject to future factual correction, here goes: We have a friend whose father is a Marine veteran (ooh-rah). Several years after passing his 50th birthday, he (the father, or "Rocket") decided that he would do 100 pushups a day, and he kept very meticulous records of his progress. After getting into his program, he added rules for special days: extra pushups for anniversaries, birthdays of family members, etc. In about 1997, he realized that if he upped his total to 400 per day, he could hit 1,000,000--that's one million pushups--by the turn of the millennium. So he did.
In any event, by the end of 2007, Rocket had pumped out over 1.7 million pushups. (Just ask and he'll give you the exact total!) Somehow, I've known Rocket for over 4 years and I just heard about his pushups last month. So I decided that I'd emulate Rocket in 2009 with 100 pushups a day. I have no intention of making this list, I do want to see if I can do it. My own personal quest, as it were. And I've roped Kyle in to keep me accountable. I'll do my best to update my daily, monthly and yearly progress in the box over on the right. And as I said a few days ago, your positive reinforcement is appreciated!
The real purpose of this post is to give the back story for the inspiration for this resolution. So subject to future factual correction, here goes: We have a friend whose father is a Marine veteran (ooh-rah). Several years after passing his 50th birthday, he (the father, or "Rocket") decided that he would do 100 pushups a day, and he kept very meticulous records of his progress. After getting into his program, he added rules for special days: extra pushups for anniversaries, birthdays of family members, etc. In about 1997, he realized that if he upped his total to 400 per day, he could hit 1,000,000--that's one million pushups--by the turn of the millennium. So he did.
In any event, by the end of 2007, Rocket had pumped out over 1.7 million pushups. (Just ask and he'll give you the exact total!) Somehow, I've known Rocket for over 4 years and I just heard about his pushups last month. So I decided that I'd emulate Rocket in 2009 with 100 pushups a day. I have no intention of making this list, I do want to see if I can do it. My own personal quest, as it were. And I've roped Kyle in to keep me accountable. I'll do my best to update my daily, monthly and yearly progress in the box over on the right. And as I said a few days ago, your positive reinforcement is appreciated!
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