My Talkative Son

Unfortuately, Stephen and Kendrick have been under the weather the entire weekend--fever, sore throats, coughs, luckily no tummy aches. As a result I got lots of great one on one time with Cavett.

Friday evening we spent with neighbors. Cavett got to stay up late playing with his friend Parker who is a year and a half younger. He played so well with him and was so sweet and I got to catch up with his mommy, Nichole.

Saturday was yard day. We went to the Garden Center and bought flowers for the front yard and did lots of weed pulling in the flower beds. Since Cavett had stayed up late the night before, a nap was in order. I continued to work in the yard and poor Stephen even helped out using the neighbor's power washer on the side of the house and trimming some shrubs. The treat of the day was going to Isabela's "Happy Heart" Party. She was having one last hurrah before her next heart surgery which is scheduled for April 14. Cavett thoroughly enjoyed the trampoline and the pinata. As always they played "Doctor" as well this time covering both of Cavett's eyes with band-aids.

This morning the boys were still sick, so Cavett and I headed to church. Afterwards we enjoyed the Pure Sound Spaghetti Auction and ran a few errands on the way home.

All this to say, we had much time in the car to have lengthy conversations. After Isabela's party hanging with the girls, Cavett told me that he wants a big sister so that he can give her "toe paint" (finger nail polish.) Of course, I told him that that would be impossible, but he might could have a baby sister. That didn't intrigue him as much.

Another subject was after we saw two motorcycles pulled over by a cop on the way to church. I told him that they were going way too fast. So fast that they may even have to go to jail. Cavett's response, "like a cage in a castle?" (a la Disney's Robin Hood). From there the good guys and bad guys conversation commenced which also included good pirates and bad pirates with and without swords.

On the way home we discussed seasons and how on the "bottom" of the world it is beginning to become colder, while here it is beginning to get hotter. You may remember from a couple of weeks ago's children's sermon we are very into geography and the people in other countries. He also discussed the fact that he wants to go to Mexico and California one day. I reminded him that he had been to California to see Joe and "Kay-ee" when he was Kendrick's age, but of course he didn't remember that.

The best part of all though was the statement he made out of the blue on Friday afternoon while Kendrick was napping. "Mommy, you will always be my best friend." It brought tears to my eyes. If only, I could get that in writing.

Literacy Thursday

**Welcome to Literacy Thursdays. This post is designed to highlight some of our favorite books in hopes that you will blog about yours. We are always looking for new books to discover. Literacy is so important and even at the youngest of ages is crucial to development. If you don't have children of your own volunteer at a school, read to a neighborhood child, but get involved. It's a great way to share quality time with the youngest of our society.

Here's the play by play: You blog about your book. Give me a shout out in your blog by creating a link to my blog and using my Literacy button. Then at the bottom of my post, you will find Mr. Linky. Sign your name and add the web address of your post. Your post will automatically be linked to mine leaving a list for all to peruse. I hope you will join us.**

This week's post is dedicated to Dr. Seuss. His birthday was on Monday and he is by far one of the best authors in children's literature. Here are some possibly little know facts about the author.

His true name was Theodor Seuss Geisel and he used the pen name Theo. LeSieg (Geisel spelled backwards) for books he wrote but others illustrated such as I Wish that I Had Duck Feet and Ten Apples Up on Top.

• Originally he was a political cartoonist.


• Geisel wrote most of his books in anapestic tetrameter, a poetic meter also employed by many poets of the English literary canon.


• Though Geisel made a point of not beginning the writing of his stories with a moral in mind, stating that "kids can see a moral coming a mile off", he was not against writing about issues--social, environmental or political.

The book I'd like to highlight today is his first, And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, written in 1937. It begins with a boy named Marco who comes up with an elaborate scene of what he saw on the way home from school. First it is a horse drawn wagon, but quickly escalates into a full blown parade with confetti, a band, a magician doing tricks, the mayor is there and the policemen lead the way when traffic is thick. The excitement just builds and builds. You cna hardly stand it as Marco rushes up the steps to his house. However, in the end Marco pulls up a chair and tells his father the truth--it was just a plain horse and wagon on Mulberry Street.

More fun trivia: "Mulberry Street" is the name of a street in Springfield, Massachusetts, not far from Dr. Seuss' boyhood home on Fairfield Street, and may be the source of the book's name.

Happy Suess Week from the Hills!

My Favorite Things

I participated in Mamarazzi's My Favorite Things Swap. It's a super cool idea and such fun. A few weeks ago I signed up and was paired with up with Liz from Fairy Chimneys Revisited. We each put together a box of some of our favorite things and sent them in the mail on Monday. Today I received my box from Liz and I was super excited to find 10 items wrapped in fun pink paper with a little note.


Here is what Liz wrote and the corresponding item:


1. My favorite place to jot down ideas-especially important for blogging! Tiny moleskin notebooks.

2. Keeps my lips happy and healthy. Burt Bee's lip balm


3. Doesn't matter the weather-my outfit is not complete without one of these. Beautiful pink scarf



4. This smell makes me feel extra yummy. Vanilla Noir lotion


5. I always keep one of these tucked away in my purse for the unexpected. A tote bag that folds up so tiny!


6. Every girl needs her own set! Colorful pens


7. The absolute yummiest! Chocolate covered Peanut Butter Pretzels


8. Purple makes everything better. Nail polish


9. Keeps my hands soft and smelling like spring time. Cucumber Melon lotion


10. Because they look good on everyone! Cool H & M sunglasses


I have to say, she picked some really awesome stuff!!!!! We ripped into the pretzel tonight and she wasn't lying--the yummiest! Stephen thinks the sunglasses really rock and I love the moleskin notebooks and the pens the best! Lately I have been carrying around a tiny spiral notebook for just such the need and I am a sucker for a set of colors of any kind. So, thank you so much Liz! What a great treat for a mommy who doesn't treat herself to such fun little things!

Operation Sell My House: Project #2

Project number #2 was completed last night. I added a swag to the window above the bathtub in the Master bathroom. It looks especially good when the lighting is right. All total hours:2. Not bad. Again, why hadn't I done this before?

Today I'm making the pillow that matches the swag to put on the chair in the retreat area.

Shout Out Sunday

Today's shout out goes to the Davis family! We have now know Trumon and Adrianne for 17 years now. We all went to undergrad at Centenary and then Stephen followed Trumon down to Houston for dental school. They hosted us during our latest stay in Dallas and we couldn't have been more comfortable. We throughly enjoyed catching up with them and having "shop" talk. To have someone who knows exactly all the details and ins and outs of what you are going through is highly helpful.

However, the best part of the time together was watching the little ones interact. Cavett calls their eldest son "Big Walker." (We have a baby Walker friend, too.) Walker and Cavett are so much alike that it isn't even funny. They are a about a month apart in age. They play off each other and really enjoy the friendship.

Kendrick is a bit older than their youngest, Lauren. But, she still gave him quite a few smiles and watched his every move.

We are blessed to have such wonderful friends open their home to us and lend an ear for moral support. It will be great fun to have them nearer if and when we move that way. Thanks again guys!

A Few More

We drove up to Allen again Thursday night and met with the "sort of partner." All is looking good still. Again I will elaborate more later...confidentiality, you know.



In the mean time, I found a few more dental practices to wonder about....

• Comfort Dental-kind of goes along with the previous list.


• Absolute Dental-what do they do? Maybe you get a shot of vodka before you get any work done.


• Master's Hand Dental-pardon me, but I thought the Master's Hand was God. You know he's the one that made them in the first place.

On another note, Stephen is considering Hill Dental Studio. Thoughts?

Literacy Thursday

**Welcome to Literacy Thursdays. This post is designed to highlight some of our favorite books in hopes that you will blog about yours. We are always looking for new books to discover. Literacy is so important and even at the youngest of ages is crucial to development. If you don't have children of your own volunteer at a school, read to a neighborhood child, but get involved. It's a great way to share quality time with the youngest of our society.

Here's the play by play: You blog about your book. Give me a shout out in your blog by creating a link to my blog and using my Literacy button. Then at the bottom of my post, you will find Mr. Linky. Sign your name and add the web address of your post. Your post will automatically be linked to mine leaving a list for all to peruse. I hope you will join us.**

If you are interested in reinforcing the alphabet in an older child or looking for a book that introduces some new vocabulary words while paralleling the alphabet, check into this week's book--The Z Was Zapped by Chris Van Allsburg. Produced by the Alphabet Theatre, this book is a play in twenty-six acts. Each page has a clever black and white drawing of a letter with something happening to it on stage. For example, the first page has the letter A with rocks falling on it. You turn the page and it says, "The A was in an Avalanche." Therefore, it gives kids the opportunity to come up with their own description of what is happening and then see if it matches. Of course, Cavett's favorite is the 26th act when Z is zapped! This website also has a great teaching guide.

Addendum: Ah ha!!!! I went to put in thte hyper links and figured it out! I knew I recognized the author and the drawings......He also wrote Jumanji, Polar Bear Express, etc.....I'm such a nincompoop! Duh!