THE EYES OF TEXAS

We’re back from the game. We were gone exactly 24 1/2 hours and spent 650$. Was it it worth it? YES! That is college football. You spend what it takes and don’t complain. It still would have been worth it had the Horns lost the game. (The win just makes the drive home bearable for Lance.) It was an ugly win, and I’m pretty frustrated with this team, but right now I’m just happy we won. I was stressed most of the game and started relying on prayer by the end of the first quarter. And yes, I think it is perfectly fine to pray for my team to win a football game.

I have to say my favorite memory of the game after winning was some loser sooner saying “congratufuckinglations” to me. And my dad telling him to “suck it”. I have maybe one friend who will find this amusing because her dad would have done the same thing under similar circumstances. You have to love my dad, he tells it like it is. The loser sooner’s friend thought it was pretty funny too.

Me and Dad

Me and My Uncle Steve

Me and My Baby, who wears UT clothing just for me!

Last night we were showing the kids how to find the game on TV while we’re gone on Saturday. Hulk was so excited and kept saying “OU sucks!” I found this endearing, Lance was a bit disturbed. Goose’s favorite phrase is “beat the hell out of OU!” I guess I am teaching them bad words, but I don’t see a problem. They seem to understand it’s only against OU.

I was asking Hulk is he wanted to wear his “O Who?” shirt today. He thought I said OU shirt. He completed freaked out and had a meltdown because he thought that I was making him a sooner.

I hope they always act like this!

Tomorrow is TEXAS/OU. Although I waivered a bit earlier in the week, Lance and I will be at the game. The only reason I considered staying home was because I am still sick and don’t seem to be getting better. I figured making a twenty-four hour trip to Dallas would only make me feel worse. The fact that Goose’s school carnival is tomorrow during the game had NOTHING to do with it. And I am fine with that. Honestly, kind of proud of it. Goose will be watching the game while his classmates are at the carnival. He has watched every TX/OU game since birth as have the rest of the kids.

Last night one of Lance’s friends said he wasn’t watching the game because his kid had to attend a birthday party. Really? First, can’t his wife take the kid to the party? And second…oh well. The kid is six, it’s okay to miss a party at six. The guy also mentioned a soccer game. Do I need to even go into the importance of a soccer game at six? So while I just thought the guy was crazy for missing the game (on TV), Lance thought to himself that he (Lance) was a bad dad.

Then today, at the gym, a guy told me he was missing the game because it was his son’s birthday party. A better present might have been taking his child to the game. Or how about scheduling the party on Sunday instead of Saturday. I just don’t understand it.

So does this make me a bad parent? Are my priorities totally out of whack? I just don’t think so. This is college football!!!

OU SUCKS

Anyone out there think that Lance and I don’t rate our kids on a daily basis? Usually there is a clear winner and loser on our list. Today each one of them was working for last place. They all put up a good fight…

Baby Hulk didn’t mind today at swim lessons and kept saying poo poo and pee pee. The teacher finally had to pull him out of the pool for refusing to listen. Such a proud moment.

Goose decided he didn’t want to do any work today. This was even after the teacher pulled him from his work station and had him working on the floor next to her desk. Guess who will be super busy tomorrow?

As I was telling Lance about Goose’s school situation, he read me an email from one of Squirt’s teachers. It seems he was talking during a test. Oh, and this is the second email we have received from this teacher regarding Squirt and talking.

And my lovely little Kobra. He woke up from his nap in a foul mood and screamed nonstop for over an hour. He didn’t want food, his sippy cup was tossed in fury and I had the honor of cleaning up a huge mess of milk.

Then there is Lance…I specifically called him while he was a the grocery store to ask for something sweet, something simple like a Twix bar. He came home empty handed. WTH???

Three out of four are in bed and I’m getting ready to open a bottle of wine and soak in the tub.

A few plans for the week…

• Super Saints: we are discussing St. Teresa of Avila and St. Terese, the Little Flower
• Swim lessons
• mom’s group at church
• playing with my boys
• skipping my son’s school carnival for TEXAS/OU
• hopefully, getting better
• lunch with our friend Chris who plans my children’s Halloween costumes
• the zoo with the twins

A picture thought I am sharing…

Lance and I getting ready to celebrate Paul’s Birthday

PS…OU SUCKS

It never ceases to amaze me how rude people at church are about children. If a child makes a peep, all heads turn. I often wonder how mankind has continued all these years with people’s attitudes about children. Tonight we had to attend what I refer to as the last chance Mass at 6 pm at St. Michael’s Church. We were rushing because we had just returned from out of town. We managed to find a couple of seats and slipped in with the kiddos sitting on our laps. We had not been there four minutes when the couple next to us got up and moved away. My kids had not made a sound. We hadn’t been there long enough for them to even get on someone’s nerves. It totally pisses me off. And not to stereotype, but really, of all people, you would think that people who attend the Catholic Church would be a bit more tolerant of kids that are actually alive and attending mass.

I should have known somebody would get sick because we had a vacation planned for me and Lance. It always happens: either me or the kids get sick. I felt so bad this week that I thought we would have to cancel the trip. Never mind the fact that I would be leaving sick kids behind. Thanks so much to my mom for taking care of my kids! Lance and I would never be able to do these weekends without her.

Kobra is getting cuter and cuter as each day passes. And what a personality. I don’t know why I am surprised, but this kid has an attitude. He can’t really talk yet, but boy does he let you know when he is mad. And not just by screaming, which is what Baby Hulk does. He is trying so hard to really talk. Now if only he would try harder to walk!

Ever since Squirt started school, I have rolled down the window as I drop him off for school and yelled goodbye. The little boys love that. (I don’t yell anymore, just a small wave.) Now Baby Hulk shouts after his brother when we drop him for school. I love the fact that while Squirt probably doesn’t think this is the coolest of moves, he still turns and waits for this to happen daily. This is just another example of how sweet this kid is. Sure, he still allows a five year old and a three year old to get under his skin more than he should. But this is also a young man who is bothered by the fact that he will soon be gone and will miss watching his brothers grow up.

Goose has learned a new trick at school…taking the crusts off his sandwich. As picky of an eater as this child is, he has always eaten his entire sandwich. So, imagine my surprise the other day when I saw him pulling off the crusts of his sandwich. When I told him that we eat our crusts, he said, “well, some people don’t.”

Baby Hulk has a new move when he is mad. Peeing on the floor. This kid is so lucky I don’t believe in spanking.

I am so behind on blogging about Super Saints, but we have been meeting and having a blast. I promise to update as soon as I get home.

Gotta run. Lance and I are in Chicago-our favorite place in the world! Nothing like a weekend without the kids! Thanks again, Mom!

I hate change. This could be the quote that defines my life. How sad is that? What’s worse is that my youngest kids seem to be following in my footsteps! Here at Casa Zierlein, we are trying to implement some new changes. No more pacifier for Baby Hulk. No more diapers for the Hulk, and Sippy Cups for Kobra. These changes are not going well so far.

Actually, I am not giving Baby Hulk credit as far as the potty training is going. Especially considering that my form of training for the Hulk is pretty much around MY schedule and not his schedule. A few accidents, but overall, I think he has done pretty well considering that we haven’t stayed at home and done the “potty every twenty minutes” thing.

The pacifier is another issue. It’s totally our fault that Baby Hulk is still addicted to this thing. We were lazy parents that didn’t care if he used the paci. At two, I told him that he could only use the paci to sleep and sometime this summer, I told him he couldn’t use it at all anymore. We went cold turkey and after almost two months, he continues to scream every time I put him down for a nap or to bed. You can imagine how easy this makes it for Kobra to sleep since they share a room. As recently as this afternoon, I caught him in Kobra’s crib sucking on his paci. And yes, I am allowing Kobra to use a paci. It seems I will never learn!

And my dear my little Kobra…I have been giving him a sippy cup for several months to get him used to it without any success. Finally, this week, I decided he had to start using a sippy cup or he would be the laughing stock of Houston like Suri Cruise for still sporting a bottle at 2 years old. (Okay, maybe nobody snaps photos of me and my child at the park, but this could all change seeing as my hubby was named best sports talk show in Houston! (Again.)) Thus far, Kobra has developed an attitude I didn’t know he had. As soon as he sees his sippy cup, he starts shaking his head violently and screaming. If we put it near him, he tosses it. There is no such thing as a leak proof sippy cup no matter what the label claims. I have milk spots all over the floor from his fits of fury. I am worried about dehydration because he is barely drinking at all. But most of all, I am worried about losing my cool. It drives me crazy that he won’t even try to drink from any of the 5 different cups we have purchased so far. Not to mention, any of the different style cups we have borrowed from others in our attempt to get him off the bottle. Here’s hoping tomorrow brings more success!

This morning started out great, then went downhill fast. I feel like we are always rushing in the morning. I’m not the timeliest person, but I do get my kids to school on time. (On time, but NOT EARLY.) I don’t want that to change so every second in the morning counts. I was feeling so good about things this morning until Goose and Baby Hulk started fighting over who got to take out the toothbrushes. It ended with both kids crying after Goose slammed Hulk’s fingers in the drawer. After these two calmed down, they started again because Hulk wouldn’t help Goose carry his lunch box. During this time, the baby was screaming because he doesn’t want to use a sippy cup. Frustrated with the others, I decided to get mad at Squirt too for something really small. As I stewed all the way to drop off Goose, Squirt kept quiet. I kept thinking about how he must think I’m such a bitch. If it had been me, I would have jumped out of the car as soon as I got to school. But not Squirt. He doesn’t hold a grudge. When I dropped him off, he turned to me and said “I love you, I hope your day gets better, Mom.” Then he got out and waited for our morning ritual of me rolling down the window and shouting “I love you” in front of all his friends. He still lets me do that despite the fact that it is so not cool to have Mom shouting at you from her car.

I’m calm now and am so thankful for a son who is loving and forgiving to me when I am so imperfect. He is such an example of how I should be with him.

I know people won’t believe me, but it’s true. Sebastian’s first clear word is Squirt. Okay, really it’s Squirt’s name. It is clear as day to me and Squirt! What I love about this is that one of Goose’s first words was the same thing. It was said with less clarity than Kobra’s, but still distinguishable. Squirt LOVES this.

These little snippets of love between my boys make hard days so worth it!

BTW, Baby Hulk’s first word: cookie.