Band Camp 2008 and the summer hecticness continues....(is that a word?!?)

Our middle DS has been attending band camp this week. This is his second year in attendance and he commutes everyday, so it puts a strain and a drain on our time and gas budget, but it is well worth it. His dad has been a huge trooper and has willingly been doing the commute daily... They leave the house at 7:30am and arrive back at 6:30pm. Yesterday was a longer day and they didn't get back home until 9:30pm.

But our son loves it!!! He is thrilled by the challenge of playing his saxophone and learns so much. He was thrilled to be selected for performing in the High School concert band and feels that he achieved a good position because he is competing against kids who have had private tutors for several years and attend 4A and 5A schools. There are 5 bands that they try out for, 1st Honors, 2nd Symphonic, 3rd Concert, 4th Burgundy, 5th White.

So my son and husband have been getting in some good bonding time together. My husband is a really big trooper because he has predominately been spending his vacation time, just being a driver for our family. Next week he will going out of town on one day for a trip to UTPB to meet with his professors in Odessa, plus one more week of band camp, I don't see how he does it?!? My DH says he is honored to be our son's chaperon and participate and contribute to something that our son loves so much....gotta love him....

The featured guest performer at the band camp this year is a world renowned saxophone player, so our son says he is being very humbled by how much more there is to accomplish in his playing...

We are determined to try once again to find a private tutor for our son. We need to find someone who he can see on a regular basis and who will challenge our son to expand his skills. Our son wants the challenge. He has missed getting placed in state band for the past two years even though he has advanced to Area both years and it is a personal goal of his to achieve state band. It is our understanding that a private instructor will make the difference in his playing level and reaching to new heights in his skills. We have been frustrated with our inability to line anyone up thus far, even after pleading with his band directors, other local band directors and the head band director at WTAMU (who is an accomplished sax player himself). But I am challenged and he wants it, so I will be on a quest...

More B-Day Photos

Couldn't get him to put on a party cap....no, no way...!!!

Hmmm, do you think we bought this for the right person?

Yes, more than 2 candles on the cake, he loves to blow out candles, so we indulged his desires...excessively....isn't that what good parenting is all about?!?
Ready for lots of playing in the backyard, now on to Fort Apricot....(will have to write more about that at a later time....)
Yes, he became very focused on his new Dr. Seuss book from his bigger bro, couln't get him to put it down, so we proceeded anyway...

Big brother time...

Littlest DS and his bigger brother bonding with the birds, little one loves to park his chairs in front of the bird cages and sit and talk with them. We have a cockatiel and a parakeet, now that the baby gates are down (after this photo was taken) he spends quite abit of time nearby. I guess he has been pining to get closer to them and has been as close as the baby gates would allow previously.

Big bro and little one settled in for an afternoon of Lilo and Stitch ...(a new favorite), but we all tolerate seeing it well, at least we haven't seen this movie a hundred times through the years.

Big bro modeling the newest birthday items.

Ta da....drum roll please!!!

And the moment, that so many have been waiting for....

Don't take it too hard, he tolerated it pretty well for a little guy.

Guess, I cut David's a little too short this time also...twinkies....

Two, Two, Two....

We have had a wonderful celebration with Elmo and Sesame Street. Our littlest DS turned two!!!
This was a major day in his life, we took down the baby gates, got rid of the diaper bag and cut his hair for the very first time....Wow overwhelming even for me!

He will now be responsible for carrying his personal items and a few toys in his Thomas backpack!!! He was a champ at strapping it on for church and wore it proudly into the nursery! My littlest is sure growing up awful fast.

His favorite meal, meatloaf and broccoli!!! It was either that or salmon patties and brown rice. Strange tastes for a little one, but hey, the kid eats dirt and loves it....
It was love from first sight!!! He found his truck in our bedroom the night before his birthday celebration, he even tried to get the truck into bed with him when he laid down for the night!!! A boy and his dump truck.

The next major milestone, is getting rid of the bottle, he only drinks his milk from a bottle and he loves to drink milk and I have not been able to change that at the moment, it truly is a test of wills and his is winning at the moment. But I took care of a little girl yesterday who is 15 months and has not had a bottle since she turned one, my DH asked if Michael was embarassed and to tell you the truth, the little girl about did a body slam on Michael to get his bottle from him so she could drink from it...

Couponing Exposed!!!

Okay, you have been warned!!! This is a look into my most private stash....It is a little embarassing...Only really close and personal family members have previously been invited to see this...


Yes, that is right it is all contained in a 3" zippered binder, expanded to the limit....


Can you say excessive and exhaustive...

Can you say, this woman definitely has issues?!? Categorized perfectly....

My massive haul of 10 flyers with the amazingly coveted Farmland meat coupons....my family will definitely be tired of pork products by Fall....

Realistically, it is helpful, but to coupon to this level, takes quite abit of your time. Clipping, organizing and staying on top of things. Currently, I could probably spend about 8 hours clipping and organizing. I am way behind on getting organized....

The truth is in the matter. I have taken our grocery bill/home items from over $400 per month in March down to just $140 for the month of July, and that was accomplished only through the use of coupons, smarter shopping and stockpiling.