Plain Cardboard

I couldn't think of a title to this post so I named it after Kevin's future band. Not that he wants to be a musician, he just thinks that would be a cool band name. I agree.

Earlier this evening I was complaining to Dana about not having anything to do in the evenings. So I decided what better way to spend the evening than sharing some new pictures of the boys? Then I tried uploading the pictures and almost decided it wasn't worth it. Gotta love the way this site works sometimes.

Ok, so we got the boys signed up for soccer this weekend. I keep hearing that soccer is big around here but it isn't like what we're used to. The Spring season is almost like an afterthought. The kids don't get on one team and stay there. Instead they go through a "draft" each year. We'll see how that works out. Also, soccer and baseball completely overlap each other so we're down to one sport now. Both boys chose soccer without a moment's hesitation.

We also took the boys by the Space and Rocket Center to see the free stuff. (We'll save the paying trip for later) They were quite impressed with the Saturn V as well as the SR71. We spent quite a bit of time in the gift shop too. Neat stuff if you ever get the chance.

And one more note. I was late getting home today because I WAS DOING SOMETHING! Yay me! I'm finally starting to earn my pay. Sort of.

On to the pictures:

The boys got some dinosaur tattoos and stuck them on their arms. I tried to get them to show their guns for a photo but Kevin wouldn't really cooperate. I couldn't decide which one to show because they both came out cute so I'll show them both.

I just love the look on Cade's face. Cameron has a usual Cameron look. Kevin wouldn't flex.

Less intimidating shot of the boys. I like Cameron's look.

Cade drug out this old Spiderman puzzle this weekend. He wouldn't pose for the photo though.

I had to include this photo of Kevin and Cameron when we first got this puzzle way back two houses ago. They've grown a little. Please excuse Cameron in his underwear. He didn't have any idea this photo would ever be posted on the internet for the whole world to see.

Cameron and I went for a bike ride this weekend out behind the neighborhood and found this new-to-us short trail through the trees. The boys have probably ridden their bikes more in the last month than they did all last year. Cameron was going to take Kevin to this place yesterday but about 30 seconds into the ride Kevin crashed. He's ok though. The gravel broke his fall. He came limping back home with some gnarly road rash on his arm and leg.

Sometimes Cade rides his "special bike" and sometimes he rides with me. For clarification, his special bike is his bicycle. His dirt bike is his plastic 2 wheeler. And his "loud loud bike" is his dirt bike (which he isn't allowed to ride yet but wants to).

Two quick stories I have to share about Cade. Last week Dana and Cade were paying for the groceries at Wal-mart. When they finished and were leaving, Cade told the cashier, "Thank you for shopping at Wal-mart!" Does that mean Dana goes to Wal-mart too often?

A few days before that he was telling Dana he wanted to get bigger. Usually, when he does this he says he wants to get bigger so he can ride the loud loud bike. But this time, when Dana asked him why he wants to get bigger he replied, "So I can drive." Where did that come from? I guess he just decided to skip the small stuff and go big.

On a related note, Cameron recently told Dana he's worried about learning to drive because he's afraid someone might hit him from behind when he's stopped. Where did he get that? When I was his age I was poking sticks in the dirt and pretending to shift. Rules of the road never crossed my mind.

Settling In

Well, we're slowly getting into the swing of things around here. The boys are getting more comfortable and learning that they have to work a little harder in school than they used to. Kevin finished last semester with straight A's and started this semester with, well, let's say NOT straight A's. Or even crooked or alternating A's. Pretty much no A's of any kind. After he realized what his grades looked like on his progress report he just about had a cow. Needless to say, since then he's been working harder and his grades are improving dramatically. I have no doubt he can bring every one up to an A.

Cameron is mostly having some issues with his behavior in class. It isn't really bad but he stands up and sometimes talk when he isn't supposed to or just doesn't pay attention like he should (surprise!). Apparently, New Mexico kids are much more rowdy and undisciplined than Alabama kids because no teacher has ever mentioned any problems with Cam until now. But we talked to him about it and he too has improved dramatically according to his teacher.

Dana and Cade continue to hold down the fort during the day and have their own routine set. Now that my wife is retired, I keep telling her she should be getting up and making my breakfast every morning and having a snack and my slippers waiting when I get home but she tells me she's a union organized housewife now and that doesn't fit in with her break times and payscale. I figure it's cheaper, quicker and just easier if I do it all myself.

I still don't know what I'm doing at work.

Enough chatter. Here are a few new pictures I've taken over the last couple of weeks.

A couple of weeks ago we all wandered through and around the wooded area behind our house. We ended up doing a loop around our part of the neighborhood. I thought this moment with Kevin and Cade made for a good photo opportunity.

The boys, especially Cameron, like to ride their bikes down a nearby dirt road to another wooded area. Cameron likes to go over there to watch the sunset. I thought Cade, Cameron and I were going out for a quick walk when I got home from work today but we ended up being gone for an hour because Cameron wanted to see the sunset through the trees. That much walking in my work clothes and shoes was not much fun. We pretty much missed the sunset too.

This is how much room Cade normally has to ride his "special bike". It's a far cry from our huge ol' honking - and empty - driveway in Las Cruces. He only gets this much space when I pull the Expedition out of the driveway and into the street. Poor little guy. Notice, our side of the street doesn't have any sidewalks either. Grrr!

Here's one of our normal evening activities. Playing dominos! This is how you play, right? Here, Cade is racing the line of dominos after me and my apparently fat, round head got them started. Someone please tell Dana to never, ever take a picture of me from this angle again.

Cade, unlike his father, looks cute from any angle.

Sometimes.

Cade had just pushed his bicycle off the curb and into the street when I took this. I just thought he looked cute. (There is no nothing on this street by the way. So no danger of him getting run over.)

One quick, soon to be funny fact: Yesterday, when the temperature was in the mid-sixties or so, Dana said she liked the feel of the humidity and thought it felt good. Remember that and compare it to what she says this summer.