Zane's First Movie at the Theater

As a continuation of the birthday festivities, we decided to take Zane to a full-length feature at the local movie theater.  We decided on Madagascar 2.  

Overall, he did a great job sitting through the whole movie!  The only distracting part was that he had to get up to go to the bathroom four times!  Jody and I took turns taking him, but it wasn't that bad.  I mean, usually, when Jody and I see a movie together, we don't really eat or drink anything.  They are way overpriced, and we usually eat dinner beforehand.  But we wanted Zane to have to whole movie experience, so we got him popcorn and a sprite.  Holy crap- if you have never gotten a drink from the theater, beware of the sizes!  A SMALL drink had to have been like 30 ounces or more!  Really, it wasn't a surprise that the kid had to pee so often!  But with that aside, he enjoyed the movie, and he even danced when some of the parts of the movie had music. 

It's cool knowing that he's old enough to take to the movies now, though.  Someday, Gage will be old enough to take, too, and we will be able to have a family night at the theater.  (But we will have dinner first... and no gigantic drinks!)

Here is Zane, proudly holding his movie ticket!'

He is looking in awe at all of that popcorn!

Enjoying his popcorn and drink at the movies.

Daddy and Zane waiting for the movie to start.

Mommy and Zane waiting for the movie to start.

Zane's 4th Birthday Party!

Well, I don't advise it... in fact, I strongly advise against it, but we had Zane's 4th birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese's.  Oh yeah, it's a great place for kids to eat pizza and cake, get all hyper, run around and play games, but for parents, it's a nightmare!  Okay, so moving away from the stress that I went through, I am just going to blog about the birthday boy and the fun time he had at his party!

Let me start off by saying that Zane used to be petrified by the big rat (Chuck E.).  He would go to other kids' parties, and when he saw it, he would cry or hide.  (Or both.)  For some reason, that fear turned into absolute adoration.  When Chuck E. came out to wish all the little birthday kids a happy birthday, Zane's face lit up, and he kept yelling, "Hi Chuck E.!!  Over here, Chuck E.!!"  He even followed him around like the big rat's little entourage.  

So after Chuck E.'s appearance, it was time for cake and ice cream.  I got this lovely cupcake-cake (which is all the new rage by the way- if you don't know) that was decorated with a Cars theme- complete with a real, working Lightening McQueen.  Zane blew out all four of his candles, ate a cupcake, and then it was on to presents.

He got some wonderful gifts!  Books, toys, games, clothes, and we got him his first digital camera.  (Which he loves to take pictures with, and isn't a half-bad little photographer! Sometime, I will upload his pictures, and I will post a blog with Zane pics.  : )

So after all of that, the kids got to go and use up the last of their tokens and burn off some energy.  Zane even hit a jackpot of tickets (247) on a game!

Now here's the craziest part of the whole night:  a fight broke out at Chuck E. Cheese.  Yeah.  And I'm not talking about a little spat between some kids.  Nope.  Four grown men began to pummel each other.  I was holding Gage, and Jody and Zane had just come around the corner toward me after Zane hit that jackpot.  Suddenly, there was a crowd surge toward the door, and these fighting guys (who were taking off shirts and everything) were taken outside.  The managers locked up the doors to where no one could get in or out.  Someone said they had knives.  I don't understand it, but it was a little ridiculous, to say the least.  

Anyway, after all of that craziness, Zane cashed in his tickets for prizes.  He got a ball, a water-squirting dolphin, a big lollipop, and a fake snake.  Ah, the things that amuse 4 year olds!  I know he had a great time at his party, though, and next year, I am going to try to persuade him into a birthday party at our house!  Or, at least one that does not involve a giant pizza-eating rat... : )

Equipped with a cup of tokens, Zane is ready to play some games!

Gage was clapping- he was excited to be climbing on things!

Here's Zane blowing out his four candles...

He was very excited about how many tickets he won!  Here he is feeding them into the counter:

Enjoying his winnings after a great birthday!

Taking a picture of me taking a picture of him with his new camera!

Zane's Last Soccer Game of the Season

Well, he came a long way from that first day stepping out onto the practice field.  From not wanting to let go of his daddy's leg, to barely even coming to the sideline to be by his daddy.  From not wanting anything to do with his teammates, to working together as a team with his teammates.  From not having a name, to having a name, and shouting that name, "Tornadoes!!" into the cold afternoon air.  Zane had become a soccer player!  

The last game of the season.  It was cold.  It was the coldest day that they had had a game yet.  The boys were bundled up in their winter coats, hats, and gloves.  At times, you couldn't even tell which team was which.  But that was okay.  They all played, and even the coach's son (who had spent pretty much every previous game crying and not wanting anything to do with the game) made a goal!  It was a great game, and even though the other team had some soccer prodigy on their team who kept scoring on us, the boys still had a good time.

The team also got their trophies after the game.  That was all that Zane talked about before the game, and when he finally got his, the look on his face was priceless!  He was so proud!  And I was so proud!  I almost cried.  (But I didn't.) 

So, now that the soccer season has ended, I guess we'll be checking out what he might try next.  I know that the YMCA (which is who he played soccer through) has tee ball for the little ones too.  There's also a karate studio that we know the owner of, and that might be kind of interesting, as well.  

Anyway, time for pictures!!  Enjoy!

Zane got to kick off twice during his last game.

My little popsicle soccer player.  It was so cold!

All hands in for the last time...

... "Tornadoes!!!"

Look at that face!!  He is so proud and happy!

And Mommy is very happy and proud of her little soccer player, too!

Random Cuteness

I am totally a way over-proud mom, I'm sure, but I have a few cute pictures of the boys just playing around, being silly, that I wanted to post on here... just because!  So yeah, here you go!

Gage is a happy little soccer spectator watching his brother play.

And there's his brother, having a blast!  Look at him go!

I just couldn't resist posting yet another one of Zane's cute poses!  He does it so well!

They love to chase each other around...

Oh, and since I haven't posted a pic of me and Jody together in a little while, here we are.  (Oh, you know we're cute, too - haha.)

Okay, now you have seen the most current pictures off of my camera.  And the cutest!  More later!

Halloween with the boys

Halloween night was pretty fun.  Gage didn't experience much of it, and Zane experienced ALL of it!  : )

I was half-expecting Gage to not really get the whole trick-or-treat concept, (and he didn't- believe me!) but he wasn't happy about anything having to do with the whole night!  We dressed him up as our Lil' Devil (which Zane was calling a Double all night!).  He didn't really dig the costume, but boy did he ever act the part!  Granted, it was his bedtime, and I don't think he'd had much of a nap all day, but he was very whiney the whole time we were trick-or-treating.  After about a block, and after letting him walk up to a couple of doors, he'd had enough, so Karen took him back to her house to go to bed while the rest of us continued.

Here are me and my devil baby.

The funny thing about this picture is that I didn't even see Gage reaching into another kid's bucket for candy at the time!  It was only after I'd uploaded the pics onto my computer that I noticed it!  I cracked up!

 

Zane was my normal little rock star.  He dressed up as Mr. Incredible from the movie The Incredibles, and let me tell you, Zane was pretty incredible!  I don't think that kid stopped running during our whole trick-or-treat trek!  Even when his bucket got heavy, and I asked him if he'd like to dump the candy into the bag I'd brought along, he declined- saying that he was Mr. Increadible and super strong!  The funniest thing was that he had gotten a yo-yo in lieu of candy at one house, and he obsessed about that thing all night!  It was the first thing he went for after we got back and he'd dumped all of his candy out.  

Zane holding up his prized yo-yo...

I had told Daddy and Zane to smile for me... Zane's eyes are on the prize!  : )

I hope Gage will understand better next year, and that he has more fun.  And despite the fact that his night was cut short, me, Jody, and Zane still had a fun time trick-or-treating with everyone (and eating candy later- heehee), and look forward to it again next year!

Pumpkin Carving and Painting

Yesterday (Sunday), Jody and I took the kids down to my friend Ashley's house in Burleson.  She has an annual pumpkin-carving/chili day right before Halloween.  She'll make a huge pot of chili, and we all carve pumpkins (well, the kids paint them because little fingers and sharp tools don't mix very well).  

We had a great time!  Gage ended up taking a nap in Ashley's son's bed after we'd been there for only a little while because he was very grumpy and tired.  So unfortunately, he did not get to take part in the pumpkin festivities.  Zane had a blast, though!  His pumpkin, as you will see, turned out to be very interesting, to say the least!  I ended up carving Gage's pumpkins with a cat on it.  I think it turned out pretty good!

Zane is very excited about Halloween coming up, too.  He is going to be Mr. Incredible from the movie The Incredibles, and when he tried on his costume the other day, he got VERY into it!  He was running all around saying that he was super-fast, and he would get down on his back under the coffee table and lift it with his legs.  It was so funny!  We are going to dress Gage up like a little devil- being the little devil that he is- haha!  It's a very cute costume, complete with a hood with horns, a tail, bat wings, and a little heart that glows.  It's so adorable, and I can't wait to see how he does in it!  I will definitely be posting pictures after Halloween!  

Here is Gage and Jody in Ashley's front yard .

Gage liked the big inflatable pumpkins...

... but he wasn't too sure about sitting up on the hay with the real pumpkins!

And of course, Zane will pose for me any time!

Yep, he's my little cutie!

My little Punkin painting his pumpkin!

Zane's masterpiece- his pumpkin is art-deco.  : )

The pumpkin I did for Gage...

My little super-hero...  Showing off his muscles!

PS- look how cheap gas was down there!!  

And don't think we didn't take advantage of gas under 2 bucks!!  : )

Quick Fitness Instructor Update

For those of you wondering how the 24 Hour Fitness Group Exercise Instructor training is coming along, I thought I'd write a quick blog to let ya know.  This past Sunday, I completed the quiz and my practical (in which I had to demonstrate the T-Bar Row in front of the class to music, and I was critiqued on that by my regional managers).  I got a great review on my practical and am now certified to teach Resistance Classes at 24 Hour Fitness!  

All that's left now is the actual audition/interview.  During this phase, I will actually have to teach a 20-minute portion of one of the classes that I am certified to teach- which will be SET (Strength Endurance Training) and Lift (a muscle-toning strength class)- in front of the managers.  I will then answer some interview questions, take another quiz, and that would be the point at which they decide to hire me or not.

My audition is scheduled for November 16th at 1 p.m.  I know- seems kinda far away right?  Well, by the time I had e-mailed the area manager to try to get in on the 18th of October, all of the slots were already full!  And I had only waited one day.  The next day available after that was on Tuesday the 28th of October, but it was from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.- at which time I am at work.  So November 16th was the next available day I could do it.  Which is fine with me.  It gives me that much longer to prepare, get music, and practice with an instructor up at 24 Hour with whom I've made friends.  

Assuming I get hired that day, I would then be able to pick up any Resistance classes that become available on their boards at any club in the area that I am willing to drive to (which is a total of about six).  People need subs all the time, and there are even classes that don't even have permanent instructors yet.  If you get a lot of good feedback, you eventually get your own class.  

So, that's what's going on there!  I'm pretty excited because now that I've done my practical portion of training, I've seen that I actually can teach pretty confidently in front of a group!   And with the help that I'm receiving from my instructor friend, I should be good to go!  

So yeah... when I get a class, you should come.  Really.  Pressure's on.

SABFF- a dedication, if you will...

Okay, so my very first real best friend that I had when I was living in Superior in my younger years recently wrote a blog that was dedicated to some of the many memories we had while going through our pre-teen/young teen years.  (In fact, if you want an insight to some of these memories of ours, I've linked that blog here:  http://strandupdate.blogspot.com/2008/10/ever-been-to-superior.html - hope you don't mind, Sara!)  

So, Sara and I were complete self-proclaimed dorks!  We could be ourselves around each other, and no matter what we were doing, we were having fun.  And I know that she was always there for me- especially when my parents split up... which can be tough on a young teen.  In the past couple of years, we got back in touch, and have been e-mailing pretty frequently, just kinda keeping up with each other in our new lives.  

With her recent blog post, it has caused me to have this determination to find some of the old pictures we took together.  And guess what??  Yep, I found them!  So, for Sara, and for anyone else interested in my younger years, circa 1996, I have scanned them and will now post them!  Love ya, Sara!

Here, we see the infamous hubcap.  Yes, the "fruit of our journey across town!"  I hung it proudly on my wall for the longest time!

hmmm.... strangely resembles the hubcaps on my last car....

Anyway, here we are on our last day of junior high at Central- and there is some girl with us with what looks like electrical tape on her forehead spelling out the word "hi."  Don't know why... don't really remember her... but yeah.  That's us!

These next few pics are from our very first high school dance our freshman year at SSHS.  I had a ton more of these, but I think these are the most important.  (Do you remember Sharon and Heidi?  Yeah, they were in a bunch of them.)  Along with Lindsay, Tony, Heather, Jamie (how I'm remembering these names, I do not know)... but last names escape me for the most part.  At least we were cute!  Look at us!

(We were holding up our Best Friends necklaces in this one!)

So you think those pics brought a smile to your face?  Check these out!!  These were from Halloween of that same year... 1996 I guess it would be (oh- yep -date stamp on the pics).  Wow... twelve years ago... almost exactly.  How cool is that??

And oh yes, there's my brother as Death.  (Tony, if you're reading this, do you remember that Halloween??  As Sara said, it was freakin' freezing!!)

OMG... told you we were complete dorks!!  I think this pose was my mom's idea, though.  Haha!  I guess I was stirring up a witch's brew that would hurt the cheerleader!   

So, to Sara, I hope you enjoyed the pics.  I really enjoyed your blog.  BTW... you may want to check the connection on your music player for Everclear's Santa Monica.  It seems to not be working, and it skips to I Kissed a Girl as the song that reminds you of me.  We don't want people to get the wrong idea, do we?  Haha!  Glad we got back in touch, girl!  Talk to you soon!

(Oh, and to anyone who was wondering, SABFF = Sara & Allena: Best Friends Forever... awww!)

Zane's First Soccer Game (and practice)

So, last week, Zane started soccer!  Last Thursday was his first practice, followed by his first game on Saturday.  Let me tell you, it has been nothing less than interesting the whole way so far!  Have I ever got some good pics for you, too!

Okay, so let me start off by telling you that his first practice really brought out a side of Zane that we didn't really know was there.   It was this shy, scared, reclusive side that really shocked us!  If you know Zane, you know that he is the most outgoing, friendly kid you'll ever meet!  Whenever he went to chase down the ball, as soon as another little boy would get near it, he would back off and slump off the field toward us.  He was not at all interested in battling for the ball with any of his teammates.  Same thing when it came to passing the ball.  He didn't want to pass his ball to any of the other kids.  He would just stand there and mope.  Now, when the coach did a running drill by having all of them chase him, Zane LOVED that!  He was quick, too!  Right out in front!  And when the coach had each of the boys kick their own ball into the net, Zane did that just fine, too.  In fact, he was the first one to get his ball in the goal.  So obviously team interaction was a problem for him.  I was a little bit frustrated to say the least, but I figured we would keep at it, and being that this was his first time to ever do any kind of team sport, maybe he would get used to it eventually.

So here are some pics from his very first soccer practice....

Here is Zane on our way- he was very excited!

Jody spent a lot of time out on the field just trying to talk Zane into playing with the other kids!

Here he is truly having fun chasing after the coach!

Heehee... Gage really wanted in on the action, too!

So then came Saturday- game day!  We were to be there early so the kids could get their uniforms.  They were all just adorable!  Everyone ordered the same extra small size, but they were still quite a bit big on these little 3-year-olds!  Zane loved his uniform- and he was very proud of being number 6.  So, we get to our field, and Zane and Jody kick the ball around a little bit while Gage eats some cereal.  Karen showed up to see his first game, which he was happy about.  Then, the game started.  Zane was on the roster to be first out.  We wondered how he would do.  Sure enough, just like at practice, he just stood there with his arms hanging down while he watched everyone else play.  Don't get me wrong, he wasn't the only one the whole time who did this!  There were definitely other little ones crying and running around aimlessly!  Zane would wander around- no interest in going after the ball what-so-ever, and then he might come over to where we were on the sideline, or point at the food stand.  

Well, after that quarter, the coach took him out and put in his son.  Which was so super funny because his son just sat in the middle of the field and sobbed for his mommy!  Our team seemed to always be a man down- haha!  Well, during this time, I had Zane sit in my lap.  He ate some of the cereal that I had brought, and watched the game.  He had previously said that he did not like soccer and did not want to play.  But I knew he loved to kick the ball.  Sooooo... I tried to get him into it.  I pointed at his teammates, and I asked him what color his team was.  He pointed at his shirt, which was blue.  So I told him that we wanted the blue team- not the red team- to get the ball in the net and score.  I asked him if he knew what net our team was supposed to kick it in.  So he pointed at the right one, and he even perked up a little bit.  Suddenly, out of nowhere, he was joining in with the crowd yelling, "Gooooo team!!"  

This little boy Christopher on his team had come over to high-five his mom (he was really good), and so I held up my hand to high-five him.  I asked Zane if he wanted to, too.  And he did!  So Christopher gave him a high-five and ran back out.  Well, soon after, it was time for Zane to go back in.  He was actually excited!  He jumped off of my lap, and I held up my hands for high-fives, and I told him that he could do it, and to go get that ball in that net!!  He gave his Nene and high-five, too, and he ran out to the middle of the field where the team and the coach were.

That's when it turned around.  Suddenly, Zane was a little soccer superstar!!  This kid was on fire!!  His face was lit up, and he was actually going after the ball!  Even while the other kids were!  It was amazing.  He even kicked it a few times!  The coach even came by at one point and said that it was a totally different kid out on the field.  It was true!  So, he played until the end of the game, and was all smiles when it was done.  He asked, "Did I do a great job, Mama?"  I, of course, told him how awesome he was!  

So, here are pictures from his first game....

Here he is all proud in his new uniform:

Proud to be number 6!

Zane and Daddy kicked the ball around before the game started:

Haha- notice the team on the other side of the field while Zane stands there all alone!

Ah, but alas- he comes to life!!

Look at that face!  He is truly having fun!

And finally, my favorite one- look at him all up in the front of the pack!

So, so far, soccer has been quite an adventure with Zane!  I have enjoyed it, though, and I will definitely continue to post pictures and stories about what fun things happen throughout the season!  

PS- I am SO a soccer mom now!!  : )