Midnight Launch

Have you ever heard of a Midnight Launch? It's when the latest and greatest video games are released. They sometimes have a midnight launch, meaning you can pre-order the game then show up at midnight and be one of the first to get the game.

Well, the boys really wanted to do this for a new game that had just came out, one of which may or may not be rated M for mature audiences. I just feel like the best mom in the world when I purchase one of these games and with my sweet little boys both of my young men standing behind me and they ask if you are okay with the fact that the game is rated M for blood, violence, language... so on and so on. I smile politely and say "yes I am" cringing all the way down to my toes.

Anyway we agreed to let them go to one Midnight launch even though it was on a school night. So last night we did. Mark took them at 10pm to get a ticket that would hold there place in line when they came back at midnight. I went to bed for a couple of hours and then took them back at midnight so that Mark could go to bed.

I really was apprehensive as to what I would find. What kind of people come to these things? Surely no parent in their right mind would show up with school age kids at this ungodly hour. Especially to purchase a rated M war game. Would it be a bunch of 20 something video game geeks/nerds  connoisseurs of the video game world, being raucous and rowdy?

When we pulled up to the video game store Connor must have noticed the weary look on my face as I tried to peer in the windows to see what kind of crowd I would be dealing with.... 2-3 hours past my usual bedtime.... on a school/work night.... because he interrupted my thoughts with a low soothing tone he looked around at me and sad "Mom" "Just remember, they are just as afraid of you as you are of them". HA!  Very funny.

As it turned out it was a pretty nice crowd of 20 something young men who were very polite to the suburban 40 something 30 something oh never mind, lady who is out way past her bedtime with 2 school age boys. I was relieved to see one other Mom with a boy about Connor's age. I guess that makes two of us that won't be getting the world's best mom award again this year. Darn!

Latest Thrift store finds

When I first introduced the boys to thrift store shopping they really were not in to it at all. Connor thought they all smelled like "death and cigarettes". I have to admit I kind of agree with him. I never really mind though because I enjoy bargain hunting. A couple of Halloween's ago Connor needed something to wear with his Gorilla mask. We found a funny shirt, tie and a suit coat that was a few sizes to big. He thought that was pretty cool......


Then one day I talked Alex into going into one downtown and I have to admit it was a little scary. Alex thought for sure we were going to be mugged or we would come out and our car would be gone (he is so white bread). Anyway when Connor heard us talking about it he wanted to go check it out. Then we found another (Thrift store) a little closer to home, a little cleaner and seemingly safer, haha Well, Connor discovered the old used electronics section and he has been hooked ever since. He has purchased an old Sega game system and an old Nintendo 64 system. He loves searching for old video games and such.

So it's kind of fun having a Thrift store buddy... Mark is not into it at all by the way.

Alex has found some "treasures" as well. He has bought a few rolls of electrical tape for .99 a roll, even though I'm sure grandpa has plenty, he wanted his own so he could do whatever he wants with it. I have walked into their room and found, for example the ladder for their bunk bed all wrapped in electrical tape. I guess it's cheap entertainment if nothing else. Alex also wrote his name on the wall with the tape. And would you believe his latest treasure find was Christmas lights!

I'm not sure Grandpa was aware of the tape or the lights..... hope it's not too much of a shock Grandpa, haha
I promise that if we ever  WHEN we move out we will put everything back the way it was. It will be like we were never here... really, I'm serious... no trace....   kind of like in the movie Risky Business :)  We will put everything back in it's place but if you look really close............................................................... You may find a "crack" or "trace" of us here or there.

The boys playing video games

Halloween

Well Halloween was definitely more toned down this year than normal. I took some pictures of carving the pumpkins but I think we deleted some by accident. I did get some pictures of the finished products.

This is Grandpa's. We named it Shrek but you can't really tell in this picture. It has ears.

Alex carved this one with Grandpa's help. It says "Tiny Towers" which is the name of a game he loves on his Ipod.

This is Connor's. It's the Mac Apple. He really wants an I phone :)

Mark and I did this one... actually just Mark

Alex and his friend Trick or treated together. They were reggae/hippy guys. They had cool sunglasses too.

We had a different Halloween. It's usually a big deal and we all go together. This year Alex went with his friend and Connor went with his. Connor didn't really dress up. He did go to the Dollar Tree the night before Halloween and got a pirate hat (that was way too small by the way) a toy shield and toy sword. Don't ask me what he was thinking, haha He roamed our old neighborhood with friends and had a fun time meeting up with other kids he knew from school. I think this may have been our last Trick or Treating Halloween :(

Wordless Wednesday

Snow play

We had our second snow of the season a few days ago. The boys decided (after dark) to have a little snow fun.

Rockies Game

This summer we got the opportunity to go a Rockies game. A friend of ours gave us some VIP tickets. We had great seats! The boys even got to watch batting practice and get autographs from the players. We had a great night.

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Goodbye to the house that built me

Well, my childhood home has been sold. As of yesterday. It was time for Daddy to have a change. I'm happy for him and it really was time but it's still a little sad. I don't know if you remember this post, but I took some pictures last Christmas and did a little slide show about "the house that built me".

You can see it HERE.

I remember the day we moved into the house. I was only 5 years old but I do still remember some of the details.

I remember... thinking about how big the back yard was and how much fun we were going to have playing out there.

I remember not having a lot of furniture and my brother and I sleeping on mattresses at first.

I remember when our new stove was delivered...

I remember the new washer and dryer (Maytag/golden) were installed.

I remember looking out different windows to see different views.

Mostly I remember being so excited...

So many firsts... and lasts happened in that house.

Mom's been gone 11 years now. So hard to believe. I couldn't help but wonder "What would she be thinking right now".  She loved our home. It was her safe haven. She didn't get out a lot and she loved being a homemaker. Looking back I think she would have liked to travel more but she loved her family and home.

My friends always like spending time at our house because it felt like home to them.

I'll never forget.............  all the places to hide when playing hide and seek, the way the front storm door fogged up when mom had something good cooking on the stove, the way the fresh grass smelled in the summer when dad mowed the lawn and sitting on the front porch and talking so many times.

Dad said he was okay with everything until he saw our handprints in the driveway. I was pretty little when the concrete was poured for our driveway and we put our hand prints in the cement.

So many memories... but life goes on and we always have the memories in our heart.

Goodbye to the house that built me and thank you for everything.

A few pics from this summer.. in the mountains

I thought I would share a few pictures from a little day trip we took up into the mountains during the summer. We got out at Loveland Pass and let the kids......... and dogs run around.

The wonderful thing about this day is that Mark was able to run up the mountain (at about 12,000 feet) without getting the least bit out of breath... prior to his last surgery he wouldn't have been able to do that... I on the other hand......... did get out of breath.

Look who's playing football

Connor's first football game of the season

I was trying not to be to obvious in my picture taking, so this isn't great but here he is after the game #82

Warming up

And since the game landed on Alex's birthday we had a quick dinner and celebrated a little.

Connor had a great game, they won and he even scored one of the touchdowns WHOOT WHOOT!!

Grandma flew in just in time to make the game and spent the weekend with us to celebrate Alex's birthday.

Grandpa was there too, we just didn't get any pictures.

Connor is having an exciting start to his last year of middle school. He's loving football and also a member of his schools news club. They do live broadcasting in the mornings. He has also auditioned for a "movie" they are filming at the school. It's going to be something like the Breakfast Club. He's also planning to audition for the musical this fall and the play in the Spring.

I will keep you posted.

Alex turns 11!

Check out the cake Mark made for Alex.

Alex realizing they are trick candles!

Alex with his awesome new lamp Grandma bought him at IKEA


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It really is impossible these days to get a serious picture of Connor



We had dinner at one of Alex's favorite restaurants





More Summer Recap..

We also did some visiting....

We went to Kansas in June.. before the record 100 degree temperatures set in.

We got to visit my sister Julie who was visiting from Phoenix. We had not been together since the boys were babies or toddlers! Isn't that crazy??

Anyway we had a nice visit and it was so nice to get together after all these years.

I sure love you Big Sis! 

and of course the boys had to climb Grandma Susie's tree which is kind of a tradition now.. and doesn't make me nervous in the least, just so you know

"Look Mom! No hands"

Summer Recap

So I've been debating whether or not to go back and try to catch up or just start from now....

I decided to go back and do a little summer recap starting with our trip to Estes Park.

It's hard to believe the boys are back in school and we are almost to Labor day. The summer really flew by. I took a little break from blogging because it just seemed like I couldn't find the time to keep up. I will try to catch you up without too many details.

At the beginning of the summer we went to Estes Park for a day.

In all of our many trips to Estes we have  seen very few Long Horn Sheep. This time we saw a whole herd of them. Connor jumped out of the car an captured a few shots.

I'm not sure who took this pic or what we were discussing outside the car but  I thought it was a funny picture (I think we may have been considering the ramifications of running away, lol)

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Ready for the ride

Fishing at Grandpa's pond

Well School is out!

And summer is on!

We've kicked off the summer with some good ole basic fishin' at Grandpa's pond.

The boys have been down a few times already... Here are a few pics I captured.

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Alex's Orchestra concert

Alex posing for me as we are walking out the door for the concert.

A few weeks ago, Alex had an Orchestra concert.


 At the beginning of the year I posted about Alex wanting to play the violin HERE.


 I really didn't think he would enjoy it. He loves music and is an excellent drummer but I thought violin would just be to tedious for him. 


Well, I was wrong. He stuck with it all year and progressed very well every step of the way.

One of the highlights I think for him was when they got to play "We will rock you"! Isn't orchestra supposed to be all stuffy and classical... not this group!

At the concert they even had an ELECTRIC VIOLINIST. I had never even heard of an electric violin but it really was beautiful. You can hear what one sounds like HERE.


Now the question Alex is deciding is whether to go ahead with Violin next year or now that he can join the band, will it be the snare drum. During the course of the year his plan was always to do the Snare next year (4th graders could only do orchestra) So in 5th grade he will have a choice...  


What?? 5th grade?


 I know, so hard to believe he will be in 5th grade, then "sniff sniff" off to middle school. I can't even think about that right now. That's a whole 'nother post for a whole 'nother day.


But now he seems to be changing his mind. He really loves the violin so, we will see...




To be continued... 


For now it's time to kick back and enjoy the  summer!