Caleb's First Aggie Football Game

Last night we took Caleb to his very first Aggie football game.  We specifically bought tickets that would put us sitting across from the Aggie band and near the tunnel that the football players (and drumline) come out of.  Caleb was apprehensive about going to the game at first so we brought ear protection with us in case it was too loud.  By the time we were loaded up in the car and headed to campus he was talking 100 mph about exactly what the band and football players were going to do.  He was pumped! 

We were able to make it to campus in time to watch the Corp of Cadets march in,  including the band.  Caleb loved watching them and also had a front row view of Reveille as she walked by.  After march in we headed into Kyle Field, got some food and found our seats.  Caleb really enjoyed the game.  He did his best to sing along when we all sang the Spirit of Aggieland, and he loved trying to do the yells and clapping when everyone else clapped!  

Since the Aggies were scoring so much and the game was televised, the first half was a little longer than we expected.  It was nearly 8:30 before halftime started if I remember right.  Caleb loved seeing the band line up and perform on Kyle Field.  He noticed the drum majors, the buglers, and the tuba players.  He pointed out specific formations they were doing and enjoyed watching them on the Jumbo Tron.   I think he was more excited to see the band than anything else!

After halftime we asked Caleb if he wanted to stay or go and he was ready to leave.  He was so obedient, calm and fun the whole time -- we fully expected him to be overwhelmed, tired, hungry, and to have at least one meltdown!  He did fantastic and even managed to walk the whole way back to the historic district where we had parked.  Caleb tried to stay awake and talk but by the time we got on Texas Avenue he was asleep in the back seat, and stayed that way all the way into the house and while we put his pajamas on.  

It was such a thrill to share Texas A&M with Caleb and to see him love it as much as we do.  We look forward to the day when we can take Joshua to his first game and hope that he will be equally brainwashed!

Walking to Kyle Field with Daddy & Daddy Bob

Reveille 

One of the Corps outfits marching in 

Watching march in on Daddy's shoulders

Couldn't take his eyes off the Corp of Cadets!

His first view of Kyle Field

Enjoying our seats before the game started

The drum line & football team entering Kyle Field

It was Senior Day so each senior player entered with fireworks

Watching the game with Daddy

The Aggie Band lining up for halftime

Watching the band perform

"The Pulse of the Spirit of Aggieland" 

Joshua's Thanksgiving Feast, Thanksgiving & Erin's Wedding!

On Tuesday Joshua's class had their class Thanksgiving feast.  Since they are all around 2 years old we keep things pretty simple!  Joshua does not normally go to school on Tuesday but we still attended the feast since I am one of the room moms for his class.  I wish I had taken more pictures but this age group is not the easiest to photograph!

On Wednesday we headed to Houston for Thanksgiving.  We spent Thanksgiving Day with my family, including my brother Chris, his girlfriend Haley and daughter Isabella.  We missed having my nephew Malikai in Houston with us.  For whatever reason, Caleb was kind of a mess that whole day so he had lots of 'time-in' sessions with Mommy & Daddy.  He also was running at top speed and fell which resulted in losing one of his front teeth.  We will now be teaching him "All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth".  He looks really cute missing both teeth, actually!!

All of that was outweighed by the fact that we had delicious food and lots of special time together as a family!  That night Bryan had to work back in College Station so he drove back for his shift (5pm-2am).  He missed out on the fun of having Joshua awake from 2am-4:30am, insisting that he wanted to eat.  It was pretty awesome!

On Friday morning we headed over to Tony & Jan's house where Bryan met us.  We had a great time playing and visiting and celebrated Carolyn's upcoming birthday over lunch.  It is so much fun to see Caleb, Joshua & Will play together.  Sadly I did not take a single picture while we were with either side of the family.

On Friday night Bryan, Carolyn, Billy and I went to the wedding of our dear friend Erin.  We were grateful to have Tony & Jan watch the boys for us while we were gone - it felt like a date night!  Bryan and I have known Erin since high school, and she was also one of my sorority sisters and one of my bridesmaids in our wedding.  It is so obvious that she is over the moon happy, and that makes both of us very happy!  We got to visit with several friends from Young Life and I got to see lots of my sorority sisters which was great.  It is so fun to pick up where you left off, even with friends you don't get to see often enough.

With the beautiful bride

Waiting to light our sparklers for the bride & grooms departure

We headed back to Houston on Saturday around noon after a fun morning of playing at Gran Jan & Pop Pop's.  It was time to get ready to take Caleb to his first Aggie game!

A Test in Parental OCD: Play-Doh

Last weekend we could not go to church because Caleb sounded like he had smoker's cough and had run a bit of fever the night before.  We stayed home since I don't want to be that mom who is checking their obviously sick kid into church childcare.  Caleb has been begging to play with play-doh for days and I had been wildly successful in avoiding it.  Play-doh is messy and risky since it always ends up somewhere it shouldn't.   Plus, I always catch both kids licking and trying to eat the play-doh.  Nothing like trying to scrape a play-doh ball off your toddler's molars.  On top of that, what if the colors get mixed up and the red becomes red-green-blue-brown???  I had plenty of great excuses, but after Caleb's occupational therapist mentioned that it would be a great activity for fine motor skills I really felt guilty.  So on Sunday morning we busted out the play-doh.  

I strapped Joshua into his booster seat at the kitchen table and Caleb (who was sporting his Aggie Band costume) happily carried everything from the laundry room where all play-doh is stored in a non-reachable upper cabinet.  I had a big reality check about my color mixing OCD when I opened our cabinet to get the play-doh.  There were no less than 25 cans of play doh in there.  What am I worried about?? That we are going to run out of red???  So I'm proud to say I let that issue go and we had a great time.  

The boys played with play-doh for almost 2 hours!!  They rolled, stamped, made 'smoothies' in the ice cream maker, made spaghetti and snakes... and the list goes on.  It was a fun way for Bryan and I to spend a morning with them.  We may have ended up with aqua play-doh on the new kitchen rug and on Caleb's khaki pants, but I guess that is the price you pay for some fun time with your sweet children!

Caleb's Last Flag Football Game

Caleb's last flag football game was on Saturday, November 17.  He really enjoyed being a part of the Cobras and improved a lot over the season.  He wouldn't even touch the ball at the beginning of the season!  We were blessed to have nice families on our team and a group of dedicated, patient coaches.  They were always so encouraging to Caleb and looked for ways to help him be a part of the team even when he wasn't the most athletic kid on the field.  

For Caleb's last game he had quite the audience.  My parents, Carolyn, Billy, Will, Craig, Michelle and Bryan's dad (Pop Pop) all came to College Station for the game.  I'm not sure any other kid on the team ever had that big of a cheering section!  We are so grateful that our family cares so much about this sweet boy and wants to see him play, even in very cold weather!  Thank you to our family for all the times you came to watch Caleb - especially each set of grandparents who came multiple times to cheer for Caleb and his team.  

Caleb playing quarterback

Getting his final award and team ball from Coach Jeff

Caleb's Thanksgiving Feast

The 4 year old classes at Caleb's school had a Thanksgiving Feast the week before Thanksgiving.  One of Bryan's scribes from the ER came to babysit Joshua at the last minute and my Mom was able to come up to College Station to surprise Caleb.  His school has four 4 year old classes, and they all filed in quietly dressed in their Thanksgiving attire and performed a couple of songs.  Our assigned table was with Caleb's best friend from school, Abby.  Caleb absolutely adores Abby and mentioning her name is often the only way I can convince him to go to school.  They have very similar personalities and interests.  We have been so thankful to see Caleb make a close friend at school!  It was fun to sit with her parents during the feast and visit with them.

We love the boys school.  Everything there is so well done and special.  It was fun to celebrate with Caleb, his teachers and classmates!

The placemat and pine cone turkey that Caleb made

Caleb & Abby singing

Abby's Indian name was "Little Deer" and Caleb's was "Speedy Raccoon" 

Best friends 

Caleb & Granny 

Abby with her parents, Larry & Amy.  

Larry is a former Aggie football player and part of the coaching staff at A&M!

Father/ Son Camping Trip

The first weekend in November our Young Families Sunday school class planned a father/child camping trip.  Bryan was able to ask off of work and take Caleb on the trip.  Caleb was SO excited!  They camped about 45 minutes away at the ranch land of one of our class members.  About 20 dads came with their young children. They had hayrides, made s'mores and enjoyed the great outdoors.  The highlights for Caleb were throwing rocks into the lake and seeing a pack of wild hogs run across the property.  Unfortunately the sad part for Caleb was falling and landing on a cactus.  Another dad had to hold Caleb down while Bryan pulled out each needle.  Luckily Caleb made a quick recovery and still had a great time.  

One concern was how sleeping would go in the tent.  Caleb has a history of being claustrophobic and not wanting to get in tents, bounce houses, etc.  Bryan set up the tent the week before in our backyard so Caleb could get used to it.  He also packed some Benadryl in his duffle bag to help things go well :)  It was daylight savings time which is typically horrendous for young kids.  Caleb managed to sleep from 8:30 pm to 6:30 am which we thought was great all things considered!

I am so thankful that Bryan was willing to use a weekend off to take Caleb on such a fun and memorable trip!  

Taking a hayride

Caleb & Bryan by their tent

Throwing rocks and sticks

Looking at a rainbow in the sky

Being a boy - playing with a large stick before s'mores time