All About the Argyles

Before we pack lunches, set out clothes, and set our alarms for an early morning wake-up time; we would like to reflect back on summer 2010. So "let's get crackin'..." Dinner at joe's Crab shack in San Antonio was a highlight. Everyone liked the 4D movie at Fiesta TX too. We spent countless hours by the pool. Cheer camp was a blast. Jensen and Tanner had the time of their lives at EFY in Provo on the BYU Campus. Seriously folks. That was the best 1,000 dollars we spent all year. It made a huge impact on both of them. Fun with Scooby Doo! Gotta love some roller coaster action . Reagan and Brady won these capes at the midway in San Antonio. We caught some shows at Sea World more rides at Sea World... All in all it was great fun. The end.

Actually, I'm not a big Martha Stewart fan. So don't. I never really feel very good about myself after I watch her show. She has more creativity in her pinky fingernail than I do in my whole body but...I am pretty proud of these centerpieces I did for our elementary school's "Welcome Back" luncheon for the teachers and staff. Each gift bucket has a different theme. They range in price from 17 to 30 dollars. The "teacher tool kit" has essential teacher supplies like expo markers, a gradebook, dry erase pens, etc... The "Date Night in a Bucket" has a blockbuster card, sodas, popcorn, and candy. Lots and lots of candy. "Bubble bath in a bucket" has ...yep, you guessed it - bubble bath as well as all the goodies for a great bubble bath. Exfoliater, bath salts, a long armed brush, and of course a magazine. "Chocolate Fix in a bucket" has tons of chocolate including King Size hershey bars and five GODIVA treats. Yum. Perfect ...

Wednesday Brent woke me up in the middle of the night complaining of tightness in his chest and saying he could not catch a deep breath. He felt prompted to get to the ER right away. Tanner stayed with the lil guys (Jensen was away at Girl's camp) while I took him to the hospital. Originally, he thought he was having a heart attack. Nope. It turned out it was a Pulmonary Embolism. And not just one but two. yikes! The nurse told him he was a lucky man because most Pulmonay Embolisms are found in autopsies. It was scary. So....he was in the hospital for five days. We stayed up there most days visiting him but in the midst of his napping, 4 Argyle children did manage to swim at the ALLSTAR swim meet. Jensen, Tanner, and Reagan qualified. Reagan swam the backstroke in the individual 50. Both of Tanner's relay teams qualified in freestyle and medley relay. Jensen qualified in both of her individual events (back and free). McKinley ended up swimming at the last minute for another gir...

There are a few things that I feel strongly about. This is one of them: teaching my children that MONEY is associated with WORK. Aside from the occasional birthday cash they receive from aunts and grandparents, I want them to leave my home understanding that in order to get money you have to EARN it through WORK. NO handouts for being a good kid. There are many things they are asked to do throughout the week; ie make beds, take trash out, help with dishes, meal preparation, etc... They do not get paid for these chores as they are expected of them as "Citizens of the Household". On Saturday mornings it is a different story. We clean the house from top to bottom. We scrub every floor, vacuum every room, straighten every room, wash and fold every bit of laundry, swish and swipe every bathroom. We do this so that on Sunday we can enjoy a day of rest and not feel overwhelmed on Monday morning. We have done this for as long as I can remember having children. This helps...

And they're off! Here are some pics from the first two meets of the season.

If your dad loves these: Then there is no better place to take him than Joe's Crab Shack McKinley. Reagan, and Brady got free ice cream for doing the line dances with the wait staff. Tanner looks upset because he didn't get free ice cream, even though he danced. But he did get this. A picture with "Brittany", (a Joe's waitress) and in his own words "the prettiest girl I have ever seen in my life". We decided it would be a new Argyle tradition: the day -before-Father's Day Crabfest.

James Oliver Wood May 14, 1927-June 5, 2010