ME and NKOTBSB

Saturday night I finally got to do what I had wanted to do back when I was thirteen years old - go see New Kids on the Block (now NKOTB) in concert!! My sweet husband got me and my friends tickets to see them and Backstreet Boys (hence the NKOTBSB) in Dallas. It was a perfect day - we hit NorthPark Mall, Mi Cocina, and then to the concert. The place was FULL of two types: thirty-something groupie women like myself and then teenage girls and early twenty types - many of which were in 80's costume. As if! I also noticed that the thirty somethings screamed more for NKOTB whereas the younger crowd screamed more for the Backstreet Boys. Either way - there was LOTS of screaming and singing on all our parts. I screamed SO much(mostly for fun and to make Amy laugh) that I am STILL hoarse. Truly - I can barely yell at my kids. : ) And to their credit, despite their getting on in years, those "boys" can still sing and dance and are in superb physical form! ;) Be still, my beating heart!!

My brave friends Robin, Laci, Amy and myself.

The anticipation is almost unbearable! They were showing pictures of each of the boy band members on the big screen and the ladies were going crazy. Everyone screamed for their favorite, so Amy and I put in our two cents.

It's them!

AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Opening act with Backstreet Boys

Marry me Joey!! : )






JOEY in the crowd!! So close, but not close enough for him to sweat on me or for me to accidently grab ahold of his pant leg.

I think he was saying, "I love you too, Amy!"

Just in case you missed it, more Joey.

Notice how everyone seems to be watching the concert through their phone.

" I'll be loving you forever...(Amy).."

. The falsetto got so out of control, I think my ears started to bleed. Also, this song made a little more sense when he was sixteen. Loses some effect when you are forty.

Oh yeah, the Backstreet Boys were there too! They were awesome as well, but I think the old guys schooled them.

Welcome to the gun show! They really played up the Dallas Mavericks/Champions thing. More screaming.

Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh. Just hanging tough!

Here is a taste of Backstreet Boys singing "I Want it That Way" to me.




The Right Stuff!! This was the best - the camera was shaking because I was doing the choreography along with them. You know you know it. You know you still do it.

"Summertime!!" I think Jordan was looking right at me. Might be hard to tell since he was in shades, but he was.

Western Day 2011

I am quite late on this post, but the pictures are too funny not to share. This was Ryan's first year to participate in the PREP School Western Day and he did not disappoint. He sang his little cowpoke heart out and wore a grin the entire time. Yee-haw! (After doing this for several years, I am about out of cowboy quotes, but I shall do my best!)

So this ten gallon hat fit Reagan just fine last year. Guess I underestimated Ryan's noggin. Had to tie it down to keep it from popping off his head.
Here is his class lined up waiting to come down. "Head 'em up. Move 'em out!"
Ryan and his best buddy Logan. "Whoa Nellie!"


This is Ryan's class and the age group below his. You can probably guess the younger ones are on the bottom row - the ones that are crying or look like deer in the headlights.

Love it - some are singing, some are looking behind them, some sitting, some checking out the honey next to them. Ryan is his usual, happy self. "Always drink upstream from the herd."

" Go West young man. Go West."

" My heroes have always been cowboys."

It's a Boy!

I THOUGHT my post title might draw you in! : ) It IS a boy - but of the canine variety. Meet Maverick the beagle!

Ryan's Eggcellent Adventure

Last week Ryan's class had their Easter party and egg hunt. Ryan wasn't too sure what to do last year - he called the eggs apples and after finding one, he sat and feasted on the contents, oblivious to the other eggs. This year was much different. He was a master hunter and took more than his share. I couldn't decide if I should be embarrassed or proud, but honestly - I was beaming with pride! : ) Fortunately the mommies divide the eggs so everyone goes home with the same amount. It's all good.

Pre-Egg Hunt Snack. Ryan carb loaded with a cookie and cooled off by squirting himself in the face with a juice box. Time to hunt!

Shortcut down the slide.

Same thing every year - all the moms get their cameras out and snap while the little ones harmonize "CHEESE" until they run out of breath.

Showing their bunny ears!
Crazy wabbits.

Easter Sunday

Easter Sunday started with the boys checking out their Easter basket loot. Lots of chocolate, sticky sweets and sidewalk chalk. I see messes in my future.

Next the boys hunted for the Easter eggs they had dyed the day before. That tricky bunny had hidden them around the house. Fortunately the bunny took good count so no hard boiled egg would be left to be found by scent days later.

Love the funny morning eyes!
After church, we headed to John's parents house. The boys were ready to shed the Easter clothes and hunt more eggs, but momma made them pose for a few more pictures.

The boys with MeMaw, John's grandmother.

MORE EGG HUNTING!! Ryan is pondering, "If I were an egg, where would I hide?"

Reagan the Engineer

Ryan loves trains tracks, but would prefer someone else build them for him. He asked Reagan to set him up with a track in his room, and here's what he got. I think Reagan used every Geotrax piece in the house and I also think he set to the bar too high for train tracks. I am not as skilled as my six year old and Ryan is bound to be disappointed by my next creation!

Spring Break Ski(ish) Trip

We loaded up the boys and my parents last week for a ski trip to Ruidoso, New Mexico. The rationale: Ruidoso typically has great snow and it was the easiest skiing we could get to by car with two little boys. We should have known...John and I are infamous for bringing heat waves to our vacation locales. There was the Boston Heat Wave of 2006 and No Snow Colorado 1999, etc... Despite our plans to ski and play in the snow, Ruidoso has not had snow since the first week of February and it was as warm there as it was at home. It was a bit like skiing on ice cubes, but Reagan didn't know the difference and didn't seem to mind. Ryan stayed back with the grandparents and took nature walks and gondola rides. We ate lots of good food, managed to do some relaxing and took plenty of pictures. Good times!

Even if he doesn't take to the skiing, he certainly looks the part!

Only 20% of the mountain was open - you should not be able to see the brown ground there!

The biggest challenge was just getting Reagan through the ski lift line. Without poles to help him push and balance, he was dependent upon John and myself to shove him and hope he didn't fall before we caught up to him. Once we'd get to the chair, he did great. I was much more nervous than he was. I kept telling him, "Sit back! Don't lean forward!!" :)

John and I took the same picture probably 13 years ago. I'd do a side-by-side, but that would just be too depressing.

Taking a gondola ride.

Again my fear of heights left me yelling at my kids not to get close to the edge.

Right after this I took the boys to the restroom. They had these environmentally friendly potties that did not flush, but were like a bottomless hole. When I leaned over to help Ryan, my new sunglasses fell and fell and fell down said pit. NOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You might be asking - if it wasn't a bottomless pit, would she have gone after the glasses? Ummm...NOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!

John was brave and skied down, but the littles and I and took the easy route.

All over Ruidoso, they had these tree carvings. Most were of bears, but this was a giant vegetable. So corny.

Enjoying some pizza at Casa Rio. I know, the name doesn't seem to fit, but the pizza was d-lish.

I felt like I was the only person who hadn't had their picture taken in front of a bear. So, here is me reenacting the final scene from Legends of the Fall. "It was a good death."

We taught Ryan how to play Farkle.

Blowing on the dice.

Ryan's poker face.

The last day we tried snow tubing at Winter Park. The lack of snow made dragging the tubes a lot of work. I didn't expect to sweat in New Mexico.

Reagan working to keep his balance on the ramp.

Ryan was like an old pro. Guess it helps when your center of gravity is 10 inches from the ground!

Ryan didn't quite get the concept here.

John and Ryan waiting in line. Reagan and I were headed up to the big slope.

Alien sighting in Roswell, NM. Guess I never imagined extraterrestrials to be so fit. Check out his killer abs.

This is how we all felt on the way back.