Halloween Fun

Here are the Buckley boys in all their glory.

Pitcher update...

If you haven't checked in with Pitcher's Progress lately, you should. Lots of stories to hear and a slew of cute pictures! I hope everyone is doing well! Tell us how school is going and what the plans are for the costumes du jour!
-EBP-

First day of school

Dillon started school last week at the Santa Fe Waldorf School. He is loving it and is so happy. Luca went to preschool for the very first time and he absolutely loved it. He wishes he could go every day...

...And That's What I Did on My Summer Vacation

Baseball
Baseball dominated our lives for much longer than I had hoped. Our team was district champs and so we went on to the next level. Oscar pitched well. He had one very strong team from the Bellaire area of Houston on the ropes for 5 innings. His arm finally tired, they had seen his stuff twice through the batting order, and the NASA Pony 13-year-old All-Stars finally lost. The coaches from the opposite team wanted to meet him when it was over. Where’s that ‘little-lefty?” It makes parents (and I’m sure Oscar) proud. But this loss kept us from having to go to Louisiana to play the following weekend and stay in some questionable hotel all in the name of youth baseball.

I Wanna Be a Rock star
Oscar got an electric guitar and mini-amp this summer. He’s pretty musical so within about 24 hours after he first touched it we were hearing riffs from AC/DC, Deep Purple and Van Halen. He also played Amazing Grace but it sounded to me like a Jimi Hendrix version.


Credit Card Fiasco
I received a call one morning that I did not answer. Some off-shore betting site was verifying my ‘baseball package.’ [I watch Oscar’s games with enthusiasm but I don’t bet on them.] I figured it was simply one of those telemarketer hunting expeditions. Turns out that despite my credit card being in my purse it had been used for online off-shore betting. We caught it early. It was all over in 24 hours. But still! I still have no idea how it got ‘out there.’ On a more positive note—our mortgage was paid off in June. Haven’t decided what to do next—upgrade, travel, worry about college costing $20,000 a year for a state school? Who needs a drink?

Bathroom Re-Do
It’s done—see the before and after pics. Alex has requested that I stop watching HGTV. He’s tired of my ideas.


Before (this is actually a picture before our Rita evacuation 3 years ago--see the plywood over the window?) I always forget to take before pictures. Click on the picture to see my HGTV commentary.








After






Vacation
Not really! We played tourist in our own area this year. One of our fun outings was to Galveston’s Col. Bubbie’s Surplus Store http://www.colbubbie.com/.
Alex and Oscar tried on every historical military head covering imaginable. What a great place to find a Halloween costume. I now have U.N. peacekeeper’s beret. I need some cold weather to wear it.

Summer is over. School has begun. And we now resume our suburban dream of a life. Oscar is in 8th grade, playing football and the drums for school. He’s taking a couple of high school courses and he continues to take piano lessons to make his mother happy.

Hope everyone is well.

Summer vaca

We got a little trip in. Our first real family vacation, just the 4 of us with no body to visit. Although we love to visit people...of course :)) So we went to Carlsbad Caverns. The boys were completely enthralled and amazed with the caves. The questions they came up with were incredible. We also saw about 200,000 bats fly out of the cave at dusk. That was fantastic!

Hey all-

I've been busy posting on the Pitchers' Progress blog. If you haven't checked it out in a while, you will be SO SURPRISED at how big JHP has gotten. He's totally a little person now and is trying to assert his independence at times, especially when nursing/feeding. Drop me some comments on there! I'd love to hear from you!

-EBP-

Suenos del Verano

Well, it is that time of year again!  Summer is coming to an end and once again I come to the conclusion that having 2 and 1/2 months off every summer is just not a good thing for me.  Of course, I seem to forget this every May and jump right in with over the top enthusiasm.  It is only when I am about to make a major life change or finally make that appointment with the psychiatrist that I realize...OH, It's that summer thing again...I don't do well with idle time.  Don't get me wrong, it was a fabulous summer.  Ten days in Chicago, ten days in Austin, camping, kayaking, art making and LOTS of family bonding.  Honestly, it was great.  I suppose I am so accustomed to moving at such a fast pace that too much of a slow pace really begins to alter me after a while.  Which might not be a bad thing...hmmmm???  

The girls start Pre-K on Monday and are very excited.  We went to meet the teacher night on Thursday and then to the Mathis Back to School Pep Rally.  Go Pirates!  Man, was it peppy!  Most days I day dream about my escape from Mathis back to the real world, but I have this nagging voice that often tells me I should stay a while.  I guess as an educator your gut instinct is to help kids and try to bring about positive change.  If there is any place on the Planet that children need help and positive change...it is Mathis.  We shall see.  My new job as the Migrant teacher for Pre-K - 12 is certainly giving me a broader look at the entire community.  You know how I love a challenge.  Oh yes, as a side note, I went to the Mathis ISD annual health fair and once again everyone was drinking sodas and they had the chocolate fountain again.  One young co-worker told me that she had her blood sugar levels checked and the nurse told her she was borderline diabetic.  When the girl asked if she should see a doctor because EVERYONE in her family was diabetic the nurse told her "No, you will be fine. Don't worry about it."  Such is life in rural South Texas.  

Party Marty and I have a date tonight...we have been "together" for 6 years of BLISS.  Sure, we have been married 4 years, but I like to count this one instead.... makes me feel more productive.  Why don't people count the dating years anyway?  That was hard work too!

Well, this was supposed to be all about the girls, but it is 7 am and it is all about me.  Oh well, maybe next time!  Take care and keep in touch.  Con carino, Abril

New JHP update

I've posted a new update on John Harrison and added new photos to the WebAlbums. Check them out. The link is on the right hand side of page!
-EBP-

May/June--The Cliffs Notes version

The end of the school year was full of events that seemed to take over every evening. We ended up eating at Wendy’s on the run more often than we wanted. I’ve finally gotten around to uploading videos and dealing with pictures and can now share. It will probably sound an awful lot like “my kid is awesome” rhetoric. I promise it’s not. In addition to all that is going on, he is 13 and he talks back and is way smarter than any adults he is related to. So without further ado and so that grandparents get to see some of it…

Piano Recital
He has taken lessons for 7 years now. His piano teacher recently decided to move away and for awhile we were afraid that he’d stop lessons. We have found another teacher for him. She is less “suicide” about classical music and so now we are getting to listen to “Theme from The Simpsons.” Rock On!!

National Junior Honor Society

…with his peeps celebrating braininess and straight As

Baseball

Pony is a bigger, badder diamond. The 14 year olds are what I like to call ‘man-children’ and it is scary for me to see my 85 pounder pitch against them. I always feel like I’m watching him bleed. He’s not bad and is now playing with the All-Stars. (p.s. This is a copyrighted picture that I have ordered but haven't yet received.)

Bathroom
We are redoing a bathroom. Gone will be the last traces of 1972 from my house. But until we’re done I have a hole in the floor where a toilet used to be and hole in the wall where a sink used to be. At the end of the day when we decide we can do no more painting, tiling, or arguing--Miller Time feels good!!!

Guitar Hero
I’m now hearing Aerosmith music when none is actually playing.

Traveling
None yet--we wanted to spend some time in Boston and catch a Sox game and do some American History. We are waiting for the baseball team to lose and be done but then there is Vacation Bible School camp counseling and the rest of the summer basketball league and tennis camp and ??? Maybe we’ll save our money for a November or December trip when it’s not so flippin’ hot.

Peace in the Middle East--y'all!

Buckley Boys Camping

Hi Everyone. Finally got a minute to post...even if it is short :)) We went camping last weekend and the boys spent the entire time digging in the dirt and using their shovel/picks to peel bark off of trees and "chop firewood." They always find hours of amusment with the simpliest things....I love that about kids!! Who needs all that plastic junk, just a shovel and some dirt :)

Big news for Sean...he had one of his original compositions played on the radio this week. He was SUPER excited!!!

I am on a break from school right now so am trying to relax before the next wave hits.

Slideshows and other things...

I've added Gio's pics from the valley trip to the slide show at the bottom. You can send me a link and I can add yours to the bottom, too. (Mom & Jimmy - I plan to add your shortly since I have them.) Or you can embed a slide show into a post, if you wish. If these slideshows bog things down, I will move them to a Post that is accessible by everyone when they wish rather than all the time.

We still haven't settled on a name. Here's your chance to send me your suggestions. I'll set up a poll on this site and everyone can vote (once only, please!). Or we can leave it as is. Leave your comments...

I'm so happy that everyone is liking this so far. I hope the elder generation gets into the mix soon! I'm looking forward to hearing what's going on in your everyday lives and you sharing some really cool pics that you took. The thing about a blog is that it's more about what's of interest to YOU than necessarily to everyone else. So if YOU like it, then post it!

Oh, I've added a post to our blog. The gist of it: JHP and I have colds, the first and I'm sure won't be the last!
-EBP-

Hawaii!

I'm back from Hawaii! What a wonderful trip/vacation it was for me. I even took a surfing lesson! Man what a blast! That had to be the highlight of the trip for me! The feeling I got when the wave would push the board....*sigh* I miss that already! We went to most of the happening places on Oahu. We stayed at Waikiki, but we went to a laua, visited Pearl Harbor, Dole Pineapple Plantation, Hale'iwa, North Shore, and went snorkling at Hanauma Bay. Well, I didn't snorkle, but that's another story!


Jim and June survived here in Dickinson...mostly. June was not happy that I was gone. But then, she's never truly experienced life without Mommy around. I believe she even admitted, "I take my Mommy for granted." She was very glad for me to come home. At some point in all of the excitement, I explained to her that it's not polite to ask, "What did you bring me?" Instead you should ask how a person's trip was etc. Amazingly, when Lesley came over, she asked, "How was your trip to Hawaii?" We were both shocked!!! She loved all her stuff from Hawaii. And Jim was awed with my choice of ukelele for him!!!




I am thankful for the opportunity to visit Oahu. And I am glad that I was able to let my hair down and just get away for a few days. I am so blessed to have a hubby that would even let me go!!!

Of course, I'm so happy to be reunited with my family. But it's back to the daily grind now...as Hawaii slips further and further into my memory..........

Much love, Jane

Let's share :)

Thank you for putting this together girls!

A very nice way to keep the Buckleys "near".

Our own "Buckley's Pandora" box. A good one!

It is so nice to "hear" from y'all!

Sophia is excited because she sees this blog as this very big journal where everyone can write a bit and specially "glue photos" of her cousins.

How fun! Now, because of you, our 6 y.old is a blogger.

Oh well, here she writes...

Hello dear family. I think my mommy, my daddy and I should share the things we love to do. One day I want to meet an alien and give him the tour. But there is a problem. I do not speak alien. I do not know anybody who speaks alien. So I think I have to learn many many languages so he can pick one and talk back to me about his home. There are many ways to learn things. Today I want to share this with my family.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/ I miss my cousins. Yours, Sophia.

Love to y'all!
Gio, Bryan and Sophia

Lastest from the Pitchers

JHP's rolling over, alot! Check out my latest blog posts at Pitchers' Progress. You can find a link on the Blog List on the right hand side of page. And there are new pictures on the WebAlbums.

I'm trying to figure out how to get the data in both places without double posting. Or maybe I should just include a notification when I've posted something new. Gotta think about it...
-EBP-

Chicago pics

This bogging thing is new to me... here are some pics.

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

We did it! We successfully completed our first official family vacation unscathed! We left for Chicago on a train out of San Antonio last Tuesday with not a care in the world. If you are not in a hurry and you like adventure, may I suggest train travel? It was fantastic! Yes, it took 35 hours to reach Chicago and the lounge car ran out of almost everything due to delays, but man was it relaxing. I have taken trains in Mexico and Thailand before, but this was pura Americana! We had a "family room" car with 4 beds and two windows that looked out on either side of the train. It was so great to wake up. look out the window and be crossing a flooded Mississippi River. The food was surprisingly good, the people who worked on the train awesome and the fellow passengers friendly.
Arriving in Chicago around 5pm, we took a cab to our hotel on the "mag mile" (terribly excessive shopping mecca) and headed out for stuffed pizza and beer. Marty's Chicago agenda consisted of art and mine of food. I have missed the food ever since I left 8 years ago and here was my chance. (I think we had pizza 4 or 5 times.)
We averaged walking about 3 to 5 miles a day and the girls were amazing. We put them in many different situations and they acted as if they did it everday. I was so proud of them.
After seven days of the city, we headed to the airport for the girls first plane ride. They loved it! One lady was surprised by their lack of fear. I told her that this is what happens when your kids don't watch TV and don't know what can really happen - I don't know of that is good or not. I suppose they have plenty of time for reality.
We are now home - back to nature and silence. Chicago was great, but too fast for me now. Being a Buckley, and you know who you are, do you think being able to really relax is a missing piece of our genetics? Perhaps it is just the Mike strand, but I find that the slowness of the country suits me for now. It makes me slow down just enough to be able to put life in perspective - or perhaps just have more time to think that I am putting things into perspective when in reality I just have too much time on my hands - it is summer time, you know. Wish me luck with my 7 more weeks of vacation...I will need it. Shalom - April

Boys of Summer

This little plastic wiffle ball can do expensive damage.

It was a simple batting practice in the backyard. Dad throwing wiffle balls to Oscar. Done many times in the past but 13 is upon us and now we are stronger than we used to be. We thought we were being so responsible using plastic balls that wouldn't hurt anything.

I had assumed my first post would be something about Honor Society induction, a piano recital, or some dramatic moment in a baseball game. Instead, I sit here and wait for the glass people to arrive as very expensive conditioned air escapes from my house.

For those of you with boys, your time is coming. This isn't our first broken window due to baseball...that first one was the next door neighbor's window. Thankfully she's very forgiving and window fixers came quickly. For those of you with girls, maybe this same thing will happen to you also. I remember breaking a van window with a baseball in 5th grade.

Tonight begins another Pony All-Star baseball tournament. We try to remember to park away from foul ball territory lest our windshield look like the window on the back of our house. Think of us as we sit for 4 hours tomorrow in 100 degree weather cheering on our 13-year-old toward victory (or at least fun).

What's in a name?!?

This blog is temporarily called "Buckleys - Near & Far", but that's not a really cool name. So let's come up with something else. Put your suggestions in the comments section, please.

-EBP-