Grandparents Day!!!!

I don't know if it's the schools in our area or what but school is nothing like when I went that's for sure. Jamie and I have gone up to school with Chic-Fil-A to have lunch with Hami. One of us is volunteering once a week for something up there. Every time I walk the halls it's nothing but parents up there. Crazy...

Then they have Grandparents Day for lunch time. In our neighborhood we had Grandparents come in from out of town for this. Little nuts if you ask me but we are raising a different type of kid these days aren't we?

Nana doesn't work too far away and was happy to come in. She said there were Grandparents EVERYWHERE and she loved the fact that there were "very old people and very young people there. Nothing in between". Hami loved it too. All in all school is going good.

nice look on the kid next to Nana (that's actually our neighbor Aiden). He's looking like "how come my Grandmother isn't crazy like that?"

First Day of School....

Well it has finally come. The day I think that Jamie has been looking forward to and dreading since we brought him home from the hospital as a baby. Hami's first day of school. Yes, he did go to "private kindergarten" for most of last year BUT... This is the real thing (to us at least!!!).

Nana came over to help see him off and we really don't think Hami cared that we were there at all. With about a dozen kids getting on the bus in our cul-du-sak, us as parents really only got in the way. He shared his bus seat with his buddies Aiden and Keven (yeah three dudes in one seat) and they were off not even noticing at us waving and crying.

Next week it's college!!!!!

The Summer Recap...

One of the things that has kept me from updating the blog is that we have the hardest time to remember walking out of the house with the camera. We went to San Antonio and had to buy a disposable because we forgot. Any way I'll always have some sort of Blah, blah, blah...

We had a great summer. Jamie worked her butt off selling houses and did a great job. I closed some loans but mostly focused on the Summer of Nate and my golf game. Hami is starting school next week and the summer is over but I think all in all it was a great summer. We had something going on almost every week.

We went to Atlanta to visit Uncle Ross and Jenn. We had a great time there. Nope, not one picture. We went to Schlitterbahn and had a blast. Hami road all the slides and loved the downhill racer the best. We rode it 7 times. Nope not one picture. For Jamie's Memaw 80th Birthday we went up to Dallas a day early to visit with Uncle Mike (Dallas Mike) and the gang. There is always a good time to be had when the two families get together. Nope not one picture. There was this place out in the middle of nowhere that was a VERY small water park called Splashway. It was a fun day and it was sort of an adventure just getting there, but you guessed it. Not one picture. Hami went to Lost Pines for a week-end with his Nana but they didn't bring back any pictures either.

We weren't complete idiots and did bring the camera to a couple of things. We went to the circus and that was really cool. We got to go down before the show and hang out with the clowns and get "up close" shows. I even got hit on by one of the babe clowns. No really I did. Jamie even confirmed it for me. I took Hami and his buddy Kevin to an Astro's game and that was a lot of fun. The guys lasted the whole game surprisingly. One day we loaded up some of the neighborhood kids and headed for Brenham to visit the Blue Bell Ice Cream factory. It was o.k. and we did get free ice cream at the end. Me? I had Mint Chocolate Chip, Cookies and Cream, and Mega-nut Chocolate. Me belly be full. everyone else just had one scoop. The kids had a good time together.

San Antonio was a really good time. It was HOT as a mother though. I wanted to dive into the river and start tubing. Hami really dug it. The Dallas Cowboys (Pro-Football) have their training camp in San Antonio and our friends Ben and Theresa got some field passes to go down onto the field. Hami loved that. He ran around chasing Ben's boys and met a handful of the players. Two things of note for me. The players are HUGE and they all looked so young. Am I really that old?

Jamie had a girls week with the girls in Panama City Florida. She said that was much needed and came back saying that that's where the family is going next year so I'd say it was a hit. I headed to Tahoe/ Reno to help (Dallas) Mike with a 100 mile Ultra. It was cool to get out and V. and I had a blast at the casinos.So that's it. Maybe for the rest of the year we can take the camera with us when we go somewhere (but I doubt it). V. does little post and I love them. Here are some pictures of the summer:

Beach Trip: (these are in here because I thought I screwed something up. I'm not taking them out becuase I'd have to retype EVERYTHING and at my pace, well it would be Christmas before I got to it again). Just enjoy!

The Dudes

The bigger dudes

Dinner is served....

Tahoe/Reno (Mike's Run):

Walking up and down these 2 lane roads in the mountains. It was really amazing scenery looking out and up into nothing but sky and wilderness. I'll go back to this race.

The Circus: The Baseball Game:

Ready to go!

In the dug out with the players (no not really, silly!)

The boys had a great time at the game but I think getting a ride in a bike taxi back to the car was the highlight for the day.

San Antonio:

Two cool kids...

Hami thought this semi would look good in our driveway.

Blue Bell Ice Cream:

Man, I have got to take better pictures..... till next time!

Meet the Teacher...

So it's been a whole summer since I've blogged. I actually thought I did once but you know it's easy to forget. My laziness is for another time though. Today I am writing to talk about my Dude Hami's meet the teacher last night.

It was odd to me all the hoop-la that went into the meet the teacher night but everyone, kindergarten through 5th grade were there meeting the teachers running around and having fun. It was a social minus the beer and wine.

Me personally, I had waves of feelings of my school days come over me from time to time. I really just wanted to grab Hami and run out of there BUT I put on my game face and smiled for everyone. It's a cool looking school and his teacher seemed really nice. Her name is Ms. Snow. Our neighbor and one of Hami's good friends Aden got the same class and their seats are night next to each other so I thought that was good. The mom's for some reason don't.

Hami & Ms. Snow

The apple lays close to the tree....

Hami Just "graduated" private kindergarten. Why this has turned into a big thing I'm not sure BUT... we did our part in celebrating his accomplishment.

We told him around spring break that if he was able to get good conduct grades (there's another apple) for the rest of the year that he could get anything he wanted (within reason of course). His goal was a Wii video game and he stayed pretty focused on this for most of the time we dangled the caret. About a month before summer though he changed his mind. "I want drums like the rock stars play" (as apposed to the wimpy small ones). We kept asking him if he was sure he didn't want the Wii. No changing him, his mind was made up. With a chest full of pride I set out to find him his kit. I think I did pretty good in my hunting and actually spent less then we would have on the Wii so Jamie was even happy.

A Rock God in the making...

(I didn't set this pose up. When he saw the camera he struck it like he'd been doing it for years).

The Beach House....

So Uncle Mike's (Dallas Mike) family has had a beach house outside of Galveston for many years. Fran (Mike's mom) has been super generous to allow our family to use the house as well and we have truly enjoyed this access. The Beach House is also the usual meeting place for our two families to get together every couple of months.

Quick history of the beach and Mike and I- I'm sure our first road trip when we were 16 was to the beach. We would drive and sleep in our car to go fishing or sleep on the fishing pier pulling an all nighter down there. As teenage memories go, some of my favorite one's are just Mike and I fishing around Galveston.

Anyway, this past week Jamie went off to Florida for a girls get-a-way and it just so happened that Mike, V. and the kids were down at The Beach House for a couple of nights. Hami, Buck (our dog) and I headed down there to join them.

As always it was a great time. Everyone jumped on the boat in the afternoon and the kids crabbed off the sides. Hami and I did a little fishing in between. V. and I just sat around and gabbed the whole time while Mike was is usual "mega deckhand" for the kids. We cooked the crab for an appetizer. Had some steak and potatoes for dinner and Uncle Mike even convinced Hami to try a crab claw AND a piece of fillet. I live in hope my son, I live in hope. After dinner we headed to the beach and the kids swam while Aunt V. built a bonfire. When it got dark we lit the fuse on about 3 dozen fire works. We almost lost Hami, Joe, and Aunt V. to a firework mishap and we were on the road back home for a birthday party by 7:30AM the next morning.

Here are some highlights:

There are too many things to say about this image...Good friends Hami caught this Croaker and Joe scooped it up. Good team work boys! Hami loves him some Uncle Mike and he was all over helping out. This is one of about 3 rounds of crab. So good, (lots of work though). Boogie boarding dudes You guys look like you've been on a deserted island for a week (they really were...)

Friends+sand= fun (and a bath when we get home)

Give me FIRE......

And we were runnin'....

Jamie and her friends Vanessa and Shannon have been training and planning for the Houston Heights 5K run for about 2-3 months and this morning it was here. Hami didn't want to be left out so we signed him up for the kids 1K run and on my quest to be like Mike I signed up for the 5K race as well.

Everyone finished and I was very proud of the girls and their times. They all finished between 33-38 minutes. Wonder if there will be more in the future for them (can't stop now). I was amazed that the winner finished in 14 minutes AND that there was six runners over 70 that all finished between 31 and 46 minutes (There's a goal Mike).

Hami was great. He was jacked up before the race and was stretching and "loosing up" on his own. About a minute before the horn sounded his nerves caught up to him and he wanted to back out. Jamie and I reminded him that he was a McMartin and that we don't quit (Jamie's favorite saying) and that whether he walked or ran he was going to cross the finish line. We all three headed out on the course and about half way through it when Hami realized that there was no one behind us BAM! He was off. Jamie and I had a hard time keeping up with him. He finished in the middle of the pack with a smile from ear to ear. It was great seeing him run through the crowd and seeing him fight through his fear and knock it out. Very fun morning. Definitely better then I was expecting.

Here are some highlights:

we think we can, we think we can....

and they're off...

Great job girls!

We did it!

Gettin' Ready!

Got to get loose...

On your mark...

Get set....

Go!

11K between us.

Jazz Fest '09

Dallas Mike and I have been to many a Jazz Fest in New Orleans. It started out as the guys with Brett and Ross and turned into a couples gig with Jamie and V. It had been a while since we were there and it was time to hit it again. We invited Cul-de-sac Mike and Shannon along since they had never been.

Our fav band Wilco was playing on one of the stages on Saturday. Long story (but very funny) short Jamie and V. managed to get a back stage pass while the band was on stage. We passed the the ticket through the fence one by one and all ended up in the V.I.P. section partying with the band's family. It was a riot. It was a blast. It felt like we were 23 again.

On our trip we ate like Kings and Queens. We partied like it was our last week-end on earth and devoured Gumbo from a bag. It really was a great week-end.

I'll try and tell the story though the pictures:

The Gang!

The best grub in New Orleans?....only Camellia Grill

A product of the Grill (killer omelet and grits). Oh man!!!

A little hair of the dog, thank you!

Dallas Mike and some guy in the Quarter.

This was the way we came to know Cul-de-sac Mike on our trip

Shannon & Jamie

Mmm, love rules!

Travelin' NOLA style

Dallas Mike and V.

You can't see in these pictures but we camped out RIGHT next to the Daiquiri stand before the band came on. We had to quench our thirst some how. It was hot!

This was the best we could do (and stay close to the Margarita's & Daiquiri's) until....

Did someone say Hall Pass?

The girls and their accomplishment (Thank you very much)!

No really, they were super proud of themselves. Definitely a story for the ages.