Sunday, December 20, 2009
getting older
Today Kailey was able to get her straw out of the plastic wrap and successfully put in her juice box with zero help. She is growing up. This has made 10% of what I had held onto as "successful parenting" now being outdated.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Christmas...almost here
With just a little over a week left until Christmas, we are all in full "Holiday Mode". There are Christmas parties to attend and one to host. We have presents left to buy, but fortunately not many. The lights and decorations have all been hung since late November, and we have almost gotten accustomed to seeing the empty storage boxes stacked in the garage. Of course, it is almost time to refill them for another year in the attic.
Kailey seems to be understanding that Christmas is coming and many parts of what that means. She has been able to spot "baby Jesus" in any nativity scene we come across. Actually, she has gotten a little too capable at that. A local restaurant has a grouping of action figures near the cash regisiter as decoration. She incorrectly identified the smallest of the action figures (the one in the middle) as "baby Jesus". I guess we've been working too hard on finding nativity scenes. We'll need to work harder on what a nativity scene is not.
She also definitely understands that Santa means presents. Her list this year has involved asking for a lot of purple and pink stuff. Pink stickers, purple Barney stickers, pink Cinderella, and on and on. Shelli and I have only been found out one time. Kailey found a Snow White doll in the back of the car. Because she could not reach it, she came running to Shelli saying, "MOMMY, I *NEED* THE SNOW WHITE DOLL IN YOUR CAR." Shelli, being a little shocked and disappointed, asked "what doll?" This attempt at changing the subject did not work. The silver lining is that she got a Christmas present that she really likes...even if it was a few days early.
We'll do our best to keep the pictures and updates coming regularly over the coming weeks....
Merry Christmas from Shelli, Kailey, and Michael
Kailey seems to be understanding that Christmas is coming and many parts of what that means. She has been able to spot "baby Jesus" in any nativity scene we come across. Actually, she has gotten a little too capable at that. A local restaurant has a grouping of action figures near the cash regisiter as decoration. She incorrectly identified the smallest of the action figures (the one in the middle) as "baby Jesus". I guess we've been working too hard on finding nativity scenes. We'll need to work harder on what a nativity scene is not.
She also definitely understands that Santa means presents. Her list this year has involved asking for a lot of purple and pink stuff. Pink stickers, purple Barney stickers, pink Cinderella, and on and on. Shelli and I have only been found out one time. Kailey found a Snow White doll in the back of the car. Because she could not reach it, she came running to Shelli saying, "MOMMY, I *NEED* THE SNOW WHITE DOLL IN YOUR CAR." Shelli, being a little shocked and disappointed, asked "what doll?" This attempt at changing the subject did not work. The silver lining is that she got a Christmas present that she really likes...even if it was a few days early.
We'll do our best to keep the pictures and updates coming regularly over the coming weeks....
Merry Christmas from Shelli, Kailey, and Michael
Monday, December 14, 2009
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Friday, December 4, 2009
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Pics
As an early birthday present, Shelli got me a new SLR Canon Camera. I am still learning my way around it, but here are some of the first pics. So far, I really like it. If anyone has any interest in my old set up (Canon Rebel XTi), it is for sale.
Christmas village
Kailey on my arm....(it was not that easy to take this shot with my one free hand)
Let's not forget about Shelli and Bailey.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Thanksgiving
We spent Thanksgiving in Houston with Shelli's family. In addition to having Kailey and Ella together, there was a new cousin having his first Thanksgiving, Kade.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
good stuff
815 last night... bath, teeth, PJ's, prayers, and story...check, check, check, check and check.
Just as I kissed Kailey good night and went to leave her room, she says softly, "Daddy, will you please lay with me for just a minute?" Best feeling in world........ Daddy's little girl.
Just as I kissed Kailey good night and went to leave her room, she says softly, "Daddy, will you please lay with me for just a minute?" Best feeling in world........ Daddy's little girl.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Cheese!
We spent this past weekend in Lake Charles. Kailey's cousin, Ella, turned two.
http://michaelpbarrett.com/Children/Ellas-2nd-Birthday/
(If you need help with the password, email me Mi.Barrett@yahoo.com.)
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Santa Babies
Kailey had her first dance performance this past weekend. She's on the far left during most of the video.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Big Bend National Park and Big Bend Ranch State Park
Last Thursday I left Katy to spend a long weekend in West Texas. It was a guys' trip to go camping. 1400 miles and 100 gallons of gas were some of the numbers behind what was a great time.
Just before we made our last pickup on Thursday in San Antonio, we made a stop in Flatonia to sample Joel's BBQ. We were impressed with the food. No, it was not angel food meat, but considering it was a random stop off the side of the interstate, the quality was great. Brisket was served in razor thin slices in a room made of cemented mesquite logs. Instead of cinder block, the walls were made by stacking logs with cement in between. That's how hole-in-the-wall BBQ should be.
Once all four of us were ready, the Suburban pointed west on I-10 until the speed limit reached 80 mph, oil wells, and wind farms dotted the road side, and the eighteen wheelers out numbered the sports car 20:1. We had made reservations at the Antelope Lodge in Alpine, Tx (college town of Sul Ross State University) I don't know if any of you watch the tv show LOST, but this "Lodge" looks like something out of the Dharma Initiative's archives...or perhaps from their cowboy counterparts. The rooms were in duplex buildings arranged in a circle around a campus. It served our purpose by being cheap and having running water.
Before we totally commited ourselves to sleep, we made a run at a local bar; Railroad Blues. This place is literally beside a railroad track. We have a flattened dime (still as much fun as when I was 12 years old) that someone in the group had placed on the tracks to prove trains still pass by. While it wasn't Waylon, Willie, and the Boys nor Luckenbach, they had had live music, and one of the largest beer selections I have ever seen.
After a few hours of beverages and live music, we decided that sober and alert was the best way to start the following day and called it a night. We rolled out of Alpine Thursday morning after a quick fill up at a local gas station. While the cheap gas was a good find, the breakfast tacos were outstanding. Gas station food can be terrible, but if it freshly made and made well...amazingly
good.
After a short two hours, we were in Big Bend National Park to reserve a campsite. Our first choice, Pine Canyon 4, was taken. We paid for Pine Canyon 3 and headed off to Big Bend Ranch State Park. BBRSP is just west of BBNP. While the state park has a lot of potential, our main goal was to hike Closed Canyon. This simple and short hike was chosen because it is unique to that part of the country. It has steep sides and is narrow.
We left BBRSP and headed back east with stops along the Rio Grande. While Rio Grande was applicable when first named, its usage and diversion have left it reminding me of another Texas landmark, the Alamo. Each's reputation is far more impressive than the actual landmark. Seriously, have you ever seen the Alamo? The new McDonald's in my neighborhood is only slight ly less impressive.
Just before heading to our camp and setting up for the evening, we made a detour to hike Cattail Falls. None of us had ever been to the falls. It is an impressive oasis in the middle of the desert. While the water wall, pools of water, ferns, and trees were neat; none compared to the black bear we ran into. We estimated he/she weighed between 400 and 500 lbs. It was headed in our direction along the same trail. At about 1/4 mile from us, it turned and went down a hill. As we kept going on the trail, it headed the same direction it had been going. We passed about 40-50 yards from it. That was very cool.
As we got back in the truck and headed to camp, dark fell upon us. After turning off the paved road, we had a 30 minute drive to our camp site. It wasn't fun to set up in the dark, but we made it. That night, a little scotch and a clear sky were perfect.
The next morning, we headed from our camp to hike the Pine Canyon trail. It was a simple two mile hike from the truck to the water fall with about a 1,000 foot elevation gain. The falls were dry, but the trees were changing colors.
From the end of the trail, we tried to use the topo map and blaze a trail to the top of Crown Mountain.
With no trail, we had a hard time knowing where we were, how far we had to go, what direction we should go, and if a dead end was around the next boulder. Other than that, everything was fine. It was a good trip through the woods.
Unfortunately, by sharing this image, I will probably cause the Walt Disney Company to sue the National Parks Service. However, I couldn't pass up this "hidden Mickey":
On the drive back to camp, we had nice view of the setting sun over a mountain ranch in Mexico.
That night, it was another good meal, more good night sky views, and perhaps just a taste more of scotch. Due to its remoteness, Big Bend National Park is considered one of the best places in the country to view the night sky. If you have never seen the Milky Way with your own eyes, you need to.
We were up before the sun on Sunday morning to begin our 12 hour drive back to Houston. We only spent $160 per person for the four days, and half of that was on gasoline. I am ready to go back.
Once all four of us were ready, the Suburban pointed west on I-10 until the speed limit reached 80 mph, oil wells, and wind farms dotted the road side, and the eighteen wheelers out numbered the sports car 20:1. We had made reservations at the Antelope Lodge in Alpine, Tx (college town of Sul Ross State University) I don't know if any of you watch the tv show LOST, but this "Lodge" looks like something out of the Dharma Initiative's archives...or perhaps from their cowboy counterparts. The rooms were in duplex buildings arranged in a circle around a campus. It served our purpose by being cheap and having running water.
Before we totally commited ourselves to sleep, we made a run at a local bar; Railroad Blues. This place is literally beside a railroad track. We have a flattened dime (still as much fun as when I was 12 years old) that someone in the group had placed on the tracks to prove trains still pass by. While it wasn't Waylon, Willie, and the Boys nor Luckenbach, they had had live music, and one of the largest beer selections I have ever seen.
After a few hours of beverages and live music, we decided that sober and alert was the best way to start the following day and called it a night. We rolled out of Alpine Thursday morning after a quick fill up at a local gas station. While the cheap gas was a good find, the breakfast tacos were outstanding. Gas station food can be terrible, but if it freshly made and made well...amazingly
good.
After a short two hours, we were in Big Bend National Park to reserve a campsite. Our first choice, Pine Canyon 4, was taken. We paid for Pine Canyon 3 and headed off to Big Bend Ranch State Park. BBRSP is just west of BBNP. While the state park has a lot of potential, our main goal was to hike Closed Canyon. This simple and short hike was chosen because it is unique to that part of the country. It has steep sides and is narrow.
We left BBRSP and headed back east with stops along the Rio Grande. While Rio Grande was applicable when first named, its usage and diversion have left it reminding me of another Texas landmark, the Alamo. Each's reputation is far more impressive than the actual landmark. Seriously, have you ever seen the Alamo? The new McDonald's in my neighborhood is only slight ly less impressive.
Just before heading to our camp and setting up for the evening, we made a detour to hike Cattail Falls. None of us had ever been to the falls. It is an impressive oasis in the middle of the desert. While the water wall, pools of water, ferns, and trees were neat; none compared to the black bear we ran into. We estimated he/she weighed between 400 and 500 lbs. It was headed in our direction along the same trail. At about 1/4 mile from us, it turned and went down a hill. As we kept going on the trail, it headed the same direction it had been going. We passed about 40-50 yards from it. That was very cool.
As we got back in the truck and headed to camp, dark fell upon us. After turning off the paved road, we had a 30 minute drive to our camp site. It wasn't fun to set up in the dark, but we made it. That night, a little scotch and a clear sky were perfect.
The next morning, we headed from our camp to hike the Pine Canyon trail. It was a simple two mile hike from the truck to the water fall with about a 1,000 foot elevation gain. The falls were dry, but the trees were changing colors.
From the end of the trail, we tried to use the topo map and blaze a trail to the top of Crown Mountain.
With no trail, we had a hard time knowing where we were, how far we had to go, what direction we should go, and if a dead end was around the next boulder. Other than that, everything was fine. It was a good trip through the woods.Unfortunately, by sharing this image, I will probably cause the Walt Disney Company to sue the National Parks Service. However, I couldn't pass up this "hidden Mickey":
On the drive back to camp, we had nice view of the setting sun over a mountain ranch in Mexico.
That night, it was another good meal, more good night sky views, and perhaps just a taste more of scotch. Due to its remoteness, Big Bend National Park is considered one of the best places in the country to view the night sky. If you have never seen the Milky Way with your own eyes, you need to.We were up before the sun on Sunday morning to begin our 12 hour drive back to Houston. We only spent $160 per person for the four days, and half of that was on gasoline. I am ready to go back.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Halloween 2009 - lady bug
Our little lady bug and a lot of her friends went around the neighborhood for candy.
We all ended up back at our place for an evening of chili, football, chimenea use, and good times. More pics (mainly of the little ones) have been added to my Halloween 2009 folder:Monday, October 26, 2009
Pumpkin Patch
We had a great weekend visiting with friends from Katy and friends from Lake Charles. We went to the Dewberry Farm Pumpkin patch and Houston Zoo. The events, friends, food, and weather were all great.
I have most of the pictures at:
Thursday, October 22, 2009
picture anyone?
I am trying a new approach to saving and sharing my pictures. While I will still use my flickr account, I have made a new web page:
www.michaelpbarrett.com
It gives the viewer (you guys) a better graphical interface than flickr did, makes ordering pictures easier, and will allow me to sell pictures if the opportunity presents itself. With the encouragement of Shelli and some friends, I am going to try my hand at being a semi-pro photographer. For a small sitting fee, I'll take pictures and then either give the customer (that sounds strange to write) a CD of the retouched images, or I will upload the pictures to the web page for the customer to view and order directly.
Either way, if you have any words of wisdom, criticism, or anything else that may be helpful (that includes Grandparents and others who order pictures), please send me an email.
www.michaelpbarrett.com
It gives the viewer (you guys) a better graphical interface than flickr did, makes ordering pictures easier, and will allow me to sell pictures if the opportunity presents itself. With the encouragement of Shelli and some friends, I am going to try my hand at being a semi-pro photographer. For a small sitting fee, I'll take pictures and then either give the customer (that sounds strange to write) a CD of the retouched images, or I will upload the pictures to the web page for the customer to view and order directly.
Either way, if you have any words of wisdom, criticism, or anything else that may be helpful (that includes Grandparents and others who order pictures), please send me an email.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
U2
Last night Shelli and I went to the U2 concert with some friends...beyond awesome.
review from Houston Press
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Monday, October 5, 2009
How to speak "Kailey"
I was thinking the other day how, as parents, Shelli and I need to know the difference between what Kailey says and what she means. This language skill is very important and worth sharing.
When Miss Kailey says, "I want to walk on my feet.", she means that she would prefer to go without shoes and walk barefoot.
When Miss Kailey says, "I can't like it", it is her intention to tell you that she would prefer to not do whatever it is you are asking her to do. This may involve going somewhere, eating something, or almost anything else. Dad, "Kailey, I am going to the store. Would you like to ride with me?" Kailey, "I can't like it."
When Miss Kailey says, "I want to go to the parking lot", she is expressing her desire to walk to the neighborhood park at the end of the street.
When Miss Kailey says, "I saw a Mr. Thomas", she has actually spotted (normally in a book), a rhinoceros.
We're pretty sure that she will outgrow all of these, but in the mean time, we are enjoying learning the little special phrases that Kailey is teaching us.
When Miss Kailey says, "I want to walk on my feet.", she means that she would prefer to go without shoes and walk barefoot.
When Miss Kailey says, "I can't like it", it is her intention to tell you that she would prefer to not do whatever it is you are asking her to do. This may involve going somewhere, eating something, or almost anything else. Dad, "Kailey, I am going to the store. Would you like to ride with me?" Kailey, "I can't like it."
When Miss Kailey says, "I want to go to the parking lot", she is expressing her desire to walk to the neighborhood park at the end of the street.
When Miss Kailey says, "I saw a Mr. Thomas", she has actually spotted (normally in a book), a rhinoceros.
We're pretty sure that she will outgrow all of these, but in the mean time, we are enjoying learning the little special phrases that Kailey is teaching us.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Sunday, September 20, 2009
trip to the zoo
Friday, September 4, 2009
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Football
With the preseason almost over, Shelli and I have made it to two preseaon games. The Saints beat the Texans last weekend and the Vikings repeated the same last night.
More pics and videos are at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/michaelandshelli/sets/72157622077444567/
and
http://www.flickr.com/photos/michaelandshelli/sets/72157622011184875/detail/
Sunday, August 16, 2009
2nd post for the day
Of course there are no rules about multiple postings in one day, but this is certainly the exception.
We have had a very busy and good day....one worth posting about.
First (and most important), Kailey spent the entire day in big girl panties (not pullups, just regular underwear) and she made it through various digestive hurdles without any issues. This was a very big and successful milestone for the Barretts.
Next, we have been working home improvement items this weekend. Shelli redecorated a guest bathroom. I updated most of the downstairs doorknobs. Then, we removed, sanded, stained, and sealed our front door. We went into the project with the mentality that "it looks so bad, there is no way we could make it any worse." We came out of the project very pleased with the results. I'll try to post some pictures later.
Today was not all good news. Kailey saw something that she had never seen and it was very disturbing to her. In the over two years since Kailey was born, yesterday was the first time that she had ever seen.....a commercial. Between DVD's and the free part of our OnDemand cable programming, she almost always watches TV without interruption. Yesterday, we found the movie Shark Tales for her on network tv. After about 10 minutes, I heard from the other room "FISH, FISH, I NEED TO SEE THE FISH, FISH." While she was yelling as if the TV had somehow spontaneously melted into a pile of metal and plastic ooze, it was just a non-Fish short program (we call them commercials) about breakfast cereals being shown that made her upset. I am not sure if she understood the explanation, but we moved on past the incident once the program came back on.
Finally, Kailey also found her gymnastics legs today. She started the day nervously doing one somersault. By the end of the day, I was fussing at her for having taken the cushions off the couch and doing somersaults off them. We talked her back into just doing flips on the rugs and carpets.
We hope you all had a great weekend too!
update
Well, since the last time I have posted we have continued to have a very good summer. At the end of July, I went to Chicago for a few days for work. The weather was perfect and the city was very nice. We went to a game at Wrigley Field.....unbelievable atmosphere and energy.
Pics are at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/michaelandshelli/sets/72157621877286472/detail/
Pics are at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/michaelandshelli/sets/72157621877286472/detail/
Shelli has been taking Kailey to various activities around Katy. This is a picture of Kailey laying on a gymnastics mat.
We've also been to a few baseball games in Houston.
Finally, I am working on expanding the pictures I post to include video. For the time being, we've settled on using YouTube and having privacy permissions set on the videos. If you want to view a video, email me (Mi.Barrett@yahoo.com) and I will give you the password. This is still a work in progress, for now, and we may change how it is done....to be determined.
A video I shot in Chicago will be our first test:
Friday, July 24, 2009
end of July update
July has been busy for us. Shelli and I celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary. Kailey had her first episode with swimmer's ear. We sold the land we had owned in Lake Charles. Kailey's Great-Grandmother came to visit, and Kailey began to "use the potty like a big girl", with some good success.
Below are some of the pictures from when my grandmother (Kailey's "G G") came to visit. We spent one day at the Blue Bell Creamery in Brenham, Texas. The rest of the weekend was spent around Houston at various locations including the House of Blues Sunday Gospel Brunch and Williams Tower Fountain. Pictures from the weekend are below.
Below are some of the pictures from when my grandmother (Kailey's "G G") came to visit. We spent one day at the Blue Bell Creamery in Brenham, Texas. The rest of the weekend was spent around Houston at various locations including the House of Blues Sunday Gospel Brunch and Williams Tower Fountain. Pictures from the weekend are below.
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