Finally a college graduate

Well, yesterday it happened. Kristi and I finally graduated from college!!!!

We both started college in 1993 at Sam Houston State University. Kristi graduated in 1997 and I in 1998. Well, that's when we got our diplomas, anyway. But I don't believe that you truly own something until it's paid for.

Last night we paid off the rest of both of our student loans!

After almost eleven years, what a weird coincidence that both of our student loans finally terminated in the same month. It's an awesome feeling to have finally conquered that debt in our lives. It's been a long, long, long road that at times seemed would never end. There were so many months that we felt like we weren't getting anywhere, just spinning our wheels.

It's been horrible. There were a lot of times that we thought about how much better off we would be if $500 a month didn't come straight off the top of our salaries. Our goal now is top save enough money for the kids college so that they won't have to go through the same thing.

When we were little, saving for college was a luxury reserved for richer people. Our parents were too busy busting their tails just to keep our families fed and clothed and housed (and they did a great job), nevermind worrying about saving for college. I was the first college graduate in my family and Kristi was the second in hers. Back then, you didn't have to go to college. You could get a pretty good job without it. But times have changed a lot since then. Geez, I sound old, but it's true. The trick is to start saving enough early enough so that going into debt isn't necessary to make it happen. We've got a little more other debt to pay off before we get to college saving, but by this time next year we should be there.

I feel smarter already.

Easter Fun...

We had a great Easter at Mom & Dad's this weekend--here are the kids 

with the traditional Clarkson bunny cake.  :)  

All the Way, Baby!

My phone rang a few minutes ago; it was my brother, Timmy, calling from the playground.  Guess who made it all the way across...twice??  :)  

Rich Heritage

My kids are so blessed to be part of a family of great fishermen.  Um, and Daddy. 

Morning Glory

Yesterday was a long day.  I woke up this morning a bit leery of what today would bring...and for an hour, while James was a good boy and finished a freelance job and then hit the gym, I lay in bed just thinking and enjoying the quiet before the rush of the day began.  Noble, of course, was cuddled up beside me (he's been sleeping until almost 7 AM...big news for Nobley.  Now if we could just get him to sleep straight through...)  Anyway, so there I was, thinking a lot and worrying just a little, wondering a lot and planning a little.  And then it started--my favorite part of the morning.  (Let me backtrack here if you haven't been to the little green house...it's little.  The two bedrooms share a wall and while sound doesn't carry through the walls, it totally carries through the air vent--ah, the wonder of an old house.)  So I was laying there, wondering what the day would bring and I heard one of my favorite sounds in the world, Kayci singing in her bed.  She started it when she was a baby, and that's how we knew she was up and happy.  In the past couple of years, the singing  has ceased to be an everyday occurrence...just some weekends, if we're lucky.  But there it was this morning, and the sound reminded me that I need to shake yesterday off and be grateful for today, for the opportunities that come with each new morning.  And yes, of course, the hope.  So here's hoping today's a great day, for all of us.  So far, so good here in the little green house.  Time to get back to it... 

Happy Easter!

It's 6 PM, and the Pharaons are still in pajamas!  In Kayci's estimation, this has been one of the best days EVER!  :)  We had Easter with all of the Clarksons yesterday at Grandma and Grandpa's, but we came home late last night so Kayci and Noble could have Easter morning at home.  Kayci started lobbying yesterday for a pajama day today, and Noble helped her out by starting to run a fever yesterday evening.  (Yup, we assume it's another ear infection.)  So, here we are.  We slept in fairly late by Pharaon kid standards, so we started our day at 7 AM instead of the usual 5 or 5:30.  (Perhaps that's what Mommy & Daddy got for Easter?!)  We heard Kayci's door open at 7 and James caught her before she started Easter without us, and we all went out to the dining room table together to see what the Easter bunny brought.  Kayci and Noble were both very excited to see the goodies in their baskets.  Kayci had fun a little while later telling her very patient cousins every single thing that the bunny brought, and Noble fell in love with his bubble gun and the various wind-up hopping/walking chicks and bunnies.  (He's discovered wind-ups this Easter season...he'll bring one to you and hit you with it until you realize he wants you to wind it up, then you have to wrestle it away from him so you can wind it...then he snatches it up before it can go very far...over and over and over again...)  

We've had a great day watching movies, taking a nap, spending a bit of time outside with Sami and the swings (in PJs, of course) and just being HOME.  I can't think of the last day we've all been home together, all day, and we've taken time to just BE instead of getting caught up on chores or work or getting things done.  This day has been a blessing, and we're so very grateful for this and all of our blessings.  Happy Easter to you, too--if you're reading this, you're on our list of blessings, as well!  :)  

Kayci's Easter Egg Hunt

TGIT, as my friend Teresa said this morning.  :)  It SO feels like a holiday around here, and has all week.  The kids and I are playing in the office right now, waiting for Daddy to get home.  The Bogans are bringing pizza over in a bit and we're going to dye eggs tonight...we're so excited!  It's been a great day, start to finish, and a great start to our Easter.  

Today was Kayci's Easter egg hunt at school, and boy, did she have an egg-cellent time!

Here's Kayci, waiting for the signal...

She's so MY daughter. They were told that each child could take 10 small eggs and 2 large eggs home...so she kept stopping to count to make sure she wasn't getting too many eggs. 

Sweet, but still...sigh.

Guess who surprised us?? What a GREAT surprise, Daddy...

I felt so bad that he had to be at work instead of with Kayci, and I knew he felt bad. 

I just didn't know how bad until he showed up! :) 

We brought bubbles for Kayci & her friends...the wind did the work, mostly, 

but the kids had a blast!

Last week, we made Easter egg sidewalk chalk with Kayci's class--it's a project I've been dying to try for years. When I told Kayci about it, she was all gung-ho...I have to say, I was disappointed with the project until I saw how much the kids loved it, today, and how well the chalk worked! Not dry and icky at all, but kind of creamy and just right...

EVERYONE loved the sidewalk chalk...

...and yes, maybe there was just a little monkeyin' around. 

Happy Easter!

Where's Noble?

Where's Noble? He's standing, staring out the window (or maybe trying to escape, as usual). What's that he's standing on? It's Daddy's subwoofer. At the end of the clip, see Noble standing on his own and take a step!



I just noticed that Pink Floyd's "Is There Anybody Out There?" is playing in the background. Pretty appropriate for a little Noble looking out the window, trying to figure out how to get ... out there.

1000 words...

Shiny, Happy People...

I'm fairly low-maintenance as girlies go, I think, and Kayci DEFINITELY thinks so.  We have a family friend who's always fluffed and puffed (as Jenny says) and coordinated, from her heels to her bag to her jewelry...she's very SHINY, as Kayci says.  Today I went to work, so I dressed in one of my dresses and my silver ballet flats.  Kayci was very pleased.  She said, "You're not usually very shiny, Mommy.  You know, I can't believe you even have silver shoes."  Gee, thanks...  :) 

So then a little while later I'm driving her to school and we're talking about her fingernails.  She's determined to grow them "long like Savannah's."  As of yesterday, she's going to quit biting her fingernails.  Wait, no, she said, just bite them LESS.  So we're talking about her fingernails and how we'll paint them when they grow out, and the conversation turns to a teacher's toenails.  Kayci was trying to describe Mrs. M's toenails...they're white just on the edge (mmm hmm, French manicure...well, pedicure...) and they have something on them...is it a picture?  No..."Oh, I know!" she said, "You know how you can bedazzle stuff?  That's what's on her toenails!"  Bedazzled toenails....what'll she come up with next?