What I Love About Drake July 2018

Favorite Quote:  "stay out of my privacy"  and "you cant tell me I cant be upset and cry" ....The last one comes from when your grandmother would tell you stop being a "ball bag" A phrase I personally hated when I was growing up and still hate it. But you would get mad and tell her you can be upset and cry to leave you alone.

Scripture Verse: 
2 Timothy 4

Preach the Word

4 I charge you ^[a]therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead ^[b]at His appearing and His kingdom: ² Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. ³ For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; ⁴ and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. ⁵ But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

Favorite Photo: (you in the train)
Bell and Pika are always laying down together weather Bell wants her near her or not. Poor Bell doesnt get a choice. She moves and Pike moves. She has finally given up and accepted her cat love. 

 When Pika is not harassing Bell you can always find her snuggled up with you :)

This cute little guy you gave me as a gift and I thought it was adorable. Gotta love the love emoji!

This pic says it all. You are like the dog whisperer. You got Drac, Max and Bell all lined up wanting your love. Although I didnt get them in the pic, your cats are sitting above Drac. lol

What else can I say here, just pure, sweet cuteness all the way around.

Where I hope to see you grow: 

Favorite thing we are doing this month: We saw the Inc-edibles 2 Premier: You have been waiting and waiting for this movie and we got lucky that your Uncle won tickets to see it before anyone else!

New Sayings:

Struggles and Accomplishment:

Your Style: 
I am going to start calling you "little Matthew". Every time Matthew comes around he feels the need to fart.In my car, my room...he thinks its hysterical. Yes, even at 23 this is how your brother is. Which is why Iam going to call you little Matthew too. You seem to think its just as funny and have started walking up to me to fart, laugh and run off. You wait to we get to the car and will say " I feel it coming on, oh oh Ive gotta fart, its going to be a big one" and things like that. All the while laughing your little butt off. You will walk into my bedroom and say "ooops I gotta fart, cant help it," then stand with your but poked out towards me and let it rip. Then shut the door and say "now you get to smell it" You and your brother deserve each other and need to live together in your own fart induced house. This is what I deal with daily all month long! OH and to top it off you have learned to make fart noises with your arm pits ! One more lovely delight I get to experience. Boys are a mess!

Height/Weight: ..........hhhhmmmm I would know this except someone, not naming names, but someone deleted all my notes in my phone kingmaker room for games.So no clue what your height and weight were this month..ggggrrrr

Favorite thing we are doing this month:  

1. Moving: That’s right! We FINALLY got our own place again. After 4 years almost of living with grandma and Uncle Shane we got our own apartment! Now its us and all your little fur babies back in Mesquite living the life we are more accustomed to. We both really love having our own place again and our own space. We liked staying with your grandma and Uncle, but we stayed so much longer than the 6 moths I had planned on staying. I felt like if we didn't move now, it might be another 4 years before I actually put the effort into saving up the money again to move. 

2. Day Care: This is pretty much your last year of daycare and you are having a great time at AppleSeed Academy doing all your field trips and hanging out with your old friends again. just this month you went to Dallas Children's Theater to see "How I Became a Pirate," went to  the World Aquarium, Crayola Experience and so many more places it’s ridiculous. You go on 2-3 field trips each week. RIGHT! 

3. Internet! We have gone 4 years without internet and I thought you might actually die on me you were so bumbed out over it. Finally though we are back in the land of the internet and you can play all our online games. Right now it’s all about Fortnight though for you. You have been dying to play this game and now you can! To say you are happy is an understatement. 

If you had extra money.... 

The book that has affected you the most....

Your greatest fear: For some reason its shadows on the wall being people waiting to break into the apartment. You never worried about things like this before, but I guess its been so long since you had your own room that your mind is playing tricks on you at night time. Sadly your lovely little kitten, Loki, likes to play with the blinds at night which only makes the shadows worse and freaks you out more. Secretly I think your cat is messing with you because you are sleeping and not playing with him when he wants to.

Favorite foods: Right now it’s pretty much anything soft because you lost 2 of your molars this month and you are struggling to eat food. You have been living on twinkies I think for breakfast and would eat them all day and night if I would let you.

Music you are loving: Whatever it Takes by Imagine Dragons. This is the theme song to WWE right now and you walk around singing this song and turn it up in the car because "it’s my jam"! You are also into Drake's God's Plan still and I Can Only Imagine by Mercy Me. As you can see your music taste is all over the place, just like your mother's. Your sister has rap, Matthew has 80's music, James has digital music and you kinda got it all. 

Favorite You Tubers: Not so much you tubers as its been a type of video flooding the internet. LIP SYNC BATTLE: Law enforcement officers from Texas have challenged each other to an epic lip sync battle. Their serenades have gone viral -- who do you think won? 
1. Bexar County Sheriff Department's "Fuiste Mala" by the group The Kumbia Kings.
2. San Antonio Police Officer J. Quiroz felt inspired to film his own lip-sync. Sitting in a car just as Deputy Mena did, Officer Quiroz took a video of himself mouthing the words to a crowd favorite: *NYSNC's "Bye Bye Bye."  
3. Robstown, Texas, Police Department shared their own lip-sync,  singing The Backstreet Boys' "Everybody (Backstreet's Back) and Selena's "Bidi Bidi Bom Bom"

This all started back in 2015 actually and just kept going. We happen to run across it this month so spent hours watching these videos and they were all hysterical. 

TV Shows:
You love watching The Voice with your grandmother. During on the shows they announced they were coming to Dallas and you wanted to sign up to audition. SO I singed you up to sing I can Only Imagine by Mercy Me and you got all excited to go and then we received an email a couple hours before your audition that you had to be 13 to participate. Sadly you were only 11 and were refused the audition. 

Games you are into:

What has impressed me most about you this month:

Favorite Photo:

Where I hope to see you grow: You were doing so great with your attitude for the last 2 months. Now, its coming back to you having a snippy voice with me and not wanting me to speak basically. You go through these phases when things are great, then you are a brat. You start getting defiant, refuse to listen, back talk, refuse to clean up after yourself, ignore me, etc. When you get like this nothing I say matters to you and you will sit and argue with me and then say you are not backtalking!! It drives me crazy and takes everything in me not to yell at you or smack you for being so rude and disrespectful to me. Instead I just started turning off your game systems and refusing to let you swim or go anywhere until your attitude straightens out.

Favorite Stories: 

Favorite Food: Grilled Huli Huli Chicken

Ingredients

• 4 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, chicken breasts also work
• 1 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
• ½ cup soy sauce
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ⅓ cup ketchup
• ¼ cup chicken broth
• 2 teaspoons fresh ginger root, grated
• 1½ teaspoons minced garlic
• green onions, sliced for garnish

Instructions

1. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together pineapple juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, ketchup, chicken broth, ginger and garlic. Reserve 1 cup sauce for basting. Add the chicken thighs and sauce to a ziplock bag and marinate at least 3 hours or overnight.
2. Grill chicken, covered, over medium heat for 6-8 minutes on each side or until no longer pink. Baste occasionally with reserved marinade during the last 5 minutes. Garnish with green onions if desired

Your Style: Does walking around naked count as a "style". You would walk naked all the time if I did not get onto you. so instead you wrap the towel around your head and claim you are not naked because you have a towel. You are just your own unique duck is all I can say at this point. 

What you want to be when you grow up: We are back to wanting to be a wrestler. Your back up plan is a video game designer. As least something changed I guess!!

What I Love About Drake September

Scripture: 
The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup;
you hold my lot.
The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.
I bless the LORD who gives me counsel;
in the night also my heart instructs me.
I have set the LORD always before me;
because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. (Ps. 16:5–11)

Favorite Photo:

Favorite thing we are doing this month:

1. Final Rangers Home Stance: During the Rangers v. Mariners game Adrian Beltre retires! Yes, its very sad after years of being with the Texas Rangers he tipped his hat to the crowd, cried, and walked off the field. Adrian Beltre on what could have been his last home game with Rangers: "This is the first time I’m actually thinking of packing and maybe not coming back. That’s where it is. ... Mentally, I’m ready for whatever decision I’m going to make. It was a weird day today.'' Beltre has openly contemplated retirement, stating this season that he’s not sure if he will be back next season. With that in mind, the Rangers decided to take him out in the middle of Sunday’s home finale against the Seattle Mariners to give him a moment to receive the recognition from his teammates and fans that he deserves. Beltre has been with us since 2011 and we have loved every minute of having him with us as the Rangers 3rd baseman. He is going to be

missed by not only Rangers fans, but baseball fans all over. 

2. Small Foot: We have been waiting for this movie for months! Every since we say it advertised back at the beginning of the year we have been waiting and waiting to get to see it! Finally I wont advance screening tickets and we got to watch it.  It was most definitely worth the wait. We laughed so hard during this movie. You loved the goat the most and is weird crazy antics. Since you will be reading this years later small foot is a movie based on the view from the big foot. 

3. Rangers Field Day: Once a year the Rangers open up Globe Life Park for all the season ticket holder fans to play catch on the field, do the ball park tour, hit balls in the Rangers batting cages, go visit the press box,

pitch in the Ranges bullpen, catch pop flies and  catch in the visitors bullpen. They always have alumni Rangers teaching the kids hitting, catching and pitching techniques that make this a unique and wonderful opportunity. 


4. Autism Walk: For the last 2 years my job has sponsored the Autism Walk and we have worked the booth and did the 5K walk. You love going booth to booth to see what all the vendors are doing and what goodies they have. You will also help out the vendors when you see they need things too. This year though it was cold, rainy and windy. Not a very fun event, but it went on nonetheless. 

Favorite Stories: 

Weird Drake Sayings:  Strangely enough you are not saying anything especially Drakish this month. You have been pretty "normal" in your saying. you are back to the your mamma jokes and you really love the "your hairline" and "ashy ankles" jokes for some reason. You and your friend love saying these along with "that's what she said" and "that's what your mamma said" etc. 

Height/Weight: I am honestly not sure-you did not have to go to the MD this month, but I am betting its close to what it was last month :) 

If you had extra money.... You would spend it on Fortnight VBucks to buy pro skins or dances and add ons to your characters. 

The book that has affected you the most....You still are into the Dog Man and Captain Underpants books. You love the fliporama that are in the books and its really helping you with your reading skills tremendously. We pretty much own every one of the books and you keep waiting for the author to put a few more out so we can get them. 

Your greatest fear: Still being left alone. You wanted to be home after school instead of going to daycare, but you get scared being alone so you have your friend Jayvion stay with you until I get home since he also hates being alone. Its not too bad during the regular week, but when there are days the school is closed you call me all day at work just to feel like I am there and you are not alone. 

Favorite foods: Pretty much junk food is your favorite food right now! I am having a hard time getting you to eat regular food. You seem to want hot Cheetos, hot fries and all takis. You do really love orange chicken still and any stir fry. 

Music you are loving:  Michael Jackson, but not just any M.J. you are loving his music from when he was a teenager with the Jackson 5. Your favorite songs right now is ABC and Don't Stop Till You Get Enough

Favorite You Tubers: Still this brother and sister (Sis vs. Bro)duo you really seem to like. They do alot of fun challenges and tell jokes and make each other touch gross things. You also still love Dude Perfect and all their tricks, flipping and stunts. 

TV Shows: Total Drama Island-We pretty much watch this every single night until you have to go to bed. Its actually a pretty cute show and I really like spending the time with you.  This animated series from Canada spoofs survival programs by recounting the misadventures at Camp Wawanakwa, an island retreat where 22 teens compete in extreme challenges while vying for the $100,000 grand prize. Every three days, at a campfire ceremony, the host passes out marshmallows to players who are safe. The sad camper who doesn't get a marshmallow must walk down the Dock of Shame to the Boat of Losers, which will bear him back to his mundane life.

 

Games you are into: Fortnight- you love this game pretty more than anything else right now. this is an online video game that Epic Games put out that has you killing each other, zombies like creatures and defend objects with fortifications you build. You have Save the World, Battle Royal and waiting on the next addition to come out. You seem to really enjoy the shooter-survivor games. You also like that you can play against 100 other gamers from all over the world at the same time or join squads and team up with your friends against every other squad. Right now you play under the gamer tag: FatYogiBear06 or CozyStream98

What I Love About Drake June 2018

Scripture Verse:
  Proverbs 18:24 " One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin; but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. "


Weird Drake Sayings:  
 "When I'm 12 I'll be out in the big world so you wont have to worry about me." This came from me talking to Dawson about if he is going to keep living with us or going to move to his moms over the summer. You said it so random we both just turned and looked at you.

Height/Weight: 
 No MD visit this month


Things You Enjoyed:  
You like having me sing you songs again at night time and scratching your back. Something you have not wanted me to do in almost a year and now you ask for it every night.  Its really cute because when I finish signing one song, you start into the next one you want me to do. Even after all these years that last song you want me to sing is still Amazing Grace.  Now though you added in a new song, I Can Only Imagine by Mercy Me that you want me to sing half way through our song list. I think this one came about because I took yo to see the true story movie of the lead singer and you really enjoyed the movie. You have watched it 3 times already.

Your Most Important Goal right Now: 
To go to the Appleseed Academy for summer instead of staying at King Arthur's Castle. You have been at the Appleseed since you were really little and you love this place and they love you. Barbara and Scarlett treat you like family and really love and dote on you. This is actually the last year you can go to daycare and I know how it important it is for you to end in the place you started.  So on June 11th you got your wish that you have been talking about since around Feb of this year and you are now back at the Appleseed Academy.

2 People who occupy your thoughts the most:  
Delaney- who you worry about all the time and want to know she is safe, who she is dating, is she eating, did she play with friends, did she spend time with her dad, did mommy talk to her...and on and on. You are kind of obsessed with your sister still and as much as she complains I know she secretly loves it because she talks about you all the time too. :) 

Friends: You want to go and play with someone every single day when I get you from daycare. Right now its still Ant Ant (Anthony) who lives in the apartments by grandma, and more recently friends from Hanby Elementary that you ran into at Game Trader: Dalton and Austin. I keep trying to arrange play dates but its been hit and miss and you dont go often enough for your liking.


If you had extra money.... 
You would spend every penny at Game Trade or one one of your field trips you take with daycare.



The book that has affected you the most....
Nibbles: The Book Monster . You really enjoy this book and how Nibbles eats his way through everything to go on new adventures. The lady who wrote the books actually worked at Appleseed Academy so you are bonded with her and love talking about these 2 books she has and the Nibbles stuffed animal that you have.


Your greatest fear: 
You are back to being scared of being abandoned by me. Something I though you got over, but apparently it just took a small hiatus and came back.  I blame your dad for this one because he always disappeared and we never knew when or if he would be back. You had gotten really good about knowing I always come back, but after my trip to Morocco last year I started noticing you getting more clingy about this and calling my phone when i was even 5 minutes late. You would rather keep me on the phone and talk to me until I get home then let me hang up and wait. When I do hang up, you keep calling every 30 seconds to make sure I am still coming. 

Struggles and Accomplishments: 
We just got your STAAR results and even though this is your 2nd year in 4th grade, you still could not meet the standards to pass the test. You are in the 3rd percent for writing, 5th percent for math and 9th percent for reading. For reading your score was 1311 and you needed to have at least a 1550 to meet grade level.   For reading last year you scored a 31 overall and you got the same for this year. You needed a 56 to pass the approaching grade level and 75  to actually hit grade level. For math you scored 21 last year and 24 this year. You needed to have 53 points to meet grade level. For writing last year you got 31 points, but for some reason this year you only managed to get 22, a dramatic drop. you needed 52 to pass.  You still get to go into the 5th grade since I already retained you once, but I'm so concerned over the gap and how much larger it gets each year from what you should know to what you can actually retain and learn with your disabilities. Sometimes I think I take this harder than you do and other days you are the one that is distraught. I do know that God has plans for you and He is in complete control. Everyone's trials and struggles in life are different and this might be the cross that you have to bear daily and I will make sure I support you and encourage you. I know you can accomplish great things in this world and this is only one small part of who you are and not the defining part Iam worried about. I much rather you have good character and grow into a man of God than be the smartest boy in school. You have an amazing, kind and gentle soul.

TV Shows:

           

      1.      Little Rascals:  You are really into The Little Rascals right now. I guess you watched one at daycare and fell in love with Alfalfa. You go around the house quoting parts of the shows. Right now you keep saying” take that back you little Jewish priest” and “ Do you know how to make a SANDwhich…that ain’t no sandwich that’s kitty litter.”

          2.       Loud House: Things are crowded in the Loud household, with 11 children -- 10 girls and one boy -- causing craziness in the house. As the only boy, 11-year-old Lincoln is in the middle of all of the chaos. Whether his sisters are giving him unwanted makeovers or he's racing them to the couch to gain control of the TV, Lincoln is often getting involved in antics with his siblings. Lincoln's best friend Clyde, who happens to be an only child, is jealous of Lincoln's large family and is always willing to play his part in the schemes. Clyde has a crush on Lori, Lincoln's oldest sister and self-proclaimed boss, who is dating Bobby, who holds many jobs -- including lifeguard and mall security guard -- even though he's not very smart.

        3.       Fosters Home for Imaginary Friends: A show literally about imaginary friends. Bloo is Mac's best friend in the whole world, but Mac's mom thinks he's too old for an imaginary friend so Boo livrs at Fosters house. Frankie helps keep things under control, and Mac is always stopping by to see Bloo, Eduardo, Wilt, Coco, Cheese and other residents.

Games you are into:

Candy Land, Battle Ship, Mario Kart Monopoly, Uno.