Mama bought these cool new blue margarita glasses for the shower, and when I saw them I begged for mama to put some water in so I could try them out. Going...
Going.... Gone. Ahhhh.
More please.

Dada's home! My dada went to a tournament last weekend, and I was so glad when he got home. Mama and I kicked it, but it's just not the same without him around. I know mama's faking it when she pretends to get excited reading the fishing magazines (see below for evidence) where clearly dada loves to read them. I was yelling "big boat" "big boat" "big boat", and dada was saying "soon enough" "soon enough" "soon enough". Stay posted.

I am all about the puzzles right now, and have mastered them so well that mama invented a game where she takes the pieces from all five puzzles, dumps them in my wagon, and then I have to figure out what puzzle they go into. I can spend literally an hour doing this, as long as I have my trusted spider man sippy cup.

Painting the beach houseThis weekend we went down the beach house to help Ga and Papa paint. Mama did the bedroom. Note the lovely tan lines - the purple stripe from the MS150 ride burn that's now peeling combined with the pink on top of her leg. That's good stuff, mama.

Papa painted the living room. Everyone loves this color.
My cousin Bill came down from Vermont to help too. We think we might be able to convince him to stay!

I even got my little hands in the paint and wasn't too happy when mama made me wash it off.

I also climbed the ladder, but Papa and mama showed me how the sign on the ladder warns against standing on the top rung. I was very careful to not stand on the very top.

Happy Birthday Marianne!!!
Today is my cousin Marianne's birthday - she's 12. I called her and talked to her on the phone and said "wagon" and "car" because I don't know "happy birthday" yet. Mama tried, but we couldn't get it hammered out on time. (In other news, I'm now telling mama "I love you" when she puts me to bed, which gets tears from mama every night)

Ga went up to visit the gang a couple weeks ago and celebrated the April and May birthdays.

Marianne and Brenden got new bicycles for their birthdays and Ga took a spin. Mama couldn't resist posting this picture. I guess Ga had a good time up there.
My cousin Brenden is a nut. If he was here, I would call him "a nut".

Welcome home Hudson!

Precious little (6lbs, 1oz) Hudson Michael McCarty was born a week ago today to Stacy, mama's law school buddy, and Nathan. He is so sweet - just look at those cheeks. Hudson had to stay in the hospital for an impossibly long week to treat pneumonia and jaundice, but he's as strong as his mama and will be coming home today or tomorrow. We are all so happy for Stacy and Nathan and can't wait to meet Hudson and to see Jackson, big brother extraordinaire, soon.

Bye bye Meemaw! My Meemaw left today to fly back to Chicago to keep peepaw company. Thanks for coming into town so that mama and dada could ride in the MS 150; so Ga could go to St. Joe to hang out with Marianne, Brenden and Bridget; and so that we could play together. I love my new train!
I know you'll always remember the "booger" story. I blew my own nose on Saturday, looked down at the tissue and said "boogers." Meemaw said she almost fell out of her chair - she couldn't believe that mama taught me that word. We both had a good laugh over that one. We sure did have a good time, and now maybe you'll understand I'm saying "pretty flowers" when I say "priddy fowers" on the telephone. Love, Keegan

MS 150 2008 Despite very little training this year, mama and dada agreed to do the MS 150 bike ride from Houston to Austin. This is the fourth year one or the other has participated. The first year they both rode; the second year dada rode alone because mama was pregnant with me; the third year mama rode alone because dada tore his hamstring. It was rough going with the training for dada because his hamstring is still sore and mama just couldn't get her groove on. She paid for it!
Paw paw did all the driving and beverage providing. He was awesome and mama and dada can't thank him enough. He posed with Justin at Baker Hostetler's tent in LaGrange. Here is mama and Justin on Day 2 of the ride during lunch. Mama is forcing that grin, I can tell.

But she's not forcing this one. Here she is after just crossing the finish line. She says that that is the best feeling in the world: seeing people hold up signs that say "I/my dad/my mom has/have MS - thank you"; having people ring cow bells; and sing congratulations. There is just no feeling like it. That's what makes her come back year after year.
Posing with Justin after the finish. Relief! Dada's hamstring was so sore this year because there was a 20 mile an hour head on wind all day the first day that he wasn't able (aka mama wouldn't let him) do day 2 of the ride. If he sat at a desk all day it would be different, but there are lots of kids and adults that rely on him to teach taekwondo. So, dada did the smart thing and rested his leg.
Mama posing with Matt, Allison's husband. Allison was mama's ride partner last year, but she is due to deliver my buddy Luke's little brother Davis in early May. Allison's doctor told her that that unless she wanted to deliver Davis in Austin, that she'd better stay in Houston. We missed you Al!
WOW! Look at that sunburn. Mama swears she put on sunblock, but it certainly doesn't look like it. Note the "two layers" of sunburn. The first layer on the upper thigh is from the bike shorts. The second layer on the calves is from long leg warmers that mama wore the first day up until the second to last rest stop. Mama said this look is going to be particularly pretty during bathing suit season.

The absolute worst sunburn ever, even worse than Florida Spring Break 2004, is on mama's back left calf. Look at that puppy. Mama walks gimpy because of it -the skin is all tight and when she stands up the blood rushes to it and it feels like pins and needles. Kids - WEAR YOUR SUNBLOCK! LOTS OF IT!

Ansel Adams in the making? Recently I've taken great interest in taking pictures with mama's camera. She is glad it's digital. I took this beauty of meemaw enjoying a nice glass of vino.
And this one of Mac. I was up on the barstool with mama, so Mac didn't run from me like he usually does.

And I took this abstract of the barstool. The angles are nice, no?

Leavin' on a jet plane....Last weekend, mama, dada and I took a holiday in Sarasota, Florida so that I could meet my GG (aka great grandma). She has three sons, so mama figured she wouldn't think I was too nuts. I was very good on the flight there (and very bad on the flight home - that was delayed for a couple hours because of weather - do not fly with babies at 9pm. Just don't). My uncle Billy, aunt Kristen and cousins Jamie and Katie met us there, after they spent a week at Disney for their Spring Break. Me and my GG. She loved on me as much as I'd let her, and I did let her some, considering the fact that I really don't slow down much. She had all kinds of things for me to break in her house, and mama is proud to say that not a single thing broke. Phew.
We didn't waste much time getting in the pool in GG's backyard. Mama has lots of memories of this pool from growing up. It was a little cold this time around for the Texas folks, but the group from Minnesota loved it.
On Friday night we took GG to her favorite restaurant, Bob Evans. My cousin Jamie had blueberry pancakes for dinner. I was jealous so I tried to pelt her with my broccoli from across the table. Poor Jamie.
We had to get a hotel room to sleep at because dada is really allergic to GG's cat. Unlike last time we slept at a hotel where I didn't mind being in the pack and play, this time I screamed bloody murder when mama put me in there. Mama and dada were afraid someone in the hotel would call CPS, so they got me out and I slept between them on the bed. I didn't sleep really well, and mama and dada are bruised all around from me kicking them all night long. Let me tell you, even breakfast in bed didn't make up for that rotten night's sleep! The next night was even worse, but we'll not bore you with that story.
On Saturday we went to the beach after eating breakfast at GG's house. The water was so clear and pretty, so unlike Texas' water. I could actually see my feet! My cousin Katie really enjoyed playing with me and spent a lot of time chasing me down at GG's house and at the beach.
I loved to play in the surf, but dada had to be careful that I didn't get caught in the tide and ride out to sea.
I kept yelling "big water"! "Big, big water"! I was so rambunctious that mama and dada had to take turns with me while the other one napped.
I also enjoyed the sand some, but mama's going to get me a shovel and bucket to use at the beach at Ga and Pawpaw's beach house. She bets I'll like to make sand castles!

Posing with the Hochmuths.
I must have said something funny about uncle Billy because everyone is cracking up, including me, except for uncle Billy. Mama wants to know what it was. Does anyone remember?
After a quick nap in the hotel (yeah, right), we all met up for dinner at Crow's Nest. Uncle Billy was a superstar and got us a private room so that I could run around like a nut shouting at all the boats that went by. "Big boat", "Big phisin' boat". Everything is big these days - I am a Texas boy, after all.
Mama had stone crab claws for dinner and she had to wear a bib, just like me. Her's had a lobster though, instead of Elmo, like mine. Oh, and he's "Elmo" now, not "Melmo". Mama gets a little teary when I say Elmo like a big boy.

It was so great to see everyone in Florida, especially my GG. I hope to see you soon GG, and I'll see the Hochmuths in Minnesota at Christmas. Brrr, I'm shivering just thinking about it!

On Sunday we had to pack up and get going. We made a quick stop at Mote Aquarium in Sarasota. I liked the starfish.
And the jellyfish.
But my favorite thing was the boat store next door. I kept looking for windows so that I could yell at the big boats. Mama and dada think they heard "big boat" 17000 times that day, roughly. What a great trip!

Me and my Justy.

It was that time again...Haircut #2 by Paola. I love Paola. I sit still for her, and I sit still for no one else.

In this picture you can see the newest gash on my head. Lovely.
And in this picture you can see the long scratch above my eye and my "shiner" which mama thinks is just the result of allergies, but with the way I go about banging my head, it could be an actual black eye. When Ga got here today she emailed mama at work to tell her that it looked like I had been in a fight this weekend and to ask what the other kid looked like. Silly Ga.

Happy Easter 2008!
On Sunday we packed up the Jeep and headed down to the beach to check out the progress on Ga and Pawpaw's beach house. I got to stick my head out the sunroof while we waited for the ferry. Mama said good thing the birds didn't poop on my head. When we got there, I was happy to find that the Easter bunny left lots of eggs all around the house for me to find - in drawers, behind doors, and on the windows. There were so many eggs. Ga and Pawpaw were glad that I also was happy to pick up the leftover nails and scraps off the floor. It's a much cleaner beach house, thanks to me.
The papers were signed the following Tuesday, so the house is officially their house. Congratulations to Ga and Pawpaw - everyone is so happy for you that you finally have your dream retirement house at the beach. Mark your calendars - housewarming on Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, May 25. Everyone's invited!