The Storm is Over

Over the last few weeks Hurricane Hightower wiped through Houston and took out the likes of powerhouses such as the North Shore Mustangs, Cinco Ranch Cougars, and the Pearland Oilers. The Category 5 defensive storm then traveled northwest to Austin where it issued more destruction to the San Antonio Clark Cougars. But on Saturday night, the eye of the storm was a bit disorganized, and lost it's way. The Hightower Hurricanes fell to the Allen Eagles in a stunning 21-14 loss in the TX 5A Division I State Championship Game at Reliant Stadium. The Hurricanes took an early 7-0 lead and missed several opportunities to go into halftime with a more significant advantage. Allen adjusted its gameplan at the half and came back to score three touchdowns before the Canes could put up their second and final touchdown of the game.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/hso/6175812.html

Although the loss was a disappointing one, what an awesome 13-1 season for the 'Canes, and a great start for James as Defensive Coordinator. We are grateful to have made it so deep into the playoffs, and even more thankful that the incredibly l-o-n-g season has come to an end.

Thanks to all of you for your continued prayers and support. And thanks for showing up in true Texan fashion to support the 'Canes!

State '08

After this one, you'll only have to suffer through one more week of football posts. On Saturday, the Hightower Hurricanes met up with the San Antonio Clark Cougars at Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas. The 'Canes beat the Cougs 28-7, and earned a berth in the 2008 5A Division 1 State Championship game! The game will take place at Houston's Reliant Stadium at 7pm on Saturday, December 20th. We hope to see you there. Go 'Canes!

'Canes Roll Over the Oilers

On Saturday, the Hightower Hurricanes beat the Pearland Oilers for a berth in the state semifinals. The 38-21 win played out in front of a packed 15,000 seater Tully Stadium. The next game will take place on Saturday, December 13th at University of Texas' Memorial Stadium in Austin against San Antonio Clark. Hope to see you there!

Click on the link below for highlights of the game.
http://www.athletesconnection.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3763&Itemid=10019

The view of the Pearland supporters in the stands

Parents and friends congratulate James after the game.

11-0... Three Weeks To Go!

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/hso/6137582.html

There were two choices in this week's playoff game - win or go home. And this week the Hightower Hurricanes put another mark in the "W" column with a 24-21 win over the Cinco Ranch Cougars! Texas is a big state so the football season seems to have lingered. The 'Canes are now 4 weeks deep into the playoffs... only three more to go to the State Championship. Next up... the Hurricanes will take on the Pearland Oilers at Tully Stadium on Saturday, Dec. 6th at 2pm. Hope to see you there!

Our Texas family (a.k.a The Lewises, The Crawfords, and The Richards) shows some love to the 'Canes as they pull off another win.

Hightower Head Football Coach, Shane Hallmark, greeted by his adorable twin sons after the game.

Hightower Defensive Coordinator (a.k.a Husband Dude), James Williams, poses with daughter Janai after the victory.

Not Too Bad.

So, it seems that the pictures weren't that terrible after all. Take a look at http://www.studio979photo.net/williamsweb/. The master photography of Steve from Studio 979 made up for the bad mood of my kids. These pictures aren't perfect, but they capture the moment pretty well. There are only a few issues:

1. If it looks like we're sinking into the floor, it's because these shots were taken outside on the grass.

2. There is a little creature in Jay's nose (his left, your right) that only a mom would notice.

3. Janai's hair is not like that on purpose, but it doesn't look too shabby.

4. I have the neck of a giraffe, and had the nerve to have my chin up in the sky for most of the shots.

5. Ummm... where's Daddy? Oh... Texas high school football. Arghhh!

Hope you enjoy!

What a Weekend

Even when I'm a mess, I still put on a vest, with an "S" on my chest, 'cause I'm a super woman! ~Alicia Keys

Stomach virus? Check.
Hair appointment? Check.
Football game? Check.
Grocery shopping? Check.
Birthday party? Check.
Church? Check.
Family picture? Check... well, sort of.

What a busy weekend! I managed to get over the stomach virus by Friday afternoon. And things have been crazy in the Williams household ever since. The football game was the best high school game I've seen all year, and even better was the fact that James' team landed another mark in the "W" column, bringing the team to a record of 10-0.

But no time to celebrate... I had to throw together a 1st birthday party for Jay on Saturday. With the exception of a few glitches, it went off well.

Then there was Sunday. We are early risers and get to church at 7:30am to prepare for the 8:30am service. Then there's the 10:00am Compass class that we host. Then at 11:00am, we're usually on our way back home in time for a quick lunch before James has to head to the fieldhouse to work, while the kids and I lay it down for an afternoon nap.

What was different about this Sunday is that I (being the bright person that I am) had scheduled a photo shoot for Jay's 1st birthday, and while at it, why not take a family picture as well? Seemed like a logical idea to me. Well, everything went wrong with that logical idea.

First, the kids and I napped until 3:45pm and the photographer arrived at 4pm. While he set up shop in the backyard, I worked frantically to get the kids dressed and to style Janai's hair. I managed to put some pretty spiral curls in her hair only to have them fall straight the moment she walked outside into the humid Texas November air. She looked like a wild woman. So I quickly brushed it into pony tails. Jay did not nap well, so you can only imagine the kind of mood he was in. Ummm... and what's a family picture without all members of the family present? James was busy putting together the defensive game plan for this week, and wasn't able to get back home in time. Yay.

Then there were the birthday pictures. Steve (the photographer) had planned to get some shots of Jay tearing into an 8-inch birthday cake and having loads of fun with icing all over his face. Well, that did not go according to plan. When the kid's hands touched the cake, he completely lost it! He looked down at his messy hands, looked at the cake as if it were evil, and with big crocodile tears streaming down his face, he screamed to the top of his lungs and wouldn't let up.

I still had to pay for Steve's time, and I doubt that there will be many good pictures to choose from. I will share them once I have them back. But I must plan better next time. Thank God it's a holiday week.

Baby's First Birthday

Today we celebrated Jay's first birthday with a not-so-well-planned birthday party. The lingering football season has made scheduling family events a little difficult. It was a late night at the game. But I took an early morning run to Wal-Mart and Party City, and when all was said and done, I think I pulled it off. James even took a break from X's and O's and made a guest appearance at home for the occasion.

Hot dogs, pizza, chips, cupcakes, ice cream, goodie bags, a last-minute Sesame Street theme, a few friends on the side... all the makings of a pretty decent party! Jay seemed to enjoy himself and all of his friends. He was less interested in his own cup cake, but tried, without success, to jack Janai for hers. Overall, a pretty fun evening!

Happy 1st Birthday, Son!

A Huge Playoff Win!

On Friday night, the Hightower Hurricanes took down the Houston powerhouse, North Shore Mustangs, in a nail-biting 28-21 win. This was a battle of the top two defenses in the state, and the 'Canes came out on top. The emotions got the best of the players and coaches on both sides. For the 'Canes, this was the biggest win in Hightower school history. On the other hand, this was a stunning upset for the North Shore team that had been picked by many to contend for the state championship. Up next... Cinco Ranch on Friday, November 28th at 6:00pm, Delmar Stadium. Go 'Canes!

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/6126401.html

Post Hair Cut Bliss...

Good Hair Day!

"Hair is vitally personal to children. They weep vigorously when it is cut for the first time; no matter how it grows, bushy, straight or curly, they feel they are being shorn of a part of their personality." ~C. Chaplin

So today was the day we've all been waiting for. After a great morning at church and the typical Sunday afternoon nap, we loaded up the car for a trip to the north side of town for Jay's first hair cut! Uncle Juan opened the shop up just for us today. I was prepared for the worst because there's something about clippers and a soft spot that just doesn't go together. But it was time. The mushroom topper, afro, high top, raggedy mop of a hair do had gotten out of control. And while the wild hair had become Jay's trademark, I just couldn't take it anymore.

Jay proved Chaplin wrong and handled the cut like a champ. He sat there with his cape on like a big boy (with a pacifier, of course). Uncle Juan asked "how are we going to cut it" and I responded "just take it off... take it all off". Now it's gone... all of it... it's all gone. I'm still in a bit of shock. He looks like a different kid... ahem, a shorter kid. And... I didn't realize how big his head was underneath all of that hair! Here are some pics... Enjoy!

Uncle Juan scared me for a minute. He went in quick, and it appeared that he was going for the George Jefferson look.

Ummm... are you gonna cut that hair off in the back too? Just wondering...

Ahhh.. Time for the edge up. Sorry Jay, that pick is of no use to you now.

Ta Da! Look at my little man!

And Ta Da! Look at all of that hair!

A Playoff Win!

The Hightower Hurricanes won in the first round of the playoff on Friday against Clear Creek High School. Final score 59-17. Next up is Houston powerhouse, North Shore High School at 7pm on Friday, November 21 in Pasadena.

It's a Bloggin' Birthday Party (cont'd...)

Better late than never! Here are a few more birthday wishes that have rolled in...

James:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! Hope you are having a great Birthday and can celebrate a win this week not like Jay on his birthday when Hightower beat Kempner! Of course, seeing you made it all good. A BIG BIRTHDAY HUG!!!

Cheryne Elliott

It’s been a long time since I’ve had a 30th (I’m just guessing) birthday. I hope you enjoy yours as much as I did. And get ready to add to your winning streak. Congratulations on your victory over Travis, and go get some more. By the way, if any of your outstanding athletes who make really good grades get tired of wearing green, and they like the color maroon…

Jay Elliott

James, we are so blessed to be a part of your life. May God bless you with many more wonderful birthdays!

Steve and Tammy Crawford

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU...HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU.....HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOJAMES....HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOUUUUUUU!!!!James, just imagine all of your family and friends singing that to you forwe all are via the blog:) May God bless you with a wonderful birthday andwe pray all of your hearts wishes come true:)

God Bless and Happy Birthday:)

The Sweeties

Happy B-Day James! Hope you had a great day!

Nicole Nicholas

It's a Bloggin' Birthday Party!

Today James turns a whopping 33 years old! And while he's not much for surprises, I figured he would love to hear from all of his friends and family. He's spent all day trying to figure out what I was up to. Well, it's time... for... a... bloggin' birthday party! So husband-dude (as I so affectionately refer to you), here's wishing you a very happy birthday from all of us!

How do I begin to tell you how honoured I am

To have you in my life?

I'll start by saying it was a dream come true

The day I became your wife.
You're my best friend in the good times

And my rock in times of sorrow.

You're the reason for sweet yesterdays

And my promise for tomorrow.
I never thought I could feel this loved

Until I became your wife.

You made this year and each other year
The best of my life.

Happy Birthday!

Love always,

Alveda

Happy Birthday from Janai!

Happy Birthday Dah-Dee from Jay!

First, HAPPY BIRTHDAY.

I wish you continued good health, happiness, and prosperity. I also wish you and your team continued success all the way through the State playoff. We are so very proud of you and all of your accomplishments, keep up the good work.

Big Mama sends her love, and me too. Again, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AND MANY MORRRRRE.

Mom

Happy 50th (I mean 18th) Birthday, James. Many happy returns. Enjoy your day!

PaPa

May you be blessed on today. Happy Birthday!

Love, Mama Nell and Jerry

Happy Birthday and Best Wishes.

Poppa Bear Finnell

Roffy Rofday!

Chase Lewis (Juan, Monica, Brooke, Bayli)

Happy Birthday big man! I hope you have a great day today and realize how much you are loved and respected. Jennifer and I miss seeing you and Alveda in class but you always bring a smile to our face when we see you. We are so proud of you and your beautiful family. Keep believing for great things professionally and most of all personally. We love you. Happy Birthday again!

Our best days are yet to come,

David Hull
Senior Director Of Ministry Development
Lakewood Church

Happy Birthday James. I hope you have a wonderful day!

Denise Hallmark

Happy Birthday, James! May God bless you with many many more.

Rona Reid

Hey James! Have a happy and blessed birthday!!! Going to state would be a great birthday present!

Monica Lewis

Happy Natal Day Big James! I pray the next year brings higher heights and greater joys (and better Illini football:) God Bless Ya Real Good!

Rychetta Watkins

Happy Birthday! Hope your day is blessed and full of wonderful surprises! All our best!

Valerie and Wes Herndon

The Thompson Family is extending Happy Birthday wishes to you from the great swing state of OH that Obama turned blue! We hope that you have a wonderful birthday. Enjoy your day and you family!

Be Blessed!
The Thompson’s

JW,
Happy Birthday 40 Dawg, hey hopefully as you get a little older the memory of the Missouri Meltdown will fade (and yes I know it would be easier if I wasn’t there to remind you constantly, LOL!!)

Happy Birthday man and all the best!!!

Lloyd R

Happy Birthday, defensive GURU. Hope you don’t age too much during the play offs.

Coach Garner

Happy Birthday James, Enjoy your hair now because after a couple of years as DC it is going to fall out and what’s left will become gray! I am blessed to have you here on my staff and wish you the best.

Coach Shane Hallmark

Happy Birthday James. You don’t look a day over 40!!!!!!! Glad you came to Hightower.

Ab

Happy Birthday. Love Ya!

Tommy, Ceci, and the Girls.

Happy Birthday James.

Action 32

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAMES! GOD BLESS YOU!!!

Terri Carson

Happy Birthday James! Hope you have a great day!

Maria Richards

Happy Birthday big J-Dub Have a good one and good luck this week.

Brian Layton

Happy Birthday James! Man it must be tough to blow out ALL of those candles these days! LOL I hope you have a great day and may our Lord continue to bless you and your beautiful family. BTW, shutouts are awesome!!!!!!!!

Freddie Maynard

You know what I think of you, so I won't get all mushy!

Chad Hunt

Hope you and the fam are doing well. Good luck in the play-offs. God Bless!

Keith Barrow

J-Dub,

Who in their right mind would have a birthday during the play-offs?

Best of luck to you & the Hurricanes. Happy Birthday.

Slater

Tell my man J-Dub Happy Birthday, and I hope he gets all the presents that he wants.

Andre Roberson

Happy Birthday James,

Go dancing, and enjoy 33 years that God has blessed you to have. You have such a good spirit and a wonderful family. Freeze me some cake!!! I love you.

Crystal

Happy Birthday James!... Hope you have a great day!!

Carl, Gayla, Jordan, Jake and Baby Jenna Johnson

Happy Birthday Daddy J! We feel so blessed to call you guys friends and pray that you have an awesome day today.

Thad and Jeanette

A year older and no prettier... A shame really. Happy Birthday!!

Vic and Helen Wheeler

Happy Birthday Big Daddy!!!!! You do MF proud!!

Dave Pollack

J-Dub!

Happy Birthday!!!
I still remember...
I-L-L.....I-N-I
Congrats on your success this year, don't beat Moon too bad!!!
Miss you buddy!
Zig

Happy Birthday James! I was trying to find something witty or funny to write even searching the internet for ideas, but, decided to keep it short and simple.
Happy 33rd Birthday!
Go Hurricanes!
Daphne

Happy Birthday James!!!!One of the few positive things that I got out of that Hell I went through at Kempner was you as a friend. I wish you all the best buddy.

Nate

Happy Birthday Cuz
May the Lord Continue to Bless You With Many, Many More ...........

Love you
Connie & Family

Happy Birthday Big James. Enjoy your day and send us some cake to Virginia!

Nef (Jajuan), Wanda, and Jim Jim

Jay-Walking!

Jay is 11 months old and walking! He's got that Frankenstein thing going on. Take a look...

Presidential Park and Gardens

The Presidential Park here in Pearland, TX will feature larger than life statues of all of the United States presidents. The sculptures are the creation of internationally acclaimed artist David Adickes. As you can see in this picture, six presidents have already arrived. Even before the recent election, every time we would ride pass this, Janai would ask "Mommy, where's Barack Obama?" I had to keep reminding her that "Barack Obama is running for President - he is not the President". I can't wait for the ride to church tomorrow so that I can respond "His statue is coming!"

Hightower Football Week 8

The Hightower Hurricanes are the Fort Bend ISD District Champions! Last night, they beat the Travis Tigers 38-0 in the championship game. Their record is 8-0 as they enter the first round of the playoffs. As you can imagine, James is fired up...

O-BA-MA!

On the morning after the election, I woke Janai up and told her that I needed to show her something. I turned on the tv, where they were showing snippets of Barack's election night speech. Looking tired and confused, she wiped her eyes, and said "What Mommy?". I said "Janai, Barack Obama is the new President of the United States". She said "But mommy, I know that already, I voted for him on yesterday". How hilarious. The mock election in her class was a little skewed - Barack took it by a landslide with 95% of the vote. When I dropped her off at school, there were kids of all backgrounds chanting (unprovoked) "O-BA-MA! O-BA-MA!" Click below to take a look.

Yes, We Can!

So this post is obviously a few days late. But I must share my thoughts on this week's historic presidential election. For more than a year, I have followed every bit of election news. I could probably deliver the stump speeches myself! It has been a roller coaster ride - from Barack's huge win in the Iowa Caucuses to the disappointing loss in the New Hampshire primary... 22 debates (I watched them all and even hosted chat rooms for the Obama-McCain debates)... the Jeremiah Wright controversy... the questioning of Michelle Obama's patriotism... Bill Clinton's comments in South Carolina... the Palin Pick (need I say more?)... the economic crisis (and turning point)...the "That one?" comment... the Colin Powell endorsement...the list goes on!

On October 20th, two weeks before election day and the first day of early voting in Texas, I cast my vote for the Obama-Biden ticket. However, emotions and anxiety continued to run high - I carried a lingering heaviness in the back of my head. On November 4th, I was completely useless at work. I called or texted most of my friends and family in my red home state of Virginia to make sure that everyone who was eligible had cast their vote. Senator Obama had spent so much time and money in the state and had a chance to turn it in his favor. I was excited to get the reports of friends waiting in line for 4-5 hours.

Anyway, fast forward to election night. I was invited to several watch parties, but opted to sit at home alone and monitor the votes state by state. I had studied the electoral map insanely and knew that Obama had really changed the map, while John McCain had only a slim path to victory. At around 7:30pm CST, the heaviness in my head suddenly lifted and my soul rested when ABC and MSNBC declared Obama the winner in Pennsylvania. I was texting the information to a friend who was in Grant Park. They were getting the calls from CNN who was being very conservative (and slow) in their projections. She tells me that I have "mad street cred" with the folks that she was sitting with in Chicago that night.

Ohio was the next big call in Obama's favor. At that point I declared "Game Over". At 10:00pm CST, all major networks declared Obama the President-Elect of the United States. I expected to be overcome with emotion, but that didn't happen - at least not immediately. In my mind, there was no choice in this election. I only questioned whether the country was ready for a skinny kid with a funny name who looks likes me to be the President. I was cool until the new first family came on the stage. I was mildly distracted by Michelle Obama's dress, but I couldn't help but marvel at the fact the my candidate had been elected.

No contention. No recount.

Yes, we can!

Now if I can get Janai to stop calling Joe Biden John McCain, things will be great.

Hightower Football Week 7

Another one in the "W" column. Final score 41-0. District championship game this Friday.

I Didn't Vote for Obama

Scared ya, didn't I? This is shamelessly stolen from a friend's blog. Thought I'd share:

I Didn't Vote for Obama.

I'm a middle-class white guy living in Jacksonville, Florida. I've got a wife and two kids. Because the kids had no school today, I took a vacation day from work, and took the kids downtown to vote early. Fifty-nine minutes later, two smiling children and I proudly sported "I Voted" stickers. But I didn't vote for Obama. I voted for my ancestors, who believed in the promise of this country and came with nothing as immigrants. I voted for my parents, who taught in the public schools for decades. I voted for Steve, an acquaintance of mine from Kentucky. (Killed by an IED two years ago in Iraq ). I voted for Shawn, another who's been to Iraq twice, and Afghanistan once, and who'll be going back to Afghanistan again soon -- and whose family earned eleven bucks a month too much to qualify for food stamps when the war started.

I voted for April, the only African-American girl in my high school -- it was years before it occurred to me how different her experience of our school must have been. I voted for my college friends who are Christian, Jewish, Mormon, and yes -- Muslim. I voted for my grandfathers, who worked hard in factories and died too young.I voted for the plumber who worked on my house, because I want him to get a REAL tax break.I voted for four little angels from Birmingham. I voted for a bunch of dead white men who, although personally flawed, were willing to pledge their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor, and used a time of great crisis to expand freedom rather than suspend it. I voted for all those people and more, and I voted for all of you, too.

But mostly, I voted selfishly. I voted for two little kids, one who has ballet in an hour, and one who has baseball practice at the same time. I voted for a world where they can be confident that their government will represent the best that is in this country, and that will in turn demand the best of them. I voted for a government that will be respected in the world. I voted for an economy that will reward work above guile.I voted for everything I believe in. Sure, I filled in the circle next to the name Obama, but it wasn't him I was voting for -- it was every single one of us, and those I love most of all. Who else is there to vote for? Vote like it's about a better America. Because it is.

Hightower Football Week 6

Another one in the "W" column. Last night the Hurricanes took out the Kempner Cougars. Final score 35-17.

Hightower Football Week 5

Well this week's game wasn't pretty, but it was another mark in the "W" column. Final score against George Bush High School was 33-7.

Let The Countdown Begin!

Six weeks to go... let the countdown begin! Jay will be one year old, and I can't wait. Sure, I'm ready for him to start drinking whole milk. That $40/week currently used to buy formula will be put to good use elsewhere. But I'm most excited about the big day - the day we get rid of the big hair!

Oh, but as the day inches closer, part of me feels like the crazy hair has become his trademark. Maybe I should keep it. Ya know, I've kinda gotten used to random strangers in the grocery store saying "hey that kid is trying to bring the afro back". Maybe I should just have Uncle Juan shape it up a bit and let it grow and grow and grow until he really looks like Kid of the old rap duo Kid 'n Play.

Or maybe a mohawk is the way to go?

I sense that you're not feeling either. So, let the countdown to the haircut begin!

Friday Night Lights

Hurricane Football, Week 4: On Friday, Hightower took the field against Clements High School. Let's cut to the chase - it was yet another Hurricane Beat Down. Final score: 40-7! And this time, it was the defense (not the Special Teams) that gave up a touchdown. Oh... you should've been there. James was maaaaaaad. Giving up a touchdown is just unimaginable, unthinkable... I mean, you just don't do that! Here's a shot of a half-smiling Coach J-Dub as the team leaves the field after their extended "ya gotta be perfect" post-game circle time. Bottom line is that the team is 4-0. Looks pretty perfect to me so far. Whatta ya say? Way to go 'Canes!

Big Guy

I took Jay in today for his 9-month well baby visit. Nope... you're not slow, I am! He's 10.5 months now. His original appointment was scheduled right before Labor Day when we were out of town. This was the first time I could get. So, as Janai would say, he got too punches - a flu shot, and blood drawn for lead testing.

But here's the news.

Weight: 22 pounds, 4 ounces
Height: 30 inches

90th percentile all around! You didn't know I could make 'em so big, huh? Well, Jay is a big guy indeed. And as mama and 'em used to say, he is eating me out of house and home. He wants nothing to do with baby food. Last week, when I got his report from daycare, it said that he had eaten "lasagna, tossed salad, and garlic bread" for lunch. What in the world! This past weekend, he was putting down meatloaf and mashed potatoes like it was nothing. Can someone slow this kid down? And... yeah... let's talk about the milk. The doctor almost fell out of chair this morning when I told her that he drinks 35 oz of milk per day. Ladies and gentlemen... to all who are unaware... that means $5.81 in milk per day! Now that is just PREDICULOUS.

Hightower Football Week 3

James' team is holding its own with a record of 3-0. Last week, they played Austin High School. The final score was 45-7... yes, another Hightower Hurricane Beatdown. Check out Jay as he is completely focused on the little girl (not shown) in the bleachers to his left and completely uninterested in daddy's game.

Now, you'd think that James would be pretty proud of this game's score. But, nooooooooo. As Defensive Coordinator, he is focused on shutting teams out completely. Notice that didn't happen this time (ahem, the other team actually scored a touchdown)? Say it ain't so, Joe! Now, gosh darnit, it's ok give up one score, isn't it? (Sorry... too much political news).


Back to my point. Actually, it was Special Teams that gave up the touchdown. Kickoff return: the Austin player receives the kick-off, begins to run it back at full speed. He gets clobbered by a Hightower player. I mean, the hit was so hard, the crowd went crazy. Well, apparently when the Austin player went down, he landed on top of his own guy, and never hit the turf. So while the Hightower guys (James' team) were celebrating and dapping the hard hitter up, the Austin player gets up and takes the ball into the end zone for an Austin TOUCHDOWN! Everyone knows James as the nice guy, but it was great to see him peeved!

Icky Icky Ike

Things are finally getting back to normal. So I thought I'd try to post. Here are a few shots taken from the cell phone (pardon the quality) from Hurricane Ike.

As we evacuated Pearland to the north side of Houston, we noticed this caravan of buses carrying residents away from Galveston Island. As you may have heard, Galveston (and the Bolivar Peninsula in particular) suffered the greatest devastation. Our complaints of power outages, food shortage, and home damage are miniscule compared to what those people faced. There are still a several hundred people missing. Many people lost all of their worldly goods. Let's all continue to pray for them that God would help them to restore, rebuild, and renew.

I spent the last year leading the team that plans the BEST Symposium for Dow. It was scheduled for the Monday right after Ike hit. Obviously, the company jet was cancelled and no commercial flights were going out of Houston. Sherrika and I opted to take a commercial flight out of Dallas (300 miles away). We left Houston on a half tank of gas and a prayer. We finally found this station in Huntsville, TX. Check out the line (and the price/gallon missing).

This next picture is characteristic of what Ike did to the inland locations - lots of roof damage, and fences down.

We lost all of our food due to the 7-day power outage. This picture was taken one week after Ike hit. I was excited about restocking the refridgerator and freezer. I pushed my empty cart into Super Wal-Mart only to find empty shelves. The only thing in the cold/frozen food section was milk and frozen pizza.

All in all, Ike had us down, but not out. Thanks again for all of your calls, text messages, and prayers. It is great to have friends and family like you!

Obama '08

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/8/29/21040/3558/576/577074

Hurricane Beat Down

Ok... so I know I owe you all a real post. It's coming. I promise. But here's an update on James' football team. Hurricane Ike delayed the season by two weeks. But on this past Thursday, the Hightower Hurricanes took the field again to take on the Willowridge Eagles. The Hurricanes put a serious beat down on the Eagles - final score was 55-0. James was obviously VERY excited. He asked "wasn't that the best game ever; my defense held them to 35 total yards". I, personally prefer to watch a more competitive game. But James tells me that I need to appreciate the dominance. Go 'Canes!

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/hso/6024025.html

Ike Update

Hurricane Ike has passed and has left most of the greater Houston area without power. Thankfully, we have minimal damage to our home - a few shingles fell, a gutter came down, and a portion of the privacy fence was blown down. Ike had horrible timing as I was scheduled to fly on the Dow jet to Midland, MI this morning for the 2008 BEST Symposium. Instead, Sherrika and I drove to Dallas (in the dark), flew to Detroit, and then to Midland... made it just in time for the Welcome Reception tonight. James and the kids are staying with The Richards Family - they have power (Let the church say AMEN!). Will post more later. Just wanted to let you guys know that all is well. Thank you for your prayers and well wishes.

Ike Preparations

Current forecasts project that Hurricane Ike will make landfall between Matagorda Bay and Freeport, TX (Dow location) early Saturday morning as a Category 3 hurricane. While most of Brazoria county is under mandatory evacuation, no evacuations have been issued for Pearland at this time. But all around, preparations for Ike are underway - gas stations lines are insane, places like Wal-Mart and Lowes are packed, schools are closed or will be closing.

I am finishing up a few last minute things for work. The kids' school closes at noon today. James' game tonight has been cancelled and his school district is closed tomorrow. We'll probably leave at some point tonight or in the morning and head for the north side of Houston. Please keep us and all those who might be affected in your prayers. We know that God is in control!

Will post an update as soon as I can.

Couthins from Texas

Being the brave mom that I am, I packed up the two kids for a three hour flight to Virginia over the Labor Day weekend. We left Dad behind in Houston to do X's and O's. The trip was long awaited - it had been a year since I visited, two years for Janai, and the first visit for Baby Jay. I figured I should take the little guy and introduce him to the family before he was walking, talking, and perfectly capable of introducing himself.

Janai was most interested in re-meeting her "couthins" (ahem, that's cousins with a lisp... and yes, another Janaism). For every person we saw (and there were lots of them), the inquisitive child had to ask "Mom, is that my couthin?" This is the price you pay when you raise your kids 1000 miles away from both families.

Janai took a quick liking to my first cousin's daughter, Jasmine. Would that make Jasmine and Janai couthins? They spent the whole weekend together. To my surprise, Janai even spent one night at Jasmine's house for a couthin sleepover. I'm not sure how much sleeping she did though. When Robin (Jasmine's mom) went for a 2am bathroom break, she found Janai laying there with both eyes cocked wide open. What can I say... the child doesn't get out much.


Jay found a couthin his own size - my nephew, Micah, the ~1-year old son of my brother, Rob. While they are 2.5 months apart, they are roughly the same height/weight. They didn't do much in the way of playing together. Instead they fought over pacifiers, plaits, and the telephone toy. Micah kept trying to jack Jay for his pacifier (Man, why are you sucking so hard...must be good... gimme some). And Jay seemed to be in awe of Micah's plaits (Hey Cuz', what's up with those things in your hair? My pops would never let my moms do my hair like that!). My crazy uncle (we all have one in the family) suggested with all seriousness to me and my brother that "y'all need to switch kids". Jay does favor my brother quite a bit, and Micah has more of Janai's skin complexion. But uncle, there will be no kid swapping!


On Saturday, we visited the Children's Museum of Virginia in Portsmouth. Jay had a blast - does his outfit look familiar?
We also went to Woodstock Park in Virginia Beach. This was enough to wear the kids out and mom too. We even got locked in the park! Can you believe it? There we are swinging, sliding, having loads of fun... only to find a nice nasty on the car that says "The park is now closed. Your vehicle has been locked in. You can retrieve it tomorrow at 7:30am". Are you kidding me? Luckily, after one phone call, a bit of Texas charm, and a 20 minute wait, a nice city official showed up to open the gates for us.


On Sunday, my mom hosted a Labor Day Cookout. Lots of food, fun, and folks. And to Janai's amazement there were couthins, couthins, and more couthins! Janai was the source of entertainment for all in attendance. Everyone was amazed at the way Janai talks - she is so articulate (proper) for a 4-year old and talks sssslllllooowwwwllllyyy according to the fast talking southeast Virginians. While I always knew that she had an interesting way of talking, it just recently hit me that she's Texan and has a drawl. Duh! So when she speaks, words are drawn out (God forbid she messes up and has to start over!)... and there is often an unnecessary use of extra syllables. For example, if you hear her say:

"Mahhhh-aaahhhhm", that's Texan for "Mom"
"Hayens", that's Texan for "Hands"
"Thayer", that's Texan for "There" or "Their"
"Chayer", that's Texan for "Chair"
"Fayel", that's Texan for "Fell"
"Bayef", that's Texan for "Bath".

Ok, so maybe she's not so articulate after all, but you get the point.

All in all, we had a good visit. It was great for the kids to see Nana Nell, Jerry, Poppa Bear, Pearl, Aunt Cat, Uncle Rob, Uncle Lil Rob, Aunt Monica, Uncle Jim Jim, Aunt Wanda, Uncle Sean, Aunt LaLa, Grandma Liz, Aunt Bettie, Aunt Cathy, Aunt Carolyn, Mr. Pleasants, Ms. Cassandra, Ms. Gertie, Ms. Bernadine, Ms. Janice, Ms. Brenda, Ciara, Couthins Mya, Micah, Delante, Jajuan, Jasmine, Eysence, Amir, Meco, Robin, Garfield, Pam... and the list goes on... and on... and on! Poor Jay was overstimulated!

After a late night of fun, we took the 5:30am flight (whose bright idea was that?) back to Houston on Monday morning and rested up before getting back into the regular grind. Who knows when the next visit will be... but we'll be looking forward to it!

Twins

This is a rarity - posting in the middle of the day. But I couldn't resist. I just got this picture sent to my cell phone via PictureMail from the daycare. It seems that Christopher and Jay showed up today looking like twins. Looks like Chris' mom and Nana Cathy have been shopping at the same place. How cute!

'Canes Roll!!

Football season is here!!! On Friday, August 30th, the Hightower Hurricanes opened the season with a 35-21 win over the Eisenhower Eagles. The first mark in the "W" column was attributed to the strength of the Hightower defense, led by James. So, the team is 1-0, fired up and ready to go! Next up... after this week's bye... Willowridge High School! Will keep you all posted.

http://hstexas.scout.com/a.z?s=378&p=2&c=784741

Portofino Paradise

This post is a litte late, but let's just consider it the typical back-to-school "My Summer Vacation" report. In mid-June, we went on a five-day vacation with The Lewis Family to Portofino Island in Pensacola, FL. The eight of us piled up into a Suburban and made the 8-hour road trip from Houston. The highlight of the trip was the condo unit itself: roughly 2,034 sq feet, 3 bedrooms, 3.5 baths, extended tile throughout, a 472 sq ft balcony with entries from each bedroom... ahhhh... you just have to check it out for yourself (http://www.portofinoisland.com/). Highly recommended.

Other trip highlights:

Swimming, swimming, and more swimming... I mean that's what beaches are for, right?

Janai, Brooke and Bayli in their bathing suits about 5 minutes after our arrival. Believe it or not, the straight-back cornrows theme was unplanned, but necessary, given all of the water they would be in throughout the week.

We took a spin on the Go-Karts.

Janai and I led the pack! Ok... not really!
(Ahem, to all of my Dow friends, did you notice my safety glasses?)

Monica and Bayli (or is it Brooke?) wait patiently for the race to begin.

Juan and Brooke (or is it Bayli?) rolling in the Hot Wheels go-kart.

You can't go all the way to Florida without a playing a round of miniature golf, can you? How creative were we in our activity selection (NOT)!

Monica and Brooke (or is it Bayli?) give it their best shot.

We also pretended to want to do something semi-educational and visited the Air Museum at Pensacola's Naval Air Station.

Watch out Blue Angels, here they come!

Oh... how could I forget? What's a vacation without a visit to the emergency room? The little guy ran a fever of up to 103 - pneumonia was the culprit.

Jay and James in the local emergency room

After a healthy dose of antibiotics, and alternating Motrin and Tylenol, Jay was able to suit up and go out and enjoy the dolphin cruise.

James and Jay aboard the local Dolphin Finder boat (I can't remember the real name)

If this 6-month old could talk, he'd probably say "how long have we been out here in all of this water... I ain't seen a dolphin yet!"

It took a while, but we finally came upon a school of dolphins.

Overall, a very nice and relaxing vacation. We liked the place so much that we decided to do a bit of retirement house hunting. Whatta ya think? Should I scrape up a few million for this one?

Prediculous

Another Janaism...

"Prediculous"

Definition: Pretty ridiculous

Context/Used in a Sentence: When forced to wear an outfit that she doesn't want to wear, Janai responds "This is just prediculous, Mommy".

It's been a while since I've posted. Things are insanely busy on all fronts. James started with 2-a-days this week. So, I now have drop-off and pick-up duties at the daycare, 100 miles of commuting, and crazy 9.5 hr days at work. It's prediculous.

On top of this, Jay has decided that sleeping through the night isn't something he wants to keep doing. It obviously keeps me awake... and it wakes up Janai. So I'm quite the zombie. In order to get a little sleep, I've spent the last week curled up in a twin size bed with two kids. It's prediculous.

Did I mention that I am also trying to wean Jay and transition him to formula? Well, the iron in the recommended formula is causing all kinds of issues. Let's just say that his stools are the opposite of "throw up poop". I've never seen a baby grunt like this. It's prediculous.

Oh... and one more thing. Ms. Janai is toggling between the sweet, helpful 4-year old big sister and the child that likes to act a plum fool. Let's just say I got a call from the school on yesterday saying that Janai just decided to sit Indian style on the bathroom floor and hold a full conversation with Ethan (yes, a little b-o-y!) while he was going potty. It's prediculous.

So forgive me for not posting sooner. My hands are full!

G.I. Jay

Most of you know that my father-in-law loves to take pictures. After every visit to Chicago, we receive a fairly thick photo album in the mail. The album from the recent visit came in today and this picture was among the bunch. I couldn't resist posting it for all of you to see. First of all, it's just a cute shot. And secondly, it again illustrates how funny PaPa is (I mean how much fun he is :-).

The story behind this one? All I know is that Jay was outside playing with PaPa near the pool in his regular clothes. They came in and PaPa said "Oh Al (that's me), I turned my head for a minute and he got wet -we're gonna have to change his clothes". Well I assumed that he would go and pull an outfit from his suitcase. But instead, when they returned, Jay was dressed in this army garb - purchased by (ahem) PaPa and a perfect photo op. Too bad you can't see the camoflouge shorts in this pic. And... did ya notice the camo paint underneath his eye?

Bad Hair Days

So, I've been avoiding the topic for a while. But since you all keep bringing it up, I guess I have to address this issue of Baby Jay's hair. Just like his sister, he was born with a beautiful head of hair. As a chemist, I keep think it might be a good idea to develop an African-American hair product based on a synthetic version of amniotic fluid. That stuff works wonders! (I digress..)

As the story all too often goes, after only a few days out of the womb, Jay's hair turned for the worst. It developed somewhat of a split personality - "do I want to be curly, or straight?" ... "how about both? . A few months later, the signature bald spot became apparent in the back of his head. Next came the thinning around the sides. All the while, the top continued to grow. Each strand pointed in a direction of its own choosing. The result of all of this is what you all have referred to as a "back-in-the-day Kid 'n Play high top", a "mushroom topper", "a bald fade".

I have refused to comb it, because it would stand about 4 inches tall. And we all know what the Williams kids look like with an afro! Check out this picture of Janai at about 6 months old.


And what about this one from just a few months ago?



So...I had been trying to convince James to let me give Jay a few cornrows - but he was, is, and will forever be vehemently opposed to it. Nevertheless, during the trip to Chicago a few weeks ago, the in-laws psyched me up enough to do it anyway. The braids lasted long enough for me to snap this picture, and have James to be pretty upset about it. Me posting this picture on the blog may be grounds for divorce! So take a quick look, you'll NEVER see this again!


For my friends who may not know, there is a method to my madness. As the old tradition goes (that mean grandmama and 'em used to say), baby boys aren't supposed to get their hair cut before they turn one year old. Rest assured, that Jay's appointment with Uncle Juan (our friend, and -more importantly-a fantastic barber) is already scheduled for November 25th, 2008 (You guessed it... Jay's first birthday!)

In the mean time, let's just all agree to keep pretending that high top fades are still in style!

Peace.