Port Aransas

We spent a few days at the beach and everyone had a great time. Last year Ivy wouldn't even touch the sand and neither kid would go in the water. This year was a different story. Bryce loved jumping in the waves and Ivy had fun collecting treasures on the beach and sitting in the water. This was our 3rd year to go with the kids and it gets better every time. Can't wait for the next trip.

Birthday Party

The kids celebrated their birthdays today at the Little Gym. Ivy told me that she didn't have any fun but I think the pictures will show otherwise. The kids had a blast running around with their friends and I loved not having to do anything!

Happy Father's Day!

I asked Russell what he wanted to do for Father's Day but I knew what the answer would be...as much golf as he could. No problem, we packed up and spent the weekend at my parents. While Russell was working on his golf swing, Bryce was discovering his love of water slides. Last summer he wanted to go down the slide but only if someone held him. No fear this year. He went down a million times, popped right up and swam over to me. Ivy cheered every time. We had a great weekend!

A Day on the Lake

We took a boat ride with the Tishgarts on Lady Bird Lake on Sunday. The kids had never been on a boat before and this was a good one to start with. I'm pretty sure the people on stand up paddle boards were moving faster than our boat. Ivy had fun and liked helping Russell drive. At one point I think Zach and Ivy were in complete control, not the best idea. Bryce didn't like it but occasionally forgot that fact and enjoyed calling out things he saw. It was a great way to spend a Sunday!

Happy Birthday Ivy!

Ivy is 3 today! She will have a party later in the month but today was filled with fun. We met some friends at Hoppin House and we'll end the day with pizza and gelato at Mandola's.

The Graduate

Bryce had his pre-school graduation tonight. It started with a selection on patriotic songs which the kids sang with enthusiasm. It ended with them marching across the stage in cap and gown. I was prepared to be emotional watching my big boy but I was too busy sushing Ivy who wiggled and chatted through the whole thing. My mother shed a tear so that's good enough. I figure I have a few more graduations before the kids head off to college...this was a good warm-up.

Sportball

Bryce just completed a season of Sportball. He played four weeks of soccer and four weeks of t-ball. Here are some pictures of the last day of t-ball. He liked both sports so we'll be signing up for leagues this year. Goodbye weekends!

Dallas

We went to Dallas 2 weeks ago to visit with some of Russell's family. We forgot our camera so this post was delayed until we got pictures from others. It was Uncle Marty's birthday and his children (and their children) all came. It was the first time Bryce & Ivy met their cousins Aaron and Maddie. I think they all had a great time!

Baby I was Born to Ride

All it took was about a year of badgering and some peer pressure to convince B to yank those training wheels right off. Bribes, badgering, and peer pressure...I wasn't there but I'm pretty sure those are the same conditions that Lance Armstrong began his career under.

So off we go...training wheels on the shelf for now and a few extra superman band aids in the cabinet. For those of you with motion sickness issues or who have been known to vomit after watching Japanese anime I recommend a Dramamine prior to watching.

Corpus

We went to Corpus Christi over the weekend to visit my grandmother, Dede. She recently moved into a new building and the kids probably loved riding up and down the elevator more than anything else we did. Other highlights included staying at a hotelo (as Ivy calls it), eating at a 2 story Whataburger (while Bryce sang Whataburger jingles throughout the meal) and touring the USS Lexington.

Howdy Pardner

The kids were learning about Texas at school this week and finished up the lesson with pony rides. I couldn't be at school when Ivy rode but another mom told me that Ivy hopped up like a champ. Bryce is an old pro at ponies and was very proud to show off his riding.

Dinosaurs

We took the kids to a nearby dino park today. It's a small place with a nature trail. We completed a scavenger hunt while looking at life-size replicas of dinosaurs. Bryce just finished a dino lesson at school and he knew a lot. Why can kids remember so many dino facts?

Snow Day

Yes...technically there was snow on the ground. And yes...businesses and schools were closed today. But can you really count it as a snow day if all of the snow was melted by lunch? Well...I guess we'll take it. By daybreak the kids were bundled up and ready to fight the elements. While the dusting of snow wasn't quite enough to build a snowman or even a decent snowball...at least we got to try out some new cold weather gear that was purchased this year in the hopes of motivating us to book a future ski trip (if you buy it, you will go?). Ok Mr. Groundhog...according to you we should be done...so if it snows again I'll be looking for a new hat!

Show day at Little Gym

Ivy loves gymnastics. Ivy (like most little kids) doesn't love to "perform" when told to. I learned this lesson last semester so we kept show day fan fare to a minimum. I snapped a couple pictures mainly while she was upside down and couldn't stop me. It's her favorite thing to do anyway.

Nana

Myra came to visit for the weekend and the kids were so excited to have someone new to climb all over. The weather was not nice,cold and wet. You know it's bad outside when I willingly agree to go bowling. Anything to get out of the house...

It was a huge success! Ivy flaked out about halfway through the game so Bryce bowled for and and then finished her game. He loved every minute. Since I ended up hold ing Ivy Russell took a few of my turns. Best score I've ever had. Bryce can't wait to go back, Ivy said she would have had more fun if she could have worn the bowling shoes...it's really all about fashion for her :)

A Christmas Story

Once upon a time there was a bald man. This bald man was an early riser and a fan of pre-school musicals. He would attend Thanksgiving and other various holiday performances. One year the bald man was leaving a lovely Christmas sing along performance when he was run over by a fat man in a sleigh. Ho Ho Ho chrome dome...next time find a seat in the back row.

The End.

This Christmas story may or may not have happened and may or may not happen in the future. The names have been changed to protect the bald, but the sing along is true. The next time we video a school performance so help me if Costanza is in the row in front of me...wait...I mean...your honor...I plead the 5th. Merry Christmas :)

Dinner and a movie...

Sometimes I feel like letting the kids watch TV is a bit of a cop out. Sure it's an hour or 2 of silence...but at what price (wait don't answer that...I like my silence)? But tonight was different. For Hanukkah...Sant...errr...Uncle Spencer, Aunt Julie, and Cousin Ethan sent the Toy Story trilogy on DVD (well, DVD, Blu Ray, and Digital CD...quite the package). Anyway...the kids were super excited to watch so we set them up with dinner and a movie. I'm quite certain the last noodle wasn't swallowed until they found out who the Gaffer and Key Grip were. Next week...Toy Story 2!

Happy Hanukkah

Thanksgiving-Back to the Beginning

I haven't celebrated Thanksgiving at my grandparents' house in San Angelo since I was in elementary school. The cast of characters may have changed a little but the happy holiday stayed the same. The kids had fun feeding the ducks, exploring Fort Concho and staying at a hotel. It was great being together.

Not your average Friday lunch

What a treat! I got to have lunch with the whole family on Friday. Not just any lunch. Pre-School Thanksgiving lunch...complete with Pilgrims, Indians, Turkeys...and Chick-Fil-A nuggets (I do believe those were at the original Thanksgiving table). The kids got to perform their Thanksgiving songs, although Ivy informed me that she was "too busy" to sing (you can see from the pictures that she clearly had a lot going on :) ). I did my best to capture the full experience with camcorder in one hand and camera in the other. Unfortunately second row seating meant I got more shots of the chrome dome in front of me than the performance....but I think you'll get the idea. Here are some pictures for the abridged version and below is a 12 minute video if you're looking for the full Abiding Love Thanksgiving Experience. We're sure thankful to have such great kiddos :)

Get out your popcorn :)