Dino Pit & more

to celebrate our last day of dino week (only learning to read by sight and not being very good at phonics is a really drawback to being able to read dinosaurs books!) and Gloria's last day of being two, we went to the Austin Science & Nature Center. Inside the visitor center they growled like dinos in the cave.

digging up fossils
getting buried in the sand
getting mauled by a bear, really Gloria stood and petted this stuffed bear for a long time while Lydia looked at fossils, through a microscope, felt rocks, etc. We had a picnic on a bench and also saw their animals
the parking lot is by the Hike & Bike trail bridge so we walked over and enjoyed the cool breeze.

Gloria Friend Party

Jackson was born the day before Gloria also at the birthing center. He often travels for his birthday weekend so we had a weekday playgroup party at our house today. 8 moms and 16 kids! It was Toy Story/Tinkerbell themed. The early birds colored some.
Waiting for their cake.
Once all the guest arrived we packed into the kitchen (I love my big kitchen) sang Happy Birthday and ate cake, then had lunch.
All the kids got a sticker and we played pin the sparkling star on Tinkerbell (a big giftbag), some went outside to play but it is still too hot. A fun time was had by all and all had a sugar high as well. Toy Story or Tinkerbell fruit snacks were the favors
Some of the big kids, I never got a group photo of all the kids or one of me with Gloria, so not a good photo shoot but a great party!

Dinos!

Caleb looking up at us in the train area.
T-Rex
A Dino you can ride on!
Gloria was ready to get off quickly
playing with life size eggs. We also enjoyed the other exhibits and had fun with the crazy crowds (where were never captured in these photos but it was packed!)

Learning

Since Caleb has gone back to school, and we've gotten back into our regular routine the girls have been a little giddy, fighty, dare I say it bored? So I decided we need to start doing something a little more structured at home so they would stop hitting each other and to help the days pass in more productive ways. Some friends suggested some good preschool websites and we are off with a learning theme each week.

First Lydia picked space. We read books from the library, looked at a harvest moon, ate phases of the moon into cookies, watched a Tad Math Moon adventure (good) and the Jetson's Movie (I just picked random moon dvds from the library and one was horrible but the girls like the cuddly creatures at the end) of course we talked about pretend and real things about space, we did slow moon walking to the Chariots of Fire theme and played 10, 9, 8...blast off rocket ship space jumping (counting, blasting off and jumping from 'planet' pillows around the house). It was great first week.

Second was BUGS, again library books and Elmo, Diego and A Bugs Life (too old for them), we tried a few nature walks but saw the most bugs dead in the pool, we had an exterminator come and kill fire ants (expensive but perfectly timed), we made ant hills (see above), Lydia made a bug mobile.

Now we are doing dinosaurs and kicked it off with a (free-yay Austin Museum day) trip to the new exhibit at the Children's Museum (see next post)

Surprised by Oxford

Surprised by Oxford by Carolyn Weber

When I saw this book offered on Book Sneeze (where I get books for free from Thomas Nelson publishing by blogging about them), I thought it looked neat, an inspiring, engaging little book about a lady becoming a believer as an adult. Well I was right about the inspiring and engaging and really wrong about the little. Surprised by Oxford is a book worthy of an Oxford graduate and is a brick. She includes introductions by various authors and intersperses quotations throughout. The writing itself is a work of art. And the subject is wonderful. Caro grew up in a normal Canadian home and went off to Oxford for graduate school. The way that God weaved together people at perfect times and places was beautiful. She is very real with her thoughts and struggles to accept something not normal in academic circles. The conversations often flow like a CS Lewis essay. She addresses grace, joy, pride, love and how life becomes more real and more thoughtful in trusting Christ. Taking us down the halls and streets of Oxford was a delight, and there is even a little mystery wrapped up neatly in the end. I was hoping to speed through this one, but really enjoyed taking my time, seeing how my life has paralleled hers, stopping to contemplate the sacrifice, the hugeness, the joy in Christ and in relationship with other believers (as messy as that gets). At the end I wasn't disappointed that Surprised by Oxford was so long, I was sad she didn't just keep going.

10th Anniversary!!! 7-25-11

No we didn't get married on 7-25 but that's when we were able to celebrate our anniversary this year! The girls went to grandcamp and had a wonderful time as always and we had a nice getaway. It was hard for us to decide where but Living Social's coupons helped us out and we had a nice time in Burton Texas the Knittel Inn (we recommend it)

http://www.knittelhomestead.com/

After dropping the girls off the first stop was HARRY POTTER, 7.2 (I cried, it was so good).

Then we drove to Burton, the deadness of the countryside was pretty sad. We arrived and had their small house to ourselves! We played a board game, ate a pizza from the Inn, then explored the 200 people town by foot. Cotton gin, restored homes, a couple of churches, dried creek beds, closed restaurants=nice relaxing walk.

Day two, woke up, nice breakfast with our hosts, off to the big city of Brenham for a greenhouse, Bluebell Ice Cream tour with scope, lunch in a shop downtown (we were TOURISTS), bought a dinner at HEB, then out of town to...

a really big gun store, I like this photo because our car is so small among the trucks and Caleb was unsure about our bumper sticker (these people don't think like we do and they all have guns!!!) We then drove through the country back to the Inn, saw tons of HUGE homes with land. Had our dinner on the porch, relaxed the rest of the evening (and didn't brush anyone's teeth but our own).
Last day we woke up and drove to Round Top and the Music Festival Center. Crazy in the middle of nowhere is this artsy place for musicians, fun walk about their grounds and to the town for a famous pie cafe which was closed so we had WhatABurger, Caleb loves the PattyMelt on the drive back to get the girls to be in time for dinner at church on Wed night. Fabulous days away to play and talk and enjoy each other.

Thailand 7-17-11

Our Thailand day was a good example on the importance of flexibility in dealing with travel plans and other cultures. Jon & Pam decided to join us and knew there is a Buddhist temple not far from us in Del Valle and they have a Market Day on Sunday! In June we pick a date to go, well the night before I'm looking for directions and see the market days are off for the rest of the summer, quick late night call, no problem, let's go to this on in Dobie Mall, check the website all is good. Stacey has to pick Russ up from the airport so she joins us, in two cars we park in the garage, walk inside (remember is over a 100 outside with two hungry girls after church). Oops its closed for summer but they didn't bother putting that on their website. Call Jon & Pam (after paying for parking) and pick Madame Mam's, drive and park again. Have a nice meal and talk to the waitress who is touring the country by working at Thai restaurants. The 0 spice is too much for me, so while I try the girls and I mostly end up eating white rice again :) We enjoy the decorations and the above photo was all I got, not sure about G's face. Back home we look through some Thai books and watch a video about a day in the life of Vietnam (they are close and Thai wasn't available at the library!) My favorite part is that evening I was walking Flower and stop to talk to our Thai neighbor to tell him about eating at Madam Mam's. He politely sneers and says that place its Tex-Thai, not authentic, not spicy enough for real Thais!

Salado Creek 7-9-11

Lots of swimsuits this summer because it was too hot to be outside unless you were in water, so we went to the Salado creek for a dip!

Gloria with her mermaid tale!
The great explorers of Tablerock!

Salado 7-9-11

Caleb went on a diving trip to help him be a better teacher, so the girls and I took a trip to Salado! We danced around the living room...
visited Grandmama which always also includes a visit to...
Betty Boop!

4th of July!!

The problem with my family is we take too many pictures! Between my mom watching the kiddos every cute move and Jessamy with her awesome camera and eye, its too hard to narrow it down but here goes:

As most often is the case, the 4th of July was celebrated at my parents and was their floor warming party too. The girls had a wonderful time: swimming in a blow up pool, eating Oreos (summer theme), playing in grandpa's boat, hanging from the clothes line (Lydia sparked Bill's competitive side, if she can do it then he should try!) And of course the big picnic, which involved wonderful people including new baby Watts but was later and mostly inside, we have all gotten weak!

March of the Flags-much fun was had by all!

Matching shirts from Old Navy (I love Groupon!)

Beach (Again) 7-5-11

I have been going to Beaumont (Caleb's mom's) for 12 years and we have never gone to the beach from there....until this time-good thing I always pack swimsuits! Picnic dinner & trying to stay out of the wind.
The pelicans were amazing, hundreds of them flew over us-such a beautiful site. Heidi is from Florida and she wasn't impressed with this Texas beach but it was close, to ourselves and again floating in water (even if you can't see through it) and digging in the sand is just so much fun!
Caleb as always entertained with a net (which is didn't pack but felt the purchase was worth it). Fish (Gloria-hummmm not sure if she is going to be a scientist but she enjoys poking fishies), crabs and more.

Christy and McKenzie & Nathaniel were visiting from Georgia so we came for a short visit. Normally we sit around, eat awesome food that Linda makes and play cards at night; but this time Linda says, want to go to Zumba at my school? Sure-good thing I always pack tennis shoes! It was fun though kinda strange to be doing Zumba moves in front of your MIL :) Then the next day Christy says lets go to the beach! Matt was working out there so after work he met us. The girls had a wonderful time with their cousins (missed Gabe & Abby): crammed around a dinner table, showing Flower off (who was great in the car), as always doing chalk drawings, and of course on the beach.

Beach Trip 6-20-11

My parents joined us for a Port A getaway! We stayed at the kitschy A Laughing Horse Lodge, which had a bunk bed for Lydia (Gloria was in a p&p in my parents' room). While the guys were night fishing Lydia went to sleep supposedly on the top bunk, but we found her she was zonked on the bottom, there was no way I was going to get her 40 lbs up so I took the top and Caleb has a sweet little surprise for him on arriving back!

The guys fished some, we all enjoyed time on the beach, at the birding center, dinner at Seafood & Spaghetti Works, mom & I with the girls toured the new UTMSI wetlands, it was super hot but interesting, we also stopped by the SHARK three times!! We also had snacks of Oreos and Cokes (Lydia's first Sprite was at almost 4 and Gloria is already drinking the good stuff at 2!) There were just so many great photos and memories to chose from.

Two years ago Lydia and did this same thing-to the toppest! Gloria stayed with Nana digging away while we climbed. It was fun to go to the beach in the evening for a change and see the sun set.
The Shark.....
Enjoying wildlife viewing and a picnic at fiery landing. Always good for a dolphin spotting.
Family castle building (fortunately the guys didn't fish the whole time so we had some Daddy time on the beach). And lots of beach time overall. Once with Nana we sat under the pier so we had shade the whole time and enjoyed watching some crabs be caught. Nothing is much better than floating in the waves while watching your children run with joy on the beach-movie moment!
The morning we left, my parents stayed at the hotel and we took a quick family trip to the beach. Lydia took this picture and it makes me smile!

Texas State Aquarium 6-22-11

(summer catch up!)

After playing on the beach for a few days we went into Corpus Christie and went to the Aquarium (which I had not gone to while we lived there). They are such fun places for the girls who love seeing the fishes, touching things and a first seeing dolphins perform (Lydia now pretends that the swimming pool wall is a glass and we are dolphins swimming and people are watching us)

above baby alligators

pool of rays, one splashed Lydia
Running and dancing with the dolphins
It sprinkled on us (which now sounds heavenly) and we didn't get the greatest seats for the dolphins but other than that it was a wonderful trip, I am glad we took the time.