Pumpkin Patch

Can I just start by saying that I love fall! I love everything about it....the weather, the decorations, the beginning of the holidays. I love every minute of it!

And, what would Halloween be without a trip to the pumpkin patch? Thanks to the rain that we have had lately, it was a bit slushier than we would have liked. Unfortunately, that prevented Alex from getting to play in the hay maze. But, all was well once we started on the hunt for just the right pumpkins. The kids as usual ran around like crazy in rows and rows of pumpkins. Surprisingly, not too crowded when we got there but boy, did that change as it got closer to lunch time.

Five small pumpkins and one big pumpkin later we had wrapped up another successful year at the pumpkin patch. Because the rest of our Saturday was full, we had to wait until Sunday to get to carving. Alex helped draw on his pumpkin's face and cut a couple of holes before deciding he was done with it. Sydney didn't quite make it that long. So, Daron carved two and I carved three. The kids were still really happy with their jack-o-lanterns and Daron is super proud of his because he didn't use a stencil.

Kindergarten Field Trip

Well, today we we officially crossed another day of firsts. Our first field trip and Alex's first trip on the school bus. It started early in the morning as we met up to get our list of students and to load the kids on the bus. The parents all hopped in their cars and took off to the zoo. (A note to anyone who wants a quiet day at the zoo....NEVER go on Fridays, because there was at least another 5 schools there as well). After finally getting everyone through the gate, we broke off into groups and headed out. We stuck with some friends of ours and ended up with 7 kids between 3 moms. It was very manageable and a great group of kids. We started off and saw the monkeys, gorillas, cheetahs, warthogs, zebras, giraffes, hippos, and elephants (all in the first 30 minutes). And then like clockwork, when 10:30 hit (their normal lunchtime) all of the kids were starving and so we decided to trek to the picnic tables for lunch. After trying 2 different tables and being attacked by bees at both, we settled for a quiet corner off the sidewalk and sat down for a picnic. After a quick break, we were off to see some more animals. It was a great afternoon and I even went in the building with the snakes and bats! What can I say....there were alot of boys in our group! So, I took one for the team, and surprisingly wasn't that creeped out. So, it was back to the school where some of the kindergartners fell asleep on the bus and had to be carried in by the teachers. I think they speak for all of us, as I am sure that all the chaperones will sleep like babies this evening!

Houston....We have a concert!

What a great weekend! We trekked down to Houston to catch the Imagination Movers in concert again and it was worth every minute of the car ride down there.

We left Saturday before lunch and the kids did great for a five-hour car ride. There were only a couple of pit stops and one meal break. Next to air conditioning, the DVD player in the car might be the greatness invention ever. After Charlotte’s Web and Toy Story 1 & 2, we were at the hotel. Admittedly, neither of us are big fans of Houston but we have to thank Becky for suggesting to stay in the medical district near Rice University. It was a very nice and pretty part of the city, we hadn’t previously seen.

Since concert wasn’t until Sunday, we decided to give the Children’s Museum of Houston a shot Saturday afternoon. The kids had a blast playing on all the stations and trying to make them work. Alex was clearly enamored with the bike that “created energy units” that helped make the computer run. He pedaled about 150 times and thought that was really cool. He blazed through the obstacle course and the “skateboard” racetrack (not really skateboards but rather wheeled planks they sat on but he didn’t care). Sydney liked all the physical activities like stretching and jumping. Pretty much anything that resembled dancing she wanted to do. It was well worth the visit and we only spent about 2 hours there and could easily have been there for another 2.

After a decent night’s sleep, we leisurely got ready to leave and that kind of low-key, nonscheduled morning was relaxing and quite enjoyable. No errands. No running around. Just a nice quiet morning.

Off to grab lunch before the concert and we giddily went to Freebirds (the kids got McDonald’s because they don’t know the deliciousness that is Freebirds). The weather was awesome and we actually sat outside to eat. The pigeons were thrilled because Sydney pretty much fed them her entire small fry order.

Full belly and ready to move, we jumped in the van and set off for downtown Houston. GPS might be third best roadtrip invention behind A/C and DVD player. The concert venue was definitely a different motif than the Bass Hall where we saw the Movers in Fort Worth but the kids didn’t care. The show was a blast (as expected) and the montage of songs from their season 1 music was a new addition that the kids loved. Both of them loudly sang along with Nina’s Song. After more than an hour of dancing and singing and standing on Mom and Dad’s laps, the show was over. All four Movers (along with Kyle and Jason – their concert help) had boundless energy to match what the kids were giving off.

After the show, we were waiting for the crowd to thin out and the guys come out for the meet and greet so we jumped in line for our chance to see them. Alex and Sydney really just wanted to give them all a “five”. Luckily, we got to see and chat with Rich (one “five” down) but we were one family shy of getting our chance to see Dave, Smitty and Scott because the handlers told them it was time to go. Being the class act that these guys are and recognizing what it means for the kids to meet them, Scott generously gave of his email so he could send and autographed picture. The kids will be thrilled.

While the meet and greet delayed our departure time and we didn’t get home until 8:30 p.m. it was still worth every minute of the drive and every yawn that shows our exhaustion today. We got a weekend full of memories and pictures to match. Enjoy.

Family Portrait

I realize it has been awhile since my last post, but we have been super busy!!! I just had to share this picture that I got from Alex today. He colored it at school and it just brightened my day!

First Day of Kindergarten

One Last Hurrah

This week has been intentionally full of fun stuff for the kids (or at least we hope they had fun…Alex said “Yes, I did.”) How do we wrap up a week that already had a swimming party, Little Gym show weeks (Alex’s last one), a Rangers game, and Meet the Teacher with Alex getting to see his new room at school?

Here’s how we tried....

Friday night, we headed up to the hospital for a movie night they were putting on for American Heart Association. It was supposed to be in an auditorium but got moved to a large classroom. Neither of the kids seemed to care, as long as Sydney got to see “my Buzz and Woody” and Alex got the popcorn that was promised to him. Both the kids had a great time and now Toy Story has made its way to the top of Sydney’s movie requests.

Saturday morning, Leslie had planned the day to the gills and it lived up to it. Given that we all love us some Chick-Fil-A breakfast and they are closed on Sunday, it only made since to go there to start the day. Delicious as always. (Side note: If you have the Chick-Fil-A calendar, this month’s coupon is for free chicken minis. So be sure to use it, or give it to me)

Leslie had a hair appointment that morning at 10, so the kids and I ventured up to Lowe’s for this week’s Build and Grow class. The project was appropriately a school bus that both Alex and Sydney had fun building their very own school bus. It was as big of a hit as the power boat from two weeks ago.

After wrapping up the construction, we trekked on over to a favorite spot of the kids…the zoo. Despite it still being unpleasantly hot, both the kids would love to go, so I obliged them. There have made many trips to the zoo this summer and usually with just Mom. This was my turn to have them tell me everywhere we would go and what they wanted to see. I gave them free reign and just followed their leads. The usual suspects of giraffes, zebras, elephants, tigers and lions were on the list. Sydney was adamant about looking at the giant goldfish by the giraffes, feeding the birds and seeing the penguins. She got all her wishes expect the parrots were not very hungry…I blame the heat. Alex was really excited to see the eagles and wanted me to take a picture of everything from the animals to the signs with information about the animals to the directory maps. We got a call that Mom was heading home, so we wrapped up the visit with a bribery of M&Ms and cotton candy in place of a train ride.

The mandatory rest time was cut short but it felt good to be home in the A/C for a couple hours before making our way to Chuck E. Cheese’s. While the one off of Hulen is bigger and cleaner, it is also infinitely busier than White Settlement. Alex took my hand and Sydney went with Mom. Off we ran around the madhouse for the next two hours. The best part for me was that Alex happily rode the helicopter ride that goes up to the ceiling, which frightened him so badly when he was two that we avoided Cheese’s entirely for years. He made me proud for trying it.

A well-deserved night’s sleep and a low-key morning followed but then we trotted back out the door for another place of games and food…Incredible Pizza Company. It was a good time because they had free rides on the go karts and games of mini-bowling and mini-golf. It was early enough that we got to ride the go-karts twice in a row and the first time the worker we were talking to gave us a boost by letting our go on the higher speed. Alex couldn’t stop laughing. See, it pays to be nice to people, especially people who had a rough time the day before filled with crowds and demanding people.

The downside was when we paid to come in, they failed to tell us that we couldn’t use another offer that we had for double our game cards for free. This understandably ticked off Leslie and me because the cashier guy that told her they wouldn’t do it was the same one that we told in the first place that we would just come back for the game card. No objection or red flag from him. Oh well. We bought a couple cards and paid a ton of skee ball.

The final destination for our Sunday funday was a place that Leslie and I have never been in the 13 years we have known each other…a skating rink. Leslie loves to ice skate, me not so much, but I was willing to try to roller skate so the kids could give it a try also. Skate Town in Grapevine was surprisingly not too crowded and pretty cheap. Well, everyone put on skates when we got there and at least tried. They had this cool new invention (might not be new at all…remember I just said that neither of us has been in a rink in over 13 years) that is L-shaped PVC pipe frame with wheels that let’s new skaters essentially have wall they can push around for balance. Man, I wish I invented that thing. Anyway, I was once again very proud of both the kids for giving it a shot. Which impressed me more because that is an activity that can look kind of intimidating. Alex really wanted to get it right the first time, but he got more confident as long as we were holding his arms. We may have to try this again soon. Sydney really really enjoyed it and wanted to keep going out there.

All in all, this was a fantastic week and a great way to close out summer. One thing left to do: have a movie night as we ‘camp out’ in the living room. Maybe we will watch Toy Story 2 to give Sydney another Woody and Buzz fix.

Finally, I have to say that my boy is starting Kindergarten tomorrow and I am both sad and excited. I truly believe he will have a great time and do very well with his new friends and teacher. We are all a bit nervous because it is very much the unknown. Everyone pray for a good school year for Alex and all our friends who are also starting Kindergarten. They will keep making us proud. Daddy and Mommy love you very much Alex!!

Baseball

The sprint to the end of summer with nightly activities all week included a night at the Rangers game on Wednesday. We got tickets super cheap through Daron’s work and Alex is always up for cotton candy.

Unfortunately, Sydney thought “going to the baseball game” meant that she was going to get to play baseball like we do in the front yard. She eventually calmed down. The seats were in a good spot (once the sun finally was down) and had a good view of the game and the scoreboard. Our niece and nephew joined us and Andrew is a huge Rangers fan, so the evening was going to be a hit with him regardless. It made it even more exciting for him because it was Pudge Rodriguez's first night back as a Ranger.

Considering the heat, I am proud that Sydney and Alex ended up making it about two and a half hours at the ballpark. So by the 5th inning, it was 9 p.m. and they were ready to call it a night. Overall the game was a lot of fun but the kids were more interested in other things…Alex and his aforementioned love of cotton candy (and who can blame him) and Sydney wanting to check out the restrooms and the stairs.

The drive home was another story. Various roads were only one way in Arlington because of the game and the Paul McCartney concert and we encountered at least 3 construction spot on the freeways. In the end, we made it home very late and were, needless to say, exhausted.

Dallas Aquarium

Today, we decided to take a trip to the dark side…ok, just to Dallas (which neither of us like driving to or in). It was well worth it. The destination was the Dallas World Aquarium and we found it no thanks to Magellan. Who knew that such a place could be found in the middle of downtown Dallas?

The kids had opposite reactions to the place but both were positive, if that makes sense. Sydney was slowly pacing herself and wanted to linger at each tank/spot. Whereas, Alex would stop to see what each one was and then excitedly ran to the next one. He seemed to just want to take it all in as fast as possible.

Sydney really enjoyed the turtle and stingray tank because she got to “put the turtle to sleep” by pretending to pet it. She also didn’t want to leave the penguins' area. Alex just said that his favorite parts were “the flamingos, the penguins, the fish tank and the tunnel with the sharks swimming around us.” The fish tank he was talking about really was a hit because they could sit on the edge and a dome that let them get right next to the fish and see all the way to the other side where the other kid was.

Mom and dad were equally impressed with the set up because is similar to the “natural” layout of the Fort Worth Zoo. While we didn’t get to see the jaguar, which wasn’t out, it doesn’t quite make sense that it would be at an aquarium either. Actually, it was more of a rain forest themed part of the place.

We will definitely be returning and Sunday was a great choice because of the lack of traffic and Dallasites driving too crazy.

End of Summer Bash

I can't believe that my little man will be starting kindergarten in only one week! Where has the time gone? Expect to see a lot of posts on here for the next week because we have filled our schedule with a ton of fun things for the kids. I do realize that just because Alex is starting kindergarten, it doesn't mean that he will NEVER have another free day again, but I want to make sure he has lot of good memories of his last summer as a preschooler.

On Friday, I decided to be brave and take my kids and my niece and nephew out for a fun day on the town. We started the day at the zoo and had a great time looking at all the animals. It doesn't seem to matter how many times we go, my kids LOVE to look at all the animals. This time, we stopped at one of the education centers hands on exhibits, and the kids got to touch a rhino horn and elephant tusk. I was shocked to feel how heavy the rhino horn is, the boys loved getting to touch all of the different items, and Sydney was just thrilled that she got a giraffe stamp. I am pretty sure that the zoo uses some sort of super permanent ink, because after 3 days, 3 baths, and an evening in the swimming pool.....those stamps are still on their arms! I am not sure they will ever come off. All of the kids loved feeding the birds, and Sydney LOVED her penguins. I think she could stand and stare at that exhibit for hours, but we eventually got her to move on and finished up the zoo with the train ride. I was pleased that right as we walked up, the train arrived. Considering that both me and Daron have "bad line luck", this was a blessing on a very hot day.




After the zoo, we met Daron for lunch and let the kids eat in the underground tunnel that connects his work to the Subway across the street. As we were leaving lunch, it started to rain, so I took the kids out to Main Event for some bowling and game playing. I am not sure we have any pro bowlers in our family, but we had a good time regardless of our ability. After retrieving 2 balls from midway down the alley, I was glad the staff let us use a ramp for Sydney! I don't think her balls would have ever made it all the way to the end, and she was thrilled when she was able to knock down the pins with the help of the ramp. After bowling, I let the kids play some arcade games and then cash in their tickets for "prizes". I use that term loosely, because they always have a bunch of junk, so it amazes me that the kids always get so excited about picking out their new toys.

Oh, and Alex wanted me to take this picture to show everyone that he won.

More summer fun

Man, we sure have been busy this summer. I love that both of the kids are now at the age where they have their own interests and I have been trying to get out and do as much with them as possible this summer. This week, we went with my sister and her kids to Leapin Lizards. A special thanks to Lisa for the AWESOME free passes! The kids had such a good time, and they asked me this morning, when we were going to go back. Leapin Lizards is another inflatable company that offers "free play" time during the week. I guess it was a good thing Daron wasn't with us this time, because this company doesn't allow adults on the inflatables and we all know that Daron would have been extremely disappointed!! I am pretty sure that NO ONE has as much fun on inflatables as Daron...I mean did you see the pictures from the party?!?

Anybody have any other ideas for summer time fun? Only a little over a month until my little man starts kindergarten!

Cousins - Katy and Sydney

Cousins - Alex and Andrew

Pump it Up

Pump...pump...pump it up! That's what we got to do on Alex's actual birthday. A nice trip to "pop in play time" at Pump It Up with our friend Glory which was right up Alex and Sydney's alley. Surprisingly, there was only 15 or so kids in there for both rooms, which was very nice. Shhhh...don't tell anyone that it isn't busy. Daron took off work to spend time with the little man and it was a good, fun family day, even though both Mom and Dad were feeling the burn from two straight days of birthday exercise.

If we lived in an inflatable house with a water slide, the kids would never want to leave home.

For dinner, Granna and Granddad stopped by and we sat down for a nice birthday meal of spaghetti and even more cake...two of Alex's favorites. All in all, this was a rather calm way to wrap up the birthday festivities for Alex's 6th birthday. That is until Daron and I battled on some Disney Dance Dance Revolution. He won two out of the three matches. It was a total fluke.

So, one more time: Happy 6th Birthday, Alex!

P~A~R~T~Y!

If there is one thing that Daron and I love to do, it is to throw birthday parties for our kids. Maybe it is because we are kids at heart ourselves. There is nothing better than seeing your kids so excited for their birthday and for them to know how special they are!

Alex had specifically asked this year for two things for his birthday: First, he wanted a water slide party at his own house and second, he wanted a REAL cake....because cupcakes are for babies (his exact words). So, Daron and I got to work on preparing things for the party. Unfortunately for him, his birthday will always fall near July 4th weekend, so in between fireworks and family barbecues, we spent 12 hours thoroughly cleaning our house in preparation for the party. I am pretty sure only a handful of people made it in the house, and those that did, probably didn't care if our baseboards were clean and closets were organized....but to those of you are curious....yes they were!

So, we figured an outside party would be no big deal in the middle of summer in Texas. Right? I mean, it has been over 100 degrees for weeks and stifling hot! And, it hasn't rained here in over a month....BUT of course, we wake up Sunday to cooler temperatures and rain! Figures! So, after much discussion, Daron and I decided that unless it was lightning outside, the party would go on because the kids would already be wet. It turns out there was no need to worry, because by the afternoon, the rain had cleared and the temperatures were near 90 (still relatively cool for Texas summers). The water was cold and it felt great. Overall, it was an awesome day with friends and family! And it makes it all worth it when Alex told me that night "Thank you so much for my party Mommy. You are the best!"

Happy 6th Birthday Alex!

It is hard for me to imagine, and it even brings tears to my eyes that my sweet little man could be turning 6 years old today. Alex has always been a little kid who brings much joy and excitement to our lives.

The first memory that we have of Alex is probably when he was being born, the doctor declared, "You got yourself a redhead." Thinking about what our little boy would look like when he was born, it never dawned us that he would have red hair. It's probably easier to count the number of days that we haven't been asked about his hair than the days we have been asked. Everyone notices it and is just one the many things that makes him so special to us and everyone.

I wanted to spend this day sharing some more of the many things that I love about that sweet boy:

-He has the sweetest heart. I love that when I am away, he always runs up to tell me how much he loves me and has missed me.

-His excitement for life. Sometimes he gets so excited that I have to remind him to slow down and think about what he is trying to tell me about.

-His love for singing. You won’t find a kid who sings louder in the car or at birthday parties.

-He is a great big brother. He sometimes picks Sydney up like we would and pats her on the back and tells her she is a sweet princess.

-He is super smart and strong-willed (must be the red hair). I think we are looking we are looking at a future president!

HAPPY 6TH BIRTHDAY ALEX!!! LOVE YOU BUNCHES!!!!

0 to 1 year old

1 to 2 years old

2 to 3 years old

3 to 4 years old

4 to 5 years old

5 to 6 years old

Happy Early Birthday, America!!

For the second year in a row, we have taken the kids to Concerts in the Garden to watch some fireworks the best way possible – sitting on the lawn and looking straight up. I guess we can declare it a tradition now.

In order to get a semi-shaded spot we got there right when they starting letting people in at 6:30. After staking our claim to our spot, the blankets were spread out and the picnic began. Nothing fancy like those around us with their bottles of wine, cheese trays and collapsible wooden tables (not kidding, some people went to that extreme). If you know us, then the simple meal of sandwiches, chips, crackers, grapes and juice should be no surprise. We like to keep it simple, which also means less stuff to lug back to the car.

Since the music portion of the evening didn’t start until 8, there was plenty of running around time for the kids and chasing after them time for Daron. I got the fun job of “guarding” our spot. I am pretty sure I drew the more relaxing straw of the evening.

The pre-fireworks highlights for Sydney were the Christmas lights that lined the plants and the gravel path to the port-a-potty. For Alex, he loved just running up and down the aisle, jumping on us and having us take his picture with his flag and light sword.

After the intermission and more a bit more music, night fell and the fireworks started, appropriately during the conclusion of the Star-Spangled Banner. The kids couldn’t take their eyes off the sky. Kinda reminded us of Christmas (no idea why) but 100 percent reminded us of Disney World because they love them some fireworks at Disney.

Overall, it was a great evening and a load of fun.

Thanks to everyone in our military for everything you do and sacrifice for our country.

Stay tuned for another birthday entry for our little boy, whose birthday is this Monday.