Northside Enrichment

This fall, we joined the Northside Enrichment Co-op. We were looking to meet some new people, and it seems that we found just the place! Even with nearly 90 members, we only knew a few before we started. We've met lots of nice families, and we're really enjoying it! Besides the new friends, we really love that it's held at the YMCA, so in addition to our fun classes, we get to use the gym, playground, and pools. It's an awesome set up!

We just wrapped up our first five weeks of classes. I was teaching Critical Thinking in US History to a bright group of teens, and helping out with a Game Design class for kids of all ages. Avery was in my Critical Thinking class and also Book Club. Rhys has been taking Science and Film and Podcast Making, which he has really enjoyed. Griffin has been taking art and science. Next week, we start the second five weeks of the fall semester, which means all new classes!

Rhys in Film and Podcast Making.

Getting to know my Critical Thinking students.

Griffin making "elephant toothpaste" in science.

Griffin making a suspension bridge in science.

More science fun!

Back to "school"

As soon as we got back from our vacation, we got back to work. Avery's classes had actually already started, so she really had to hit the ground running. We've been busy ever since, with school work, co-ops, orchestra, and baseball all going strong.

Avery on the first day of fall classes.

Summer Road Trip '12 -- Part Four

After our quick jaunt to Ohio, we continued onto Indiana. We spent a few days in Bloomington, exploring a little, but mostly soaking up good times with friends.

We also celebrated Rhys's TENTH birthday while in Bloomington!  It was pretty special for him to spend his birthday with his best buddy.

The next day, we had to pack up and begin the trip home. After a photo shoot, some donuts, and some final farewells, we hit the road again.

Summer Road Trip '12 -- Part Three

After four nights of camping, we packed up and headed toward civilization -- and showers!  We drove straight through Tennessee (with only a short stop to see the University of Tennessee's baseball stadium) and Kentucky into Ohio, where we spent a night in Cincinnati. My good friend Lori and her family drove down from Columbus and we had such a nice time catching up. We haven't seen each other since Rhys and her son Jackson were about 18 months, but the kids didn't miss a beat!

The next day was the much anticipated BFF reunion. We arranged to meet in Cincinnati at a Reds game, and the sheer joy of the kids seeing each other from across the street was like something out of a movie.

The game seemed trivial compared to the reunion, but we really enjoyed the Reds experience.

No photos but lots of fun!

This has been a very busy week for us.  Despite the fact that orchestra, writing class, vision therapy, and baseball are over, we are still finding ourselves constantly on the go. For one thing, Avery started composition classes this week. She has been wanting this kind of instruction for a while, so she's really glad to finally get going. Also, she had extra rehearsals with her chamber music group for her upcoming violin recital.

Another music-related deviation from our schedule took up our whole day on Thursday.  A friend of mine from baseball emailed offering up free tickets to a taping of the X-Factor.  Never one to turn down a new adventure, I jumped on the chance!  (Well, that's after quickly googling to find out what the heck the X-Factor is!)  So Avery, her friend Justice, and I spent Thursday listening to really loud aspiring pop stars and staring at the back of Britney Spears' and Simon Cowell's heads.  We got really close seats and the whole experience was really surreal.  My ears are still slightly ringing.

We'd been given a list of rules of what we can't do and wear (no high heels, dress nicely, no white clothing, and NO cell phones), which of course we followed.  Apparently we were the only fools that bothered to listen.  People were not only dressed in whatever they wanted, but EVERYBODY brought in their cell phones!  And they were actually encouraged to take photos to tweet and post to Facebook and drum up more buzz for the show!  So, all this to say that my only picture from the day is this quick one I took in the parking garage on the way to the show:

But I poached a couple more from the internet:

The set.

The judges: Simon Cowell, Britney Spears, Demi Levato, and L.A. Reid.

After the craziness of Thurday, our Friday seemed really out of place.  We spent the day at another place with the no photos rule: the Hindu temple Radha Madhav Dham.  Griffin's history co-op studied Indian religions this week, so the group jumped at the opportunity to visit the temple. It was quiet, peaceful, beautiful...everything that Thursday wasn't!  We took a tour of the grounds, ate a picnic lunch, and took a yoga class.  Unfortunately I don't have pictures of all the cute 6 and 7 year olds doing yoga inside the temple, but here is an internet picture to give you an idea of the site:

Bun Run!

A few months ago, the kids and their friends got a wild hair and decided to do the Couch to 5K running program.  They made their goal the Schlotzsky's Bun Run at the end of April.  All the kids stuck to the program and did an awesome job in the race.  And as much as Avery dreaded it, she left the race saying that she can't wait to do another!

The runners *before* the race.  (I was a last minute addition. Bill was supposed to run, but he conveniently threw out his back a couple of days before the race....)

Our cheering section.

Rhys and Benja nearing the finish line.

Avery and Maya finishing up.

Rangers come to Round Rock

The day after returning from our beach trip, we went to the second annual Texas Rangers v. Round Rock Express game.  It's so fun to be able to see all our favorite players up close!

Elvis Andrus at bat.

Josh Hamilton in the outfield.

Derek Holland pitching.

Rhys and David getting as close as they can to pitchers Yu Darvish and Neftali Feliz.

Ian Kinsler running the bases.

Griffin and Zach.

Bill and Lizzie.