World Explorers

On Thursday, we had the first meeting of our World Explorers group. It's a cultural group that gets together once a month to eat food from a particular country and share a project or artifact from the culture. This month, we studied England. We had a feast of bangers and mash, shortbread, sandwiches (a la "The Earl of Sandwich"), summer pudding, scones, and hot tea. We brought scones. Avery did her project on Elizabethan costumes. She drew a picture of Queen Elizabeth (Quen Alzbth in Avery's invented spelling) and a man wearing an Elizabethan costume. I was surprised at how attentively the kids listened to each others' presentations. Next month is China. Avery's excited because she loves learning about Chinese culture. I'm just excited about the food! ;-)

Griffin, 4.5 months

Kids Charity Concert

We went today to a charity concert downtown. We ran into some friends we knew, so the kids were thrilled. Rhys was a little shy for most of it, but Avery was a dancing fool.

Finished product

After several long days of shoveling dirt and wheelbarrowing it into the backyard, we finally finished the sandbox. Bill did a great job. The kids have enjoyed it already, and I can only imagine how much they'll like it when the temperature drops below 100!

Tripod!

Griffin is sooooo close to sitting on his own! He can sit forever in the tripod position with his arms supporting him, but he can also sit by himself (with no hands!) for several seconds! Apparently he didn't realize that he's not even 5 months old yet!

Superman party

On Wednesday, we had Rhys's birthday party at the sprinkler park. Rhys picked a Superman theme, so I made a Superman cake and we used red and blue decorations. It was a pretty low-key party; we only invited a handful of friends. We were lucky that everyone we invited was able to come. There were 13 kids total: Avery, Rhys, Jeeper, Mia, Duncan, Colin, Sage, Fletcher, Sara, Avery, Evan, Maya, and Benjamin, plus the babies, Griffin and Caden.

The kids had a blast going between the sprinklers and the park by the pavilion where we had the cake set up. They played and played, and we had snacks, drinks, and cake. Rhys got lots of great presents too. Really, the party couldn't have gone more smoothly. YAY!

Happy anniversary to us!

As if a birthday wasn't enough, it was also our 8th anniversary this week! Unfortunately, it had to take a backseat to Rhys's birthday festivities. Instead of doing something special, I spent all evening making Rhys's Superman cake. Oh, well. We'll have to make up for it by doing something fun this week!

Rhys's birthday

On Monday, we got up early and headed downtown for Rhys's 3 year checkup. Rhys did very well and was very cooperative this year (unlike last year when he refused to be weighed or measured!). He was 39 inches tall (85%) and 33 lbs (75%). He's doing great.

After his appointment, we rushed back home so we could get there in time to see the dumptruck drop off the sand for the sandbox. We made it, and I think the dumping of the sand was maybe even better than the sand itself! The kids also enjoyed climbing all over the giant sand pile in the driveway.

In the afternoon, Nonnie came over to bring Rhys a present and visit for a while. Then we went to Home Depot to get the supplies for building the sandbox. Once we got home, Daddy started building it, but it was sooooo hot that he didn't last long out there. He came in, and we ate Rhys's favorite dinner: chicken nuggets, french fries, and homemade macaroni and cheese. We sang to Rhys and had brownies for dessert. I think it was a nice birthday for him.

Happy 3rd birthday, Rhys!!

I can't believe my baby is turning three!

Birthdays are always rough for me. I'm happy, but at the same time, I get very sad that the time passes so quickly. Rhys is such a joy - he's sweet, funny and so sensitive. I'm enjoying watching him grow from a baby into a boy, but I miss my tiny little Rhyscake. We may have had a hard time his first year, but all of his crying sure bonded us. I wouldn't change a thing.

We've already had a couple of mini-celebrations for Rhys's birthday. Yesterday, Mamar came over and gave Rhys a drum for his birthday. He absolutely loves it! He appeared in my bedroom at 6am banging his new drum. Luckily, Griffin and I were already awake. Today, Papa, Ronnie, and Linah came over, and they were kind enough to bring a Bob the Builder cake! We sang and Rhys got to blow out the candles. Linah brought Rhys a Spiderman mask and gloves that make web spinning noises. I'm guessing I'll be making many store trips with Spiderman in the near future! ;-) Papa and Ronnie contributed money toward the sandbox that we're building for the backyard. We're expecting the sand to arrive tomorrow afternoon, and I imagine that the truck dumping the sand in our driveway will be the best present ever for Rhys! I can't wait to see his face when his very favorite thing - a dump truck - appears in front of our house!

The Rhys Show

"Ladies and gentlemen. Boys and grills. Introducing the great boy, Rhys!!" Rhys yelled from the back of the couch. He then jumped off with a flourish and continued. "Once upon a time, there was a boy named Rhys. He was a great jumper, so he decided to jump. Bouncy, bouncy, bounce! The end."

NBTSP!

Today was the annual Not Back to School Party for Austin homeschoolers at Northwest Pool. We ate at Top Notch for lunch, then stayed at the pool for most of the afternoon. We saw lots of our friends, and Avery and Rhys played for hours with Maya, Benjamin, Allie, Patrick, Christopher, Ella, Eva, Ginger, Lily, and Sage. We also took the yearly AAH group picture. We feel very lucky to be spending another year learning with our kids at home, and it's nice to start the year out with a bang!

Bear hug.

Peter Pan meets Fireman Rhys.

Cathedral of Junk, take one

This morning we drove down to south Austin on a field trip to see the Cathedral of Junk. Unfortunately, the guy's grandmother died, so he was in New York. So we all decided to head to a nearby park instead. We stayed until lunchtime, and the kids enjoyed playing with their friends. We got lunch on the way home, then later Mamar came over. The combination of the park, friends, and Mamar makes for a perfect day, according to the kids!

My sweet boys.

Griffin, 4 months

Fans?

Rhys and Bill went to play soccer during Avery's gymnastics class this week. Rhys got to wear Avery's old soccer cleats, which he loved. Every time he kicked the ball, Rhys would yell, "I WIN!!!"

A few minutes after they got there, Rhys was running with the ball, when he stopped suddenly and turned to Bill. "Daddy," he said, "where is the crowd to yell YAY?"

Rhys, almost 3.

Griffin in his sling.

Rainy summer!

I don't remember ever having a summer with so much rain! Not that I'm complaining. It's very nice to have a break from the heat. The kids have been enjoying it too. They love to go outside and play in the rain, and when mean ol' Mom forces them back inside, they make a "fort" on the couch with blankets and pillows.

Puddles!

Wet and happy.

Rainy day entertainment.

Math Whiz!

Avery seems to have an inate understanding of math! We've never formally studied math, but she just seems to get it. She's constantly working out math problems in her head and telling me things she's figured out. Recently, she's told me that:

4 + 4 = 8, so 40 + 40 = 80

2 + 3 = 5, so 200 + 300 = 500

100 is 10 sets of ten

And my personal favorite: If you had 2 birds and 80 pieces of bird seed, each bird would get 40 pieces of birdseed.

Spy Kid

Avery told me the other day that she wasn't sure if she'd ever get married. I asked her why, and she said, "Well, it might mess up my spying plans. You know how boys always want to spend so much time with you. But maybe I could do my spying while he's at work...."

Griffin is 4 months!

He went to the doctor this week, and he's now 14lbs, 5oz. He's right in the 50th %ile! Sounds perfect to me! Our pediatrician said that now they recommend not starting solids until around 6 months, which was our plan already. :-) He is just not at all interested yet, and breastmilk is so much denser in nutrients and calories. It only makes sense to hold out a couple more months.

Griffin is such a sweet baby. He's no wall flower either! He spends much of his time "grackling" (as Mom calls it). He says, "Aaaaaaaaaaggghhhhhaaaaaooooaaaaaagggghhhh" in a really loud voice. Everyone turns to stare when he starts "talking" in public. I'll have to try to get a video clip of it soon.

He's on the move now too! He's been rolling for a while now, but now he can do it really fast! He's not rolling all the way across the room yet, but between rolling and scooting on his tummy, he will inchworm himself across the quilt in no time!

Our little Hot Shot

Avery's first Hot Shots class was last week. We stayed and watched the whole two hour class, even though about halfway through, Rhys started asking to "go home without Avery". Hehe! The first hour of the class was all conditioning - sit ups, chin ups, lunges, running, etc. As we watched, I was just sure that this wasn't what Avery had in mind. The second hour, they started doing gymnastics, and they were working on back walkovers and bridge-kickovers. Some of the girls could already do them, and some couldn't. Avery had never really worked on them before. They had her doing them off a high mat, then they moved her to a much smaller mat, since she was doing them very easily. She could still do them off the lower mat, so she moved to the floor. She was trying so hard! It was both heartbreaking and heartwarming to see her work so hard. I could see her talking to herself with little clenched fists, saying, "I can do it! I can do it!" Tears started streaming down her face. I kept watching through the window, and was so thrilled to see her succeed in kicking over on the floor! She was so proud of herself, I thought she might burst!

So after all this, I wasn't sure if this is what she wanted from gymnastics. I kind of expected her to come out and tell me that she wanted to go back to her old class, where it was all fun and not nearly as much work. Boy, was I wrong! She loved it!!

Last weekend

I'm slow to post, but we had a fun weekend! We saw the movie "Pulse", which is the story of the inspirations of the drumming group Stomp. It was at the IMAX, and I very bravely took all three kids by myself! It went much better than I expected, since Griffin fell asleep as we were waiting in line to go into the theater. He slept for all but the last five minutes of the movie. Such luck! Rhys spent the whole movie clapping and drumming on his knees and shoes along with the drummers on the screen. When the movie was over, we walked out and immediately, both Avery and Rhys started saying, "Can we see it again, Mom?? Please, please, please!" I'd say it was a hit!

On Saturday, the we went to the library's summer reading program party. It was a celebration for the participants in the program. Avery read 15 hours and Rhys had 75 books read to him in less than a month! (Don't we get some kind of reward for reading that much to Rhys?! ;-) The party was fun; Joe McDermott came to perform. We love him - he sings the funniest songs! Avery and Rhys danced and sang right along.

After the library party and a quick lunch, we met some friends at the Children's Museum. It's still the ball exhibit, so Rhys was in hog heaven. We stayed for a few hours, then went home and collapsed. It was a great weekend - but exhausting!

Avery on love...

"I love my brothers so much. I wouldn't have a life without them. I'd be destroyed."

Batkids

While reading Stellaluna (a story about fruit bats), Rhys got very excited and said, "Mama! When I was a bat, I had wings!" And Avery chimed in, "Yeah, I think I was a bat in my past life too." Who knew they had such exotic pasts!

Songwriter Rhys

All weekend, Rhys has entertained us with his original songs. They all have a common theme -- construction. What else would be song-worthy? The lyrics go something like, "Buillllllldings! I love to build buillllllldings! I use a scoop and a dumptruck and an excavatoooooooor...." When his song is finished and we've clapped and yelled our required "whooo!hoooo!" he is always sure to thank the audience. "Thank you, thank you!" he says, as he shakes our hands and leaves the room.

When he's not entertaining us with his Rhys-written songs, he's singing other songs that he loves. He gets out his guitar and sings us his favorites, namely "Long Time Gone" by the Dixie Chicks and "Hollaback Girl" by Gwen Stefani. B-A-N-A-N-A-S! At least he's learning to spell....

Rhys is such a sweet little guy. He says Griffin is his boy and calls me his "grrril" (girl). He'll be saying the same thing about me when he's 16, right?

Drum circle

Tonight, the kids and I went to a drum circle at the Bob Bullock Texas History Museum. It was really great. The kids got to try out different rhythm instruments, and Avery played an African drum. There was a huge crowd, including three other homeschooling families we know. Avery was so glad to run into her friends! Afterwards, we went to eat at EZs. According to the kids, it was the perfect night!

Dancing

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Rhys with his rhythm instrument

Avery and Maya

Avery drumming

Griffin, 3.5 months

This week we decided that Griffin was strong enough to try out the Exersaucer. He's been holding his head up pretty much since birth, and he tries to stand up whenever we hold him. So, Bill brought it down from the attic, and put Griffin in it. Boy, was it a hit! Griffin thought it was so fun to stand in there and bat at all the toys! He was so funny, he slowly turned around in his seat, talking and grackeling at each and every toy as he went by. The only problem was when he accidently grabbed onto one of the toy bars and couldn't remember how to let go. He was furious! He kept yelling and his hands, but they just wouldn't let go!

What a big boy!

Who, me??

Awww!

Reading his books

Hot Shot!

This week, Avery was invited to join the Hot Shots, an invitational class that is a precursor to the competitive gymnastics team. The class meets twice a week, for two hours each day. After much deliberating - ok, agonizing - we decided to go ahead and try it out. We worry that this is a lot of time spent in the gym for such a young kid, but Avery is very excited. So, we're giving it a try. Her first class is Tuesday, and she couldn't be more thrilled.

Ave and Griffie

Three babies!

Busy weekend!

We don't normally have much to do on the weekends while Daddy works, but this weekend was the exception! On Friday night, Mamar came to babysit the little boys while Avery and I went to a Harry Potter book release party in Georgetown. The city had blocked off some of the square downtown, and it was transformed into "Diagon Alley", complete with a wand shop, pubs serving butterbeer, and even a sorting hat! We had a great time looking at all the fun stuff to buy and eating lots of junk food. After we saw and did everything at the square, we went to the library, where they had more Harry Potter festivities. We were out late; we didn't get home until about 10:30. Rhys stayed up late at home playing with Mamar and watching a lumberjack competition (riveting TV, I hear), so we were all tired on Saturday!

Friday was also Papa's 60th birthday! Happy birthday, Papa! We didn't see him on Friday, but on Saturday we all went over in the evening for pizza, pie, and presents. (My three favorite Ps :) On Sunday, Avery's friend Ella came to play, and the girls had a blast. Mamar came over in the late afternoon, as she often does on the weekends. She entertains the kids or holds the baby so I can get things done. It's SO nice, and I really don't know how I'd manage every weekend without her help!

Griffin, 3 mos

Griffin, 3 mos

A conversation overheard today...

Avery got in a little trouble today and was in her room for time out. Rhys went in to check on her, and I overheard this conversation:

Rhys: I know it's hard, Rarey.
Avery: Yeah, it's very hard being a kid.
Rhys: How was your day, Rarey?
Avery strums her guitar, playing only low notes.
Rhys: That means bad.
Avery: Yes, it means bad.

This weekend, Avery made her first attempt to break into showbiz. We went down to the casting call for the movie version of "How to Eat Fried Worms". They were looking for kids to be extras in the movie. Avery heard about it at the Children's Day Art Park music a few weeks ago and was very excited. Well...it was a bust. We got there at about 1pm, and they had already closed the call because they had so many kids! Bummer. I guess Avery's big break will have to wait....

On Sunday, we went to a house concert at a friend's house. We saw Magpie, which is a musical group out of Washington D.C. They sang environmentally-friendly kids songs. We all had a great time! Avery and Rhys danced in the front with the other kids, and Griffin held up well for the whole show.

Construction foreman Rhys.

3 months old

Teething!

Stop! No more pictures!

Fun Day at the Children's Museum

Some friends of ours came in town this weekend from North Carolina. They came to explore the city, because they're considering moving here. Today we showed them around town and took them to the Children's Museum and out to eat. We all had a great time. Avery and Rhys both loved playing with their three year old. On the way home, I asked Rhys if he had a nice time, and his answer was, "With Justin? I LOVE him!"

The boys loved the ball exhibit.

Avery adored Justin!

Jammin' at Austin Kiddie Limits.

Photographer Daddy.

Sleepy GriffyGoo with Mama.

Daredevil!

So, I guess this is what people meant when they said that boys are different than girls?

This is what happens when Rhys plays outside by himself.