Art at Friday Group

Originally uploaded by Lexy L.

This semester, our Friday co-op has been focusing on art. We have been reading art books, looking at art, playing art games, and, of course, making art. Last co-op's project was constructing this Mona Lisa. Each child got their own square to decorate however they wanted. When all together, it made for a really neat project!

Then last week we met some of our co-op friends at the Russell Collection art gallery on 6th street. They have a Salvador Dali exhibition going on right now. The kids, for the most part, were impressed with the pieces they saw, and there was only quiet giggling at the nudes. The children were also impressed by the price tags on the pieces. "Oooh, that one's $9,000!" "Well, look at this one! It's $14,000!" Griffin was less impressed with the art and indifferent to the prices. This fact was made especially clear when he slammed into a pillar holding a $12,000 glass sculpture as he threw a temper tantrum by the front door.

However thrilling the art gallery was, according to the kids, the two highlights of the day were: the snow cone stand that we went to after the gallery and, not to be forgotten anytime soon, the man riding his bike down 6th Street wearing a thong (and only a thong).

I got a job!

For the first time in almost 9 years, I'm a working girl! The nonprofit that I've been volunteering with for the past year hired me on! I'm only going to work 1 to 2 half days a week, and Bill will be home to stay with the kiddies. It's just perfect for me; it's nice to have something to do by myself, and it will be very nice to have a little extra spending money.

Meet Aria Iris

Originally uploaded by Lexy L.

Avery finally got her new kitty. We adopted her from the animal shelter, and she is just so sweet. Avery is loving her role as "mama" and took great care in selecting the perfect name for her new kitten. We're all having a great time with a kitten in our house -- it's been ten years since our cats were babies! Rhys is anxious to turn 8 now, since that's when he plans to get his very own kitten.

STOMP!

Originally uploaded by Lexy L.

A couple of weeks ago, Bill took Rhys downtown to see Stomp give a sneak peek performance in front of the Paramount. They were both in awe of the talent and energy of the performers. We all wished we could have seen one of the full performances, but it would have required the sale of a vital organ or two. So the (free) sneak peek was a good compromise!

After the show, Rhys got to meet the performers. He was also photographed for the newspaper and was visible in the crowd shot that appeared on the front of the Metro & State section of the paper. He was quite proud of his five minutes of fame!

Griffin's ER adventure

Griffin had his inaugural ER trip on Friday night. I'm sure it will be the first of many with our little daredevil! He and Rhys were in the bathtub and he leaned over the side and flipped over, landing on his chin on the tile. I was out picking up Avery from gymnastics, and when I came home (about an hour after it happened), it was still bleeding a bit. I was on the fence about whether or not he'd need stitches, but I decided I'd rather be safe than sorry, since it's on his face.

The ER visit was pretty uneventful, and they ended up just using Dermabond to close it since it wasn't very deep. He certainly wasn't happy about it. They swaddled him in a sheet so his arms were trapped and I held his body and the nurse held his head still. As soon as they wrapped him up, he started yelling, "Help! Heeeelp! Heeeeeeeeeeelp!" It was so sad...and maybe a little funny. ;-) They numbed it with lidocane ahead of time, so I don't think it hurt -- he just didn't want to be trapped! This really nice sherriff that I had been chatting with earlier came in when he started yelling, and was trying to rub his feet and calm him down. The whole thing lasted about two minutes. I hope all of his injuries are that easy!

Meanwhile, poor Rhys was at home feeling really guilty because apparently they had been playing some game where they leaned over the tub as far as they could. So he felt like it was his fault. But, after talking to him a bit, and after him seeing that Griffin is just fine, I think he's let himself off the hook. He has been busy telling everyone about Griffin's "ER adventure".

Never a dull moment!

Florida vacation

**For more pictures, click for my Florida Flickr album.**

Originally uploaded by Lexy L.

We just returned today from a week-long vacation in Destin, Florida. It was our first long road trip (12 hours), and it went better than we ever hoped.

We left last Monday night, and arrived in Destin at about 10 in the morning on Tuesday. We couldn't check into our condo until 3, so we killed time at Baytowne Wharf at the Sandestin Resort. We wandered around, ate, and window shopped. Later, we were able to check into our condo and visit the beach.

Most of the rest of our vacation was spent either at the beach or at one of the resort's swimming pools. The beaches in Destin are just beautiful. The water is a crystal clear blue-green color, and the sand really does look like sugar! Avery and Rhys were content to spend every minute of every day there at the beach. The had a great time "surfing" with their boogie-boards, swimming, and playing in the sand. Griffin, on the other hand, was less than thrilled with the beach. Although he loves the sandbox at home, he was quickly bored with the sand at the beach. And he wanted absolutely nothing to do with the surf. He was terrified of the waves coming onto the shore. His fear made the beach trip a little more complicated. We had no idea he'd be afraid! When we were in Galveston last September, he loved it. Oh, well...hopefully he'll be back to enjoying the beach next year. He did love the swimming pools, so it wasn't all a miss for Griffin.

We did take a break one morning for an outing to Seaside. Seaside is the most picturesque little town. It is small and designed to be pedestrian and bike friendly, and cars are only allowed on certain streets. The houses are all painted in cheerful beach colors, and the lush foliage-filled yards are bordered with quaint picket fences. There is a really neat art district and great little shops. We were really taken with the character of this little town. We hope to go back for a future vacation.

We left Destin on Sunday morning, and drove to Pensacola Beach, where we met some friends that happened to be vacationing in Florida at the same time that we were! It was quite a treat to be able to visit with friends on vacation! We visited with them for a while, watched some fishing on the Gulf's longest fishing pier, and ate lunch on the beach. After lunch, we left our friends and drove to the Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola. Rhys had fallen asleep in the car and was quite grouchy at first to be woken up. But he changed his tune quickly when he saw all the planes! It was really impressive, and all three kids had a great time there.

After the museum, we hit the road. We drove 5 hours from Pensacola to Lafayette, Louisiana, with one short stop for dinner in Alabama. We arrived at our hotel at close to midnight, but the kids easily moved from sleeping in their carseats to sleeping in the hotel room. Unfortunately, it was a short night, as Griffin woke everyone up at 5, when he decided it was morning. So, after a quick breakfast, we were back on the road and we made it home in early afternoon. We are sorry that our vacation is over, but we were glad to pick up Jasper (our doggie). We all missed him and the cats tons!

Easter

Ok, so I'm a little late on my Easter post. This year, Easter didn't feel very Eastery. Instead of wearing shorts and sundresses, the kids had bundle up in winter coats and scarves! The high was in the 30s and it was drizzly and just plain icky outside. Apparently the bunny comes regardless of the weather, so the kids were outside hunting for eggs in the wee hours of the chilly morning. It feels a little bizarre to be collecting Easter eggs and finding new sand toys and jumpropes when the temperatures are barely above freezing!

Waco Zoo

A couple of weeks ago we went back to the Cameron Park Zoo in Waco. We just love that zoo. It's just the perfect size.

Griffin spent the whole time yelling and the animals to "Come 'ere!" Shockingly, none of them followed his instructions!

Pookie the puppy

So Griffin's latest thing is pretending that he's a dog. Not only does he crawl on all fours at all times (including in disgusting places like grocery stores and restaurants), he pants and barks at us. And the most thrilling development of his dog impersonation is that he now dumps his food on the floor and eats it directly off the floor with his mouth. Mmmmm...clean.

Update

We've had a lot going on recently, both good and bad. My great uncle lost his battle to pancreatic cancer last week, so we spent last weekend in Houston for his funeral. We are really going to miss him, but we are glad that his suffering has ended. He was a great man and was much loved.

On a much lighter note, Rhys started swimming lessons a couple of weeks ago and is really enjoying them. He is taking a semi-private class with a friend. He's not quite swimming yet, but I have high hopes that he will be soon. I'll be relieved when I have two swimmers. Having two non-swimmers to one adult is a recipe for disaster.

I have been busy with sewing in my free (and not so free) time. Benign neglect of children is ok sometimes, right? I've made Avery two shirts and two dresses, and I made myself two skirts (one successful and one not). I'm really enjoying this new hobby! If only it didn't require me to stay up until 1 am!

Oh, and regarding Griffin's sleep...wait, what sleep? He did sleep through the night for two magical nights in a row, but has since returned to his old waking patterns. Oh, well. At least I know he has it in him! Hopefully we'll manage another night or two of solid sleep before college. ;-)

My last little tidbit of exciting news is that we will have a new addition to our family soon! For everyone out there that just fell out of their chairs, no, I'm not referring to a baby. We are going to be getting a kitten soon! A friend's cat had three kittens a couple of weeks ago, and they are going to let us take one when they're ready to leave mama cat. We're all excited, but Avery is particularly thrilled. We've felt a void since we lost our Wolfie, and we're happy to have a new four-legged baby to love.

Weiner Dog Races

This morning we drove down to Buda to attend the 10th Annual Weiner Dog Races and Fair. It was hilarious! I've been obsessed with Dachshunds ever since I met a friend's little weiner dog puppy. So, to feed the obsession, I just had to go see it. Some of the dogs understood what to do, but our favorites were the ones that had no clue that they were supposed to run. They would just wander slowly out of the starting gates, and sniff and bark at the bystanders. In the crowd were more Dachshunds than I've ever seen in one place, and many of them were dressed in little outfits. You haven't lived until you've seen a little Dachshund in a bowler hat and tie!

So, how long do we think my self restraint will hold out? Should we start the countdown to the end of my willpower and the addition of a Dachschund puppy to our household?

Josephina Day

This month, we met with friends to study the American Girl Josephina. It was a special day, because we were invited to spend the day at our friends' house and land in Coupland. It was a beautiful, cool day, and we spent the afternoon exploring and enjoying nature. The host mom led the kids on a nature hike, pointing out and gathering plants to make natural dyes. Afterwards, we gathered for a Mexican food lunch and the kids dyed washcloths.

Who needs blocks?

Hallelujah!

Light shines down from heaven and angels sing. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! At 2 years, 1 week, and 6 days, Griffin slept through the night for the first time. He slept from 8 to 5:40. Woohoo! Yippeee! Yay! Let's hope it doesn't take another two years for him to do it again!

Bluebonnets '07

It's that dreaded time of year again. Yep, the annual bluebonnet pictures. Although this year nobody sat in ants or contracted any sort of rash, the experience was still torturous. I'll spare you all the outtakes, and just post the few that have children with their eyes open and actually not crying.

When I grow up...

A conversation in the car:

Avery: Hey, Mom, when you were a kid, did you ever want to be a doctor?
Me: Mmmmm...no, I don't think that's something I ever considered. But it does seem like an interesting job.
Avery: Yeah, I think I'd like to be a doctor, but I don't really like touching other people's body parts.
Me: Well...you might not feel like that when you get older....You know, when I was younger, I always wanted to be a vet.
Avery: Yeah, that might be better.
Rhys: You know what I want to be when I grow up?
Me: What?
Rhys: A TRASH CAN!

Sewing dreams

During the 98673679th fitting of Avery's Easter dress (which I'm making), she started to get a little impatient. So I said, "Avery, not many girls have moms that will make them dresses. It's pretty nice of me, isn't it?" And, Avery, in her typical Avery way, said, "Mo-om, sewing a dress for me is YOUR dream, not mine. I'm the one nice enough to try it on a thousand times!"

Sometimes the truth is hard to live with.

Happy birthday, Griffin!

Overheard...

Rhys: Avery, will you race with me?
Avery: No, Rhys not right--
Rhys: Aaaaaaveryyyyyy, race with meeeeeeee!
Avery: Rhys, I said I'm busy!
Rhys: Just one race? Please, please, please!
Avery: Ok, fine, just one!
Rhys: Ok, good. But let me win.

PSIA

Today we spent all day at the PSIA district academic meet. Avery competed in creative writing and spelling, and was awarded 4th place in spelling. We are so proud of her! This is the first time she's every done anything like this -- including taking a test of any kind! The test was composed of 50 words; 80% of the words were from the word list given ahead of time and 20% were completely new words. She learned the entire 600 word list (and they were hard words, like magnitude, galactic, and xebec). The only word from the list that she missed was serious, which she spelled 'sirius' (like Sirius Black in Harry Potter!). The other ones she missed were all new words (including psychiatry -- which I can barely spell). I'm just so impressed that she was able to figure out how to study. It took me a year or so into college to really figure that out!

Oh, the bonus was that she got a crash course in traditional schooling all in one day: she was dropped off in a classroom full of people she didn't know, the hallways were loud and chaotic, she had a kid try to cheat off her, someone pulled the fire alarm, we had a tornado warning, and the principal threatened to take away everyone's "electronic devices" because apparently kids were sending nasty messages between the schools. It was quite a day! All we needed to finish it off was a bomb threat! Avery was so funny about the cheating; she told Bill, "The teachers even told them not to look at other people's papers, and they STILL did it!" LOL, poor naive Avery. ;-)

T-ball

Rhys started playing t-ball this month. He loved the first practice, but the first game wasn't such a big success. He cried every.single.time he didn't get the ball -- which was every play. The ball just never came to him! He just didn't understand how the game works, and apparently he thought it would be just like practice. Luckily, he understood before the next game, and he loved the second game! He got to play "pitcher" (they just pretend to throw the ball, since they really hit off a tee). The ball comes to the pitcher on just about every play, so that suited Rhys just fine! He did a great job, and knew to throw it to first base at every play! I'm just glad that he enjoys it so much. He says it's even better than gymnastics -- and that's saying something!

Griffin, 23 months

Trip to Houston

A couple of weeks ago, we went to Houston for a couple of days. We went to the zoo, then Avery and I went with friends to NASA's homeschool overnight program. We didn't actually spend the night at the Space Center, but we had dinner there and stayed until after 10pm. Avery got to do lots of neat projects, including building and launching a rocket with an air compressor and a project where the kids had to create a design that would allow for a safe landing for a Space Eggie. The next morning, we all went to NASA's homeschool day. There was tons to do and see, and we all just loved it!

Rhys funnies

Rhys was bored while I was gardening the other day, and he kept standing over me and sighing loudly. Finally he said, "Mom, I'm so mundane. Can I go on harrypotter.com?"

Today Rhys asked me, "So who was in Mamar's tummy when the dinosaurs died?"

Our version of American Gothic

Actually, Griffin and Jasper are posed for American Gothic. Avery and Rhys seem to have just escaped from an insane asylum!

Friday group Valentine's party

Hello-o-o-o-o-o-o

Wow, I have really been neglecting this blog lately, haven't I? A friend of mine was kind enough to point that out today. ;-) I've been having computer issues for a few months that make it hard for me to post pictures from my computer, so I keep putting off posts until Bill has his computer home. Not to mention that, as usual, we've been crazy-busy. Ok, enough excuses. On with the update!

Let's see...what has gone on in the past month or two....Avery is still heavily involved in gymnastics and works out 12 hours a week now. Rhys started T-ball a few weeks ago. Griffin is closing in on 2 and is just as ornery and busy as ever! We also are still involved in the Friday co-op that we've been attending for years, plus Bookclub, a monthly American Girl class, a Harry Potter discussion group, two writing groups, a nature club, and a science co-op. Plus playdates, park days, and my regular volunteer work. Whew. Gee, why is it that I can't keep up with the housework?

The science co-op is a new addition to our schedule, and we're all really enjoying it. The kids are studying physics, and I'm learning a lot along with them. I was actually surprised to realize just how much Rhys is getting out of the group. On a walk the other day, Rhys was pointing out all the things he saw that were made up of protons, neutrons, and electrons (yes, there were a lot of items), and he also explained to me that if the stroller started rolling away from us, it would roll and roll until something stopped it. Laws of physics coming from my 4 year old. Pretty neat.

Oh, exciting stuff this week: Avery and I went with Mamar, Linah, and Dani to see The Lion King. Wow, it was amazing! We had fabulous seats -- fourth row and dead in the center. We could see *everything*. The costumes were amazing!

We also went to NASA a couple of weeks ago for the Homeschool Overnight field trip. We had a blast!! (bad pun intended) I'll post some pics soon.

Sad news from this month is that we lost our sweet Wolfie cat a few weeks ago. We have all been very sad, and Avery has had a particularly hard time getting over it. He was her best buddy and roommate for as long as she can remember. We're slowly feeling better and hope to eventually feel ready enough to add a kitten to our family. We'll see.

Well, that's about it for now. I'm really going to try harder to keep up with regular posting. For real this time. No, I mean it. I swear!

In Memory of Wolfie (May 17, 1994 - Feb. 13, 2007)

Native American costumes

For Christmas, the kids got Native American costumes from Nonnie. They love them!

Here they are looking "fierce":

Bikes

The kids got new bikes from Mom and Doug for Christmas. They love them, and Rhys is getting really good at pedaling! Griffin also likes going out and riding his trike every afternoon.

Christmas

Making Christmas doorhangers

Sir Griffin

Sir Griffin with his knight's helmet and, yes Bill, the weirdest pacifier ever.

Avery's 8th birthday

Ok, so yeah, I'm a month late, but better late than never right? Avery celebrated her 8th birthday with two of her close friends. We took the girls skating on the rooftop at Whole Foods, then went to eat at Central Market, then came home for cupcakes and a sleepover. The girls stayed up until the wee hours, talking (mostly about books!) and giggling.

A pox on our house

I'm not sure what we did to deserve it, but the week after New Years, we seemed to be cursed. In a one week period, our family was plagued with a sty, 4 cases of a stomach virus, one case of the ickies (not the full-fledged virus, thank goodness), and one UTI. It was one looooong week, and our DVD player sure got a workout. I'm happy to say that everyone is now fully recovered, and hopefully we've payed our dues for a while and we'll stay healthy!

Taking tattling to a whole new level

Rhys just came to me and asked for an envelope. He had written a letter to Santa, telling him that Avery refused to play Chess with him today. Apparently I hadn't acted on the issue like I was supposed to, so he was taking it to a higher authority. So, the question is: Is not succumbing to your little brother's every whim enough to earn a spot on the Naughty List? Seems unlikely.

Movin' on up...

We got a letter in the mail today inviting Avery to join the Level 4 girls gymnastics team. She is beside herself with excitement. We're very proud of her and excited too, although we might have to sell off one of her little brothers to pay for it....