Visit with My Grandfather

The first week of school wrapped up nicely. I picked the kids up at 3:00 with a couple of ice-cold Sprites and we headed out to pick up Rod. My grandfather is visiting Mom and Dad this week. It is his first (and probably last) visit to Austin, as it is getting more difficult for him to travel. Rod went to lunch with them yesterday, and we all met them today for dinner.
We chose to eat at The Oasis, which is known for its view of Lake Travis. We were fortunate to get a table under an awning because a brief rainstorm blew through. The waitress was positive the sound of thunder was just the band moving around equipment--wrong!

We only heard a little bit of the band, but they were really great--the name was The Belleville Outfit. I'm definitely going to try to catch them again whenever they play again in Austin. This is the last free weekend before the actual soccer games start, although the kids have been practicing with their teams for a couple of weeks.

First Day of School

Today was the first day of school. Yesterday, the kids were so bored. I was trying to work from home and every minute or two I'd have a food request, or have to mitigate a minor bickering fight, or get a head rested on my shoulder. I finally brought out the huge Colorforms set and they played with that for about an hour.

Anyway, today they were able to ride the bus because it was running late (normally, it arrives about 20 minutes before we typically leave). The picture outside is a small grouping of kids waiting for the bus.

When I asked them how their first day was, they were so enthusiastic. Kenneth's teacher apparently had a stint on Animal Planet as a "snake lady." Evelyn thinks her teacher is just great. She has been seated next to a boy that was in her class last school year. This boy absolutely loved Evelyn. He even bought her a large Sponge Bob Squarepants Valentine's Day card last year instead of the typical little Valentines that everyone hands out. However, there's a negative side to Kindergarten love: he also tried to cut her hair. I hope he has matured a little bit. Rod asked her about her day with her "boy friend." This was her response:

"He's not my boyfriend. He's just in love with me. He loved me in Kinder and he loves me now. I'm not in love with him."

Ice Cream Festival

Saturday we went to an Ice Cream Festival in a downtown park. I know that proceeds were supposed to benefit something, but I have no idea what. We contributed $25 to some cause: $20 for 4 ice creams--dairy-free gelatto for Kenneth. Plus, a $5 face paint, which Evelyn promptly washed off as soon as we got home. ("It itches, Mom!") It was very crowded with both people and dogs. Dogs of all sizes, including little ones that shouldn't have been walked in a crowd. I accidentally kicked a dog (not too hard, but still) because it licked my foot and I thought it was a bug. I apologized to the owner, but she just glared at me like I did it on purpose. It kind of made me not so sorry at that point!
Evelyn and Kenneth played a game where they had to create a pretend ice cream sundae by using a spatula to get ice cream (colored tennis balls), whipped cream (cotton fluff), etc. from one mixing bowl and across the grass to the sundae bowl, one piece at a time without dropping anything. At another point, two jugglers juggled pins with the two of them in the middle. Kenneth thought that was just great.

Today was their last day of summer camp/school. We brought them to Nana's house tonight to swim and spend the night. Nana will watch them tomorrow and I plan to take off on Friday. Nana will watch them again on Monday and school starts Tuesday. They can't wait to meet their teachers.

Expressive Cake

I left work after lunch today to pick up the kids and hang out. We met Nana for an early dinner at Mandola's, which is an Italian restaurant in mid-town. The bruschetta is the most fabulous bruschetta I've ever had. After dinner the kids browsed the desserts display. They have homemade gelatto and a huge range of pastries and cakes. Evelyn is reading a lot better now, but sometimes she misses the mark just slightly. She ran back to the table, full of excitement about a cake she saw that she wanted. She called it "Expressive Cake," but it was actually Espresso Cake. It looked chocolate-flavored to her. I helped her choose a more suitable dessert for a 6-year old.

Rod called us on his way back from a business trip in College Station while we were hanging out. Parts of the drive back are in low-signal zones, so sometimes the phone cuts out. Evelyn was on the phone with him when all of a sudden she gets louder: "Dad, your voice is getting blurry!"

Wrapping up the Summer

The Summer is coming to a close. School starts on August 28th and we've been busy getting ready. Clothes shopping, school supply shopping, doctor's forms, etc. have all kept us running around a bit more than usual. Kenneth and Evelyn are ready to go back to school. Evelyn is particularly excited about being a first grader. I will post some more photos soon.

Visit with Elizabeth's Family

Elizabeth and team braved the 2 hour car trip from College Station to Austin and visited from Friday through Sunday. They stayed at my Mom's house and we went over on Saturday to spend the day. Ann Marie has gotten bigger and is very cute. The picture doesn't do her justice because she barely made a sound the whole weekend--only when I tried to take the picture. That's OK. We'll have plenty of opportunities to take more pictures as time goes on.

On the way home from swimming lessons, the kids had a funny conversation:

Kenneth: "I can't wait to get my driver's license. It's going to be so cool. I can go out with my girlfriend."

Evelyn: "You probably won't HAVE a girlfriend."

Kenneth: "That's so mean!"

Evelyn: "Probably. I said probably."

Kenneth: "Well, you probably won't have a boyfriend."

Evelyn: "I don't care. Why would I care about that?"

Magnetix

After a few birthdays and holidays, the kids have accumulated an impressive collection of Magnetix. The concept is similar to Tinker Toys, but each piece has magnets in it, and the collections come with round marble magnets. They've each spent hours building things.
I will occasionally find a dangling Magnetix contraption hanging off a doorknob, and Rod occasionally manages to step onto a magnet marble. :) The Sponge Bob design is Evelyn's.