Stars All the Time

Thought I'd include a few recent photos. The one with the kids and Ann Marie is from Elizabeth's family visit a couple of weekends ago. Kenneth and Evelyn (but particularly Evelyn) always want to hold Ann Marie.

Another recent drawing by Kenneth. The bulldog is their school mascot.

Evelyn's class read a book about a penguin named "Tacky." One of the catchphrases Tacky always uses is "What's Happening?" Evelyn had to create a catchphrase that she would use, and she chose "Stars all the time." I'll have to remember that one. Just focus on the positive things...

At the park with Rod.

Rod and the kids spent time spinning on the tire swing. The whole time, I was biting my tongue because I knew there would be a good chance they'd get sick. Sure enough, all three of them got sick. Our next stop was IKEA and the three felt nauseous on the way there. After a minor throw up incident in the IKEA parking lot (not naming the culprit), we meandered through the IKEA maze. I don't care what anyone says--IKEA rocks and I think that's where we're going to try to finish out buying some of the missing furniture in our house.

Sweet Evelyn. She was looking through photos of her 6th birthday and she found one of her friend Shaley, who was in her Kindergarten class, but not in her 1st grade class. In the first semester of the year, Evelyn and Shaley got to see other during recess, but this semester the recess schedule got switched around and she no longer sees her. I promised to try to get Shaley to come to her 7th birthday party, which is very soon!

Carbon Dioxide or BAM?

Since the kids returned to school after the holiday break on 1/7, it's been fast-paced at home and work. Lots of work on the computer after the kids go to bed (and it's been real work, not entertainment). By the time I would finish what needed to be done, I would be too tired to post anything. Things should be settling back into a normal pace, though.

News from the past couple of weeks:
* Evelyn won 2nd place in the 1st grade division of the Science Fair. This means she gets to present her project in the Austin Regional Science Fair in mid-February.
* Rod launched his 4th edition of AboutTown press and developed a coordinating website (http://www.aboutownpress.com/)
* Elizabeth and the kids visited us while Josh was out of town. They stayed at our house, so the cousins got plenty of play time. Ann Marie has started crawling a little bit, but she is not a fast crawler yet. She is the easiest-going baby I have ever met. We also learned that Kyle does not like movies with cartoon cars.
* Kenneth was accepted into the after-school Art Club. He still works hard on his drawings and is getting more detailed as he practices.
* Spring season soccer sign-up occurred. I imagine practice will be starting in late February. The kids are ready for it, but I want the weather to get nicer first...
* One morning as I was walking into work from the parking lot, a work acquaintance called out "Hey, did you spill coffee all over your car?" No. He asked this most likely because of the following factors: (a) I was carrying my shoulder bag/laptop, an expandable folder with an excessive amount of paperwork, a bowl of sliced fruit, my morning protein shake, and an empty styrofoam cup tilted downwards, (b) I was fumbling with attaching my badge to my pants, and (c) My car was (and still is) absolutely filthy on the outside due to the rain and compounded because I drove behind a big truck that spewed muddy water mist into the air and onto my windshield. I guess he assumed the styrofoam cup had held coffee that spilled onto my windshield. Sigh.

Evelyn and Rod spent time creating poems the other night while Evelyn was hanging off his back. The outcome:
Rod: "Evelyn tried to hop but she just went plop!"
Evelyn: "Dad's back went pop, and he didn't say stop!"

Tonight, Evelyn asked me what is used to clean mirrors, "carbon dioxide or BAM?" I have not used either, I promise!

Been Awhile...

It's been awhile since I updated the blog, partially due to exhaustion. Friday night I couldn't even keep my eyes open during a new episode of What Not to Wear. That was a first for me. I will post again soon with pictures...

Visit from Marlee and Cailyn

My cousin Jeanne's children, Marlee and Cailyn, visited my parents last weekend. We met up for dinner at The Salt Lick off of 360. I had last seen Marlee when she was 1 or 2 and had never met Cailyn, but that's how it goes when large families live far apart. Both go to Rutgers University in New Jersey. Each brought a friend and they spent time downtown and shopping along Guadalupe. One of the places they visited was called Book Woman, which claims to be the only feminist bookstore in Texas. I had never heard of it, but plan to visit when I get a chance.

http://www.ebookwoman.com/NASApp/store/IndexJsp

Peanut Butter Preferences

That's the name of Evelyn's science fair project. It's basically a taste test for Jif PB versus Target brand PB. It allows Evelyn to do some basic data collection and a bar graph. No surprise, Jif won. Jif PB rocks. Nothing like heading to Walgreens at 8 PM on a Friday night to pick up 5x7 photos of peanut butter jars "Before" & "After" the black paper masking. We also simulated some spoon-enters-the-mouth shots.


Kenneth's project is not quite done yet. We need a few more people willing to perform 3 types of exercise for 1 minute time periods, then measure heart rate. Maybe next year I'll come to my senses and suggest topics that don't involve getting multiple participants. My cousin's children (college-aged) are visiting my parents, so I think I can get two more participants for him.


We had a visit from Grandma Aixa and Tracy last weekend. They stayed for a couple of days and had a nice visit overall. They bought the kids an official soccer goal with which to practice in the off-season as a joint gift. Evelyn received a rock-painting kit which she loved; it is a very cute idea. I just need to get some clear glossy paint to secure the current designs she's already done. Kenneth got a sketch book, which he promptly started using. It has a built-in easel, which is uber-convenient.


Tonight I will thoroughly enjoy What Not to Wear, my favorite show and really, my only TV indulgence.

Wells Branch Park

We have made 2 trips to Wells Branch Park this week. On our first visit, we stuck to what we're familiar with--a serene pond and nature walk with lots of places to stop and investigate. The kids found some reeds with a center that feels exactly like styrofoam. Perfectly natural packing material! Of course, Kenneth found good bow and arrow candidates. We fed the ducks some old hot dog buns and one of the males got upset when we ran out of bread. He hissed and started following us. Evelyn reacted by jumping away. After that, she was sensitive to any duck activity. On our second visit, we took a walk down one of the many paths. About .5 - .75 miles down the path we came to a traditional playground in the middle of a neighborhood. This park is a great find because it has playground equipment, a 3-story playhouse, a huge dished field, and best of all, clean restroom facilities. Such facilities can make or break future visits. We will have to bring the kids' cousins here next time they visit.

Other than that, this week we've done a lot of lounging mixed in with activities like the Austin Children's Museum, Pfluger Park, Half-Price Books, Central Market Park, and seeing The Waterhorse movie. Tomorrow we've GOT to start and finish (or almost finish) Science Fair projects for both kids. I don't know why it is always scheduled to be completed over the break. I suppose we could start and finish prior to the break. Sigh.