More Birthday Pics

Cat asked Lynda (one of her coworkers) to take some pictures at Wyatt and Willow's birthday party. She got some great shots of the boys and even a family shot where everyone is in the picture, with their eyes open, looking in the right direction, and maybe even a smile or two. Definately a miracle. :)


I particularly liked these two close-ups. Great shots. Loved the coloring, too.

The elusive bluebonnets... at last.

As we were heading back out onto the highway with the sun starting to set I noticed a hillside covered in bluebonnets tucked away behind some businesses. We decided to give the bluebonnet pics one last try. And I am glad we did. :)

Whiling away a Sunday afternoon

We stopped by one of the parks in Brenham. It was a big park with jogging trails that meandered alongside old trees - their canopies hanging overhead. There were several wooden bridges that spanned a small creek, or gave safe passage past drainage paths.

The boys were eager to explore and would run ahead down the path stopping to gather rocks or coming back to get more snacks.

Though still only moderately cooperative, they posed for a picture or two.

We couldn't pass up this old oak tree. It's crooked mis-shapen branch hanging at perfect height for a perch. I imagine hundreds of children have ventured off the path to crawl up it's branches hanging so near the ground.

After we had made a long circuit of the park we headed back to the car. We had passed another park along the way with a bright play area and decided to stop back by. We turned in and drove past the indoor carousel and large pavilion heading to the parking lot in the back. Off the trail was the "new playground." There was a giant fake rock perfect for climbing off to one side. There were stairs, and platforms, bridges, and slides. Even a rolling pipe slide that moved surprisingly fast.

There was also a small merry go round. Connor watched the big kids then hopped on and insisted on being spun both standing and sitting.

While we were there a train came by on the elevated track just behind the playground. Ryan was riveted. He watched the engine, then cars pass on by. The loud whistle that had tooted as it passed continued to blow off frequently off in the distance.

After a while we headed to the other playground - the one visible from the road. Ryan passed right on by the toddler area and headed to the highest, biggest slide of them all. Connor chose the tamer variety nearer the pavilion which afforded me a view of the dancing class in progress. 8 to 10 couples practiced some sort of dance in the middle of the large pavilion.

We eventually convinced the boys to head back to the car to go in search of dinner. After driving around downtown and doing a little window shopping we headed to K-bobs for dinner. As we were leaving we made a stop by the ice cream place for a double dip of fresh Bluebell ice cream made just down the road.

In search of bluebonnets

It's that time of year again here in Texas. Bluebonnet season. Every year untold numbers of people venture out from the cities into more rural locals enjoying the profusion of bluebonnets lining the highways. It isn't unusual to see cars pulled over along the side of the highway snapping pictures amid the wildflowers.

We joined the hordes and made our pilgrimage this weekend. Last year the flowers out 290 were just stunning so we opted to head out that direction this year. It was either too early, too late, or just not our luck as the fields were few and far between. In fact the first big patch we saw was heralded by a sea of break lights that brought all the lanes of traffic along the freeway to a crawl as cars pulled off others merged back in. I thought at first it must have been a massive fender bender, but as we neared the hillside looked almost like an erupting ant farm with people dotting the landscape moving here and there.

We continued on looking for a place a bit further from the road and perhaps a bit less popular. We finally settled on a field near Chappel Hill that was covered in yellow flowers on one side and bluebonnets on the other.. Connor cooperated for all of two minutes before he decided that attempting to de-head or trample the flowers was more to his liking. Ryan, who was apparently woken unceremoniously from his nap just cried. And cried some more.

We thought we might have better luck with the bluebonnets, but before long it was apparent that we might as well call it quits and move on to other things. Pictures just weren't in the cards.

A picnic

What better way to spend a beautiful day than to picnic in the park and feed the ducks? We were in somewhat of a hurry and looking for something close and easy before we headed out in search of bluebonnets. We stopped by McDonalds and picked up a quick lunch to enjoy in the park.

Connor helped by carrying the bread to the table.


As soon as we stopped at the table the ducks made a b-line for us. Maybe they remembered us from a previous visit. :) The ducks waited expectantly as we unpacked our lunch and eventually took the hint that their snacks would have to wait until after the boys ate their lunch. Ryan kept a close eye on the ducks while he ate.

After the boys finished their lunch and helped clean up the table and tossed all the trash we broke out the loaf of bread. Ryan charged towards the ducks who were milling around nearby shouting "Ducks! I HAVE FOOD!!" The ducks were either so frightened they were paralyzed in place or they are accustomed to excited children bearing food as they stood by and waited for him to toss his loot before running back to get more.

Connor is much more particular about his duck feeding than Ryan. Ryan's goal is to throw as much food in the general direction of the ducks as fast as possible. Connor on the other hand picks out a duck to feed and throws his food to the particular duck and then waits and watches for the duck to eat it before running back for more.

Ryan's tossing method is a bit more exuberant than Connor's, too. He excitedly tosses the bread any way he can. He's been known to practically knock himself over with the repercussions of his excited throws.

Willow and Wyatt's Birthday Party

We went to Willow and Wyatt's 2nd Birthday party this weekend. The weather wasn't terribly cooperative. It rained on and off for the first hour - just enough to get everything a little wet. Which of course means that the boys got absolutely soaked as they played on first one wet thing then another. Then with the rain clouds parting way to sunshine the boys sought out the left-over puddles where they could just for good measure. Connor tried out the slide on the jumper. I am not sure if going down headfirst was intentional or not, but he seemed to enjoy it either way.


Ryan had to try it out, too. Though the first time at least he slid classic style instead of his signature on the tummy method.



The boys jumped inside the jumper as well. Or I should say they ran around pretending to jump and were running around, crashing to ground, giggling then hopping up to do it all over again. I would say white boys can't jump, but there were several other white boys and girls like Jadon and Willow getting plenty of air.

So apparently it is just our children who are vertically challenged. Not that this is the first time that it has come to my attention. I have seen the other kids at school hopping to a song and noticed that the boys' hopping could use some practice. They haven't quite figured out the whole two feet at a time thing.

They also loved the bazillion bubble machine. Though it didn't take them long to prove why it was labeled 3 and up. When they weren't chasing bubbles they wouldn't stop trying to stick their fingers into it.

Connor especially liked the swirl of bubbles all around him.

Ryan was being a little camera shy and was at least initially hesitant to get to close.

He soon got distracted by the GIANT bubbles one of the other parents was making with a bubble wand. They were some of the biggest, coolest bubbles I have ever seen.

Half a dozen toddlers raced up as the father of one of the boys would start blowing the bubbles then the kids would all race off after them trying to catch and pop each and every one.

Once they had popped them all they would run back to do it all over again. They were so funny to watch especially when the bubbles floated just a little out of reach.

Big accomplishment

Both the boys "put something IN the potty" today at school. Such big boys. :)

Easter: Part III - The Scenic Route

We took a short detour by Boykin Springs on the way home. We were just going to look. No really. Just look. Then we got out of the car. And then close enough that chasing one of the kids I had mud oozing up around my flip-flop clad feet. Yuck. So I had to wash it off in the stream. Which wasn't nearly as cold as I thought it would be. It actually felt pretty good. And the boys saw me. Of course they wanted in, too. Especially Connor the water monkey. So were were just going to sit on the rock and put our feet in for a minute.


The boys weren't really sure what to think about the water at first.



Then I might have maybe encouraged them to splash a teeny tiny bit.

Connor got into it. Wholeheartedly. I had to remind him that we were just sitting on the rock with our feet in. Not diving in head first.

I ended up having to sit beside him and hold onto him as he didn't seem to understand the concept of just our feet. Of course as I was "reminding" Connor, Ryan took the opportunity to plop his bottom in. And, well... in for a penny in for a pound.

Go ahead. Touch it.

That's it. Doesn't it feel good??

Connor go see Ryan. Stand right there so I can get a picture. Wait don't drown your brother.

Why play in the waterfall when you can reach your hands under the rocks and pick up who knows what while mommy's busy taking pictures??

Hey I had some standards. I drew the line at wet rock climbing at least.

Because we were just going to look... Not break our necks. :)