The boy who colored himself pink

We spent last Saturday afternoon hanging out with the boys' friend Dean.  We swam until we were pruned.  And I do mean swam.  Ryan wouldn't even consider putting his life jacket on despite the fact he spent at least half the time out in the deep end.  He did an awesome job swimming!

When we finally convinced them to get out and "take a break" for a while they instead opted to chase one another around the yard with dump trucks and other construction vehicles and then take turns driving Dean's tractor until they flat out wore the battery out.  

Connor's driving hasn't improved much since last time, either.  The kid is a menace.  :)  It's either steering or pushing on the accelerator - not both at the same time.  We may flip a coin to decides who is going to teach Ryan to drive if he hasn't just taught himself by then, but Kevin is definitely going to be the one to teach Connor.  It's either that or we are having a brake installed on the passenger side of the vehicle.  :)

While Robin and I were inside putting up the leftovers and catching up the boys were running around outside with Kevin and Kurt.  They saw a big dragonfly who stayed amazingly still long enough for them to even get a few pictures of it before it buzzed off.

When I made my way back outside to check on everyone this is what I found.

The pictures really don't do it justice.

The kid was pink from head to toe.

Not just any pink - NEON pink.

It was truly impressive.  :)

Fireworks Fridays at Kemah

We finally managed to make it down to Kemah to enjoy Fireworks Fridays last weekend.

Instead of fighting the crowd on the actual Boardwalk at Kemah we watched from one of the little neighborhoods just across the way.

The bright lights of Kemah made beautiful reflections across the water.

And even before the actual fireworks show started we had a good time just watching all the sailboats come and go through the channel.

The fireworks themselves were pretty spectacular as well.

I used the fireworks setting on my camera for the first time and was thrilled with just how well the pictures came out.

Especially given that I was holding a wriggling child in my lap and have never been known for steady hands.  Dr. Operation anyone??

The kids of course were thrilled with the fireworks.  They had a hard time deciding just which ones were their favorites.

Right up until the grand finale that is - with the barrage of things all going off at once.  :)

After the fireworks we headed over to TBone Tom's to enjoy a late night snack.

Kevin and the boys polished off two plates of onion rings all by themselves.

And then proceeded to devour the boudain balls like a hungry horde of locusts.

Needless to say we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and will definitely have to make it back again.

Birthday Bender

Kevin had a heck of a time celebrating his 21st birthday the second time around (that would be 42 for those of you who are numerically challenged like me.  :)) this weekend.

We kicked the weekend off Friday night with some fireworks and a late-night trip to T-Bone Tom's for some delicious onion rings and boudin balls.  :)  Spent Saturday recovering, and hanging out with some friends at the pool where Ryan impressed us with his swimming skillz, Connor colored himself pink from head to toe,  and Kevin discovered the clarity of goggles in the pool ("You can really SEE with these things!!")

Then Sunday we headed off to see the Dinosaurs at the zoo - up close and personal :)  

 

We late lunch at one of my new all time favorite places - the Twiga Terrace.  The food wasn't anything to write home about (it was edible, and other than drinks pretty reasonably priced), but the scenery??  Now that's a whole different story.  Given the heat of the afternoon the rhino's were taking a nap, but on the other side of the terrace the giraffes were enjoying their lunch and keeping an eye on us enjoying ours.  :)  Very, very cool.

And as if we hadn't already eaten enough over the course of the weekend - we capped the weekend off with dinner at Papa's Seafood with Kevin's family.  And of course it wouldn't be a birthday without cake - or in this case red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese icing that were delicious.  Since there wasn't enough real-estate for 42 candles, not to mention the fire hazard - I opted for a sparkler instead.  Irony, much?  :)  Kevin just thought it was a cool candle and spent several seconds actually trying to blow it out.  :)

And I thought it would be hard to top Kevin's 40th.  :)

Forgotton Foto Friday

Way back when ... like when it was cold enough to wear pants, long sleeves, and coats.  And the boys were still 3... And I still couldn't find my camera (all pictures in this post are compliments of Kevin's memory card)....

We went to catch Miss Emilys' last high school basketball game.

And I don't know what people are feeding these kids, but they are seriously TALL.  At 5'8" it is unusual that I feel short in group of women, but I felt like a midget surrounded by Amazons.

We watched some of the game.

But mostly we were up to shenanigans.

And exploring the field house.

And polishing off as much popcorn as is humanly possible.  Even if it didn't belong to us.  Thanks for sharing Mr. Larry!  :)

And when it was over we started running drills.

And then sprints, laps, and lines.

Until Connor had to be picked up and carried because he just couldn't move anymore.

And tell me this wouldn't have been the cutest picture?  Except for that whole flash blinding thing.. :)

Morning Madness

Mornings at our house are like a well oiled machine.  NOT.

This is a sneak peek of what mornings are really like at our house...

What happened to the pink bag?  Anyone, Anyone??  ANYONE seen the PINK Bag??!?!
Great.  Where's the blue bag? I know I just saw it somewhere.
Are you done with breakfast??
DRINK YOUR MILK!!!
No.  You are not getting juice until after you drink all.that.milk.
{Opening blue bag}
What's this??

Umm... yeah... that would be a petrified Halloween orange. 

Where are the swimsuits?  Why do I have two bottoms but only 1 top?  Where is the Nemo top?

{Walking towards the laundry room} SQEAK!!!

Rats?  Seriously?  Why are these here???  {smack in the middle of the floor for me trip over and discover with my bare feet in the middle of the night???}

Where did they come from??  Nevermind.  Have you finished your milk yet?? Put your plates up and put your shoes on!  I have to look for the Nemo top!

Ryan: Mommy I want to take the Cat in the Hat book to school.
Me: {puzzled look} Doesn't school have a Cat in the Hat book? 
Ryan: No.
Me: Are you sure?  I fairly certain they have a whole collection of Dr. Seuss.
Ryan: M-O-M-M-Y!!  School does NOT HAVE THIS BOOK!!

Me: That cat does have a hat... I suppose...  But that is not Cat in Hat.  It's Splat the Cat.
Me: Yes, you can take that book.  We can read it in the car on the way to school.
...
I totally digress here, but I just bought the book last night, and had never read it before this morning.  I LOVE Splat the Cat.  This book's imagination/illustrator is right up my alley.  Pirates and everything!
....

And so it went for another 10 minutes before we finally made it out the door with 2 children, 4 shoes, one notebook, two swimsuits, 2 water bottles, 2 towels, and 1 pair of goggles.  So Ms. Lisa if you are reading this and happen to find a pair of blue goggles on the bottom of the pool... :)

Go Ha Aloha

Remember Ryan's WILD ride?  Well, this morning it was Connor's turn.  To take us all on an adventure to Go Ha Aloha {aka Hawaii}.

Since we were all in the car and I couldn't interpret magna doodle drawings while zipping down the road... Connor's story was more of a mad libs meets zany imagination amidst dodging crazy drivers.  You have been warned.  :)

Our trip to Hawaii got off to a pretty rough start...
Tires screeching as we swirled up the up ramps in the airport parking garage.
At Mach 6. 
We practically got whiplash when Kevin careened into a parking spot and slammed on the brakes.
Before the car had even stopped moving the trunk was popped and and 4 doors simultaneously shot open, passengers disembarking at warp speed.  One of them may or may not have kissed the ground thankful to be alive.  :)
But that would be the only seconds' hesitation in what can best be described as a madcap run for the departure gate.
Ryan in the lead shouting "Out of our way!!!"
We arrived at the gate in a flurry of bags, shouts, and frantic desperation. 
The gate attendant who had been in the process of shutting the door quickly reopened the door and stood stock still with a deer in the headlights expression hoping the lunatics would pass on by safely on the other side of the door... with a lock... which she snubbed the second the last rolling bag was clear of the threshold.
As the door closed the the plane pushed back from the gate and started taxiing.
By the time we plopped into our seats the roar of the engine signaled our take off.

No sooner had our seat belts clicked and we were in the air.
With birds.  Birds that looked suspiciously like tyrannadons.  Hungry tyrannadons.
One of whom got a bit too close to the engine... and poofed... naked out the other side.  It's feathers shooting out like a dandelion cloud before flying off to hide.  Clearly mortified.

Once we arrived in Hawaii we picked up our rental car. 
Only it's steering wheel was on the wrong side!
So Daddy had to drive.  And drive he did - right off the cliff!
And into the ocean.
Bubbles trailing after us as we sunk.  [Glub, glub, glub] Like a rock.  Straight to the bottom.

We watched in wide-eyed wonder as schools of yellow fish, and blue fish just like Dorey swam across the hood of the car and circled around.  Parents pointing out the "humans" like a tour at the museum.
Then in the blink of an eye all the fish vanished.  Poof.
Where did they go??
We looked around.  Out one window, and then the next.
Until we saw it!  A SHARK!! 
With rows of shiny, bright, white teeth when he smiled his "you sure look tasty" smile.
We knew we had to get out of there. 
So we put on our goggles, grabbed the deployed oxygen masks (ala the crash videos on the airplane), and made a break for it out the sunroofs on the car.
We swam as fast as we could all the way to the surface.  Then floated like a starfish rocking gently in the waves.

Luckily a tanker was passing by and saw us waving frantically and picked us up.
They took us as close to shore as they could get and we cannonballed back into the ocean and swam the rest of the way into the beautiful cove.
The waters in the cove were crystal clear and filled with stingrays.
We petted them gently, but not on their tails!  And shuffled our feet so we didn't step on any.

When we got to the beach we could see a little sea cave.
So we had to investigate.
We tip-toed.  Quietly.  And then we heard a low, deep, rumbling, growl.
And saw to BIG, white, eyes.
It's a BEAR!!!!

We ran as fast as we could back out of the cave and up the volcano.
The bear couldn't keep up.
We ran all the way the top.
We sat down to catch our breaths and figure out how to get back down.

And then we heard the helicopter. 
We thought for sure they had come to rescue us.
As they got directly overhead they started to lower something.
What is that?
A ladder?  The stretcher? 
No... It's a... FRUIT BASKET!?!?
What are we supposed to do with a fruit basket!?!?
But as we looked to see what was inside we could see movement all around us...
Little faces peering at us between parted leaves.
It was the WIKI TIKIS!!!
They came closer... and closer...
Until we threw a banana at them!
FOOD FIGHT!!! 
Grapes went flying everywhere, an overripe banana smacked into Ryan splattering on impact!
We ducked as a pineapple flew by.
When it was all over we looked around.  Everyone was covered in fruit. 
Ryan had a banana peel on top of his head!!!
We laughed and we laughed.

Until we heard a low, deep, rumble... Growing louder... and louder.
OH NO!!!  It's the volcano!  It's going to explode!!!
Thankfully the Wiki Tiki's showed us their favorite water slide that went all the way down the mountain!
Connor went first.  We could hear him giggling all the way down.'

When we all got to the bottom we swam in the pool and played in the waterfall.
Connor ducked behind the waterfall and found a secret room!
Filled with treasure!! 
But not just any treasure...
PIRATE Treasure.
Gold glimmering in the light.  And rubies, and sapphires, and emeralds.
We were RICH!!
Mommy and Daddy would never have to work again, and the boys wouldn't have to go to school anymore!
Ryan and Daddy could fish ALL DAY LONG!!
And Connor and Mommy could work puzzles, and watch Scooby Doo!!
But we had no way to carry all the treasure to the bank, so we took a few pieces and went to go find something to carry it in.

When we came back through the waterfall instead of an empty pool it was filled with pirates!
Pirates who didn't want us stealing their gold!!
So we put it all back and promised not to tell anyone where it was.
Thankfully not only did they let us go, but they pointed us towards the road.
We made our way through the jungle and out onto the road.

We put our hitchhiking thumbs up and waited for a car to come along.
Before long we heard quite a terrible sounding engine coming our way.
It was must be an old Gremlin.
But when it came around the corner it was Daddy!  In our rental car.
He was able to drive it out of the water and had been looking for us.

He took us back to the airport.
When we got out water poured out of the door, and when we opened the glove box to get the rental agreement out two mackerel flopped out of the glove box!
We left the car there and went to catch our flight.
Our wet shoes making slurping noises as we walked.  :)

We got on the plane, and then drove back home.
We were so tired we went straight to bed. 
And when we woke up we realized... it was.. just... a dream...

Way Back Wednesday

So rare. 

So sweet. 

Watching a DVD.

Together. 

---

01.06.2012 



One WILD Ride

Tonight Ryan picked up a mini magna doodle and started drawing us a map.

To Africa.
On a BUMPY road.  Only we realized they were awful BIG BUMPS. 
And then they started moving!!!  OH NO!!
They weren't bumps, they were RHINOS!!!  With BIG HORNS.
So we threw the car in reverse and had to go another way.

Into the swamp.
Straight into the quicksand.  OH NO!! 
The car was SINKING!! 
So we had to crawl out the sun roof, slide down the windshield, scooch {which is totally a word} across the hood and LEAP off the car to solid ground.
And then we had to walk.  On foot.  In the swamp.  {Slurp, Slurp}

Until we came to a river.
The only way across was to use the stepping stones.  Only they weren't stones.
They were GIANT CROCODILES!!  CHOMP!  CHOMP! CHOMP!
So we ran until we came to a wooden bridge.
But as we started across the crocodiles chomped the boards in half and we almost fell in.
Into the water with the PIRANHAS!!!
We couldn't swim across or the piranhas would eat us so we had to find the concrete bridge to get to the other side.
Whew!  We made it!

We looked at our map again to see where we were supposed to go next. 
And what we did see?  A VOLCANO!!
With the wiki-tikis, and cannibals, and lava!! 
We couldn't go that way so we had to take another road. 

But it went through the SNAKE PIT!!
I told Ryan time and time again that we couldn't go through it, we couldn't go under it, we couldn't go OVER it, we HAD to go AROUND IT!!
It took some convincing, but he finally agreed.  So we took the road around it.

Right into the JUNGLE!
And there were TICKLING MONKEYS in the jungle!
Good thing we had a car full of bananas to give the monkeys to let us pass.
But when we came out the other side of the jungle we ran straight into a lion.
We used our QUIETEST voices, and softly sang him a lullabye to put him to sleep.
Then we tip-toe'd past him and RAN AS FAST AS WE COULD!!

We went 386 miles.
To the desert.
But, OH NO!!  It was a SAND STORM!!
We had to cover our faces with our shirts to keep the sand out!
And when the storm finally passed we thought the worst was over.
But then... WHAT was THAT!??!
DID YOU SEE IT!?!?!
OH NO!!!  IT'S BEETLES!!!!
Rhinos, quicksand, man eating crocodiles, piranhas, volcanoes, wiki tikis, snakes, monkeys, lions and even sand storms I could take.  But I draw the line at BUGS.

I wasn't going ONE.STEP.FURTHER.  So Ryan agreed to take me home.
On a boat.
Through the storm.  In the GIANT waves.  Taller than our boat.
With water spraying all over the deck with every wave.
And right into our mouths!
Pllbbbt!! YUCKY SALT WATER!!!  Pllbbtt {spit it out!!}
Luckily we saw the dolphins and followed them to the town.

Where we ate a restaurant.  And had lemonade, and macaroni, and potatoe soup.
{I hope not at all once.. yuck!  :)}
And then we followed the giant whales all the way back to Texas.
To the port.  Where we left mommy's car.
We all got in and mommy drove us all the way home.
And when we got there mommy collapsed on the couch. 
And snugged with both her sweethearts.
And we all fell asleep on the couch.
And when we woke up we realized, it was all .... just ....  a dream....

And next time Connor will be our navigator.
He's already studying up.  To go to to Aloha, Aloha {Hawaii}
With the hammocks, and snorkels, and brightly colored fish on coral reefs.
For a nice relaxing, less dangerous trip...
Except for the pirates, and sunken treasure, and haunted ghost ships.
So until tomorrow, boys... Sweet, sweet, dreams.

And when you have nightmares about man eating everythings... don't forget to call daddy!  And be sure to mention the killer shark he kept trying to throw into our nice, quiet, African Safari.  :)

Deja Vu

Uncanny, I tell you.

April 2009.

July 2012.

April 2009.

July 2012.

April 2009.

July 2012.

April 2009.



July 2012.

April 2009.



July 2012.

Speaking of uncanny... how about the fact that completely by coincidence I took more or less the same pictures, from the same angles, and with the same framing for the most part such that I barely had to crop if at all?

I expected the waters to have receeded today by the time I got into work.  But on the contrary they continued to rise.  Water reached the bottom of the bridge overnight, and what walking trails we could still see when we headed out yesterday had vanished this morning.  By 10 am the creek began to spill over the road, and by 11 - an hour before the surge was expected to crest the road had to be closed  leaving 2 neighborhoods islands.  Surrounded.  Between Cypress Creek and Faulkey Gulley.  As the water encroached on the access road to our building no one had to tell us twice that it was (past) time to go.  :)