Alex Turns 8!

This precious child has turned EIGHT years old!

His love of reptiles inspired a snake-themed birthday party. We hired My Reptile Guys and they were fantastic! These kids adored holding lizards, feeding turtles, petting snakes, the whole nine yards!

It was so much fun for Alex and his friends, and a perfect multi-aged party for siblings to enjoy too. 

Our snake-obsessed child was in heaven. He has really developed into a big kid over the last year. His chipped little baby front tooth (and its counterpart) had to be pulled back in December, but the big teeth are finally starting to grow in their place. He is a serious reader, often times reading words well before ever hearing them said out loud. The other day before bed he was reading a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles book and I asked him to read it aloud. "April sped away on her moped" Ah, that would be a mo-PED, I never realized that they are spelled the same!

He is curious, silly and takes his sweet time doing everything, but he's happy and fun and now he is EIGHT! Happy Birthday Big Guy!

 

Ranch Life: Bandera, TX and Overnight Camp

Gretchen has attended overnight camp for a few years now, skipping 2020 when camp was canceled due to a global pandemic, but this was the first time that she attended a brand NEW camp located over 4.5 hours away from home. She gladly took the charter bus on the way there, but come time for camp pickup, we wanted to go and get her in person. 

So we turned it into a Texas state adventure with our friends the Northcuts, and we got more than we expected out of a VRBO rental house. 

We stayed at the Uno Mas Ranch in Bandera, TX in a great cabin large enough for 9 people to stay comfortably. There was a pool table, an outdoor kitchen and a whole lot of taxidermy hanging on the walls (and standing on the furniture, and serving as decoration). There was also several varieties of big game animals on the property. That little detail was not included in the VRBO description. 

I assumed that the curly-horned deer-goats that we passed on our way in were just a bizarre breed from the part of Texas that I have never visited. It turned out that they were ibex, which are native to any continent that doesn't contain the word "America". 

Then there were these larger-than-normal deer that came to the watering hole in front of our cabin each night around dinnertime. We observed, watched their herd behavior, but didn't think a whole lot of them, except that they were fun to watch. 

And then we were visited by a herd of wildebeests. They are definitely not usually found in Texas. Now this stay had more of the feel of an African safari. We were brought back to Texas by this truly awesome longhorn. This fella was the alpha for sure. Nobody messes with the longhorn. Not the wildebeests, not the humans. This was the lesson in animal behavior that none of us expected.

Then came time to pickup our first born! Camp OTX was incredible! Brand new, clean and spacious bunks, water slides and archery and gymnastics and crafts! It was so great to see this long-legged beauty come sprinting toward us after a week away!

She had a blast. Gretchen made new friends, tried new activities and has already decided that she wants to return for a 2-week stay next summer. Now we get to enjoy another night of ranch life with our family and friends watching the animals and swimming in the largest pool in Bandera County. Daddy perfected the oven-made s'mores (due to a burn notice, we were not able to have an outdoor campfire) and we enjoyed a beautiful evening with our little stair-step kids surrounded by wild animal noises.

As it turns out, this is a very common type of ranch in Texas. They bring in wild game to tourists that want to hunt and during hunting season these cabins are used for resting between hunts. We did not know this going in, and were excited and surprised by the animals, however the idea of killing them for fun makes me sad.

The Year We Turned 40

We knew it had to happen, but somehow it felt just a bit too soon. We are still so young. However we have reached the point in life where we both remember when our parents had this birthday and they felt like actual real-time adults. So maybe that's us now too. We're real adults. We turned 40.

As a gentleman does, Jon went first. Jon birthday is in April, and we lucked out as his favorite baseball team was in town for a series very close to his actual birthdate. His family treated us to a night in downtown Houston, staying at a lovely hotel right near the ballpark. We had a delicious dinner on Saturday night at Guard and Grace and then rested up for an incredible experience at Minute Maid Stadium the next day. 

We started the day with breakfast in the hotel restaurant surrounded by Blue Jays players. As it turns out, they also stayed at this lovely hotel the night before. We rode the elevator with the starting catcher and Jon sat starstruck all through breakfast as he looked around the room and was able to identify almost everyone there. They all boarded the team bus with their gear and we followed closely behind to take full advantage of our Diamond Club tickets. 

These tickets were an unbelievable way to see a baseball game. We parked a few steps from the stadium, there was a series of underground tunnels that took us to the lounge, with every kind of freshly prepared food imaginable, where we could hang out for an hour before and at any point during the game. Nacho bar, ice cream sundae bar, french fry bar, actual drink bar, it was all there for the taking! When you are ready to watch baseball live, there is a hallway that takes you right to your seats, just behind the home plate wall - and if you forgot to grab cotton candy, popcorn or peanuts before you sat down, there are convenient stands along the way to your seats to grab and go. 

The seats were incredible. All of the extras aside, we were as close to the team as possible without actually being in the dugout. 

This is a very happy Jays fan.

As it turns out, the game we attended had a special "Stand Up to Cancer" program to increase cancer awareness during the 7th inning stretch. They handed out these cards with instructions on filling in who you stand up for. My sweet husband wrote this on his sign:

and attracted the eyes of Rowdy Tellez, who lost his own mother to breast cancer a few years ago. He called us to stay after the game, and handed me his signed cleats from that afternoon's game. It was touching and kind, a gesture that I will never forget. 

A few short weeks later it was my turn to arrive at middle age. 

We planned a party at one of our favorite restaurants in The Woodlands, Local Pour, and invited as many people as we could. 

Jon arranged for two surprise guests!!!

Perhaps Jon's best 40th birthday achievement, coaching the Blue Jays to season champions!

Time won't stop, and 40 is looking pretty good. Happy Birthdays!!!

Last Day of School 2021

School is out for summer!! And while last year was a slow peter to the end, this year we were able to enjoy the full excitement of a whole school year complete and relish in the change of pace that comes when summer begins. 

Both Alex and Gretchen had great years academically. Both kids are avid readers and their ability and comprehension are exceptional for their ages. We saw nothing but "3"s and "A"s on their report cards are are so proud of their work in school.

While this school year was closer to normal than last year, parents were not permitted in the school and there were no in-person gatherings all year long. The Book Fairs, holiday parties, concerts, exhibitions and large school events of previous years didn't exist due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, so we were thankful to have Ms. Shockley as a first grade teacher for Alex - as we know her from teaching Gretchen in first grade. Most notably because not once during the entire year did Jon or I meet any of the kid's teachers in person.

Alex and his beloved 1st grade teacher

The last day of school brings with it the last day of school bus ambush. 

Firefighter Graham to the rescue!

We were so happy to see some friendly faces for the first time in a long time!

Water balloons on Daddy!!

Our big FIFTH grader now!

Graham's preschool had a make up day tacked on to the end of the year, so the first day of summer for big kids was the last day of school for little man. This unique combination of me and the two big kids being home lead us to try a not-so-little-kid-friendly activity. Indoor Rock Climbing.

It took a minute to get our bearings...

Just a few minutes in, and they were climbing high!

To new adventures, fun activities and tired kids. Let summer 2021 begin!!

Wimberley is the Place to Be

 As most have over the last year and a half, we have spent a lot of time at home. After a few months of cabin fever, we made a plan that in celebration of Jon's FORTIETH birthday, we would meet our best traveling friends, the Newhooks, for a nice weekend away.

Wimberley is a little town off the main highway between Austin and San Antonio, TX. It took us a bit over 3 hours to get there from home. This was made to feel like a much longer drive due to the "Very Active, Possibly Damaging, Expect Hail and Wind Damage" storm that we drove through for over an hour of the drive. Jon's cool-under-pressure demeanor makes him the best person to be driving through these conditions. I was a wreck.

We made it to our rental house in one piece, and the storm cleared the way for sunny skies for the rest of the weekend. Our back deck view was perfect. Right on the Blanco River, in a nice, shallow area that the kids could all wade into without too much concern.

All of the kids were happy to put on PJs and cuddle together the first night.

The next day we ventured into town. This little downtown was as cute as they come. Little murals on the street walls, old filling stations that were converted into antique shops, but still small enough that the only intersection in town had a policeman placed to serve as both stoplight and crossing guard.  A candy cabin. A frozen yogurt shop. An outdoor beer garden and pizza parlor complete with a play structure to keep little bodies content.

Gretchen tried on new angel wings.

We took a selfie! We never remember to take selfies!

Gretchen and Talia always fall right back in step whenever they're together.

After getting too warm on the playground, Graham found his own way to stay busy.

The chosen activity of the weekend was wading in the river. The water was still pretty cold, but no one seemed to mind until it was time to get out. I loved watching all of our kids play, in person, with their friends. 

Me and my girl

The cypress trees lining the river were teaming with these cute little inchworms. Some people in our group found them more endearing than others. 

We had marshmallows by the fire.

And a beautiful, clear, full moon night.

And the guitar lead song talent comes out just as the sun sets.

This was a great reset weekend for us. I highly recommend this little getaway for a driving weekend away.