Easter Weekend 2014: Cool Neighbors

Our neighbors played Easter Bunny again, throwing toys and filled eggs in the yard for the kids to pick up. Can you feel the excitement?

Easter Weekend 2014: Italy Bluebonnets

It's a Texas tradition to have your picture taken in the bluebonnets, the state flower. It just so happened that when we stopped for gas in Italy, Texas, there was a large field of them right on the frontage road.

Easter Weekend 2014: Inner Space Cavern

Right off I-35, north of Austin, is Inner Space Cavern. It was discovered during the construction of I-35 as they were digging supports. We ended up 70 feet under ground and passing under the interstate as we walked around underground. Pretty neat. The guide has stories based on the shapes of the formations which made the tour more entertaining for everyone. 

Hot and sweaty...needed a slushie!

Easter Weekend 2014: Austin

Lucas wanted to see the capital, so we parked close by and Mark took him inside the grounds. #NextKidPresident

Easter Weekend 2014: LBJ Wildflower Center

The kids got Thursday and Friday off before Easter this year and Mark had a free night at a hotel to burn. Because Sarah will be portraying Lady Bird Johnson for a class "wax" museum, we decided to take a road trip to Austin and visit the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. 

We strolled the formal gardens and the art gallery, and watched them setting up for a wedding.

Then we walked on one of the outlying trails around the center where you can see flowers in their more natural state. Sarah took over the camera and snapped these pictures all by herself. Amazing, really! I am going to have her enter them in the Reflections contest in the fall.

P.S. My hip felt great even with all the trail walking. Hooray!

Ethan's 9th Birthday Party

Ethan's friend, Ethan R., had his birthday party in April too...so we waited until after the other Ethan's party to host Ethan N's Craft Camp! The boys started by decorating their own LEGO man and foam bookmark. 

Then they moved on to painting chalkboard picture frames and making things with Perler beads.

After that, they decorated a plastic container with Sharpies - for storing toys or money.

A break for cake!

At the end, everybody was Rainbow Looming - making bracelets and charms out of tons of tiny, colorful rubber bands.

The party was so fun. Nobody wanted to leave! I was glad for that because I worried Craft Camp wouldn't be as cool as paintball or laser tag. These boys were loud, but they were busy doing things the whole time, and having a lot of things for them to try was the best plan. Perler beads and rainbow looming were definitely the favorites!

Happy birthday Babers!

Sk8er Girl

Sarah went to a birthday party at Skate Town this weekend. She had never done it before and started with old-school style skates and leaning on me a couple times around the rink. I was sweating by lap 2! Someone suggested in-line skates would be easier and Sarah was willing to give it a try. Another couple laps and the party mom offered to get her a tripod to skate with...hallelujah!

She fell several times but got back up each time. I was proud of her. And by the end, she wasn't skating like a pro, but she was skating without any assistance from the tripod. Success! 

April already?!

April 1st means two things in this house. Ethan's birthday and unfortunately, the first day of STAAR testing. We schuled Ethan's birthday party for later in the month, but we were able to take him to Buffalo Wild Wings (his choice) for dinner. The place doesn't usually do anything to celebrate birthdays, but our waitress talked to a bored but entertaining waiter and all of the sudden there was an announcement over the PA that it was Ethan's birthday and they brought out a giant piece of chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream. Not bad for a place that "doesn't do that."

Ethan's Bear den also held a picnic at Founder's Plaza at DFW airport. We watched planes land and received a plane spotter guide and backpack from one of the other scout dads who works there. Jacob promptly commandeered the plan spotter, as he is obsessed with planes and aviation as of late. It started with curiosity about the missing Malaysian jet, moprhed into watching plane crash videos on You Tube, and has settled into wanting to become a pilot (if that whole Lego designer thing doesn't pan out).

Ethan's 9th birthday meant a well-visit check up at the doctors office. She wanted to check his cholesterol level - saying that its recommended now for all 9-year-olds? Not sure if I believe that but Ethan is in the 85th percentile for weight and only the 30th for height. Anyways, the nurse who drew his blood has been there a long time. He's an older, teddy bear of a man, ex-fireman, and super nice. However, he couldn't find a vein in Ethan's arm. Wiggled that needle around until I was about to cry...Ethan was way ahead of me! I asked him to stop and give Ethan a break. He then had to try on the other arm, found a vein - though not immediately - and got the vial filled. Poor baby. I've never had someone dig around in my arm like that - and to have to do it twice....shudder!

Lucas' scout den toured the Coppell Post Office. The woman who gave the tour, Jennifer, was very masculine looking with short hair and visible tattoos. Not two minutes in, one boy raised his hand and told her "Not to be mean, but you look like a boy." Thankfully, Jennifer handled it gracefully and said that she gets told that all the time. She was so nice! Phew. They got to learn about the postal routes, sorting mail, and play in an empty mail truck.