Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Summer Fun

cc
It's hot, but after an hour inside this morning we decided that our sanity was important and hopped in the car to brave the 100+ degree heat. We hit the Zoo this morning and the Children's Museum after lunch.
Houston Zoo
Children's Museum
c

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Our Little Negotiator




This afternoon as I was unloading Sam’s lunchbox from school, I noticed a handwritten note from his teacher. At first I thought, “OH NO…what did he do?”…but as I read the note I couldn’t help but laugh. St. Luke’s has a rule (because of allergies) that no child can share their lunch with another student. Well, I guess our little negotiator Sam tried his hardest to get one of those delicious Vanilla Wafers from his friend but he was unsuccessful. I guess I better make a run to the store now so I don’t get another note tomorrow!


Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Oh Those Smiles

cc
cc
I could take a thousand pictures just like these and never get tired of looking at them. Sweet boys!

Fishing For A Ben

cc
cc
They might be smiling now, but this activity just spells disaster!

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Happy Father's Day, Scott!

cc
cc
My plan was to allow Scott to sleep in until 8am+ this morning. But Sam awoke at 7:30am and went running into our room to tell Scott that he had something special for him. So, the day started as any other day…with chaos and loud noises! We made Scott muffins and coffee for breakfast and treated him to Chuy’s for lunch. After naptime, we searched for furniture for the new house and took the kids to the pool. I don’t think it was the relaxing day that Scott had possibly envisioned…but it was a great day surrounded by his #1 fans!

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Has It Really Been 9 1/2 Months?

cc
cc
Ben had his 9 month (2 weeks delayed) appointment on Wednesday. He continues to be healthy and happy. His stats are:

Length: 28 ½” (75%)
Weight: 20 lbs, 4 oz (55%)
Head: 19” (95%)…that’s to hold his BIG brain in!

I can’t believe we’re already approaching the one year mark.

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Children's Museum Fun

cc
cc
WOW! The new Children’s Museum rocks! We were there for 2 hours yesterday and I don’t think we even made it through 1/3 of the exhibits. I know we’re all looking forward to a repeat trip...especially on those hot, hot summer days.

Zoobilee

cc
cc
We love the Houston Zoo! And it just keeps getting better and better (for the animals especially) with the recent renovations. Though it’s been super hot this past week, we decided to brave the heat and summer camp groups for a trip to the zoo. So fun!

Oh Seany Boy

cc

cc

Sam’s best friend, Sean, is in New Jersey for the summer with his family. It’s been hard for Sam to understand why he doesn’t get to see him all the time. Yesterday a “letter” from Sean arrived in the mail. Sam opened it up right before bedtime. I read him the words on the page. Sam studied it for a moment and then said, “I really miss Sean.” Then he took the piece of paper, folded it up, put it next to blue dog (which he was hugging tight to his body) and rolled over to go to sleep. It was so sweet and a little sad. Come back soon, Sean! We ALL miss you!

Monday, June 15, 2009

It's Hot, Hot, Hot!

cc
(video)
cc

We’re doing everything that we can to survive the heat. On the weekends, we keep the kids cool by spending most of the day hanging out in water. As you can tell from the video, they hate it!

Clean Those Teeth!

cc
cc
We’re a little behind, but we finally made it to Sam’s 1st dentist appointment this morning. He did great and his teeth got a clean bill of health from the doctor. Here’s to hoping he doesn’t inherit a mouth like his mother!

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Pool Time

cc
cc
Ben had his first experience at a big pool today, and he couldn’t get enough. He played for 30 minutes in the baby pool and then spent the rest of the time floating around the big pool.

Sam spent most of his time swimming around on a noodle…but what he loved most was being splashed by the dumping buckets and waterfalls. He tried to negotiate his way into going down the big slide, but he’s got another year until that happens (you have to be able to swim to the side by yourself). Being patient is hard for a 3 ½ year old.

What a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon!

What's So Funny?

(video)

Watch Out World...Here I Come!

cc
cc

We Love Tunnels!

cc
cc
Our neighbor and friend, Kari (and her mom) was kind enough to watch the boys a few days ago while I did some house stuff. Keep in mind that she has 11 month old twins...so this was quite the favor! When I went to pick up the boys, they were having a grand time playing in a fabric tunnel. Kari let us borrow it (I don’t think she had much choice after Sam told her he wanted to take something home from her house…oh brother…thank goodness she’s used to us) and we’ve had a wonderful time in it everyday since. Thank Burdick Family...I promise we'll return it soon!!!

Get Ready, Get Set, Go!

cc
cc

So…who do you think won?

Where Do You Find These Things?

cc
cc
Scott’s Aunt Kathy always tracks down the best gifts for the boys. This time it was a tiny, ride on ATV for Ben. He loved sitting on top (his little feet even touched the ground) but mostly loved pushing it around the house. Thanks Aunt Kathy!!!!

Fun Times in Austin

cc
cc
The Sheehan’s were so kind to watch our energetic boys while we took a much needed trip to CA. Sam & Ben had the best time, and even made some wonderful hand painted pots for our new house. I think our first born, Sadie, is still depressed that she’s back in Houston. Thank you Sheehan’s…we think you guys rock!

Friday, June 12, 2009

Camp Edge...St. Luke's VBS

cc
cc
We spent the mornings this week at VBS at St. Luke’s. Ben was in the nursery with the Burdick twins (they are the 3 boys in the red buggy) and Sam was in a room with a bunch of his SLDS classmates. We all had a great week full of singing, artwork & goodies!

Black Beans...A Necessity of Life!

cc
cc
Sam & Ben shared a bowl of black beans at Berryhill earlier this week. Slowly, we’re trying to introduce foods to Ben that he can eat on his own. Both of the boys polished off the container and wanted more. After they finished, Sam tried to get the black smudges off Ben’s face. Ben tolerated it for a minute and then pushed him away. Brothers!

Friday, June 5, 2009

Sweet Animals

cc
cc
Sam would have loved all the animals that we encountered on our trip. While we weren’t lucky enough to catch all of them on film, a few (like a baby seal that came in from the ocean while we were enjoying the beach in Big Sur) allowed us to photograph them. Amazing!

Beautiful Carmel + Big Sur

cc
cc
The Sheehan’s were kind of enough to watch Sam & Ben while we went on a fabulous trip to California. When we weren’t enjoying cheese & wine, we were in awe of the breathtaking views in Carmel & Big Sur. We’re insanely jealous of anyone that lives there on a permanent basis. The trip got even better when we got a surprise visit from our good friend, Jill Koch. It was painful to pack our bags this morning but we miss our boys and can’t wait to see them tomorrow. I hope their adoring grandparents survived!

Date Night with Grace & Ben