"The Little River"

For a few weeks Claire had been asking to go to "the little river" at the zoo.  We tried to go once last year and got rained out, so even though we hadn't been there to play, she knew that it had water to splash around in, and that she wanted to go there.

On Friday we met Grace and Aunt Carol when the zoo opened and visited some of the animals.  After it started getting hot, we headed to the Tot Spot for the kids to play.  Claire and Will had a blast.  I thought we would just stay for a half hour or so and then go ride the train, but when the time came to leave, they both said they'd rather keep playing at the river than go for a train ride.  Surprising, but they were having too much fun to drag them away!  Carol and Grace left to see a few more exhibits and catch the train, and Claire and Will played for another hour.  We finally had to leave to go get lunch, and I literally had to drag Will away kicking and screaming (he was quickly appeased by the thought of a grilled cheese, though).

So fun - we will be back soon!

The ponytail was flying as she ran around




Chasing the bird - one of Will's favorite activities


Snack break!

Clouds and Rain

Wednesday afternoon we tried out an activity I saw on Pinterest - cloud dough.  I'm glad we took it out on the patio to play, because it was m.e.s.s.y.  Unlike some of the kids in this blog post, our dough was scattered around the bins within a few seconds.  They had fun with it, but after it's used up, I don't think we'll make it again.







We really had fun just being outside and playing in the yard.  A storm was coming in, and the temperature was about 20 degrees lower than normal.  So nice to have a break from the heat!







Will thought our party needed some bubbles, as usual.


When the rain came, the kids had fun running around.  The shower didn't last long, so they didn't get completely soaked.







It was a great afternoon.

Seriously?

Yesterday I glanced at the video monitor during nap time to see if Claire was asleep or messing around in her room, and I saw this:

I watched for a minute, certain that she would move, then went and opened her door to find her dead asleep.  I don't get it - I have to have almost perfect conditions to fall asleep, and here is my daughter asleep practically on her head.  She is my sleep hero!  :)  I did move her into a normal position - after I took the photo.

Sacked out

Last night I glanced at Claire's monitor before going to bed around 10:30 and noticed that it seemed awfully bright in her room, meaning either her lamp or main bathroom light was on and needed to be turned off.  I opened the door and started laughing - she was completely sacked out, and I had to get a picture.  It was just so funny to me for a number of reasons:

1.  How in the world does she sleep like that?  My arms and legs would go numb.
2.  I knew she was excited about the new shoes we got yesterday, but not enough to get out of bed and put them on (backwards) after I tucked her in.  Where did she think she was going?
3.  Might be time for some new pajamas - these seem a little small!

At the park

These pictures are old, y'all.  I had the best intentions when I took my camera to the park in mid-May to try to get a cute photo of Will and then do a "Will at 18 months" post...that never happened.  But, I still have cute pictures to share!

Will at 18 months  :)


Such a happy kid!




Showing off how loud he can be - all boy!


A few of Miss Priss - she was fancy that day with her big headband.




Suddenly camera shy


Climbing up a new way

Learning about our heritage

The Witte Museum recently opened a new South Texas Heritage Center, and we visited during the grand opening celebration.  There were several exhibits and demonstrations on the grounds, and we all had fun checking them out and even doing some participating.

Claire learned about pioneer toys


Robert and I learned how to make rope circles


Dad ended up giving some roping lessons






I tried to keep Will from running away


The kids liked checking out the different saddle exhibits


It is a really nice addition to the museum - I'll have to go back when I can actually take some time to read more about the exhibits!

A morning with Grandmommy

One day in May the kids and I drove to Austin to spend some time with Grandmommy at the Austin Children's Museum.  It was pretty crowded with a few school groups, but we still had a good time playing and exploring.



Will's favorite part of the day may have been hugging the giant stuffed sock monkey in the gift shop.  He clung to it and cried when we had to leave.





After lunch, we were able to make a quick stop to see Grandmommy and Martin's new house during the inspection.  Claire and I both liked the mudroom.  :)

Fiesta Texas 2012

Robert's company's annual family day at Fiesta Texas was on June 8th.  We got a little bit of a late start, but we all donned our blue company shirts (barely) and were able to ride a few rides and have a lot of fun before the kids crashed.  For the past few months, Claire has been in an interesting clothing phase.  She refuses to wear clothes with short sleeves - only long sleeves or sleeveless tops/dresses are acceptable.  Fortunately it is warm and there are plenty of sleeveless shirts for her to wear, but she did have "a moment" when I tried to dress her in her shirt for the day.  She tugged at the sleeves and cried "I HATE THIS SHIRT!" - first time I'd ever heard her use the H-word.  I had anticipated a little battle, so I whipped out my sewing scissors and some ribbon, cut off the sleeves, and tied up the shoulders with black ribbon.  The shirt was then deemed satisfactory, and we went on our way without further incidents.  Four is always so fun! /end sarcasm/

This is the first year we were all able to go on rides - the first year I was pregnant, and the second year Will was too small.  It was fun to all be able to participate!







Sweet siblings!


As we were on our way out, we passed by Bugs Bunny who was posing for photos.  Claire said "I want to go give him a hug."  Um, what???  My shy girl who never wants to have anything to do with strangers wants to give Bugs a hug?  I've been wondering how she would handle character meet & greets when we go to Disney World this fall, so this was a perfect trial opportunity.  I immediately steered her over to get in line.  When it was our turn, she started backing off, but the Bugs was really sweet, and while she didn't want him to touch her, we got some smiles and laughs.  I have hope that she won't be totally freaked out at Disney now!

A Day at the Beach

Courtney and her family made their annual trip to Port A a couple of weeks ago, and we were able to join them for some beach time.  We drove to Corpus Christi on Thursday, checked into our hotel, and met Robert's sister Carol and our niece Grace for dinner.  It was nice to catch up and discuss their upcoming move to San Antonio!  We are excited about having them close by.

The next morning we drove to Port Aransas to meet up with Courtney & fam and some friends.  When we got to the beach, Will's eyes got big, and he exclaimed "Wa-wa [Water]!  BIG wa-wa!"  So funny!

We all had a wonderful morning.  I wasn't sure how long the kids would last, and they went hard for more than 3 hours.  I think they would've stayed longer, but we were already over an hour past naptime and a little worried about the crash if we didn't get going.  We quickly cleaned up and got in the car to head home.  We decided to go back across the ferry, thinking the kids would enjoy it.  Claire fell asleep on the drive through town, and Will was asleep by the time we got on the ferry. Oh, well - we still enjoyed it!

Definitely a successful trip - we are going to have to take a longer beach trip soon!







Snuggling with Daddy after getting surprised by a big wave - he recovered quickly!




Love this one with my boy!


The girls looking for shells






One of Will's favorite parts of the day was chasing the seagulls, or in his words, the "ducks".  He would run up to them shaking his finger and yell "Go away Duck!  Go away!" and then get a contented little look on his face as each one flew off.




The kids minus Will - he wouldn't sit still for a photo!


Wiped out