Letters, play, and rockets!

"When you launch in a rocket, you're not really flying that rocket. You're just sort of hanging on."
-Michael P. Anderson

Isla managed to stay out of trouble for the most part this week.  Instead of getting into things she’s not supposed to, she mainly pestered her older siblings.  No food or game is uninteresting to Isla.

As Ashlyn is learning to write she has started to write letters for us, James, and Isla.  This weekend she extended her audience to include our neighbors.  Hopefully they won’t be too confused by seeing construction paper with notes from Ashlyn written on them in their mailboxes.

The weather was unusually good this weekend for this time of year and there was no way we were going to stay indoors.  On Saturday we went by the Bedford Boys Ranch to see if the new playground was open and sure enough it was.  The kids went up and down every ladder, slide, and swing they could find.  We’ll be back.

The future will be defined by technology and the new space race.  Because of this, we owe our kids every chance to develop an early drive to learn and be part of this new world.  This is why I get them excited to watch rocket launches on TV, and this weekend we decided it was time to turn their interest in rockets into a hands on activity.  Ashlyn and James helped build some rockets which we took to a local soccer field to launch.  Each of them, even Isla, got the opportunity to countdown, press the launch button, and chase after the rocket as it parachuted back to earth.  They were disappointed when it was over, and so was I.  Thankfully, Amazon stocks lots of rocket stuff.  Bring on our tax return!

Sometimes good weather can have unexpected consequences.  This is Ashlyn after using her own body as a canvas when she found the outdoor paints.  Straight to the shower, do not pass Go.

A birthday and a rodeo…

"A good old rodeo never hurt anyone."
-Taylor Kitsch

In this week’s edition of Isla getting into trouble, she has learned how to open the containers in the pantry that contain the cookies.  We had previously thought the cookies were safe because she wasn’t able to open the containers but we were wrong.  The next step of course is to put the cookies on a higher shelf but apparently Isla also decided to learn how to climb up on the kid’s kitchen stool thing, which means nothing is safe anymore.

Friday was “wear your favorite college shirt to school” day and luckily we have plenty of options for the kids to choose from.  For example, they were able to choose from an A&M shirt or A&M jersey.  Both kids chose the jersey.

James had a birthday party to go to this week.  It was at Chuck E. Cheese, which is why I am so incredibly disappointed that I was unable to attend while I took Ashlyn to a different event.  James had a great time.  He played games, ate cake, and clapped for a performance by Chuck E.  He even took some time at the end of the party to play with his little sister.  He had such a good time, he refused to leave and it took some expert coaching by Mom to convince him it was time to go.

While James was enjoying his pizza Ashlyn and I went to the rodeo in Fort Worth to watch the horses, cows, wagons, clowns, and cowboys.  Afterwards we went to the Midway for some rides.  It was cold, but it was fun, and we’re looking forward to going back next year if we get those tickets again.

Homework, skates, and fixing things…

"Love is the best school, but the tuition is high and the homework can be painful."
-Diane Ackerman

Mischievous Isla was at it again this weekend, this time by raiding the pantry when our backs were turned. Whether for cookies, crackers, or cereal it would not take long for her to open the door, grab the goodies and be off to a corner where she could eat in peace. There’s a reason why Rusty and Isla get along so well. She has a willful spirit, our Isla.

If there was a “What makes me feel like I’m my mom?” question on the Family Feud, watching over your daughter doing homework would surely be one of the answers. I suppose this is something we’ll need to get used to in the coming years, and it’s a stark reminder that our children are growing up faster than we thought possible.

Skating practice continues as weather permits and it got warm enough on Sunday to get outside and enjoy the relatively nice weather. It’s good to see Ashlyn laughing at falling down and then getting right back up to skate again. While she practiced James tried to kill himself multiple times on the swivel car and Isla wanted to be rolled around on her scooter.

Ashlyn’s fan broke and we needed to replace it. It was difficult to find a fan that met her requirements.  Primarily it needed to be pink, so we compromised by buying a white fan and letting her paint the blades. It worked, and her new fan is now happily providing light and wind in her room.

Ashlyn’s kitty also had issues and Mommy performed some much needed surgery on her with Ashlyn playing the role of nurse. Kitty went from sad and flat to happy and stuffed, so all is now right in the world of stuffed animals.

Birthdays and trampolines…

"Joy acts like a trampoline, everything that touches it bouncing right back off it."
-Mariella Frostrup

If you haven’t heard of Tsum Tsums, consider yourself lucky.  Essentially Tsum Tsums are Disney’s version of the Beanie Babies that became popular years ago.  I don’t think Tsum Tsums are that big, but they have definitely invaded our house after buying a few for Christmas.  We now have around 12 of the things flying around.  I guess I can’t complain too much, it’s hard to destroy things around the house with 3.5” stuffed animals.

Cousin Sydney’s birthday is coming in a few days so we traveled to Fort Worth to celebrate her first birthday.  The kids had a blast running all over the house with Cousin Ben and other kids in attendance.  Happy birthday Sydney!

Speaking of birthdays, apparently mine is tomorrow.  Since my gift this year was a toy, which I’m ok with, I got to open my present a day early so we could play with it.  Surprisingly, considering I’m in a house full of kids, I actually got to play with it for a few minutes.

Our trampoline has been out of commission for a while but we got it fixed up this weekend despite the freezing temperatures thank to some “encouragement” from the kids.  They took full advantage once the new trampoline mat was installed and worked out some energy.