James turns 7!

"There are three hundred and sixty-four days when you might get un-birthday presents, and only one for birthday presents, you know."
-Lewis Carroll

This year James’ birthday fell on a Tuesday, but that didn’t stop the kids from celebrating with pizza and presents.  James couldn’t wait to open them, so we got together over lunch so he could get a head start.

James insisted on going to karate on his birthday, mainly because the birthday boy or girl gets to break a board in front of the class.  As soon as Mr. Monaghan started to say it was someone’s birthday, James jumped up and was halfway up to the front before Mr. Monaghan finished the sentence.  James was excited to show off his skills to the class, and now he has a cleanly broken board as a souvenir.

We had originally planned on traveling for James’ birthday at his request.  At the last minute he decided he would rather have the family over.  I’d like to say he wanted to spend quality time with the family but I have a suspicion he might have been motivated by more presents.  Either way we’re glad he made the choice since all the kids had a great time playing with their cousins and grandparents.  James got more presents and everyone got to eat ice cream sundaes, so it was a win all around.

Happy birthday James!

Swimming and a final Father’s Day gathering…

"The water is your friend… you don't have to fight with water,
just share the same spirit as the water, and it will help you move."
-Alexandr Popov

The kids continued their summer adventures of activities.  This week was swim lessons and whatever else they found to do in town.  One of the highlights was building a large domino set at a local hamburger join and watching it crash down.  No patrons or children were harmed.

We had a belated Father’s Day dinner for Grandpa.  The Wolfe family came over and we spent the evening playing games, enjoying a nice dinner, and having an impromptu swim party.  Then Mommy got chased by wet children.

We finished the week with a trip to Hurricane Harbor.  Pictures were limited since our phones were in a locker, but trust us when we say the kids had a fun time.  They coasted around the lazy river, went to the deep end of the wave pool while the waves were going, and rode on some slides they had never been on before.  Isla was just tall enough to ride down on some of the slides with a tube, even though she ended up getting swallowed up by the tube and held on as best she could as she went down.  She came out the other end laughing, so I suppose it wasn’t bad for her.

A Father’s Day weekend…

"Just once on Father's Day I wish my kids would give me a #1 Dad mug instead of one with my actual ranking."
-Andy Borowitz

The kids go to the library on an almost weekly basis to return the books they read and to pick up some new ones.  Sometimes the library will have an activity going on, and this week they had out lots of building blocks for the kids to play with.  They made houses and towers and only destroyed a small amount of structures.

Later in the week the kids took a trip to Putt-Putt to practice their short game.  The first round went well but then the rain came.  The girls hid from the rain, James wasn’t deterred and played on.

James tested this week for his purple belt.  We weren’t in a good spot to take pictures but I’m happy to report that James passed with no issues.  He’s now a full purple belt, congrats James!

On Saturday we went to Nina and Papa’s for an early Father’s Day celebration.  All the cousins were there and it was great having the full family together.  The kids swam, ate, and took pictures while the adults caught up before Uncle John and Aunt Kristen head off to Italy for three years.

After all the excitement on Saturday we opted for a more relaxing Father’s Day on Sunday.  We ate breakfast with PePa, had a nice lunch, played at Urban Air, and enjoyed the day as much as we could.  It’s great being a Dad, and I couldn’t ask for a better family to be a Dad for.

Zoos and anniversaries…

"I was once kissed on the lips by a giraffe, and I don't think I've ever got over it."
-Joanna Lumley

Before we got into the full Texas summer heat Mommy decided it would be fun to take the kids to the zoo to check out the newly renovated giraffe exhibit.  The highlight of the new exhibit was the chance to feed the giraffes.  Luckily the giraffes were hungry and all the kids got the chance to feed them leaves.  The kids all declared that the giraffes were the highlight of the trip. followed closely the little birds you could feed with sticks.

The big event of the weekend was a trip to Austin to celebrate Dave and Shirley’s 50th wedding anniversary.  When we got to Austin we met up with our friend Jamie, and after a great lunch we stopped by her house to chat and pick peaches.

After that we checked in at the hotel, got dressed, and headed to the anniversary party.  It was a lot of fun, both for the adults and the kids.  The kids got to play, draw, and make art at a long table setup just for them.  Adults got to chat with the big family group that doesn’t often get together.  Congrats Dave and Shirley!!

We had some free time the following morning before brunch and the kids decided a swim in the hotel pool would be a good way to spend it.  It was good to work out the energy, because after brunch with the Wolfe family we had a three hour car ride ahead of us.  It was a fun weekend, although after two weekends of traveling we’re looking forward to some time back home.