Sunday, August 26, 2007

Visiting the Fire Station

We visited the Fire Station near Gramma and Grampa's house this afternoon. Aidan and Bryce delivered a patch that Cousin Jimmy sent from his fire station up in Massachusetts, and the fire fighters let the boys climb around on the two big fire engines in the station.

The boys were both a little shy-- they declined invitations to wear real fire helmets and, as you'll see, they were a little reluctant to stand too close for a picture.. but they had a really memorable time and have been talking about it all day since we got home.

Saturday, August 25, 2007

The Caped Crusader

Bryce starring as Batman..

Scroll down

Hey, be sure to scroll down to check for new stuff in the month of August.. I'm making some back-dated updates with some pictures from the last few weeks..
For instance, I just uploaded some pictures from our trip to the Williamson County Fair.

Okay.. off to the pool for me and the boys now.

Sunday, August 19, 2007

Sleepover success!

Just got back from picking Aidan up from his sleepover.. and it was quite a success!
Apparently the boys all stayed up until about 10:30, laughing and giggling... this after an evening of pizza, cake, and Zathura.. then woke up this morning around 7:30 for Donuts and orange juice (and a hail storm of Nerf darts being fired back and forth across Ms. Brooke's living room)..
And when we arrived and Aidan met us at the door, he was in tears.. but not for having spent the night away from home.. he was upset because we were there to pick him up.

The boy didn't want to go home.
Didn't. Want. To. Go. Home.

As my dad said this morning, the flood-gates have opened.

As for us.. last night, we went and caught the 7:10 Superbad (which was amazing!) while Bryce visited with his aunt. Then we all slept like logs.

Saturday, August 18, 2007

Sleepover, the new frontier

Aidan's off at his first sleepover tonight.
It's all part of a birthday celebration with one of his good buddies he's known since way back in pre-school.

I'm so proud of him for agreeing to go.. it took a little conversation a day or two ago before he decided it was what he wanted to do. And I imagine his friends today helped embolden him to stick with it once he got there.

Of course, I'm ready to go if we should get the call to come get him.
And it is just a little weird to be here at home, shutting down everthing for the night, and realize he's not tucked up in his bed. I snuck a peek into his room just now to convince myself he's really not here.. how weird.

Friday, August 17, 2007

Heatwave

Have you heard? Temperatures here have been Crazy Eddie, INSANE!
A solid week of temps in the 100's.
Forcast for today called for 97.. but it was more like 107 downtown..

And so tempers are flaring all over the place.. well, mostly with the boys.
As I type this, they're shouting at each other about something...
[pause for this mediation break]

Okay, I can take my referee hat back off..
Bryce just told me that he had a dream last night.

Me: "A dream? really?" Bryce has never admitted to having a dream before.
Bryce: "Yeah a dream. And you know what? There was a Grinch, and he was eating me!"
And then.. just when I'd have expected him to seem upset about that, he smiled at me, shrugged his shoulders and said "Well, he wasn't a very nice Grinch"..

It's 8:30 right now.. and still 92 degrees outside...

Monday, August 06, 2007

More from the Fair

A few more pictures from our trip to the Williamson County Fair.

Aidan and his friend Jake rode with me on the Ferris Wheel
The boys take a rest after touring the farm

Aidan and Bryce on the Dumbo Racer ride

Aidan, Bryce, Jake, and Zoe all ride on the "Rockin' Tug" boat

The kids all riding on the mini-coaster

Fun at the Fair

We packed up the kids and some bottles of water-- we're in the midst of a pretty serious heat wave here-- and went to the Williamson County Fair yesterday morning.

Highlights included-- getting to sit up on some very LARGE farming equipment, meeting the largest Texas Longhorn any of us have ever seen, going for a pony ride, and-- drum-roll please-- Aidan's first ride on a real Ferris Wheel!

Here's the photographic evidence...


Sunday, August 05, 2007

Aidan's Birthday Pool Party, Part 2

So, when we left our heros, Aidan was opening his presents as his friends all looked on with great anticipation.

There were many great gifts to be had... but when it was all said and done, at the end of the afternoon, one gift had clearly won the day...


The Hot Wheels racing set, for the win... yes!





Not that we're in the practice of making endorsements here, but it can't go without saying that this thing held the attention of about a half-dozen boys, two girls, and no fewer than three adults for a solid 90 minutes. There was much conversation about the configuration of the track, interpretations, and re-interpretation of the instructions, and experimentation with a variety of different cars, sending them hurtling along the track-- waiting, watching, wondering.. would the cars crash? or would the track come apart.. who knew what might happen next?

Let the record speak for itself:





Saturday, August 04, 2007

Pool Party!

Aidan's birthday celebration, Part 2:
We celebrated Aidan's birthday with a bunch of his friends this morning at our house..
Yes, this morning-- because here lately, anytime after noon has been ridiculously hot outside...
So we started with an hour's frolic at the pool..
Meanwhile, Mom got everything prepared for cake and presents back at the house...

A pool party calls for a 'pool' cake..

Just in time for the horde to descend...
And eat pizza..

And then...
Everything got a little blurry when the cake came out...


And then.. two words: pre-sents!

And then... once all the gifts were opened...
.... to be continued.....

You're my Brother...

Moment of cuteness:

The other night, as we're serving dinner for Aidan's birthday celebration with Gramma, Grampa, and the Aunts, Bryce sits at the table next to Aidan and says "Hey Aidan, you know why I'm sitting next to you? Because you're my brother," at which point each one puts an arm around the other...

You just can't make this stuff up..

Wednesday, August 01, 2007

Aidan turned 6!

Gramma, Grampa, and Aunts Patty and Laura (and don't forget Ellie May!) came to the house yesterday to help celebrate Aidan's 6th Birthday with us...