Evan slept until almost 9:00am. I went in a little before 9 to wake him up for school. He was awake, but still in bed. He must have been tired.
Noah and I dropped Evan off and school and then just came home. We stayed in the house this morning. Noah took a short morning nap. I woke him up after an hour so he would nap this afternoon. I just did a few things around the house and then we ate lunch.
At school Natasha told me Evan didn’t eat much today at lunch. Evan has a runny nose. I’m not sure if it’s a cold or allergies. He’s acting fine, but maybe it’s affecting his stomach.
The boys didn’t nap for long. I put them down around 2:15, but about an hour later our lawn guys where here mowing and it woke them up.
Blanca came at 4:00. I tutored from 4:30-6:30.
I had plans to meet Morry, Evan, Noah, and Jeremy (Morry’s friend/co-worker from Chicago) at dinner. We decided to meet at Matt’s El Rancho. When we pulled up the restaurant was closed. They are doing some street work in front of the restaurant, but not to the parking lot. We couldn’t figure out why it was closed.
So, we decided to go to La Feria, another Mexican restaurant down the street. The food was good, but the service wasn’t great. It took forever just to place our order. Maybe I should complain and try to get another free meal j/k.
We got home around 8:30 and the boys are in bed now.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009
Walk, HEB, and Walk
Last night when Morry was going though some of his stuff he found Simpson's Shrinky Dinks that he got a few years ago. This morning Evan and I made some Shrinky Dinks. We colored a Bart Simpson and I also wrote his name for him to color. He enjoyed watching the Shrinky Dinks curl up and shrink, but after that he wasn’t too interested.
This morning we walked around the neighborhood. It was a little cool and we felt a few rain drops, but it never actually rained.
After the walk we went to HEB. I let Evan walk while Noah sat in the cart. Evan kept asking for samples and he knew exactly where to go. They normally have samples in the bakery and deli area. There weren’t many samples out today, but they did have some apple streusel thing that both boys ate. Evan also had some chunks of cheese samples and crackers in the deli section. The boys were good while I shopped. I got what I needed and saved $10 in coupons.
After HEB we came home and ate lunch. Evan didn’t eat much. All he ate was Alphabits cereal we bought at HEB today. He had 2 bowls – one without milk and one with. At least he ate something.
Evan and Noah took good naps.
While they were napping I gave Lizzy a trim. She was getting pretty fluffy.
Evan and Noah woke up around the time Morry came home.
For dinner we had HEB sliced turkey breast and an Asian pasta boxed dinner thing. We ate outside again.
After dinner we went for another walk. This time Evan rode his bike. At the start of our walk we saw Billy and Jan (our neighbors) outside so we talked to them for a little while. Then, we walked around the block.
The boys are playing and when I finish the blog we’ll go upstairs to put them to bed.
This morning we walked around the neighborhood. It was a little cool and we felt a few rain drops, but it never actually rained.
After the walk we went to HEB. I let Evan walk while Noah sat in the cart. Evan kept asking for samples and he knew exactly where to go. They normally have samples in the bakery and deli area. There weren’t many samples out today, but they did have some apple streusel thing that both boys ate. Evan also had some chunks of cheese samples and crackers in the deli section. The boys were good while I shopped. I got what I needed and saved $10 in coupons.
After HEB we came home and ate lunch. Evan didn’t eat much. All he ate was Alphabits cereal we bought at HEB today. He had 2 bowls – one without milk and one with. At least he ate something.
Evan and Noah took good naps.
While they were napping I gave Lizzy a trim. She was getting pretty fluffy.
Evan and Noah woke up around the time Morry came home.
For dinner we had HEB sliced turkey breast and an Asian pasta boxed dinner thing. We ate outside again.
After dinner we went for another walk. This time Evan rode his bike. At the start of our walk we saw Billy and Jan (our neighbors) outside so we talked to them for a little while. Then, we walked around the block.
The boys are playing and when I finish the blog we’ll go upstairs to put them to bed.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
The Movies
The Movies
This morning we met Alissa, Ben, and Molly at the movie theater. We wanted to go see Monsters and Aliens in 3D. It was playing at the IMAX, but it was really expensive. It we bought the tickets online it would have been $14 per person. At the AMC near us, all morning weekend movies are $5. They didn’t have the movie in 3D, but we thought the kids probably wouldn’t keep the glasses on anyway. Before the movie started we let the kids play in the hallway where the video games are. The games were not on, but they still had a good time playing. We waited until the last minute to sit down in the theater. Noah was cranky about the first ¼ of the movie. We got a free popcorn from our frequent movie watcher card. I’m not sure how that happened since we don’t go to the movies often. Anyway, I was eating some and Noah started doing the more sign. I broke up little pieces and he was eating the pieces out of my hand. Morry said it looked really funny because Noah was reclined on my lap with his belly hanging out eating popcorn.
Finally, Noah went over to Morry and fell asleep. Evan was great. He sat in his seat the whole time and seemed to be really in to the movie. After the movie the kids played a little longer by the video games and then we went home.
We put Evan and Noah down for naps. Evan slept, but Noah did not.
For dinner we made cheesy foldovers and rice. We ate dinner outside.
We cleaned up and went for a walk. We walked and Evan rode his bike around the block. We didn’t walk far since it was getting late and the boys needed baths.
At home we gave the boys baths. After the bath Evan sat on the potty for a while I read to him, but he didn’t do anything. He has only peed once in the potty. He still doesn’t seem very interested in potty training. We think after his birthday we might start trying more.
Well, both boys are in bed and it seems quiet.
This morning we met Alissa, Ben, and Molly at the movie theater. We wanted to go see Monsters and Aliens in 3D. It was playing at the IMAX, but it was really expensive. It we bought the tickets online it would have been $14 per person. At the AMC near us, all morning weekend movies are $5. They didn’t have the movie in 3D, but we thought the kids probably wouldn’t keep the glasses on anyway. Before the movie started we let the kids play in the hallway where the video games are. The games were not on, but they still had a good time playing. We waited until the last minute to sit down in the theater. Noah was cranky about the first ¼ of the movie. We got a free popcorn from our frequent movie watcher card. I’m not sure how that happened since we don’t go to the movies often. Anyway, I was eating some and Noah started doing the more sign. I broke up little pieces and he was eating the pieces out of my hand. Morry said it looked really funny because Noah was reclined on my lap with his belly hanging out eating popcorn.
Finally, Noah went over to Morry and fell asleep. Evan was great. He sat in his seat the whole time and seemed to be really in to the movie. After the movie the kids played a little longer by the video games and then we went home.
We put Evan and Noah down for naps. Evan slept, but Noah did not.
For dinner we made cheesy foldovers and rice. We ate dinner outside.
We cleaned up and went for a walk. We walked and Evan rode his bike around the block. We didn’t walk far since it was getting late and the boys needed baths.
At home we gave the boys baths. After the bath Evan sat on the potty for a while I read to him, but he didn’t do anything. He has only peed once in the potty. He still doesn’t seem very interested in potty training. We think after his birthday we might start trying more.
Well, both boys are in bed and it seems quiet.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Moving Day
Hello everyone, this is Morry. Rachel asked me to write the blog tonight.
Before I get into what we did today, I want to congratulate the Villanova Wildcats for getting to their first Final Four since their magical run in 1985. I must have some good sports karma going on this year with the Steelers and Villanova. Maybe the Pirates can finally end their run of 16 straight losing seasons. Hey, a guy can dream, can't he?
The boys slept in well this morning. I think Evan got up around 8:30 but he played quietly in his room. That let us lay in bed a while longer. We finally got the boys and got them dressed. We came downstairs and the boys wanted the muffins from the playgroup on Friday. Evan had 3 full-size muffins. Noah had some of mine, plus 4 mini muffins. He just loved them.
When they finished eating, we took them over to get haircuts. Both boys were extremely well behaved. When we were leaving Evan asked for a red lollipop so they gave him a strawberry one. He was very excited.
We went over to the new bike store at Mopac and Slaughter called ATX Bikes. We're going to get Evan a bike for his birthday. We'll get either a 16" or 20" bike. Unfortunately, the bike store didn't have any kids bikes in at the moment. So then we went over to Academy sports. We saw two bikes that were reasonably priced that we liked for Evan. Evan was having a hard time pedaling. I thinks it's a bit more stiff than the pedals on his big wheel. But he was very excited by the idea of getting his very own REAL bicycle.
We picked up food from Wendy's because I had to eat and get going to help Matt move.
At about 1:30 I got to Matt's house. First we tried to get a couch out of one of the bedrooms. I think this was a devil couch. It was nearly impossible to get it out but finally we did. Then we went and picked up a truck from U-haul. We finished moving everything a little after 7:30.
Rachel, Evan and Noah came up to Matt's new house after that and we went to Fresh Choice for dinner. It's a big salad/soup and other stuff bar. We gave Noah spaghetti for the first time. We didn't cut it up, just gave him a big long piece. He thought it was hilarious. He was swinging it around and laughing. He eventually ate it and loved it. Evan also wanted his own spaghetti. Rachel got some fruit loops for the boys too and they both liked it. They have a soft-serve ice cream machine there and Evan got his own bowl of ice cream. I put jimmies (sprinkles) and Oreos in it. I made one for myself and shared with Noah. I couldn't feed him fast enough. I ended up having to go back and get more for him.
We got home very late but the boys are now in bed. It has been a long day.
Until next time...
Before I get into what we did today, I want to congratulate the Villanova Wildcats for getting to their first Final Four since their magical run in 1985. I must have some good sports karma going on this year with the Steelers and Villanova. Maybe the Pirates can finally end their run of 16 straight losing seasons. Hey, a guy can dream, can't he?
The boys slept in well this morning. I think Evan got up around 8:30 but he played quietly in his room. That let us lay in bed a while longer. We finally got the boys and got them dressed. We came downstairs and the boys wanted the muffins from the playgroup on Friday. Evan had 3 full-size muffins. Noah had some of mine, plus 4 mini muffins. He just loved them.
When they finished eating, we took them over to get haircuts. Both boys were extremely well behaved. When we were leaving Evan asked for a red lollipop so they gave him a strawberry one. He was very excited.
We went over to the new bike store at Mopac and Slaughter called ATX Bikes. We're going to get Evan a bike for his birthday. We'll get either a 16" or 20" bike. Unfortunately, the bike store didn't have any kids bikes in at the moment. So then we went over to Academy sports. We saw two bikes that were reasonably priced that we liked for Evan. Evan was having a hard time pedaling. I thinks it's a bit more stiff than the pedals on his big wheel. But he was very excited by the idea of getting his very own REAL bicycle.
We picked up food from Wendy's because I had to eat and get going to help Matt move.
At about 1:30 I got to Matt's house. First we tried to get a couch out of one of the bedrooms. I think this was a devil couch. It was nearly impossible to get it out but finally we did. Then we went and picked up a truck from U-haul. We finished moving everything a little after 7:30.
Rachel, Evan and Noah came up to Matt's new house after that and we went to Fresh Choice for dinner. It's a big salad/soup and other stuff bar. We gave Noah spaghetti for the first time. We didn't cut it up, just gave him a big long piece. He thought it was hilarious. He was swinging it around and laughing. He eventually ate it and loved it. Evan also wanted his own spaghetti. Rachel got some fruit loops for the boys too and they both liked it. They have a soft-serve ice cream machine there and Evan got his own bowl of ice cream. I put jimmies (sprinkles) and Oreos in it. I made one for myself and shared with Noah. I couldn't feed him fast enough. I ended up having to go back and get more for him.
We got home very late but the boys are now in bed. It has been a long day.
Until next time...
Friday, March 27, 2009
Small Playgroup
No one volunteered to host playgroup today, so last night I sent out an email saying I could have people over at our house. Since it was last minute only a few people replied. It turned out only one kid ended up coming. Marissa (and Bodar and baby brother, Espen) came over this morning. We had a very nice time. The kids had fun playing with each other. Noah was very curious about the baby. I made blueberry/cranberry oatmeal muffins for the playgroup. Since it was last minute, I hadn’t gone shopping so I just made muffins using what we had in the house. They turned out pretty good. Evan ate a ton of them. I also cut up oranges and Bodar brought clementines. Evan ate a lot of the oranges and clementines as well. Noah didn’t seem to like the muffin, but he did eat quite a few animal crackers.
After playgroup I let Evan and Noah play for a little while and then I put them down for naps.
Right around the time Morry got home Evan woke up. We spent some time upstairs. I was getting some things together to get rid of (baby toys, etc) while Morry hooked up the tv and components upstairs in our old entertainment center we moved upstairs.
For dinner we went to Mimi’s Café. We ate for free. Yes, you heard me. Evan, Morry, and I had free dinners. A little while ago we ate at Mimi’s and were disappointed with the service. We had to wait a really long time for everything and they didn’t give the kids a snack plate. I wrote a little message through their website saying although the food was good, we were disappointed with the service. I got a call from the manager and he invited us to come back and dine on them. The service was a lot better this time. All we paid was $9 for the tip.
The boys are playing now and we are about to put them to bed.
After playgroup I let Evan and Noah play for a little while and then I put them down for naps.
Right around the time Morry got home Evan woke up. We spent some time upstairs. I was getting some things together to get rid of (baby toys, etc) while Morry hooked up the tv and components upstairs in our old entertainment center we moved upstairs.
For dinner we went to Mimi’s Café. We ate for free. Yes, you heard me. Evan, Morry, and I had free dinners. A little while ago we ate at Mimi’s and were disappointed with the service. We had to wait a really long time for everything and they didn’t give the kids a snack plate. I wrote a little message through their website saying although the food was good, we were disappointed with the service. I got a call from the manager and he invited us to come back and dine on them. The service was a lot better this time. All we paid was $9 for the tip.
The boys are playing now and we are about to put them to bed.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Evening with Ben, Molly, and Matt
I dropped Evan off at school today, deposited some tutoring checks at the ATM, then came home.
Noah and I just stayed at home. I cleaned up around the house. Then we ate lunch and picked up Evan.
Wendy told us the music guy brought in an electric guitar. He let the kids play it. The music guy played the guitar for them and Wendy said it was like the scene from Back to the Future. Michael J Fox plays the loud rock music, but the audience isn’t ready for it. Wendy said by the kids’ reactions, they must have not heard anything like that before.
When we got home, Blanca came over. She stayed about an hour so I could do some stuff around the house.
The boys went down for naps around 2:30 and slept well.
Morry picked up pizza from Little Caesars on the way home. Matt and the kids came over for diner and then Morry helped Matt move one of our TVs to Matt’s new apartment. I watched the kids while they moved the tv and bought it to the apartment. Evan and Noah had a great time playing with Ben and Molly. Evan’s very wound up now, but it’s time to get ready for bed. Hopefully, he goes to sleep ok tonight.
Noah and I just stayed at home. I cleaned up around the house. Then we ate lunch and picked up Evan.
Wendy told us the music guy brought in an electric guitar. He let the kids play it. The music guy played the guitar for them and Wendy said it was like the scene from Back to the Future. Michael J Fox plays the loud rock music, but the audience isn’t ready for it. Wendy said by the kids’ reactions, they must have not heard anything like that before.
When we got home, Blanca came over. She stayed about an hour so I could do some stuff around the house.
The boys went down for naps around 2:30 and slept well.
Morry picked up pizza from Little Caesars on the way home. Matt and the kids came over for diner and then Morry helped Matt move one of our TVs to Matt’s new apartment. I watched the kids while they moved the tv and bought it to the apartment. Evan and Noah had a great time playing with Ben and Molly. Evan’s very wound up now, but it’s time to get ready for bed. Hopefully, he goes to sleep ok tonight.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Taking it easy
We didn’t do much today. Evan, Noah, and I just stayed at home. It was threatening to rain all day, so we just stayed in the house.
For lunch we sat outside, per Evan’s request. The boys just love being outdoors. Evan didn’t eat much of his lunch. He threw a little fit when it was time to come inside. He was swinging on the glider and tried to push harder and faster thinking I wouldn’t be able to get him off. Of course I stopped it and he wasn’t too happy about that.
Both boys napped.
Blanca came at 3:00 and I got home from tutoring at 8:00.
For dinner Morry took Evan and Noah to McDonalds. Morry said they were both really good and talked the whole time. Evan was very happy to get a Spiderman toy in his Happy Meal. Morry said while they were waiting for their food Evan was talking non-stop about Spiderman.
When I got home we gave Evan and Noah baths and then put them to bed.
For lunch we sat outside, per Evan’s request. The boys just love being outdoors. Evan didn’t eat much of his lunch. He threw a little fit when it was time to come inside. He was swinging on the glider and tried to push harder and faster thinking I wouldn’t be able to get him off. Of course I stopped it and he wasn’t too happy about that.
Both boys napped.
Blanca came at 3:00 and I got home from tutoring at 8:00.
For dinner Morry took Evan and Noah to McDonalds. Morry said they were both really good and talked the whole time. Evan was very happy to get a Spiderman toy in his Happy Meal. Morry said while they were waiting for their food Evan was talking non-stop about Spiderman.
When I got home we gave Evan and Noah baths and then put them to bed.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Hurry
It was a busy morning. Evan and Noah woke up a little before 9. I quickly got them both dressed, made Evan a waffle, and took Evan to school. When I got home I fed Noah and then put him down for a nap. For some reason Noah did not want to sleep last night. I was up with him until about 2am.
I woke Noah up about 11:45 so that we could eat lunch and head over to HEB.
We had a quick lunch and then went grocery shopping. I had a lot to get for the week. I managed to save $35.59 in coupons today at HEB on a $116 bill after coupons. Not bad. :)
Usually at that time, HEB is not crowded, but for some reason I had to wait in a line a little bit. I also had a ton of coupons, so it took longer. I quickly put the Noah and the groceries in the car since we were running late to pick Evan up. At the stop light before school I was waiting in the left hand turn lane forever. It would not give me a green arrow (it was red the whole time). It went through a couple of cycles, but eventually I just ran the light. I went when the people going straight had green, but my arrow was still red. I was a few minutes late picking up Evan.
When I got to Evan’s school I apologized to Evan and Natasha for being late. I told her I got stuck at HEB and also about the light not giving me a green arrow.
After school we went to the library. Evan keeps talking about Star Wars. He has never seen the movies, just commercials for Star Wars products. I reserved the Star Wars set DVDs for us at the library and they were ready for pickup. On the way to the library Evan kept saying he was late and didn’t have an arrow. I tried to explain to him that it was me who was late and didn’t have an arrow, but he insisted it was him.
When we got home I put the boys down for naps. Noah napped, but Evan didn’t. Blanca came at 4:00 and Noah was just getting up at that time.
I tutored and got home at 7:00. We had Boboli pizza for dinner and ate outside.
Evan and Noah were both kind of cranky tonight. We just put them down to bed.
I woke Noah up about 11:45 so that we could eat lunch and head over to HEB.
We had a quick lunch and then went grocery shopping. I had a lot to get for the week. I managed to save $35.59 in coupons today at HEB on a $116 bill after coupons. Not bad. :)
Usually at that time, HEB is not crowded, but for some reason I had to wait in a line a little bit. I also had a ton of coupons, so it took longer. I quickly put the Noah and the groceries in the car since we were running late to pick Evan up. At the stop light before school I was waiting in the left hand turn lane forever. It would not give me a green arrow (it was red the whole time). It went through a couple of cycles, but eventually I just ran the light. I went when the people going straight had green, but my arrow was still red. I was a few minutes late picking up Evan.
When I got to Evan’s school I apologized to Evan and Natasha for being late. I told her I got stuck at HEB and also about the light not giving me a green arrow.
After school we went to the library. Evan keeps talking about Star Wars. He has never seen the movies, just commercials for Star Wars products. I reserved the Star Wars set DVDs for us at the library and they were ready for pickup. On the way to the library Evan kept saying he was late and didn’t have an arrow. I tried to explain to him that it was me who was late and didn’t have an arrow, but he insisted it was him.
When we got home I put the boys down for naps. Noah napped, but Evan didn’t. Blanca came at 4:00 and Noah was just getting up at that time.
I tutored and got home at 7:00. We had Boboli pizza for dinner and ate outside.
Evan and Noah were both kind of cranky tonight. We just put them down to bed.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Another day at the Lake
This morning we met Yenis and Kevin at Town Lake. Normally, it takes about an hour to walk the 3 mile loop. Today it took 2 hours. Evan and Kevin walked some, and we stopped many times. We fed the ducks and swans. Evan and Kevin sat on a bench for a little while. It was a little cloudy and cool this morning, so it wasn’t too crowded on the trail.
After walking we came home and ate lunch. Evan and Noah didn’t eat much for some reason. They went down for naps around 2:30 and slept until almost 6:00. They must have been really tired. I think Evan was worn out from all the walking he did this morning.
For dinner we had chicken and rice soup and biscuits. We ate outside again. It was a little windy, but nice. Evan and Noah seem to really enjoy eating in the backyard.
After dinner we took a short walk. We got the boys ready for bed and played in the gameroom for a little while. They are both in bed now.
After walking we came home and ate lunch. Evan and Noah didn’t eat much for some reason. They went down for naps around 2:30 and slept until almost 6:00. They must have been really tired. I think Evan was worn out from all the walking he did this morning.
For dinner we had chicken and rice soup and biscuits. We ate outside again. It was a little windy, but nice. Evan and Noah seem to really enjoy eating in the backyard.
After dinner we took a short walk. We got the boys ready for bed and played in the gameroom for a little while. They are both in bed now.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
The Day After
Hello Everyone, this is Morry. Rachel is cutting out coupons so she asked me to write a blog. For those of you that don't know, Rachel is obsessed with saving money. It's rare that we eat dinner out without using a coupon and we almost always save at least $10.00 in coupons at HEB. Rachel's high is saving nearly $40 one time. I have to admit, that one was pretty amazing. She keeps another blog called the Cha-Ching Queen which tells you how to save and make money. If you're curious about it, click here.
So this morning, the boys got up close to 9am. Rachel got up with the boys and let me sleep a bit. I worked a bunch this week, including well past midnight several days this week. Then having a birthday party on Saturday really wiped me out. I finally got myself out of bed around 10:30 and came downstairs. The boys were sharing bread from the County Line bread and Lizzy was thinking she was sharing some. Of course Lizzy got herself in trouble. The boys seemed kind of cranky. They went to sleep so late last night so I wasn't surprised.
We were trying to figure out what to do so we decided to go to Freddie's Place for lunch. We had a coupon so it was only fitting. Freddies is a very Austin-type restaurant where you can eat outside and they have a playscape for kids. They also had a band playing called the All-In Blues Band. The band was actually pretty good. We figured if we went there, it would cheer the boys up because they could play outside and eat outside. We were right. Both boys really enjoyed playing outside. Noah played in the rocks a bunch, while Evan climbed and went down the slide. Near the end, Evan was pushing Noah in the baby swing. The boys actually ate some stuff as well which is surprising since they were so preoccupied.
When we got home, we put the boys down for naps and they took good naps.
Rachel's parents left around 4pm. The trip to Dallas is normally anywhere between 3 and 4 hours. At 7pm, they called to tell us they were still south of Waco which is about an hour and a half away. I guess with everyone leaving from South by Southwest, I-35 was packed. Oy vey.
We ate dinner outside on our new patio furniture. We got some really cheap small stuff at Target because we needed something. It was under $100 so we got a good deal. Again, the boys really loved eating outside.
After that we went for a walk. Evan walked much of the way and I put him on my shoulders for a while.
When we got back we gave the boys baths and now they are in bed. They were able to play with their new bath toys that Aunt Diane and Uncle Jay got for them. The toys were hits.
Until next time...
So this morning, the boys got up close to 9am. Rachel got up with the boys and let me sleep a bit. I worked a bunch this week, including well past midnight several days this week. Then having a birthday party on Saturday really wiped me out. I finally got myself out of bed around 10:30 and came downstairs. The boys were sharing bread from the County Line bread and Lizzy was thinking she was sharing some. Of course Lizzy got herself in trouble. The boys seemed kind of cranky. They went to sleep so late last night so I wasn't surprised.
We were trying to figure out what to do so we decided to go to Freddie's Place for lunch. We had a coupon so it was only fitting. Freddies is a very Austin-type restaurant where you can eat outside and they have a playscape for kids. They also had a band playing called the All-In Blues Band. The band was actually pretty good. We figured if we went there, it would cheer the boys up because they could play outside and eat outside. We were right. Both boys really enjoyed playing outside. Noah played in the rocks a bunch, while Evan climbed and went down the slide. Near the end, Evan was pushing Noah in the baby swing. The boys actually ate some stuff as well which is surprising since they were so preoccupied.
When we got home, we put the boys down for naps and they took good naps.
Rachel's parents left around 4pm. The trip to Dallas is normally anywhere between 3 and 4 hours. At 7pm, they called to tell us they were still south of Waco which is about an hour and a half away. I guess with everyone leaving from South by Southwest, I-35 was packed. Oy vey.
We ate dinner outside on our new patio furniture. We got some really cheap small stuff at Target because we needed something. It was under $100 so we got a good deal. Again, the boys really loved eating outside.
After that we went for a walk. Evan walked much of the way and I put him on my shoulders for a while.
When we got back we gave the boys baths and now they are in bed. They were able to play with their new bath toys that Aunt Diane and Uncle Jay got for them. The toys were hits.
Until next time...
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Noah's Birthday Party
Hello everyone, this is Morry. This is my weekly post on the blog.
Today was Noah's birthday party. We scheduled it from 11am to 1pm. But before 11am, there was a lot of work to be done. Rachel made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, Grandma/Lynn got a fruit brie dip thing ready, and Papa put together a table for outside on our patio. Meanwhile, I ran the errands. I picked up a fruit basket that Grandmom/Marilyn bought for us from Edible Arrangements. Then I drove to Chick-Fil-A and picked up a tray of 120 chicken nuggets, then on to HEB to pick up a sandwich tray and the cakes for the party. When a child turns one and you order a 1/4 sheet cake or bigger at HEB, they give you a free 6-inch cake for the birthday child.
I got home a little after 10:30. Evan was very very interested in the edible fruit arrangement. He sat there looking at it. He kept saying he wanted a pineapple flower and a chocolate-covered strawberry. We told him he couldn't have anything until the first guest arrived. As soon as the doorbell rang, Evan dove in for the fruit.
The party went very well. Most of the kids played outside while the adults stayed inside. The swing set was a big hit. All the kids played mostly on the swing set. I don't think Evan actually ate anything for lunch other than fruit. Come to think of it, I think that's pretty much all Noah ate too. Both boys just love fruit.
When it came time for cake, we sat Noah down in his high chair, put on his bib and put on his tray. We lit the candle on his cake, sang to him, and Evan "helped" Noah blow it out which meant that he blew out the candle. When Evan turned 1, he had never had cake before so he wasn't quite sure what to do. He ate some of it, but mostly, he just mushed his hands in it. However, Noah, has had cake before and he knows he likes it. After initially doing the more sign, because I think he expected us to cut it up for him, he went right to it and ate half the cake. In fact, we were worried he was having too much and took it away from him, and he did the "more" sign. The mess was fairly limited to his hands and face (nothing in his hair) so the clean up was easy. He did get some cake on the new outfit that Aunt Fran had gotten him for his birthday, so we had to change him.
Noah just loved all the attention. He was such a ham the whole time. He was smiling and laughing and he knew he was being cute.
After the party, we opened up a few of Noah's gifts. Evan basically thought they were his gifts and was not very nice about letting Noah play with them. We had a little battle about it.
The boys took late naps and therefore got up late. I woke Evan up at about 6:20. Noah was awake on his own.
We went to dinner at Fish City Grill in the Triangle. The Triangle is this neat housing/restaurant/retail area in Austin. Aunt Susan and Lauren came with us. We ate outside and the boys just loved that. Both boys were incredibly well behaved. The food was very good. Everyone seemed especially happy with their food.
A few weeks ago we had had dinner at the Triangle and afterwards we stopped and got Yogurt at a place called Yogurt Planet. They sell frozen yogurt by weight. It's a great concept. Evan remembered this and insisted we get frozen yogurt. Everyone enjoyed the dessert.
When we got home, after a little while we were able to get the boys to bed. It is very late, but they were kind of hyper so it was tougher.
They both are quiet now, hopefully it stays that way.
Overall, it was a very successful and fun day. Until next time...
By the way, click here to see the album of the birthday party.
Note: if asked for a password, enter belkins.
Today was Noah's birthday party. We scheduled it from 11am to 1pm. But before 11am, there was a lot of work to be done. Rachel made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, Grandma/Lynn got a fruit brie dip thing ready, and Papa put together a table for outside on our patio. Meanwhile, I ran the errands. I picked up a fruit basket that Grandmom/Marilyn bought for us from Edible Arrangements. Then I drove to Chick-Fil-A and picked up a tray of 120 chicken nuggets, then on to HEB to pick up a sandwich tray and the cakes for the party. When a child turns one and you order a 1/4 sheet cake or bigger at HEB, they give you a free 6-inch cake for the birthday child.
I got home a little after 10:30. Evan was very very interested in the edible fruit arrangement. He sat there looking at it. He kept saying he wanted a pineapple flower and a chocolate-covered strawberry. We told him he couldn't have anything until the first guest arrived. As soon as the doorbell rang, Evan dove in for the fruit.
The party went very well. Most of the kids played outside while the adults stayed inside. The swing set was a big hit. All the kids played mostly on the swing set. I don't think Evan actually ate anything for lunch other than fruit. Come to think of it, I think that's pretty much all Noah ate too. Both boys just love fruit.
When it came time for cake, we sat Noah down in his high chair, put on his bib and put on his tray. We lit the candle on his cake, sang to him, and Evan "helped" Noah blow it out which meant that he blew out the candle. When Evan turned 1, he had never had cake before so he wasn't quite sure what to do. He ate some of it, but mostly, he just mushed his hands in it. However, Noah, has had cake before and he knows he likes it. After initially doing the more sign, because I think he expected us to cut it up for him, he went right to it and ate half the cake. In fact, we were worried he was having too much and took it away from him, and he did the "more" sign. The mess was fairly limited to his hands and face (nothing in his hair) so the clean up was easy. He did get some cake on the new outfit that Aunt Fran had gotten him for his birthday, so we had to change him.
Noah just loved all the attention. He was such a ham the whole time. He was smiling and laughing and he knew he was being cute.
After the party, we opened up a few of Noah's gifts. Evan basically thought they were his gifts and was not very nice about letting Noah play with them. We had a little battle about it.
The boys took late naps and therefore got up late. I woke Evan up at about 6:20. Noah was awake on his own.
We went to dinner at Fish City Grill in the Triangle. The Triangle is this neat housing/restaurant/retail area in Austin. Aunt Susan and Lauren came with us. We ate outside and the boys just loved that. Both boys were incredibly well behaved. The food was very good. Everyone seemed especially happy with their food.
A few weeks ago we had had dinner at the Triangle and afterwards we stopped and got Yogurt at a place called Yogurt Planet. They sell frozen yogurt by weight. It's a great concept. Evan remembered this and insisted we get frozen yogurt. Everyone enjoyed the dessert.
When we got home, after a little while we were able to get the boys to bed. It is very late, but they were kind of hyper so it was tougher.
They both are quiet now, hopefully it stays that way.
Overall, it was a very successful and fun day. Until next time...
By the way, click here to see the album of the birthday party.
Note: if asked for a password, enter belkins.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Happy Birthday Dear Noah
Noah is now 1 year old! It’s hard to believe it has already been a year.
This morning Blanca came over for an hour and a half so I could finish cleaning. After that, we met Morry and went out to lunch for Noah’s birthday. We wanted to find a place we could eat outside since Noah loves being outside. We went to Doc’s Backyard, a hamburger place. The weather was nice and both Evan and Noah enjoyed eating outside.
After lunch we came home and the boys wend down for naps. Morry worked from home so I could go to my hair appointment. My appointment was for 1:45. I got it cut and colored. I came home around 4:00.
Grandma/Lynn and Papa/Lenny got here around 5:00. Evan and Lizzy were very excited to see them.
Evan was being very hyper and silly. Evan and Noah played in the backyard while we figured out where to go for dinner.
We went to the
We had a nice dinner. Evan and Noah ate a lot of bread. After dinner we went back to the patio for just a few minutes.
On the way home we stopped at HEB to get some things for Noah’s birthday party tomorrow.
At home, Noah opened his birthday presents. We let the boys play for just a little bit and then we got them ready for bed.
Too Much Cleaning
This morning I dropped Evan off at school and Noah, Lizzy, and I met Melissa at the lake. We walked the 3 mile loop. It was a little cool outside at first, but it warmed up and was very nice toward the end of the walk.
After the walk I went to Alamo Draft House to get a gift certificate for Alissa and then Old Navy to return some clothes.
On the way home around 12:00 I got a call saying the cleaning lady will not be able to come tomorrow. I scheduled the cleaning a few weeks ago. I purposely scheduled it for tomorrow morning to get the house cleaned before Noah’s party. The owner of the cleaning company asked if we could schedule for next week, but I said that wouldn’t work and that I needed someone to come tomorrow. He said he’d see if anyone else could come and would call me back later in the afternoon.
At home I fed Noah and ate lunch and then we picked Evan up at school.
As I was putting the boys down for naps the cleaning guy called and left a message saying he was not able to get anyone to come tomorrow.
I frantically started cleaning. The house really needed to be cleaned. As I was cleaning the upstairs bathroom, I saw Evan’s door open. I’m not sure he napped at all. I needed to keep cleaning, so I left him play in the gameroom with his GeoTrax while I cleaned. I cleaned from about 2:00-5:30 (when Morry got home) and still didn’t get everything done. I was absolutely exhausted.
I had plans to meet Alissa and some of her friends for Alissa’s birthday. We were meeting at a restaurant at 7:30.
I made myself coffee to wake me up and give me some energy and then got ready to go out.
Yenis came over at 7:00 and we went together in my car to the restaurant.
We had a nice time at dinner and then went downtown.
South by Southwest Festival is going on right now and I was sure it was going to be crowded and there wouldn’t be any parking spots. Somehow we lucked out and got a free parking spot on the street. We walked around downtown and sat at a bar for a little bit. I just got home at 12:30 and I’m absolutely exhausted.
Morry did some cleaning while I was gone. There is still cleaning to do tomorrow. Blanca is coming tomorrow at 10:00am so I can finish.
Tomorrow will be another busy day. Whew
After the walk I went to Alamo Draft House to get a gift certificate for Alissa and then Old Navy to return some clothes.
On the way home around 12:00 I got a call saying the cleaning lady will not be able to come tomorrow. I scheduled the cleaning a few weeks ago. I purposely scheduled it for tomorrow morning to get the house cleaned before Noah’s party. The owner of the cleaning company asked if we could schedule for next week, but I said that wouldn’t work and that I needed someone to come tomorrow. He said he’d see if anyone else could come and would call me back later in the afternoon.
At home I fed Noah and ate lunch and then we picked Evan up at school.
As I was putting the boys down for naps the cleaning guy called and left a message saying he was not able to get anyone to come tomorrow.
I frantically started cleaning. The house really needed to be cleaned. As I was cleaning the upstairs bathroom, I saw Evan’s door open. I’m not sure he napped at all. I needed to keep cleaning, so I left him play in the gameroom with his GeoTrax while I cleaned. I cleaned from about 2:00-5:30 (when Morry got home) and still didn’t get everything done. I was absolutely exhausted.
I had plans to meet Alissa and some of her friends for Alissa’s birthday. We were meeting at a restaurant at 7:30.
I made myself coffee to wake me up and give me some energy and then got ready to go out.
Yenis came over at 7:00 and we went together in my car to the restaurant.
We had a nice time at dinner and then went downtown.
South by Southwest Festival is going on right now and I was sure it was going to be crowded and there wouldn’t be any parking spots. Somehow we lucked out and got a free parking spot on the street. We walked around downtown and sat at a bar for a little bit. I just got home at 12:30 and I’m absolutely exhausted.
Morry did some cleaning while I was gone. There is still cleaning to do tomorrow. Blanca is coming tomorrow at 10:00am so I can finish.
Tomorrow will be another busy day. Whew
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Ducks and Fountains
This morning we met Yenis and Kevin at the lake about 11:45. They had been there a little while and Kevin didn’t want to walk. They were heading home when we got there.
Evan wanted to walk instead of riding in the stroller. He walked/ran to the part where the ducks are (maybe a mile). We stopped for a little while and fed the ducks sandwich bread we had brought from home. Noah ate about 2 ½ slices. Evan probably had about 2 slices for himself as well. I think the boys ate more than the ducks.
We walked back to the car and saw the
There’s a splash fountain area on the lake, but it wasn’t too close to where we were. I put the boys in the car and we drove over there. Evan had a blast. I could hardly get his shoes off. He wanted to run right through the fountains. The water was cold, but he didn’t mind at all. Noah, on the other hand, did not like that cold water at all. He cried when I set him down. We stayed for about 30 minutes. Evan threw a fit when it was time to go. I had a hard time getting him to the car.
By the time we got home, cleaned up, and ready for naps it was about 3:00. They both took good naps.
Morry got home around 6:00 and we ate Coke Ham and mashed potatoes.
While Morry cleaned up I took Evan outside to help me water the plants. We got him a little watering can at Target yesterday. He enjoyed watering all the plants and trees outside. He even watered himself too.
Then, we went to HEB to order food for Noah’s party.
We came home, gave the boys baths, and now they are in bed.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Ikea with Nolan and Court
I dropped Evan off at school around 9am. I packed his lunch because I wasn’t sure if he’d be at school the whole time or if we’d meet up with Sherah and family.
When I got home I talked to Sherah and we made plans to meet at Ikea around 11:30. They have kid’s activities and super cheap lunches there all week for Spring Break.
I picked Evan up from school at 10:45. We arrived at Ikea around 11:20. Aunt Susan, Sherah, JW, Noah, and Court had just gotten there too. When we walked in they were handing out green balloons and I put one of Evan’s wrist. He was having a great time playing with it and hitting it. We started walking through the store. It was just a few minutes later and all of the sudden, Evan’s balloon popped. He seemed very surprised. I wasn’t sure if he was going to cry. But, he was ok. We all just kind of laughed about it. I think Evan still wasn’t quite sure what happened. Evan was doing very well walking and staying by the stroller. We stopped in the kid’s section and all of the boys had a great time playing. There was a train set, neat kinds of chairs, tents, a see-saw, … We spent a lot of time in that area.
Then, we went over to the restaurant. We sat down at a big table and I gave Evan his school lunch I had made for him while I fed Noah some applesauce. They were selling kid’s meals for $.49. I bought 3 meals (for Noah, Evan, and I to share) and a soft drink. The whole thing cost less than $4. I ended up eating most of the food. I ordered meals with meat balls, plain pasta, vegetables, and macaroni and cheese. Evan ate some, but Noah mostly threw it on the floor.
After lunch Evan wanted his face painted so we went to stand it line. The line was really long and there was only one person painting faces, so I asked Evan if he would rather go to the park. Of course, he said yes.
We made our way though the rest of the store (which takes forever – they make you walk through the whole store to leave). I bought a few things, so we checked out and went to the park/playground across the parking lot from Ikea.
As we were leaving I thought I recognized Yenis’s car.in the parking lot. I called her and that was their car and they were in Ikea. Yenis told me Kevin said he saw Evan, but Yenis tried to tell Kevin it must have been someone that just looked like Evan.
At the playground the kids had a fun. It was pretty hot and getting close to nap time, so we didn’t stay that long.
On the way home we hit traffic – unusual for that time. Near Mopac and William Cannon they had both directions of Mopac closed and everyone had to get off the highway by driving through the grass. It was a mess. I later found out it was because of fallen power lines.
We didn’t get home until 3:00pm and they boys took great naps. They were exhausted.
For dinner we had already cooked roasted chicken that we just had to heat up in the oven. We had pasta as a side.
After dinner we went to Target.
The boys went to bed late tonight. We just put them to bed around 9:30.
When I got home I talked to Sherah and we made plans to meet at Ikea around 11:30. They have kid’s activities and super cheap lunches there all week for Spring Break.
I picked Evan up from school at 10:45. We arrived at Ikea around 11:20. Aunt Susan, Sherah, JW, Noah, and Court had just gotten there too. When we walked in they were handing out green balloons and I put one of Evan’s wrist. He was having a great time playing with it and hitting it. We started walking through the store. It was just a few minutes later and all of the sudden, Evan’s balloon popped. He seemed very surprised. I wasn’t sure if he was going to cry. But, he was ok. We all just kind of laughed about it. I think Evan still wasn’t quite sure what happened. Evan was doing very well walking and staying by the stroller. We stopped in the kid’s section and all of the boys had a great time playing. There was a train set, neat kinds of chairs, tents, a see-saw, … We spent a lot of time in that area.
Then, we went over to the restaurant. We sat down at a big table and I gave Evan his school lunch I had made for him while I fed Noah some applesauce. They were selling kid’s meals for $.49. I bought 3 meals (for Noah, Evan, and I to share) and a soft drink. The whole thing cost less than $4. I ended up eating most of the food. I ordered meals with meat balls, plain pasta, vegetables, and macaroni and cheese. Evan ate some, but Noah mostly threw it on the floor.
After lunch Evan wanted his face painted so we went to stand it line. The line was really long and there was only one person painting faces, so I asked Evan if he would rather go to the park. Of course, he said yes.
We made our way though the rest of the store (which takes forever – they make you walk through the whole store to leave). I bought a few things, so we checked out and went to the park/playground across the parking lot from Ikea.
As we were leaving I thought I recognized Yenis’s car.in the parking lot. I called her and that was their car and they were in Ikea. Yenis told me Kevin said he saw Evan, but Yenis tried to tell Kevin it must have been someone that just looked like Evan.
At the playground the kids had a fun. It was pretty hot and getting close to nap time, so we didn’t stay that long.
On the way home we hit traffic – unusual for that time. Near Mopac and William Cannon they had both directions of Mopac closed and everyone had to get off the highway by driving through the grass. It was a mess. I later found out it was because of fallen power lines.
We didn’t get home until 3:00pm and they boys took great naps. They were exhausted.
For dinner we had already cooked roasted chicken that we just had to heat up in the oven. We had pasta as a side.
After dinner we went to Target.
The boys went to bed late tonight. We just put them to bed around 9:30.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Lots of things on a nice day
Today was a busy day. We did a lot today.
This morning we met Liz, my Spanish teacher friend from West Ridge Middle School. We met her for brunch/lunch at Panera’s. It was a little cold when we first got there so we sat inside. Evan and Noah were very well behaved. Noah ate almost the whole time. I got a blueberry muffin for Evan. It was pretty big. He ate half of it and Noah ate the rest. Noah also ate some of Liz’s bagel, applesauce, and fruit. After we ate we went out to the restaurant’s patio. Evan and Noah enjoyed running and crawling around the patio. It gave Liz and I a little bit of a chance to talk.
After Panera’s we met Alissa, Ben, and Molly at the Circle C Park. When we first got there we saw a man walking a dog that looked sort of like Lizzy. I’m pretty sure Noah said “Lizzy” when we saw the dog. We were there a long time. The weather was great and the kids were playing well and having a good time. We stayed at the park until about 2:00. When we got home both boys were exhausted and took good naps.
Morry met a friend for dinner. One of his friends since elementary school is in town for the South by Southwest festival. Morry went straight from work to meet his friend.
Evan, Noah, and I ate dinner at home. I made mac and cheese for Evan. Noah didn’t eat much. He ended up throwing a lot of his food on the floor.
I needed to go to HEB today. We were out of milk for Evan and we needed some other things. By the time we were able to leave the house it was about 8:00. Evan and Noah were very good at HEB. I let Evan walk next to me and he did very well.
When we got home about 9:00 Morry was home and he helped unload the car and put the groceries away. Then, we put the boys to bed.
This morning we met Liz, my Spanish teacher friend from West Ridge Middle School. We met her for brunch/lunch at Panera’s. It was a little cold when we first got there so we sat inside. Evan and Noah were very well behaved. Noah ate almost the whole time. I got a blueberry muffin for Evan. It was pretty big. He ate half of it and Noah ate the rest. Noah also ate some of Liz’s bagel, applesauce, and fruit. After we ate we went out to the restaurant’s patio. Evan and Noah enjoyed running and crawling around the patio. It gave Liz and I a little bit of a chance to talk.
After Panera’s we met Alissa, Ben, and Molly at the Circle C Park. When we first got there we saw a man walking a dog that looked sort of like Lizzy. I’m pretty sure Noah said “Lizzy” when we saw the dog. We were there a long time. The weather was great and the kids were playing well and having a good time. We stayed at the park until about 2:00. When we got home both boys were exhausted and took good naps.
Morry met a friend for dinner. One of his friends since elementary school is in town for the South by Southwest festival. Morry went straight from work to meet his friend.
Evan, Noah, and I ate dinner at home. I made mac and cheese for Evan. Noah didn’t eat much. He ended up throwing a lot of his food on the floor.
I needed to go to HEB today. We were out of milk for Evan and we needed some other things. By the time we were able to leave the house it was about 8:00. Evan and Noah were very good at HEB. I let Evan walk next to me and he did very well.
When we got home about 9:00 Morry was home and he helped unload the car and put the groceries away. Then, we put the boys to bed.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
The Day That Wasn't
Hello Everyone, this is Morry. Rachel is talking on the phone so she asked me to write the blog.
This morning, Noah got up around 8am, but played very well in his crib for another hour. I got up at 9am and got the boys dressed and brought them downstairs. Evan asked to watch Wall-E so I put that on for him. Both boys were very well behaved until Rachel came downstairs around 11am.
When Rachel got down, we went to Old Navy and Petco. We had some stuff to return to Old Navy. At Petco, we needed to get food for Lizzy. We thought I'd just run in and pick up the food. However, Evan really wanted to come in. Noah and I went and got the food while Rachel and Evan looked at the fish. Then we went over to the section where there were ferrets and mice and hamsters. Evan and Noah just loved watching the animals play. Noah was really smiling.
We got home and made lunch for everyone and then put the boys down for naps.
Today we thought that two things were going to happen. I found out a childhood friend is in town for South by Southwest so I thought we'd be getting lunch or doing something this afternoon. We also thought that Sherah, JW, Nolan, Court and Aunt Susan were going to come down for an early dinner and we'd pick up barbecue.
My friend ended up having a late night and didn't get lunch until the middle of the afternoon. Sherah and JW were very tired and since it's not a short trip down here ended up staying up in Round Rock. I'm going to go to dinner with my friend tomorrow and we'll try to catch up with Sherah and JW later.
Evan didn't end up napping. I was talking on the phone to my mom and I just heard really loud bangs. When I went up there, he had put on his cars boots on and was jumping up and down, purposely trying to make a loud sound. We ended up reading some books together and then played GeoTrax. While he was playing with GeoTrax, I put on the TV and Young Frankenstein was on (one of the greatest movies of all time). Evan actually was watching a bunch of it. I'm not sure how much he understood.
For dinner I made Benihana-style fried rice but mixed in ground beef.
We gave the boys baths tonight but both boys were very cranky in the baths. They are now in bed.
Until next time...
This morning, Noah got up around 8am, but played very well in his crib for another hour. I got up at 9am and got the boys dressed and brought them downstairs. Evan asked to watch Wall-E so I put that on for him. Both boys were very well behaved until Rachel came downstairs around 11am.
When Rachel got down, we went to Old Navy and Petco. We had some stuff to return to Old Navy. At Petco, we needed to get food for Lizzy. We thought I'd just run in and pick up the food. However, Evan really wanted to come in. Noah and I went and got the food while Rachel and Evan looked at the fish. Then we went over to the section where there were ferrets and mice and hamsters. Evan and Noah just loved watching the animals play. Noah was really smiling.
We got home and made lunch for everyone and then put the boys down for naps.
Today we thought that two things were going to happen. I found out a childhood friend is in town for South by Southwest so I thought we'd be getting lunch or doing something this afternoon. We also thought that Sherah, JW, Nolan, Court and Aunt Susan were going to come down for an early dinner and we'd pick up barbecue.
My friend ended up having a late night and didn't get lunch until the middle of the afternoon. Sherah and JW were very tired and since it's not a short trip down here ended up staying up in Round Rock. I'm going to go to dinner with my friend tomorrow and we'll try to catch up with Sherah and JW later.
Evan didn't end up napping. I was talking on the phone to my mom and I just heard really loud bangs. When I went up there, he had put on his cars boots on and was jumping up and down, purposely trying to make a loud sound. We ended up reading some books together and then played GeoTrax. While he was playing with GeoTrax, I put on the TV and Young Frankenstein was on (one of the greatest movies of all time). Evan actually was watching a bunch of it. I'm not sure how much he understood.
For dinner I made Benihana-style fried rice but mixed in ground beef.
We gave the boys baths tonight but both boys were very cranky in the baths. They are now in bed.
Until next time...
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Jungle Java
Hello everyone, this is Morry. Rachel is finishing up putting the boys to bed. Well really it's Evan that she's trying to put to bed. He's being really picky, asking for a certain song to be played. Then he asked to have his humidifier put on. He really knows how to drag out bedtime if he wants to.
This morning, I was awakened to our neighbors having their lawn mowed and leaves blown - at 8am. Yes, 8am on a Saturday. If that happens again, we are going there are going to be some problems. On either side of us we seem to have neighbors that have no regard for our sleep.
Everyone else got up at 9am. We got the boys ready and then we went up to Round Rock to meet Aunt Susan, Sherah, JW, Nolan and Court at a place called Jungle Java. It's an indoor playground, basically. It has these things to climb and tunnels and slides. It's really meant for kids Evan's age. I'd say the ideal age is about 3 to 6. They offer free wireless and fancy coffee for the adults which is why it's called Jungle Java. There was also a little section for kids Noah's age to crawl around. Both boys really enjoyed themselves. Evan was crawling around, swinging on things, going down the slide. He insisted on having help climbing though, even though I know he can do it. We took some good pictures with our new camera. We got lunch there, but I think that was a mistake because Evan was too preoccupied with playing. We ate our lunch and he was running around. During that, I guess he tried to climb up somewhere and got himself in a position that he was too scared to go up or down. So he just sat there crying. I felt awful that he was "stuck". JW found him and then I climbed with him everywhere and he was happy. A 5-year-old little girl named Avery attached herself to Evan and me and wanted the two of us to play with her the whole time. It was nice.
Both boys were cranky when we left because they were worn out from playing. We got home and put them down for naps. Noah actually slept on the way home. We kept Evan awake because if he fell asleep in the car, we wouldn't be able to transfer him.
For dinner, we went to Texas Land and Cattle. We ordered shrimp for Evan. That's what he insisted he wanted. We didn't know, but the shrimp was fried again. He insisted we take off the "bread". He did eat all of his shrimp, some of Rachel's french fries, and applesauce. The whole time he was incredibly well-behaved. Noah was somewhat well-behaved. If he had food he wanted, he was happy.
On the way home, Evan told Noah it was "dark". Then he called Noah, "Dark Vader".
Now the boys are in bed. I bet they sleep pretty well. It was a big day.
Until next time...
This morning, I was awakened to our neighbors having their lawn mowed and leaves blown - at 8am. Yes, 8am on a Saturday. If that happens again, we are going there are going to be some problems. On either side of us we seem to have neighbors that have no regard for our sleep.
Everyone else got up at 9am. We got the boys ready and then we went up to Round Rock to meet Aunt Susan, Sherah, JW, Nolan and Court at a place called Jungle Java. It's an indoor playground, basically. It has these things to climb and tunnels and slides. It's really meant for kids Evan's age. I'd say the ideal age is about 3 to 6. They offer free wireless and fancy coffee for the adults which is why it's called Jungle Java. There was also a little section for kids Noah's age to crawl around. Both boys really enjoyed themselves. Evan was crawling around, swinging on things, going down the slide. He insisted on having help climbing though, even though I know he can do it. We took some good pictures with our new camera. We got lunch there, but I think that was a mistake because Evan was too preoccupied with playing. We ate our lunch and he was running around. During that, I guess he tried to climb up somewhere and got himself in a position that he was too scared to go up or down. So he just sat there crying. I felt awful that he was "stuck". JW found him and then I climbed with him everywhere and he was happy. A 5-year-old little girl named Avery attached herself to Evan and me and wanted the two of us to play with her the whole time. It was nice.
Both boys were cranky when we left because they were worn out from playing. We got home and put them down for naps. Noah actually slept on the way home. We kept Evan awake because if he fell asleep in the car, we wouldn't be able to transfer him.
For dinner, we went to Texas Land and Cattle. We ordered shrimp for Evan. That's what he insisted he wanted. We didn't know, but the shrimp was fried again. He insisted we take off the "bread". He did eat all of his shrimp, some of Rachel's french fries, and applesauce. The whole time he was incredibly well-behaved. Noah was somewhat well-behaved. If he had food he wanted, he was happy.
On the way home, Evan told Noah it was "dark". Then he called Noah, "Dark Vader".
Now the boys are in bed. I bet they sleep pretty well. It was a big day.
Until next time...
Friday, March 13, 2009
Long Oil Change
It was another rainy and cold day. We stayed inside this morning. Yenis, her mom, and Kevin came over for about 30 minutes to play until it was time for us to leave.
We met Morry at Lambs to get my oil changed. When it’s time for oil changes, we normally meet Morry and go to lunch while we wait for the car. This time we went over to Chick-Fil-A and ate a quick lunch. At Chick-Fil-A Evan asked for ice cream. We told him if he was good the rest of the day we’d get ice cream after dinner.
Morry had to be back at work for a meeting. We got back to Lambs after about an hour and the car still hadn’t been serviced. Since Morry had to go to work, I just sat at Lambs with the boys. They told us it would be about another 30 minutes. Well, an hour later my car was finally ready. That was the worst hour ever. Since it was rainy we couldn’t even go outside. They just have a small area with chairs to sit on inside. Evan was very well behaved, but Noah was horrible. He screamed and cried almost the whole time. I tried everything – food, juice, pacifier, diaper change (on the floor since there was no changing station). I don’t know what took so long. I’m sure the crying was driving other people nuts as well. They shouldn’t have made us wait so long. When the car was finally ready I asked if something was wrong with the car because it took so long. They said the car was fine and that it was in the middle of the line and they were waiting on another car to finish, or something like that. When I finally got the boys in the car Noah fell asleep right away. We didn’t get home until about 2:45.
I put Evan and Noah down for naps and they both slept well.
For dinner we went to Hula Hut. Rainy days are the best times to go there. Sometimes you can end up waiting an hour or 2 on a nice day. Since it’s on the lake and most people go for the view, you don’t have to wait long on a rainy day. We got seated right away. Evan and Noah were very good at the restaurant. Both boys ate a ton. We ordered a fried shrimp kids meal for Evan. At first he wouldn’t eat the shrimp. I think he didn’t really realize it was shrimp, even though we told him. As soon as we took the breading off, he ate it up. Evan ate chips, cheese, tortillas, the shrimp, rice, and fruit. Noah had baby food, cheese, a leftover biscuit from last night, chips, and fruit.
After dinner we decided to go to TCBY for ice cream/yogurt since Evan was really good today. When we got there, the store was closed, for good. We felt bad since we told Evan he could have ice cream so we tried to think of other places we could go. We ended up a Wendy’s to get Frosties. In the car Evan kept saying he wanted cherry ice cream or cherries in his ice cream. At Wendy’s we asked if there was a way they could put a cherry on Evan’s kid’s frosty. The guy was very nice and put 2 cherries on top of Evan’s frosty. He was very excited and Evan thanked the guy. It was cute. We spent a long time at Wendy’s, but Evan did end up eating all of his Frosty. Noah ate a lot too. Noah would do the “more” sign before he even swallowed all the ice cream in his mouth.
We got home somewhat late and just put the boys to bed. I hope they sleep since they ate all that ice cream.
We met Morry at Lambs to get my oil changed. When it’s time for oil changes, we normally meet Morry and go to lunch while we wait for the car. This time we went over to Chick-Fil-A and ate a quick lunch. At Chick-Fil-A Evan asked for ice cream. We told him if he was good the rest of the day we’d get ice cream after dinner.
Morry had to be back at work for a meeting. We got back to Lambs after about an hour and the car still hadn’t been serviced. Since Morry had to go to work, I just sat at Lambs with the boys. They told us it would be about another 30 minutes. Well, an hour later my car was finally ready. That was the worst hour ever. Since it was rainy we couldn’t even go outside. They just have a small area with chairs to sit on inside. Evan was very well behaved, but Noah was horrible. He screamed and cried almost the whole time. I tried everything – food, juice, pacifier, diaper change (on the floor since there was no changing station). I don’t know what took so long. I’m sure the crying was driving other people nuts as well. They shouldn’t have made us wait so long. When the car was finally ready I asked if something was wrong with the car because it took so long. They said the car was fine and that it was in the middle of the line and they were waiting on another car to finish, or something like that. When I finally got the boys in the car Noah fell asleep right away. We didn’t get home until about 2:45.
I put Evan and Noah down for naps and they both slept well.
For dinner we went to Hula Hut. Rainy days are the best times to go there. Sometimes you can end up waiting an hour or 2 on a nice day. Since it’s on the lake and most people go for the view, you don’t have to wait long on a rainy day. We got seated right away. Evan and Noah were very good at the restaurant. Both boys ate a ton. We ordered a fried shrimp kids meal for Evan. At first he wouldn’t eat the shrimp. I think he didn’t really realize it was shrimp, even though we told him. As soon as we took the breading off, he ate it up. Evan ate chips, cheese, tortillas, the shrimp, rice, and fruit. Noah had baby food, cheese, a leftover biscuit from last night, chips, and fruit.
After dinner we decided to go to TCBY for ice cream/yogurt since Evan was really good today. When we got there, the store was closed, for good. We felt bad since we told Evan he could have ice cream so we tried to think of other places we could go. We ended up a Wendy’s to get Frosties. In the car Evan kept saying he wanted cherry ice cream or cherries in his ice cream. At Wendy’s we asked if there was a way they could put a cherry on Evan’s kid’s frosty. The guy was very nice and put 2 cherries on top of Evan’s frosty. He was very excited and Evan thanked the guy. It was cute. We spent a long time at Wendy’s, but Evan did end up eating all of his Frosty. Noah ate a lot too. Noah would do the “more” sign before he even swallowed all the ice cream in his mouth.
We got home somewhat late and just put the boys to bed. I hope they sleep since they ate all that ice cream.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Errands and Cleaning
It was another rainy and cold day.
After I dropped Evan off at school I took Noah to Target and Old Navy. I got a coupon today for 30% off at Old Navy. I was just there the other day. Since it wasn’t too far out of my way, I took the clothes back, returned them, and then bought them again for the 30% off. I also got a few other things.
Noah took a nap when we got home. I had to wake him up to feed him lunch.
At school Evan gave me a fake roll and a tub of empty cream cheese he had been playing with. I put Noah on the floor so I could sign out Evan. Noah started playing with the cream cheese container and was very upset when I had to take it away when it was time to go.
We got home a few minutes later Blanca came over to help me out. I had a lot of stuff to do around the house so I asked her to come today. She stayed until about 2:45 and then I put Evan and Noah down for naps. I don’t think Noah ended up sleeping. For about 45min to an hour he was playing in his room, but then he started crying hysterically. As soon as I picked him up he was fine. I couldn’t get anything done after that. Whenever I would put him down he’d start crying again. The only way he would stop crying completely was if he had my full attention.
We had stuffed chicken for dinner. I got it ready while Blanca was here. I sautéed chopped carrots and celery, and rolled it up in the chicken breasts. We have made it a few times. This time I used the food processor to chop up the vegetables and it was so much easier.
After dinner Evan played with his GeoTrax for a little bit. Evan was being cranky and fought going upstairs. He lost his book privilege tonight.
Evan and Noah are in bed now and it sounds quiet up there.
After I dropped Evan off at school I took Noah to Target and Old Navy. I got a coupon today for 30% off at Old Navy. I was just there the other day. Since it wasn’t too far out of my way, I took the clothes back, returned them, and then bought them again for the 30% off. I also got a few other things.
Noah took a nap when we got home. I had to wake him up to feed him lunch.
At school Evan gave me a fake roll and a tub of empty cream cheese he had been playing with. I put Noah on the floor so I could sign out Evan. Noah started playing with the cream cheese container and was very upset when I had to take it away when it was time to go.
We got home a few minutes later Blanca came over to help me out. I had a lot of stuff to do around the house so I asked her to come today. She stayed until about 2:45 and then I put Evan and Noah down for naps. I don’t think Noah ended up sleeping. For about 45min to an hour he was playing in his room, but then he started crying hysterically. As soon as I picked him up he was fine. I couldn’t get anything done after that. Whenever I would put him down he’d start crying again. The only way he would stop crying completely was if he had my full attention.
We had stuffed chicken for dinner. I got it ready while Blanca was here. I sautéed chopped carrots and celery, and rolled it up in the chicken breasts. We have made it a few times. This time I used the food processor to chop up the vegetables and it was so much easier.
After dinner Evan played with his GeoTrax for a little bit. Evan was being cranky and fought going upstairs. He lost his book privilege tonight.
Evan and Noah are in bed now and it sounds quiet up there.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Rainy Day
We finally got the rain they have been talking about for a while. It got really cold here and it was wet all day.
I needed to go to HEB, we didn’t leave the house until almost noon. It took a while for me to get everyone dressed and fed.
We spent a long time at HEB. Evan and Noah loved trying all the samples. Noah ate cinnamon roll, various bread samples, and some of my pasta sample. The woman at the pasta demo table commented about Noah doing the “more” sign. Noah really liked that pasta. During the shopping trip I fed Noah animal crackers as well to keep him occupied. Both boys did really well. Having all that food really helped. We saw Katy, one of the girls in Evan’s class. Evan was acting really shy when I was talking to her mom. Oh, and I did well with my coupons as well. I saved $18 in coupons today.
We got home at 1:30 and I started getting lunch ready and putting away the groceries. Blanca came about 1:40. She fed the boys while I did some stuff around the house and got ready for tutoring. On the way to tutoring I stopped at the party store to get some decorations and favors for Evan’s birthday.
I tutored 3 students and got home about 7. We heated up the leftover cornbread casserole for dinner.
Below is Evan’s class picture.
I needed to go to HEB, we didn’t leave the house until almost noon. It took a while for me to get everyone dressed and fed.
We spent a long time at HEB. Evan and Noah loved trying all the samples. Noah ate cinnamon roll, various bread samples, and some of my pasta sample. The woman at the pasta demo table commented about Noah doing the “more” sign. Noah really liked that pasta. During the shopping trip I fed Noah animal crackers as well to keep him occupied. Both boys did really well. Having all that food really helped. We saw Katy, one of the girls in Evan’s class. Evan was acting really shy when I was talking to her mom. Oh, and I did well with my coupons as well. I saved $18 in coupons today.
We got home at 1:30 and I started getting lunch ready and putting away the groceries. Blanca came about 1:40. She fed the boys while I did some stuff around the house and got ready for tutoring. On the way to tutoring I stopped at the party store to get some decorations and favors for Evan’s birthday.
I tutored 3 students and got home about 7. We heated up the leftover cornbread casserole for dinner.
Below is Evan’s class picture.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
The Mall
We walked to school today. Well, I walked pushing the stroller most the way. Evan walked just a little when we were almost there. There’s a little field we cut through by the pool to get to school. Evan asked to walk at that point.
After dropping Evan off, Noah and I met Alissa at the mall. For some reason Noah was really cranky. He cried a lot. I’m thinking maybe he was just really tired. He would calm down as soon as I held him. I tried to get in and out as fast as I could. I picked up a few clothes for Evan and Noah at Old Navy, The Children’s Place, and Gymboree. I had something to return at Gap. It was a gift someone gave Noah that wasn’t the right size. I didn’t feel like trying to shop around Gap at that point, so I just got the merchandise credit and will go another time to pick something out for him. I also had to stop at the Mac store. It is Blanca’s birthday today, so I picked up an itunes gift card for her.
We got home in time for me to feed Noah lunch and then leave to pick up Evan.
After I picked Evan up at school we went to the bank. I had some checks to deposit. They changed the way the ATM works. You used to be able to be able to deposit all the checks at once in one envelope. Now, they have you insert them one at a time. It reads the amount on the check and you have to verify after inserting each one. It takes a really long time. I had maybe 10 checks to deposit. It took forever and Noah was screaming in the car the whole time. Sometimes, it makes more sense for me to just get the boys out of the car, go in the bank, and have the teller deposit them. I just didn’t feel like getting the boys out of the car since I just put them in at Evan’s school. Oh, and if we go in the bank Evan has to have a lollipop. I didn’t feel like doing all that, but it probably would have been faster.
For some reason Evan didn’t want to nap. Noah went down easily. Once Evan finally fell asleep, Noah woke up. He didn’t sleep that long. Evan actually ended up sleeping a while. Blanca came over at 5:00 and Evan was still sleeping when Morry got home at 5:30.
I tutored two students and got home about 8:00.
We took a short walk around the neighborhood and Evan walked most of the way.
The boys are in bed now and I’m finally going to eat some dinner.
After dropping Evan off, Noah and I met Alissa at the mall. For some reason Noah was really cranky. He cried a lot. I’m thinking maybe he was just really tired. He would calm down as soon as I held him. I tried to get in and out as fast as I could. I picked up a few clothes for Evan and Noah at Old Navy, The Children’s Place, and Gymboree. I had something to return at Gap. It was a gift someone gave Noah that wasn’t the right size. I didn’t feel like trying to shop around Gap at that point, so I just got the merchandise credit and will go another time to pick something out for him. I also had to stop at the Mac store. It is Blanca’s birthday today, so I picked up an itunes gift card for her.
We got home in time for me to feed Noah lunch and then leave to pick up Evan.
After I picked Evan up at school we went to the bank. I had some checks to deposit. They changed the way the ATM works. You used to be able to be able to deposit all the checks at once in one envelope. Now, they have you insert them one at a time. It reads the amount on the check and you have to verify after inserting each one. It takes a really long time. I had maybe 10 checks to deposit. It took forever and Noah was screaming in the car the whole time. Sometimes, it makes more sense for me to just get the boys out of the car, go in the bank, and have the teller deposit them. I just didn’t feel like getting the boys out of the car since I just put them in at Evan’s school. Oh, and if we go in the bank Evan has to have a lollipop. I didn’t feel like doing all that, but it probably would have been faster.
For some reason Evan didn’t want to nap. Noah went down easily. Once Evan finally fell asleep, Noah woke up. He didn’t sleep that long. Evan actually ended up sleeping a while. Blanca came over at 5:00 and Evan was still sleeping when Morry got home at 5:30.
I tutored two students and got home about 8:00.
We took a short walk around the neighborhood and Evan walked most of the way.
The boys are in bed now and I’m finally going to eat some dinner.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Gardening
This morning I took a walk with Evan, Noah, and Lizzy.
Then, we went to the
We ate lunch and then I put Evan and Noah down for naps. Noah napped, but Evan did not. I heard him playing in his room the whole time. When I went upstairs to get him he was playing bowling with his soft soccer balls. I saw him rolling the balls and asked what he was playing and he told me bowling.
I cleaned the coat closet and had everything pulled out of it. Evan found a ski mask and had a good time putting it on and wearing it around the house. He thought it was for water, but I had to explain to him it was for snow.
For dinner I made a cornbread casserole with ground beef.
After dinner we went in the backyard to plant the veggies and herbs we go the other day. Evan, Noah, and Lizzy all enjoyed playing in the backyard while we worked. Evan and Noah went down the slide together. Noah even went down on his own once. Morry was watching him at the top of the playscape and Noah just decided to go, head first, down the slide. He wasn’t scared at all. He loved it.
We just put Evan and Noah to bed. I just heard Noah make a little noise, but it sounds quiet in Evan’s room.
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