Picture Day x 2

Today was picture day at school and for Evan's baseball team.

Noah was a little easier to deal with this morning, though he still gave me a little bit of a hard time. He didn't want to wear the button down shirt I put on him. Since it was picture I wanted the boys to look a little nicer. They both looked really cute this morning.

While the boys were at school I went to the Breast Cancer Resource Center. They are having a big fundraiser event called Graphic 5 and I volunteered to help. They needed models to wear Art Bras for the runway event and for the auction. The Art Bras are created by breast cancer survivor's friends and family members, local artists and celebrities like Willie Nelson, Mack Brown and the Beach Boys. So, I went there to try on different Art Bras so they could decide what I would be wearing for the event.

After that I went to the post office to send anther package to Stephen and the Marines.

I came home to eat lunch and then picked up the boys from school.

After school we went to Great Clips to get them haircuts.

Gabby came over at 4. I got Evan ready for his baseball game and pictures and Morry met us at the fields. From there I went to tutor.

Gabby and Noah stayed at home.

We got back home around 7pm and then made dinner.

The boys are in their rooms now, but not asleep.

Going Going Going

Today was a busy day.

I did the Yoga/Pilates class while the boys went to the child care at the gym. After that we went to HEB. It took a long time. It's getting harder and harder to take the boys with me. They want to buy everything and I have to explain why we can't get everything they want.

We got home around 1pm and I started unloading the groceries and getting lunch ready. The boys played outside while I did this. I called Home Slice to deal with the pizza order for the party. While I was on the phone the doorbell rang. It was Sebastian (our 4 year-old neighbor) and his grandmother. He heard Evan and Noah playing in the backyard and wanted to come over. His grandmother asked me how long he could stay and I said about an hour since I had a lot to do. The boys played really well together. They played outside, ate lunch, and then played air hockey. After he left I had just enough time to eat my lunch and then get ready for tutoring.

Gabby came at 4pm and I tutored late tonight.

Morry and the boys had dinner together and Morry folded our big piles of laundry.

When I got home the boys were all ready for bed, but not at all tired. They were super hyper. In fact, they are still up now.

Naked Noah

This is how Noah went to school today. Noah was up around 8am and started whining about getting dressed as I was getting things ready for school. I gave him a 5 minute warning and said I would be up to help him get dressed. I gave him 3 options of where he wanted to get dressed and he said none of them and got even more upset. Sometimes Noah just sleeps in his pull-up. Last night was one of those nights. I was able to wrestle him down and get his pull-up off, but I just couldn't get his clothes on after that. I would get one leg of his underwear on and he'd pull out his other leg. This went on for several minutes. I told him he was not going to go to school like that. I got so tired of the fight, I eventually thought, "why not". I really wanted to make a 10:00 Yoga class.

I grabbed his clothes and put Noah in his car seat without any clothes on.

School starts at 9am, but even though I had everything else ready on time, we didn't get to school until about 9:15.

I carried Noah into his classroom and then got him dressed in the room. Once we got to school he was fine and acted like nothing was bothering him.

After getting Noah changed and dropping off both boys I didn't get home until around 9:45 and didn't have enough time to get to Yoga. I was pretty annoyed.

I met Morry at the bank and then we went to lunch at Torchy's tacos.

Evan and Noah were in good moods when I picked them up at school.

At home, I put Noah down for a nap and he fell asleep on the floor at his gate.

Blanca came at 3:45.

I tutored and got home at 7pm.

Evan had baseball practice at 5:45 so Morry took Evan and Noah and got home a little after 7pm.

For dinner Morry and I had dinners we picked up from My Fit Foods earlier in the day.

We got Evan and Noah ready for bed, but for some reason they are not in their rooms right now. They are both downstairs.

It's been a looooong day.

San Marcos Shopping

Evan, Noah, and I went to San Marcos to the Outlets today. We were looking for pajamas, shorts, and socks for the boys. We got a few things, but the deals weren't so good today for some reason.

I packed a lunch thinking we might be able to have a picnic somewhere. We were running out of time and the weather wasn't so great. It was overcast and a little bit cool. So, we just ate our lunch in the car on the way home.

When we got home I started getting dinner ready.

I tutored one student and then came home.

We had meatballs and rice for dinner.

After dinner Morry went to the Volkswagen car dealership in Georgetown. He wanted to negotiate a deal in person. It sounds like he worked something out to lease a CC. He's on his way home now and the car will come in in a few days.

The boys are ready for bed and are supposed to be in their rooms, but they keep coming up with excuses.

Family Bike Ride

This morning I packed a picnic lunch for all of us and we went for a bike ride. We had Noah sitting in the trailer and Evan peddling on his trail-a-bike thing. It was a little chilly this morning. I thought it was going to be really warm. I'm glad it wasn't too hot though.

We rode to the Velloway, around the 3 mile loop, and then to a nearby park. The boys played on the playground for a little while and then we had lunch. There were a few other kids at the park. Evan and Noah played with 2 other boys who were a little bit older than them.

For dinner we had leftover stew that was in the freezer along with some pasta.

After dinner we played outside in the front yard. Noah tried out his plasma car and Evan rode around on his scooter.

The boys are supposed to be cleaning their rooms right now, but I hear a lot of talking and playing right now.

Baseball, Lake, and a Movie

This morning Evan had a t-ball game. Morry and Evan left the house around 8am this morning. They had a good game, but lost. Evan had a good time.

When Morry and Evan got home we all went to the lake and walked the 3 mile trail. We stopped at one point the let Lizzy swim and fetch the ball.

At home we quickly got lunch ready and then I tutored here at the house.

Morry volunteered to help with the concession stand at the baseball field. The concession stand is run by volunteers from each team. This week was our teams turn, so they asked a few parents to help out. Morry's time slot was 1:50 -3:30.

While Morry was gone I tried to get Noah to nap, but was unsuccessful.

The boys and I filled the pinata for the party and then I gave Lizzy a haircut on the upstairs porch.

A little before 6pm we dropped Evan and Noah off at Clubhouse for Kids so Morry and I could see a movie. We saw Cedar Rapids at the Alamo Drafthouse. Evan and Noah got pizza for dinner at the Clubhouse and they said they had a good time.

We just got home. The boys are having dessert (Popsicles and grapes) and then we'll put them to bed.

Wildflower Center x 2

This morning it took a long time to get out of the house. Noah was being a pain. He didn't want to get dressed. I had to force him down to get him dressed and when I went to put stuff in the car he pulled all his clothes off again. Not fun.

I had planned on taking the boys to the Wildflower Center to run around and have a picnic lunch. I had a doctors appointment at 12:30 and I planned on taking them with me. I wanted to make sure they got out their energy before. By the time we actually left the house that didn't leave much time at the Wildflower Center.

We we got there we walked around just a little bit and then had lunch. It was then time to leave to make it to my doctors appointment on time.

We had to wait an hour for the doctor, but the boys were very good there. After the appointment they said they wanted to go back to the Wildflower Center. So, we went there for a second time. This time we spent more time walking around, climbing up the tower, taking pictures. I let Evan take pictures and he actually did a really good job. I was amazed. He loved taking pictures.

When we got home I tried to put Noah down for a nap. Noah started throwing a fit in his room and I told him to wait a few more minutes since I had some things I needed to do. When I went upstairs a few minutes later to let him out, he was asleep at his gate.

For dinner we ate at Stadium Grill . Evan and Noah ate very well there. After we ate they played on the sand volleyball court and said hello to the pet pig.

Evan and Noah are in bed now, but not asleep.

Here's video from today.



Here are pictures I took.


Here are some Evan took.

Home Slice

Hello everyone, this is Morry.

Today Rachel took the boys to school. They seemed to have good days. The music teacher came to Noah's classroom. Evan said he played with Victoria, Jake and Cory. Evan says that Victoria likes to hold his hand "a lot" and he said "a lot" with emphasis.

While the boys were in school, Rachel went for an 8 mile bike ride around the Veloway.

After school, Rachel and the boys walked to a playgroup. There were mostly girls there so Evan and Noah stuck together most of the time.

Gabby came at 4 and Rachel went to tutor.

Rachel had a meet-up for breast cancer survivors tonight off of South Congress after tutoring. She had a little time in between tutoring and the start of the meet-up. So I took the boys and met Rachel at Home Slice for pizza. We were able to eat outside. While we were waiting for the pizza, Evan and Noah played ping pong. I played a bit with Evan as well. Eventually another boy walked over and played with Evan and Noah. Evan ate his pizza well.

Rachel left dinner a bit early and I took the boys home. Noah fell asleep on the car ride home. I took him upstairs and got him dressed for bed while he was still sleeping. I was feeling very lucky that Noah might just be asleep. Unfortunately, about 5 minutes later, Noah came out of the room because he had to go to the bathroom. Now, nearly 2 hours later, both boys are still up.

Until next time...

Sprinklers

This morning I did a Yoga/Pilates class at the gym and then took the boys swimming.

After the gym we went to Newflower.

Now that it's getting hot, we figured we needed to get our sprinklers fixed. We weren't running them as much as we should because we noticed our water bill would go way up. We knew we had a leak, we were just delaying the inevitable. $500+ later we got our sprinklers fixed and should be good to go now. Next up is our outdoor lights. The same company does lighting, but they couldn't work on our lights today. One of the wires to a tree light was chewed apart (probably from a squirrel) and we have many lights that need new bulbs.

Gabby came at 4pm and I tutored.

Morry went out after work tonight to have a farewell party for Keith. He's still out so the boys and I had dinner at home.

I just put Evan and Noah to bed, but they are still up.

Busy Day

This morning Noah wouldn't get dressed. I really wanted to run with the boys to school and didn't want to be too late to school. Noah slept in just his pull-up last night and he wouldn't let me put his clothes on. So, I put him in the stroller with just his pull-up on and we ran to school. When we got to school I got him dressed in his classroom. I pointed out that none of the other kids were in their pullups or pajamas.

I ran back home and then got stuff done around the house. I changed all of our sheets even Evan's top bunk. That bunk bed is a pain to make. I was worn out by the end.

Evan and Noah both had good days at school. Evan made a clock (pretend) today. It was made from a plate and had hands that moved. He was very proud of it.

After school we went to Walmart and then Bed Bath and Beyond.

When we got home I tried putting Noah down for a nap.

Blanca came at 3:45 and I left to tutor.

Evan had baseball practice at 5:45 so Morry came home to get him and left Noah with Blanca. I got home around 5:45.

When I got home I finished getting dinner ready. I made Buffalo chicken in the crockpot.

Morry and Evan got home a little after 7pm. We just finished eating.

It's been a long day. Let's hope the boys go to sleep at a decent time tonight.

Evan's First Tee Ball Game

Hello everyone, this is Morry.

Today, Rachel, Evan, Noah, and Lizzy went to Lady Bird Lake to go for a walk. Evan and Noah both walk. Evan walked most of the way around. At one point, they stopped and Evan threw the ball to Lizzy and she fetched it out of the lake. That's Lizzy's favorite thing to do. She could swim and fetch a ball in the lake all day.

After the lake, Rachel went in East Austin to get a pinata for the birthday party. Evan and Noah could not agree on a character. Apparently they were fighting and whining because the couldn't agree. Finally they chose a pinata that is not a character.

Rachel tried to put Noah down for a nap, but he did not nap.

At 5:20, we met at the baseball field. The coach brought pants for Evan because the pants we got for him were way too big. When they pulled up, I got Evan dressed. He warmed up for a bit and the game began. Evan played catcher, second base and left field over the course of the game. He got two chances in left field. He threw the ball in well and seemed excited when the ball came to him. At bat, he hit two singles. The second time he was on base he moved ahead to second on a single. The next batter hit the ball and Evan did not move. Unfortunately, he was tagged out. It was really fun seeing him play and I did not sit the entire time. I'm not sure how parents do sit. Evan said he really had fun. That's what's important.

After dinner, I took Evan and Noah to McDonald's and we picked up food to eat at home while Rachel tutored.

The boys are in bed now but they aren't sleeping.

Until next time...

Noah's Third Birthday

TODAY IS NOAH'S BIRTHDAY! It's hard to believe it was 3 years ago today we were at the hospital meeting little Noah.

This morning the boys slept in a little bit.

For brunch we went to Waterloo. The boys played on the playground while we waited for our food. They shared a waffle and fruit and both ate very well. It was a successful meal.

Then, we went to Locomotion, an indoor play place. They have inflatables and then different rooms where kids can pretend to do different things. We all had fun. Evan and Noah were pretty worn out by the end.

We gave Noah a choice between Italian Ice (Water Ice) and smoothies. He picked Italian ice. We went to Rita's on campus and it happened to be free Italian ice day, so we all got a free cup. While we were waiting in line Morry found out the guy behind us went to his same high school a few years after Morry was there. Small world.

We came home and gave the boys their birthday presents from us. They got air hockey and Foosball tables. We bought them from our neighbor who had a garage sale. We had been looking for an air hockey table and when I did a search on Craigslist a few days ago I saw our next door neighbors were having a garage sale and selling those items.

The boys played with all of their new toys for a little bit and played outside.

For dinner we went to Spaghetti Warehouse.

We put the boys to bed a while ago, but both are still awake and playing in their rooms.

Last Day of Two

Hello everyone, this is Morry.

Today is the last day that Noah is two. At 7:16am Sunday morning, Noah will officially be three. Today, though, was not without some terrible two's from Noah.

Rachel got up early to go running with other moms. Evan and Noah got up after Rachel left the house. When I got up, I got the boys dressed and gave them breakfast. Rachel got home by that point.

I had made a vet appointment for Mottel with his regular vet. He hadn't had a regular checkup in two years. That's when they discovered his weight-loss and started us on the trips to the internist and all the steroids that Mottel took. Mottel absolutely hates leaving the house and always vomits at least once in his carrier. I thought if I brought both boys with me today, he might feel more comfortable. I set him in between the boys. That did not help. He vomited and pooped in his carrier on the way.

At the vet, the boys petted Mottel and I guess Noah got a piece of fur in his mouth just as the vet came in. As I started to talk to the vet, Noah started whining very very loudly "Daddy, I need a paper towel! Daddy, I need a paper towel!" The nurse got him a paper towel. Moments later he started whining again. It was embarrassing. The nurse got him a cup of water which seemed to help.

Meanwhile, Mottel's weight has stabilized which is a good thing. He's gained about a half a pound from two years ago, but he's down 2.5 pounds from 3 years ago. The vet believes that Mottel has something equivalent to Crohn's Disease. Some auto-immune disease that causes his intestines to be inflamed and makes it so he does not gain weight. But as long as he's not losing weight, we're fine. Unfortunately, Mottel has cataracts. We can go see an ophthalmologist, but I just am not sure it's worth it. It's very very upsetting to go thru surgery for Mottel. But at the same time, I don't want him to be blind at the end of his life. It's tough.

When we got home, we went to Walmart to get some things for Evan and Noah's party. The boys were very hyper and weren't listening that well as they ran thru the store. We ran into Academy Sports to see if they had baseball pants for Evan. They did, but they were too big.

We came home and had lunch. After lunch, Matt, Rachael, and Max came over. Matt needed to borrow our video camera. They stayed here until dinner time. Max thought Lizzy was hilarious. Every time Lizzy did anything, Max would laugh. At one point, Lizzy got on the back of the couch to look out the window. Max laughed and laughed. Lizzy was really good with him. Even when Matt and Rachael came in and Lizzy was hyper, she sensed that Matt was holding a baby and did not jump on him. Just another reason why Lizzy is the best dog.

For dinner, we went to TGI Fridays. It was in Southpark Meadows and we needed to go to Sports Authority and Target there. We had a coupon which is why we went there. The boys were very good and ate very well. Noah had a bunch of my salad which was good.

We ran into Sports Authority and they didn't have pants for Evan either. We did get him baseball socks.

At Target, we picked up Nerf darts for the Nerf dart gun that Evan bought with his own money from the garage sale next door.

We came home and Evan tried out his Nerf gun. Rachel and I read him the riot act about what he could shoot at. We made him repeat everything back to us.

They are "in bed" now but still awake.

Until next time...

Central Market Lunch and Playground

This morning I took a short run with Lizzy and pushing the boys in the stroller.

Then, we went to Central Market to meet up with the Pink Ribbon Cowgirls for lunch. Evan and Noah were not well behaved. They were both cranky, whiny, and fought with each other a lot. I kept having to interrupt my conversations to deal with them. They were the only kids at the lunch this time. Next time I'll go without them. No one else seemed annoyed, but still... it was not very pleasant for me.

After lunch the boys played on the playground at Central Market. They had a good time out there.

When we got home I tried to put Noah down for a nap, but was unsuccessful.

For dinner we used one of our Groupons at Santa Rita. We ate outside and the boys actually ate pretty well.

After dinner we made a quick trip to HEB.

We just did baths and now the boys are in bed.

Here's a video from the playground

Celebrating Noah's Birthday at School

This morning Evan gave me a hard time getting ready for school. Luckily it was pajama day in Noah's classroom, so it didn't take long to get him ready.

After I dropped the boys off at school I went to HEB to pick up cupcakes for Noah's class and then went to Target.

I came home for a little bit and then got to school about 12:15. Evan said he wanted to come to Noah's party so we picked Evan up from his class first. In Noah's room they were finishing lunch. Evan joined them at the table for lunch since his class hadn't started eating yet. After the kids finished their lunch we passed out cupcakes and sang happy birthday. Noah enjoyed being the center of attention.

After cupcakes the kids went outside to find hidden gold coins.

When we got home from school I tried putting Noah down for a nap. He didn't sleep.

Both boys were pretty cranky in the afternoon so I thought going outside would help. Evan enjoyed riding his scooter and bike, but Noah kept getting frustrated riding his tricycle. He still doesn't understand how to pedal and steer.

For dinner we made a Wanchai Ferry frozen Chinese dinner. The boys ate their food well. Evan had pasta and Noah had hot dog.

For dessert we gave them the choice of cupcake or grapes and they choose grapes. They just wanted the ring off the top of the cupcake and they were happy.

We are going to put the boys to bed now.

here are some pictures and videos from today.

Swimming and Crab

This morning we went to the gym. I did the Strike class and then took the boys swimming in the indoor pool. When we first got to the gym it was relatively empty. There weren't as many people in the class as usual. But, at the pool and when we were leaving it seemed like a lot of people were there.

After swimming we came home and ate lunch outside.

I tried putting Noah down for a nap, but he didn't sleep.

For dinner the boys and I had crab. I bought some crab legs at HEB yesterday and made them at home for the first time. They were already cooked, so I just needed to steam them for a few minutes. The boys ate a lot of crab and ate their other food as well. It was a successful dinner. Morry made steak for himself.

After dinner we took a walk. Noah walked some and Evan rode his scooter.

We just got home and now we are going to put the kids to bed.

Noah's Terrible Twos - Are they almost over?

This morning I had to fight Noah getting dressed. We were late to school. He threw a fit in the hallway at school and his teacher had to help me get him in the room. Evan was good though. In my fight to get Noah out the door and in the car, I forgot the boys backpacks with their lunches. I had to drive back home and then back to school to drop off their stuff.

After that I drove downtown to turn in the final paperwork for my speeding ticket/defensive driving.

I came home for a little bit and then picked up the boys. When I was getting all of Noah's stuff together to bring home I noticed his water wasn't with his stuff. He insisted it was not outside, but when I looked out the window I saw it on the playground. He threw a fit when I went to go get it. He kept saying it was not his water. Even when I brought the water bottle back inside the classroom he was still screaming that it was not his. It clearly said, "Noah" in my handwriting on the bottle. I don't know what his problem was. Then, he didn't want to leave the room. So, I left to get Evan and came back and got him.

When we left Evan's classroom, his friend Victoria ran up and gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Evan told me Victoria likes him a lot. :)

After school, first we we went to Party City to pick up some more things for the boys' birthday party. Then, we went to Home Depot. I got 10 more bags of top soil and 6 more bags of pebbles.

When we got home I used the bike trailer to haul the bags to the backyard from the car.

Noah actually took a nap today. I was very glad for that.

When Morry got home we started dinner and we spread out the soil and pebbles in the backyard.

For dinner i had salmon and Noah ate so much of my fish I had to make another one. Morry had Buffalo wings and we both had salad.

After dinner Morry had to work on our taxes so I took the boys with me to HEB.

We put Evan and Noah to bed but they are both still awake. I hear Evan attempting knock knock jokes. I heard something about "orange you glad I didn't say banana."

Saying Goodbye

Today, Aunt Susan, Sherah, JW, Nolan, and Court came over to hang out with us and Grandma, Papa, and Bubbe. The boys played outside a lot. We picked up food from Salt Lick and ate lunch here at the house. I made pasta for the kids. The kids ate outside while the adults ate inside. It was a nice day.

Everyone left after lunch. Grandma, Papa, and Bubbe drove back to Dallas.

Evan and Noah played outside some more after everyone left. I printed out treasure maps that I found online for Evan. He hid them and then unburied them in the backyard.

For dinner we had leftover tacos from a few nights ago.

Evan and Noah are acting very tired and cranky right now. We are going to give them baths and then put them to bed.

San Antonio Weekend

We were in San Antonio over the weekend. My cousin Zach and Allison got married.

The kids were not invited, so we had babysitters for them for the rehearsal dinner and the wedding. Both nights went well and the babysitters were good.

Friday night, the rehearsal dinner was at the hotel. Saturday we went to Brackenridge park with Grandma, Papa, and the boys. We rode the train and played Frisbee.

The wedding was at the McNay Museum of Art. It was a beautiful wedding. The music was good and it was very nice to see and chat with everyone.

Sunday brunch was next door to the hotel overlooking the Riverwalk. Evan and Noah especially had a good time playing with Ryan.

Before leaving to go home we hung out at Aunt Diane and Uncle Jay's house for a little bit. We drove Michael and Jen to the airport and then went back to Austin.

Grandma, Papa, and Bubbe are going to spend the night here and then drive back to Dallas tomorrow.

For dinner we ate at Trattoria Lisina. Evan and Noah ate well and were well behaved. We all enjoyed our food.

Now, we are totally exhausted. The boys are in bed, but still pretty wired. Noah doesn't seem like he's going to fall asleep any time soon.

Here are some pictures and video from the weekend.

Picasa Web Album of Zach and Allison's wedding weekend here.

Pizza Day at School

Evan and Noah both enjoyed school today. It was a pizza day. When I picked them up they were happy, but before we even left the building Noah started with a tantrum. I don't even know what sparked it. He was in the hallway on the ground crying that he didn't want to walk. He was walking on his knees and wanted me to hold his hand. He continued this outside the building as well.

Gabby came at 4 and I tutored.

When I came home we got dinner dinner ready. We had tacos and rice. Noah actually ate 2 hard shell tacos - one with cheese and one with lettuce.

After dinner I cleaned up while Morry replaced the air filters.

We got the boys ready for bed, but of course they are both still up right now. Noah is downstairs for some reason. He's trying to pet Mottel. I need to go put him back in bed.

Indoor Swimming Pool

This morning Evan and Noah woke up early.

We went to the gym for a Strike class (like kickboxing). After I picked the kids up from the child care we went swimming in the indoor pool. They were super excited. I didn't tell them ahead of time in case they were acting up and I changed my mind. Evan and Noah were very good and listened to me.

When we got home I made lunch for the boys and they ate outside.

Noah started getting really cranky.

I put him down for a nap and he fought it for a long time. Eventually I found him asleep at his gate. Right when I was about to rest he woke up crying. He wouldn't tell me what was wrong. I let him watch tv in the game room while I got ready for tutoring. When I went to check on him he was asleep on the couch.

Gabby came at 4 and I tutored late.

When I got home both Evan and Noah had been put to bed, but they were both wide awake and happy to see me.

They are still up now. I hope they fall asleep soon.

Running around

This morning I ran the boys to school pushing the stroller and then ran back home. It was about 3 miles.

Then, I had an appointment for a bra fitting. There's a company here that gives out free bra fittings and bras to breast cancer survivors. The woman I met with was very nice and she gave me 4 new bras to take home.

After that I went to the party store to get some stuff for Evan and Noah's birthday party. We need to get the invitations ready and sent out soon. It will be here before we know it.

Evan and Noah had good days at school. They both were in good moods when I picked them up, but by the time we got home they were both very cranky. I tried to get Noah to nap, but he got very angry and was banging the door against the wall. I made him stay in his room for a little while, but soon let him come out and watch tv in the game room.

Blanca came at 3:45. I tutored 2 students and then met Morry and the boys at California Pizza Kitchen in the mall. After dinner I tutored one more student.

I got home around 9:15pm. Both boys were ready for bed, but not asleep yet. Noah is still talking/playing.

Here is the video from yesterday when we picked up Morry and Evan at the airport.

Back From Florida

Hello everyone, this is Morry.

Rachel suggested I post about Evan and my trip to Florida with Zayde/Jack. It was a very fun trip and Evan really seemed to enjoy himself. Evan came back with a full load of stuff including, two baseballs that had been used, a game-used bat, a hat, two t-shirts and a Pirate Parrot stuffed animal.

The first night in Florida, Evan convinced Zayde to get him crab. Evan and Zayde share crab at Anna Maria Oyster Bar. Then, to top that off, Evan was able to coax some ice cream out of Zayde as well.

On Saturday, we drove to Clearwater, Florida to see the Pirates play the Phillies. We stopped at Perkins for breakfast where Evan got a balloon sword and parrot. He seemed to enjoy the game, especially when Neil Walker hit a homerun. He was really cheering. They also had a playground at the stadium and Evan played there a lot. After the game, Evan got change from Zayde and threw it in a fountain outside. For dinner, we went to a pizza place.

On Sunday, the prediction was rain. Rain woke me up in the middle of the night, but it was a beautiful day when we got up. We went to Smugglers Cove Adventure Golf to play some miniature golf. Evan had an absolute blast. We played two round and Evan was extremely enthusiastic after each hole. It was a lot of fun watching him play golf. He even got a hole-in-one and just missed on a few others.

At the game, Evan fell in love with the Pirate Parrot. He made us follow the Parrot around the ballpark. At some point, the Parrot obtained a water gun and he shot Evan with it. Evan thought that was hilarious. He then made us find the Parrot again where he proceeded to convince the Parrot to shoot me - which he obliged. Evan was laughing so hard at all of this. We sat next to a nice woman who was trying to become a baseball reporter. A player at the Pirate City training facility had given her a ball and she gave it to Evan. Evan was very excited by it.

Today, we went over to Pirate City. There are 6 fields, but four of the fields come together at their home plates. You can sit and watch all four fields. The minor leaguers train here. As we were walking in, a player yelled "Here you go" and tossed a ball to Evan over the fence. Then, as we sat watching batting practice, a player came out and walked up to Evan and handed him a bat. A real bat used by one of the major leaguers. It was cracked but it had the players name engraved in it and his number written on the top and bottom. It was still sticky from whatever resin they put on it. Many people were very jealous of Evan for getting a bat. It would not fit in my suitcase so I had to ship it home.

The flight home was uneventful, but Evan seemed to have had a great time in Florida.

At the airport when Evan and Noah saw each other they were giggling and jumping up and down together. They were so hyper. They hugged and hugged until they both fell down. The first fight between the two didn't occur until we were almost home.

They are now in bed.

Until next time...

Little Vacations

On Friday afternoon Noah and I dropped off Evan and Morry at the airport. They went to meet Zayde in Florida for baseball spring training. Noah and I drove to Houston.

Friday night Noah and I stayed at Julie's family's house. On Saturday we stayed at Robbie's family's house. Noah had a good time playing with Dori (5 years old) and he liked playing with Layla's (2 years old) toys.

Sunday morning we met Allon for brunch and then met David and Lisa's family at Herman park.

We did a lot in Houston and Noah had a good time with all of the kids. Here are some pictures and a video.

Cat in the Hat

While the boys were in school I got stuff done around the house and then met Morry for lunch.

Today in Evan's class they had a Cat in the Hat party. When I picked up Evan he was wearing a hat and had cat whiskers painted on his face. Both boys had a good day at school.

After school both boys were really cranky. Noah actually took a nap today.

For dinner we went to a sandwich/yogurt shop called Counter Culture.

We just got home and will get the boys ready for bed soon.

Spinach Sandwich and Gardening

This morning Noah gave me a hard time leaving the house. He didn't want his shoes on.

We went to the gym and I did a Pilates class.

When we got home the boys helped me plant the plants in pots. They enjoyed scooping up the soil from the bag and putting it in the pots. Evan and Noah also had a good time watering the plants too.

After we planted everything I made lunch. Evan wanted to sit outside to eat lunch. Noah got in a really bad mood and was throwing a fit about everything. He did that the whole entire time Evan and I were trying to eat our lunch. It seemed like Noah was just making up things to get upset about. When Evan sat down in his usual seat Noah threw a fit that he wanted to sit there. Then Noah was mad because I was eating lunch (?). He was screaming/crying I don't want you to eat lunch. Then Evan and I were talking about having the jello we made for dessert after dinner. Noah threw a fit saying "Jello is not for dessert". Like I said, I think he was just making up things to throw a fit about. It was not a very pleasant lunch, but somehow Evan ended up eating very well. Evan requested a spinach sandwich (spinach and bread only) and ate the whole thing. He also ate a side of tomatoes and a bowl of fruit (oranges and grapefruit).

Noah did eventually eat his lunch, but he didn't eat that much.

I put Noah down for a nap, but he just played in his room.

Gabby came at 4pm and I tutored late.

Morry and the boys had pasta for dinner and Morry put the boys to bed.

Here's a video from gardening today

Green Eggs and Ham

Evan's class is learning about Dr Seuss this week in honor of his birthday. Today they made green eggs and ham. Evan's teacher told me Evan came back for multiple helpings. Evan didn't eat much of his lunch because of all the green eggs and ham he ate.

Noah had a good day at school too. His teacher told me he talked a lot. Oh, and Noah will be getting a new head teacher for his classroom. Miss Alexis is leaving at the end of this week and Miss Allison will take her place. The assistant, Terrie, who Noah loves, will still be there.

After school we went to the bank and then to Home Depot. We bought some herb and vegetable plants. I also got more pebbles to fill the area where our grill is.

When we got home I brought all the stuff around to the backyard. The boys helped me carry the plants. I filled the holes near the grill with some dirt I got and then put 4 bags of rocks down. It could still use some more rocks. We'll have to go back another time to get more. I didn't plant anything yet. I might try to do that tomorrow.

Blanca came at 3:45. I tutored just one student today.

I came home and then right away we left again to go to Evan's baseball practice. He did very well today. They worked on quickly throwing the ball after catching it. They also ran the bases.

When we got home around 7:30pm we ate the pulled pork I had made in the crock pot, as well as rice, and broccoli for me.

We just put the boys to bed and Noah is still talking to himself in his room.