Long Walk With Two Dogs

Hello everyone, this is Morry.

Chewie didn't really want to let us sleep in too long this morning.  He just wanted to go downstairs and get the day started. 

When Rachel came downstairs, we decided we needed to take Chewie and Luna for a long walk.  Noah didn't want to come but Evan joined in.  We walked to the trail behind the school.  Luna seemed so excited to be on the trail going through the woods that she was pulling the whole time.  We took it to the bridge and then jumped off the trail and onto Lacrosse and went home that way.  We walked over 3 miles.  Chewie was getting tired to the end.  It was warmer than it has been - about 61 degrees and the sun was bright.

The boys and I watched Despicable Me 3 while Rachel cleaned out closets to get some stuff to sell. 

Rachel and I brought over the stuff she wanted to sell to Rita who is selling it for us.  Then we drove to HEB to do some shopping.  We hadn't gone grocery shopping in quite a while.  We picked up some stuff we could make for dinner there.

We came home, put the food away and got our food ready.

The boys are upstairs playing now.

Until next time...

Thursday and Friday

Yesterday I went for a long run, but had to walk the last two miles because my ankle was bothering me.

We are petsitting for our neighbors and they dropped off their dog Luna around noon.

We all left the house around 4:30.   Morry, Evan, and Noah met Jake and his dad at the movies to see Wonder.  I met Deborah at a different theater to see Downsizing.

After the movies, Evan and Noah spent the night at Jake's house.

I went out to dinner at Mad Greens with Deborah and then met Morry at home.

This morning Morry and I picked up the kids at Jake's house at 10am.  They had a good time.

From there, we got breakfast at Biderman's.

Then, we went to the travel agent next door to get some ideas for a vacation for Morry and me this summer.

Evan had football practice at 2:30 today.  Morry took Chewie with them.

At 5:30 we picked up Grandma and Papa and went out to dinner with their friends and their friends' son and girlfriend.  We went to Fresa's, a chicken/tacos place.  It was very good.

We went to Grandma and Papa's for a little bit before coming home.

Now the kids are getting ready for bed.

Very Tired

Hello everyone, this is Morry.

Rachel and I had a hard time getting up this morning.  Driving two 14 hour days in the last week is tough.  We had a great time though.  I didn't have any meetings so we didn't have to get up by a certain time.  I got up around 9:30.  Rachel got up earlier to let Chewie out and feed him.

Noah was invited to go over Jude's so Rachel drove him over there just before lunch.

Later in the afternoon, two boys knocked on the door to play with Evan.  He was outside much of the afternoon.

We went to a restaurant called Troy for dinner.  It is Grandma's birthday today.  Grandma and Papa have friends visiting in town so they came with us to dinner as well.  Dinner was good.

The boys are getting ready for bed.

Until next time...

Tucson Trip

We just got back from Tucson.  We left around 5am on Friday morning.  It took us about 14 hours to drive there with stops.

We had a nice time.

We left Tucson today at 5:20am (MT) and got home around 7:45pm (CT). We are pretty exhausted.

Here are a few pictures from our trip.

Big House!

Yesterday, the kids were off from school, but I still had to work.  I went for a run and then went into work.

The kids just stayed at home and played video games.

At 4:00 we went to the neighbor's house for a Christmas party.

We had to leave around 5:15 so we could get to our next party.

Austin Tennis Academy was having a Christmas that night at someone's house whose kids go to the academy.

It was in a nice neighborhood.  We passed several big houses as we made our way to their street.  Then, we entered a gated community with just a few houses.  At the end of the street there was valet parking and then a shuttle bus that took people up to the house.  Yes, a shuttle bus just to get up the driveway.  The house was on top of a big hill.  From the street, we could see the huge house on the top of the hill.  It was so big, we weren't even sure it was really a house that we were seeing.

As we entered, someone was playing the piano in the huge living area.  Then, we made our way to back porch which was really a huge room in itself with an outdoor kitchen, seating, a fireplace.  Past the porch, was the infinity pool overlooking downtown Austin.  There was also a large firepit where the kids could roast marshmallows. Everything in the house was huge and we only saw a small part of it.  The kitchen was very large.  There was a finished basement that was probably larger than our house.  The kitchen in the basement was nicer than our kitchen.  The basement had lots of entertainment.  Pool/air hockey table, shuffleboard, ping pong table, movie room.  Oh, and there was an elevator in the house too.  The kids didn't want to leave.

Today, the kids came with me to my last day of school.  They had a good time.

Tonight we ate dinner at home and then walked to Grandma and Papa's house to give them their Hanukkah present that arrived today.

Now the boys are getting ready for bed.

A Night Out

Hello everyone, this is Morry.

It had rained overnight but it was only kind of misty when we left to walk Noah to school.  About half way there, the skies opened up.  I ran back home with Chewie and Rachel finished walking Noah to the trail.  I put Chewie in the house and then drove and picked Rachel up, although she was almost home.

I drove Evan to the bus stop and he waited in the car until the bus came.

I worked from home all day long.  Rachel had to go into school for one class and then she came home.

I had a meeting so I didn't pick Noah up.  It was still kind of raining so Rachel drove with Chewie and picked Noah up without me.  Rachel dropped him off at Grandma and Papa's for dinner on the way home.

When Evan got home, Rachel and I left to go to a Breast Cancer event.  Evan stayed at home for a bit and then rode his bike to Grandma and Papa's for dinner.

By the time we got to the event it had finished.  So we just went to the Domain for dinner.  We went to a ramen place called Jinya Ramen.  The food was good.  The service as awful.

We came home, picked up Chewie and walked to get the boys.  By this time the rain had stopped.  We had dessert there that Grandma and Noah had made.

We are home now and the boys are getting ready for bed.

Until next time...

Really Gross Day

Hello everyone, this is Morry.

It was really humid and gray walking Noah to school.  It just felt gross out.  It was around 55 degrees and it made it so I couldn't tell if I was cold or warm.

We didn't go to Camp Gladiator because of the weather.

I worked all morning from home.  Rachel left later in the morning to go teach.

For lunch, I met Daniel at Slab.  We had a really nice time.

Chad came over to work on HomeAway stuff in the afternoon.  Rachel tutored right after school, so Chad came with me to pick Noah up.

Noah played with Brody after school and when Evan got home, he went outside as well.  They had fun despite the misty weather.

I took Evan for a hitting lesson around dinner time.  It was very foggy there and back.  Evan had a great lesson.

The boys are getting ready for bed.

Until next time...

Football and Hanukkah

This morning Morry and I took Chewie for a walk. 

Then, Morry ran out to pick up some bagels.

A little before noon Noah's friend Jake and his dad Alex came over to watch football.

I left around 12:30 to tutor and got home around 2:30.

The boys and men had a good time hanging out.

I took the boys to Sunday school at 4pm and then picked up a few things at Walgreens.

There was a Hanukkah party at Sunday school at 5pm.

Morry, Grandma, and Papa, met me there for the party.

Noah's group preformed a Hanukkah play.  Noah was the king and he really hammed it up.  Everyone enjoyed that.  The kids played dreidel, bingo, and more.  There were latkes.  It was quite a good turn out.

From there, we went to dinner at Maudie's with Grandma and Papa.

The last few days Evan has been complaining about his finger hurting.  He poked it with a paper clip at school on Thursday.  Today it was swollen and hurting even more, so Morry took him to an urgent care place after dinner.

They are on their way home now.  The doctor said Evan's finger is infected and prescribed some antibiotics.

Here are some pictures from today.

Run Then Rain

Hello everyone, this is Morry.

Chewie let us sleep until about 8am which was nice.  He did get up at 5am, but we let him get on the bed and he seemed happy.

Rachel and Chewie went for a 3 mile run.  She said he pulled some and he wanted to stop and meet two labs but otherwise he did well.  She came and dropped him off at home and went back out to run some more.  She made it home just before the rain.

Rachel came home and had a quick shower and then went to see a massage/physical therapist to work on her ankle.

The boys and I just relaxed most of the morning and didn't do much.

Noah went with his friend Cole to see Star Wars again this afternoon.  Rachel tutored in the late afternoon.

For dinner, we met at Via 313.

The boys are now in bed.

Until next time...

Star Wars!

This morning we walked Noah to school and then I left for school.

From school, I went to the car dealership to get the 5,000-mile service and sign paperwork for the next month.

Morry met me there and we went to lunch at MezzeMe.

After lunch, I picked up my car and went home.

Tonight, the new Star Wars movie started showing in theaters.  Morry bought our tickets months ago.  Deborah met us at our house around 4:30.  We lit the menorahs and then went over to Alamo Drafthouse.

It was a fun movie.  Everyone liked it.

Now we are home and the kids are getting ready for bed.

First Night of Hanukkah

This morning we walked Noah to school and then I left for my school.

After teaching, I met Morry, Grandma, and Papa at Strait Music to get the kids' Hanukkah presents.  Together, we got Evan an electric guitar set and Noah a keyboard set.

From there I went to the Pink Ribbon Cowgirls lunch at Whole Foods.

I walked to get Noah from school and then he went over to Grandma and Papa's house.

Shortly after Evan got home I went to tutor.

When I got home we ate dinner (quesadillas).

Then, we went over to Grandma and Papa's house to celebrate the first night of Hanukkah.

We gave the kids their music gifts tonight.  They were very excited.

When we got home we set everything up and let them play for a little bit before getting ready for bed.

Now, the kids are in bed.

Last Full Week

Hello everyone, this is Morry.

This is the start of the last full week of school before winter break starts.  Winter break starts next Wednesday, Dec 20.  The boys are looking forward to it.

We walked Noah to school this morning.  Chewie was really pulling so we went very fast.

After that, we went to Camp Gladiator.  Both Rachel and I felt it was especially hard this morning.

Rachel went from Camp Gladiator to school to teach.  I went home and did work.

Chad, from Touch To, came over to work with me.  We're working on a project for HomeAway together.  It works out quite well having him come here.  Chewie is always excited to have someone else in the house.  He calms down very quickly but he likes to sit next to the new person.

I drove to get Noah from school because he had an appointment afterward.

When Evan got home, he went to Grandma and Papa's for dinner.

Rachel and I took Chewie for a long walk before picking Evan up.

Rachel, Noah and I ate leftovers from Me Con Bistro for dinner when we got home.

The boys are getting ready for bed now.

Until next time...

Snow Day Followed by 66 Degrees

Hello everyone, this is Morry.

We had a very lazy morning.  Rachel and I slept in.  It was a long week and it was nice to get the extra rest.

Around lunch time, we decided to go to Lady Bird Lake to walk around.  Chewie needed some exercise, the temperature was getting warmer, and the sun was out.  The moment we got to the trail, Chewie started pulling hard.  He was so excited.  We walked the first half of the trail and took a detour and walked to the dog park.  There Chewie raced around, played with other dogs, and went in the water.  When he started to slow down, we put the leash on him and walked the second half of the trail.  He must have gotten a second wind as he pulled the entirety of the walk.

We had a late lunch at home and relaxed in the afternoon.  Chewie slept.  He was spent.

For dinner we went to Rudy's.  Then we stopped at HEB on the way home.

We're home now and the boys are getting ready for bed.

Until next time...

Snow Day = Take your Kids to Work Day

Last night we got the notice that the kids' schools were closed today.  Since my school is a private school, I kept checking for an email or text but never got one.

This morning my school sent an email around 5:30am saying there would only be a slight delay and that students needed to still come to school.

Morry had meetings today, so the kids needed to come with me to school.

Evan and Noah played in the snow this morning before it was time to leave.

We left the house around 9am and had no problems getting to my school.  The roads were fine.  There was still snow on trees and grass which made for a pretty drive.

I was pretty sure the boys would like coming with me, but wasn't certain.  Evan and Noah told me they had a great time today.   They came to my two math classes and were invited to go to the robotics class.  We ran out to get some food for lunch from Einstein Brothers Bagels (their choice).  I asked if they wanted to eat there or with the students at school, and they said the wanted to eat back at the school.

After I was done teaching, the kids wanted to stay even longer.  There are lots of fields and courts there.  Finally, I told the boys it was time to come home. 

We got home around 3pm.

Then, at 5:30 we ate an early dinner at Taco Cabana and went to see the movie, Jumanji.  It was a cute movie.  We all liked it.

We took Chewie for a walk and now the boys are getting ready for bed.

Here are some pictures from today.

It's really snow!

This morning it was cold and wet again so we drove Noah to school (with Chewie in the car).

When we got back I went to my school and taught the two classes.

After work, I met Morry at Wholy Bagel for lunch.

We walked to get Noah from school.  On the way there it started sleeting a little bit.  The kids coming out of school were very excited about the "snow".  There were maybe just a few snowflakes mixed in there.

By the time Evan got home around 4pm there were actually quite a few snowflakes falling.  A ton of kids came outside to play in the snow.

I left to tutor. 

As I was coming home around 6pm, it was still snowing and starting to accumulate.

We ate dinner (pasta) at home and then the kids went outside to play in the snow.  There was enough on the ground to make a small snowman! 

Morry took Chewie for a walk.  He was super hyper.  He loved the cold and the snow.

Now Noah will have some tea and Evan will have hot chocolate and then they'll get ready for bed.

Here are some pictures.

Cold, Wet, Dreary Day

Hello everyone, this is Morry.

When I let Chewie out this morning, I could easily feel how much colder it was.  And it was pouring.  I realized we were not walking to school.  We drove Noah (with Chewie in the car) and dropped him off in front of the school.  When it was Evan's time to leave, I drove him down the street and we waited in the car until the bus came.

I worked and then left to go to the dentist.  Rachel left to go to work around the same time.

I worked all afternoon until it was time to get Noah.  It was still raining, though not hard.  I drove to the top of the trail to get him.  I brought Chewie with me and we got out of the car and waited for Noah.  That way Chewie still got attention from some kids and he got a tiny bit of exercise.

After Evan got home, I drove Noah over to Grandma's.  He had dinner with her.

I made blackened chicken for Rachel, Evan and I to have for dinner.

The boys are getting ready for bed now.

Until next time...

Popular Noah

Hello everyone, this is Morry.

A cold front came in this morning so the high for the day was at Midnight.  Rain came in around 4 or 5 in the morning but it had ended by the time we walked to school.  Temperature-wise it wasn't too cold (around 56) but because of the wetness and the wind made it feel much colder on the walk.

I worked from home all day.  Rachel was at work for the morning but came home just after lunch.  She ate lunch at school.

We walked to get Noah.  Chewie got to see several of his kid friends and he met a new miniature Goldendoodle puppy.

As we were walking home, Noah got invited to go over to Jude's house.  He just walked there from where we were.

Evan came home for a bit before he went over to Grandma's.  They ate dinner together.

Before dinner, I picked up Noah and took him over to Grayson's house for a birthday dinner.  Noah was the only friend the Grayson invited.  It was mostly a family dinner.

Rachel and I had just some random leftovers for dinner.

After dinner, we picked up Noah.  Then Noah was dropped off at home.

The boys are getting ready for bed.

Until next time...

Evan to Grandma's

This morning a cold front was blowing through when we walked Noah to school. 

Shortly after getting home I went to my school.

I taught and then had a meeting and got home around 1pm.

We walked to pick up Noah from school.  He was invited over to Jude's house and went straight there after school.

I tutored.

While I was gone, Morry picked up Noah from Jude's and brought him over to his friend Grayson's house.  They were having a small party for Grayson's birthday.

Evan went over to Grandma's house for dinner tonight.

Morry and I ate dinner at home and then drove to pick up Evan.

Noah got dropped off at home.  It sounded like he had a good time.  He said he helped Grayson build some Legos he got for his birthday.

Now the boys are getting ready for bed.

Late Night

This morning Morry and I walked Noah to school and then we went to Camp Gladiator.

From there, I went to my school. 

After teaching, I had a checkup appointment with my endocrinologist. 

Then, I tutored.

After tutoring, I came home for a few minutes and then we left for Evan's guitar concert.  We picked up Grandma on the way.

The concert was surprisingly good.  Evan's group played 2 songs.  Considering they have only been playing guitar for a few months, they sounded great!

We dropped off Grandma and then came home.

We all have various things for dinner and Morry and the kids watched the Steelers game.  The game just finished and now the kids are going to bed.

Gifted Boys

Hello everyone, this is Morry.

Evan had his last baseball tournament of the season this weekend.  Yesterday, we left very early for the games.

Evan played well in both games.  In the first game, he had a single, double, a walk, two runs scored and an RBI.  He also had one of the best overall games I've seen him play as a catcher.  He didn't throw anyone out but he blocked very, very well.  The coaches were quite pleased with him.  The team won the first game.  In the second game, he singled, stole second and third, and took home on an overthrow when they tried to pick him off of third. 

We went to lunch at Wholy Bagel with Josh, who came home with us, as well as Deborah, who came to watch Evan play. 

In the afternoon, I checked the mail and we had a letter from the school.  Noah was admitted to the Gifted Program.  His teachers in first, second and third grades gave him the gifted assignments even though he wasn't technically in the program.  This year, with him having three teachers, we decided to submit him for consideration to be in the program.  We believed he should make it, but you never know.  We were really proud of him for being admitted.

At night, Rachel went to a part for the Pink Ribbon Cowgirls.  The boys and I went to see Justice League.

Evan's first game today wasn't until 12:30.  It was nice not having to get up so early.  We left earlier than we would have as we met Evan's teammate, Cooper, and his family at Wholy Bagel for brunch.

In the game, Evan started at third base.  It was the first time all season that he started the first game on Sunday at third base.  I tend to think he plays well at third base.  He moved to catcher in the third inning and continued his great play from the day before.  In the fourth inning, he threw a runner out attempting to steal second.  On the way to the game, he had complained that he hadn't thrown a runner out a second all season.  It was the best throw to second from catcher I've ever seen Evan make.  It was perfect.  Evan was needed to pitch in the fourth so he took off his catcher's gear and warmed up.  He was able to get the two outs that were needed but the team was unable to come back and they lost.

Noah went to Sunday School and Evan stayed home.  He had to clean up his room, since he didn't go.

We had leftovers at dinner.

The boys are asleep now.

Until next time...

Last Practice of the Season

Hello everyone, this is Morry.

Rachel went for a run after walking Noah to school.  After that she went into school to teach.

I worked from home until mid-morning when I went into HomeAway.  I had two meetings there - one in the morning and one in the afternoon that I needed to go to.

Rachel was home in time to pick up Noah.  She then took him to an appointment.

I got home just after Evan got home.  We were home for a bit before I took him to baseball practice.  It was the last practice of the season.  Their last tournament is this weekend.  They'll be off for a bit more than a month and then back at it for the spring season.  The had a real practice for a little while and then they played backwards baseball.  They had to hit on the opposite side - so a right-hander had to bat left-handed.  They had to run the bases backwards.  They also had to put their glove on the opposite hand and throw with their non-dominant hand.  It was fun and the boys really enjoyed it.

Josh came home with us after practice.  He's riding to the tournament with us tomorrow morning.  We stopped at Yaghi's on the way home and picked up pizza.

The boys should be getting ready for bed soon.

Until next time...

Thanksgiving Photos

This morning we walked Noah to school and then I left for work.

Morry had a meeting, so we did not meet for lunch today.

He got home in time to walk to pick up Noah from school.

Shortly after Evan got home I left to tutor.

Evan went over to Grandma and Papa's for dinner tonight.

When I got home we walked to pick up Evan.

Then, we ate dinner at home.

Now the boys are getting ready for bed.

Here are some pictures from Thanksgiving.