Zip Line

This morning we walked Noah to school with Lizzy. Evan walked to the bus stop from home.

Shortly after getting home, I went to Camp Gladiator.

I needed to be at ATA at 11:30 for day 2 of orientation.

We had a catered lunch from Thundercloud Subs and then went to Cypress Valley for zip lining.   What a nice job so far... catered lunch and zip lines!  I had a nice time. The kids seem really nice so far.

From there, I tutored.

While I was gone Morry picked up Noah from school.  Evan took the bus home.

On my way home I thought I'd get gas.  I hadn't been online today, so I was unaware of the gas crisis going on.  I stopped at H-E-B to get gas and all the pumps said the gas was sold out.  I thought that was weird.  Then, every gas station I passed had a long line stretching down the street.  I ended up going to a gas station near our house and waiting in line about 20 minutes for gas.

For dinner we had ribs.

After dinner, Evan realized he didn't have a composition book that was part of an assignment that had been due today.  Morry had to take Evan out to find one so he could complete the assignment.  First, they went to H-E-B, but they didn't have one.  Then, they went to Target.  From there, they waited in line so that Morry could get gas.  Evan finished his assignment while they were in the car.

They just got home.

Hopefully, Evan can go to bed soon.

Orientation

This morning Morry, Lizzy, and I walked Noah to school.  As we were close to home Evan was walking to the bus.   In the summer, Evan said he wanted to walk with us every morning to drop off Noah.  I was wondering how long that would last.  Not very long.

When we got home, I left for ATA. Today and tomorrow are the orientation for the students.  They have mixers and rotate to have short sessions to meet the teachers.  I met all of my students and it went well.    I did a math scavenger hunt with them and a brain teaser problem.  They seemed to like both.

I got home as Morry was walking to pick up Noah.  I quickly dropped my things off at the house and walked to meet them at school.  I got there as they were just leaving the parking lot, so I was mostly able to walk home with them.

Evan got home around 4:15.

Shortly after Morry took Evan to baseball practice.

They got home around 7:30.  

We had pasta and soup for dinner.

Evan's working on his homework now.

Working

This morning we walked with Lizzy to drop off Noah at school.  Evan stayed at home and walked to his bus stop when it was time.  We saw him waiting for the bus as we got close to home.  He came over to us to tell us goodbye even though we said goodbye at home.

Shortly after we got home I went to ATA (my school) for meetings and planning).  I was there until 11:30.

Morry and I walked to get Noah from school.

A little bit after getting home, I took Noah to Grandma and Papa's and then went to tutor.

Morry took Evan to Applebee's to meet his carpool ride for baseball shortly after he got home from school.

When I got home Morry and I ate dinner.

Then, we walked to pick up Noah.

When we got home from that, Morry left to meet Evan at Applebee's to bring him home.

They should be on their way home now.

Two Hour Delay

Hello everyone, this is Morry.

School was delayed for two hours this morning.  I guess the district wanted to give as much time as possible for and water over low water crossings to recede and any clean up to be completed.

When we got up it was not raining.  We walked Noah to school and then came home.  Evan didn't walk with us.  When we got home, we sent him out to the bus stop.

Rachel had to go to more meetings at the school where she'll be teaching.

Later in the morning, a fence guy came and measured to give us an estimate.

I had several meetings back-to-back before going to pick Noah up from school.  Rachel was home by then.

Rachel left to tutor just before Evan got home from school.

When Rachel got home, we put Lizzy in the car and went to Austin Pets Alive.  There have been abandoned dogs in all the places affected by the hurricane.  They need foster families to hold the dogs until either their families can claim them or they get adopted out.  We thought we have the ability and the resources to foster.  But they suggested bringing Lizzy to meet any potential dogs so we can determine whether it would get along with Lizzy.  Unfortunately, they said we were too late (we got there at 6:30) and said they don't do any "meet-and-greets" after 6:30.  We found a very shy, very scared older dog.  But we're not sure we'll take it without knowing that it will get along with Lizzy.

For dinner, Rachel and I had leftovers and the boys had salmon.

The boys are upstairs playing.

Until next time...

At Home

We spent the day at home today.

It was still rainy and windy outside.

Morry ran out to Home Depot to get some netting to cover the gap in the fence.  Papa came over to help set it up.

For dinner, we had leftover pizza.  Noah had shrimp and Evan had pasta.

The kids are ready for bed, but they are still playing some since we have a 2-hour school delay tomorrow.

Hello Harvey

The storm came through around 5am this morning and we have had rain on and off all day today.

We stayed at home for most of the day.

At 5:45 we picked up Grandma and Papa and went to see Wonder Woman.

After the movie, it was raining harder and very windy outside.

For dinner, we ate at Maudie's.

While we were out our neighbor texted and said our fence fell down.

When we got home, we saw a section of our fence had fallen over.  The post snapped so Morry was not able to just prop it up.  We will have to figure out what to do tomorrow.

Now the boys are getting ready for bed.

One Down, Thirty-Seven To Go

Hello everyone, this is Morry.

The boys have finished up their first week of school.  Evan, Rachel and I walked Noah to school.  As we walked back, we saw Evan's friend Luke again.  He walked back with us to the bus stop.

I went to HomeAway for meetings in the morning.

Rachel had coffee with Lorena.  Then she went to Costco which was so packed she could barely get in the door.  With the news of the hurricane, everyone is freaking out.  She quickly gave up and went to Randall's which is never crowded.  Today, though, Rachel said it was pretty crowded.

We met at Wholy Bagel for lunch.

There was a brief shower before we walked to get Noah.  Evan got home on the bus not too long afterward.

For dinner, we got Pizza Hut.

After dinner there was an impromptu wiffleball game in the cul-de-sac with our neighbors.

The boys will be getting ready for bed soon.

Until next time...

Looooong Day

This morning we did our usual routine.  We walked to drop off Noah and then Evan got the bus at the stop near our house.

Morry and I went to Camp Gladiator this morning.

I had to be at my school at 11am for planning and preparation.  I was there until around 1pm.

From there, I went shopping at Target and the Office Depot to get school supplies for Evan that his teachers requested.  I also picked up some items for my classroom.  It took me so long at Target because I couldn't find everything, that I was not able to get home in time to pick up Noah.

I got home around 3:20 and then had to leave again a little after 4:00 for tutoring.

As I was leaving, I saw Evan get off his bus and said a quick "Hello" to him.

I got home around 7:15 from tutoring and then we had dinner.

Evan had some homework tonight and just got it done.

Now the boys are getting ready for bed.

Day Number 3

Hello everyone, this is Morry.

Evan chose to walk to school and back with us so he could go to his "regular" bus stop again.  On the way we saw his friend Luke who ended up walking with us and waiting at the bus stop with Evan.  Evan said that there wasn't an open seat for the two of them to sit together so he ended up sitting with an 8th grader. He said the kid was very nice.

Rachel had a teacher orientation for her new job.  She was there all morning.

I stayed at home.  I had no meetings scheduled but got pulled into two meetings along the way.

In the afternoon, we walked to get Noah.  He was in a good mood.

Wade's mom was going to school to pick Wade up, so she brought Evan home.  He beat the bus (which was running on time this time) home by about 1 minute.

I took Evan to hitting practice.  We picked Cooper up on the way.

For dinner we had leftovers.

The boys are getting ready for bed.

Until next time...

Late Bus

This morning we walked Noah to school and then Evan to the bus stop.  There were a few other kids waiting when he got there. He said his bus was about 5 minutes late.

I went to Camp Gladiator.

Morry and I walked to pick up Noah from school.  He seemed happy and said he played kickball at recess.

I left the house with Noah around 3:45.  I dropped him off with Grandma and then went to tutoring.

The plan this afternoon was for Evan to take the bus home, quickly change, grab a snack, and head out to his get his ride for baseball.

The bus was supposed to leave the school around 3:50.  After 4pm the bus still hadn't even arrived at the school.  Morry was texting with Evan and decided to just drive there to pick him up since he wouldn't get home in time.  Morry told Evan not to get the bus and to wait for him.  The bus was so late, that as Morry was arriving at the school the bus was finally leaving, at 4:20.  Evan changed in the car and Morry dropped him off at Wendy's to catch his ride to baseball practice.

Morry and I ate dinner at home and then walked with Lizzy to get Noah.

As soon as we got back, Morry went to Subway to pick up Evan.  Evan got Subway to eat for dinner.

He's finishing his dinner now and then will get ready for bed.

Back to School 2017

Today was the first day of school.

Evan walked with us to the trail of Noah's school and then he walked to the bus stop.  Morry and I walked Noah to his classroom.

On the way home, we pass by the bus stop.  The bus had not come yet.  There was a big group of kids a few parents waiting.  We talked to a few of the parents while we waited for the bus.  Evan knew a couple of the kids on the bus and seemed totally comfortable.  After the bus left, we walked home.

Morry and I went to Camp Gladiator this morning.

In the afternoon we watched the eclipse with our special glasses.  Here, we were able to see about 65% coverage.  It was still pretty cool.

We walked to pick up Noah from school.   A friend from his class lives near us, so he walked home with us.

Everything went well with Evan's bus ride on the way home.  He walked in the door about 4:15.

Both kids seemed to have a good day.

Right after Evan got home I left for tutoring.

When I got home we had dinner - flank steak and corn.

After dinner, we took a short walk.

Now the kids are getting ready for bed.

Here are a few pictures from today.

Getting ready for school

This morning I took Noah's to his friend's birthday party at the pool.   I dropped him off and then got some stuff done around the house.

I made the kids' lunches, ate lunch, and then picked up Noah.  He said he had a good time.

This afternoon I did some cleaning and preparation for school.

For dinner, we went to Buffet Palace.

After dinner, we took Lizzy on a walk.

Now the boys will start getting ready for bed.

We have an early day tomorrow.

Evan's Busy Day

This morning we took it easy.  Morry and I went for a walk and then we made lunch.

Morry and Evan went to Evan's baseball practice from 3 -5pm.

From there, Morry dropped off Evan with Reid and they went to Round Rock Express game.

While Evan was gone, Morry, Noah, and I ate dinner at Chuy's and then went shopping at H-E-B.

Morry just got home from picking up Evan.

Last Day of Summer Vacation

Hello everyone, this is Morry.

Today is the last Friday before school starts, thus the last day of Summer Vacation.  We all were able to sleep a little longer for the last time.  There was no rush to get to school.  It's amazing how fast it went.

I had to go into HomeAway this morning.  I had a long meeting there.

Rachel and the boys stayed home.  She took them to Wholy Bagel for lunch and then they got hair cuts in preparation for school.

Rachel dropped Evan off with Grandma and Papa and then I met Rachel and Noah at an appointment for Noah.

From there, I drove to interview someone that we may hire.  The interview went quite well.

Grandma and Papa had us over for dinner.  We had grilled chicken.  Grandma also bought a coffee cake and had fruit for dessert.

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

Until next time...

Pizza for Papa

This morning we took the kids to Austin's Park and Pizza for a couple of hours.  They rode the go carts, bumper boats, carnival rides, and played mini golf.

We were home for just a little bit this afternoon and then it was time to go to Noah's school for Meet the Teacher and supply drop off.  So far, we really like his teacher.

Then, we were home for just a little bit again and it was time to go to dinner.

We met Grandma, Papa, Uncle Marvin, and Aunt Sandy at Home Slice to celebrate Papa's birthday.  We had a nice meal.

Now the kids are cleaning up a little bit before bed.

Separate Evening

Hello everyone, this is Morry.

All or us stayed home in the morning.  I was busy with work.  Rachel was trying to get some stuff done for her blog as well.  The boys played with Legos most of the morning.

Just before lunch, Darius' dad called and invited Evan out to lunch with them and to go to the park.  They stayed out all afternoon.

Grandma picked Noah and Rachel up in the early afternoon to drive to San Antonio.  Valencia was having a party at Main Event in San Antonio.  Rachel, Noah and Grandma stayed in San Antonio after the party to get dinner.

Evan and I drove with Josh and Chad to baseball practice.  It was at the TRPD facility.  Evan said that practice was really fun.

When we got home, we met Papa at Backspin.  The food was good, just REALLY slow.  It took an hour and a half for us to get our food.  We ended up getting the food for free.

The boys are getting ready for bed.

Until next time...

Teacher Meeting, Grocery Store, Papa's Birthday

I accepted a job teaching Math part time at Austin Tennis Academy.  I will be teaching two courses, Pre-Algebra, and Algebra I.  We had our first teacher meeting today.  It went well.  Everyone there seems nice and laid-back.  Classes start September 6, but I will be going often until then for planning, meetings, and student orientation.

After the meeting, I went shopping at H-E-B.

Today was Papa's birthday. So, this afternoon, the boys and I dropped of Papa's present.  He wasn't home at the time though.

Noah went to Jude's house this afternoon.

For dinner, we had pork tenderloin, bread with roasted garlic, and vegetables.

After dinner, we walked to Grandma and Papa's house to say Happy Birthday to Papa in person.  Lizzy came with us.

Now the boys are getting ready for bed.

Lizzy's Big Adventure

Hello everyone, this is Morry.

During the summer, my routine has been to get up, come downstairs and then feed the cats.  Then I make sure that Lizzy comes downstairs and doesn't have any problems walking down the stairs and I let her out.  She'll stay outside for 20 minutes or so. While she's outside, I get on my computer and do work.  This morning was like any other morning.  After about 20 minutes, I looked out the window and I didn't see Lizzy walking around.  So I went outside and I still didn't see Lizzy.  I walked around the side of the house where our air conditioner is and I still didn't see Lizzy.  Calling for her is fairly useless since she's mostly deaf now.  I raced inside through the house and ran out the front door and looked in the front yard and I didn't see Lizzy.  So I ran upstairs, got some shoes on and then really looked through all the bushes and things in the backyard.  My concern was that maybe she passed out or something in the landscape and I couldn't see her.  But she wasn't there.  I raced back in the house and yelled for Rachel.  I ran back out to the back and did one final look and then back in front.  I looked down the street where the fence is - thinking somehow maybe she broke through the fence and was walking down the street.  I still didn't see her.  I was thinking where does a 14-year-old dog who doesn't move that quickly and who had a stroke 2 months ago, hide?  So then I ran around to the driveway of our house and as I was coming around, I could see under our neighbor's cars and through to their grass and I saw 4 brown legs walking around.  I ran over to their front yard and Lizzy looked up smiling as if to say "Hey, there you are!" and she trotted over to see me.  She was just smelling all the plants and all the smells and enjoying herself.  She had no clue why I was making a big fuss.  She just enjoyed her big adventure.

I'm really not sure how she got out.  When we went back to the backyard, the latch was open on the back gate.  But I think that I ran out the gate to the front yard that last time.  So it's possible that I left it open in my haste.  I don't remember whether I had noticed it wasn't latched when I ran out the gate.  I went through and didn't see any loose boards.  Even if there was a loose board, Lizzy doesn't have the flexibility to squeeze through anything anymore.  We'll just have to keep our eye on her.

After that I went into Aaron's for a meeting.  Rachel had a phone meeting and then she and the boys ran some errands.  They stopped at Wheatsville Co-op for lunch.

In the afternoon, I drove Evan up to Main Event for a birthday party for twins that he plays baseball with.  I stayed up there and worked from a coffee shop.

We had dinner when we got home.

The boys are asleep now.   Until next time...

Farmer's Market and Ice Cream

This morning Morry, Evan, and I went to a Farmer's Market.  Noah didn't want to go so we dropped him off at Grandma and Papa's first.

At the Farmer's Market, we got a ginger juice drink for Evan, some beef jerky, and some peaches.

Evan had baseball practice this afternoon.

For dinner we had leftovers.

After dinner, we got ice cream and shakes at Austin Scoops.

Now the boys are playing video games.

The Boys Are Back

Hello everyone, this is Morry.

We picked the boys up from camp yesterday.  They seemed happy when we got them.  They both made sure to say goodbye to all their counselors.  We also were informed that Noah had gotten up at the talent show and sang the first verse of "We Are The Champions".  Afterward, everyone was chanting Noah's name.  It was really nice.

Evan was only home for a short time before he went to Josh's to stay over for Josh's birthday.

We stayed at home for most of the day.  We decided to take it easy today because, starting tomorrow, everything is picking up.  Evan starts baseball practice tomorrow.  Both boys have birthday parties to go to this week.  Rachel will begin preparing to teach some classes this week.  So, we'll go from the laid back summer straight into fall starting tomorrow.

I picked Evan up from Josh's around 2pm.  He said he had fun.

For dinner, we went to Texas Roadhouse with Grandma and Papa.  It was Noah's choice.  We told Noah that he could choose a dinner when he got home.

The boys will be getting ready for bed soon.

Until next time...

Drop off

This morning we took it easy at home.

For lunch, we ate our leftovers from dinner last night.

The kids were going to Camp Kesem today.  Noah was giving us a really hard time.  It was not a pleasant morning.

Our plan was to leave the house around 12:30 for the 2-hour car ride.  We had to pry Noah off of the furniture to get him into the car.

Evan seemed excited about going though.

Once we arrived at the camp, Noah put on a good face.

Morry and I drove back home.

Then we went out to dinner with Mom/Grandma and Dad/Papa to Lupe Tortilla.

Now, we are going to hopefully relax.  The kids will be at camp until Friday.

Queen in Dallas

We just got back from Dallas.

For the kids' birthday presents we got them Queen concert tickets.  They love Queen and were very excited.

We drove to Dallas on Thursday.  Thursday night we went to Fish City Grill and then Bahama Bucks.  We also drove by Grandma and Papa's old house.

On Friday, we went to a park, then to lunch at Ali Baba.  After that, we went to the Dallas Arboretum.

We took it easy at the hotel in the afternoon.  The kids swam in the pool.

The Queen & Adam Lambert concert was supposed to start at 8pm.  We got there around 7:15.  For some reason, it didn't start until about 8:45.  Our seats were pretty high up, but we were in the first row of our section and could see well.  It was a really good concert.

On the way back to the hotel we picked up Wendy's for dinner.

Today, we had brunch at Deli News and then drove back to Austin.

Tonight we got dinner at Fire Bowl.

Now the kids are playing video games.

Playing With Cats

Hello everyone, this is Morry.

All of us stayed home this morning.  I had a quick conference call but otherwise, none of us had any plans in the morning.

After lunch, Rachel offered to take the boys to Austin Pets Alive - the shelter where we got Flash.  Evan has been asking to volunteer there.  Just as they were about to leave, Noah decided he wasn't going to go.  So just Evan and Rachel went.

When they got there, they said that kids need to be at least 12 before they can volunteer.  That said, Rachel can still bring the boys just to pet the cats and keep them company.  That's really all Evan wanted to do anyway.  They spent a long time pulling different cats out of the cages and petting them and sitting with them.  Rachel and Evan really liked a cat named Cosmos.  We're not getting any more cats though.  They did stop by the dog area but they didn't get any dogs out of the cages.  They had a nice time.

Rachel tutored later in the afternoon.

For dinner we had leftovers.

The boys are upstairs playing Minecraft now.  They have to start to get ready for bed shortly.

Until next time...

Dentist Appointment x 2

This morning I went to Camp Gladiator and everyone else stayed home.  The kids didn't want to go and Morry had work to do.

We took it easy at home most of the day.

The boys both had a dentist appointment at 4pm.

The dentist is in north Austin which during rush hour can take quite some time.

Morry drove us to the dentist and then worked at a coffee shop.

He picked us up around 5pm when the kids were done and we ate dinner at a nearby Jason's Deli.

While we were at Jason's Deli, we ran into someone from Camp Gladiator.  He said he was up north since he had a dentist appointment.  We asked who his dentist was, and it was the same as ours!  Pretty funny!

Now the kids are playing in the game room.