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.

A Little Bit Cranky

This morning I asked the boys if they wanted to go to the pool.  Evan said no right away.  He complained about his legs being sore from yesterday.

Around lunch time Owen's mom texted to see if we wanted to meet at the pool later.  Evan still didn't want to go, so she offered to just take Noah.    I helped get Noah ready for the pool and they came and picked him up.  They were at the pool for about 2 hours.

This afternoon both boys were somewhat cranky.   They complained when it was time to leave for dinner.

We had dinner at Aunt Sandy and Uncle Marvin's house.  Morry and I had a nice time, but the boys were still acting cranky and didn't eat very well.

When we got home we went on a short walk.

Now the boys are getting ready for bed.

A little Baseball

This morning Morry took the boys to a park to play some baseball.  They got smoothies on the way home.

Later in the afternoon Evan went over to Jack's to swim.

We ate dinner at home and then went to TCBY for dessert.

The boys are supposed to be getting ready for bed now, but it sounds like they are playing.

Many Activities

This morning Jack came over to play.   He went home for lunch, but after lunch Evan went over to Jack's house to swim.

Noah and I picked up Evan from Jack's house and came back home for a few minutes so that Evan could change clothes.  Then, we all walked to school for meet the teachers and to drop off supplies.  That went well.  Evan's teacher seemed nice.  Mr. Valdes seemed happy to see both boys.

We came home for a little bit and then walked to the Circle C community center for food trailer night.  There were a ton of people there.  Morry and the boys got pizza.  I got a wrap.  We all had shaved ice for dessert.

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

25 Meters

This morning I went for a run.  The boys didn't want to come with me, so they stayed at home with Morry.

We had lunch and then went to the Little Gym for Noah's sports class.

After, we went to the gym to go swimming.  First, the boys swam inside.  When we went outside I asked Evan if he wanted to take the swim test.  At the gym, they have a 25-10 rule.  If a kid can't swim 25 meters you have to be within 10 feet of them at all time.  I would stay that close to the kids anyway, but it's still a big deal when a kid passes and gets to wear a wrist band each time at the pool.  Anyway,  Evan did it!  He swam a lap (25 meters) without stopping.  I could tell he was getting tired at the end. The lifeguard and I were cheering him on a long the way.  Evan was in the outermost lap.  Evan was very proud of himself for swimming that far.  We spent a little more time in the outside pool.   Evan went down the slides a lot.  Noah had fun jumping in a swimming to me.

We took it easy at home this afternoon.

Morry played baseball for just a little bit with the boys before dinner. 

Morry still isn't feeling well.

For dinner we had skewered chicken on the grill, with rice, and corn on the cob.

Morry is reading to the boys now before bed.

Swim, Door, Tutor, ...

First I ran with the boys in the stroller.

Then, John came to start refinishing our door and outside shutters.

I took the boys to swimming. They did well. Noah still won't jump off the waterfall on his own. He didn't like that part, but seemed to do well with the other swimming. I promised the boys we could get Blizzy's (shaved ice) later in the afternoon since they had a good swimming week.

Morry came home at lunch time. We had the floor lady come by to measure the house and show us some samples.

Then, at 1pm I had a student come for tutoring.

Noah actually napped.

I woke him up around 4pm and we went to Blizzy's.

After Blizzy's we went to the bank and then Panera to pick up my dinner.

The boys and I were by ourselves tonight. Morry had a meeting. I made mac and cheese for the boys and ate my Panera's.

Evan and Noah are eating their Panera cookie and then I'll get them ready for bed.

Swimming with the boys

Most of the morning we spent at home. The boys were kind of wild and it took us a while to leave the house.

We went to the gym. I exercised a little bit while the kids were in the child care then. When I was done we all went swimming. Evan and Noah were very good at the pool. They listened to me and did well in the water. Evan went down the water slide for the first. I met him at the bottom to help him. It too deep for him to stand up. Normally they don't let you do that, but I stood off to the side and was there to catch him when he came down. He loved it and wanted to go again, but they closed it for the 10 minute safety break.

the slide looks like this. Evan went down the open top one, not the tube one.




Evan and Noah were both very good when it was time to leave.

We ate lunch at home and Noah took a good nap.

Morry picked up Carinos on his way home and I made pasta for the boys.

Morry is reading to them now.

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.

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.

Boating

Hello everyone, this is Morry.

Today is a pretty significant day. A year ago today Rachel was diagnosed with cancer. It's been a pretty tough year, but the year is over now and Rachel is doing amazing. She started the morning with a 8.27 mile run. Each week she seems to be adding a mile to her run. It's really impressive.

Since today is a significant day, we thought we'd something a bit special. One of the daily deal sites called LivingSocial was having a deal on a 2-hour boat rental. So we decided to get that deal. We drove out to the lake and rented a ski boat. We toyed with the idea of bringing Lizzy but we knew if we anchored somewhere, she'd want to swim and we weren't sure how we'd get her back in the boat.

When we got in the boat and we put Noah's life jacket on, he began to throw a fit. He didn't want a life jacket on. It wasn't only our just our rule, it was the rule of Just For Fun where we rented the boat. His fit lasted for about 30 minutes. While I was driving the boat, he was rolling around on the floor.

We found a good spot to anchor and we had lunch that we brought. Noah's mood improved as he ate his lunch. Then we all went swimming off the back of the boat. Evan really enjoyed swimming. Noah seemed to like it too.

On the way back to Just For Fun, Noah threw another fit. I think it was because he didn't want to leave the lake. I'm not quite sure.

We drove home and put Noah down for a nap.

For dinner, we went to the Hill Country Pasta House. Rachel's friend, Melissa, was having a birthday party at her house starting at 7pm, so we decided to go out that way, grab some dinner and go to Melissa's. The boys were really well behaved tonight. They both ate well at dinner. Then at Melissa's they were really showing off for everyone. They seemed to enjoy themselves.

We came home and the boys are in bed now.

Now we'll begin year two of Rachel's survival.

Until next time...

Running, Swimming, Biking

This morning I went for a run with the boys in the stroller. I ran/walked about 3.5 miles.

We came home for just a little bit. I made a smoothie for all of us and then we went to the gym. I swam and then sat in the hot tub and steam room, cleaned up and then picked up the boys in the child care. Evan and Noah had a good time at the gym. They both colored pages from a coloring book. Evan was especially proud of his Scooby Doo coloring page.

After the gym we went over to the bike shop. I wanted to talk to someone about options for taking the kids with me bike riding. The guy wasn’t sure Evan was big enough for one of those kids trailer bikes (makes like a tandem bike on and adult bike). We put him on one on the lowest setting and he seemed comfortable. The guy recommended doing that and a bike trailer rather than getting seats on the back of the bike. I didn’t buy anything, we just looked around.

It was getting late and there was a McDonalds right next to the bike shop, so I picked up lunch for the boys there.

When we got home Evan and Noah finished eating and then I put Noah down for a nap. Noah wasn’t napping and was crying a lot. I’m not sure why.

Gabby came over at 3:45 and I tutored one student.

I got home around 6pm and we got dinner started. Morry and the boys had pasta. I had a sandwich and soup.

After dinner I gave Evan and Noah haircuts on the upstairs porch.

We gave them a quick bath and now they are both it bed, though both are still awake.

School Tomorrow

Today was a busy day. It took us a while to finally get out of the house, but once we did, we were busy. First, I took the boys in the stroller to Town Lake. I ran, but mostly walked around the 3 mile loop. It was already really hot at 11am.

Evan and Noah were really good on the walk. We were all pretty hot so I suggested we go to the gym to swim. I had planned ahead and had everything in the car just in case.

Evan and Noah really enjoy swimming, but it is hard work. First I had to dress them and sunscreen them. They were super excited and were not always listening to me. We stayed at the pool for a while, but getting them out and dressed again was tough. They insisted on taking a shower. The whole process took a really long time.

I needed a couple of things at CVS, which is right next to the gym. On the way home we stopped at CVS. That ended up taking a while because the boys were super excited there and wanted to touch and see everything.

We finally got home around 2 something. I made them lunch and then put Noah down for a late nap.

I had wanted to go to HEB today, but ran out of time. We needed a lot of stuff including things for school tomorrow.

When Morry got home we all went over to HEB and did a huge shopping trip. It took a long time. On the way home we picked up a pizza and breadsticks from Little Caesers.

We had a late dinner and then put Evan and Noah to bed. We’ve been getting stuff together for both of them for school tomorrow.

It will be Noah’s first day ever at school. Noah is just going from 9 -11am tomorrow. For the first day they have the 2 year-olds just coming for 2 hours. Evan will be there from 9am -1:30pm.

Wednesday

This morning Evan got up early. Noah woke up about 8:45am.

Once I got them dressed and fed I went for a run with Evan and Noah and Lizzy. We came home and then drove to the gym. This time I was able to swim. The pool was open. I kept wondering exactly how clean it was though and what they did to get rid of the fecal contamination.

Noah did not want to leave the gym. He threw a fit again and I couldn’t even get his shoes on. I was glad I had brought the stroller in (which I normally do). There was no way I could have carried my stuff and Noah all the way out the parking lot.

When we got home we had lunch. Evan ate well, but Noah didn’t eat much.

Noah took a long nap. Evan watched TV.

When Morry got home we started dinner. We had a Fix and Freeze pork stir-fry. Evan and Noah played in the backyard while we got dinner ready.

After dinner the boys played while we cleaned up. We gave them baths and now they are in bed.

Cooling Off

This morning Evan got up around 7:45am and Noah slept until almost 10am. By the time we got out of the house it was about noon.

We went to the gym. I ran/walked on the treadmill and then we all went outside to the pool. Evan and Noah had a great time. They both seemed very comfortable in the water. Evan kept “swimming”. He’d army crawl along the bottom with his head in the water. Noah didn’t seem to care the few times water went over his head.

When we came home we had lunch and then I put Noah down for a nap.

When Morry got home we all went in the front yard. Evan rode his bike and scooter and played baseball. Noah scooted along on the big wheel bike a little bit. I started getting bitten up so I went inside to start dinner.

We had pasta and carrots for dinner.

Now it’s time to clean up the toys and head upstairs. Let’s hope the boys sleep well tonight. I would think they would after all the swimming and playing today.