No School Today

Hello everyone, this is Morry.

Last night, Evan and Noah stayed at Grandma and Papa's.  They went over there around 5:00.  Everyone went to dinner at Kerbey Lane.  Then the boys slept in sleeping bags.  Rachel and I went to see the Hunger Games at the Alamo Drafthouse.

I got up later than normal since I didn't have to take the boys to school.  But I still had to do work.  I worked for several hours in the morning and then took my car to the car wash.  Rachel went to Grandma and Papa's to get the boys.

I met everyone at the Wildflower Park and we played football for a bit.  Noah went home with Rachel and Evan came with me to get smoothies at Smoothie King.

I worked all afternoon.  Evan watched Rat Race.

For dinner we went to Grandma and Papa's.  They picked up Torchy's Tacos.

The boys are showering and getting ready for bed now.

Until next time...

Easter Sunday

Hello everyone, this is Morry.

Again, with no sports, Rachel and I were able to sleep in.  When I got up, the boys were downstairs playing with Legos.

The boys and I played Super Mario Brothers on the Wii U.

Before lunch, we took the boys over to the Wildflower Park and they rode their scooters.  Noah used his old scooter, while Evan was using his new Razor scooter.  They also played some on the playground.

We came home and had lunch.

In the afternoon, I did work while the boys played with Legos and Grandmom's iPad and iPhone.

We went to dinner at the Genghis Grill which is a Mongolian barbecue.  It was pretty good.  It was our first time.  Noah ate pretty well.  Evan did ok.

We came home and put the boys to bed.

Until next time...

Whew... busy

I thought today would be a relaxing day, but it was really busy.

I gave the boys a few suggestions on what we could do today and they chose to go to the zoo. I packed our lunches.  I thought maybe we go for about an hour or 2 and come home and relax before my tutoring. 

A little before we were going to leave Morry called and said Noah's baseball coach was getting kids together to play/practice at noon.  It was going to be an informal practice and Evan could come too.  I gave the boys the the option of going to the zoo or playing baseball.  I think you know what they chose.

So, we went to the Wildflower Park to play and eat our already packed lunches.  From there, we went to the baseball practice.  Evan and Noah had fun and played well.

  On our way home Gabby called and said she thought she was getting sick and couldn't babysit today.  When we got home I tried calling and texting a few people, but no one was available.  I called the mom of the tutoring student and she said it was fine if I brought Evan and Noah.

We left the house around 2:30 for my tutoring.  The boys were good there and played with the younger sister.

We got home about 4:30.

I folded 2 huge baskets of laundry and got dinner ready.  The boys cleaned up while I got dinner ready.

We just finished eating leftover brisket and oven potato slices.

In a few minutes we'll put the boys to bed.

Johnson City

This morning I took the boys to the park for a little bit to play some football.  At noon Morry and the boys watched the Steelers game. 

When it was over we met at Will and Bradford's house and all drove to Johnson City to see the Christmas lights there.  We at dinner in the square and went on a hayride.  It was a nice night.  Everyone enjoyed it.

Here are some pictures from today.

Baseball in the Park

Hello everyone, this is Morry.

I got up early as I'm trying to finish up some things for Monday.  Evan got up first followed by Noah 30 minutes to an hour later.

The boys were good together.  They played upstairs (made a gigantic mess in the game room) as well as playing Wii.

Later in the morning, I decided the boys needed to get out of the house.  I decided to take them to the park to play baseball.  For Hanukkah the boys got bases, a bucket of baseballs and a tee.  They also got  a screen and soft-toss pitching machine, although I left those at home since we were going to be running the bases.   We first tried to go to the Wildflower Park but someone was already playing baseball.  We then went to the Circle C park where they have an actual backstop and cut outs for the bases.  I think the boys really liked playing on a field.

We stopped at Smoothie King on the way home and got smoothies.

Rachel made the boy lunch and I put on Monsters Inc for them.

Later in the afternoon, I played Wii with them and then we had a light dinner.

We just gave the boys showers and put them to bed.

Until next time...

No Games

Hello everyone, this is Morry.

As Rachel mentioned yesterday, we had nothing scheduled for today.  Absolutely nothing.  We didn't have to get up early for a sporting event or a birthday party.  It was nice.  Rachel was going to run the San Antonio half marathon tomorrow but given how busy the fall has been, we decided to take it easy.

The boys slept in a bit.  I think I heard Evan around 8am.  Noah got up closer to 9am.  Rachel and I came downstairs and Rachel made Pillsbury cinnamon buns while the boys played MLB Power Pros on the Wii.

Rachel then went to tutor.  I stayed home and did a little bit of work while the boys continued to play Wii.

When Rachel got home, I left to go to Wings To Go.  Rachel thought I might be able to get more work done out of the house this afternoon.  They had free WiFi there and I could get wings.  They also had college football on.  Despite all of that, I was highly productive.  It was nice.

Meanwhile, Rachel made the boys lunch.  Then they went to the Wildflower Park to play on the playground and they brought their bikes.  The playground in a square in the middle of a neighborhood. So it's a big block but you can see the sidewalk from anywhere in the park.  Rachel had hoped that she could just sit there while the boys biked around.  Evan did well, but Noah needed to be pushed up the hills on his bike with training wheels.  He also was scared on some of the downhills.  He went around once.  Nevertheless, it was good having him get that experience out there.

I got home and played with the boys some.  Then Rachel and I got ready to go to dinner.  Blanca came over to watch the boys while we went out.

We went to a place called Casa Columbia.  It was pretty good.  Rachel got a fruit drink made of this fruit called Soursop. We had it when we were in Costa Rica - the fruit, not the drink.  I had a sip, it tasted good.  The food seemed authentic to me.  It reminded me of food in Costa Rica.  It was good.  We'd go back.

We decided rather than eat dessert out, to go to HEB and buy a frozen pie and cook it here while watching a movie.  The boys were going to bed as we got home.  They were very hyper, though, when we got home.  It seemed like they had a good time with Blanca.

Now they are in bed and we are going to sit down.

Until next time...

Back to Exercising

This morning I tried running for the first time in weeks.  I only did 2 miles, and it was tough, but I was able to run the whole thing.

Noah and I went to the Wildflower Park for a little bit and he ate his lunch there.  Then, we went to Cole's house for a playdate.

While Noah was at Cole's I went to a lunch for the Pink Ribbon Cowgirls at Whole Foods.

I picked up Noah and we came home for a little bit.

Then, I took Noah with me on the bike to pick Evan up from school.

When we got home our neighbor Gayle and her girls had just gotten home.  We went over there to talk for a little bit.  The kids had fun playing together.

I got ready for tutoring.  Blanca came over and I left.

While I was gone and after Blanca left, Morry took the boys outside for a little while.

On my way home I stopped at Office Depot and Target.

For dinner we had Sprite Chicken, which Evan ate a lot of. We also had couscous.

The boys are ready for bed now, but not asleep.

Wildflower Park

This morning we went over to the Wildflower Park. We bought Evan's bike and Noah's scooter. There about a 1/4 mile loop around the park that is paved. Evan and Noah went around the loop a few times a played on the playground.

We ate leftovers for lunch at home.

Tonight we met Matt and his family at Buca di Beppo.

On the way home we stopped at HEB to pick up a few things.

The boys are in bed now.

Haircuts

Hello everyone, this is Morry.

The boys went to bed very late last night.  For some reason, after the Parents Night Out at the Little Gym, both Evan and Noah came home very wired.  Noah was in our room after midnight telling us it was morning and therefore he did not need to sleep.  He did eventually go to sleep.  They woke up a bit after 8am.

I came downstairs when I got up and made some phone calls and did some stuff I needed to do while the boys played Wii.

Rachel came down and we had some brunch.  After that, we took the boys to the Wildflower Park.

The boys needed haircuts and they always fight going to get their hair cut.  So we decided we'd pay a bit extra and go to Cool Cuts 4 Kids.  We went there after the park.  When the kids sit down, they choose whether they want to watch a movie or play a video game.  At each station they have a tv and a game console.  Both Evan and Noah chose to play the Lego Star Wars video game.  As we were driving over there, Noah was throwing a fit that he didn't want to go, but once he was in there and saw all the things, it was almost hard to get him to leave.  He loved it there.

The boys did not really rest during "nap" time.  They ended up playing some more Wii.

For dinner we had a Groupon for Trattoria Lisina.  We went over there at 5:30 but we were told it was an hour and 45 minute wait.  They said they might be able to get us in at the counter but that never materialized.  We waited a bit to see if that would work out.  They have a playscape there now so the boys were fine playing.  But after a while they told us we'd have to wait the full time.  So we left and went to dinner at Craig O's.  We also had a group coupon there.  The boys ate very well.

We came home and got the boys ready for bed.  They are still awake though.

Until next time...

First Ever Movie Night

Hello everyone, this is Morry.

When I woke up today, I decided I'd take the boys to the Wildflower Park.  I wasn't sure if Rachel would come along or not.  But she got up shortly after me and the four of us went to the park.  As soon as we got there, Noah told us he needed to poop.  I drove Noah back home while leaving Rachel and Evan.  We got home, went to the bathroom and Noah said "Daddy, I was just tricking you.  I don't need to poop."  Needless to say, I did not take this revelation well.  I told him he needed to stay on the toilet until he went.  After about 15 minutes of him screaming and crying, I told him I was going back to the park without him and pretended to leave.  He freaked out and told me he would go to the bathroom.  He told me he'd "try my best".  He did go and we went back to the park.

Evan and Noah had a great time while we were there.  They were playing Star Wars.

When we got home, Evan and Noah went in the backyard where Noah pitched some more to Evan while Rachel and I made lunch.

When we were finished lunch, we went outside and Evan did very well riding his bike.  Here's some video of it:



Next we had nap time.  Rachel had an idea that after nap time that we offer having a movie night where we eat dinner while watching a movie of their choice, maybe they would clean up without a fight.  She was right and they cleaned up the game room and their rooms with little problems.

They said they wanted to watch Cars 2, so I reserved it at a Redbox at the Walgreen's near us.  I went to pick it up and the touch screen wouldn't work.  Several of us who were trying to get movies worked on it to no avail.  One lady even through the breaker that the box was plugged into.  It must have had a battery backup because it didn't shut down.  I called the phone number on it and they credited my account while saying they'd have someone out to look at the kiosk within 24 to 48 hours.  So I drove over to HEB and picked up the movie there.

I grilled chicken when I got home while Rachel got food ready for the boys.

We pulled out the TV trays in the game room and watched the movie there.  The boys sat on a towel and ate on the floor.  We had a good time.

The boys are now in bed.  They were pretty tired.

Until next time...

End of Football

This morning we were able to sleep in some. The boys woke up at their normal time, but they played pretty well together in the game room.

At lunchtime I went to a meeting. The Texas Rollergirls has a rec league and I went to find out more information. The meeting was packed and it was hard to hear since I was in the back. I'm trying to decide if I want to join. There's not an easy way to try it out since there's a lot of equipment you have to buy (skates, pads, helmet, etc). I'm going to see if I can get some cheap or used ones so I can try it out and see if I like it.

While I was at the meeting Morry took the boys to the Wildflower Park and then McDonalds for lunch. I met them at McDonald's on my way home, but didn't eat there.

The Steelers played this afternoon and they lost. So, there's no more football in this house until next season.

The boys and I picked up Papa John's pizza while Morry finished watching the game.

We had clean up night tonight. Evan gave us a really hard time and he didn't get his dessert. Noah cleaned up well and he's eating his shaved ice (that I made at home).

Evan's in bed and I'm about to get Noah ready for bed.

November Already?

This morning Evan gave Morry a hard time. He must have been really tired and still worn out from last night.

Noah and I went with Morry to drop off Jack/Zayde at the airport.

Back at home, I did a little bit of MB Squared work, cleaned the house, and then Noah and I went to the Wildflower Park. That's where Noah wanted to go. We packed a lunch and ate there. Noah was very good.

On our way home we got gas at a new gas station/market that opened near us. Noah and I went in side to check it out. It seemed pretty nice and convenient if we ever need to run out and just pick up a few things.

Noah and I walked to pick up Evan. Actually, he sat in the stroller. The weather was very nice.

At home I got ready for tutoring and Kim came over.

Evan had baseball practice today. Morry took both boys and then picked up McDonalds for them on the way home. I ate leftover pizza. Noah's finishing his dinner now and Morry and Evan are working on homework.

Pretty soon we'll put them to bed.

Jim's and Baseball

This morning the boys were pretty good.

For lunch we ate at Jim's. Evan and Noah were good there. They both got pancakes.

We dropped Grandmom off at home and went to the Wildflower park. We ran into Jodie, Allen, and Thomas there. We talked to Jodie for a little bit.

We spent the afternoon at home.

Evan had baseball practice at 5pm. Morry took him there and then we all met at Olive Garden afterwards.

We got seated right away and the boys were well behaved there.

At home we got the boys ready for bed. Morry is reading to Evan now and then they will go to bed.

Yesterday and Today

Yesterday, Blogger was down and we couldn't write the blog. I'm sure there were some really upset bloggers out there yesterday. It was down for almost 24 hours.

Anyway, yesterday Evan wore his Woody (from Toy Story) costume to school. They had a cowboy/cowgirl day. When we dropped Noah off in his classroom all the little kids were gathered around Evan staring at his costume.

Gabby babysit while I tutored.

For dinner last night we made pizza and let the boys put on their own toppings.

Today, we took a walk and then stayed at home. Oh, and I gave the boys haircuts today.

A little before 5pm I took the boys to the Wildflower park and Morry met us there after work.

For dinner we went to Red Robin. Then, I went purse shopping in the same shopping center while Evan, Noah, and Morry played in Petsmart. I came and met them when I was done.

Now it's time to get the boys ready for bed.

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.

A Whole Lotta Nothing

Hello everyone, this is Morry.

This morning, Rachel got up with the boys and took them downstairs. I got to sleep in. It was the first time in a while that had happened and it was nice.

When I got up, we decided to go to the park. We just went over the park near the Wildflower Center. Evan went on the swings for awhile and then Evan and Noah played together. It was really hot out. The boys came over to us to tell us they wanted to go.

For lunch, Rachel made red eggs and ham. The boys both ate pretty well.

We put Noah down for a nap and Rachel took a nap as well. Evan played Wii for a while and I ended up playing with him too. He basically played Wii during the entirety of Noah's nap.

Before Noah got up, Rachel met her friend Melissa for coffee. It had been a while since she had seen Melissa.

I made spaghetti for dinner when Rachel got home. It was a fairly uneventful dinner.

We gave the kids baths and they are now in their rooms.

Until next time...

Bike ride and Playdate

Instead of going to the gym today I decided to take Evan and Noah on a bike ride. We have a trailer attachment for the bike that both boys can sit in. It took me a while to get the bike and trailer set up. Both needed air in the tires. I also had to pack stuff to take with us. I made a picnic lunch for us and brought some additional drinks.

I rode to the Wildflower Park, in the neighborhood across from the Wildflower Center. It was a good workout. The hills were tough. Evan and Noah played on the playground, we ate lunch, and then they played a little more. I rode back home and somewhere along the way Noah had thrown his shoe out of the trailer. All together, the ride was about 6.5 miles. Normally, that’s not much, but pulling 2 boys (33lbs + 43lbs) and the stuff in the trailer was hard. It was a good workout.

When we got home I put Noah down for a nap.

Around 3pm, Evan’s friend from class, Cayden, came over with him mom and sister (11 months). Evan and Cayden played in Evan’s room and then we went in the backyard for a little bit. Noah slept through the whole thing. Blanca came over at 4:00 and Cayden left. I went to tutor. On the way to tutoring I drove the bike route and found Noah’s shoe on the street. It seemed ok. I also stopped at Postmark’d to mail a few things.

I tutored 2 students.

Evan’s sports class was tonight. Morry and Noah went with him.

I got home a little before the boys and started dinner. We had spaghetti. Evan and Noah ate a ton!

We just put Evan and Noah to bed. Noah insisted on sleeping in his Cars bed, rather than the crib. We’ll see how it goes tonight. He’s never slept overnight in the bed, just 2 naps.

Lizzy’s Surgery

Lizzy, our dog, had a lump on her side that the vet removed today. It was a fluid filled mass that they believe is benign. Everything went well and she is at home resting now.

For lunch I took the boys to a nearby park to play and have a picnic lunch. The weather was great when we got there. It was sunny and in the 70s. Evan and Noah played some and then we sat down at a picnic table for lunch. Both boys ate pretty well. Just as we were finishing a cold air blew through and it started to rain. I quickly got our stuff and the boys in the car. By the time we got home (5 minutes) it had already stopped raining and was sunny again. That’s Texas weather for you.

For some reason Evan and Noah did not nap. I would have thought they would have been tired. Around 5pm Evan fell asleep in the hallway upstairs, but only slept about 30 minutes.

We had leftover chicken from the other night for dinner. I made a salad to go with it and chicken nuggets for the boys.

Evan and Noah are in bed now. Noah is still talking. Evan seems to be quiet. He actually stayed in bed last night. Let’s see if he can do it again tonight.