Blue Bell Creamery Field Trip

We believe in high quality, classical education around here.

Which is why we jumped at the chance to tour the Blue Bell Factory! ;)

(I'm sure it had nothing to do with the ice cream you get to eat at the end.)

We weren't allowed to take pictures during the tour, but it was really neat to see!

We all agreed that we will never think about our ice cream the same way again.

Aulora loved her sherbert. And Natalia, my adopted sister's daughter, loved her vanilla. The kids always clamor to sit by their cousin. They are best buds!

If you ever get a chance to visit the Blue Bell Creamery, do it! It's great!

(By the way, the BEST new flavor is "Southern Peach Cobbler". Oh my goodness!!! It's getting harder and harder to find though, which is why I bought all that would fit in our freezer when I found some at our local HEB!)

Oh Happy Day

We were leaving Target when they spotted it. 

A whole end cap of the seasonal cereal. Franken Berry and Boo Berry!

I think it's gross, but they love it just like their Daddy does. So I bought it for them. Six whole boxes. I'm already thinking I should have bought more....

Arghhh!!!

My two babies are pirates. Arghhh!!!

 

Aulora and School

What a difference one year makes! Last year Aulora struggled with school. This year she is doing great! On Mondays she goes to Classical Conversations, Monday night is Ballet, Tuesday through Friday we do school at home, and she also does gymnastics on Thursday nights. John's mom is working with her on reading and piano and I'm doing the other subjects. She loves to be videoed when she has learned something. I love that since I'm getting a video to look back on in the years to come and she also likes to watch the video she made over and over which means more review. =) I will continue to add more videos as we make them, which I'm sure is not very exciting to most other people. That's okay though. It's just our digital scrapbook sometimes! =)

Joshua and School

Joshua is still just four, but I really do try to educate him at least a little. He doesn't seem to think it's too very necessary though. He has his own desk just like the other kids, but he is never thrilled to use it. He would rather hang around the house or lay on an exercise ball in his Gran's room.

Here is a shot Gran took of him during his Classical Conversations class a couple of Mondays ago. See all of the other kids standing up doing the hand motions? See Joshua on the floor on the left? 

Here he is holding a jar with an egg in vinegar. It was the science experiment on Monday. (If you've never seen what happens to an egg after a few days in vinegar you should try it!) 

Even though for the most part he acts like he isn't listening and doesn't want to do things, he is learning. He can recite the timeline so far (with minimal help and if he's in the mood) and he can do a lot of other things from our memory work too. I don't get to be in his class since I teach another one, but I hear that sometimes when the other kids don't know the answer he will finally pipe up. 

I snagged a quick video today of him answering the science question from week 1. This one is by far his favorite and he goes around singing it. I think the video shows quite a bit of the contrary side of his personality! Not to mention that he answered in his annoying high pitched voice! I'll have to capture something a little sweeter next time around...

   

Captured Moments

Kids playing airplane on Daddy. Squealing, laughing, and collapsing in a wiggly worm pile of cuteness.

Pirate buddies out for a cheap Friday night dinner with just us six.

Little girl delighted to become a big girl with the losing of her first tooth.

A Mustache Bash at church. With the youth group. My baby. At youth. 

More on Hadley

The kids thought it was great when they discovered that Build a Bear clothes fit Hadley! I'm not sure he thought it was quite as much fun. Doesn't he look smart?

Yes, he's a boy, but he still makes a cute ballerina. John David was NOT happy about this one. =)

Do you see how he sleeps?! On his back and his legs all out. So stinking cute.

Here he is sporting his Notre Dame shirt. Go Irish!

Meet Hadley

After being married for 13 years, John and I finally decided it was time to get a puppy. I had been searching for a couple of months to find the right dog for our family. I scoured spca sites, ebay, breeder sites, and craigslist. I had my heart set on a golden doodle until I realized we would have to sell one of our kids to afford one of those! So I kept looking.

I figured I would know the right one when I saw it. We wanted a golden colored dog, not too big but not tiny. Soft hair that doesn't shed. Cuddly and smart and not hyper. Nothing too expensive. I wanted a dog that looked like a teddy bear. I saw one a couple of years ago and was never able to figure out what kind it was.

 And then one day, as I was again searching Craigslist, I saw a poorly written post that seemed promising. John and I made the drive to the other side of Houston and we were smitten! We arranged to pick up our little guy once we returned from Jamaica. We told the kids we had a prize for them and they assumed they were getting more little Jamaica souvenirs. I secretly picked up the puppy and then put a ribbon on him and placed him in our suitcase. John led the kids in....

They were very surprised! And happy!

Introducing Hadley!

John David has declared that Hadley loves him second best after me. 

Julia and John David both do really great with him 

and I don't have to worry about them hurting him. 

See the blob of black fur on the right? That's Phantom, John's parents' cocker spaniel. He and Hadley get along fine. Nothing cute and cuddly like sleeping side by side, but no barking and fighting either. Phantom likes to think he's too cool, but I think he'll come around. 

Every night everybody gets "Hadley time" when I tuck them in. They love to tell him good night. 

He looks like another stuffed animal. 

Is it just me, or do they resemble one another in this picture?

Boo and Hadley. My heart is about to explode! 

**I promise I comb my kids' hair. They were at a bounce house place all afternoon right before these pictures! =)

Happy Birthday, Dodie!

Today is a special day!

One of our most favorite people in the 

whole world was born on August 1st.

He is funny, sweet, hairy, silly, smart, and at some point in his life even earned the nickname "Mr. Wonderful".

And it's true! He is wonderful! 

If he was here I would make him a coconut pie. 

And of course he would get lots of good back scratching. 

We love you, Dodie! SOOOOO much!

Bar Week

He's taking the bar this week. Right now. I'm so proud of him! It's taken years to get to this place and he's finishing strong. I wonder if he knows how amazing I think he is. Happy Bar Week, John Clay!!!

What a Good Sister Does When You're Really Itchy

Family Night at Minute Maid Park

Last night John's firm had a family night at Minute Maid Park where the Houston Astros play. It was really neat! There was a big spread of food, an incredible balloon artist (I have no picture of the ballerina he made Aulora - so sad!), face painting, batting practice down on the field, and the kids got to run the bases. We were allowed down in the dugouts and we ate in an exclusive area right off the field. So cool!

This ball park also has a place called Squeeze Play that is a big play area for kids during the games. The playground part was closed due to all the rain this week, but there were other baseball type activities and games that were open. No pictures of that though. The photographer was worn out! =)

Aulora and Joshua found some bats:

John and Joshua raced around the bases:

John was on the jumbotron when he was batting!

Aulora loved her face painting and her ice cream in a pink Astros hat:

Aulora ran the bases over and over and over. That girl needs to do track!

Batting practice:

John David's big octopus balloon:

Julia down on the field: