Grace & Jake's and Baby Clare too!

Another Day at the Zoo

2012-02-06T07:03:00.000-06:00

…and our first time feeding the giraffes!

Rain, Rain, Go Away… or not!

2012-02-05T14:32:00.001-06:00

Other Random Photos

2011-12-28T19:03:00.001-06:00

Our Christmas Dinner Tablescape

Clare Bear

Grace right after kicking the soccer ball

Taking a breather

Practicing his ninja moves

Pretending his swords are his skylander wings

Our Old Emma

Time for bubbles

My big Gracie girl

Clare is getting big too!

Ninja Jake

The fun never stops

First Tooth Lost

2011-12-28T06:24:00.000-06:00

A couple of weeks ago, Grace lost her first tooth (and then a few days later she lost her second). We celebrated with a dinner out and a visit from the tooth fairy. I can’t believe how big she is getting!

Getting our tree

2011-12-27T11:14:00.001-06:00

So my posts are a little out of order, but I wanted to include these pictures from our outing to cut down a Christmas tree. We went a couple of weekends before Christmas and had a blast despite the cold!

Christmas Morning Chaos

2011-12-26T06:54:00.000-06:00

Santa came!

The Aftermath

With Gree Gree

Clare in her Dorothy shoes, watching the Wizard of Oz with Glinda and Dorothy

Christmas Eve 2011

2011-12-25T08:30:00.000-06:00

Everyone was so excited on Christmas Eve. As soon as Grace woke up, she was asking when Gree Gree would be here. The kids were bouncing off the walls and it was pouring rain, so George and I took them to Monkey Joe’s, a bounce house play place. We came back home and got out a Playmobil house that Aunt Chelsea had as a kid. I remember spending hours playing with it, and so far the kids are having a great time with it. Even Jake has been playing with the soldiers and knights.

Gree Gree even gave the dollhouse its own Christmas Eve visitor!

Christmas Eve pre-Santa

Opening the annual Christmas PJs and ornaments

All ready for bed!

Visit to Santa

2011-12-24T22:06:00.001-06:00

Two days before Christmas, we took the kids to see Santa at the Galleria. Jacob told him he wants an angry bird, Clare said she wants Dorothy, and Grace said she wants another American Girl doll. Note to self: do not go visit Santa so close to Christmas.

G&J’s 6th Birthday

2011-11-29T09:42:00.001-06:00

We’ve been busy! Back in October we celebrated the twins’ 6th birthday. It’s so hard to believe that they can be 6 already. It really seems like yesterday that they were newborns. We had a party a few weeks after their actual birthday, and many of their classmates were able to come celebrate with us.

decorating bags to use with the piñatas

piñata time!

Twins = 2 piñatas + 2 cakes

Star Wars at the Health Museum

2011-09-04T07:18:00.000-05:00

Every since we started seeing the billboards around town this spring we have been talking about going to the health museum to see the Star Wars exhibit. The exhibit will be leaving soon, so we decided we needed to go ASAP. The kids loved it, although we were through it pretty quickly, short attention spans and all. Clare loved seeing Yoda, and R2-D2 and C3PO were also big hits. It was pretty expensive and I think the kids were a little young to appreciate it, but we did have fun!

First Day of School!

2011-09-03T17:15:00.001-05:00

Clare started school one week earlier than the twins. She is in pre-k 3 and loves it. Everyday she comes home telling me all about her friends and what they did that day.

The twins started kindergarten this year. I’m not quite sure how that happened. We are on the verge of their 6th birthday, but I think I’m in denial. They are loving it but do come home very tired, especially Jake who is Mr. Cranky Pants lately. We had an open house this week at their school, and they were so proud to show us their classrooms. The both have excellent teachers, and I think being in separate classrooms is good for them, especially Jake, who tends to get bossed around by his sister. I love seeing all their projects and hearing about all the activities they are doing in class.

We are definitely one busy family!

This made me smile today.

2011-07-08T15:46:00.001-05:00

Nothing better than kids’ artwork. I love this stage. You know, the one when they are first starting to draw people. Clare did this one recently. I just love the three year old interpretation of the human form!

Easter 2011

2011-04-24T20:28:00.001-05:00

We had a very busy Easter weekend. Lots of things to do and people to see, and we are all thoroughly worn out. We dyed eggs on Saturday evening after spending the late afternoon with an old friend of George’s. Sunday we woke up, explored our Easter baskets, and had a quick egg hunt in the backyard. Then, we got dressed and went to Mass. Afterwards we made a few stops before heading to the bay house. We spent most of the day there and headed home just in time to relax a little bit before bedtime.

And the pics…

Chalk People

2011-04-18T07:39:00.000-05:00

Robot Jacob

Angel Clare

…and we had a Three-Legged Grace that managed to not get captured on camera. Thanks to Aunt Chelsea and Gibb, Uncle Nels and Aunt Kelly, and Gree Gree for a fun afternoon.

Happy 3rd Birthday Clare!

2011-04-17T19:33:00.001-05:00

Today we celebrated Clare’s 3rd birthday. How on earth did she get to be three? It seems like just yesterday that I found out I was pregnant with her. Time is going by way too fast. The twins were so excited for her to open her presents this morning. They even wanted to wake her up rather than let her wake up on her own. When she did finally wake, they made sure we opened presents right away. Sweet Grace was so proud. She wanted to use money from her own piggy bank to buy Clare a present, so she and Jake picked out a doll bath and potty set for her.

She also got two kitty cats and a kitty bed from her Gree Gree.

Some Rapunzel sheets from Mommy and Daddy.

And a new pink computer to replace the one worn out from the twins.

Playing with her new toys.

This afternoon we had a small party for her. She had so much fun and was so lucky to be surrounded by friends and family who love her.

Eating the cookie she decorated.

Ready for cake

Opening presents

Now we have cleaning up to do!

In the Sprinklers

2011-04-15T08:40:00.000-05:00

Monday was a warm, beautiful day, but the kids were bored. I pulled out a sprinkler and let them play in it for a bit. Grace loved it, Clare played a little, and Jake didn’t want to get in at all. Oh well, I tried!

Sleepy Grace

2011-04-14T08:37:00.000-05:00

A few days ago, Grace was so worn out that she fell asleep in the floor. A little while later, I walked back into the room and Jacob was laying right next to her resting his head on her. It was so cute! I grabbed the camera and took these photos.

To the Zoo with Daddy

2011-04-13T08:30:00.000-05:00

One of my parenting tactics: when we go somewhere often, but I don’t want to do or buy something every time, I tell the kids we can only do it with Daddy. So at the zoo, I tell them we can only ride the carousel with Daddy. This is actually true, as I don’t think I could juggle all three safely. We also only buy treats when Daddy is with us. Because of these rules and their general excitement with the zoo, the kids have been begging to go to the zoo with Daddy. We finally had the chance, and after two failed attempts a couple of Saturdays ago due to no parking, we got up the next day and went a few minutes before it opened. I think we were about the fifth space from the entrance, yay!

Here we are waiting for the zoo to open:

And on the carousel (Clare wouldn’t sit on an animal after all)

Brushing goats

Playing prairie dog

Crawling through the aquarium tunnel

First, Grace

Then Clare

Then Jake

It was a fun day with Daddy.

Mam’s Ice House

2011-04-12T08:11:00.000-05:00

A few weekends ago, we tried to tried to take the kids to the zoo, but due to the beautiful weekend, we couldn’t find a place to park. In lieu of the zoo, we went to a snow cone stand in the Heights. It was awesome, and here is the proof:

Grace’s New Trick

2011-04-11T20:05:00.001-05:00

…and yes, she goes all the way to the top!

And the less adventurous two have fun rolling in the grass.

Welcome Baby Giraffe!

2011-03-11T08:22:00.000-06:00

On Wednesday we went to visit the brand new baby giraffe that was born at the zoo last week. We heard that she was finally out and with the rest of the herd on Tuesday, so we got up and headed to the zoo on Wednesday morning so we could be there when it opened. We headed straight for the giraffes. Unfortunately, only a few of the larger giraffes were out. I suspect the younger giraffes were in the barn because it was a bit chilly out. We went to the children’s area and played for a bit. The kids always love brushing the goats. After about 45 minutes we walked back to the giraffes and the new mama and baby were out and about! It was seriously one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen, and the kids were so excited! The little girl was less than five full days old. I was surprised at her bravery. At one point another giraffe started to chase her a bit and her mama went right over to protect her. They wandered over to a corner and the little baby nursed. So cute! It will be so neat to watch her grow. I’m sure we will visit her every time we go to the zoo. Definitely go see her if you live nearby and have a chance. Can’t wait to hear her name…

Rodeo Houston 2011

2011-03-10T08:10:00.001-06:00

Last night we went to the rodeo with passes from George’s work. We went in to the main arena and watched for a little while. Jacob loved watching the various events. Grace was more interested in cotton candy and heading to the carnival.

The kids remembered the giant slides from last year and wanted to do them first thing this year. They were a hit once again.

Grace:

Jake and Clare with Daddy right behind:

Mommy, Grace, and Clare all rode together. Jacob insisted on his own teacup. The twins loved it. Mommy and Clare had fun for about 30 seconds and then wanted the spinning to stop.

The twins loved the roller coaster.

Best friends!

Do I even need to say that we were so tired when we got home that we all climbed into Mommy and Daddy’s bed and went straight to sleep? I’m pretty sure we didn’t even brush our teeth. Don’t tell the dentist.

Clare’s Ballet

2011-03-09T16:06:00.001-06:00

Grace has been begging for months to get back into ballet, but I just couldn’t handle it with the move and all. Now that we are finally somewhat settled, I went ahead and signed her up for ballet at the Y nearby. Of course, that means Clare has been dressing up and talking about “my ballet.” We lucked out that they had a class right before Grace’s for kids around Clare’s age. She loved it! I it was so cute to see how proud she was to be doing ballet just like her big sister. She was even mad when she couldn’t participate in Grace’s class after her own. Unfortunately that means I didn’t get any pictures of Grace’s class because I was dealing with a fit-throwing toddler out in the hall. But Grace loved her class too and was even asking about having class again today. Now I just need to find something for Jake. Soccer was already full for the twins’ age group, so I’m looking into martial arts. I’m sure I’ll have pics of him as soon as I figure it out.

We’ve Moved!

2011-03-05T18:50:00.001-06:00

So I haven’t blogged in a really long time, but I have a good excuse. We’ve been really busy since, oh…, late September. The twins’ birthday was the beginning of October, then my birthday, then George’s birthday, then Thanksgiving, then George changes jobs, we decide that we need to move closer to his new office, we start getting our house ready to go on the market, then it’s Christmas. The house goes on the market in January, and we moved into our new house in mid-February. We are still getting settled although the main things are unpacked and in place.

Unfortunately, all this turmoil means I haven’t taken many photos. Because we actually live in the city now, I decided to get a zoo membership since we are only about 10 minutes away. We have been twice since we joined last week, and the kids really love it. We are picking zoo animals to learn about, going to the library and getting books about them, and then going to the zoo to see them a few days later. This week Jake picked alligators, Grace picked pandas, and Clare picked monkeys.

Each time we visit, we go check on this little guy:

He was born on the twins’ 5th birthday last year and is really, really cute! We even got to see him take a bath!

Here are the twins and Clare in front of the elephants.

Moving with three little ones has certainly had its share of adventures, but I’m thankful that we are in our new house and Daddy’s commute has been cut by a couple of hours a day. We are all happy to see more of him!

Ice Skating

2011-01-16T20:00:00.001-06:00

A few days ago we took advantage of a free evening and went ice skating. Grace really enjoyed it. The other two not so much. I think Grace would have stayed for hours. Jake was cold and ready to go after about 20 minutes, and Clare really didn’t want to skate at all. We did have fun, but I think we will definitely wait a few years to try again.

2010 Christmas Program

2010-12-31T08:13:00.001-06:00

Our local homeschool group hosts a Christmas showcase each December. I co-lead our preschool group, so all three of the kids got to sing along and shake some bells to a Jingle Bells recording. I think they enjoyed their time in the spotlight, although they definitely got impatient waiting for the other acts to round out the show. Here are a few pics from the night.

Christmas 2010

2010-12-31T08:09:00.001-06:00

Christmas always starts with opening jammies on Christmas eve. This year each kid got their pj’s and ornament on Christmas eve. Here is Jake with his Luke Skywalker ornament. Grace got a Tinkerbell ornament, and Clare got a kitty ornament.

The kids in their Christmas jammies posing with their Gree Gree.

The family!

Christmas morning was so exciting. Here comes Grace to see the presents with Jake right behind.

Clare makes a stop at the stockings.

Each kid got a pillow pet from Santa. Clare got a bear (fitting, huh?), Jacob got a puppy, and Grace got a kitty. They also got kid-sized desks that Santa built especially for them.

Then everyone started into the wrapped presents.

Jacob got three sets of Star Wars Legos.

Clare got a mini Kit doll and a mini Ruthie doll.

Grace got Ruthie, Kit’s best friend. Not sure how I missed that one! The rest of the day was spent visiting family (and I forgot the camera). We all had a great Christmas 2010!

St. Nicholas Day and Santa at the Y

2010-12-07T07:29:00.001-06:00

One of the things I love about being Catholic is all of the feast days throughout the year. Monday was the feast of St. Nicholas, a generous bishop. See here for more info on the real St. Nicholas. So on Sunday evening before they went to bed, the kids put their shoes out in hopes that St. Nicholas would leave them a small treat. And he did! Each shoe (even Kit’s) had some chocolate coins. Grace also got an American Girl book called Dance! Jacob got R4-P17, and Clare got a small Yoda figurine. They were all thrilled with their treats, and I’m pretty sure we had chocolate for breakfast.

On Saturday, Santa visited the local YMCA. Clare wanted nothing to do with the poor man, but when she saw that Mrs. Claus had candy, she happily posed with her. She’s a smart girl, that one! Now we just have to wait for Santa to make his visit on Christmas eve!

Houston Children’s Museum

2010-12-07T07:16:00.001-06:00

For Clare’s birthday, Aunt Kelly decided to take us all to the Children’s Museum rather than give a physical present. We finally had a chance to go the week of Thanksgiving. The museum was a zoo! We had a great time despite momentarily losing Jake.

All of the kids loved the water area. I didn’t get many pictures inside the museum because I was too busy trying to keep an eye on everyone. We’ll definitely have to go back when everyone is a little bit older, and we will definitely pick a day that is not during a holiday week.

Thanks for a fun time Aunt Kelly!

Random (Mostly) Iphone Photos

2010-11-17T07:40:00.000-06:00

At a St. Thomas game

After a Home Depot kids workshop

At an Astros game

S’mores at a YMCA movie night

Coloring at Aunt Kelly’s

Mommy’s Birthday

Sisters swinging with their dolls

A Pony Party

2010-11-16T06:33:00.000-06:00

On Saturday we went to a little friend’s 3rd birthday party, and the theme was, as you can guess, ponies! The kids were so excited to see and ride real live ponies. Those ponies were definitely a hit, let me tell you! The twins loved riding and feeding the ponies. Clare didn’t want to ride, but we convinced her to sit on one for about a minute. She did feed the pony an apple though! Definitely a fun time!

All Saints’ Party

2010-11-15T06:29:00.000-06:00

Every year our local Catholic homeschool group has an All Saints’ party. We haven’t been able to make it the past two years (one year we were at a wedding and the other due to a fun stomach virus), so we were really excited to finally make this event. The kids and grown-ups had a great time. Although, next year we are definitely sharing a game with another couple of families. Each family or group of families hosts a game for the kids to play. We did our own game this year, which meant that George had to man the game while I took the kids around to play the other games. It would have been much better to share a game with another family or two so that we both could take the kids to the other games while the other families run the game.

Here are our saints:

Saint Anthony of Padua

Our Lady of Grace

Saint Clare

Here we are in the saint parade:

A Star Wars Halloween

2010-11-14T18:12:00.001-06:00

Jacob’s Star Wars obsession has rubbed off on the rest of us. So much so, that all three kids went as Star Wars characters for Halloween.

Meet Luke Skywalker, Yoda, and Princess Leia…

Friday night , two days before Halloween, our local village center had trick-or-treating. All the stores have someone sit outside their doors and pass out candy to all the kids. It’s an easy, safe way for our family to trick-or-treat, and this is the 3rd year we have been.

We enjoyed a little Freebirds before heading to the village center.

Our street always has a Halloween block party, and this year was no exception. Our street has cul-de-sacs on both ends and you enter from a small street that tees into it. We all gather where the tee is and pass out candy while we grill and eat other side dishes that each family brings. It’s nice for us to sit outside all together, and it’s one stop shopping for the trick-or-treaters. Sounds like a win-win situation to me!

On Saturday between the Friday evening trick-or-treating and the Sunday block party, we attended our local Catholic homeschool group’s annual All Saints’ Party. But I’ll leave that for another post…

Air Show

2010-11-01T13:56:00.001-05:00

A couple of weekends ago, we took the kids to the air show. They really enjoyed and quite cooperative considering all the walking they had to do. It was definitely great entertainment for them, lots to see. Nothing too exciting happened. I guess that’s a good thing, means we didn’t lose any kids or have any injuries :) But it was fun and worth doing again!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

2010-10-18T08:08:00.001-05:00

It’s the last birthday that starts with a 2 (unless you live to 200…). We love you!

Rock Climbing

2010-10-07T13:17:00.001-05:00

Ever since we joined the Y, the twins have been counting down to their 5th birthday so they could climb the rock wall, and ever since Sunday, they have been asking to go incessantly. We went on Tuesday, and they had a great time. They even wanted to go again yesterday, which we did, and again today, but we won’t be able to. I’m glad they are enjoying it so much. It is so cute to see them in their climbing gear. They look so little next to the big wall.

Grace signing her name in the log.

Ready to climb

Climbing

All the way to the top

Proud girl!

Jacob ready to climb

Climbing

To the top

Proud little guy!

I need to take the good camera and get some better pics. The iphone camera is pretty bad. I wish it had a better camera, oh well.

Happy 5th Birthday G&J!

2010-10-05T17:11:00.001-05:00

How has it been 5 years since this?

Time flies faster and faster, that’s for sure!

The kids and I have been reading through the American Girl books on Kit. These books are written for kids and set during the great depression. Grace was so excited to finally have her very own Kit doll!

Jacob has been enthralled with Star Wars for awhile now. He definitely has plenty to play with now!

…I guess Daddy does too.

We couldn’t leave Clare out, so she got some new hairclips. She also keeps trying to unsuccessfully adopt Grace’s Grace. Isn’t it fitting that Kit’s dog is named Grace in the books?

And a special thanks to Gree Gree for the matching nightgowns.

Face painting at the party.

Aunt Kelly came to celebrate with us.

Fascinated with a fish.

All the girls and their dolls!

Not sure why I don’t have a pic of Jake swinging at the piñata. I guess my camera man fell down on the job ;)

It was a great birthday, and to all who couldn’t make it, you were missed!

Nature & Fine Arts Kickoff

2010-09-19T23:24:00.001-05:00

We had our first meeting of Fine Arts Club and Nature Club this week. The kids really had fun and were worn out by the end. They are getting to be troopers. Last year, we never made it through the whole day. We usually only stayed for the morning session and left after lunch. Today we stayed almost to the very end. Here is our day in photo:

At the beginning, the twins were fascinated with their magnifying glasses. They also got recognized for keeping their plants from the spring alive through the summer. Yay us!

Learning about composting and what makes good soil.

Eating some good soil. It has clay (peanut butter), sand (brown sugar), worms (gummy worms), and I can’t remember what the chocolate chips were supposed to be.

After the morning half was over, we ate lunch, played, and then settled down for art study. We started out with a lesson on Bach. Clare and her friend Lia had fun coloring during picture study. The artist was Giotto.

After picture study, we made egg paint. This is what Giotto used to paint many years ago. The kids ground up chalk and mixed it with a little egg yolk and water.

Here they are painting with the egg paints that they made. Grace loved this part! We will definitely have to do this again at home!

Tea Party

2010-08-22T18:48:00.001-05:00

A few days ago all the kids randomly set up their own little tea party. It was really cute to see them all playing so well together. Most of the time they attempt any kind of group play it ends up being one big fight or at least a series of continuous squabbles. It was refreshing to see everyone getting along.

Grace decided to take a break from the tea party and play a little dress up. She is wearing socks on her hands, a superman cape, Thomas the Tank Engine sunglasses, a backpack, and a purse.

We are all crashed from a very busy weekend. Here’s to getting the kids to bed early!

Indoor Tents and Other Happenings

2010-08-12T09:03:00.001-05:00

One evening a few weeks ago, I had something in the evening. I don’t even remember what it was now, but all the kids were home with Daddy. I came home to the coolest indoor tent ever. The kids had a blast with it for several days, until it started falling apart and I needed to vacuum their room. It’s a great way to keep them entertained on a rainy day.

Gree also came to visit us a few weeks ago. The kids love to play with her glasses. Here are our mini-Gree Grees.

Jacob is doing much better with his handwriting. I used to only be able to get him to write one or two letters at a time before he would get frustrated and want to quit, but the other day he actually asked to write more. Yay Jacob! (He insisted on adding the airplane in the photo.)

Daddy also recently had a skeet tournament with some coworkers. Preparation entailed a couple of trips to practice. Jacob liked to be out with Daddy (earplugs in, of course). The girls and I stayed in the car. They did not like the noise, and neither did I.

Jacob before

Jacob after

Yesterday was St. Clare’s feast day, so we all went to mass. Here is our little Clare on the Feast of St. Clare.

Random Silly Videos

2010-07-23T12:28:00.001-05:00

Painting the Bunk Beds

2010-07-13T11:24:00.000-05:00

When we bought the twins’ bunk beds, they didn’t come with the side rails and ladder, so two weekends ago George and I built our own and the kids “helped” paint them.

Fireworks

2010-07-12T11:14:00.000-05:00

George decided to get some more fireworks for the 4th this year. We also had some left over from New Years. Jake really enjoyed them, Grace not so much, and Clare not at all. I’m not a fan of them either, and I distinctly remember being very bothered by the noise as a kid. I’m not surprised my girls aren’t fans either.

Jake with a sparkler

Jake and his favorite, the tank!

Love this one of Daddy trying to escape the tank

More sparklers

And more

This is about how Grace looked the whole time

A Yellow Smoke ball

National Cow Appreciation Day

2010-07-11T10:43:00.001-05:00

Friday was Nation Cow Appreciation Day at Chick-Fil-A. In order to score some free food, we dressed up like cows. The kids really had fun, especially with the face painting and balloons. Clare climbed up the slide and got stuck in the play place. I had to climb up after her because she wouldn’t slide down the slide on her own. I love all my little calves!

Grace & Jake’s Room

2010-07-10T18:25:00.001-05:00

Over the past couple of weeks, we’ve slowly been working on updating the twins room. Here is a current photo:

We decided to bunk the beds just to get more floor space. I had bought the bed off craigslist about a year ago and then painted it black. Unfortunately, it didn’t come with the side rails or ladder. At the time it didn’t matter because we hadn’t planned to bunk them right away. Now that the twins are a little older, we decided to give it a try. We made the rails and ladder, painted them, and attached them last weekend. We also repainted the room. It was Behr’s Corn Husk Green, and I never liked in this room. I decided to go with a neutral and use accessories for color. Eventually Clare and Grace will share this room and Jake will get Clare’s room. We used Sherwin Williams Ramie color-matched into Behr paint. I love the color. I almost wish we had gone a shade darker, but I think this will keep the room from looking too small when we sell our house next year or the year after. I found the rug at Target for less than $20, and it is perfect for a kids room. It can even be machine washed in a commercial machine.

Yesterday, the kids and I went to Home Depot and got the parts to make Rain Gutter shelves. We made four and attached them this afternoon. The kids were so excited, and had a great time filling the shelves with their favorite books. I still need to get window treatments. I think I’ll use a bamboo shade and some white sheers. I also need to paint the dresser at some point. I’m hoping to find some sort of floor seating. I don’t really want bean bags, although we may end up going that direction. I really like the Flip Lounger from Pottery Barn Teen, but there is no way I would spend that much. It’s not even washable!

And then of course, there is the whole lamp situation. I would really like the twins to have one in their room, but our track record with lamps is not so good. Grace won’t use it correctly. She has burned herself in the past, and I’m really afraid she would manage to cause a fire. Not sure what we’ll do about that. I’ll update again when we get everything finished.

Rain

2010-07-02T08:54:00.001-05:00

Given the torrential downpour we are currently experiencing, these videos from yesterday are especially relevant. The twins have been memorizing the poem “Rain” by Robert Louis Stevenson.

And in case you can’t understand the videos, here is the poem:

Rain

by Robert Louis Stevenson

The rain is raining all around,
It falls on field and tree,
It rains on the umbrellas here,
And on the ships at sea.

Lots of Swimming

2010-06-27T18:18:00.001-05:00

We’ve been doing lots of swimming lately thanks to our ridiculously hot Texas summers. The kids have really been enjoying it, and I’ve been enjoying our escapes from the house.

For Father’s day, we went to George’s parents house for swimming and crawfish. Jacob loved to play with those things. Fortunately, they are all gone now, and I no longer have to look at them. They give me the heebeejeebees (I have no idea how to spell that, but you know what I mean).

As I was folding laundry a few days ago, Grace and Clare decided to dress up.

Wearing mommy’s cami inside out and backwards

She had a t-shirt on her head right before the picture.

I love how they both have my shoes on the wrong feet.

Today’s pool outing was hot but fun. Thanks to our new floaties, I was actually able to breathe while at the pool. Having three young kids that can’t swim makes for a stressful time at the pool for Mommy. Now I can watch from the shade and not have to worry that they will fall off the steps or off the edge.

Daddy taking pictures

Eating popsicles

Floating in the water

This one will barely let go of the edge

Soaking in the rays (don’t worry, the twins have lots of sunscreen on)

A cute video. I can’t believe how big the twins are getting!

We’re famous! sort of…

2010-06-27T07:32:00.000-05:00

http://www.ultimatewoodlands.com/gallery/photos-drum-and-strum

Blueberry Picking

2010-06-26T16:28:00.001-05:00

Yesterday morning we went blueberry picking with some friends. We tried to go early so that we would miss the heat, but we were still melting out in the hot Texas sun. The kids actually did quite a bit of berry picking. Clare ate a lot of the berries straight from the bushes. Grace doesn’t seem to care for the blueberries too much, but Jake has been eating them like crazy. We made a blueberry pie yesterday and blueberry muffins this morning. I haven’t even used half the berries we picked! I guess we’ll be eating a lot of fresh blueberries this week.

Right before we started

I love how Clare is examining the berry in the background of this photo

Jacob in the field

Grace looking for dark berries to pick

Clare with her bucket (which was also Mommy’s bucket, I think this bucket spilled at least 3 times)

Some of the kids hiding from the sun

Buzz Lightyear didn’t want to miss out on the fun

Sno-cones to help us cool off!

Fire Station Tour & Toy Story 3

2010-06-20T08:51:00.001-05:00

Yesterday we went to a friend’s 3rd birthday party. The party was at a park and ended with a tour of the local fire station. The last fire station tour we went on had the twins pretty frightened, but this time they really paid attention and enjoyed the whole thing.

Jake in the ladder truck

Grace in the ladder truck

Clare in the ladder truck

Grace and Jake standing by the fire truck

Sitting in the ambulance listening as the fireman explains the equipment

All the kids with the fire truck and 2 of the firemen who gave us the tour

After the tour, we went to see Toy Story 3. It was awesome! I’d say as good as (if not better than) the first and definitely better than the second. We had a great time, and the kids behaved so well! We’ll definitely have to add it to the DVD collection when it is released.

Michael’s Sale Find

2010-06-18T12:08:00.001-05:00

This morning I found some fingerpaints on clearance for $.99. I also found some fingerpainting paper for $2. This kids spent quite awhile fingerpainting this morning, and I still have a ton more paint and paper. I think my $5 will go a long way this time.

Today’s Project

2010-06-16T21:19:00.001-05:00

Grace has been begging me to paint with the “real” paints, the acrylics from a set I bought a few weeks ago. I’ve been avoiding it just because it is a bit of extra work to set up and clean up; they aren’t washable. We painted for about 30 minutes, just painting the inside surface of the back of a poster frame. Everyone helped and really enjoyed the process. Here is the result:

These are the general areas where everyone painted. Grace pretty much painted all over, but Clare and Jake stayed mostly in the area directly in front of them. I helped fill in bare areas and added the flower.

In other news, Aunt Kelly and Gree Gree watched the kids while George and I went to a baseball game a couple of weekends ago. My sister took some pictures while we were gone.

Grace pretending to be Kelly

Trying to make cookies

Loving Rogue the Kitty

Clare loves kittens so much!

Corn Husk Dolls etc.

2010-06-10T10:49:00.001-05:00

I’ve had some corn husk doll kits in the cabinet from a craft exchange we did quite awhile ago. I finally pulled them out and made them with the kids. Grace and Clare have dolls and Jake had a bird. I say “had” because a couple of hours after we made it, the head fell off. Oops.

Clare has really started in with imaginative play. I am constantly finding her playing so sweetly with her dolls. She was tucking in this little doll from their dollhouse.

Today she was changing Ariel’s diaper.

Resting in between harassing her siblings.

Wanting a diaper change

Riding the bounce and spin zebra with his eyes closed.

A Whole Lot of Not Much

2010-06-07T21:41:00.001-05:00

That’s what we’ve been up to. Just busy with the usual.

All dressed up

One of the twins took this of Emma

Jake’s self-portrait

Before the Astros game

During the game

Worn out from a fun day

It’s been a busy 6 years…

2010-06-05T20:00:00.001-05:00

Happy anniversary to us!

June 2004

June 2005

June 2006

June 2007

June 2008

June 2009

June 2010

Our Cardinal Couple

2010-06-03T09:39:00.001-05:00

I finally caught a picture of the cardinal male and female that we have been seeing in our yard on a frequent basis. Here they are!

Fun with Poster Paints

2010-06-02T17:04:00.003-05:00

Gree Gree bought these poster paints for the twins a couple of years ago. I pull them out from time to time, usually for outside use. However, this afternoon it is thundering, and I am a little desperate for something to entertain the kids. They do claim to be washable. I guess we’ll find out if they really are. The kids really love them.

It’s a miracle! Sharing is happening in my house!

…and I just discovered that the Melissa and Doug washable ink pads are not so washable. I wonder how long Clare will have blue hands?

Charlotte’s Web

2010-06-01T12:39:00.001-05:00

We’ve been reading Charlotte’s Web chapter by chapter as we have time and interest. The kids really seem to be enjoying it, always asking me to read another chapter. We tried our hand at narration. I wasn’t sure how it would go, but they did a pretty good job. Here are some videos.

Fun Monday

2010-06-01T11:44:00.001-05:00

Not much going on here, just chores and other stuff around the house. This morning I was cleaning the twins’ room, and Jake arranged all their stuffed animals on the nightstand and insisted that I take a picture. We also made rainbows from squares of construction paper. I got the idea from a blog that has a lot of cheap craft ideas. I’ve got more cleaning to do, then hopefully everyone will take a nap. Our day started early today, nothing like a 6:15 wake up call from three little ones.

Houston Symphony @ The Pavillion

2010-05-28T08:49:00.001-05:00

We are so lucky to live near a great performing arts venue! During the Spring, Summer, and Fall, local business sponsor the lawn seating area and anyone can attend at no charge. We try to go as often as we can, and last night we made a quick trip to watch a symphony performance. The kids had fun dancing on the lawn and watching the show. This one featured some Cirque du Soleil performers. Just what Grace needed to see, right? She was already practicing, using Daddy and I as props, during the show. It was a fun, relaxing evening!

Blackberry Picking

2010-05-25T19:30:00.001-05:00

A local family invited us out to their farm to pick blackberries, make pies, and have lunch. The kids had such a great time! Although they weren’t too fond of actually picking the blackberries, they had a great time running around the farm and watching the animals.

Jacob picking berries

Picking blackberries before her encounter with the wasps (she got stung on the wrist)

Learning to make the pies

Just thought this one was cute

Having a great time

Lots of Stuff

2010-05-24T14:26:00.001-05:00

I got some photos off George’s camera, so not all are super recent.

This one is going to be the death of me. She figured out how to climb out of the backyard. Yay! …not.

My Mother’s Day tulips.

We went to Northshore a couple of weeks ago in the early evening. The kids had fun wading in the water, chasing the ducks, and climbing on the playground.

Our neighbor’s cat had kittens. Grace managed to entice one into our yard. The kids have really had a blast playing with them.

I’ve been working on making up a cleaning/chores schedule/household management thing just to make sure I stay on top of everything. One of my seasonal chores was to wash the car, clean out the inside, vacuum, and clean all the windows. My friend Stephanie recently posted about letting her kids wash their cars, so I decided to give it a try. Other than some soap in the eyes and Clare dumping out the soap bucket about 5 times, I’d say it was a success. They even washed their bikes.

Yesterday we went for a swim at George’s parents’ house. The kids had a blast, and the water felt good. Emma even joined us for a swim.

One Wiped Out Little Girl

2010-05-22T07:11:00.001-05:00

Today we went to Fine Arts and Nature Club at a park about 3 minutes from our house. We were there from about 10:30 until 2ish. The kids ran around non-stop and had a great time. Even though the drive home was so short, Clare was starting to doze off as I pulled into the garage. The twins were telling me that they were hungry (even though we had lunch at the park), so I set her down on the kitchen floor while I got the snacks ready. She was sleepy but awake when I put her down to sit and wait for me. About one minute later, I turned around and she was lying on the floor, still awake, but sleepy. I finished getting the twins settled and turned around again. She was sound asleep. I picked her up and carried her upstairs where she slept soundly for quite awhile.

A Second Outing

2010-05-19T15:36:00.001-05:00

Yesterday afternoon we took another outing to the park down the street. The twins rode their bikes, and Clare rode in the stroller. Jake insisted on riding his tricycle even though he can ride his big bike. He’s just enough on the short side that he has trouble on the bigger one when he has to peddle up a hill.

For the Birds

2010-05-18T12:54:00.001-05:00

We’ve seen a beautiful male cardinal in our backyard about 5 out of the last 7 mornings, so and he has sparked an interest in the kids to learn more about birds. I picked up some library books on birds, and we have been slowly reading through them. This morning we went on an outing to a local park to feed the ducks. One of the things we learned is that bread is unhealthy for the ducks. They eat a diet that is mainly plant-based. One suggestion I found was to feed the ducks thawed peas. I had some leftover and decided to give it a try. It proved to be a little tricky. The peas don’t float like pieces of bread. Instead, they sink fairly rapidly. There is a definite technique to getting the ducks to eat them. You have to throw them so that they land within about 6-10 inches of the duck’s head. He then sees it hit the water and can grab it before it sinks too deep. It was actually a pretty fun way to feed the ducks. They would stick their whole heads under water to grab the peas. There 5 ducklings there too. It was neat to be able to show the kids how they still had a lot of downy baby feathers and not a full coat of feathers like the adults. Two turtles even came for a visit, a mommy and her baby.

We also made a clay bird this morning. I haven’t had a chance to take his picture, but I will soon. He’s pretty cute. Once he dries, I think we will paint him red like our little cardinal friend.

I only managed to get a few photos this morning. I was busy trying to make sure no one fell in the water. Fortunately, the ones I managed to get turned out pretty cute. Now everyone is fed and bathed. We’ll head upstairs, read some more bird books, and take a nap if I’m lucky.

Rainy Run

2010-05-15T10:56:00.001-05:00

We decided to go for a run first thing this morning. Even though it was cloudy, we thought the rain would hold off. It didn’t. We were about 2 miles out when it started pouring. At first the kids were laughing, but it didn’t take long for it to make them upset. We darted about 1/2 a mile to a nearby park that had a covered pavilion and waited about 10 minutes for the rain to let up. We were able to make it the 2.5 miles back without another downpour, but we were all pretty damp. The kids took a warm bath and are now happily playing.

As we were leaving, I realized I forgot my water bottle, so I went back in the house to get it. The kids looked cute lined up in the strollers, so I grabbed the camera and took a quick picture out the front window.

I’m really struggling with motivation when it comes to running right now. There aren’t really any races until the fall because it is just too hot here all summer. We ran our half marathon back in March, I ran a trail race a few weeks later, and then we ran another short race as a family, but with nothing coming up for months I haven’t been running very often lately. Today’s 5 mile run was easier than I expected given the rain and the fact that I haven’t run in 10 days, but I’m worried that it will get really hard in the fall if I don’t do anything for the next few months. We are contemplating running the Houston marathon in January, so I don’t want to completely slack off. I guess I need to just bite the bullet and run on the treadmill more often. The thing I love about running is the peace and quiet of being outside, and the treadmill just isn’t the same.

A Great Big Sister

2010-05-14T15:19:00.001-05:00

Despite her many moments of less than stellar behavior, Grace still manages to amaze me. She put Clare in the swing all by herself and was pushing and spinning her. Clare loved it. I love that they are starting to take care of their sister. Grace will even change her diaper or “read” to her. She loves to play dolls with Clare, and she really can be such a help! I got this video this morning of them playing together.

Happy 2nd Birthday Clare!

2010-05-09T19:56:00.001-05:00

I know I’m late posting this, but my baby girl is now 2! How did that happen? Really. Please tell me. It really seems like yesterday that she was this little tiny 7lb 6oz baby with a head full of thick dark hair.

Clare had a great birthday. We didn’t have a party this year, but we had some family members and her Godparents over for dinner and cake. Clare was excited to get all the attention. She even successfully blew out her own candle!

2 years ago…

Catch Up Post

2010-05-09T19:12:00.001-05:00

I’ve been very, very, very bad about blogging lately, so this post is primarily one to bring everything up to date. We’ve been doing a lot of typical, everyday activities, but not much to write about. Everyone has been healthy and growing. I’m constantly amazed at how fast time goes by, faster and faster everyday. The twins are starting to read and write, and Clare is talking in complete sentences. I can’t imagine my life without these three little ones or their partner in crime (That would be you, George). They surprised me with 30 tulips this morning. It was adorable to see them so excited to give them to me. It’s been a great Mother’s Day! Here are some pictures we’ve taken over the last few months:

Helping Aunt Kelly blow out her candles

This one loves to swing! I swear she would be happy if we did it all day long.

My monkey.

A rare one of all three in one picture. This was on the playground at church while we were teaching Baptism classes.

Reading to her cat

Not sleeping.

Waiting for Fine Arts and Nature Club to start

Ready for the hunt

It didn’t take Clare long to figure out the logistics of the Easter Egg hunt.

A Success!

Painting rocks at the Bayou City Art Festival (we missed you Aunt Kelly :P)

Dyeing Easter Eggs

Nursing her doll (she’s a smart one!)

Before swimming lessons

My Snow White twins

Sweet Man

Naptime (love this!)

Lot at all the teeth!

Trying to make Emma go down a slide (don’t worry, I rescued her right after the picture).

We’ve been quite fascinated with all the caterpillars roaming our area lately

Loving her puppy

A rare one of us (taken at Marisa’s wedding)

Fun in the sprinklers (love the free fun! I needed to water the grass anyway.)

Waiting for Daddy to finish his trail run

Here he comes! I love how you can see the twins watching him.

Happy Easter 2010!

2010-04-04T20:44:00.001-05:00

It’s been busy and fun! We started out the morning with Easter baskets and a quick hunt here in the backyard. We went and got donuts and then came home and got dressed for church.

Here we are after Mass:

Because the church parking lot was full, George had to park the van on the road. He happened to park right by a patch of bluebonnets, so we took a few pictures of the kids before loading them into their carseats.

We headed down to the bay house for lunch. The twins had a great time perfecting their casting skills, which, I’m sorry to say, far exceed my own. Any talent they have when it comes to fishing does not come from me.

Here we are in a canoe:

We just got home not long ago. It has been a long but fun day, and I’m looking forward to a good night’s sleep.

Rodeo Houston 2010

2010-03-31T09:51:00.001-05:00

A few weeks ago, George took a Wednesday off from work and we went down to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. We went to the petting zoo first, always a favorite! After the petting zoo, we went and wandered around all the animal exhibitions. It was pretty crowded, lots of school field trips that day. We stopped to eat and then hit the carnival for a bit before catching the bus back to the car. It was a fun but tiring day. Keeping eyes on three young kids in a large, crowded place is quite exhausting! I need more eyes and more arms!

Jake makes friends with a llama

Grace and Clare make friends with a baby goat

Riding the Ferris Wheel with Daddy

Waiting in line for the slide.

On the car ride with Daddy (Daddy had to ride with Clare because she was too little to ride alone.)

Grace on the Giant Slide

Mommy, Clare, and Jake on the Giant Slide

Daddy on the Kids’ Car Ride with the Twins and Clare (hilarious!)

Snow!

2010-02-24T09:33:00.001-06:00

Another one bites the dust…

2010-02-23T08:36:00.001-06:00

Yep. Grace has chicken pox too.

Smarty Pants!

2010-02-21T12:17:00.001-06:00

Grace loves writing her letters. So far she hasn’t intentionally written a word on her own, not even her own name. However, a little while ago she called me into the playroom saying, “Mommy, I wrote cat!” I got up to see and the first time it said A – backwards C – T. I told her how great it was that she got all the letters. I showed her the correct way to write it. She erased the board and then went on to play with something else. Maybe 30 minutes later she asked me to come look. When I walked in, she had written cat all on her own! I took a picture of her with her big accomplishment. Her very first on-her-own word!

A New Haircut

2010-02-19T22:28:00.001-06:00

I finally got too tired of fighting Grace about brushing her hair and pulling it out of her face, so we went and got her a “real” haircut. I’ve trimmed it several times, but it has been a long time since she has been to get it cut professionally. She has been asking to get a haircut for awhile, so she was very cooperative while it was being cut. We all like the result, and it’s certainly an easy cut. I think it’s definitely a good change!

A picture (or two) is worth a thousand words…

2010-02-19T12:18:00.001-06:00

Grace’s Ballet Recital

2010-01-30T13:21:00.001-06:00

Grace did so well in her recital! I was a little worried that she might not want to go out on the stage in front of the audience, but she did fine. It was so cute to watch! Grace is the 3rd from the right.

Ballet Recital Rehearsal

2010-01-29T18:01:00.001-06:00

Just got home from Grace’s ballet recital rehearsal. Looking forward to tomorrow and hoping to be able to get a good video of the actual dance. Also hoping everyone behaves long enough that we all get to watch.

Pic Heavy

2010-01-27T21:31:00.001-06:00

I know, I know, I haven’t blogged in forever. I’ve been busy with the usual day to day stuff, but nothing *really* interesting has been going on here. Here are a few random pics that we’ve taken since Christmas.

Going to a bowl game

National anthem

Where’d he go?

Clare sleeping for Daddy while Mommy was at a book club meeting.

George and I on a rare night out without the kiddos.

The Occasion of the night out: A St. Thomas High School Class of 2000 mini-reunion

Clare in Grace’s Ariel bathing suit, if you’ve seen us in the past month, there is a good chance she was wearing it.

Yes, apparently I let my kids play with fire

Wearing dress up shoes and a sheepish grin

…and goggles?

Laughing at the neighbor while playing “Star Wars” – his latest obsession

She laid back in an attempt to avoid the camera, I got her photo anyway.

This one is from this afternoon. She has a little bunny teething toy wrapped up in a baby bath towel. She carried it around outside for an hour and was even rocking it in the patio chair.

Still on the trike even though he has the big boy bike thanks to those short legs.

Christmas 2009

2009-12-27T08:29:00.001-06:00

We had a busy but fun Christmas this year. Gree Gree got into town on Christmas Eve midday. Aunt Kelly came by to drop off gifts and the kids got to open one each. Jake absolutely loves his T2 (a remote-controlled Star Wars R2D2). He’s had an ongoing obsession with Aunt Kelly’s Star Wars figurines for awhile, and R2D2 is his favorite. He’s never seen the movies, just loves T2!

We headed to 4pm Children’s Mass and even though we got there a few minutes early, both the main church and the overflow Mass in the gym were full. We ended up watching Mass from the narthex. After Mass we went home and opened Christmas PJ’s, changed into them, and drove around looking at lights. We got home, got the kids to bed, and got gifts ready for Christmas morning.

Christmas morning we got up before the kids and were waiting for them downstairs. Clare was the first one up. She curled up in my lap for a bit. Jake was next and he needed some snuggle time in Daddy’s lap. I finally had to wake Grace up. She came downstairs and went straight to her new bike. I swear that girl can go from 0 to 6o in no time at all.

We opened presents and played for a bit, ate breakfast, and then Daddy set up the new bounce house. The kids jumped for a bit and then went in the front to ride bikes. Gree Gree and I got started in the kitchen while Daddy cleaned up some of the mess and kept the kids occupied.

George’s family started arriving shortly after 4pm. We ate dinner around 7 and then opened more presents. Everyone left around 9, I cleaned up a bit, and we all went to bed tired and ready for good night’s sleep.

In Christmas PJs and ready to look at Christmas lights

Who needs presents? The dog’s cage is fun enough!

Clare on Christmas morning

Jake on Christmas morning

Grace heads straight for her new bike

Jake opens a new Leapster game.

Gree Gree helps Clare open her presents

She can’t wait to go for a ride

He can’t either

I love this face!

In the bounce house

Gree Gree and Mommy

Tina and the kids have some fun

Kids’ Christmas Party

2009-12-16T13:39:00.001-06:00

Last Saturday, George’s work had a Christmas party for all the employees’ kids at the Houston Zoo. The kids each got a special gift delivered by Santa himself. We had some cupcakes and popcorn then wandered around the zoo for a bit. Grace cracked me up the whole time. We’d rush to see an animal, she’d look for all of 5 seconds, and then tell us she wanted to see the next one, and off she’d rush. Jake was more content to amble along, and Clare took some goading to keep up. She was happy to just la-dee-dah along at her own snail’s pace. George and I ran 6.5 miles that morning, so we were a bit dead on our feet. After a couple of hours, we were all ready to go, and everyone was excited to play with their new toys.

Waiting to be called by Santa

Clare goes first (she got twin baby dolls)

Then the twins

Grace got a Disney Princess Aquadoodle

Jake got a remote control Thomas train

Decorating the Tree

2009-12-10T08:01:00.001-06:00

We decorated our Christmas tree on the first Sunday of Advent, the Sunday after Thanksgiving. It looked really good right after, but as the kids pull ornaments off the tree, I put them back on up high out of their reach. We pretty much have zero ornaments on the lower third of our tree right now. Oh well, at least I can maintain my sanity this way. Now if only they would leave the presents alone…

Christmas Showcase

2009-12-09T21:56:00.001-06:00

Our local Catholic homeschool group had a small Christmas group performance tonight at our parish. I co-teach the preschool group with my friend Blair. The preschoolers did a rendition of The Friendly Beasts where they held up pictures of the various animals to go along with the song. We made the animals in class this past Friday. Grace and Jake also participated in a Nutcracker excerpt. All in all, it was a success. All the kids really seemed to have a good time. I’m just sad Daddy couldn’t be there. We missed you, dear!

The best picture I could get of all 3.

Twins

Donkey

Sheep

Sheep Too

Skipping

Getting those naughty boys

The End

Turkey Day 2009

2009-12-03T21:18:00.001-06:00

We started off the day bright and early with a 5 mile run near our house. It was a lot of fun and we both finished faster than we thought we would. Gree Gree and Aunt Kelly brought the kids to cheer as we crossed the finish line. Because the line was long and the area was crowded, we opted to skip the free pancake breakfast and go to McDonald’s instead. After some showers (which we desperately needed after our run), we got everyone dressed and headed off to the in-laws. Clare took a short nap after we ate and then we headed to my sister’s house. We walked to a nearby park with all the kids. They had a lot of fun, but the visit was cut short by a couple of twins needing to visit the potty. I got a picture of the twins in a swing that just happens to be the exact same swing that I have a picture of them in on their 1st birthday. After more food, we decided to call it a day and headed home exhausted. I don’t think we could have fit more into one day if we had tried.

Clare and her new “friends”

Then (1st Birthday)

Now (4 yrs old)

This one loves to hang upside down.

Swinging with Gree Gree

Getting a much taller ride than she ever gets around here :)

Walking home

Busy Busy

2009-11-22T21:13:00.001-06:00

Not much to report other than the usual day-to-day busyness of life with three small kids. I haven’t even taken many photos this month.

This one is from George’s cell phone camera. The twins were supposed to be sleeping.

This is Clare in her new swing, purchased at the garage sale that benefitted my friend Kelly’s boys. She passed away on Halloween after a 5 year battle with breast cancer.

A Sleeping Beauty

Halloween 2009

2009-11-01T15:01:00.001-06:00

Friday we went to our village center’s annual trick-or-treating. The kids had fun and got more than enough candy. Jake was Thomas the Tank Engine again this year. Grace was Tinkerbell (although if you tell her that, she will insist that she is Tink not Tinkerbell). Clare was a cute little ladybug. Yesterday, we carved pumpkins. I carved the girls’ and George carved Jake’s. Jake’s was Lightning McQueen. Grace’s was Tinkerbell. Clare’s was a little girl with pigtails. We had a great time last night at our street’s annual Halloween block party.

Thomas the Tank Engine

Tink

Little Ladybug

Lightning McQueen

Tink

Little Girl with Pigtails

Most of the kids on our street

Miss Clarey Beary

Putting on makeup with one of the neighbors

Halloween Ballet

2009-10-29T23:00:00.001-05:00

Today the kids got to wear their costumes to ballet class. They even danced to songs like Thriller and Ghostbusters. It was really cute to watch. Grace traded her Tinkerbell crown for some Minnie Mouse ears during the class. She really seems to enjoy dancing, both in class and around the house. She even asks me to play Mozart . Hey, I’m just impressed she knows who that is :)

Checkups for All!

2009-10-21T07:51:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I took all three kids for checkups. They did really well and were very cooperative. Here are the stats:

Jacob:
30 lbs (10%)
38.25" tall (10%)

Grace:
32 lbs (25%)
39.5" tall (50%)

Clare:
23 lbs (25-50%)
32.75" tall (75-90%)
19.75 Head Circumference (>100%)

All my kids have had big heads. I guess that means they're going to be smart :)

Our “A Day Out With Thomas” Weekend

2009-10-19T16:56:00.001-05:00

We had so much fun at the Day Out With Thomas event last year that we decided to do it again this year. We even had some wonderful friends join us which made the whole experience even better. Despite a late start and setting up the tents in the dark, everything went very smoothly. There is definitely another camping trip in our future!

We arrived around 10pm on Friday night, got all the tents and bedding set up, and went to bed. We woke up on Saturday morning, sat around the campfire to stay warm, and ate muffins. Everyone got dressed. We had one minor accident involving a busted eyebrow, and then we took the short walk over to the tracks for our train ride. After our train ride we did a few activities and then walked back to the campsite for lunch. Then we went back and did some more activities and had some snowcones. We went back to the campsite to relax and eat again while the kids played. We went to a nearby town for Mass and some supplies. I got to go to confession with a really wonderful priest. One of my highlights of the trip! After a quick stop at WalMart, we went back to the campsite for dinner and s’mores. Everyone was exhausted after such a busy day! Sunday morning we woke up to a great campfire, ate breakfast, packed up the tents, walked over to the Thomas activities for one last visit, and headed home. Clare slept the entire way home! We even went to the Y for a workout and to the grocery store that afternoon. It really was one of the best weekends we’ve ever had!

Reading a “Thomas” bedtime story with Daddy

Sharing a breakfast banana with Daddy

Morning campfire for warmth

Muffins for breakfast

All Aboard!

Almost ready to leave

Going for a ride

Big sister

That whistle was loud!

Playing with all the trains

Stamping

Jake’s new friend

Napping on Mommy during the hayride

Snowcones

Twin Tattoos

Keeping warm by the fire

Relaxing with Daddy after a busy day

Family Photo with Thomas

…and Sir Topham Hatt!

Birthday Girl?

2009-10-16T20:43:00.001-05:00

We are in the car on the way to Rusk, and a little while ago I told the kids that Daddy is the birthday boy (today is his birthday). Jacob kept insisting that Daddy isn't. Finally, he told me that Daddy is not the birthday boy because he is the birthday girl. I love how he makes me laugh, silly boy! So for today at least, Daddy is the birthday girl!

Bayou City Art Festival

2009-10-10T18:23:00.001-05:00

My sister (Aunt Kelly) is the festival coordinator for the Bayou City Art Festival. Because we want to support her and they have such great activities for kids, we drove down to visit for a few hours today. The kids had a great time. They didn’t want to leave. We finally convinced them to leave by promising to come next time and bribing them with ice cream for the ride home.

Waiting in line for face painting

Sporting some “tattoos”

Climbing on Daddy

Cheese!

Twirling some free beads (love the face!)

Spidey Jake

Trying to sit still

With Aunt Kelly

Flower Girl

Let Me Free!

Family Reunion

2009-10-09T09:53:00.001-05:00

We went to George’s family reunion this past Sunday. It was fun but exhausting. There’s nothing like trying to keep track of three small kids in one big space with lots of places to go.

Daddy and Grace

Daddy and Jacob

A cake for the birthday people

Clare asleep on my back

Dancing

Climbing

The Big 4!

2009-10-08T17:34:00.001-05:00

The twins turned 4 on Saturday. Time flies! We had a great time. They got a fish tank and some fish from George and me. They were definitely excited about that. We had their party at the park down the street. The weather held out, and we all had a great time. I still just can’t believe it has been 4 years since they were born. Total craziness!

Driveway Fisticuffs

2009-10-01T08:01:00.001-05:00

I think the driveway won. My poor little Clare. We were outside checking the mail and waiting for Daddy to get home. The neighbor was backing out of her driveway. We were nowhere close, but in my mommy-protectiveness, I wanted Clare close to me. She thought it was a game and tried to run away from me. She lost her balance and skidded on the driveway face first. Not a happy moment.

Oh, This Hair!

2009-09-29T08:06:00.001-05:00

Clare definitely inherited my hair (so did Grace). Neither of the girls got Daddy’s nice thick hair. They both got my thin, part wavy, part straight uber-cowlicky, crazy hair. Brushing only tames the craziness for a few minutes, and both girls pull out clips faster than I can put them in. What’s a girl to do?

STH Homecoming Tailgate Party

2009-09-27T09:57:00.002-05:00

As an alumnus of St. Thomas High School, George stays pretty involved in the school’s happenings. Last Friday we went to the campus for the pre-homecoming game tailgate party. It was a pretty good time and the kids definitely had fun running around. I had to scrounge up the only red shirts we had for Clare (4th of July) and Grace (Christmas). Oh well, it’s the spirit that counts.

This baby goes everywhere with Clare. She even wakes up in the middle of the night calling “Baby, Baby!”

These two were refusing to look at the camera all evening. At least George got them both looking in one direction.

I can’t believe the twins are almost 4!

Hanging out with Daddy!

Smash Trash

2009-09-26T08:03:00.001-05:00

Jacob loves the movie Wall-E and likes to pretend that he is indeed Wall-E. The other day I hear all kinds of noise coming from the Toy Room. I walk in there about to get mad, see Jake piling every single toy in there in the center of the room, but I paused to first ask Jake what in the world he is doing. He tells me with the proudest look on his face, “Mommy, I’m smashing trash.” I couldn’t be mad when I saw the look on his face. Instead, I went and got the camera. Fun times!

And a bonus… Clare put on Grace’s ballerina skirt all by herself and was running around so proud! (Excuse her dirty shirt, we just ate dinner and were heading upstairs for baths.)

Fishing

2009-09-20T10:33:00.001-05:00

A couple of weekends ago we were all itching to get out of the house, so I packed a picnic lunch, we stopped at Academy to get a fishing license, and then we went to a park near our house to fish. The twins didn’t really have the attention span and patience to fish for very long, so we spent a lot of time exploring. A group across the pond caught a really big catfish, so we walked around to see it before they released it. The kids thought it was pretty neat!

Clare getting excited about the ducks. It looks like she is trying to dive in, but she was just bouncing up and down in place.

Enjoying her lunch in the shade.

This duck wasn’t scared at all. He/she let the kids pet it!

Worms don’t bother this one!

This duck was literally the same size as Clare.

We brought her Cozy Coupe to keep Clare occupied. She tried to drive it into the lake.

Fishing with Daddy

I love how Grace has her hand on Daddy’s knee. So sweet!

My Little Picasso

2009-08-21T16:24:00.002-05:00

Grace has become quite the little artist lately. She did all of these with no help whatsoever. I'm quite the proud mommy!

Daddy

Mommy

Grace's Self-Portrait