another happy Daddy moment

On our date night this past weekend, we somehow ended up at game stop.  Ben has been wanting to get some new wii games for him and the girls to play together.  And much to my surprise, the girls loved his choices, Star Wars Lego Game and Toy Story Mania.  Toy Story Mania was our fave ride at Disney World, it is an arcade-style ride and the game is very similar to the ride.  And here all of this time, I was thinking Ben was going to have to wait till R2 was old enough to play video games for Ben to have a gaming buddy.

things to do around town

Found this great list on Pinterest.  Highlighted in yellow the things we have done.  

94 Things To Do With Your Preschooler in Austin Before Kindergarten

1. Hike to the top of Enchanted Rock
2. Pick strawberries at Sweet Berry Farm
3. Go to a UT game (try soccer, basketball, or baseball if you don’t want to shell out the dough for a football ticket)
4. Cool off at Hamilton Pool
5. Watch the bats
6. Stuff your faces at Stubb’s Gospel Brunch
7. Take in a free show during SXSW
8. Canoe on Ladybird Lake
9. Take bluebonnet photos at the Wildflower Center
10. Stomping in puddles after (or during) a rare rainstorm
11. Fantasize about in-state tuition at Explore UT
12. Buy local – plants, that is – at the kid-friendly Barton Springs Nursery (check out the birds!)
13. Pick up breakfast tacos and spend a morning and your favorite park
14. Ride a pony at Kiddie Acres
15. Split a snow cone at the stand outside Barton Springs
16. Get soaked at the Liz Carpenter Fountain at Butler Park
17. Skipping rocks in Shoal Creek
18. Broaden your literary horizons at the Texas Book Festival
19. Order a birthday cake from Amy’s Ice Cream
20. Have cobbler at the Salt Lick
21. Swim at Barton Springs
22. Go to the Kite Festival
23. Introduce your kid/s to a new vegetable at Boggy Creek Farm
24. Catch a movie at Deep Eddy Pool during the summer
25. Shake your booty during a Biscuit Brothers concert at Central Market
26. Sit back and listen at a library storytime
27. Take a family photo in front of the Steve Ray Vaughan statue on the south side of Lady Bird Lake, close to the Long Center
28. Buy some boots or a hat from Callahan’s
29. Eat at Mr. Natural
30. Learning about Texas wildlife – now and centuries ago – at the Texas Memorial Museum (do note that the Museum is closed until October 2011 for renovations)
31. Feel the sand between your toes in the Dino Pit at the Austin Science & Nature Center
32. Going to a Round Rock Express baseball game
33. Getting lost minutes from downtown on the grounds of the Laguna Gloria Museum
34. Ice skate at Chaparral Ice in Northcross
35. Have a picnic with the peacocks at Mayfield Park
36. Fly the Texas flag on March 2 – Texas Independence Day
37. Dangle your bare feet in the water after a walk along the Greenbelt
38. Bring a picnic lunch and listen to local music during Music on the Plaza on the grounds of City Hall
39. Feed the ducks at Lou Neff Point
40. Exhale during Free Day of Yoga
41. Retrieving hail from your lawn after one of those bizarre spring storms
42. Take in some culture during Austin Museum Day
43. Climb on the cows at the Arboretum
44. Visit the petting zoo at the Austin Zoo & Animal Sanctuary
45. Pick out plants together at Barton Springs Nursery or the Natural Gardener
46. Camp at Inks Lake
47. Watching the owner of Rootin’ Ridge make yet another wooden toy
48. Sit at the counter and order lunch at Nau’s Drugstore
49. Go exploring at McKinney Falls State Park
50. Imagine life before Tivo at Pioneer Farms
51. Take a cruise without packing a suitcase with Capital Cruise
52. Take a visitor from out of town on an Austin Duck Tour
53. Stop to smell the roses at the Zilker Botanical Gardens
54. Teach your child how to Keep Austin Weird by buying one item at BookPeople,Waterloo Records, and Over the Rainbow
55. Take a walk on the Hike and Bike Trail around Lady Bird Lake
56. Get photos from the photo booth at Phil’s Ice House
57. Take a tour of the Capitol
58. Exposing your charge to some live music at a daytime Waterloo in-store performance
59. Take a spin at Playland Skate Center
60. Bake cookies for your neighbors
61. Listen to Joe McDermott play free at Pottery Barn Kids in Barton Creek Mall
62. Taste at least five flavors before making a decision on what to get at Teo Gelato
63. Miniature golf at Peter Pan
64. Ride the Zilker Zephyr
65. Take the bus to Symphony Square’s Children’s Day Art Park during the summer
66. Spin yourself dizzy under the Zilker Tree during the holidays
67. Imagine the roar of the dinosaurs at the Hartmann Prehistoric Garden
68. Make wishes at the fountain at Mandola’s in the Triangle
69. Take in some history at the LBJ Library & Museum
70. See if your little one can make it all the way up to the top of Mt. Bonnell
71. Cool off in the summer heat at the Austin Ice Cream Festival
72. Stay up a bit past bedtime dancing at Blues on the Green
73. Enjoy an afternoon treat, sunshine, and fresh air at Mozart’s Coffee Roasters
74. Volunteering at the food pantry at the Capital Area Food Bank
75. Take him/her with you to vote!
76. Find your own secret spot to watch the 4th of July fireworks
77. Celebrate Cinco de Mayo at the Mexican American Cultural Center
78. Meet some friends for afternoon fun, food and music at the Triangle Farmers Market
79. On a hot summer day, stopping for some frozen custard at Sandy’s on Barton Springs
80. Running, walking, strolling, or people watching during one of Austin’s many 5ks
81. Buy some Kerbey Lane pancake mix and whip up a batch as a family
82. Get a bird’s eye view of Austin from atop the UT Tower
83. Take in a free summer performance at the Zilker Hillside Theater
84. Wear shorts in January!
85. Get on your boots and head to Rodeo Austin
86. See how many celebrities you can recognize in the “museum” at the Broken Spoke
87. Go to First Thursday on South Congress
88. Volunteer for a park project during It’s My Park! Day
89. Draw on the tables (OK, the paper covering the tables) at Hoover’s on Manor Road
90. Celebrate the Chinese New Year at Chinatown on North Lamar
91. Recall your favorite scene from My Big Fat Greek Wedding at the Texas Greek Festival
92. Finally visit the Barsana Dham during the Mela Fair (that temple-like building on the way to the Salt Lick)
93. Head to Rosie’s for some yummy tamales during the holidays
94. Enjoy all the Austin Powwow & American Indian Heritage Festival has to offer

"pet" rabbits

Who needs another pet when you have 3 living in your backyard that you don't have to feed, find sitting for or clean up after.  Meet Flopster, Nopster, and Lobster, each child has their own rabbit and I don't have to be responsible.  We do throw leftover veggies to them in the backyard and the dogs have given up on chasing them.  They find shelter under my table and the trampoline.

wordless Wednesday

Movie night

On Friday night, the girls and I had a date night at our church.  The kids church sponsored it with giveaways, free popcorn, juice boxes and candy galore.  I got to chat with mommy friends who I don't think I've seen since R2's baby shower.  At 8:05, both girls were crawled up in my lap (bedtime). 

Reader

I know I have been neglecting the blog lately.  We have been so busy with life, school, gym and having fun that the computer often gets neglected.  Not to mention with the android and ability to check emails on my phone, I am hardly ever on the computer upstairs where I keep all of the photos.  I captured this sweet pic of R2 homsechooling this morning, that I decided to make the effort to share.
Hope you are enjoying this gorgeous weather!

Toast

His favorite - toast
His least favorite - his dinosaur hat

wordless Wednesday - Hula helper

RFF update

We have been so busy lately, imagine that?  This past weekend we went to Kerrville to visit family.  We were able to visit Mr. House, my parent's 102 yr-old neighbor.  The girls each spent a night with Granny (my grandmother) and I got my fix of Mamacita's green sauce.
This past week, our what I thought was a big screen tv went out and we finally broke down and bought a new tv.  Ben asked me if we could get a 60 inch one to replace it; sure, thinking ours was something a long that line.  Needless to say our neighbor came over last night to help Ben mount the movie screen on our living room wall.  And, of course we had to get all of the accessories that go with a new tv (notice the hint of sarcasm in my typing).  Who am I kidding, I am excited and I know he is VERY excited.  We have not replaced our tv in over 8 years and we literally used it till the picture went out.  We are spending the day in jammies watching Wizard of Oz b/c LE, Mommy and R2 have allergies today.
We have also met a new homeschooling friend and this past week, the kids came over so their parents could have a night out.  Once a month (or as needed) we will do a kid swap and we are up for our date night.
R2 has really gotten the knack for walking and he is all over the house now.
So, that is what it is going on in our neck of the woods.  I am signing off to read your blogs now.

wordless Wednesday - fashionista