SeaWorld!

June 15 was Oliver's third birthday. I can't believe it! How have 3 years passed since my precious son was born? At the same time it feels like we've known our boy forever...
Oliver got some really fun gifts for his big #3. He got a space module play tent from Mommy and Daddy, a set of building blocks from Papa Bob (who was here to celebrate with us) and a trip to SeaWorld on his birthday from Gramma Lou and Papa Ray. So, on his actual birthday, off we went to San Antonio for our first big amusement park adventure with the kids and Papa Bob! SeaWorld was great!! It was a very hot day, but we had a blast. We saw dolphins, alligators, sharks and all kinds of fish, attempted a 4D pirate movie, cooled off swimming in the lazy river and kiddie pool, refreshed our taste buds with frozen lemonade, then finished off the day with a Shamu killer whale show. Oliver got to go on his very first roller coaster ride, Emma rode the tea-cup ride, and Mommy, Daddy and Papa even got to go on a couple of big rides. I would totally do SeaWorld again! What a fabulous family adventure! Thanks Gramma Lou and Papa Ray!

Where does he get it??

Ok, something Blogworthy... Actually, there have been many blogworthy things lately, just no time to write. Tonight Oliver, Emma and I were playing "pirates" downstairs and out of nowhere Oliver declares "I'm adopted Mamma." He was very matter of fact, although I don't think he knew what it meant. I responded "No... actually you're not bud." He continued the conversation by saying "Yeah, I'm adopted Mom." And I said "Well, it would be special if you were adopted, but I gave birth. I was there, and saw you come out. Sorry to disappoint you bud, you're mine." He just looked at me blankly for a moment, followed by a big "Aargh!" ... and back to pirates.

On that note, I am so in love with my babies, and so grateful that they are mine. Oliver astounds me every day, and Emma is my sunshine. Thank heaven for my babes. (including you Jeff!)

Hooray for Meatloaf!

Hooray for good old Meatloaf! I'm not talking about the dreadful singer, (sorry to any of the one or two Meatloaf fans out there) I'm referring to the wonderful, easy to make comfort food. My kids have been such picky eaters for the last week or so, and I have begun to wonder if they are getting enough in their little bodies to keep going! They are keeping hydrated with water and gatorade, and bits of food here and there. Last night we tried our last resort never-fail - oatmeal. It failed. Jeff thinks it's a phase. WELL... today I made meatloaf and baked potatoes for lunch. I crossed my fingers that it would be consumed by the little food snobs. HOORAY!! Oliver ate every single bite of a generous portion of meatloaf, and an entire baked potato! The jury is still out on Emma since she is taking her nap, but she is not as tough a critic as our little man. I just hope that Oliver wasn't purposely stocking up his reserve tanks to pull another Gandhi fast on me.

Deep Eddy, Space Commander and Garbage Bandits

I have 3 blogs in one today. Each special in it's own way, and it wouldn't be right to not report on one of them.

#1)DEEP EDDY POOL: There are only so many ways to beat the Austin Heat, and we have heard around town that the Deep Eddy Pool is one of the best ways cool down. It is a pool fed by natural spring water, and the temperature stays around 68 degrees all year long. A little chilly at first, but refreshing. After about an hour long hum-ha session with Jeff, we settled on taking the kids to the much anticipated "Deep Eddy". It was the best decision! What a wonderful place to relax with your family, and it is super kid friendly with a giant shallow wading area - perfect for Oliver and Emma. The pictures are from our outing there today.

#2)SPACE COMMANDER: Oliver's imagination has developed by leaps and bounds over the last month. It is such a wonderful thing to witness. He is growing into such a "big boy" before my very eyes. (He is always the first to remind me that he is a "big boy" should I happen to forget!)Lately, his favorite make believe game is "Space Commander". He shouts out that he is "space commander Oliver" and Emma is his "space cadet." He has collected all sorts of odds and ends that he pretends are his space controllers, and "stethoscopes" (he actually means telescope, but gets it a bit wrong.) His space ship is a big Ikea cardboard box in the living room, which he travels to space in regularly. As he is blasting off he proclaims with total exuberance "I'm going to Mars! Where no one has gone before!" I love this boy. I love his zest, his excitement, his intensity, and his pure belief that he can do or be whatever he darn well wants.

#3)GARBAGE BANDITS: Ok, we've covered fun and we've covered heartfelt. I'm not sure what to call this next little ditty, but I'm pretty sure I've saved the best for last. There are no photos to accompany the story, so just go ahead and use your imagination. Or not. It's honestly borderline humiliating. In our neighborhood the garbage collectors come very early Monday morning. I'm not sure how, but last Sunday night we forgot to put the garbage can on the curb. Jeff rushed out right when he woke up, but they had already come and gone. This sucks. It sucks even more than just ordinary suck because here in Austin you have to fit all your garbage in one can. In Cambridge you can just line up garbage bags the whole way down the street if you want - they'll take it all away.
The problem gets worse because our can was full last Sunday night. AHHH! What to do, what to do? "Well, let's just put the garbage bags in the garage and figure it out next week" Jeff and I decided. Next week is here my friends, and it wasn't pretty. The garbage can did not magically eat all the bags from last week. As Jeff and I stood in the garage wondering what we should do, that stupid can sat there mocking us, laughing an evil kind of laugh. "I'll get in there and jump a bit to try and compact the bags so we can fit more in" I suggested. At this point I am thinking anything is better than the alternative. There I was in our hot garage standing in the can trying my best to squish the bags down a bit. We got about an inch out of it, and Jeff muscled in another bag or two. "We're just gonna have to do it" Jeff said. I just died inside, because I knew he was right. We pressed the button on the wall, and up went the noisy garage door. I was just hoping that our neighbors were all sleeping. Jeff pointed out that it was after 11pm, and was more than likely no one would see us. We crept over to the neighbors can and shoved in a couple of bags. They wouldn't all fit. Crap. What now? Jeff then tried to stuff more in our own can. No go. Back to our garage to re-evaluate. I stated that we "will just have to wait and hope it all fits next week." Jeff's response??? "You realize that is admitting total defeat?" DEFEAT?? We are garbage bandits!! Is there anything worse in the whole world? Ok, probably. I just didn't want to be the couple who goes creeping around before garbage day stuffing our trash bags in the neighbors can!!! Wait. Too late.
Anyway, Jeff went back out to the same neighbors can and shoved all but one bag in her can. I hope she doesn't have any more trash to go out.

The Slammer

This morning for some reason I was so tired I could barely speak. I got 8 hours of good sleep last night, but still, for a hour or two I felt like an old Tom and Jerry episode where Tom is trying to keep his eyelids open with toothpicks. After we dropped Jeff off at work, I feared being pulled over by a cop and falsely being thrown in the drunk tank to sober up. My mind was wandering, preparing myself with what I would do should this actually happen. Would the kids come to the drunk tank with me? I'm sure Oliver would think it was fun - a trip to the jail, and seeing all of the police officers. Emma isn't so easily won over though. All ridiculous thoughts on my part. Surprisingly, it woke me up a bit.
After day dreams of being thrown in the slammer with my 1 and 2 year old children, I decided I could make up for their jail time with a nice trip to the park. Off we went on an adventure to discover new playgrounds. We went driving through a neighborhood we have been to 50 times before, looking for the "kids playscape" that we have heard so much about. It is like the lost city of Atlantis for me. I have driven around looking for this darn playground again and again. I have used a map, GPS, verbal directions, followed my instincts, all ending in miserable failure. This morning I figured it was worth another shot. I really owed it to Ollie and Emma for putting them through such hardship in my day dreams. After about 10 minutes of driving around various neighborhoods, and passing one or two shrimpy little playgrounds, we hit the pot of gold. It wasn't the much anticipated pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, but good enough. Metropolitan Park. It boasted a nice sized playground, and lots of soccer fields and open grassy space for the kids to run and stretch after being in a tight little jail cell for so long.

Maybe we'll find the lost playground of Atlantis tomorrow.

Hobo Signs

While Gramma and Grampa Gritton were visiting last week, they bought the kids a kiddie swimming pool to try and beat the heat. Inside the packaging a small, very important set of instructions was included. Here is what I think it could possibly represent:

1.) Watch out for edge of pool when diving in.
2.) Enter pool head first only.
3.) Place head in pool.
4.) Big person may transform into little person upon getting wet.
5.) Big person wants to go under rainbow with little person and birds.
6.) If sick, barf in pool.
7.) Head will bounce off side of pool.
8.) If you fall in the pool, you will be eaten by babies and birds.
9.) Or the more obvious, watch your kids while they're swimming.

The picture reminded me of an exhibit at the Boston Science Museum that has different "Hobo Signs" for you to try and solve. Here is a website with Hobo Signs for y'all to take a look at. (3 weeks in the lone star state and I'm already speakin' Texan.)

www.slackaction.com/signroll.htm