Catching Up

Just some of what we've been up to recently shall follow. I may post more later, but just in case, here are some highlights not covered by Carl in 2013.

Someone won first place at the Science Fair!! Woohoo!!

Helping pack up Bebe's house, I couldn't help but love my grandmother all over again. I mean, look at all these lace curtains...

 And three bins of rag rugs.

 And, um, a Taylor Hicks CD?! Did she even watch American Idol? And of all the winners CDs to buy, Taylor Hicks?? Not Kelly Clarkson, or Carrie Underwood, but... the Silver Fox? Oh Bebe...

 Alex and the third graders went on a field trip to the Blanton.

We freaked out when Ryan's new adult teeth started coming out, before he had even lost any of his baby teeth.

But the dentist said to wait, and sure enough, two weeks later, we had a lost tooth!

And two weeks after that, we had a second lost tooth and the third lost tooth the next day. That tooth fairy sure has been busy.

 

I'm always amused that our new neighbors have trucks at their house doing work practically every single day for months on end. This house was immaculate and breathtaking before they bought it, I can't imagine what they are doing ...unless they are building some sort of WWIII bunker underground. Our neighbor Jeff and I are constantly texting each other when we see the latest repair van out front. Its the little things in life.

 Alex and the Scouts made strawberry shortcake by hand, every single thing on this plate was made by Alexander the Great. Love the Scouts!

 Valentine's Day came and went. I received lovely roses at home AND work. Love you, Carl.

Never let your son peruse pinterest for Valentine's Day box ideas. He picked the Minecraft creeper, and the idea wanted me to cut out hundreds of little different shades of green squares and glue them on to the box. I don't think so!! A color print of an 8x10 creeper and we were set.

Oh, and Ryan and the first graders had Chocolate Fever Day, hence the pjs to school and the "chocolate" spots all over his face.

Alex was clever enough to start swallowing little pieces of paper clips, and then had a tummy ache. An entire morning of doctors visits worrying that his HSP was back, and xrays showed little bunches of metal twisted together. Nice, Alex. I had the job of searching though his, ahem, deposits, for the next few days and collecting five little "charms." Here's the follow-up xray showing all metal is out. Boys!!

 I broke up with my hairdresser after 18 years (longer than Carl!) and started seeing someone new.

Field trip with Ryan and the first graders to the Scottish Rite to see 'Farfalle.'

I arranged for Alex's den to have a tour of the Travis County Jail, and it pays to know people in high places. :) We got the full works, including being taken back into the cells where prisoners were.

Actually, maybe the lesser tour would have sufficed. I'm still a little stunned they took us back there.  Here we are BEHIND the barbed wire, which better be Alexander's one and only time there.

 Sleeping buddies.

 Ryan was honored to be asked to run at the Round Rock Little Races - they pick only two kids from each grade from each elementary school to compete. He loved it!

Alex was a bit perplexed he wasn't asked, but he did a good (enough) job being happy for his brother.

Go Ryan!

 Principal's Pride awards

And I just noticed that in almost every picture here, Alex is wearing his beloved Blue Angels bomber jacket. Probably because he wears it every day.

He first saw it at the gift shop in Florida this summer after we watched the Blue Angels fly. After looking at the price tag, I refused to buy it, since he would quickly out grow it, and we settled for a nice hoodie.

But the boy was not to be deterred, and was clever enough to hit up his grandmother. So my mom gave it to him for his birthday, and he has worn it over and over and over again.

Moral of the story: I should buy him expensive things at gift shops??!!