Summer Activities

Summer is over, and I am a little nostalgic for it.  The kids went to camps, swimming and art classes.  And many play-dates.  We did very little beach and pool going since heat and too much driving are very uncomfortable for a pregnant woman like me.  It was not the usual summer we have with once a week beach and many more pool trips, but I think it was still fun.  We also worked on variety of workbooks and reading which were great for Samuel.  His reading and basic math skills have greatly improved.  Esther also became interested in work books and always had to work along with Samuel.  The two also played well together.   No wonder Esther is so lonely without her brother around. I was able to fit a few home projects since we have a baby on the way.  It was a productive summer, but I think I started too many project which will not be finished for a year or so.  I should have been more realistic.

We also went to a fun family reunion in New Braunfels which was super fun for the kids and very relaxing for me.  They floated down the river a couple of times a day with their dad, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and a couple of super cute baby cousins.  I stayed in our hotel room and watched movies, worked on pictures, or read.  I will post some pictures of the reunion soon.

Here is a picture of Esther having done her favorite puzzle over again.  She loves doing puzzles, and I never have to ask her to do any of them.

This is before the kids went to bed and I had to have this moment captured.

Samuel also lost his two top front teeth!  (Still as cute as a button.)

The one time I took the kids to the pool.  :(

First Day of School

The first day of school for us was last Monday.  Samuel expected it with great anticipation.  So far he is still excited, but he did say that school is boring.  I really hope that after all the initial review of procedures of a brand new school, things pick up and he actually learns something.  Esther's preschool does not start until next week, and she has been very lonely without Samuel.  She watches the clock and asks constantly if it is time to go pick up Sam.  Luckily she started her gymnastics, so at least on Monday mornings she has something fun that she is doing.  I will have to make sure to schedule plenty of play dates for her.  I am not fun to hang out with these days.  I am way too pregnant.

Esther loves gymnastics.  Today they tried headstands and handstands.  She has been practicing at home a whole lot.  We discovered that she can stand on her head for a really long time.  Her brother on the other hand can barely last a few seconds.  It is nice that there is at least one thing that she is better at physically than Samuel.  He is very athletic, which has not been the case with Esther.   Here are some pictures.

We'll be five

It's been so long since I actually posted something substantial.  So, today is the day to announce officially to the whole world, outside of our little world of family and friends, that we are excitedly expecting our third child.  A baby girl will join us in September.  We are very blessed and happy that we are given another soul to love and bring up.  Well, there is no guarantee that we won't mess it up some along the way, but isn't that what parenting is about anyway?  You learn as you go and vow to not make any of the mistakes your own parents made... And then you find yourself making mistakes that make your parents look like saints.  You hold your head in your palms and wonder how you got on this road anyway!  Oh, well... Once our children are parents themselves, they will forgive us and will be confessing to us with tearful eyes how they just messed up their own kid by doing this or that...  And the circle of life goes on...

We think we have a name.  It was hard this time since we've been giving our children biblical names of people with exemplary lives.  We thought it nice for the children to have a story to go to and be reminded of what these people stood for.  It seems that there are so many boy names with great stories, but it is much harder to find a name for a girl.  The name does not only have to have a good story, but it should neither sound too strange, nor should it be so common that it is already taken by a family member or a close friend.  So, it is hard to match "Esther".  But we think we've found one that is just as meaningful and rare.  Stay tuned to find out what it will be.

Just because....

Saturday or Sunday Mornings

Usually on Sunday mornings, since we don't go to church until 1:30 pm this year, or on Saturday mornings when we have no baseball game or a church project, I turn soft and make pancakes or crepes for the kids.  They, of course, always have to help.  And they still fit in one chair.  I have suggested two chairs, but that is apparently not close enough to the action.  This was taken at the end of January of 2011.  I can't be grateful enough for cameras that capture precious moments like this, which we'd probably forget and never remember.

Disclaimer:  I have nothing to do with the way they dress anymore.  I have resigned to the fact that they have their own style.  Sometimes, I just have to close my eyes when we leave the house.  I hope that this will be the first and last battle I ever loose... :)

Solution to slide show viewing

While reading another blog, I noticed that they had a video uploaded through YouTube.  It looked great, so I decided to try and see if I can get a better result with our Rodeo Slide Show using YouTube.  Lo and behold, the result was great.  The quality is almost incomparable.  I erased the old version and put the newer better one.  I hope you give it another try.

Quality of Rodeo Clip

It is so unfortunate that the video does not look as good when played on the blog.  I wish you can see it on my computer.  If any of you know any tricks about making my little slide show appear nicer when played in a browser, please do share by all means.

Rodeo Clip

The song for this slide show is by Rodney Atkins called "Watching You".  I am not much of a country fan, so I had not heard this song before I started looking for a fitting song for our Rodeo pictures .  It was hard to find a song that was not about drinking, partying, or heartbreaking, but once I heard this one, it fit very well.  I hope you like it too.

Our Day at the Rodeo

On Friday our whole family went to the RODEO! It was a much anticipated day by the kids and completely exploited by me to get them to do their chores, reading, and piano playing. The thought of not going to the Rodeo was so unbearable to them that I did not have to repeat my self once. It was a charm!

The first thing we did was the Mutton Bustin' Competition. Samuel was just old enough and light enough to qualify. What is Mutton Bustin? I still remember the first time I saw this competition, and I would describe my feelings as a combination of disgust and laughter. But the longer one lives in our neck of the woods, the more normal of an activity it becomes. If your kid is between the ages of 4 and 6, and weighs under 60 lbs, he or she should be at the Mutton Bustin'. A kid gets on the back of a sheep, the sheep is let loose, and the kid tries to hold on as long as possible. It is harder than it looks. Samuel was a little disappointed that he did not win first place, but he surely did behave like a winner after his spectacular fall. Here is our documentation of this great event:

Creative Outfit

Esther looked so creatively dressed up (notice the robe belt used as a scarf and the hood over the baseball hat). I wanted to take a picture just of her, but Samuel (aka Mr. Hollywood) had to have his picture taken also. :) They are so funny.....!!!

Baseball Season

Baseball (technically T-ball for us, because of Samuel's age group) has started for our family. This year Samuel will be playing on the "Athletics". This is fun for all of us, except all the driving I need to do to get him to practice and games, which is usually about three times a week. However, we all love it, and I am actually starting to appreciate this great American game. It is just wonderful to be in the outdoors away from all electronic and modern. Esther and I bring a blanket, snacks, some toys, and we are good. It is a great time for me to slow down and enjoy the moment.

Samuel plays at the Dad's Club in Pearland. It is an incredibly well run organization and only by volunteers. I can't remember how many teams they have but it is an outrageous number. They have about twenty-four-hundred children playing this year and in spite of that everything runs as smoothly as clockwork. We were very impressed last year and that is why we are back.

Rodeo and Spring

This is the best weather in the year here-early spring. The temperatures are in the low 70s (20s in C), and for most of this time we have the Houston RODEO. Every time we drive by the Reliant Stadium the kids ask when is the Rodeo coming again. When March came they knew that they would be going to the Rodeo. It is a great place to bring children. There are carnival rides, farm animal exhibits, of course all the rodeo competitions, and a concert every night. And some great BBQ to be had! And anything fried you can imagine, from which we steer away. How about fried butter, or a fried pickle? Did you know that just about anything can be fried!? There are also the funnel cakes, and cotton candy and any other fun food that you might have eaten as much as you wanted when you were a kid! This is one of those times when I love being a parent. The looks of happiness, pure joy, and marvel in our children's eyes are constant. They are priceless. We also dress up for the occasion. Here is Esther in her best cowgirl outfit, well, her version.

Fun in the backyard

We had a beautiful week in the 70s all week last week, and Esther and I took advantage of it. We lay a blanket in the backyard and just lay there enjoying the dry and warm air. Well, I did more of that, and she did more of this:

...

Our little Ballerina

Since last September Esther has been taking ballet and loves it. Every Friday morning we put on her ballet clothes, and she is ready to dance all day. Her teacher Tricia is great and can keep six or seven three-year olds engaged and wanting to keep coming.

Samuel in the Local Newspaper

A week before Thanksgiving of 2010, Samuel's Kindergarten class was selected to be interviewed by a reporter from the local newspaper - Houston Chronicle. Here is a link to the newspaper article. You'll get a good giggle out of this. Samuel's answer is toward the very end. He could not have said it better!

Houston Chronicle Article