Sprinkler Fun!

The weather has cooled enough that we can actually spend time together outside in the early mornings and evenings, after dinner. After swinging, sliding, and kicking/throwing balls around, Seth decided to turn on the sprinkler. (There's something wrong with the sprinkler system that covers the backyard, so we are currently using this one which connects to a hose and does most of the entire backyard.) I ran for the camera because this moment HAD to be captured!

Look at those Big Blues!!! (Austin got this Cowboys football from Aunt Rory. She said they didn't have any Packers ones. ;-)

Some might be wondering why I included this shot of him running away. So I'll tell you... I wanted you to see the water marks on his clothes.

Run.ning. (meant to sound a bit Forrest Gump-ish which is about how Austin runs... pre-Forrest's leg braces coming off)

It's dark and he's far away, but there's no missing that smile!

Thoroughly soaked by this point.

And yet VERY happy. Isn't he cute!?

His body and clothes were soaked, so Seth stripped him down outside and carried him right to the tub for a warm bath.

He's picking grass clippings off his feet.

And here's the best part... I got some of it on video!

The Indoctrination Has Begun!

Our neighbors two doors down are also an Aggie Family. This past weekend, they put up an inflatable Reveille. We just had to get a picture of Austin with it! As soon as we got him dressed and outside, he took off running for it. But wouldn't get within 3 feet of him, even after being carried and set there. He immediately began walking away. It was too cute and super funny!

He looks good in maroon! (And I think he knows it!!!)

His usage of his pointer finger is fairly new and very frequent these days!

Chihuly at the Dallas Arboretum

I bought a Groupon for half price admission to the Chihuly installation at the Dallas Arboretum a couple months ago, and the weather finally decided to get cool enough that we could go. And while Chihuly is always a sight to see, I wasn't as impressed with this exhibit as I have been in the past. Perhaps it was the squirmy toddler we had in tow. Perhaps it was the fact that I'm 9 months pregnant. Perhaps it was because I've seen Chihuly so many times before. Perhaps it was the excruciating pain that set in after only being there an hour. Overall I am glad we went, but wish we could have been a better experience.

The ends looked like tree frog fingers.

We got him out of the stroller and he went RUNNING!

"Ball! Ball! Ball!"

Austin's 1st Day of "School" 2012-13

As most people reading this know, Austin was in a Mother's Day Out program all of last year, attending every Thursday, 9-2. As it happened, they were doing enrollment for the 2012-13 year right when Seth got laid off last winter, so we didn't automatically re-enroll him there because we didn't know what our situation would be.

In holding off, though, we actually found a new place to send him that is closer to our house AND cheaper (Thanks Sheala for finding it for us!). He still attends just one day a week--Thursdays, and is there from 9am-2pm. It's technically called a Children's Day Out program, but around here we simply call it "School." ("School" is much faster and easier to say than "Children's Day Out" or even "CDO". Plus, it gets him into the idea of going somewhere to be instructed by someone non-parent and all that it involves--eating with someone else, doing crafts with someone else, learning taught with a bunch of other kids around, learning to socialize without parental help, etc.)

He's already had his first day and seemed to love it! He did some art, took a nap on his cot (I'm hoping that helps the toddler bed transition due to occur soon), and even came home with a fundraiser form. Pecans, anyone? ;-)

I LOVE this new hands-on-knees pose-with-smile he has acquired.

He looks like such a Big Boy walking in with his backpack on!

OH my! This melts my Momma Heart! Walking into school carrying his lunch and backpack!? Sigh.

I should have gotten one of him actually walking into his classroom and with his teachers, but the moment took me over and I forgot all about the camera in my hand!

2nd Bday, celebration #1--The Houston side

I LOVE birthdays. And it seems I married into the right family because we celebrate birthdays all the time around here! Here are some pictures from Austin's first 2nd Birthday Celebration (aka Houston side). Thanks to Spencer/Cheryl, Grandma, Rory, and Nonnie/Gramps for the awesome gifts!

The paper begins to fly!

 

The gift was a set of golf CLUBS, but he, of course, only cared about the golf BALLS!

I made a comment to Rory that she could give Packers stuff too, and she immediately replied that the store hadn't had any. It was awesome to know she'd checked!

Please notice how he is not about to let go of those balls in order to keep opening presents.

Thanks, Nonnie and Gramps, for my trike!!

He's still a little too short for it....

but he loved getting pushed around!

Or pulled around...

(I hate his red eye here, but couldn't get it to remove entirely.)

All his 'haul'... from the first celebration, anyways.

And here's a video of one of his first tries at golf. This is after he'd already tried several times. I was laughing too hard to get the first couple tries on video. But you can get the gist of how it went from watching this one (it was very much a protect-your-sensitive-parts-near-the-baby-swinging-a-golf-club situation). OMGosh. TOO funny!!!