Crystals are rocks...or are rocks crystals? And what the heck is a mineral...?

This week the kids continued their study of minerals and rocks...and crystals.  I happened to find a "Mine for Your Own Minerals" kit in my closet.  Perfect!  It was a lot messier than I thought it would be, but Fiona and Ethan had a great time smashing the plaster to excavate the stones inside.  We also were able to conclude their Crystal growing experiment.  Both were successful, and different.  We had assumed both would grow the same, but Fiona's was all jagged and Ethan's was more tradition crystal shape.
On Thursday I finally made good on a promise to take the kids to the movies if they got 4 one hundreds in a row on Spelling.... Well that was about 10 "100's" ago... I owed them big time!  I contacted our friends down the street and Elizabeth brought three of her boys to meet us there (this was a surprise for Fiona and Ethan).  I highly recommend "The Jungle Book" in 3-D!  The kids were super happy, and thrilled that we had the theater to ourselves (matinee on a week day, other kids in school)).
Today, after riding lessons we just relaxed and enjoyed that it was Friday.  The pool was lovely, and the kids played under water like a couple of fish.

Crystal growing success!

Mining for precious stones!

I keep seeing this add in the back of magazines.  Seriously..read what they get rid of (and not to a farm where the critters run free...)!

I love to see what Fiona does, now that she has the time to pursue what she loves. Origami, origami, origami.

At the movies!

The gang. Get a load of the NRA hat, second from left! Can't wear that around Cambridge!

This guy was eating his lunch today with us out by the pool.

Go Astros?!

This past week the kids and I were invited to go to an Astro's game with our friends.  They had a bunch of extra tickets, and a 12 person van (they have 7 kids)...So we jumped on board and I had my first Minute Maid Park experience.  So different from Fenway!  Good old Fenway!  Side note:  We were out to eat last night and caught the Sox game in Boston on TV.  All those die hard fans in the drizzle.  Bundled up in their ponchos, and sitting through the weather!
Anyway...I had packed a sweatshirt and all kinds of weather preparedness...DUH!  The stadium has a roof that closes for inclement weather...and because it was so warm out it was shut and there was AIR CONDITIONING!?!?  We had great seats, but the Astros did not even score that night...  Oh well.  A pretty stadium and great seats still do not make for a winning team. We will always be Red Sox fans through and through.
On the home front, our tomatoes and hot peppers are getting ready to pick.  The kids enjoyed their second riding lesson, and were excited to trot.  They also completed their history projects that they have been working on for the past few weeks and presented them live to Gammy and Gampy (via FaceTime).  Their grandparents gave them both an unbiased "A+++++++"

First harvest.

I cut Zevon's hair all by myself!

Joel making sure not to loose Ethan!

Altuve is by far the cutest of the Astros...

Kids were practically on the field!

Crystal making...it actually worked!

Elizabeth manages to juggle her 7 kids and pack snacks for the Jason's!

O.K.  This is a picture of Elizabeth's dad's TV.  I am smiling out of relief that the foul ball went one row behind me!  I was on TV!

Giddy Up!

It has been a week of adventure!  On Monday the kids and I headed to The Museum of Natural History with Elizabeth and Elliot.  We decided to pay the extra for the live butterfly exhibit, and it did not disappoint!  The main room was like stepping into a rain forest.  Elizabeth and I were more fascinated by the plants than the butterflies!  We saw a cocoa plant, with a huge seed.  Pineapple plants, enormous green leafy plants, orchids and all sorts of new flowering things.  The butterflies were everywhere...but none landed on any of us, much to the children's disappointment.  We also explored the hall of dinosaurs, and my new favorite..The Hall of Gems and Minerals.
     Tuesday Ethan had his first play-off game.  The Brewers won...and Ethan scored his first black eye!  He hit a foul ball just right and got his eye socket....  I nearly scaled the fence!  After the swelling was controlled and the coaches had a good look (one is an eye doctor), we decided to put him back in to pitch so that the kids could hold their lead.  It worked!  What a tough cookie this kid is.  Pitching with one eye swelled shut, and a bloody gash on his cheek bone...
     Thursday we headed to our new pediatric dentist.  I could not believe my eyes!  Only the pictures can explain this one.  They do not use novocaine...so no needles.  Just a laser and some "tasty air".  (Scott and I are looking into how to score a bottle of flavored nitrous.)  If kids need a filling, they get Bose headphones on, a Netflix TV in their face, and the dentist has an apparatus that holds their mouth open with out stretching their lips so that the kids can just relax, watch a movie and never feel a thing.
     On Friday I brought Fiona and Ethan to their first Texas riding lesson.  The barn was so perfect.  At the end of a long, long road.  Fields with Texas longhorn bulls grazing...old railroads criss-crossing, tin roofed barns, huge oaks draped in spanish moss.  I was in heaven.  The kids have a lesson with just the two of them at 10 am on Fridays.  The owner has 30 horses.  When the kids arrive, it is their responsibility to look at the chart, see who they are riding and go out to the pasture and retrieve their horse.  Then they lead the animal to the barn to prepare them for a ride.  After brushing the horses with the three different combs the kids go get the tack themselves and saddle the horses.  I love that they need to learn to do all of this on their own.
     Well, I need to go get ready for another play-off game.  Scott and kids are off Mother's Day shopping!

Admiring the rainforest.

Does this give you an idea of how huge the plants are?

I am amazed that they grow like this.  So perfect!

Ouch!

Dentist office.  IPADS provided for kids.

Full, free arcade (in dentist office). This is what Ethan did during Fiona's exam.  Did I mention they constantly bake cookies so it smells homey, and then you eat the cookies?!

Preparing Joey for a ride.

He started falling asleep, the brushing felt so good!