Cathy and Cate are here, and have decided never to leave!

We have had Cathy and Cate here since last Saturday.  God how we missed them!  The kids have been so busy with each other.  So many fun and imaginative games being played, hours in the pool, giggles into the night...  Cathy really wanted to see some of the sights while here, so we have been to the Space Center and the zoo so far.  Tonight we are going to hit the Museum of Art to take advantage of free Thursdays, and their late closing time of 9 pm.  Still on the "To Do" list is eat some good old Texas BBQ, go cowboy boot shopping, and take them to the Riverway.

So stressful...

Cate's "Stink eye" to the pitcher!

Cate touching a piece of the moon.

Astronaut training facility.  So amazing!

At the zoo we got unlimited carousel rides.

Fun interactive displays at the Space Center.

There are dinosaurs at the zoo!

Cannon-Ball!!!!!

Gammy went for it!  A real live cannon-ball!  I have rarely seen my mother actually swimming...so this was such a treat.  On this same momentous afternoon, Scott also invented "The Wave Pool".  With a little help from the kids he was able to create huge waves!  Such fun.
    It would not have been a complete visit for Ellie if we did not get to "The Black Walnut" for a meal.  On our last evening we headed out to dinner, and then stopped at a nice playground.  There are the strangest goose-ducks there.  The kids enjoyed a game of tag, that Scott and Gammy jumped in on...
     Our goodbyes were short and sweet.  Always a sad time...  But a little easier knowing that we will be headed north in August.  Our next visitors arrive this Saturday.  Cathy and Cate better prepare for the extreme heat!!!!!  Can't wait to see them again.

Oh My Gosh!

Wave pool action shot!

At the Black Walnut.

Ethan and Gammy worked hard each morning on this puzzle.

Last piece!!!!!!!

Done!  This was due to the hard work of many...thank you to all who helped.

They're Heeeeeerrreeeee........again.

Gammy and Ellie arrived this past Wednesday.  I was a big girl and took my first drive to Hobby Airport.  Not too bad actually.  No traffic at the time, and relatively easy to find with GPS.  Poor Gammy almost melted as we headed to the car.  Scott's car thermometer read 103 degrees later that day.  Once through the door everyone changed into swim suits and headed right into the pool!  That evening we all packed a picnic dinner and went to the ball field to support Ethan in his scrimmage.  Then the following day (after much swimming) we all packed another picnic dinner and watched as he pitched the entire Allstar game.  Sadly his team lost...but it was due to fielding errors not pitching....  Also the other team had some serious fielding skills!  Tomorrow night he has his second Allstar game, and if they lose his season is at last over...if they win...on they go.
     This morning Gammy and Ellie joined us for riding lessons.  The kids trotted off the lunge line for the first time today!  Pretty exciting!  We then stopped off at a farm on the way home that advertises baby goats and bunnies.  The super nice lady there ended up giving us an entire tour of the organic vegetable and herb gardens, and lead us all through the various animal enclosures.  You can buy fresh rabbit meat, goose meat, duck eggs, and chicken eggs, as well as fresh vegetables, herbal teas and handmade soaps and lotions!  We left the farm and stumbled on a great cafe.  Set back off the main road, you have to walk through a wooded path to get to it.  They have outdoor seating up on boardwalk paths that look down into their tortoise habitats, and there is a nice turkey in a lovely pen in the woods!  
More adventure awaits...

Kermit and Miss Piggy!

Gammy and mini-me.

Kind of excited! (He missed Gammy's suitcase a lot)!

Chillaxin

Bathing Beauties.

OMG!  Look at that super handsome pitcher!

In the dug-out checking out the batting line-up.

Nice little reminders around the playing fields...

So peaceful.

These are the pastures where the kids have to go to retrieve their horses before lessons.

Gammy and her grandbabies.

Checking out the tortoises at the cafe.

Normal? Well...isn't constant change normal?

We said a sad farewell to the Goodwins, and then it was back to school work.  The kids had a few pretty intense days of catching up.  Our goal is to finish their workbooks before declaring any official start to summer.  Last spelling test is this week, and Ethan is waiting on his sister to finish her math workbook (in the mean time he continues to complete supplemental work).  I gave the kids a particularly difficult challenge this Friday.  We have had a "tin can robot" kit in the closet forever (I mean, I think it has made two moves with us!)  Well, they are at the age where it wasn't impossible for them to do it on their own, so I laid out all the parts, and the directions.  Gave them the necessary tools and broke it down for them.  They could not leave the classroom until they had created a working robot.  Oh the look on their faces...  Fear, excitement...fear.  The first questions were of course, " May we use the bathroom?"  To which I answered, "Go now."
"Can we ask you for help?"
"No."
"What if (Fiona/Ethan) annoys me?"
"Deal with it.  Do you think Daddy quits when his boss annoys him?"
I shut the door and they began.  Quiet chatter in friendly tones led to some progress.  Then some yelling...Ethan ran around the house and found "Gorilla Glue".  I (as a responsible parent) reminded him that he could glue himself permanently to anything, and then informed him I wanted to know nothing about why he needed the potentially deadly substance.
An hour and a half later the kids emerged exhausted and smiling with a working robot...granted a backwards moving robot.  With a simple tweak from me we had "Mr. Roboto" running smooth (and forward).
Definitely need more projects like this!!!!
Gammy and Ellie arrive in 5 days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Our little buddy who decided to greet us on our walk.

A picture is worth a million words!  This is the robot project "before" photo.

Ahhh...hard earned success!

Those directions scared me!

In New England we have "Jack Frost", in Texas we have "Slug Slime".

A visit to Daddy at work.