Ahhh....Summer. Oh, wait. Technically it's winter. I get confused.

     The days are nice and long now with the changing of the clocks.  All the leaves have unfurled and the pollen has been dumped.  The days are in the mid 80's and we are thinking of jumping in the pool again.  I am still struggling with the seasons down here!  It smells, and feels like summer vacation!  BUT I MUST KEEP TEACHING!!!  The kids have summer thoughts...but it is not yet April!  I'm not complaining.
     So much change is in the air.  Scott and I feel like the selling of our belongings is a full time job!  We seem to have about a person a day at our house picking something up.  All of what we have sold has been through a town run website. It is so awesome...like a mini "Craig's List".  We were able to get into the city last week to check out a property we were interested in from "airbnb".  All worked out and we have a place lined up for when we move out in late June.  (That's a relief!)  I am a big fan of having all my ducks in a row, so this new mentality of letting go and planning on the fly is a bit of a struggle.  Knowing that we have a definite roof over our heads after our lease is up is a load off for me! The location is right downtown a walk away from the museums and Rice University.  Lots of used book shops and coffee houses.  I can't wait to live the "city life" for a little while.  Kids are looking forward to this too!  They are real troopers.  Going along with all their parents crazy ideas!  The apartment will be a big change!  One bathroom (as opposed to three), one large room (as opposed to 11)!  Ethan, the snuggle-bug, is thrilled to have us all sleeping with out a wall separating us!
     In the meantime we are soaking up the season and all that our present location has to offer!  Great friends just down the street, bike rides, lots of playgrounds....ball games.  We are sooo excited to have Gammy coming the beginning of May, and the entire Goodwin family mid May!!!!!  Through all the turmoil (and it isn't all roses!) we are managing to relax and enjoy each other.

Kids getting their horses from the pasture.

Fiona put Morley to sleep while getting him ready for her lesson!

Ethan's ready to ride Tulley!

This was a pretty busy lesson!  Four kids riding at the same time.

Here I am at about 7 or 8.  I just know Fiona and I would have been best of friends if we were kids together.

A cool morning last week.  Tending to "The civilization".

The crops she planted are coming in nice!

Puzzle complete!  Thank you auntie and Ellie!

Weekend on the playground.

Bike ride to the toy store for a new yo-yo and then the coffee shop.

Samuel and Seth in the dugout.

Andrew crossing home-plate.  Look at that smile!

Seth as catcher.

Samuel up to bat!

Zoe (the Pied Piper) with kids at the game.

Living area of the apartment we will be in this summer.

The loft above, where Scott and I will sleep.

Deck out back.

Yup.  This is the ugliest place I have ever laid eyes on...BUT it is in the best area I have ever laid eyes on.

Wait.....You're what? When?

     Lots of ideas floating around lately.  The one that seems to have stuck?  Hitting the road in an RV for a year.  Yup.  That is our new goal.  I can put into writing our plans, but this does not mean that they are cemented.  What we know for sure is that we are going to leave the lovely house we are in now, and down-size.  A LOT.  July 1st we will live somewhere else.  That somewhere else is as of yet undetermined.  The goal is a fully furnished apartment in the city.  Cost will be half what we pay now, and the money saving will begin!  In a few months from that time, we hope to have saved and purchased an RV and a truck to trailer it with.  Then we are off!!!!!!!
     Scott and I realize there are a lot of moving parts to this plan.  That is why we can only give one sure thing at a time.  So for now, we know we are selling much of what we have, and looking for a one or two bedroom/one bath residence.  In the meantime we are having a blast looking at campers!  Kids and I think these tours beat open houses any day.  We are also kind of enjoying letting much of our "stuff" go.  The cash in hand makes the sting of letting go much easier.
     Another big deal?  Scott and I celebrated our 14th wedding anniversary last week.  We took the kids out with us to a great Japanese restaurant.  I tried Sake for the first time, and Fiona tried "The Fun Marble Drink"!  You force a glass marble into the glass bottle and drink the soda.    Scott and I agree that the best thing we have done since saying "I do" is raising these two awesome kids.

The sake came in this cool decanter.

Mmmmm...Bento box.

Great meal with the best of company.

No, having a glass marble in your bottle is not a choking hazard...

Here we are right before we left for the rodeo!  Yeee! Haw!

O.K.  Cat is worming her way into the house and our hearts.  

End of a great science lesson.

Random throwback.  This is my sister and I on our old horse Brandy.

The roses are in full bloom.

We toured campers yesterday.  Fiona loves how the kitchens are perfectly proportioned to her!

This was in a HUGE RV.  It is the upstairs!

This would be our room.  Not too bad.

This is the model we like best so far.

I think this is the 30 foot Winnebego.

Field Trip!!!!

     I can't believe it took us so long, but we finally made it to Sam Houston's Memorial Museum.   The weather was perfect.  High of 70 and sunny.  This was the type of museum that you wander form building to building.  It was amazing because it was his home, on the grounds where it was originally constructed.  They had also moved a few other important structures to the property. Inside, the buildings were furnished with some original pieces that were Sam Houston's, and the rest were period appropriate.  The day was made even better by the fact that the Duty's came along!  (Actually Elisabeth drove the big white van.)  So, it felt more like an actual school field trip with all the children.  AND because the day we went happened to be Sam Houston's birthday....the museum was free!!!!!!!

Van rides are ALWAYS a good time!

Our learning began right away with lunch.  As you can see, Andrew is figuring out the power of suction (in the background)with his applesauce pouch...

This was Sam Houston's actual home.  I love the architecture!

Check out this red!!!!  I want to bottle it!

This tree's blossoms smell like grape candy.

Seth and Zoe... awww, such a good brother and sister.

Another great brother/sister duo.

This is the back of the kitchen house.  The chimney was amazing!

A subtle Texas statue honoring Sam Houston...

This cowboy boot house was for rent!

This is our little memorial to our fallen brother.  

A scene from an average homeschool day.  Fiona in the background mashing orange peel into a goo to heat over a fire, and Ethan barefoot with a trowel ready for digging.

I feel this kitty was sent from Zevon.  She has been checking on me every night around 5 pm.  Just hangs out, looking in.    

Our "class" picture from the field trip.