Hotty Toddy!

Go Rebs!  Well, out of respect for my sweet hubby, I guess I can't go on and on about the Rebel win, but........HOTTY TODDY!

Look at these cuties!  House and kids divided.

Out of nowhere James has become an Alabama fan.  He has spent the past two years trying to get at Brad and me with his cheers for LSU and A&M, which are not ok!  So I'm just happy he's cheering for one of our schools.  Here he is trying to cover up Luke's Rebels.  And yes, that is a baby wipe in Natalie's hair that she converted to a headband.

Natalie on her way to James's soccer game.  Now, I'm not saying that she was upset about wearing an Alabama dress, but a picture doesn't lie. :)

Brad and I spent the majority of the game in separate rooms, but he finally came around to the idea of a Rebel win late Sunday and sent me this picture while I had the other two at a birthday party.

Go Rebs!!

James had his first soccer game of the season Saturday, and I don't think it could have been any hotter.  That fall weather that I discussed last post--yeah, it's gone, and we are back to hot, hot, hot.  I was busy chasing the two youngest on the playground and wasn't able to get any action shots, but James scored his first ever soccer goal Saturday!!  Don't mention that neither Brad nor I actually saw him score it.  #parentfail.

 

 

His team played an all girl's kindergarten team, so their 6-2 victory was a little inflated.

Luke wanted to be in on the action.  He was thoroughly entertained with throwing and chasing the soccer ball around.  

James in the background #8

And last one: the kids playing on the playground after church.  I love the look on James and Luke's face--"What is she doing going down head first?!  Let's try it, Luke!"

And one final one: Natalie's teacher sent me this picture of Natalie and her first grade mentor, Mary (our neighbor that we adore) painting a picture using their feet--demonstrating how a handicapped child would paint.  Doesn't she look old?  Too old.

Beginning of Fall, Dare I Say?

Last weekend we had a rarity this time of year in Houston......fall like weather!  This is the last weekend that we don't have soccer or some other event, so we took full advantage of the free time Saturday and went to Herman Park (near downtown and the zoo).  The park is huge and has a train that runs through it, a playground area and picnic table and a HUGE hill that is perfect for running up and down.

He wanted to be carried up the hill

 

 

Well, the hill is perfect for running if you are 6 years old.  Not so much if you are 33.  

This little guy has developed so much personality in the past few months.  I can't get enough of his underbite smile.  Adorable.  And there are considerably more pictures of him because the other two wouldn't slow down long enough for me to get a snap.

This is how a lazy mom does a picnic: drive-thru Chick-Fil-A.  We couldn't all fit into a selfie, but I LOVE Luke's face in the second shot.

As you could tell by the kid's clothes, Ole Miss and Alabama had football games Saturday.  Some (LSU) friends came over to watch the games, and Rachel caught this shot of the kids.  They played watched Disney Jr. in my room while the adults watched football in the living room.

Sunday the illustrator of the Fancy Nancy book series came to my favorite book store.  She and Natalie are soul sisters.  Natalie LOVED looking at her dress and bracelets and crown.  And her pink purse, which appropriately "matched" Natalie's.

Enjoying the last bit of the fall-ish weekend at our neighborhood park with friends Elizabeth and Easton Coursey.

A little lagniappe: two brothers watching Saturday morning tv shows.  I don't think James could love this little guy any more.

And this sweet girl.  She is the biggest girlie girl, and I couldn't love it any more.  Lately she carries a purse with her at all time, and it contains the necessities: lipstick, nail polish, bracelets, an Aeriel finger puppet (from the book signing), and a tiny comb.  She loves putting on lipstick and has even made us late to school twice this week because she suddenly realized she was leaving the house without it.  I'll say it again: I am so happy God gave me a girl.  This girl.

Fingers crossed that the cooler weather is here to stay.  If you build it.......

Labor Day Weekend

Half of us spent Labor Day weekend in Green Bay (Brad, Natalie and Luke), and the other half spent it in Houston/San Antonio (me and James).  We all had a trip planned to GB, but I didn't need to take off from work, so James and I improvised and spent a night in San Antonio.  It wasn't quite the same, but we had a great time.

Brad and the kiddos left Thursday for the cooler weather of GB.  Poor guy got delayed for several hours in Atlanta, and Natalie even capped off the fun by pulling the emergency medical alarm.  These were the pictures that I received while they passed time in between flights

 

 Brad sent me this one saying "Natalie took out a wipe and is cleaning herself.  She doesn't want to be dirty for Grandmama and Granddaddy".

James's school was canceled Friday to host the funeral for the slain officer that was shot in Houston.  I got caught in some of the traffic, and it was incredibly humbling and overwhelming to see the number of officers that came into town to support the family and community. 

James spent most of the day at my office, so when Brad sent these pictures 

 

We responded with our own

Friday night James and I went and ate Mexican and had planned to go to the high school football game, but it was rained out.  Instead, we picked up cupcakes and macaroons

 

On Sunday, James and I went to San Antonio.  We had planned to see Rosemary, Brannon and the kiddos, but they had all been sick for the week.  We went straight to Sea World in the 97 degree heat.  We had a lot of fun, but we were both hot, sweaty and exhausted!! 

Riding Shamu ride

We saw a sea lion show first, and James said this was his favorite one.  

I personally loved the Shamu show!  I know their treatment of the animals is questionable, but these whales are magnificent!  I vaguely remember seeing Shamu when I went to Disney as a child, but I could have seen this show over and over 

James wanted to get wet so badly!  Each time the whales would swim past us, James would walk down into the aisle a lit to try and get wet. 

I felt terrible that we weren't close enough and even offered to go to the next show, but he said that he was hot and ready to go!  Me too James! 

This $10 plastic sword made up for it! 

And I do have to add that this kid is his father's son.  Brad hates lines like no one I've ever met, and James and I got in line for the huge splash water slide ride (again, trying to make up for the Shamu seat selection).  James decided that the line was too long and that he didn't want to wait! 

The next morning we went to the Alamo.  It was smaller than I expected, but beautiful nonetheless.  It killed me not to do the audio tour, but James hung in there and let me read a few plaques here and there.  In the gift shop he spotted this Davey Crocket had and begged to have it.  He has not worn it since, but he did look cute :) 

 

 

On the way home we found a little piece of Oxford! 

We also hit up the pool for one last afternoon of summer

 

Ok so back to the Green Bay trip.  Evidently everyone had a blast!  The weather was what James described as the perfect heat (not too hot, not too cold).  Natalie wore this dress everyday, but Brad assured me that they were washing it :)  Here they are roasting marshmallows and eating boiled peanuts--my favorites 

 

They also visited an old amusement park that is very quaint and did a lot of swimming! 

 

A lot of patio time.....and why not when the weather is perfect

My office is three blocks from James school, but we are moving in late November :(  I am pretty bummed about this fact, so I've decided to try and go eat lunch with James once a week while I'm close.  Here we are Tuesday

And we were very happy to receive this picture: the crew had landed in Houston!