Friday outings

It's very common at my company to have Friday's off - the structure is supposed to be where you work 9 hour days and take every other Friday off.  My schedule hasn't been quite as prescriptive, but I take Fridays off whenever my schedule is clear.  

A few weeks ago, Maya and I met my mom at the Children's Museum.  She was delighted by all the exhibits, and it's fun to watch her squeal in glee.

Then a week or so later, we met one of my best friends and her daughter at the zoo.  I wasn't sure we'd get her past the entrance where there was a bubble gun.

But we moved on, posed by the elephants with Katelyn (who we inherit many of our clothes from as they are 10 1/2 months apart).  We swung back by the elephants on the way out of the zoo, and they were splashing and dunking each other in their pool.  The adults were much more excited about this than our girls!

It was a drizzly day, but that kept the crowds away.

What a life our girls have!

Then at the end of March, Maya, my mom and I were able to meet Collin and his class at the zoo.  Cas heard they needed chaperones and I had considered volunteering, but with Maya in tow, I would have made a horrendous chaperone, as I was mostly chasing her around.  They were so happy to see each other, running up for big hugs!

And Maya quite confidently joined the preschool group, holding hands between Collin and his sweet classmate, who was really considerate with Maya.

Acting like monkeys outside their exhibit -

Maya was fearless with the snake, though she's scared of doodlebugs - the logic of 22-month-olds

In our matching red and white -

And this is where we peeled off from the preschool group - for them to continue on to the rhinos and Maya and I to ride the carousel -

So thankful for fun Fridays off with my kids and my mom's schedule allowing her to join us (and take our picture!)

Steps away from the exit, Maya plopped down on the concrete for a break, instructing "Grammy sit, Mama sit" to us.  So in the middle of the pathway, we all obliged the toddler, taking a selfie before convincing her to head home.  

Green-Clad Kids for St. Patrick's Day 2015

I was at lunch with one of my co-workers from Boston the first week of March, and he mentioned that he'd be receiving the annual installment of my kids in green soon.  I thought it was so cute that he had remembered - it hadn't crossed my mind yet.  Ever since Collin was two months old, I pretty much only send my work team one picture a year of my kids (though my office is covered in photos), every year on March 17th.

So the night before St. Patrick's Day, I got the kids in their green gear and headed to the backyard to take a photo or two.  It was an ordeal!

Maya was ready to ham it up for the camera in this cute skirt and bow my friend Kelly made - 

 

After putting them together in a chair, I was pretty sure I got the winner picture.  But when I looked down to check the photo, I realize my camera setting was in black and white.  Two smiles but no green - mom fail!

Switched to color but still didn't realize that I needed to wipe the outer lens, so every picture I took was blurry, despite the fact that again, two smiles and eyes looking in the direction of the camera -  

Cuddles and smiles - they're happy until someone goes overboard with the hugs and the mood shifts dramatically on a dime!  But oh they love each other.  Tonight my cousin Daniel and Aunt Debbie came to visit.  Collin talked Daniel into tumbling and wrestling, and Maya was distraught.  She didn't understand they were playing, and we had to pause the wrestling to get her out of the room where she was whimpering for Collin.  And then when they started back up again, she couldn't finish her book until she checked on Collin.

My jumping, 1/8th Irish son -

This girl loves her dolls.  Her babies go everywhere - on the trampoline, on the swing, and in the stroller or grocery cart throughout the backyard.

So far she has a few new baby dolls, but the ones she gravitates to the most were ones I had as a child.

I finally cleaned the camera lens and attempted a shot of the two of them.  By this time in the afternoon, they were over posing for pictures.  

With the promise of gummy bears, Collin smiled.

When I dressed Maya in her shamrock skirt, I put her diaper on too loose.  She tugged on it and it came off.  I wasn't too worried since we were outside, and initially I thought I'd only be taking pictures for a minute or two.  Well of course she pooped.  And Fergie rolled in it.  And in cleaning off Fergie, I got some on my pant leg.  And at one point I may have muttered to Collin, "ignore the poop, just be a big boy and smile at the camera!"  It was a glamorous night!

The next morning, a leprechaun visited Collin's school, leaving footprints in the doorway -

And that night, my kids struck gold, as B joined us for dinner, venturing into the kids' play house, bringing homemade cookies, and allowing us to enjoy her company on the back porch as we ate supper.  

Little Texans and other random iphone moments

She wakes up earlier than her parents would prefer, but luckily she wakes up this happy.  What a joy she is to our family!

Late afternoon scooter ride on one of the coldest days in Texas means you wear layers to double your size, including mom's scarf -

How many Hershey Kisses does it take to keep a 20-month-old awake on the 40-minute drive home from the Children's Museum?  On this Friday, FOUR, plus countless rounds of "If You're Happy and You Know It."

Maya likes to take every blanket from the basket in her room to make a pallet for her dolls in the living room.  

 Bed head -

Fun with "Bear Bear" the preschool class bear that came home with us one weekend.  He explored the Children's Museum with Collin, Maya, Grammy and Brownie -   

After several days of rain, I took the kids to the play area in the mall one day after school.  They had fun, but it was insanely crowded.  Collin is a brave climber!

Maya was pretty nervous about approaching the plastic giant originally.  She's normally such a daredevil, it's comforting to watch her be tentative.  The other thing she's hesitant about - bugs!  She's not a fan of lizards and wouldn't touch a doodle bug this afternoon despite our encouragement.

Picked them up from school, where Maya's shirt was inside out and she was wearing an infant headband as a necklace.  And Collin had his undershirt on the outside of his striped wool sweater.  I lay out the clothes and assume that's enough to get them to school looking normal!

Playing with Collin's race set.  She knows one . . . two but she prefers eight . . . nine!


A few weeks ago, we had a fun weekend at my parents' house.  Collin and I started Friday afternoon out with a date to Marble Slab - all smiles for ice cream!

Then that evening, we went to the birthday party of my best friend's 6-year-old.  My kids had a blast, but it made me laugh that on a table filled with pizza and cake - two of Collin's favorite foods - and with the knowledge that it was back to the ball climbing area when he finished, he was still the slowest eater!

Maya getting down on stage at the party - 

On Saturday, we met my best friend and her daughter who is Collin's age at our second mother-son date:  Cinderella.  We both loved it - and I appreciated the motto to "be brave and be kind."  

We tried to return some baby equipment, but not before Maya took one last turn in them.  And holding onto Eric, Collin's doll, who they both prefer -

We headed back to our side of town and had to wake Maya up a tiny bit early from her nap, as we were already more than 30 minutes late to our second birthday party of the weekend.  She was not pleased.

But was content once we got there - a park birthday party complete with veggie straws and chalk.  Both of them had a great time! (I put her veggie straws on a plate but she was adamant about eating them off the sidewalk.  Building immunities!)

Maya's curls are even more evident in our super-humid weather.

Proud singer -

The destroyer strikes again.  She can reach her water faucet, which provides her with limitless entertainment and provides us with a higher water bill.  And unfortunately she can also reach the diaper cream on her changing table.  

 

Collin's school celebrated Dr. Seuss week, and he dressed up for Wacky Wednesday.

Finally, the kids dressed up in about as "Texan" of clothes as we had in their closets for Go-Texan Day at school.