Happy Halloween!

Audience Participation

The buddies and I met two super-cool children's book authors today at a kick-off event for the Texas Book Festival. Jon Scieszka (Stinky Cheese Man & the Trucktown Series) and Mac Barnett (Billy Twitters and His Blue Whale Problem) were two seriously funny guys! And they are both big advocates for boys reading and write children's books that are exciting for boys (and most girls too)!


The buddies squirmed through most of the presentation and stories. Because, well, they are boys. And we were in a children's museum filled with lots of fun things to tinker with. And trains. But, they obliged me for the most part and even enjoyed some of the stories. Jon and Mac were both appreciative of audience participation, especially when kids hollered out that they love their books. After 20 minutes and about a hundred whispered, "Is it over yet?'s", the authors asked for questions from the audience.

There were none. So, then the nice authors reminded us that moms could ask questions too. The mom next to us asked for more information about their advocacy program for boys reading. About halfway through Jon Scieszka's answer, Ben raised his hand and began flailing it around, saying, "Ooh ooh! Ooh ooh!" Mr. Scieszka completed his thought and then said, "Yes, young man, what is your question?" And then it went like this:

Ben: DO YOU HAVE ANY BOOKS ABOUT TRAINS? (all caps, because he was shouting)
JS: Well, no. But I have a lot of books about trucks. Do you like trucks?
Ben: But, will you write a book about TRAINS?
(Much laughter from the audience. Jon Scieszka looked a little stunned and a lot amused. I was afraid Mac Barnett was going to pee his pants, he was laughing so hard.)
JS: (long pause, because of all the laughing and whatnot) Yes! I will write a book about trains! (and then he turned around and made a little note to himself)
JS: What kind of trains do you like?
Ben: I like old trains and toy trains.

So, there you have it. Jon Scieszka fans, you can thank Ben, if Jon's next book that publishes is about trains. You're welcome!

And here we are, in all our glory, after standing in line to have our books signed. They didn't want to take a picture. They wanted to go play with the trains.

Yo-Yo World Tour! (seriously)

Duncan Yo-Yo turned 80 this year. But, did you know that yo-yo's have been around since 500 BC? And that the first yo-yo's were made of painted terra cotta? We learned such things today when Duncan's Yo-Yo World Tour made a stop in Austin.



It would have been easy to be under- whelmed by the 2 dozen people that turned out for this event. But, we hung around and played with the provided yo-yo's, talked to the cool Yo-Yo Crew, and bought the buddies their very first yo-yo's at Terra Toys.



And then the fun began when the Yo-Yo Crew began their demonstration. They demonstrated the five types of yo-yoing and showed us some cool tricks. The National Yo-Yo Competition Champion of the United States was among the crew. The guys encouraged the children and amused the parents with advice like, "Stay in school. Work hard. Don't do drugs. And, don't date anyone with tattoo's of daggers all over them."

A local news station was even there and we scored some screen time. Check it out here. Watch the top left corner, at around 40 seconds or so and you'll see Ben (in a turquoise shirt) and me. And, just at the end of the video, you'll see Ace (also in a turquoise shirt) walk over to the table, return his yo-yo, and run back.

4th Annual Playgroup Halloween Party

We are probably a little bit sick in the head to invite our rowdy group of twin and triplet playgroupers to our home for a party once again. Last time we did this, our home suffered a few serious casualties just from the shear number of sugar-hyped wee ones. But this time, it was a success! In all, 12 moms, 1 dad, and 32 of our little friends showed up to celebrate with us. The moms (and dad) pitched in and brought festive food - things like candy corn pizza, spooktacular punch, halloween cupcakes, cookies, and more. We even had a cookie decorating station set up in the garage, thanks to one of the SuperMoms. And, the kids made cute vampire bat balloons for our craft and then we hung them from the ceiling of our living room for the duration of the party.

Check out the party pics here.

Pre-School Progress Reports

Ace and Ben came home from pre-school with beginning of the year progress reports today. They're pretty funny, really, especially to those of us that know them well. The highlights:

Ben:
One goal we are working on right now: "raising his hand before speaking (but he is so enthusiastic and willing to share thoughts!)" Can you picture Steve as a pre-schooler? I can, and I imagine him just like this.
One thing I appreciate about your child is: "his enthusiasm." Of course!

Ace:
One goal we are working on right now: "talking slower" Hmm...I wonder where he gets that from? Certainly not his Texan-mother.
One thing I appreciate about your child is: "his kindness to all." Aww. I love this kid!

Another Pumpkin Patch Adventure

Any day that we get to spend at Sweetberry Farm is a happy one. Especially when the air is crisp and the skies are blue.


The buddies took part in their usual pumpkin patch activities. First, pictures in the pumpkins. Then, playing in the horse trailer. Next, a quick run through the Kiddie Maze, where they raced to the bell and rang it. After that, was the awesome hayride. Then, lunch, cookies, goat-feeding, and ice cream.

We even got to share our adventure with the pre-school class mascot, as it was Ace's week to take him home. "Shadow" had a very good time with us and Ace got to tell his classmates all about our adventure the next day at school.

Check out the rest of our pictures here.

And We're a Training Wheel Free House

Apparently, Ace just needed to sleep on it. This morning, he hopped right on the little bike and took off. Yea Ace!

And an Outtake

And After a Few Hours of Practice...

The kid is fast!



PS - Ace will probably master the skill in a few weeks. He's working hard (but thinks it is frustrating!).

Goodbye Training Wheels!

Ben learned how to ride a bike today. Or rather, we put him on a bike without training wheels for the first time and he rode off. Please ignore the proud mom crying and laughing in the background. And the pink, $5 garage sale bike.

Pumpkins - Take 1!

How lucky are we that our gym has a pumpkin patch every year? The buddies have been begging to go in just about every day for the past few weeks. I was holding out for a time when we could actually hang out and paint a few, but yesterday we just decided to go in and play. Stay tuned for next week's big pumpkin patch event!

Guests at a Cool Homeschool

We are having some work done in our house this week, so I took my cousin up on her offer to join her and her children at their family farm. She is homeschooling her Kindergartner, 4 year old, and almost-2 year old while they wait to settle into a new home in a new city. This amazing mom has spent the past month in a 1-room farmhouse and has been cooking up fabulous lesson plans for her kids every day. Since she hasn't had much of a break in the past month, I offered to plan today's lesson.



Our theme was Post Office. We read a few library books about mail and post offices, including a Gail Gibbons book. If you haven't checked out her informative non-fiction children's books - do so! Not that my children are much interested in sitting in a circle to read when there are new (to them) toys all around and 300 acres of farmland to explore. But, we got through the books and our cousins probably learned something. :)


Next up, each kid created a mailbox out of a shoebox while we talked about the things some of us learned in the books. Then, it was time to head outside for play time, where we quizzed the kids on their addresses as the romped around in the fresh air. They also had time to check the farm's mail box and write, address, and stamp letters to each other.


After lunch, we headed out for our field trip...to the Post Office, of course! The kids proudly found the correct slot for their letters and then the incredibly nice PostMaster took as back for a tour. We found our letters in their bins and then checked out how the post office runs behind the scenes. The kids even got to check out a mail truck, pick a piece of candy, and received a coloring book. Who knew the post office was so small-child friendly!

Bedtime Buddies

We love bedtime around here. Our days are typically jam-packed with adventures, pre-school, or just general havoc-wrecking around town. At the end of most days, none of our heads have touched a pillow and we are tired.

So, bedtime is the one time of day that I get the chance to snuggle my two wild boys. No one is yelling or running or singing at the top of his lungs. No one is fighting or whining or making a collosal mess. It is peace. It is bliss.

After they've bathed, brushed their teeth and chosen their pajamas, each boy chooses two books from our collection. On my nights to put the boys to bed, we all three snuggle in one of their twin beds and read. Sometimes, it takes a half hour to get through our small stack of books. They lay their little heads on my shoulders and fight to keep their eyes open. That short period of time before they drift off to sleep can redeem even the most trying day.

This post is dedicated to Gramps, who made our bedtime routine even more special by making the buddies these beautiful bookcases. We love you, Gramps!

T-Ball Grandparents

Grandma and Grandpa drove down for a quick trip to watch the buddies play t-ball. They were here less than 24 hours, but we packed loads of fun into those hours.

Super Coach and four of the teammates.

Ace, who refused to wear the t-ball cleats that we bought him.

Ben, who refused to wear the t-ball pants.

Between the two of them, we have one completely outfitted t-ball player.

Polo at the Vineyard

When a friend of mine scored a free set of tickets to a charity polo match, we jumped at the chance to join them. My friend advised that Texas polo is not as hoity-toity as polo elsewhere, so we "dressed up" in polos and shorts for the boys and a cotton dress and a big floppy staw hat for me. Afterall, anyone who's seen Pretty Woman knows that one should wear a big straw hat to a polo match.



It was fun! The boys enjoyed watching the match for a few brief moments. They certainly enjoyed the horses and cheered for a few goals. Mostly, they just enjoyed horsing around with another set of twin boys and grazing on the free buffett in the VIP section.

The event benefitted the R.O.C.K., Ride On Center for Kids, a non profit provider of therapeutic horseback riding and Hippotherapy for individuals with cognitive and physical challenges. It was great to see the community rally around a great cause.



I'm sad to report that we left before the crazy hat contest and the stomping of the divets, but the buddies and their friends had lasted as long as they could last. Next time! View the rest of our pictures here.

Best. Summer. Ever.

Here's a little recap of what we are calling the best. summer. ever. It is a bit long, so grab a snack or a cocktail (or both), turn the volume up, and pull up a chair. Enjoy!

The Cathedral of Junk

This morning, we did our part to "keep Austin weird" and met our cousins at the Cathedral of Junk. It is difficult to describe the cathedral. Basically, a guy started building it in his backyard over 20 years ago and it has evolved into an offbeat landmark of sorts.




It was truly a wonderland for the buddies and their cousins. They ran up and down the many steps and ladders, exploring all the nooks, crannies, and levels of the surprisingly sturdy structure. Aside from Ben getting "lost" in the garbage for several minutes, we all had a great time! Our two sets of brothers even teamed up for a fun game of hide and seek.




After we'd seen enough, we headed to Zilker for a picnic lunch, some time on the playscape, and a train ride. It was a good day!

Our Step Back in Time

Imagine Austin as a small town, with just a few thousand residents... Horses and buggies are the primary form of transportation... Most of Texas is still untamed, unsettled frontier prairie... Texas as a state is only 50 years old... Many families still live in log cabins...


Welcome to Pioneer Farm! The buddies and I enjoyed free admission this afternoon, as a part of Austin's Museum Day. Pioneer Farm has been on our list of places to visit since we moved here and Museum Day is the day when they bring out all their volunteers dressed in period costume, add some live music, weaving demonstrations, fire-starting demonstrations, and more!



We enjoyed touring the old homes. Ben peered into the family room in one of the larger rooms and declared, "They don't have a tv in here!" No Ben, they didn't have tv's in the 1800's. Ace checked out the kitchen and said, "But where is the refrigerator?!" And so we explored the smoke house out back where the family stored their cured meats.




We checked out old farm equipment and got eye to eye with some animals. We practiced our wood-chopping skills with real axes. We explored a few tee-pee replicas, assembled on a site where Tonkawa Indians, a nomadic tribe, camped seasonally. We bought penny candy at the General Store and sat on the porch with our treats and listened to a band play songs from the 17oo's. "Dixie" and "Yankee Doodle" were among the favorites we recognized but we also enjoyed a peppy song about a woman trying to convince her man not to go off to war. When we finished our candy, the buddies danced along to the music, much to the delight of the band.



Our most eye-opening experience occcured when we explored a German Immigrant homestead - a one-room house about the size of my bathroom. The volunteer asked the buddies how many people they thought once lived there. Their response: "None!" Actual answer: 15. Yeesh! We are glad to live in the 21st century.

Check out the rest of our pictures here.

This is all starting to be a little too familiar...

I'm sad to report that we are becoming regulars at Dell Children's ER. I know exactly where to find the good parking, don't have to think twice about directions as I carry one of my wheezing boys up to registration, know where all the bathrooms are, and know where to find the person with the toy stash when my child starts climbing the walls at the end of a long visit. When a nurse that we've had on at least two other visits recognized us, I didn't think much of it. Then, the nice respiratory therapist visited our room and remembered us as well. And, then the pediatrician. So, that's it, I guess. We are regulars.

But, at least it is a nice place where our boys receive excellent care.


Ace looks like a completely different kid in this picture than he did when we arrived, just a few hours earlier. He is patched up and on the mend and we're just in for a few lazy days at home. A big pot of chicken and dumplings is simmering on the stove and all will be well in a few days.

Fred the Cat

Just in case anyone was worried, the buddies' preschool mascot, Fred the cat, was found today. It seems he was hiding under a desk because he was scared. It was much too noisy for him on the first day of school. :)