Twins 3rd Birthday Party

Jake and Claire celebrated their 3rd birthday party with lots of family and friends. The theme was Pirates and Pixies, note Jake's eyepatch in the video below.

Claire and Jake enjoy their birthday cupcakes, made from scratch by Mommy.

 Claire is a a blur when it's time to open presents.

 Mickey and Minnie Mouse were a popular theme for presents.

 Jake with pirate hat on.

 When you have a roomful of cousins at your party, they like to help.

 Clair opens up some little girl lip gloss from JanMa, to go in her new pink purse.

 Jake likes his new bike from Grandpa Grady, Jake likes anything that has mechanical parts that move.

 The weather was rainy so the bounce house got cancelled, but mural painting was a great substitute!

 Mimi tries on a pirate hat, she needs to select a hat to wear to a gathering of old friends in November.

 This just begged to be taken, with kids running and playing all over the house, 3 parents sit all engaged on smart phones.

 John and Maddy spent some time building.  Those brick blocks are the best kind of block toy for kids.  Jeremy and Jason loved them when they were John and Maddy's age. Jeremy would build a high wall, then bust through the wall wearing his superman pajamas.  He loved to play Superman. John likes Spiderman.

Here is a video of Jake taken earlier, but it shows how well his speech is progressing.  I can hear him say he is on a bouncy ball, and then he says Hi, Claire.

I often get questions about where Jake's blond hair comes from. Here is his Daddy about the same age. Jake also loves to jump on a trampoline

William's 2nd Birthday

Bill was out of town for William's birthday party, so I waited til he got back and we went over to William's house one evening for a quieter 2nd birthday celebration.

 William playing in his own bounce house, a birthday present from Uncle Brent.

 William was fascinated by a slide whistle from BaBa Bill, not for the noise, but because he loved sliding the tuner in and out!

William opens up a superhero cape and mask from JanMa, it wasn't nearly as exciting to him as it was to the twins!  Hope Taylor likes hers!

 Another favorite was a William-sized guitar from Bill, which he also liked.

 Bill pushes William on his new trike, a back-breaking labor of love!

Video of William dancing with Mickey and playing in the bounce house.

Video of Bill breaking his back and William showing us where airplanes go.

Catching Up

Working

Since the week before school started, I have been busy in my third job, subbing for Conroe ISD.  No, not in the classroom but answering the phone.  A low pressure, no stress, no responsibility job, which is just fine with me.  A good way to make some extra money. Three weeks at the bus barn, answering A LOT of calls, mostly parents'questions about what bus and what time and where for their kids, then listening to why that just would not work for them, not to mention the distance their kid (be that child 6 or 16) would have walk in the dark with no sidewalks and heavy fast-moving traffice, not to mention the sexual predators that lived nearby.  Once school started I was explaining that the bus was late/early/broke down/whatever. Most of the time people were polite, but some were not happy because they would/could not take their kids to school, and they will be late to work, lose money or job. Which reinforced my long-held belief that some parents look upon public schools as a source of free daycare. Then the calls started coming in about rude/incompetent/unpleasant bus drivers (who would want that job?) and could I speak to that driver or fire him/her?

This 3 weeks was followed almost immediately by 2+ weeks at the Human Resources Department, where I answered the phone and got to transfer calls to someone else.  Or deal with walk-in job applicants who were extremely polite, like I had the power to give them a job.  I will never ever again assume that the person who answers the phone has any control over anything again!

Me, at HR office

 Flying:

Bill and I did make a trip over to Brenham for lunch one day between my jobs.

We had lunch, including splitting a chocolate shake. 

 

  Love that Brenham airport diner, with the old time look and feel, and excellent food.

Homelife:

I have also spent time in the pool using Lillie's water aerobics feet and hand things.  Actually, I get a pretty good workout if I do it vigorously, which I have to because the water is getting cold.  I think the pool days are over for this season.  And now that the weather is cooler, maybe these pesky little insects will stay away.  I saw this red wasp on the window over my bathtub just as I had stepped into the shower.  Now I keep these items in the bathroom!

Last weekend was busy as I prepared new sleeping arrangements for future grandkids overnights.  Jennifer loaned me her day bed/trundle bed that she had used as a young girl.  Jeremy took it apart, Bill hauled it to my house, then helped me pick up 2 new mattresses. After some furniture rearranging, the new beds are in place.  I got a groupon deal on my mattresses, a $50 groupon for Mattress Firm got me $200 discount on purchase of new mattresses. Each mattress was $99, so I basically got 2 new mattresses for $25 each.  My first time to use groupon, and it was very successful!

Spiderman sheets for John and Jake.  I also have airplane sheets.

Butterflies and flowers for Taylor and Claire.

John and Taylor

Here are some pictures from John and Taylor activities at home.  I will be going to visit them next weekend to see John's soccer game and babysit for Jase and Ashley's date night, I'll call it Jason's birthday present!

 Ashley keeps the kids busy, here they are having some outdoor artistic fun.

 

  I think this is chalk, not paint!

 

 

And here is Daddy, oh so many years ago, with his war paint!

Spiderman and Spidergirl!

 

Here is a picture of Jason's new patio extension with fire pit. I look forward to seeing it next weekend.

 

JanMa's Slumber Party

Last weekend I had a slumber party for the twins at my house.  This was my present to Jeremy for his birthday and he and Jennifer enjoyed time at home without kids. And I really enjoyed my time with the twins.
Here is a video that sort of sums up the whole experience from the Sat. morning gymnastics lesson, a visit to Candy Cane Park, lunch at home, playing outside, and the slumber party itself.  After a night on the floor in sleeping bags, I am totally committed to purchasing some additional bedding options for the upstairs sitting room, which Mimi no longer needs since she now has her own house.  I'm thinking trundle beds, this would accomadate Jake and Claire as well as John and Taylor.

Saturday morning I met the kids at their first gymnastics lesson.  They are the only 2 in the class, so they should get a lot of attention.

 We went to Candy Cane Park so they could play on the playground slides and swings. There were a number of bigger kids on the larger platforms, a bit intimidating for Claire. But all in all still a lot of fun. As we left the park, I drove by the VFW hall, which has a helicopter on display out in front.  Jake saw it and that is all he could talk about the rest of the day, a helicoptor.

 Later in the day was lunch, quiet time (which does not necessarily mean naps), outside pool time and playtime, a trip to WalMart (am I crazy or what?), then dinner and slumber party time. The WalMart trip was to find Jake a helicopter.  Here are sleeping arrangements, with me taking the middle slot. Jake slept with the helicopter held tight in one hand.

 Breakfast the next morning included Mickey Mouse pancakes, but I found out they don't like pancakes, even the Mickey Mouse kind.  I enjoyed all of it, though.

 We packed up the car, picked up Bill and went to Hooks airport. I had planned to let the kids sit in Bill's airplane, which they did, but after Jake's helicopter interest became known, I found a hangar that had helicopters, an open hangar door, and 3 guys with 2 dogs.  They were more than happy to let Jake and his sister look at helicopters and even sit in one.

 Then we headed to Bill's hangar to see the Archer and let the twins sit in it.

 Then it was time to head home to the twins' house, and their parents.  I had a lot of fun with them, and I'll gladly do it again next year for Jeremy's birthday!

Here are a few catch up pictures from the wedding last weekend and the kids trip to the beach before that.

 John looks nearly all done in from the sun, wind, beach fun and BlueBell!