Skating in Texas

It may be 30C outside, but we still have the arena (yes, we know of only one...). This event was organized by the Au pair agency. We had a great time! Wiley really skated for the first time - and so did Portia! Graydon was off doing his own laps for most of the time - caught up with him joining a conga line with a bunch of lovely ladies.

Irresistible

For Portia: the lollipop
For Mami: this outfit she found at Costco yesterday

The simple things

Fresh sheets on the laundry rack make them so happy!

Mami got a new haircut

And the kids got lollipops. Now we're all happy campers! :)

I did TWO things I needed to do!

Some of you will recognize the reference - and I should also point out that as far as I know, we haven't read this book in eons. Here goes:

I asked Wiley to feed Kiwi just now. He went downstairs and came back a couple minutes later and proudly proclaimed: "I did TWO things I needed to do! I fed Kiwi, and I didn't let the pigeon drive the bus!"

I love it when these little gems come out of nowhere!!

Berry Smoothies

You can't go to Costco and not enjoy a berry smoothie! Mami had one, too.

Happy Birthday Daddy

Daddy has a bad habit of being away on his birthday. So we sent him this:

No Place for Hate Award

Graydon got this award certificate and a coupon for a free burger, fries, and fountain drink today. He wasn't actually 100% sure why he got the award but suspects (as do we) that it was for his fundraising efforts to help his art teacher buy supplies - see previous post.

We talked a little bit about it and he told me he was surprised that he was the only one who actually took her at her word and made the effort to support her. I'm very proud of my little guy growing into being such a decent human being.

Pitty-puck and other great Portia words

Portia is really starting to talk up a storm. Unfortunately for the uninitiated, it is still almost impossible to understand her. Here are a few entries from the Portia/English dictionary:

Pitty-puck = pickup truck
Papa = juice ("Saft")
Poon = any silverware, including but not limited to spoons
Bapo = Auto (car)
Brumm brumm = bear
Iiiaaa = meow (cat)
Iii-aaa = donkey
Pane = airplane
Back = belly (Bauch)
Tata = Portia
Gayn = Graydon
Wyee= Wiley
Gaggy = Daddy or Maggi
Ing = swing
Weed!! = read (always said very emphatically when she brings someone a book)
Hm! (Said very definitively) = yes
Neeeiiiin! = you guessed it...

She says a bunch of other more normal things that I won't list here. She especially likes body parts (feet! Bauch! Backe! Mund!), food (cheese! Meat! Milch) and vehicle noises (brrrrmmm! shhhioch!).

Maggi is learning to drive the boat

All smiles at low speed, and a little more concentration with a little more throttle!

First Beach Day of 2017

The water was a little chilly, but the weather was beautiful. Mami even went for a short wakeboard ride (wearing a shortie wetsuit). Wiley loves driving the boat and Portia was "fishing" at the beach. And of course Kiwi loves being at the beach no matter what the weather is like!

Flying kites is fun!

Three kids on the four-wheeler!

Don't worry, they weren't going anywhere! But they like to pretend.

Brushing my teeth is fun!

Swinging in the back yard

Fun was had by all.

Bowling!

We were going to go to the kite festival this weekend, but it got rained out (along with Graydon's two soccer games). Luckily Wiley had his soccer session before the fields were closed (see previous post). So we went bowling instead! We all had a good time, although Portia lost interest in it before the end. Good thing she's a sucker for a baggies of trail mix. That let us finish the game. Even though none of us are good at it (high score was a 75...) we all had fun!

Wiley's First Formal Soccer Practice!

He was very serious throughout but when asked afterwards whether he had fun, his face lit up and he said "yes!" We are looking forward to the next session of "Lil' Lonestars" in two weeks (this weekend is off due to spring break).

It's also fun that he has Graydon's all-time favorite coach (Coach Dylan, whom Graydon had two seasons ago). Fun was also that Graydon went along and Dylan put him to work helping retrieve balls and set up cones for the session.

One more photo of Portia in construction getup! :)

Construction Forewoman!

Portia loves her construction helmet! And she loves diggers and dozers as much as the next little kid. Brrrrrrrrrmmmmmm!

Business man !

Graydon sold some of his art today on the sidewalk :-)

Foam Party!

Every year, our elementary school puts on one boys-only and one girls-only event. I'm honestly not sure im thrilled about that as a general philosophy. But despite already feeling a little crummy from the impending cold he then developed over the weekend, and having to wait a long time in line for his turn, Graydon hat a great time in the foam pit and dancing to the DJ! The event itself did somewhat remind me of a frat party albeit without the booze (cause kids that age don't need alcohol to be a little crazy).

Wiley the Climber

Wiley climbed all the way to the top of the climbing structure at the park the other day. He was so high up!!

At the fire station !

Wiley and his best friend Devin went to the fire station around the corner from our house today and there was a nice fire fighter who explained them a lot of interesting things about the fire station and the fire truck !