Sweet Caleb

Caleb has been having some attitude problems lately, so it's nice when he comes up with a sweet comment once in a while. Here are some recent ones:

"Madi is a pretty little girl with a pretty smart brain."

And, in response to our Pastor's question asking him to name his sports hero,

"My dad!"

Fancy Nancy's Newest Adventure

I wasn't feeling so well, so Madi kindly offered, "I'll give you adjustment and read you a story." Unfortunately, the story that she "read" involved Fancy Nancy getting poisoned.

Zip Line Fun

Caleb and Madi were so excited to zip line!

Fourth of July Fun!

Our Little Elf

I asked Madi what she wanted to drink and didn't get an answer. That's when I discovered that she was drinking maple syrup from the bottle.

Caleb Quote O' the Day

Caleb's wisdom of the evening: "It's a bad idea to do a somersault in the shower."

Space Center FAIL

Space Center FAIL: Madi referred to the astronauts as "space aliens," and said of John Glenn, "That looks just like Obi Wan Kenobi."

A Dousing of Orange

Madi's first trip to Austin! When she called a longhorn "that moose" we knew that we had best get the indoctrination under way. After all, she was born during a Texas football game. Can she go to school anywhere else?

A Friendly Afternoon

The kids spend a fun afternoon with some old (young) friends.

Sleepy Girl

For a while, Madi needed an ice pack for the slightest bump or bruise. Here, she somehow fell asleep with the ice pack on her head.

Dickens Quote

‎"I love these little people; and it is not a slight thing when they, who are so fresh from God, love us." Charles Dickens

Don't Cross this Girl!

We are apparently raising quite the little feminist. She just told me the story of her "pretend soccer team" where the coach posted a sign that said "No Girls Allowed." The coach then fell into a lake, was eaten by an alligator, and had his eyes poked out by a knight. An unfortunate situation, really.

Ode to the Watermelon

Apparently Mark Twain and I share a fierce love for a certain fruit "The true Southern watermelon is a boon apart, and not to be mentioned with commoner things. It is chief of this world's luxuries, king by the grace of God over all the fruits of the earth. When one has tasted it, he knows what the angels eat. It was not a southern watermelon that Eve took; we know it because she repented." -Mark Twain

So Long Panthers

A few pics from Caleb's last soccer game of the season.

Little Babywearer

Both children insist that they're big enough to carry the baby. Here's Madi practicing with her baby doll in the mei tai.

Nighttime Friends

Instead of just cuddling with one stuffed animal, Caleb decided to take it a step further. I found him asleep one night with his socks stuffed full of stuffed animals! Creative way to keep those little critters close.

Matt's Dream Come True

Madi dressed herself in this outfit and said, "I'm a sports girl!" Notice the "soccer socks." And no pom-poms in sight. Not to worry, she asked me to put a headband in her hair so that she would look "beautiful" and when I complied, she said, "Thanks coach!"

The Best Brother

I think that every irrational, screaming 3 year-old needs an incredibly kind-hearted big brother. She screams, "I need more love!" (oh the drama) and he builds a pallet beside her so that he can cuddle her to sleep.

Look Closely...

Little Storyteller

Madi, reading to her babies...

Blue Bell

No trip to Brenham is complete without a stop at Blue Bell. The kids had a terrific time sampling the ice cream and playing on the sculptures.

Bluebonnets

We took a trip to Brenham and were rewarded with gorgeous fields of wildflowers. The tricky part is finding a safe field for photo taking (most of them are on the side of busy highways). So, we were pleased when we found this beautiful field. The kids were somewhat cooperative...the Blue Bell bribe helped a lot.

Go Panthers!

Caleb joined the fearsome Panthers for his second season of soccer. Actually, when I first saw the team, I thought they might have trouble winning even one game. But then Raul, soccer extroadinaire, stepped onto the field. With Raul (whose status is questionable due to an injury last game) the Panthers pretty well roll over most opponents. Of course, this league has rules about fair playing time and such so everyone get a chance at the ball. Caleb really stepped up his game this past week, taking 3 well-aimed shots. No goals for Caleb yet, but he's well on his way. And he has had a phenomenal run at goalie...he plays that position quite often and has never allowed a goal. This team has been an interesting experience because the Panthers are coached by an elderly couple. Coach Nick, who has to be pushing 70, cannot remember Caleb's name and so he frequently calls Caleb (as well as several of the other boys) "old man." Caleb is a little sad about this, but he's having a great time on the field!

Easter

Easter...I hope they got enough eggs :) This definitely made up for the church egg hunt where they got only 2 eggs each.

Madi the Fashionista

Just another example of the exotic costumes that Madi clothes herself in daily.

Symphony

Caleb and Madi at their first symphony

Odyssey of the Mind

Caleb participated in a cool program called Odyssey of the Mind. For OM, the kids have to write their own scripts and build all their own costumes and props. Caleb's team performed quite an interesting skit involving dinosaurs (Caleb was a dinosaur), Pompeii people, and a volcano. Then (as the first picture shows) they had a terrific party after the competition.