Matthew's All About Me Poster.

Matthew created this "All About Me" Poster. It was his first homework assignment for Kindergarten.

He included photos of himself on his bicycle, Angry Birds, Jacob, and others.

On a Saturday night I went to a party kid free for the first time in about a year. My friend Barb had a Painting and Wine Surprise Birthday party. This drinking and painting party trend has been going on for a while but it was the first party I was invited to. I painted the picture that Jacob and Matthew are holding below.

The Sky High Sports Foam Monster

This past Sunday (June 2, 2013) Matthew, Jacob, and I met Unkie Jude for an outing at an indoor trampoline park, Sky High Sports. The boys had a blast jumping on trampolines with bouncy walls to run into and a huge foam pit. This was the perfect outing for Unkie Jude and his nephews.. it was his Christmas present to the boys and we finally redeemed the Groupon.













Matthew asked for help reading the following sign. In case it is hard to read from the photo, it says: Do Not Feed the Foam Pit: Remove cell phones from your pockets before entering. They WILL fall out.

I tried to explain to Matthew that the sign was a clever way of reminding people that they will lose their cell phones in 8 feet of foam if they do not take them out of their pockets before jumping in. Matthew stopped playing in the foam pit. He had lots of questions about where the "Foam Pit Monster" lives and why does he eat cell phones. Unkie Jude and I spent the 30 minutes explaining how the monster was pretend and didn't really exist.. alternating with Unkie Jude's accusations that the "monster stole his wallet and he did not have any more money to spend on the arcade claw machine". When Matthew was convinced that the Foam Pit Monster was pretend he started to ask "what if" questions.

If there was a monster in the foam pit would he eat your cell phone if you were bad? Yes.

What would he do if he saw a little boy who was being good? He would give the boy a high five. 

What if a boy was good but he also dropped his cell phone? Would the monster eat it then? Not if he gave the monster Unkie Jude's wallet in exchange for the cell phone.

These questions also lasted for the whole 45 minute drive home. It made me think that maybe Poppers (Matthew's grandfather) created the sign. When Jude and I were kids Poppers loved to make up scary stories when we went camping or had friends over.

Rennaisance Festival and Thanksgiving 2012

On the Sunday before Thanksgiving we took the boys to the Rennaisance Festival. We haven't been since Matthew was two years old and this was Jacob's first time. It was a beautiful day. Matthew started off the day by complaining incessantly that he didn't want to go and he refused to wear the knight costume he wore for Halloween (the main reason I picked out this costume was for Renfest weekend--I should have got him an Angry Bird costume--oh well). When Matthew saw some of the fun activities he started to change his attitude.

 

He did some Extreme Jumping.

Got his face painted.

Rode a llama.

They rode their chair swing ride. I have pleasant memories of our swinging chair that we got at the Rennaisance Festival when I was a teenager. 

Tony, against my better judgement got both boys a wooden sword.

 

Not Renfest--but here is Jacob enjoying his pre-Thanksgiving exercise on his friend's scooter.

 Matthew at the Kemah Boardwalk Sunday after Thanksgiving.

Veteran's Day Weekend and Children's Festival with Poppers

On Friday November 9th, Matthew was in the Veteran's Day Program. He was a tee pee. Tee pee, tee pee, what do you see? I see an Indian looking at me.

Saturday morning Matthew had a soccer game and then we went straight to the Pearland Fish Festival at Bass Pro Shops. He was only good long enough to get these photos. After the photos he complained incessantly and convinced Tony to leave to go into the store.

Sunday, I attempted to do the Color Run 5K with Jacob in the jogging stroller. I had high hopes because he was so good for a run I had in Memorial Park the day before. Unfortunately, we had to wait at the starting line for 2 hours and we passed by a huge playground that was closed in Minute Maid park so he was easily distracted. By the time we got through the starting line (we were about the 10th heat), Jacob wrestled his way out of the stroller and I had to leave the run to avoid being trampled.

So instead we enjoyed the playground at Discover Green Park.

On Sunday we went to The Woodlands to visit Poppers and Grandma. Then Poppers and I took the boys to The Woodlands Children's Festival. This has become a yearly tradition for us.

They loved to drum on the Recycle Cycle.

Jacob decided that this outing was the time to practice his sprinting. Two separate strangers told me that he was going to be an Olympic runner when he grows up. He ran down the Woodlands Pavilion hill. Down the aisles of the concert hall during the stage. He wanted to get the wagon and take it back up the hill to the sandbox. That was not as easy as he thought it would be.

Halloween Weekend-Party/Air Show/Pumpkins with Deda

On Saturday October 27th we went to the neighborhood Halloween party. The boys enjoyed the Jump Jumps. Matthew went as a knight and Jacob was supposed to be a dragon but he refused to wear anything but his costume from last year, a fireman.

We reattempted to get Jacob to wear his dragon costume but he looked like a fireman with a green cloak.

Sunday we went to the Wings Over Houston Airshow. Jacob seemed to enjoy himself more than Matthew did or at least he was more cooperative.

That afternoon we went to Deda and Nana Sande's house for pumpkin carving.

The boys met their cousin Eva from Croatia. You can certainly see the family resemblence.

Poop or Chocolate?

After that we went to Trunk or Treats at the local church.

The drummer let Matthew pound the drum but appeared to regret that move.