June Joy

Summer is here!  We're spending this summer marking things off our "Houston Summer Bucket List" since we're not going on vacation until September.  It's actually been fun being a tourist in our own city.  We're so fortunate to have some many fun, family friendly and free things to do here!
 
So far we've checked the following things off our list:
1)  Discovery Green
2)  Lawndale Art Center
3)  Huffington Park x2 (NO PICS)
4)  Swim Lessons
5)  AIA Sandcastle Competition
6)  West U Rec Center
7)  Studio Movie Grill: Horton Hears a Who x2 (Charlotte’s Web in 7/25/14)
8)  Miller Outdoor Theater: The Magician’s Nephew
9)  Maplewood Pool (Grace gives swim lessons)
10) Pick Berries at Blessington Farms
11) Education Through Music Camp (for Grace)
12) Assemble “Blessing Bags” for homeless
13) Lazy day at home with Gingerbread Waffles
14) Houston Center for Contemporary Craft
15) Museum of Fine Arts Houston – Soto exhibit (x2 in August)
16) Miller Outdoor Theater: Houston Young Artists’ Concert
17) Houston Zoo: Bug House x2 (7/7/14 with Sorenas)
18) Bolivar Ferry (from Galveston)
19) Crystal Beach on Bolivar
And of course, we watched a lot of the World Cup!


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Next, here are some of the cute things the kids said or did this month...

- After blessing our food, Matthew added, "And thank you for making Grace's tummy feel better."

- The kids took a two week crash course in swimming in May/June.  As a result, Grace has been found frequently giving swim lessons.  First, she gave swim lessons to Ariel and Flounder during bath time.  Second, she gave Matthew lessons during bath time.  "One, two, three, bubbles!  Hands behind your head.  No kicking your legs.  Now it's time to do row rows!"  Finally, she conducted actual swim lessons with three real students (two younger friends plus Matthew) in the baby pool at our neighborhood pool.  She had them all blowing bubbles at the same time and doing "row rows" with their arms.  It was so cute!

- When Jeff tucked in Matthew after watching a U.S. national soccer game, Matthew said, " Daddy, I'm gonna play soccer with you when I get bigger.  I'm gonna have a big ball."

- Grace found a whole wild bird egg laying on the ground on our way home from school.  She immediately asked if she could put it in a can.  I asked if she had gotten this idea from Pippi Longstocking, which we've been reading.  She said, "yes."

- G: "Mommy, you're driving me a brat!" (Combo of driving me crazy and being a brat, I assume).  This was after she got no dessert because she would not stop tapping/kicking the table which was driving me crazy!

- G: "Mommy, why are we doing this camp?"

Me: "I thought it would be fun for you and I to do something together."

G: "You, me and a bunch of other kids!"

- At the camp mentioned above, I was proud to notice  that Grace distanced herself from a little girl that had gotten her into trouble one day earlier in the week.  I thought it was pretty amazing for a four-year-old to be discerning about people that might be a negative influence!
 

- G: "If you like smelling stinky cheese, you like smelling stinky feet!"

- One morning Matthew wanted to use my toilet instead of his, which has a smaller seat.  When I stepped away for a moment, he reached for a magazine to read instead of holding on to the seat and fell into the toilet!

A few days later, Grace told me that Matthew had fallen into the toilet again, when really he had put his feet in the toilet (at her suggestion).  He had stepped up onto a stool, then stepped into the potty!

- Me: "Remind me to call Ms Wendy."

G: "In my brain that sounds like Ms. Mindy !"

- G: "If I give you your shoes back, may you give me a snack?"

Me: laughing (This kid knows hot to negotiate!)