The Zoo

 Two things of note.

1. This here documents the last time we ever saw this water bottle. RIP Camelbak. No one will miss you more than I.

 2. Weird thing to document? Probably.

But you've got to admit that Ethan peeling his orange in one strip is impressive.

 Okay, 3 things.

3. I was downstairs getting ready and I could hear the twins through the monitor upstairs getting ready. Ethan: "Mom is going to laugh so hard when she sees that I'm wearing this shirt. It's SO funny!"

I made sure to laugh.

A real live Soccer Mom

 Let's just say, it's a good thing I drive a minivan.

Cause my status of mom just got a serious upgrade. 

Between pre-school, ballet, 2 soccer practices, and 2 soccer games a week, this momma is a busy lady. 

But to see the grins on these kids' faces when they gear up for practice and game day is a pretty awesome reward.
Being a soccer mom ain't so bad.

 This picture kinda makes me laugh. Every single parent on Ethan's team has my exact camera (or nicer). And really nice lenses. There's even a Shutterfly page where all the parents upload their pictures. I think if we were to put all the pictures together, every second of the 32 minute game is captured. Including time outs and coach's pep talks. And even a lot of practices. You'd think we were sponsored by Canon. Here's to hoping.

Maybe one week, I'll put on my brave face and ask one of them for tips.

 Why you play the game... snacks at the end!

 Karalee, Kate, Audrey. One of these weeks I'll get their faces, too.

 I'm such a hard core soccer mom that I needed a break. So when Time Out for Women came to Houston, we timed out. Great weekend with some really fun ladies!

freedom

Kate just asked me if she could do something. The answer was no. 

"But we live in the United States of America!"

How much do you love me?

"All the way to the moon, plus to the end of counting, mixed up together, and back."

-Ethan and Kate

This has been a work in progress, but now that they've settled on the right combination, they go with it every time. We feel pretty honored.

Lovin lately

Strawberry freezer jam. Is there anything better in this life? 

Well, yes, and it rhymes with sockalate.

But on homemade rolls? I might just take the jam.

And then eat chocolate.

  If this bun is not the cutest thing you've ever seen in your life, you're lying.

Yeah, I know. His videos are all the same. He laughs. He smiles. What can I say? I can't get enough of it. Sue me.
And if you didn't catch it, before he started running, there was a "set. DO!" As in, set, go. He "set, do!"s all over the place. Back and forth in a room, over and over. Right before every time I pick him up. Before he does just about anything. He's a "set. DO!" kinda guy.

But if you're not feeling movie-watching, it's just a whole lot of this goofiness. Yogurt crusties on his face and all.

 I'm lovin' Ethan, too. Just no pictures today. But, I do have a story. We were at the Post Office one morning this week waiting to get the kids' passports. A man walks in, typical Texan. Long, long beard. Bandana. Earrings. Tight jeans. Boots.

Ethan whispered, "Dad, look there's a pirate!"

At least he's old enough to know to whisper. 

But there was a worker there that heard him and it got him laughing pretty hard.

Lake house

Some friends invited us to join them for a weekend at their lake house. She described it by saying, "the dock is SO FUN!" Of course I questioned her enthusiasm just a little bit. For starters, she's an enthusiastic about life kinda gal and those people can never be trusted. Second, how fun can a dock really be? Well, let me tell you... pretty fun.

The kids were pretty stoked to fish.

Michele and Katelyn chillin at the house.

 

They also had a pretty awesome time jumping off the dock. 

It's actually a 2-story dock and the Lemmons take life by the horns and jump from the second story.

 

We can pretend that our kids are just as cool, but we know the truth. And we can be proud of our small victories. 5 foot jump vs 20 foot jump- same thing, right?

 

There's also a rope swing from the top of the dock where the boys had a good time trying to catch the football midair.

Some looked a little more athletic doing it than others.

Safety first, right Ethan? You can never be too careful when playing super mario kart. 

Brooklyn (7) was determined to catch a fish. She even guaranteed that we would catch one. So when Kyle saw an almost dead fish floating near the dock, he grabbed a bucket and took off for it. By the time he made it back with the fish, it was a goner, but the kids were ecstatic to find that we had "caught a fish."

 

Drew was a little wary at first.

Then he had some words with the fish, and eased into it by touching it with his toes.

Then, making sure no one was looking, he went in for the touch. He was good after that.

Every meal was divine and we stayed true to Texan cuisine by eliminating almost all vegetables and including at least 3 types of carbs per meal.

And what is vacation without Sharpie-labeled Solos?

Or s'mores and ghost stories?

Great weekend. Thanks for laboring, Americans. We salute you.

First day of School

We all know this was a rough summer for our family. And I thought I was ready for it to be over and for school to start. But when I dropped these darlings off this morning, I got a little sad. They're my pals and I sure love em.

But at least it's just 2 days a week and we have a whole year before kindergarten.

 

 I'm not the only one who's going to miss them