Nature Hike

Hiking with the cousins and crew.




A nature find.


Stopping for lunch.




Bluebonnet found in the dry river bed.


Hiking got a little tricky where where we needed to use chains.




Mikey found this highly protected salamander. None of us had ever seen one of these before, so it was a great treat.




I heart rocks!




Caterpillars on a tree.




After our nature hike, we went to the nature center and dino dig.





Then we went to Chuy's for some Tex-Mex. (FYI--This is the same place that the Bush twins were caught using fake IDs.)


A fun and full day!

Eleven Little Monkeys

We had 11 little monkeys--all 10 years old and under--here for a couple of days.


That's enough for a parade, isn't it?


The girls.


Alternative transportation.


Getting creative.


Being different.


Taking it all in...


The whole crew.


Some of us were getting a little loopy.


Now we're down to just 8 little monkeys for the rest of the week, so we're slacking off a bit now!

A Boy's Passion

If you want to see Mikey get excited...

...show him a big truck.

After he and Kathleen returned from getting the mail the other day, Mike came rushing into the house asking to use the camera and go back to the neighborhood park where this truck was parked.

After begging Kathleen go back with him, he made her stand in on this one for a good reference.


This is what makes Mikey tick.


It's certainly not the biggest truck he's seen, but this one wasn't moving. Fair game for close study.


A ten year old's thrill.


No details left unnoticed.


Shocks.


Er...not sure.


Mikey's untouched photos--images undoubtedly imprinted in his mind.

Before he saw the pictures he took, he quickly drew this sketch...lest he forget all the fresh details.


Truthfully, I'm a little surprised that he didn't write in all the numbers from the shocks and tires. Must've had to go do something urgent or pressing like ride his scooter or pop some wheelies.

A boy's passion...

...in carefree days.

Refreshing!

Jeepers Creepers :: Whose Peepers?

Spring :: Nature at our Front Door

A true Texas spring.

One day we're swimming in the unheated neighborhood pool.

The next day we have quarter-sized hail.

(The picture above shows the hail just as it fell near our front door. About 25% of it was quarter sized. Don't you love it when nature provides math lessons?)

Thirty minutes after the hail storm was over, it was sunny again...and nice and cool!

Kids have fun any way spring rears its head!

(Don't worry. The hail storm was over before we let the kids outside to play with nature's marbles.)

March came in like a lion...and may just leave like a lion.


Okay, so the March lion/lamb thing has more to do with the constellations than the weather.


Here's to spring...any way it comes and goes!



Addendum: Below is a photo a friend took of the hail they had in another part of town.

Here come all the roofers again...

Let the Outdoor Swim Season Begin

No way. You just can't get a child to ignore the "Pool Open" sign for too long.

So, off they went with Dad, and

took a dip in the pool.


They won't admit it too readily, but they were pretty cold.


Don't they look cold?


That didn't stop them from staying in the water for 20 minutes.

They took the plunge this year more than a month earlier than last year...although I think that had more to do with Mary Kate not being cleared to swim after her surgery until the end of April.

But still, the water wasn't as cold today as it was when they went swimming in Lake Tahoe a couple of years ago in May when the water was only in the 40s.

See?


They're all crazy.

I'll just hang onto my camera and stay clear of the water!