Son-in-Law

A Midsummer Night's Dream in the Fall

2009-11-04T08:47:00.002-06:00

Our first Dallas theatre experience proved to be... well, "explosive." Much of what we do in Dallas is a direct result of events Andy hears about on NPR. So I'm assuming yesterday there was a review of the Shakespearean play since he decided to get tickets (last minute, of course).

I recommend going to anyone looking for a fun night in Dallas. The new Wylie theatre is great and the play is somewhat audience interactive. While we may not have gone up to the stage to boogy with the rest of the audience at the end, we nonetheless, thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. We also enjoyed our Cheesy Gordita Crunches from Taco Bell on our way home (and yes Steph, i still crave the occasional Cheesy Gordita).

Note to self: Do not call the babysitter on your way home only to realize that at 9:45 your kids are not in bed sound asleep, rather, screaming hysterically in the background while she is trying to maintain control. It will only ruin your late-night dinner plans.

Annual Halloween Harvest Party

2009-10-18T09:47:00.001-05:00

This is our second annual Halloween party (Andy's best attempts this year did not dissuade me). We ate, carved pumpkins and ate some more (at least I did).

Since I am prego this year we decided to go with a prego theme for our costumes. I know what you guys are thinking, "Why didn't Andy dress up?"

Barbie Rocker. Enough said.

My best efforts to keep my kids in costume failed me. Gracie had a cute little tutu for her ladybug outfit and she managed to tear the entire polka dotted layer off of it. I have not decided yet if it is salvageable. This slide provided minutes of entertainment for these kiddos while the dads competed in a challenging pumpkin carving contest.

Baby Aubree in her witch costume, minus her hat.

Four years in the making

2009-10-17T10:04:00.002-05:00

Wilco will love you baby

2009-10-09T23:42:00.002-05:00

Why are you looking at me?

2009-10-03T18:55:00.000-05:00

Canton,

2009-10-03T17:56:00.003-05:00

you are dope. We had fun wandering your fairgrounds, and the largest gathering of people who buy and sell strange things anywhere. Kaity obviously loves me because she got me a sweet back scratcher for--wait for it--a buck! I have already used it for a variety of nefarious purposes. We also enjoyed eating at this place on your main street. We will definitely return when we need an old rotary telephone, vhs tapes of Stephen Seagal movies, or lots of things made out of leather.

School Days

2009-10-03T08:45:00.001-05:00

Gracie thinks she is a big four year-old. She likes to come to preschool and participate in all the activities. She knows every kid by name and she has a few favorites picked out. You can always find her conning one of the big kids into pushing her on the swing during outside play. Here she is making a play dough creation. It's always a good day when she isn't eating the play dough.

Hard at work. I have been using our old camera for preschool pictures and it is amazing how poor the photo quality actually is. I mean, I knew it was bad before, but I never truly realized just how bad.

Gracie thinks that if her head is pointed in your direction it is just as good as actually looking at the camera for a picture. I am pretty sure she is eyeing a cute boy in the class. I have not determined whether her fascination with him is a result of his loud obnoxiousness or actually a little crush. I am fairly certain it is the former.

Blackberry v. iphone

2009-09-30T22:40:00.000-05:00

Andy started work a few weeks ago. With his new job come many perks, ie: health insurance, a paycheck, and a cell phone plan to name a few (actually, I think that covers the few because with his new job has also come long hours and a lot of time away from us). Well, today he made the very difficult switch ("downgrade" to quote him) from iphone to blackberry. He has been rather down all day and when I asked him if this is the hardest thing he has ever had to do in his life he replied in all seriousness, "Well, I went on a mission, but they didn't have iphones then."

He generously has given me his iphone and spent the entire evening syncing my contacts, email, etc. I really just need to know how to dial out and set my alarm. Thanks for the phone baby. I'll do my best to treat her as well as you have.

Caring and Sharing the Same Room

2009-09-21T19:32:00.004-05:00

About a week ago we moved Charlie and Gracie into the same bedroom to prepare room for baby girl. Well, it has gone about as well as expected. They stay up and talk/ play for about an hour before finally falling asleep and sometimes their play gets a little out of hand (ie: jumping in their beds, throwing things across the room to each other, etc.). I actually think it is endearing though. They have this cute little brother-sister friendship developing where they really need one another and rely on each other for comfort.

Last night at about 9:30 I hear Gracie calling out, "Where my Chalie go? Where my Chalie go?" Well, in answer to her question, "To sleep."

And tonight Charlie comes out of his room with a very distraught look on his face.

"Charlie, what's wrong?"

Before he can answer his eyes fill with tears. Through his loud sobs I hear, "But I'm going to miss Gracie when she grows up." So adorable and yet so sad.

"What do you mean you'll miss her, Charlie?"

"When she grows up and moves to a different family." Just about broke my heart.

Charlie is such a tender-hearted little guy. I was sad for his realization that we will not always be a family in this current state (fighting back my own tears), but gladdened by his deep and sincere love for his sister. He truly cares about her and her well-being. He is her little protector. Don't get me wrong, they definitely have their classic "brother /sister" moments fighting over toys, knocking over forts, but in the end, they really love one another.

Futbol

2009-09-19T21:12:00.002-05:00

His first game was today. We were worried when he stood there like this for the first few minutes. He seemed a little confused.

He soon snapped out of it, then proceeded to show his dominance.

This lady was yelling the Spanish equivalent of, "Hey, that is not fair, that little gringo is too good!" BTW, that little tank sitting on the sideline was the source of many tumbles throughout the game.

This is Charlie scoring a goal with the help of a teammate. They are running a play they learned in practice called "los nardos."

As Dora would say

2009-09-05T21:27:00.002-05:00

As Dora would say, originally uploaded by son-in-law.

We did it.

Game Time

2009-09-05T17:20:00.001-05:00

Game Time, originally uploaded by son-in-law.

(

Gracie's Cumpleaños

2009-08-29T14:49:00.008-05:00

We were in Mexico for Gracie's birthday, so we had a little fiesta for her. The first store we found when we got there was Wal-Mart. We took Gracie to pick out her cake. She, of course, chose the tres leches cake with Oreos. We ate it in our hotel room after a night on the town. We taught her to say, "Tengo dos años."

Vacaciones

2009-08-29T11:59:00.003-05:00

We can't get enough of dragging our kids places, so we all went to Mexico. I was able to act like a big-shot and impressed Kaity with my Spanish. I also got to drive there, which was totally and completely awesome.

Here we are at some ruins. The highlight for Charlie was seeing the enormous iguanas that were all over the place.

We also snorkeled in a cenote. The water was cold, to say the least. I had to carry Kaity like this the entire time. Luckily, she is very petite, as I am less than fit.

Even Charlie climbed in. I hauled him around on my back. He was in tears when he could not catch the fish that were swimming around us.

Of course, we found the dopest beach on the Mayan Riviera: Akumal. We snorkeled with the sea tortugas, and enjoyed the warm water. We hung out under the palm trees while the kids played in the calm water. I wanted to build a hut and live right there. Kaity reminded me I have student loans, so we came home.

Back Where Things are Bigger

2009-08-17T14:48:00.000-05:00

On our way to Cali we drove by this monument to lunatics and Cadillacs just outside Amarillo. We decided to stop on our way home and get some pictures.

I like this picture because there is a creepy guy in it.

We brought a nAnnie back from California to keep the kids quiet in the back seat. It didn't work.

I know what you are thinking

2009-08-17T14:23:00.001-05:00

I had all of you excited last week when I was posting almost daily updates regarding our travels. I should have warned you all that I would shortly be traveling to a remote part of the United States where the last family in the world to not have any form of internet connection resides: Loomis, California. I was, therefore, "dark" last week but for a faint 3G connection enabling me to blog via my only connection with the outside world: My iPhone. I managed, but barely.

We finished up our trip in Sacramento. While there, I took this lovely shot of a cowgirl. The only explanation for this smile is that she totally wants me.

The kids also got in on the horsing around.

Frog Hunters

2009-08-11T11:19:00.001-05:00

Frog Hunters, originally uploaded by son-in-law.

(

This is Important

2009-08-08T22:11:00.004-05:00

We are lost in Malibu. Please, don't look for us.

Viva La Santee

2009-08-08T11:49:00.006-05:00

We visited a seedy portion of what is known as the "Fashion District" downtown. To most it is known as Santee Ally, to me it is known as Memory Lane--as the sights, sounds, and smells flooded me with memorias de Mexico.

There were a bunch of almost-designer purses and sunglasses. I indulged in a new fedora and glasses. I was also sprayed with some "pimp juice" by a man selling almost-designer cologne.

Charlie and I found this statue of what I can only assume is in homage to the famouse almost-Mexican C.H.P. officer Francis "Ponch" Ponchorello.

Vamos a la Playa

2009-08-07T09:41:00.006-05:00

We ventured over the hill to Malibu. I think the kids had a personal goal of finding every grain of sand on the beach. They may very well have achieved it.

Gracie came across this human foot as she was digging. Creepy.

We built enormous sand castles.

The kids posed for a perfume commercial photoshoot. It is called "No. 2." Let's just say it smells.

All we could eat

2009-08-06T22:36:00.001-05:00

All we could eat, originally uploaded by son-in-law.

At Dodger Stadium.

(

Albuquer...something

2009-08-02T11:26:00.004-05:00

We are here. We have found family. We have photographic proof.

One more thing. We are having a girl.

Birthday Boy

2009-08-02T11:16:00.004-05:00

Of course, he got a jungle-themed cake.

I forgot to mention

2009-08-02T10:52:00.003-05:00

that he is obsessed with catching stuff. Here is a gecko he caught in the house. He was quite proud of this one. He does not understand the fragility of these creatures, however. He had put this one inside one of his plastic elephants, which later had to be dissected by Kaity in order to extract said lizard. The lizard only lasted a few more hours before he "went to sleep." It was fun while it lasted.

I finished the bar

2009-08-02T10:42:00.005-05:00

so I am posting stuff again. I am starting with this beauty. A few weeks ago, Charlie caught this bad boy in the front yard. It was dark outside, and he chased him down and grabbed him all on his own. I was so proud. We let him keep in the tub for the night, then he let in go in the park the next day. It was, in Charlie's words, totally awesome. He had his shirt off for these pics to add to the "Tarzan" theme.