June 29, 2013

An important thing Bailey has learned in nursery...

June 28, 2013

  You know what's cool about having a husband who has random days off in the middle of the week and a daughter old enough to watch the younger kids?  You can go shopping and stop to get a shaved ice all by yourselves.

June 27, 2013

 

  The first full summer that we lived in Amarillo, we went 100+ days without rain.  Everyone kept telling us how extraordinary that was.  We just assumed it's really hot and really dry.  This year things are somewhat back to normal.  We've had some killer thunderstorms, especially at night.  I've never seen lighting like it is here.  One flash right after another.  It's awesome.

June 26, 2013

  These "sponge-bombs" are a good alternative to water balloons.  No spending all that time to fill them up, one by one, and no picking up 100s of tiny broken balloon pieces.

June 25, 2013

Six more months...

June 24, 2013

 It's so hard to remember to take pictures in the summer.  

June 23, 2013

  Last Thursday was the last t-ball game of the season.  It's a good thing the season only lasts five weeks because after 10 games I'm done and, more importantly, the boys are done.

June 22, 2013

  All over the internet today I read of the "super moon" tonight.  I guess that means the moon was closer than usual and would look especially super.  I'm not sure I would have noticed any difference if I didn't know better, but it was fun to be outside looking at the moon at 10 PM.

June 21, 2013

Some quality time outside.  The evenings have been so nice lately.

June 20, 2013

    Ok, now I've been to Palo Duro Canyon two times in as many months.  This was the one thing Shelbi wanted to do the very most while Jeff's parents are here.  The outing didn't disappoint her.  She climbed anything that was vertical.  She kept hugging me, telling me thank you.  So unlike Shelbi.

 Those itty bitty specks at the top are Shelbi and Sydney.  I stayed down at the bottom with Bailey while Jeff climbed with the other kids.  Here's the picture of them from the top.

June 19, 2013

  I have a feeling this will be a common scene in my house for the next week.  Grandma and Grandpa Foster are visiting and the kids are excited to play every game in house with them.

June 18, 2013

Nothing much to say.  Just a random picture of Ry-Guy wearing Target clothes' stickers as sweatbands.

June 17, 2013

  Here the boys enjoy a post-tball snack, after playing one inning.  The (idiot) coaches started fighting over an out, parents rushed the field, and there was nearly an all-out brawl.  Our team picked up and left.  So dumb.

June 16, 2013

  We got to actually have this guy home today for Father's Day.  It's been years since that's happened.  The day started with church, then lots of watching golf, and ended with brownie sundaes.  Not bad.

June 15, 2013

  It wouldn't be a Foster family road trip without a visit to the local children's museum.  The Lubbock museum was definitely cooler than the Dallas one.  Lots more hands-on stuff.

Bailey has a certain obsession with "supermarkets" lately.  I think she saw in on a favorite cartoon.  So this was especially cool. 

   Doesn't Ryan make the cutest veterinarian you've ever seen?  He could have played for hours in this area.

  The other kids were there too, but pictures of them are on Jeff's phone, so you'll just have to trust me that they also did cool stuff.

June 14, 2013

  We took a quick overnight trip to Lubbock this weekend.  After a frustrating dinner at Olive Garden, we drove over to show the kids the temple.  Then back to the hotel to swim. Of course.

June 13, 2013

Mmmm, who wants some chicken?

I went out to grill some hot dogs for lunch today and found these two leftover pieces of chicken.  I originally made this chicken about a week and a half ago and left these on the grill because they weren't quite done yet.  They're done now.

June 12, 2013

You CAN get excited about this video (but only a little):

Jeff is the new cubmaster for the cub scouts in our ward and held his first pack meeting tonight.  The activity was a Minute to Win It type game.  The boys had shoe boxes with holes cut into them tied around their waists and had to shake the ping pong balls out of them.  Ryan was thrilled to get to compete.

June 11, 2013

Syd's all tuckered out after a morning of swimming lessons.  She set up this tent in the piano room, and climbed in for a nap.

June 10, 2013

Do NOT get excited about this video:

This was our pathetic light show on July 4, 2011, when Amarillo banned fireworks.  We tied glow sticks together and the kids spun them around in the dark.  To be fair, it was cooler looking than the video makes it seem.  But thankfully fireworks were allowed in Amarillo again the next year.

June 9, 2013

June 2006

I've always loved this picture of the girls, Jeff, and his dad at Muir Woods.

June 8, 2013

This picture was actually taken last night.  This is Shelbi and I enjoying movie night.  Pictures of me sleeping don't do very good things for my self esteem.

June 7, 2013

Apparently kindergarten graduation is a big deal here.  Erik is my first child to do this.  The woman I was standing next to (because there were no seats left) said, appalled, "I can't believe some schools in Amarillo aren't going to have kindergarten graduations anymore!"  This was before the program began, so I was expecting something great.  Nope.  The kids walked in, the principal said a few words about how cute they look in their caps and gowns, and then each name was read to get their diploma.  No cute musical number or anything.  I must be a bad parent if I think this is a little ridiculous.

June 6, 2013

Awards assembly #2.  All she got were some stupid certificates, and she was okay with that.  I don't remember having awards assemblies as young as third grade when I was in elementary school.

June 5, 2013

Reason #10 that Sydney is awesome:

When her five-year-old brother anxiously asks to use her brand-spanking-new sidewalk chalk, she says 'yes' without batting an eye.  That's pizza and a banana split that he drew, by the way.

June 4, 2013

Piece of junk.

  

June 3, 2013

  

Happy Birthday sweet Sydney!

Nine awesome things about Sydney:

1. Her tender heart.

2. She likes to change Bailey's dirty diapers.

3. She makes her own lunch on the weekends.

4. She's truly grateful when Ryan colors her a special picture.

5. She wears unmatching socks to school, and doesn't even care.

6. She has a great talent for drawing.

7. She doesn't throw a fit when I ask her to clean her room or do her chore.

8. Her many stuffed animals all have names.

9. Her giggle is infectious.

June 2, 2013

2007.  My all-time favorite birthday picture of Syndey.  I love the look on her face.

June 1, 2013

  The perfect way to host a birthday party?  Have it at Cheer Texas.  No decorating, no cleaning house, no organized activities.  If the girls want to run around crazy, no big deal.  That's what they're supposed to do.  But if you happen to be a 35-year-old woman, be warned that it is possible to sprain your ankle jumping into the foam pit.  Or if you're a 38-year-old man, be careful doing flips on the trampolines.  You're not as nimble as you used to be.

May 31, 2013

  Syd and her best friend Emma participated in the school talent show today.  They called their act a tango skit.  Basically they started out doing the tango and then the music changed into fast music, to which they "danced."  Neither girl has had any dance classes.  But what they lacked in talent they made up in style and cuteness.  
  Watching the talent show brought on an epiphany.  I've been forcing Sydney to take piano lessons now for two years because I think it's useful skill to have.  And for two years she's been asking to quit piano and take guitar lessons.  Why am I forcing a talent on Syd that she doesn't enjoy?  Wouldn't she excel much better at something that she's excited about?  Time to rethink things.