outdoor dining

We get into a lot of the outdoor cooking beginning around March. We've had many meals out there already this spring.
Kiran had her new BFF, and our new neighbor, Isaac over this last weekend for one of our cookouts. Not your typical entree: Baked Falafel, cous cous, home made yogurt/cucumber/lime tziki (?) sauce, pita, hummus, white wine (vs. juice!).

Isaac is just about the sweetest little boy you'll ever meet. Pretty must Kiran's age and he has a heart of gold. His mom Melody (mel, don't get mad if you read this) is one of the most talented and beautiful people I've ever met. She is at the top of her league with the other ballerina's that all work for the Houston Ballet. She has invited us to come watch her perform at the Wotham Center tomorrow night. I'll post an update after we enjoy! To make her doubly mad, I'll show her off a bit! You can read about her and even watch 2 videos HERE: http://www.houstonballet.org/Inside_Houston_Ballet/Dancers/Melody_Herrera/
I didn't yet mention that she is an amazing guitarist, singer, and songwritter. We have great new neighbors as you see! It encourages me to want to stay and fix-up/build on to our house rather than move.

In other news!

Today is the last day of Kindergarten. Translation = I'm nearly 30, I have a first grader, and I'm freaking out. But I won't make this about me, it'll only make me angry.
I seriously can't believe she's grown so much, so fast, so beautifully! My koops is a whole new koops and it happened right in front of my face at the time I happened to blink. Her awards ceremony took place last friday where she performed and received a certificate of "Excellence in Science". The one thing that would make me most proud. Little "timmy" and others got awards for best eater or best leader....so this is one to make a mommy really proud!



Yesterday wrapped up her first, and not last, session of gymnastics. That's yet another thing she has tried and succeeded at. She had more one-on-one time with the coach yesterday because of all of the other kids that were done with class this week too.
As I sat there and watched I got to compare it to our first day, knowing it would be the last for a while. Her rolls, supported backbends, her balancing beam hops and tumbles, and most of all her skills on the bars! She has much more strength and control of herself in pretty much every area she worked in. She can do all sorts of flips and "hand stands" as she calls them, on the bars now. The cart wheel while not perfect has come a loooong way also. ;-)This is something I've decided to let her stick with should she choose to. But next up, next up!....
We gotta keep them busy now that summer is here. First we'll start with 10 straight committed days to swim lessons at UofH. This time for both kids despite the cost. This is incredibly worth it and pool safety is a big one this time of year. Oliver and I will do these together for his 4:30 session, provided that I make it ont ime from work for that many days in a row! Kiran will be a level up from last summer and has a session right after oliver and i.
It doesn't end there. We've already paid for her summer writing camp again as well. She'll spend 3 weeks doing that with Daddy while he teaches in another class at the camp. Oliver will be with me practicing writing his "o's" in preparation for poetry! :-)

I spy a tie!

I want to start with a story by Evan of a typical day in the minivan with two kids. Make that two siblings. Just when you think you've seen a lot of growth, change, you find out what they're really thinking in those little (or big in some cases) heads!
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I SPY!
The kids and I were driving home from daycare, and Kiran and Oliver were playing "I Spy," or trying to. Essentially, Kiran says, "I spy something blue," then we have to find what it is that's blue. When it was Oliver's turn, he said, "I spy something truck." That didn't work out so well. On his next turn, Oliver said, "I spy something my name is Alvin" (Alvin from the movie Alvin and the Chipmunks, whom he pretends to be sometimes). I said, "What? Where is that?" And he tapped his chest and said, "Right here." So Kiran explained that he had to say a color. Next, he said, "I spy something dirty. Dirty a color." Then the NEXT round he pointed right at a yellow truck as it passed us by and said, "I spy something that yellow!"
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And I say it's a "tie" between these two! Oliver with his sail boat tie and "POPS the elephant", one of olivers nighttime companions, with his traditional tie around his neck. Who won?

The Train

Might as well post these cute ones too! By the way, these are camera phone pics: NO JUDGING!

Pardon all of my references!

Like every other little boy, in America at least, Oliver has devoted his early years to the movie Cars®. First we were head-over-wheels (hee haw!) with Tow-Mater, but without the "tuh". And for whatever reason he swapped for the powers that be, Sheriff and Judge. It's been these two in the ghost light, i mean SPOTLIGHT ever since.
As we drive down Main street on our return from work and school we like to point out "Judge". Now this is just someone's old-timey classic car that resembles Judge, and I'll have to say the protective awning covering the top half helps make this a good imitation. He gets so happy when he see's it though. He first asked if he would talk to him. I never stopped to get out and see it again after that first time so that we didn't lose the magic.
Our downtown now has a newly opened Police Museum. I just happened along their window one day and saw "Sheriff", and his left two lugnuts, right there in the window. Now this was more like the real deal folks. Even I sort of got that tingling sparkling feeling. I don't know if it's because i was so happy to see him or that I knew Oliver would absolutely flip. Either way that's evidence that I'm a totally loving mom right?! LOL.
We spent a saturday riding the lightrail train for oliver, only slightly self-concsious about the fact that what was a field trip to us was most likely just another unpleasant day of public transportation for others. Anyhow, we finally made it downtown to 1200 Travis to get a glimpse of Sheriff from the window. Turns out it was a museum that opened last week and when they saw us peering through the window they invited us in. First were the metal detectors, purse inspections, ID's and nametags of course, but then we had access! The best access in the whole world!

It was truly cool day that I wanted to share with you all. And like my title says, I am sorry for all the movie references. After 100 viewings of the movie it just slips right in there. The Dugat's also help cement this into the everyday things! :-)

Mothers Day - 365 days a year

I truly feel I get that sort of love and affection from both Evan and the kids year-round. Mothers day was terrific, but they do sweet things to "celebrate their love" (hee haw) all the time and we try to make each other feel special.

My dad has a few pics from our visit to Arlington. I'll be posting my own when I upload them from my camera. Those of you who follow my blog know that means when I have Kiran's july birthday pics up you might get to see these Mothers Day pics! ;-)

I had an unfortunate business trip to Philly last week where, one after another, things went wrong. Missed flight, they lost my briefcase, then they delivered my laptop WAY late, then I find it's cracked and will not be reimbursed for damage they caused, paid extra to get home a day early because I scheduled all wrong, and as I run down the landing strip with briefcase and pizza in hand I spill oil and grease all over my nice banana repub pants. I won't even go into detail about the 2-hour long breakfast seminar I presented at, nor the one the day before that I missed entirely.
Well, with all the anguish and misery going on, I headed back to my marriott on day 3 to find an amazing bouquet of flowers on the desk. I opened the card, knowing immediately that Evan had picked these out for me and had them delivered to cheer me up. They were called the "ZEN bouquet" and it was pretty much my therapy for the rest of my stay. Before I lost it and cried more, I called and got to talk to all of them. It was our 3rd wedding anniversary and though I was away I think I really got to celebrate instead of waiting until I got home. It was thoughtful - love that man!

Okay, for those who only care about pictures of dimples and beaming smiles, right along with grimaces and smirks from my kids, I present you with: