T-Ball Time

So, Josh is playing T-Ball this year for the first time.  After a rather inauspicious start to the season (i.e. we got our roster Monday, had a rainy 30 minute practice Wednesday and had our first game Saturday) we are now rolling.

As with most things Josh does, he is going full boar into this one as well.  We bought a tee and some balls and just about every night we go out and hit balls and field balls and throw balls and then fish them out of the rain gutters on the street. 

Here are a few pics of Josh's first game.

Josh trying to avoid getting a picture taken in his cute uniform!  He's #1!

Josh and his buddy Allen wait for the game to start.

The whole team.

Josh's first at-bat.

Oops.  We'll work on avoiding the tee when we run to first.  He was still safe.

Josh started out at pitcher.  Very exciting as most balls went to him.

We will also keep working on which foot to step with!  But I think he got at least 1 out!

Rodeo Time!

So, it is time again for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo (http://www.hlsr.com/ if you are so inclined to visit).

You may remember a few weeks ago when I posted the Go Texan Day pictures and talked about the trailrides and rodeo.  Well it is in full swing (still) and we went for our annual visit.  Kiki and Owen came in town for spring break and all the kids wanted to go so we took our big group for a close encounter with the animals!

Indoors is the Livestock Show.  They have a great kids area where the kiddos can see animals up close, pet them, feed them and learn all about their life cycle.  There is even a birthing center (ick!), a milking parlor (yum!) and lots of info on how animals provide or become our food (double ick!).  All in all, it is a good time with some learning thrown in. 

My family, however, doesn't just stick to the main venues, we like to go visit the FFA kids with their show animals and get a closer look.  We got lucky because it was longhorn day so we got to see tons of huge horns.  What boy doesn't love that!?!  The kids and their parents are so nice and let you pet them and take pictures with them.  It is fun.

Then after a yummy lunch that can only be described as a heart attack on a stick (or bun - your choice!) we headed outdoors to the carnival.  My kids 'real' favorite place at the rodeo.  Tons of pics follow!

Jill has an immense fascination with all animals.  And no fear.

Josh found a buddy.  This guy truly loved pecking at Josh's finger.  He paced back and forth and just tried to get to Josh.

One of the many longhorns we saw.

 

Jill loved the petting zoo.  Here she checks out a sleeping goat.

 

Here she checks out the chickens.

 

For $2 you can buy feed.  Jill feeds hers to a deer.

 

And a goat.

And a sheep.

And another goat.

And a llama.

And a baby goat (he wasn't sure what it was).

And another goat.  Needless to say she was a big hit with the animals.  I am sure it was a combo of the food and small stature making her an easy mark!

If you make it out to the rodeo be sure not to miss the Footsie Wootsie.  Much cheaper than a carnival ride and at least as fun.  We must have done the dang thing 10 times!

 

Owen does the bungee jump at the carnival.

 

Josh Jumps.

Jake jumps super high.  We couldn't talk any of them into flipping.

 

Jake and Jill on the pirate ship ride.

 

Josh and Owen on the pirate ship ride.

Josh Loses a tooth!

So this sucker had been hanging on for at least 5 days.  Josh didn't want to pull it out because he was afraid it would hurt, so he let it hang.  It interfered with eating, talking, drinking, but he was not going to pull it.

Finally, today, his GranDeb convinced him to let her pull it out.  I don't know why but she LOVES to pull teeth with strings.  She has done almost all of Jake's!  This was Josh's first and he was nervous.  Now, of course, he is really happy!

If you look closely at this pic, you can see how much it has been hanging (she is not pulling yet).   Also, note the look of concern on his face.

The now toothless Josh!

Jill's Tricks

So Jill has acquired some new talents of late and I want to share them here.  Honestly, she has been doing them for probably 6 weeks or so, but I just now got them on film.  So, apologies, but these are stills taken from video.  Look, I only have so many hands!


So, a few months ago I posted a video of Jill jumping on the trampoline.  Well, she is still jumping, but now she gets air!  Here are pics...

And, if you know Jill, you know she LOVES to climb.  Anything and everything.  Nothing is unclimbable (just go with it).  And if you know our house, you know we have a huge swingset in the backyard.  Well, it was inevitable.  Here is Jill performing one of her favorite tricks.  Keep in mind she has been doing this for at least a month and probably closer to 2 months.  The kid is crazy.

Here are the videos of the above activities in case you want to see the whole thing.

Jill Portraits

Last November I had 1 year baby portraits taken for Jill.  Until now I had never really asked my photographer for permission to post any, but I finally remembered and I wanted to post this one so you could see how stinking cute Jill was.

And my photographer, Sarah Hays (who lives one street over!), was awesome!  Jill was not in a terrible mood, but not the best either.  I have no idea how she got so many smiles and cute looks.  It all looked cranky to me!

So, check out Jill's pic and then check out her site  http://www.onceandforever.com/ if you need a photographer!