Homecoming- Junior Year

The boy, or maybe I should start calling him the young man, had homecoming tonight.  There is a story about buying the suit that I will save for another day.

But here he is all cleaned up and ready to go.

He is Lukas' running mate when Lukas (Falco) runs for EU President or Prime Minister of Austria.

He took Y to homecoming.  Y is one of the local Guatemalan adoptees.  They reconnected this year and he asked her to go.  We have not seen her for 3 years or so.  Come to find out she swims on a team with a few of the boy's friends.  It is a club team, not a school team, so we have never gone to a meet.

Y and her mom T who is also a single mom.  She is raising a lovely young woman.

The kids wanted to have Tortilleria Garcia for dinner, so off we went to Northside for dinner  The plan was for them to meet up with friends, and mam and I would get dinner at the same place, but walk 2 doors down for adult beverages with another momma.

The kids are set for dinner and have space for their friends to arrive. Off mam and I go to Brinks Brewing.

My dinner (mam had tacos and a diet coke).  I only drank 1.5 of the beers in this flight.  the pink one and the darker one next to it.

The others were either YUCK or just not as good as the other 2.

Me and the boy.  His dress shoes and puffy hair make him look taller, but he is still a half inch shorter than me.

After dinner, I took the 4 kids to a friend's house for pictures.  this is the group of kids going to homecoming.  

The lovely young ladies

The handsome young men

Showing off their modeling skills.  The boys still has it from modeling in the backyard at Mireya's house.

I picked the boy and his date up at 10:30 from the dance.  Apparently the dance was not too good because the music was bad.   The kids then went to another friends house for an "after party hang out" for an hour.

I think overall they had a good time.   Can't believe these kids are juniors already.

Love and hugs

 

New Year- catching up already

Christmas break was just what I needed.  I tried to keep it low key so that I could rest and have time to stay focused.  Overall the weather was great and the kids could get outside regularly through the break.  I did not take as many pictures this holiday as I usually do- something to do with sis always wanting to be in every picture and/or wanting a picture of every movement she made.  I know it seems harsh, but I just wanted to take a break of where she is the center of everything.  Huge struggle for her because she definitely sees herself in competition for attention if there is anyone else around.

 

As seen here- I was talking to Aidan and she demanded that I take a picture of her in the tree house.   Anything to draw attention away from whomever or whatever has my attention at the time.

Like I would forget her in the moments I am not interacting with her.

Me on the hike.  

Tons of woods, less than a mile from our house.  I forgot how pretty this area is.  I think we will be going regularly just to get out of the house and to be as a family- just a quick hike in the woods for about an hour.

The kids at the playground

Me, the dog (can't forget to take him too), and the boy at the park

A few days later, I went walking with my friend while we had some momma time.  Just 2 hours of us getting some lunch and then a walk.  You can see the cardinal on the branch (second from the bottom)- that bird was fearless

The squirrels were every where and quite comfortable walking up to me and E.  I think if Pablo was there, they would have been running in fear from the dog.

On the 30th, Rocket and I went to the symphony to see Harry Potter and the chamber of secrets.   The symphony played all the music live while the movie was playing.  The concert hall had all the house banners hanging up.

Rocket and I decided we are in Gryffyndor.

Us in our house scarves.   Sis does not like Harry Potter so she stayed home.

And Jason and Sarah joined us for the concert.  So much fun!!!

New Year's eve party spread- just me and the kids.   Sis thought everyone was coming over despite me telling her it was just our family for the party.  She also was not happy that it was just us.   She and Rocket stayed up until Midnight and enjoyed the fireworks set off by our neighbors.  But she should have gone to bed much earlier- she can not handle being up later like this and it showed in the coming days.

New Year's Day, we went walking at another park.  Because it had been raining for a few days, the lake was flooded.  The ducks are swimming where we usually walk.  there is a walkway about 3 feet below this water that is usually high and dry. 

This sign is usually 2-3 feet up the bank from the water's edge!!!

Walking the bridge.  My friend L came with us on the walk.   Sis was not happy and is just in front of L.  She was mad because she wanted to walk the dog, but the dog was having no part of walking with her- Pablo is very leery of sis since she tends to play too rough and ends up hurting him.

This is what a 13 year looks like when he plays 2 full soccer games on a Saturday night (they won both games)- he was out before 9 pm.  I did not have heart to wake him up to send him to bed, so he slept on the couch until I went to bed at 11 pm.

 

Sis and I spent the night (last night) at the emergency room.  Rocket stayed up at home, so all of us are now running on 5 hours of sleep today.  I think it is going to be an early night for all of us.

 

the few pictures from Christmas Eve will be posted tomorrow.

 

Love and hugs,

Deb

the week that school starts!!!!!

counting the week as Saturday to Thursday.   Saturday night, we went to the party in the park thrown by Rocket's orthodontist.  The doctor provides movies in the park throughout the summer and as part of the event, she is then allowed to host a party for all her current and former patients.  Rocket talked to one of his scouting buddies and K got her arm painted.  Of course, it got washed off later that evening when she took her shower.

Monday, we headed to the zoo.  As we were walking in, the rains came in.  Good thing I was looking at the weather and we packed our rain coats.   We had a great time.  I gave the kids the option to pick their favorite animal to see and we made sure to see those animals.  Sis wanted to see the polar bears- they were sleeping, so no pictures.  Rocket wanted to see the big cats (lion, tigers, jaguars, etc.  We saw them, but they were in the dark (simulating night time in the cat house, so no pictures.  I wanted to see Fiona (the baby hippo born Jan 2017).  So as we walked, we saw the Rhinos

 

the bird house (escaping the pouring rain).

Fiona and her momma.   Nose to tail.  they were swimming in circles the entire time we watch them.   usually to see Fiona you stand in a long line and there are people packed up against the windows.  thanks to the rain, we walked right up to see them and we were not in anyone's way - well except for Sis who has no concept of taking turns and walked right in front of people taking pictures as she followed Fiona and Bibi as they swam.  that girl needs to be more aware of people around her and what impact her actions have on others.

Rocket's arm span is as long as tiger!!!!

Sis is getting there.

Tuesday we went to the library to make things in the Maker Space.  I made ornaments.  Sis made some things for her family and some stickers and Rocket made a Neymar pendant on the 3D printer.

I made tacos in peppers that night for dinner.  It was YUMMY.  this is coming to our table on a regular basis now.

Wednesday, I took the kids to the pool for some swimming.  We shared the pool with lots of retirees.  Clearly we are one of the last schools to go back.  The kids swam for 2 hours, with some jumping off the diving board included, I swam for a hour and then read my book by the pool. 

so tired!!!

Today the kids started school.  So 7 am pictures.  the bus now comes 20 minutes earlier then previous years so it changes our schedule a bit.  Rocket is off to his last year at his school and sis is starting 6th grade.

 

 

Tomorrow, we start having the kids next door over in the morning and 3 afternoons a week (not sure what days for the afternoon).  it is going to be an adventure.

 

love and hugs,

Deb