Art at the Park

The Homeschool Art Show was a terrific success! We had a great time creating, exhibiting, buying and selling art today. A showed his butterfly photos and a few drawings, and little O presented his masterpiece collages. A loved that there were kids who wanted to buy his work, and he was excited to buy art made by his friends. Once we got home, though, the entrepreneurial wheels started to turn in his head. He realized that he could have turned a profit on some of the masterpieces he had purchased at bargain prices, if he would have only sold them to other kids at higher prices! Now I know that he doesn't just LOOK like his Dad!

Here are a few pics from the afternoon...


Making art out of stuff formerly known as "trash."


Working with pastels...


Blue skies...


A makes a patriotic alien...

Homeschool Art Show

This weekend, we are getting ready for an art show being put on by our homeschool group this Tuesday. Little O is making a collage out of odds and ends, glue and construction paper. He has been working on it a little at a time, for the last few days, and I will post a photo when he tells me that it is finished.

Astro A will be exhibiting some 8x10 photos that he has taken over the last few months. You may recognize some...

It's getting hot!!!

A few days in Southern California, and we are spoiled! We had our pre-school play date at the park this morning, and we couldn't hold out for more than an hour. We had fun feeding the ducks for the first 20 minutes or so, but when it came time to play on the unshaded playscape, we got hot! I'm thinking 7 a.m. may be the only time to play outside, if there isn't a pool or sprinkler involved. And Summer isn't even here yet!

Legoland California, 2006

Here are a few photos from our 3 full days of Lego fun...
























For more photos, check our flickr account on the links -->

counting cars

There seems to be a gene for lining cars and counting them, because both of our boys have displayed this behavior in the exact same way, at roughly the same age. They even developed the same "rules" for lining them up, which include facing them in the same direction and having them touch each other. I remember asking Astro A how the people were going to get in and out of their cars, being so close together, but he was sure, for reasons I never could get him to reveal, that this was the way it must be done. Now, without any outside influence (that I am aware of), little O is lining up hotwheels. I don't even try to get him to space them out. I am pretty sure I wouldn't have much success. :-)

Relay for Life

This weekend our family participated in the Atascosa County Relay for Life to benefit the American Cancer Society. Our Team raised over $4000, and the event raised over $70,000! (I don't know the exact numbers yet.) Astro A had so much fun, he is already planning to attend next year!

To all of you who donated, thank you so much for your generous support!

The people who have beaten cancer took the first lap, proudly wearing their purple survivors' shirts.


Families and friends honored those who have had cancer by lighting candles, which completely surrounded the track.


Little O and Astro A stand next to a candle lit in memory of my Mamaw, who died of cancer in 1998.


The stadium lights were turned off to let the candles shine, while the name of each person who was honored with a candle was read aloud.



A picture of Grumpa, ready with his camera.

Introducing Little O's new Cutie

One of our friends was so sweet to knit this doll for Little O. Notice the happy yellow color? A perfect choice! O calls it Cutie, and he snuggled it close last night. Thank you so much, Mary!

Our Front Yard

We found this brand new butterfly in our front yard yesterday. Astro A took some great pictures of it while it was still pumping fluid from its abdomen to its wings. We were so excited to be able to see this process out in the "wild."



Astro A shows off his balance...



Little O's turn...



He's not heavy; he's my brother!

Slinky, Slinky...

Little O discovers the "fun and wonderful toy." Does anyone else remember the Slinky commercial? I can only remember parts of the song, and it is really starting to bug me...

Great Minds Think Alike

Or maybe it was just a case of tired parents seeking refuge in a family friendly restaurant. We were delightfully surprised to run into our dear friends at one of our favorite restaurants this weekend. The kids ate and played. Parents caught up on the latest news. It was fun!