My Audrey

My little girl is nothing like me. Yesterday, we lost a snake in our house. Yes, we have snakes, five of them. They're quite small, they're called Ball Pythons, and Neal thinks they're very cool. The funny thing is, that Audrey thinks they're just as cool. Not only has she handled our other lovely pet, the tarantula, Charlotte, but yesterday, she rescued the lost snake.

I walked into my closet, where the snakes each live in their own spacious rubbermaid box, and Neal was in there tending to them. "Two of the snakes are out," he said cautiously. "Oh great," I said, looking immediately at the floor all around where I'm standing. "They're in here somewhere," Neal replied and started picking things up looking for the snakes. "Found one!" A small sigh of relief from me. "I'm going to get Audrey to help us," I said, "she would love this."

So in Audrey comes, and starts looking in the smaller places. Neal suddenly gets the idea that the snake is under our dresser, so he lifts up one end and Audrey and I peek underneath. "I see it!" said Audrey. So Audrey, being the little person she is, climbs behind the dresser, talking to the precious little snake, saying, "Awww, come on little snake, it's okay, I got you," in her sweetest little voice. She picked up the snake and gave it a little nuzzle and handed it to her daddy. How many little girls do you know that would do that? I know I would have been squealing and running away at that age like, well, a little girl!

So where did this girl come from? Neal and I have asked ourselves that since the day she was born. Her personality is far stronger than both of ours put together, and we like it like that. She's definitely her own person, not a follower and definitely not your typical almost-5-year-old girl. She's about to start soccer this week and she's the only girl on her team. Does she care? Not a bit. She can't wait to get out there and run through the mud with her new cleats. Plus, she got a dark pink soccer ball.

Quotes of the Day III

Parker really wants to get this movie, "Return to Neverland" from Netflix. Unfortunately, it's unavailable. This was our conversation about it:

Me: Parker, they don't have it on Netflix, I'm not sure why!
Parker: But I want to watch it! It has Peter Pan! I'm going to check Ebay.

Audrey was telling me about her friends on the playground at school today:

Audrey: Emily and I were being unicorns, but Rian (her best friend) didn't want to. She wanted to be a "brat."
Me, knowing how horrible those Bratz dolls are: What's a brat?
Audrey: It's a girl that's a rock star.

Happy Sunday!

Here is our ever so beautiful Houston Texas Temple.

I hope you all had a peaceful and happy Sunday.

More weird kids

Elliott's comment reminded me of this picture: Elliott, Matthew and me, back in the day. Hmm, who is the weirdest one? Love you Matthew!

These guys

Yes, I have weird kids. But they are happy and weird and they have lots of fun together. These are costumes we have on hand for when they want to be animals. Parker is a "zweebra" and Audrey, well, you can guess, a "rainbow flying unicorn," only the coolest fantasy creature ever.) Also note our fabulous antique harp. Whenever any kids ask about it, Audrey is quick to tell them, "It belonged to my mom's grandma. We can't play it." Thanks Grammy!

My Best Student

So I started teaching piano lessons to a boy here in the neighborhood. He's only five and I think it's going to be a long process, but he's learning a little bit!  Audrey has really taken to the piano lately, too. She feels so proud that she can sit down and play "Mary Had a Little Lamb" and "Jingle Bells." Of course, we're trying to think of more songs you can play with only 5 notes (please suggest any if you can!). Anyway, here she is playing happily one evening.

Happy Valentine's Day to all of you! I hope your day is as romantic as this!

If only . . .

If only I wasn't allergic to cats, Audrey would be a very happy girl. Here she is reading books to her friend's cat, Koda the other day. This is pretty much Audrey's dream come true: wearing a completely dark teal outfit (her favorite color), reading books she's never seen to a cat who's laying on her lap. Forget the fact that she's not even playing with her friend; new books? Nothing better.

The Kids' Mizeum

Here are some pictures of our recent trip to the Children's Museum. Apparently ours is Number 2 in the country, second only to the incredibly larger and much more fun Indianapolis Children's Museum. That place is so very fun, just ask the Parkers, who are lucky enough to be members. Anyway, ours is quite fun, too, as you can see below!

They have an incubator with eggs and some of them hatched! Here is Audrey with the chicks.

Parker milking a cow. He said "Mommy! It really goes teetee!" Milk, teetee, whatever.

Audrey, Parker, and their friend Jayden, who gets us in free!

Parker buying orange juice, or "budgnk," his favorite food, at the pretend grocery store inside. The kids can be the checkout person or shop for all sorts of foods.

Haircuts!

I have to apologize to my mom for once again cutting Parker's golden hair, but sometimes it's just got to be done. It was quite shaggy and crazy, now he looks very cleaned up and handsome, and it's easier access to the earloobs.


Audrey had a trim, too, and a few layers added in the back, just so the curl can "bounce." She looks fabulous! Neal found the video game section at Cool Cuts quite entertaining. This is why we don't own a video game system and I'm going to hold out on buying one as long as possible. 

Pretty Bird

This little cardinal lives in our tree. While Parker and I were eating lunch yesterday, our little friend was singing us beautiful little songs so we went outside to find him.

I was trying to show him to Parker, but Parker's grey eyes can't handle much sunshine, so I popped my huge sunglasses on him. Silly boy.:)

Mon restaurant favorit!

There is a place here in town, a place filled with the smells of baguettes, roasted chickens and coffee. There are people sitting and talking to each other, sometimes for hours, and it is one of my favorite places to go. La Madeleine is a French bakery cafe with several locations around the south (and in Phoenix, hurrah Courts!). Their food is divine, the service marvelous, and the atmosphere is so very French. This morning Parker and I went for a little treat that Audrey and I used to take advantage of about twice a week before Parker was born: pain au chocolat and freshly squeezed orange juice. Audrey used to eat a whole chocolate croissant herself with no trouble when she was only two. And I let her, of course; I'm training her well. When I worked at the Gap a few years ago (to get discounts on maternity and baby clothes), I would go next door on my lunch breaks and partake of their heavenly Tomato Basil soup and free bread and jam. Yes, free French bread, as much as you want. This place rules.

If you've ever been to France, you know what heaven pain au chocolat can be. I remember when we went to pick up Elliott, and the nice hotels we stayed in would leave a basket of pastries in your room, and on arrival, it was a race to the basket between me and Stephanie for the 2 or 3 pains au chocolat scattered among the other goodies. I can safely say we each ate at least 2 a day, and were no worse for the wear, what with all the walking we did. It's not easy to find good pain au chocolat, but if you come to Texas, I will take you to the place where they are just as good as any patisserie in Paris.

Parker and I also picked up a baguette, and we ate at least one-fourth of it between the restaurant and Gymboree. And then we had this for lunch. Yum.

Saturday was a special day,

It's the day we did lots of yard work!

We weeded the yard and we planted some seeds

So we can have a beautiful gar-den!

Look at these delicious tomatoes our garden produced!

We turned them into bruschetta this afternoon.

Our kids are such good little workers, even in pajamas. They hate to get dressed.

We got lots of yardwork done on Saturday, and we have more to do this Saturday, of course. Pretty soon we're going to redo our front yard (it's very boring), but it hasn't been the season for replanting since we've been here. Neal and his mom used to work in the yard together, and I think he learned so much that way. She always had great intentions of having a wonderful kitchen garden, but there were always gophers pulling the plants under and people to take care of, so her garden never was quite what she wanted. When I first met Neal, I couldn't believe that he knew the name of every tree and flower we would see. I was so impressed. His knowledge will one day yield us an incredible yard, something like this:

But for now, we are proud of what we have and the plans Neal keeps concocting. Audrey and Parker love to help; on Saturday, they put rocks all around the border of the garden plot while I weeded the yard and Neal planted lettuce and broccoli! Yay for gardens and husbands who know what they're doing!

My Friend Natalie!

Today is my best friend Natalie's birthday. I'm so lucky to have a friend like her. It's amazing how similar we are and how well we get along. We already have trips to London planned for when we're 40-somethings! We have a great time together, even when the miles separate us, which they soon will. She's moving away this summer for another adventure with her husband and kids, and I wish her the best and I know she'll make a good life for her family where ever she goes. Happy Birthday Natalie!!

Creeks and Alligators

Parker putting clam shells in his pocket.


We had a little picnic at a nearby park the other day. A large creek runs through the park, and, as with most creeks in this area, there are signs all over the place that say "Beware of Alligators." Ok. Neal says they're pretty dormant this time of year, thankfully. But there is also a danger-free waterway at this park for the kids to wade around in. Audrey and Parker found lots of little clam-like animals, tadpoles, and much to my disgust, a few leeches, too. No harm done, though. They had a great time. It's the kind of place you know you would have loved as a kid, so it's awfully hard to make them leave, but after 3 hours, the time had come. Just another gorgeous Texas winter day. Please remind me how lovely the winters are here when I'm complaining of the deathly heat this summer. Thanks.