Brazos Bend State Park

 Friday Grampa Karl was coming and everyone was so excited.  We had a fun weekend planned.  His flight was a red eye scheduled for a 12:30 am departure and arriving at 5:30 am in Houston.  Chad was going to pick him up.  Now with the 2 hour difference between Vegas and Houston, midnight in Vegas is really late (or really early) in Houston and the last thing I remember is a text saying he was at the airport and his flight was delayed.  The next thing I was aware of was Chad standing by my bed showing me a text on his phone.  Flight CANCELLED!!! Thank you Spirit airlines.  We tried to figure out other flights to get  Grampa Karl to Houston but nothing worked.  No Grampa this trip.   We were all so disappointed...But the fun must go on with or without Grampa Karl. 

One thing I really appreciate and admire about Chad is that when it comes to family fun nothing is too much work or too inconvenient.  He has the time, energy and engineering skill to make it happen...even when he's worked all day and is exhausted. So loading up five bike on a minivan and driving an hour for a bike ride is worth it.

So he did and we went to Brazos Bend State Park. An amazing network of  trails..and water filled with alligators.

So off we rode 3 adult, 2 beginner bikers and Ben in a bike seat.

 Minute in the the ride we came to short but kind of steep downhill.

Moments before the crash.

Little Lucia passed me just as we came to the hill.  I kept saying  "Lucia use your brakes" as she was gaining speed and going too fast. As her little legs flew off the  pedals I realized she didn't know how to use her brakes.  Her front tire must must have hit a rock or a rut and her handle bar suddenly twisted to one side and she flew off right on her head/face.  It was scary to see.  I tossed my bike and ran up.  Janet saw it happen right to the side of her.  She just about tossed her bike in a bush but then she remember she had Ben on the back of her bike and had to find a stable place bike lean her bike.

It was unnerving to carefully inspect this poor little creature to figure out where the blood was coming from.

No obvious gashes on her face...teeth seem to be all there (as she's screaming her mouth is wide open)

Injuries seem to be confined to some cuts in her mouth.  

Now what to do?

 Lucia needed some ice for her cut mouth and some love.  And continuing to ride her little bike was out of the question.   Do we cut the bike ride short...before it even got really started? 

Chad decided to go back to the car with Lucia and Ben and sent us on our way.  We took a short little trail around a pond and went back to the car to check on Lucia.   She was doing much better but not ready to hope back on her bike so Chad said he would drive to the interpretive center and  meet us there.  That would give us a nice bike ride.   So off we went again

 

  '

There's a gator in that greenery.

 And another.

 And another.

 And another

 And this one was looking right at us with his mouth open.

We moved on quickly.

  Then there was this one under this deck.  It looks quite a ways down but it wasn't.  This guy's snout was 18 inch under our feet.  That was a bit unnerving.

Interestingly the park info says stay 30 feet away from  the gators.   Okay...but some these guys were just 10 feet off the trail.  What were we to do...turn away and go back?   So we just biked on by...after we snapped a few photos.

 We met Chad at the Interpretive Center (it was closed) 

 and decided to walk to the Observatory.

 This point Lucia was pretty happy.

Can you see them.  There's about five in this photo.

 We spotted a few baby gators along the way.

 

Playing up on top of the observatory.

Heading back.  It's getting late and everyone is hungry.

Pollo Tropical for dinner.

The Many Days of Easter

Friday 

 (No School!!!)

  Janet's gym hosted an Easter egg hunt around their outdoor track.

 I've never seen so many plastic eggs!

 These pictures were taken after the masses of children had all gotten their allot ten eggs.

 

 

 

 Lucia found a prize egg.  

Ben got one also. (He was hunting in the under 5 area.)

 Lucia with her prize basket and a snow cone.

 

 Janet's attempted photo with the Easter Bunny

 The bounce house obstacle course

...a favorite.

 

 Saturday

Coloring Easter Eggs

 

 

 Sunday Morning

 

Inspecting the Easter Basket loot

 .

Egg Hunt in the yard.

 

 This hunt was fast and furious.

 

 Checking out the prizes in the eggs

 This one came with a little friend.

A Fireman's Birthday

By the time I got to Houston Violet and Lucia's Spring Break was over, so they there back in school and Chad was back at work.So Janet and I busied ourselves with cleaning, organizing and
 getting ready for Ben's birthday party!

Tuesday we headed over to the Seabrook fire station to see if there might be a chance they would let 5 little 3 year olds come and climb on a fire truck for part of Benicio's birthday party the next day and also  hoping to get a few photos of  Ben in his fireman regalia. 

They were so nice!  

 They let Ben wander around and climb on whatever he wanted.

 

Then as we were leaving an policeman that was at the fire station came out to the parking lot with us.  He got down on Ben's level and just chatted with us for about 10 minutes.

And yes... they were more then happy to have 5 three years come to the station for part of the party.

Violet helped me make cupcakes and then right before bedtime (as a reward for getting ready for bed promptly) they all got to help frost them and then eat one.

 Wednesday morning was Benicio's Party.

While kids and moms met at the Fire Station I stayed at the house and pulled together a few last minute details and laid out the food.

For the games we helped the boys do a little fireman relay.
(these were 3 year olds...it was more like herding cats)

 First they drove the fire truck around a track marked on the patio.

 Next the filled up a squirt gun with water and sprayed it on the fire.

 And finally they climbed up a ladder and rescued a cat stuck in a tree.
After they ate pizza and other yummy food

It was time for the Pinata.
Party done!
 Success!

Welcoming Baby Landon

When Amy booked my ticket to Dallas to watch the little people she said " we booked you on United, not Spirit, because we love you that much".  Made me laugh

... but after all our Spirit issues...I really had a slight sense of relief :)

I arrived in Dallas Monday, March 14th. 

First item of business

Lunch at  Mexican Grill- n- Chill

Presley's pick it because she like the monster on the door.

 Jeff's picked it because it's good.

After lunch we went to check out how their new house was coming along.

Jeff jokes they paid extra for the upgraded stair railing.

Tuesday March 15th Jeff and Amy left early in the morning for a scheduled C-section to bring their new little son into the world.

 Without mom and dad home we kept busy with puzzles, Easter egg hunts, walks to the park and playing school on the trampoline, which always digressed to chase and crack the egg.

'

But the favorite activity was having tea parties for breakfast

complete with proper etiquette, i.e. extending our pinkie finger when sipping our milk,  dabbing the corners of our mouth with a napkin and using a really lame British accent.

Wednesday we got go to the hospital to see mom

 and finally meet new little brother, Landon.

The first family photo.  

Their lame photographer didn't even notice Presley's wardrobe malfunction...but it was the moment.

 Presley's swimming lessons.

I also took Presley to her preschool twice.  One morning I looked at the time microwave, confused and thinking the time hadn't been changed for Daylight Savings Time (it was the bedroom clock that was still on standard time).  I hurried and got the kids ready and we rushed out the door.   At the school we patiently wait in the drop off line.  A momentarily confused teacher, not knowing who I was and why I didn't have a number on my windshield, spotted Presley in the back seat and kindly informed me I was an hour early and this was the pick up line for the previous session.   Oh well...it gave us just enough time to run to TJ Maxx and pick out a couple little gifts from the girls to welcome little Landon home.  And we found little E a princess nightgown...since she insisted on wearing Presley's and that proved to be a tripping hazard.

Presley slept on a little "blow up" bed in Emersyn's room while I was there.  Now Emersyn insisted on "sleeping" with Presley on her little bed...which usually resulted in playing, teasing and an unhappy Emersyn being put back in her crib...which resulted in a Gramma or Daddy staying in their room and rocking a certain little person until she finally fell asleep.

 Friday mom and little brother finally came home from the hospital.

 to a couple of very happy little girls.

Presenting Landon Jeffrey Tobler

Early Sunday morning I left the Jeff and Amy Family and rode the Mega-bus to Houston to spend some more time with the Chad and Janet Family there.