A Round of Applause

During our trips to Texas and Arkansas, Austin learned how to clap his hands. It was very out of the blue. It wasn't like we were working on it or anything. He just woke up one morning and thought, "I wonder what happens when I bang my hands together". It was a slow progression - he started out with his right hand stationary and his left hand doing all the work. By the end of the week, his right hand finally got in on the action and there was some serious clapping going on. Here's a sample of his "handy" work:

Texas Trip - Mexican Food at Chuy's

Whenever we travel back to Texas, there are two must do's: eat Mexican food and eat a Whataburger. We met Brent's Dad, sisters, Amie and Kacie, and their husbands, Chad and Jon-Paul for dinner at Chuy's. I first discovered Chuy's in Austin, and Arlington recently got one of their own. Knowing that is almost enough to get me to move back there. To say the food was great just isn't doing it justice! Oh Tex-Mex, how I miss you.




We had lots of fun catching up with everyone.

Arkansas Trip - House in the Woods

A little over a year ago, Maud and George "retired" to Fairfield Bay, AR where they built a little house in the woods with a BIG "screened-in" porch. I use the quotes because the screens are behind functioning vinyl windows, so the porch can be enjoyed in the winter months. It will also serve as a greenhouse as it gets colder. The porch is large enough for a patio table that seats six, a sitting area with two gliders and 2 patio chairs, and a potting table with enough room in between to ride a tricycle! We spent a lot of time on the porch eating meals, doing arts and crafts and just hanging out.




The area around the house reminds me a little of North Carolina (tall trees and greenery) and a little of Girl Scout Camp (natural areas and walking paths), but with much better amenities!

Arkansas Trip - Boating on Greer's Ferry Lake

Our first day in Arkansas, we went boating on Greer's Ferry Lake. Grammie and Papa rented a pontoon boat and we spent a few hours puttering around the lake. We enjoyed a picnic lunch on board.



Both Brenna and Austin got their turns at the wheel. Fortunately, traffic on the lake was very light that day!



Brenna saved some of her sandwich bread for the catfish back at the dock. She loved seeing all those fish jockeying for position and battling over the bread.

The AFS 2009

One of MY favorite parts of the trip to Texas and Arkansas was using the AFS 2009 (Austin Feeding System 2009). Everyone pitched in to give Austin his bottles and feed him cereal and applesauce. It was wonderful to have all those extra hands and arms around to help. And thanks to Mimi, Grammie and Peg, Austin no longer wears pink bibs when eating. Thanks!

Texas Trip - Time with Nana, Grandad & Scott

We enjoyed our time with my Texas parents, aka Nana and Grandad, and my brother, Scott. Austin was a big hit. This was the first time they'd seen him in person.



We went to the Bedford Boys Ranch Splash park. Both kids enjoyed the water features.



We took a trip to Downtown Fort Worth to visit the Cowgirl Hall of Fame. They had a childrens' play area where Brenna had a blast play shopping.



One of the most exciting things for Brenna was riding in Grandad's shiny blue Corvette. Brenna and I took it on an errand and to Starbucks. Then Grandad took her for a ride with the top down. She loved being able to ride in the front seat like a big girl.

Texas Trip - Day with Mimi, Amie & Kass

We started our first day in Texas with a photo session at Kiddie Kandids. As you saw from an earlier post, we got some great shots of Austin, and we also got these of the cousins together. It was quite the challenge to get all three kids looking at the camera at the same time.



Next we went to Incredible Pizza and feasted on a pizza buffet. The girls had a blast playing video games and riding the bumper cars.





When it's hot in Texas, the best thing to do is hit the pool. Lucky for us, Mimi has a pool in her backyard. This was Austin's first time in a big pool. He loved splashing and floating around. Brenna enjoyed jumping in the pool over and over again. After swimming, it was baths for everyone. Austin found himself wrapped up in a lavender colored towel. If Brent had been there, that wouldn't have happened!

6 Month Photos

While visiting family in Texas, we got Austin's 6 month pictures made. Here are a few from the session.

Go Horns!

What can I say, the ladies love me!

This is my serious side.

Pool Splashin'

The sun was out today and the temps were only in the low 90's, so Brenna, Austin and I decided it would be a lovely day to splash in the turtle. Despite the water being a tad cool, Austin and Brenna had a blast splashing in the water and playing with cups.

"Who's a big boy sitting up in the pool? Yeah, it's me!"

Brenna is very aware that Austin is still pretty wobbly when sitting up, so she put her legs on either side of him to prevent him from tumbling over. It's nice to have a little back up in the safety department. Of course I was sitting in the splash zone ready to give him a little nudge if he started to topple over.

"Hey, sis, is this the nob that turns on the water? I think we need more.
Mom's way too safety conscious. I like to live on the edge!"

High Chair Entertainment System

There are times when the anticipation of food is just too much for Austin, and he needs a little distraction. Most of the time Brenna serves quite well in this capacity, but a girl does need a break every now and then. Thankfully, we received this wonderful toy from our family friends, Peg and Steve. It's a caterpillar that sits on a brown "branch" that straps to anything you can fit the Velcro straps around. It was advertised for use on strollers, but we find that it works very well on a high chair.

At first Austin was enthralled by the bumble bee with crinkly wings. He spent lots of time spinning the bee around (it makes an awesome clicking sound) and trying to get the wings in his mouth.
Recently he has discovered the lid on the snack holder and has been opening and closing it with what I think is genius skill. He hasn't quite figured out who the baby in the mirror is, but he sure smiles a lot.

There is also music involved. When you push the leaves on the left side of the brown "branch", some delightful tunes will play. I'm not sure what the developers at Sassy will come up with next, but I'm sure appreciative of this invention.