Call of the Wild

This summer was filled with all kinds of run-ins with nature.


Riding a pony at a birthday party....

Carter did not think he was well suited to the cowboy life...so he opted out.

Sharing their graham crackers with the turtles and fish at the Arboretum.

Big frog on the deck...

After a big rain my three adventurers went snail hunting...

Huge, creepy beetle we found on our walk...

Harmless but unwelcome snake in our backyard....

I'm so glad we don't live on a greenbelt.  I would not be able to handle anything more than this stuff.

Room Updates

I promised more pictures of the boys room once it was decorated.  I haven't really added much though.  I suffer from accessorization paralysis.  I can pick the large pieces of furniture, but have no idea how to finish a room.  So frustrating!! 

Anyway, we are really trying to instill a sense of teamwork and brotherhood in our group of little men.  So, we put this quote up on the wall...*cue Bryan Adams*

I would love to find some more Three Musketeers decor, but it's not easy to find with the exception of the 1993 movie poster with Charlie Sheen, Kiefer Sutherland and Chris O'Donnell...not winning. 

Freebird

The boys are getting old enough to play outside in the back yard without too much supervision.  They will come and go (usually leaving the door wide open) to go the bathroom, bring me a flower, or tell me how they found a rock.

So, one day they are all out there while I am doing laundry inside.  Davis comes in and says "Mommy, a bird flew into the backyard and it let us give him nice pats."

"Oh really? That's nice.    Wait.     What???"  In my mind all I can think is, "Rabid bat, rabid bat, holy crap, rabid bat!!!!"

So, Davis runs back outside with me chasing behind him, and I immediately see Carter and Evan nose to nose with a bird so big I thought it was a chicken!  It was sitting on the window sill that is right above their sand table. 

Although relieved that is wasn't a rabid bat, I wasn't about to go over there. So I called to the kids to come inside. I then made them wash their hands and tell me what happened because certainly this bird didn't just let 3 kids touch it and then decide to stick around.  

But yep, they all said they "gave it nice gentle pats".  I then proceeded to call Texas Parks and Wildlife (useless), Animal Control (also useless) and their pediatrician who assured me that birds do not carry rabies (quite helpful actually).

After the rabies panic went away.  I decided to take some pictures of this bird. 

I decided it was a pigeon or a dove.  So, I googled it and found a lady nearby that races/releases white pigeons.   The conversation went something like this...

ring.ring

Pigeon Lady:  "Hi, this is Becky"

Me:  "Hi, are you the pigeon lady?"

Pigeon Lady: "Hahahahah, did you just call me a Pigeon Lady???  Yes that's me!"

Me:  This lady is nuts and I have insulted her now.

Anyway, she agreed that it did sound like a racing/release pigeon.  Although she thought it was really weird that it let kids touch it (great).  She suggested I go out and see if it had it bands on its legs (um, no thanks).  

Then she suggested if it is still there this evening to go out and "pick it up and call the phone number on the band if it has one since they are more docile at night" (blink.blink.speechless.). 


Lucklily, it flew off about an hour later!   When I blew up one of the pictures, I could tell there were some bands which I guess makes me feel better.  

But now I am left to ponder what all this means.   So intense...I should have made a video of me freaking out like the Double Rainbow guy.

Random Summer Photos

Guess Who

Answer:  E, C, D (but I had another picture to cheat off of).  This is what 3 little guys have to do to stay warm after bath time when there is only 1 of me :(

Happy to be Brothers

Hangin' with Cousin Randall

Computer Nerds

Evan would do this all day if I let him.   Maisie would lay on my bed all day too.  And yes, my mother did raise me to make my bed, but I don't have to listen to her anymore :)

Little Swimmers

This summer while Evan was at his camp, I signed Carter and Davis for swimming lessons.  Here's a picture from their first day.  Not sure how much they actually learned, but they loved every minute of it.  Next year we are going to get Carter a spray-on tan beforehand so he doesn't blind the other swimmers.

I'm on a Boat Y'all

On a whim we rented a boat and took the boys for a little cruise. 

I think they were most impressed with the spray fans I bought them. 

The second best thing was chucking watermelon rinds into the water.  It was too cool and windy that day to swim.  But next summer we plan to do this a lot more.

Movie Time!

The boys are loving their new Lightening McQueen sleeping bags. Staying in our pj's and watching movies in the afternoon is one of my favorite things!   Honestly, anything that allows me to stay in my pjs is a "favorite thing".

Boys, pay attention.  This part is important.  Maisie, stop staring down their snacks. 

Seriously, Maisie, if you eat their snacks you will be re-homed!