ready, set, READ!

first they sing their ABCs

then they learn to identify the letters

next comes the letter sounds

sounding out words and sight words come next

then you put it all together and READ!

Just had to brag on my Annabelle- she's reading now!  

The video is a little hard to hear but she read every word!!!

Austin

Our state capital made for the perfect "one-tank" trip.  We spent this Veteran's Day weekend in Austin, TX ( just over an hour away).  The most perfect weather allowed us a day out and about- first stop was the beautiful state capital building.  We toured the lawn-posing for pictures next to cannons, warriors, and cowboys of course!  We took the "dam tour" inside and all of us learned a thing or two about this great state.

looking up at the dome

Bowie Statue

Santa Ana Surrenders 

We then headed about 30 minutes out of town of Driftwood, TX.  The scenic drive through the hill country lead us to some of Texas' best BBQ- The Salt Lick Restaurant.  It's a happening place- live music, huge portions and even wine tasting of their very own vineyard. To say the least, it was good eating!    

After our meal we went back to town to Lady Bird Lake in the heart of the city.  Under the Congress Street bridge lives the world's largest urban bat colony in the world!!  Those bats were pretty amazing!  We saw 100 of thousands of bats and this is the off season- pretty cool even if you are not a bat enthusiast.  They come out right after sunset and man those little guys get right to work eating mosquitos and other insects from the lake.  There was a nice observation area for viewing as well as sunset bat cruises on the lake.  The bats bring in the crowds, at least 100 folks turned out along with Team Haines.  

Haines Boys 

They are small and hard to see
but those lil specks (or black cloud) are thousands of bats!!!!

We called it a night and went to the hotel for some R&R.  The next morning we were up and at Ikea right at opening.  We had a goal for the day- to get Samuel a big boy bed.  And even the most on target shoppers can get sidetracked and spend allllllll day at that place:)  We met our goal and found many other "must haves" including meatballs for AB.  She cleaned her plate and we cleaned our pocketbooks!  It was a fully loaded car ride home!  Memories made!  Happy Chickens!  Big boy bed!

Swedish Meatballs

Military Minute

In Honor Of Veteran's Day

Annabelle responses

Linley responses

What does Daddy do at work?

Protects the country and that's it.

Washes things and walks around with soldiers.

What is the Army?

It keeps us safe and works a LOT!

Daddy's work.

What do you know about the flag?

I see flags all around, and it has 50 stars.

Wind blows the flag.

Why do we celebrate Veteran's Day?

To celebrate the people in the Army and all the military.

I don't know.

Thank you to all who serve, have served and will serve!  God had blessed the USA and we are very proud to be American's!

*Daddy, Aunt Tordi, Grandpa Randy, Cousin Anthony, Great grandparents, Army Friends*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

How do you disguise Tom the Turkey so the hunter can't find him?

Stick him in ACUs of course!

Annabelle's kindergarten homework assignment

October Ends

Its daylight savings time again- October came to a warm and sunny end here in South Texas.  Fall is in full swing even if the cool weather isn't.  Here's what we've been up to...

BUC-EE's
We finally made a stop at Buc-ee's.  This is nothing other than a glorified gas station! Folks around here wear Buc-ee's shirts and hats- we even saw the beaver gear on our cruise.  We just had to see what all this was about.   It is huge, has tons on food, and yes the highway signs are correct-clean bathrooms.  We gassed up, toured the store, visited the giant stuffed beaver and used the facilities before checking out with our candy selections.  Not sure we'll ever be wearing the beaver gear but Linley can't wait to go back to buy more Skittles.

Grandma Came to Town
My Momma came to see us.  This was her first post-Lilly visit with my chickens. I think she was going a little crazy with the "activity" of my 3- I hate to inform her that my beautiful, sweet and often sleeping niece will be moving and grooving soon enough!  When Mom comes to town we spend a lot of time eating- new recipes are tested and taste approved- my mom is a terrific cook!!!! (but don't ever ask her to bake lol).  This short trip will have to tide us over until Christmas (more eating!!!!!).

Play Hard!
We have been doing some good old fashioned playing around here- imaginations run wild, pushing the boundaries at every turn and being creative.  Samuel does just fine keeping up with his sisters in the fun making.  It melts my heart that all 3 are engage in play together!

MOOing the lawn

Shaving cream fun

sensory sensation

 A Swimming Pool of Estrogen
Well its a GIRL!!!!  Mom went with me to the ultrasound appointment and got to see the 4th chicken kicking around in my tummy.  The baby looked great in there :) We found out that our swimming pool of estrogen is getting deeper!  Swimming lessons for all males are required before entrance to the pool.  No lifeguard on duty- swim at your own risk.  Still no name- but that comes as no surprise to any of us.  Our healthy little girl is 25 wks now- all is going well!

Ghetto Pumpkin Patch
The annual pumpkin patch tradition was a bit special this year.  South Texas doesn't have many places to pick your own pumpkin- those closest to us were at least an hour away- and it seems ridiculous to drive that distance when the grocery store offers them cheaper- but the "experience" element of it always gets to me- so we found something that looked good online and wasn't too far out.  When we pulled up it was one of those hand to forehead motions (d-oh). We parked in a field but other than that the rest of the "experience" was totally ghetto!  Behind as abandon Kohls building, pallets of pumpkins had been dropped off with a few hay bales for ambiance.  There was a charge to get in and additional charges for jump houses, tractor rides, pony rides, petting zoo, food.....all were run by carnival people- there were no farmers there I promise.  We made out 4 pumpkins later for under $50.  We carved and painted Halloween creations.

Kids that Clean
Not sure why but the chickens have been cleaning- volunteering to do so and loving it!  Sam found new joy in the dust buster and taking it away after the battery died was saddening.  Last night Annabelle asked to vacuum and what parent says no to that?  Linley is often attacked in the bathroom by the toilet paper destroyer (Sam) and she cleans up the aftermath.  

 Gigi and Grandpa
The Haines grandparents also came to visit.  It was a weekend of relaxing and chatting and playing.  The weather was a bit cooler so we stayed inside and made Halloween crafts, ate pumpkin cookies and drew pictures.  Gigi brought a huge pumpkin with her- so there was another carving session.  Grandpa shared his iPad with AB- she loved reading stories and playing games on that thing (she has already talked about asking Santa for one- sorry child, Santa is on a budget!)  We will be seeing the entire Haines gang on Thanksgiving-looking forward to that!

Kindergarten Kuteness
Annabelle is doing fabulous in school!  She has homework a few nights a week and I enjoy the time helping her.  Watching her little mind work is fascinating, her abilities are astounding and creativity unlimited.  I love hearing about her day as we walk home from school. She enjoys center time the most- her favorite is the writing center- she draws lots of pictures and writes about them!

Trick or Treat
All 3 chickens went out on Wednesday night to trick or treat.  Aurora, Snow White and Skeleton boy covered the neighborhood and came home with full buckets! That was the perfect end to our October.

Mickey Boat Day 9- The End!

Saturday October 13th, 2012

Homeward Bound
A 6:15 wake up call from Mickey started our final morning.  Everyone was tired and a bit cranky not wanting vacation to be over or awake.  We had assigned breakfast times and locations given to us the night before- Lumiere's at 7:15.  We ordered food that was barely touched, said the final goodbyes to our table mates as well as Lucie and Johan our servers, then waited a few (very crowded) minutes in the lobby to debark.  Baggage being handled by Disney it was a very simple process, we claimed nothing at customs and a porter took our bags right to the curb.  Jonathan brought up the car and we loaded in the 3 children and 3 suitcases and stroller and hit Interstate 10.  That was it- the trip was over- 6 months we'd spent counting down the days and planning and researching and saving.  I glanced at the backseat to see two sun kissed princesses fast asleep and a wee man with a paci nodding off- it was worth it!  We hadn't know what to expect- just a lot of fun and that's what we got!  There was something for each of us and we will do this again after baby 4 gets older!  It was just as much work as Disney World- we hadn't expected that- but the kids keep you moving and with so many options and things going on there is always something to do!  We knew dinner was going to be a challenge with Sam, we knew the Linley would be a little shy and need one on one time, and we knew that Annabelle would want to be going all the time- we were correct -all these things happen- but we were surprised at how much Samuel slept and was so excited to see the characters- not afraid at all, Linley warmed up faster then I'd imagined and never fussed about taking a rest on the looooong days- she kept up with her sister, Annabelle appreciated the one on one time and was pretty understanding of the limits of the little ones- she adjusted and showed maturity being the great big sister that she is!  The girls have both told us that they would like to do this again and how much they enjoyed the experience!



Monday October 15th, 2012
Deep in the Heart of Texas
Life is back to normal.  Jonathan picked up a new class of 400+ soldier medics yesterday and they started training today- this will be his final class in command- can't believe it!  Annabelle headed back to school and came home with a backpack of makeup work.  Linley and Sam played all morning in pjs as I did laundry.  The dogs were super happy to see us (so much so that I had to clean the carpets).  Baby 4 has an ultrasound later this week-hopefully we'll find out the gender and settle the name debate hahahaha!

Mickey Boat Day 8

Friday October 12th, 2012

The Last Day At Sea
Well the trip was almost over- no one was ready for home yet- the Disney Magic was sailing back into the gulf and we would be back in Texas by morning.  Another beautiful day!  A little time spent on the veranda waking up and then we were out the door to breakfast- by now the thrill of Mickey waffles had worn off and we were back to fruit loops and chocolate milk.  We cruised thru the navigator and learned that a special toddler time was being held- Disney Jr, toys, and dancing all for the littles and their families.  Sam had a great time- he rocked that play date!  He was the most energetic boy there (imagine that!).  The girls were a little old for this setting but in fairness Sam attends things for them far more often so a roll reversal was fine with us:)  We hit up the gift shop once again- Christmas ornament, Minnie shirts, princess coloring book and more.  Shutters is the photo place onboard- and boy that place is a madhouse the last day!  You go and pick up any photos you want to keep and order a cd if you wish- we stood in the long line and went thru the crazy process.  This was not magical and happen to coincide with nap time- you can imagine the joy being had!  So 3 children melting down here led to naps back in the room.  Annabelle and Daddy snuck off to lunch at Parrot Cay- it was surf and turf buffet today.  Later that afternoon the girls went to the club to burn off some energy.  Sam got some one on one time with Momma and Daddy- and pictures taken with Goofy and the Mouse.  

Our last picture with Mickey Mouse

Goofy in swimwear!

Friendship Rocks

The girls had been rehearsing for a cute little farewell performance in their club-time had come to show the parents in the big theater.  The stage was full of cute kids wearing cute yellow shirts.  The counselors led them in some song and dance and Mickey & Minnie joined the goodbye celebration.  We enjoyed the view but Annabelle and Linley were lost in the sea of yellow- every now and then we caught a glimpse of them- Annabelle even gave us a thumbs up from the stage- in typical Linley fashion she was holding hands with the closest counselor.

The Last Night

Right after Friendship Rocks it was our final dinner.  Sam was falling apart at the seams and it was one of the times that room service was made for- but being the final night we toughed it out.  The girls had the chance to say goodbye to their new friend Ava at dinner and we enjoyed David and Linda's company- so even with our tired monster we made the most of it.  Sam didn't make it to the evenings farewell show- I stayed back and packed up our stuff as he crashed in his clothes on the bed (neither pjs nor bath were worth the battle- I surrendered!)  The girls came back telling me all about what I'd missed- they had a good time with Daddy our last night.  Jonathan helped with the final packing and we set the bags out the door to be waiting for us off the boat in the morning (Disney magic again!).  

Mickey Boat Day 7

Thursday October 11th, 2012

A Good Morning

Swimming Lu

This beautiful morning we woke up in Cozumel, Mexico.  The weather was hot!  We were scheduled to be here until shortly after lunch- its a short stop- so again not having preplanned a port adventure, we decided we would stay aboard and take advantage of the empty pools (there aren't any excursions recommended here for 3 and under but shopping would have be fun if there had been more time).  Breakfast at Topsiders and then swimming all the way to and through lunch:)  The littles loved it!  4+ hours of splashing, sliding, and swimming.  Annabelle made some friends and they played the entire time together- jumping around like kindergartners do!  There was an ice cream break before lunch (because we are super cool parents like that!).

Mermaid Annabelle

Our very own sea MONSTER

oh, there's my son

Afternoon

Lunch, change and craft!  The family craft this afternoon was princess crowns- decorating them with markers, jewels, glitter and more.  Craft time with followed by story time with Princess Belle in the Oceaneer Club.  Very exciting!!!  We later learned from the girls that Princess Belle read them a story about the Beast and then the girls made another craft- the Beast's enchanted rose.  Sam was in need of some play time so he went to Flounder's Nursery for an hour.  Mommy and Daddy enjoyed drinks at the bar and taking in the view from the aft deck (farthest rear you can get) it had a great view of Cozumel as we were leaving.

an hour without children

wearing our creations

Evening
Alice was out and about before dinner- she remembered us from the tea party.  And we got to see Mickey once again!

This evening we skipped our fancy dinner- and surprisingly we ended up eating one of the best dinners of the trip!  Jonathan got a fantastic steak and the kids and I enjoyed a wonderful pasta and chicken dish.  Dessert was had by all!  We had a small break before the night's show so we squeezed in a bath for the little babies.  All clean and happy we headed down to catch the Broadway style show Dreams.  This was by far my favorite show of the cruise!  It was great- the songs and choreography were fantastic- the effects were wonderful, streamers shot out, it snowed on the audience, bubbles danced above us- and the sets were fabulous!  

Mickey Boat Day 6

Wednesday October 10th, 2012

A Late Start

free range chicken

My morning view- Sheriff Woody

sailors 

Lulu and Momma

It took half the week but the kiddos finally got used to no alarm clocks and slept in- longer then even us.  Yay for that small victory- Daddy and I were more than ready to sleep past 6am on day 1 of vacation hehehehe.   So breakfast was late- we did our usual Topsiders buffet.  Annabelle and I reviewed the navigator (this is tv style guide to the days going ons) over our endless pineapple and watermelon and bacon and grapes, and scrambled eggs.  She found something listed for the club that she wanted to attend so after breakfast we took her down to play.  Jonathan and I had been wanting to get to the very front of the ship and get a picture- so we headed all the way up to deck 10 with the little kids, we reenacted the Titanic scene at the helm and snapped some pics.  By now it was noon and there was a Mickey and Friends dance party in the lobby- this is right up Lu's ally.  Sam crashed in the stroller- think he slept over half the trip!  Jammin music, lots of characters and plenty of small chickens all gathered around clapping, shaking booties, twisting, and jumping- flashes going off in every direction by the paparazzi parents and me.

Bustin a Move!

a step with Stitch  

a dance with Dale

a march with Mickey

A duo with Daisy

Here Comes the Rain

On to lunch- we all ate outside this sunny afternoon.  We had just arrived in Costa Maya, Mexico.  This is a tiny port in the jungle (not even really a town) and there is plenty to do for adults but its slim on the family selections of port adventures- we had already decided to stay onboard this day and forgo the travel required to visit the Mayan ruins -JP and I really would have loved to do this but its wasn't a good suit for the 3 littles.  After a quick bite the kids wasted no time and headed for the pools!  It was sunny and humid low 90s- what you'd expect of Mexico this time of year.  In less than 10 minutes the sky was overcast with those big heavy rainclouds.......annnnnd here came the rain!  After a mad 

(and wet) dash to get towels, stroller and shoes we went back to the room for plan B.  A present of the day and creative time was followed by a voluntary nap (crazy huh?! must be that sea air).  

 We ran into Snow White today- she was missing her dwarfs so these two stood in:)  All smiles there!  We caught a meeting with the Ducks as well- Donald and Daisy are sort of exclusive- they are not around at the same time as the Mice.

Dinner and Villains 
Tonight's dinner was served at Animator's Palate.  So neat- the walls are covered in sketches that come to life as you dine!  The servers even wore black and white vest with sketches that were splashed with color at the end of our meal.

Ava and Linley

Daddy and Princess Belle

 This evening the crew were out visiting- to the right of Linley is Peter the cruse director (the voice of the Magic I call him).  You hear from him each day- he introduces the shows, makes announcements and weather reports.  He was super nice, as were the other crew members- and as you can see this little girl can steal the attention of anyone- she's a cutie!  Villain's Tonight was the show this evening.  The bad guys had to join forces to fill the evilometer!  We grabbed seats and enjoyed the performance.  Then it was back to room 8076 for sleepy night for most of us- Annabelle and Daddy took a late night swim and watched a movie on the huge screen above the pool:)

baboons!