East Texas State Fair 2010

We had a great time at the fair this year. This year the girls were old enough to enjoy the rides and different exhibits. We had a blast!

Dinner and a Show
We ate hamburgers, hot dogs, and cheetos while watching the sea lions perform.

The Racing Pig Trailer

Piggy #1

Piggy #2
She is a very serious pig racing fan.

Piggy #3

Anne the Astronaut

Junior Firefighters

Jack Hanna

We went to hear Jack Hanna speak at the Caldwell Zoo last week. The entire event was free to zoo members and we even caught a glimpse of the baby cheetahs! Jack didn't bring all his animals, but he had some great stories. I could have listened to him for hours. It was fasinating for my mom and I. Did you know that there are only four privately owned credited zoos in the nation and Caldwell is one of them?

The kids got a little fidgety, but over all enjoyed the experience. The Garred's came, much to Anne and Abby's delight.

A&M vs. SFA

We missed the first game this season because we were at the beach. So the SFA game was our first. We left Tyler around eleven with every expectation that this game wouldn't be hot. I mean the game was at six o'clock. Surely it would be cool by then and our seats our the first ones to be in the shade when the sun sets. Boy were we wrong. At 9pm the sweat was dripping from our bodies. Abby insisted I hold her while she held her blanket. This cozy position was not very comfortable for a super hot four hour game. It would have been bearable if Abby had been semi-content that way, but the squirmed, whined, and wiggled the enitre time. This was Abby's first and last game this season. Babysitters are already lined up for future games. She will still come to College Station on Game Day she'll just go with a sitter during the game.

Notice our red faces

Abby and Anne's hair was wet with sweat!

Snow Cone

The Beach 2010

Me reading at the beach

Scott relaxing at the beach

Papa building sandcastles at the beach

Abby taking care of cousin Emily

Twins!

Abby's First Donut

Anne's first donut

Kite flying

Tried and failed

Seaside

Abby kept an eye on Great Granny the entire vacation. She made sure she had plenty of sunscreen, was never without her book, and always had her cane. If Abby ever spotted Great Granny's book or cane and Great Granny wasn't with them she would gather them up and deliver them to Great Granny.


Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

Chicken Dinosaurs

Here's a little story:

Tonight I spent two and a half hours at the breakfast table in the company of a 19 month old who turns out to be as stubborn as her mother. Of course I prefer to refer to that character quality in myself as perseverance.

Let's just say that Abby's palette isn't overly developed. All I can get her to eat meat wise are hot dogs and sometimes corny dogs, but she just pulls the breading off those and eats the hot dog. I'm sure her refusal to eat anything but processed tube steaks reveals some horrible flaw in my parenting abilities. I knew I should have started her on vegetables instead of fruit.

Well, tonight I laid down the gantlet. I drew the line in the sand. I put on my running shoes. I told Abby that she could not get down from her high chair until she ate one bite of CHICKEN. Now don't judge me to harshly. I wasn't forcing her to eat some slimy piece of baked chicken, or dried and blackened grilled chicken. It was one tiny bite of a chicken dinosaur. Anne loves them. I mean who wouldn't there fried. I know, I know it's not a far cry from hot dogs, but it is a different animal and a step in the right direction.

Abby wasn't afraid of the challenge. She threw a fit or two or ten, but I didn't cave! She smiled, cooed, and blew kisses, but I held strong. She tried to fling her chicken on the floor, but I caught it. She spit her milk everywhere, but I cleaned it up. I was going to win! Not that this was a game or anything.

I popped popcorn and ate it front of her telling her she could have some if she ate one bite of chicken. Anne and Scott played outside and inside and I told her she could join them if she just ate one bite. I even busted out a juice box. The only time the girls consume juice boxes are at other peoples homes or for Anne, lunch at KK. She didn't budge, just smushed her chicken with her finger. Abby was going to win!

Bedtime was getting closer and closer and I had visions of having to bring out this bite of chicken for breakfast. So, I approached my baby girl and said eat your chicken or else (I will not reveal what the "or else" is on this blog, but for a small fee I might be willing to release this genius piece of parenting information) and . . . SHE ATE IT. After that she ate another piece. I AM VICTORIOUS! I mean yay Abby has now hopefully added a second protein to her exclusive repertoire.

FYI:
A 19 month who spends two and a half hours in a high chair is usually super hyper when set free from its confines.

Fisrt Day of Pre-K

Anne had her first day of Pre-K on Tuesday. We had missed the first week of school because we were on vacation. She loves her class and a teacher Ms. Shelley. Her teacher is an Aggie by the way!

Anne's first day of 3 year old preschool

Anne's very first day of preschool (she's 2)

Abby wanted to have her picture taken too!