The First Weekend of Fall

The calendar says it's fall, but it sure feels like summer outside. And what better way to celebrate summer - I mean fall - than with ice cream and football.

Yesterday, I took the girls to a birthday party for our friends' little boy, Noah, who turned 1! We celebrated with an outdoor party themed around ice cream.







Today, we watched the Saints take on the Texans at a home tailgate party. Ella had to wear her purple and gold since she has outgrown her one Saints outfit.





We are sure looking forward to a lot of fall fun - including pumpkin patches, Dewberry Farms, Zoo Boo, and of course, Halloween trick or treating!

All Fire-d Up!

This weekend, Granny and Papa came to visit us and we decided to head down to the Houston Fire Museum on Saturday for some fun exploring. I had never heard of this museum until a friend of mine posted a picture of her son on Facebook visiting the museum. Since Molly loves firetrucks and Papa is a retired firefighter, it sounded like a fun place to spend the day.

The museum is housed in an old fire house and contains antique equipment, including a horse-drawn apparatus. There is an upstairs display of the station's original locker and dorm facilities and a play area for the kids with stations for dress up and a fire pole for play.


Molly had a fun time dressing up like a fireman and exploring the museum.





It was definitely a fun day, and a hidden jewel for our city. Aside from the guests at a birthday party that was going on, we were the only visitors there. I definitely encourage any of my Houston area mom friends to take a day and check it out!

Mommy's Helper

Tonight, as I made Ella's bedtime bottle and started to prepare to rock her to sleep, Molly insisted that she wanted to feed her. So she sat in the rocking chair, and held her baby sister, and gave her a bedtime bottle. These are the moments that melt my heart.



And as I watched her rocking Ella, I found myself thinking of this picture I took of her when she had just turned 2 years old. Wow, how they grow.

What's Cookin'?

I don't know how people lived before the days of Groupons and Groupon-esque websites. I love having a chance to try new things, eat at new restaurants, or explore new places with the family while saving a little money in the process.

A few weeks ago, one of our local deal seeking websites, Juice in the City, posted a deal for 1/2 off of a Mommy and Me Cooking Class at the Young Chef's Academy. We decided, along with some of Molly's close friends, to buy the deal and schedule a class where the girls could participate together.

So today, I took the day off of work to go cooking with my big girl. On the menu was Caramel Apple Bites, Apple Berry Salsa and Cinnamon Chips, and Ginger Apple Punch (it was our attempt to bring a little bit of fall flavor into our otherwise still summer Texas lives!) The girls had so much fun making (and then eating) all of the recipes during our 2 hour class.









This is definitely something we will do again, and I am glad we got a chance to try it out with such sweet friends.

8 Months Old

Ella Bella,

Today, you are 8 months old, and I look at you in amazement at that realization. You are still such a baby to me. Everyone tells me not to compare you to your older sister, but I can't help it. By this time, Molly had 5 teeth and had been crawling all over the place for a solid two months. Today, you have two teeth (finally!) that have just broken the surface of your bottom gums, and while you can get around as much as you want by other means, you still can't seem to figure out that crawling business.



I smile, though, because you are my baby. My last baby, most likely, and I cherish that you are still such a baby in so many ways. I delight in the fact that you move at your own pace and seem uninterested in growing too fast. I think you are this way so that I can hold onto my baby as long as possible. And for that, I am thankful.



At 8 months old, you:
-would rather scoot around on your bottom than crawl
-pull yourself up to standing on furniture, people, toys, and anything else you can get your hands on
-are determined to stand unassisted in the bathtub of all places
-absolutely love the bathtub and bathtime with Molly
-still light up like nothing else when Molly talks to you and plays with you
-cry when momma leaves the room
-babble dada all.the.time
-blow raspberries (especially at mealtime)
-are ticklish
-laugh out loud with all that you have, which makes us all laugh right along with you

Labor Day at the Zoo

Since we have finally had some pleasant weather, and we all the day off from school and work, we headed to the zoo for Labor Day. We got there early and only stayed for a few hours, but it was the perfect day for a quick trip.

Ella got her first ride in the wagon...



We saw our favorite animals, including the elephants...



We laughed and played...







And then we headed home!

Geaux!

The Long Lost Playground

It's been so hot lately, that we haven't spent much time outdoors. With the temperatures sitting at 107 degrees, it's just not at all appealing. This morning, we were all up early (as usual!) and when I opened the door to let Ross out, I noticed it was actually not hot. Further, there was a little steady breeze blowing, and the sun was quietly tucked away.

Almost immediately, I asked Molly if she wanted to go to the playground before it got too hot. Her answer, of course, was a resounding YES! So we all quickly got dressed and headed out. We played for almost an hour, and when we left, no one was hot, sweaty, or unhappy. Talk about success!



For Ella, it was her first time in a swing.





I don't think she was too impressed.

Molly was all smiles swinging, sliding, and playing. She has become so imaginative, it is a treat to sit back and watch/listen to her play.

Friday Night Sights

Tonight, I was in the presence of royalty.





And Ella, who has been starting to stand up, showed off a bit for the camera.



I'd say that's a pretty good Friday night!