Fun with Friends

While we're definitely in a drought down here and several thousand acres are burning wildfires, we've actually had nice weather in Houston.  Several cool fronts make for cool/cold mornings and afternoons in the upper 70s and low 80s.  So we take advantage while we can.

Here are some pictures from a birthday party in Tomball.  This is one huge slide.  Cole did it on his tummy, feet first and you could hear him slide all the way down - his skin was squeaking.

 If boys were allowed to have "besties" I'm pretty sure Luke would qualify.  They have a great time together.  Here they are acting silly for the camera.  Every time I tried to get them to smile, Carter would flash one his silly faces.

 And what would a trip to the park with boys be like if there wasn't a stick finding contest.

This past weekend we had some good friends over to hang out in the backyard.  It was a gorgeous day.  The adults moved all the patio furniture into the shade (and away from the line of water fire) while the kiddos played in the baby pools and shot each other with water guns.   We enjoyed some good company, good brats and hotdogs, good music and lots of entertainment from the kids.  Plus, my girlfriends helped me clean up the mess so I didn't have a bunch to do the next morning.  Though Kelly, I think I've reconsidered my position on confetti eggs - I'll be cleaning up my patio for weeks :)

 Kevin is 19 months old and did a great job of staying out of the way of the 3 four year old boys that were having a water canon war. 

 And the only girl, Caroline, survived the evening as well. 

The big boys on my bed watching Monster Jam trucks on the TV.  Grant, Carter and Luke all have a strong affinity for all things monster trucks.  They know almost all the names and can't wait until the next show at Reliant Stadium returns.  I check their website weekly for an update, but I think it'll be at least the fall or winter before that happens again.

Luke was getting a good shot with the water gun on Cole.  I'll admit, it was kinda nice to see Cole being the underdog for a change.  I swear, except for the size issue you'd think Cole was the big brother.  He picks on Carter all the time.

Here's a video of the kids playing together.  They played pretty well together considering there was lots of face shots with the guns.  And I mean a lot.  They gave and they took some pretty tough shots.  At one point Carter and Luke had the big squirters and Cole had a little measly water gun.  They were teaming up on him and Cole ran out of water so he just threw the gun at Luke.  Luke was okay, it didn't hurt him so everyone laughed (otherwise he would have ended up in time out).  It just seemed like a James Bond move or something.  Run out of bullets, no problem.  I'll hurt you with my pistol.  I wish I had THAT on video.  Though, you'll catch him throwing the soccer ball at the boys a few times...


Here's Carter one afternoon in our backyard.  He looks goofy to me in this picture, but he really liked it and asked that I put it on here.

Daddy playing soccer with the boys. 

Carter had his own ball for the soccer season and Cole just had to have his own.  Thats kinda how we handle the sharing issue at home, just buy another and don't deal with it!  Yea, bad lesson to teach - but whatever - I've got my hands full with other teaching lessons :)

I took this video a week or so ago at A Bunch of Fun, a play center nearby.  It's of Carter doing hopscotch.  It cracks me up.  He knows he supposed to hop on one leg on the one sqaure sections, but can't.  So he uses two and then lifts up a leg.  He definitely tries everything.