Texas snowman

Last night it snowed again. This is the third time this month, including our white(ish) Christmas. Very impressive for this part of the world.

We spend yesterday afternoon watching the new Chipmunks movie (which we all enjoyed) and doing a bit of post-holiday shopping. By the time we got home it was dinner time, but we sent the kids out back to play in the snow first. As you can see in the first photo (Snowman: the morning after), there wasn't much time to enjoy it.

I was quite impressed with their little snowman. They made a good-sized one, considering the amount of snow they had to work with. There wasn't much snow left on the grass when they were done!

Merry Christmas

All dressed up for Christmas Eve brunch

Feeling the Christmas love
Treats for Santa - homemade goodies from Grandma
White Christmas in Texas!

Santa was here!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Everything is brighter in Texas

'Tis the season for holiday lights. Lots of holiday lights, especially if you live in the Lone Star State.

We have been enjoying some drives through nearby neighborhoods to see the displays. They are quite varied, some with less and some with more.

Some with lots of colors:

And some with lots and lots and lots of just one color:
(Its hard to get a good picture without the flash while still being discreet.)

Santa wears cowboy boots

At least he does when he visits Texas! He also wears a cowboy hat and drinks Dr. Pepper, while relaxing with his feet up, waiting for children to visit.

We went last night for the obligatory Santa visit and photo. Susanna understands that Santa has many helpers, but she doesn't share this insight with her brother. Ben accepts that when he sees Santa, its the real Santa, and doesn't seem to ask as many questions as Susanna did when she was smaller.

They both asked Santa for only one thing, and very reasonable requests they were: Susanna would like a new DS game (she'd also like a DSi, but we've suggested that she save the money for that herself) and Ben just wants a Batman costume. I don't expect that Santa will have any trouble fulfilling these wishes.

New pets

Another weekend has come and gone, and we aren't much closer to being ready for Christmas.

But we did accomplish something this weekend - we got some pets!

Three hermit crabs. One for Susanna, one for Ben, and one for the family.

Susanna has been asking for a dog for a while*, and I don't feel very ready to give into that request. Cats are not an option for us, and at this point I don't particularly want any other type of small pet (hamster, etc.) Hermit crabs seem like a very reasonable "starter" pet.

Susanna has agreed to take charge of their care. She will change the drinking water, bathing water, and food. Her father will be in charge of any actual cage cleaning.

So far it seems to be going well and they survived their first night with us. Susanna has already been pinched once - we told her the crab was still "adjusting" - hopefully it won't happen again!

*In fact, this was the only item on her Christmas list until recently. Now she'd be willing to settle for an iPhone instead.

It DOES snow in Texas!

Today we woke up and saw snow flakes! It was still a bit dark, and they were swirling in the light from the street lights.

I can hardly believe they didn't cancel school at the sight of the first flake, but they didn't. We didn't make the bus (rough night - power went out and things were beeping for what seemed like hours...), so I drove Susanna to school. I almost forgot what it is like to drive in snow - I think I let myself forget about that when I found out I was moving to Texas. Anyway, the drive took a bit longer than expected, and she was just a few minutes late due to all the traffic outside the school. Hopefully the principal won't call : )

I wasn't quick enough with my camera, and now the snow is gone and its cold but dry outside. I told the kids to enjoy it while they could because this could be the last time they see snow for a long time.

The countdown is on...

Happy December everybody!

Another Thanksgiving has come and gone. We had a nice one. It was the first time we didn't have one of our moms (or aunts) prepare the meal we would eat. Between the two of us, we put together a nice feast. Brad was very pleased with how his turkey came out, and I most enjoyed the brussel sprouts. The kids' favorite (not counting the "cranberry" jelly) was the plain ol' green beans (no casserole here.)

The kids are back in school after a week off. Its only Tuesday but we are pretty much back in the routine - I even got Susanna on the bus this morning. After today there are 13 days of school left, then a nice long Christmas break.

Decorations are going up all around us, but we're still, uh, working on it. A lot of people pay others to put lights up on their houses - I'm pretty sure I've never heard of that service before I moved here. I guess you can pay for anything. We haven't taken that route, and it shows. Maybe we'll get a few lights outside in places that are easy to reach. I've also noticed lots of trees in front windows, but again, no tree here. With only three weekends left before the big day, I suppose its time to get to work...

Happy Thanksgiving!

Progress

For the past month, Susanna has been wearing her eye patch almost constantly. Its very unpleasant, I know, but she's really stepped up to the challenge this time. I admit there have been a few bribes, but we have to do what we have to do.

Today we went to the eye doctor to see how things were going. Susanna improved by about 3 lines on the chart! The vision in her left eye is still not perfect even with the glasses, but this is great news. Its been nearly 3 years since we started this journey and this is the best news we've heard yet.

We are continuing with the constant patching until the new year, when we go back for another check. Even a little more improvement would be wonderful!

Dinsosaur!

Last Friday, Ben and I went to the local science museum to see their temporary dinosaur exhibit. The museum was small but had some interesting things. It also has a large outdoor area with trails, and that is where we saw the dinosaurs.

Of course Ben was not afraid, and he and his buddy were quick to assure his friend's baby brother that the dinosaurs couldn't get him, because their feet can't move. The dinosaurs do roar, however, and we definitely heard a few boyish shrieks.

Overall it was a good time, and a lovely November day in Texas to be outside.

Competition

Here I go again...

(I might have mentioned that sports is taking over my life.)

Tonight's activity for the kids and I was going to the local gym to see Ben's friend D play basketball. Ben is quite interested in being on the team himself, and his friend would love for him to join. The thing that has been holding me off is that some of the games are at other gym locations, in other cities, not so convenient for us to get to on a Friday evening.

(Also, we'd have to actually join the gym, but we're seriously considering that anyway.)

So we went to see this game - two teams of 3- and 4-year-olds. There was definitely a big mix of ages - some of the kids were half Ben's size. And a mix of genders as well, which is nice when they're little.

The team has practices on Tuesdays and games on Fridays. The game was interesting, about what you'd expect with a bunch of [very] little kids. Lots of holding the ball and running (not dribbling) and just grabbing the ball from other players. One kid would get the ball and then run all over the court with it before going back towards the net. A few tackles. And plenty of tears.

Really I can't understand the point of having kids compete like this at this age. Wouldn't it be better just to meet once a week and learn some skills, like how to dribble and shoot? What is the point of competition, never mind parents driving somewhat long distances for their 3- or 4-year-old to play a basketball game? Is this going to better their chance of making the high school team and getting a scholarship?

We will probably end up letting Ben join. Susanna is playing in the city league which is for first graders and older, so this is one of the few chances a 4-year-old has to play. But if we don't make it to the far-away games I won't feel too bad.

Welcome to Texas.

Friday the 13th

Today is Friday the 13th. Really that doesn't mean much to me, but it always makes the day seem a bit more interesting.

Friday is Ben's day off preschool, and I am enjoying our days together more and more, knowing that in about 9 months he will start Kindergarten. That means no more Friday playdates, outings, and fun lunches together or with friends. Kindergarten is all day here, so there will be no transition period for us.

Today we have lots planned. First a kids concert at the high school, a guy called Mark Burrows. I don't know anything about his act, but its for kids and Ben likes going to shows. Then we are meeting friends for lunch and a trip to the local science museum. There is a big dinosaur exhibit which sounds very promising.

Last night was our last soccer practice, but we still have three more games in the next 8 days. Hopefully we'll win one of them, just for the sake of morale!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Susanna the brave

A few weeks ago, Susanna went to a birthday party at a small farm that also has some exotic animals to show the kids. The party involved feeding farm animals, then hearing about and touching various creatures, like a hairless rat and different reptiles.

They also brought out this snake and gave anyone willing a chance to hold it. It took Susanna a while, but she eventually tried.

I believe this is a ball python, and we were all assured that he couldn't hurt anyone. Unlike some of the snakes you might find running free in this state...

Ben is funny

Ben's been coming up with some great lines lately.

I was sitting at the computer recently and he came in and wanted to sit on my lap. I asked him to wait while I finished typing, and he said he couldn't wait because, "I'm cold and I need something warm and you are warm." Who could say no to that?

Today I was helping him in and/or out of a costume and he said to me, "I'm tricky." I asked why he was tricky and he replied, "because I'm hard to figure out." I can't necessarily disagree with that.

In the car one day he and Susanna were bickering in the back as usual, and Ben started calling her "sweetheart". I think she must have forgotten that "sweetheart" is a nice thing to call someone, because she got very upset about it.

He used to call me his "cutie" and I loved it!

Mid-week thoughts

I'm just back from taking my parents to the airport. Their one-week visit went by quickly.

Ben has had three tee ball games since Saturday, and has his last game this Saturday. All the kids are having a great time and seem to be improving. The season was short but we're hoping to get the team back together (along with Coach Brad) in the spring.

The soccer season, on the other hand, is still rolling along. Slowly. The season ends on the 21st and there are still six games to play, three of which are make-ups. Susanna says she is understanding better how to play the game. She got a chance to be goalie in her last game and she did very well - she only let one ball through, and it was already too late for Team Pink anyway.

Susanna is already signed up for a first-grade basketball team. I think that starts in January, but detailed information is hard to get. Hopefully that season will go better and they won't cancel games at the sight of one snowflake (which is all we're likely to get anyway.)

Both kids are doing great with ice skating. They've had three lessons so far (one of which Ben missed) and we've gone three other times. Lots of improvement. Ben still falls quite a bit, but he keeps smiling, and he's getting very good at getting back on his feet. Another rink is opening less than two miles from our house, so now we'll have two ice rinks within 3 miles.

I just realized that all I have to write about is sports...

Hope everyone is having a great week!

Halloween fun

Halloween was a great day. After our fun activities and a nap (for the kids and Brad), we had an early dinner and then got into costume.

We set out to trick or treat around 6 o'clock. In Pennsylvania, you can only trick or treat during a certain two-hour window (6 to 8) on a certain day (usually not the 31st of October.) In Texas, there are no such rules. You can trick or treat on Halloween every year at whatever time you like. So we decided to start at 6 along with a few friends, but for quite a while it felt like we were the only ones.

The kids started out racing from house to house but couldn't keep up that pace for too long. There were lots of breaks to rest and play and look at candy (and for adults to refill their cups.)

The fun was nearly over by 8 and completely over by 9. But between the relatively late night and the time change, we're all a bit out of sorts today.

The kids in costume: Susanna is "vampire dog" and Ben is "Bat Vader"

My parents, who are in town visiting for a week, ready to pass out candy
Five-minute jack o' lantern #1
Five-minute jack o' lantern #2
The candy, most of which was left for the Halloween Fairy, who took it away and left a box of Lego.

Happy Halloween!!

Happy Halloween everyone!

We are having a busy day getting ready. Ben played tee ball this morning, then we all went ice skating (because soccer was cancelled yet again.) Now the kids are resting so that they can party hard this evening.

We still have to carve pumpkins, but since we aren't planning any elaborate designs, we should have no trouble getting that done. Then it will be time to eat some healthy dinner and get into costumes.

Hope everyone has a great night!

Learning to skate

I decided to sign up the kids for ice skating lessons. We'd been thinking/talking about doing this for a while, but I was finally prompted to do it for two reasons: a) there is a brand new rink just a couple of miles from our house; and b) my friend signed up her boys, and I thought it would be fun to do an activity with them.

The first lesson was tonight. Susanna and Ben are in different classes, but the classes meet at the same time. (This was yet another motivating factor for me.) I made sure to leave early so we'd have extra time to get skates, etc., but still I wasn't quite prepared. When I signed up, the girl failed to mention that the little ones need helmets. Lucky for me my friend brought two, and her 6 year old was happy to lend his to Ben. I also forgot gloves, but there is a shop that sells them. (Yes Ben has pink ones. That was all they had.)

Susanna and Ben both did great. The little ones didn't get as much chance to skate (there was a bit of hanging out on a chair as you can see.) But I did see Ben standing and even moving independently. Susanna did very well and only fell twice. They both loved it and didn't want to leave. The price for the lessons includes a weekly open skating session, which means extra practice for all three of us!

Texas State Fair

On Sunday we went to the Texas State Fair. Being new to Texas, we were excited for this great cultural opportunity.

It was busy at the fair, but the fairgrounds are so huge that it wasn't too bad. We went with another family and Ben had a great time running around with his buddy. I think their favorite part was the auto show, where they climbed through many cars. They also got a chance to try rock climbing.

There were also a lot of agricultural exhibits. They had animal barns, a petting zoo, and a farming experience for little kids.
One of the biggest attactions at the fair is the deep-fried food. This photo shows Oprah heading toward the deep-fried butter stand. (She's in the brown cowboy hat and gold hoop earring.)
We didn't try the butter ourselves, but we got a peanut butter, jelly, and banana sandwich, and cookie dough, both deep-fried, from the same stand. We had to wait a while due to the crowds Oprah brought. That was the only deep-fried food we tried. It was good, but you only need a little bit.

Overall we had a good day and both kids fell asleep promptly upon getting back into the car. It worked out well that Monday was a school holiday - we all needed a day to rest!

Feeding time

On Saturday we took the kids to a pumpkin farm. There was a small collection of farm animals to see and feed, including several longhorns.

Both kids tried to feed the longhorns, but I don't think either of them actually got any food into the cows' mouths. The longhorns seemed mostly gentle, but you really have to watch out for the horns when they put their heads over the fence!

On 2 wheels

When the movers brought our things from England, Ben told them that they didn't need to put the training wheels back on his bike. (Of course, I don't think they were taken off before we moved, but the pedals were, so we had to switch.) He decided it was time to learn how to ride on two wheels.

It didn't take long for him to get the hang of it. Our neighborhood has sidewalks that are mostly flat and straight, with a some slight slopes mixed in, so its a good place to practice.

Not only has he gotten good at riding the two wheeler, he also moved up to Susanna's bike, which is a bit bigger than his. Which means Susanna will soon be getting a new bike, and we promised her she could get a girly one this time.

Americanization

Its now been more than two months since we left England, and we are starting to feel more settled in Texas.

While some people still hear an accent when my kids speak (even Ben, who to us hardly seemed to have one), Brad and I have noticed that Susanna's English accent is fading fast. I was sort of surprised it held on as long as it did (I was expecting full American within a week!) But six weeks of school seems to have [mostly] done the trick.

I've also noticed a change in her handwriting. She learned to write with little curves at the bottoms of the letters, which is to help with cursive writing when the time comes. But in her recent writing samples, all the letters go straight down and stop. This change surprises me much more than the accent change.

And Ben has taken to correcting me when I use an English word instead of an American one, just like he did after we moved to England, only opposite.

All just a few more signs that we really are here and not there. But Susanna still insists that she is an English girl!

Big D

On Sunday, I finally went to Dallas. I've been hanging out here in the 'burbs for weeks now. But we had a guest for the weekend and I wanted to show her something a little more exciting than our little town.

I can't exactly say I succeeded. It is Dallas, after all. Not the most happening city in the nation, especially on a Sunday afternoon.

But we ended up having a nice day. Brad drove us all in and parked by his office. So that was the first exciting thing we saw. Then we rode around on the DART (light rail) for a bit and ended up in an area called West End. Other cities (I can think of at least one, anyway) have areas with that same name but this was a little different. Just a few blocks of restaurants, mostly chains. We ended up at a Mexican restaurant (possibly not a chain) and had a nice, very filling lunch.

Then we walked to the art museum. This turned out to be great as they have a really big hands-on kids area. They had texture rubbings, drawing, and craft materials. And a special craft room where the kids made crowns. Susanna and I did do a quick tour of some of the galleries, but Ben was quite happy to stay in the kids' area (with Brad.)

Overall the city was quiet. It seems like there are nice bits scattered around, but you have to know where you are going. London its not, but there is a bit of culture available if you look for it. And for now its the best we have!

Susanna's first game

After Ben's game Saturday, we had just enough time to run home and get snacks ready for Susanna's first soccer game. It was a hot day and she wasn't too sure about playing, but she didn't have a choice. So we went and found the field (but no parking spot - this place is soccer crazy!) and after a few minutes she joined her team.

She played about half the game. It took a few minutes for her to get into it but she had some good kicks. It was fun to watch - plenty of action. The goalies all did a great job, and the final score was 3 to 2, Pinkalicious. Though maybe two of the three Pink goals were kicked in by the other team. But it still counts.

The initial coin toss:
Getting directions from the coach (seen here in his manly Pinkalicious jersey):
Running after the ball:
After the game and ready to go home:

Ben's second game

Ben's tee ball team played its second game bright and early Saturday morning. It was fun to see all the little guys (and girl) out on the field. The other team had the same name and same blue shirts, so it was a little hard to watch, but it all seemed very organized and everyone had fun.

Here is Ben getting ready to be catcher (they still have a pitcher and a catcher even though there is a tee):

Coach Dad issuing instructions:
Ready to bat:
Running to second:
Running to third:
Once again, even though score isn't kept, it looks like Ben's team would have won. But all that really matters is that they had fun!

Tee Ball, Game 1

Ben had his first tee ball game tonight, and I missed it.

I had to take Susanna to soccer practice. It had been three weeks since her team last met (due to a two week rain break) and she wasn't too sure about going back. So I didn't feel like I could leave her, and I wouldn't have had much time at Ben's game even if I had.

So Coach Dad and Ben went off to tee ball together. Ben could hardly contain his excitement. He got dressed about three hours before the game. We brought snack for the first game, and he wanted to have Gatorade for the drink. Fun stuff for a first-time tee ball player!

It sounds like the game went very well. The coach for the other team was laid back and happy to do a bit of rule bending to make it more fun for the kids. A lot of the dads on Ben's team were ready and willing to help with coaching and Brad felt like things ran smoothly.

Score isn't kept for tee ball, but according to Brad, if they had been keeping score, our team would have won.

His next game is Saturday at 8:30 in the morning. I'm not a big fan of getting up in the morning, especially at the weekend, but I will be too excited to sleep!

My new Texas 'do

Riding the school bus

Susanna started riding the school bus home on the second day of school. I honestly wasn't thrilled about it, but there are two girls right next door who also take the bus, so I felt better, knowing she had a couple of friends at the start.

(Plus picking her up at school on the first day was a bit of a hassle - waiting in the car line and all.)

So riding the bus home has been going well enough. She isn't quite ready to ride in the morning yet, and I'm not pushing her. We'd have to leave about 20 minutes earlier to get the bus than we do if we drive. 20 minutes is a lot of extra sleep.

I hadn't heard much about what kinds of things happen on the bus until this weekend. Susanna tells me very little. But the neighbor had a story to share.

Apparently some kids were causing trouble. Switching seats, crawling under the seats, things like that. So all the kids on the bus were called to a little meeting with the principal. First they watched a video from the bus, so they could see for themselves how awful their behavior is. Then the principal gave some sort of stern lecture.

I'm sure you're all thinking, it wasn't Susanna causing the trouble. Of course not! But I did get a phone call from her teacher yesterday. She told me about the trouble on the bus, etc., etc., etc., and eventually got around to saying that she did see Susanna on the video, and that Susanna was actually not sitting perfectly still in her seat. Apparently she was leaning the aisle some, talking to other children.

So I was nicely asked to remind her of the rules, sitting on your bottom, hands to yourself, feet to the front...

Now here's the thing. Many years ago, when I rode a bus to elementary school, we had Safety Patrols. I don't remember the bus driver ever making much of an impression, but if a kid got out of line, a power-hungry sixth-grader wearing an orange belt would let them know about it. And let adults at school know about it. And at some point during my bus-riding years (only elementary school), seat belts were introduced on the buses and we had to sit and wear them.

School buses here don't have either of these things - safety patrols or seat belts. You'd think those might be national requirements (especially seat belts), but no. (I wonder if video cameras are thought to be a good substitute?)

So I will continue to encourage my child to behave nicely on the school bus. And hope that she can resist temptation to do naughty things even when others are doing them. But until they get some seat belts and safety patrols on the buses, I certainly won't expect her to be perfect.

Tee Ball

Today we had our first tee ball practice. (I can't decide if I want to call it tee ball or T-ball or what so I apologize if I keep changing it up.) Soccer games were canceled today due to a week of continuous rain, but its actually sunny and hot today so we held tee ball practice.

The kids (one girl and the rest boys) were all enthusiastic and did very well, and so did Coach Brad. Everyone practiced throwing and catching, running bases, and of course, hitting the ball off the tee. I will say that the tee took a bit of abuse, but overall they did well.

I asked one of the other moms if it looked like Brad knew what he was doing, and she said it did. He spent the past week studying the league rules as well as a book we bought about how to coach tee ball. He wrote up a plan for today's practice and it ran very smoothly. A lot of the other dads helped out too, which was great.

Their first game is Thursday and the second is Saturday, so, weather permitting, we will be jumping right into the season.

Go Rangers!

Self portraits

One of Susanna's and Ben's favorite things to do is take pictures of themselves on the computer. I love looking back through them to see the funny faces and poses they do. Here are a few recent takes: