Weekend fun

In this brief window between when it's been too cold to really be outside for extended amounts of time and before it gets much too hot and buggy, we've been trying to do lots of outdoor things.

We've been "hiking" a lot out at the nature reserve. "Hiking" may be a little strong for what we're doing - after all, there's no real topographical change and the scenery is a little, um, calm. But it's outside, we're walking, and it feels quite far from the city.

It's actually not been a great year for wildflowers, but we did mange to find some lovely ones up at the nature reserve. Even Natalie got into the spirit of photographing the flowers:

Here is the long-promised bluebonnet picture. 

(Also, if anyone in this house has ever called you "mom," um, maybe don't, like, print and frame the picture above. Just, uh, cuz.)

We also did our first family 5k, joined by some much fitter friends. 

The children were predictably excited:

This was 5k that took place around and through the zoo. It was really neat to be in the zoo so early in the morning because the animals were pretty active. We ran right by the hippos, elephants, giraffes, cranes, and gerenuks (Natalie's comment on the latter: "Is it real?"). Afterwards, we ran around and a bit more (fun for those who managed to remain seated during the 5k itself) and then went for brunch.

We also went to Jacob and Natalie's first baseball game. We needed an afternoon game and we wanted to go before it got too hot. Lo and behold, the Mariners were in town. And, if you're a Mariners fan, that was, uh, the end of the good luck. In fact, at one point, our friends (who are Rangers fans) turned to me and said "Now who on our team hasn't gotten a home run?"  Yeah, it was that good.

Jacob was actually just wearing a generic baseball suit, and then our friends gave him a Rangers bib. So, it was like a choice: look like a Ranger or a Yankee . . . . is this when we start praying for a power failure?

Natalie enjoyed hanging in the kid zone at the ballpark. I would estimate that she watched about 6 minutes of the whole game. (Jacob mostly slept through the game.)

She does, however, enjoy playing "basketball home run" in the backyard.

Gratuitous unrelated adorable pictures:

 Here are Mike and Natalie in our backyard. Or "on the plane to Australia." Opinions may differ - and whatever you do fortheloveofMotherEarth, please don't step on my plants!

And here are the friends. They are having a sleepover, obviously. In Australia? Who knows!

Video clarification:



Natalie also had a little injury at school this week - while running, she tripped and gave herself a fat lip. It's mostly healed now, though.

We made challah for shabbat this week:

In closing, here, have a goat!

The rest of April

I went back to work in late March (almost a month ago now, wow). We found a lovely lady to stay with Jacob two mornings per week, Mike has Jacob on my long days at work, and I've also cut my hours a little. With some luck and juggling, we're making it all work. (I was also totally helped by the fact that my mom was here for my first full week back at work - that really helped ease me into leaving Jacob to go to the office.)

In order for my going back to work to really, uh, work, Jacob needed to learn to take a bottle. Our first few attempts were pretty rocky. But then we found exactly the perfect formula of preferred angle + proper temperature + right bottle, and things came together. And then, the other day, he actually took a bottle cold from the fridge. Progress!

As you can see, Natalie's quite the experienced childcare provider. In fact, here she is helping monkey use the potty.

Scenes from the park, including Natalie's March Madness moment:  

Quiet times:

Snack time, sort of:

While my mom was here, I also planted my garden:

I've got tomatoes (nothing too big, as those don't do well here; mostly Patio, Early Girl, Yellow Pear, and a few other small-ish varieties), basil (the pesto queue starts now!), chile peppers, cucumber (if the frost hasn't gotten it - we've had a few cold nights, and my little cucumber plant seemed to be suffering the most), zucchini, and summer squash.

Also, I feel I've reached a landmark in my Texas existence: I darkened the door of Tractor Supply Company (a farm / ranch / garden store). The store's departments were things like "equine" and "bovine" - luckily, there was also an irrigation department since I needed some parts to fix my soaker hose (which I fixed. On my own. Thankyouverymuch). 

Jacob says: "Tractor Supply Wha---?"

Natalie has suddenly gotten into having tea parties (with her stuffed animals - this isn't that kind of Texas story!). 

(That's a cookie there in the foreground. Duh.)

Smiley baby shots - wait for it, wait for it . . . . 

Jacob and Natalie continue to coexist peacefully (if noisily). I fully expect this stage to come to a close once Jacob is mobile and starts getting into her stuff. In the meantime, it's totally adorable (or "adorwable," as Natalie would say).

Here's a little video of Natalie singing dancing, with some Jacob cooing for background accompaniment.


 
I promised bluebonnet pictures, but I'm too tired to keep writing (despite my great desire to bring the blog up to date before we leave for San Diego next month). I'll leave you with a pj shot of Big Girl: