Gertie the Evil Genius

Our basset hound, Gertie, is a mostly very chill dog.  She likes to sleep.  She's careful to let us know when someone is at the door and greets us with a "haloooo" when we come home.  She mostly likes to relax.  She seems to be a very simple creature.

I think she had me fooled.

The morning after Halloween, we woke to find TJ's candy had been raided and spread all over the living room floor.  I gave TJ the little bit remaining in his bag and swept up everything on the floor.  TJ sadly commented that he thought he'd had more candy.  I advised him to put what was left out of Gertie's reach.

Later that afternoon, we found Gertie tangled up in TJ's candy bag.  He had not put it away.  Grrr.  I've also lectured TJ on the importance of keeping his toothbrush away from the toilet and soap dispenser by the bathroom sink (among other things), but he doesn't listen.  Now he's brushing with a contaminated toothbrush and the dog is eating chocolate.  I pray they both survive!

Monday (two days after Halloween) I notice that Gertie has not eaten her food.  Mid-morning, I find her settling down in her bed with a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup.  What is this???  Reese's are MY FAVORITE, and oh yeah, the dog can't eat chocolate!  I take it away and with a tortured sigh, toss it in the trash.  

Now where did she get the Reese's?  If there had been one sitting around, I would have eaten it by now.  Hmm...  She couldn't have hidden away little bits of candy for later, could she?

An hour later, the dog is sick on the wood floor.  Yep, I'm pretty sure she's still eating candy.

When TJ comes home from school, he searches the backyard and finds stashes of Halloween candy.  I'm on to you now, Gertie.  I know you are not so simple, but full of plans to hide and eat all the food.  

First Day of 5th and 3rd Grade

Here it is.  The best shot I got of these two.

Paul will be the weather man on the announcements this year.  Part of this job includes telling the "joke of the day."  He'll be great!  TJ was lucky enough to get the same teacher he had last year.  She loves him so much, she moved up to third grade with him!  That's what I choose to believe, anyway.

We're On Vacation!

This year, we drove to San Marcos and met cousins for some fun in the sun and water.  Paul is really excited; his very cool camp counselor had him pose for pictures with this face two weeks ago.  The counselor is a very good (and apparently awesome) kid who will be a freshman at A&M this fall, so I won't complain if Paul idolizes him a bit.

Our first order of business was to take a quick river float trip.  I didn't risk my camera or a shot of myself in a swimsuit, so no pictures.  The kids had a great time playing with cousins and I managed to destroy every float I was given.

The next two days were Schlitterbahn days.  After several tries, and the sacrifice of riding the Soda Straws over and over, I managed to get a picture of Coker and Paul exiting the ride.  Coker won this one.  I think that straw must be a little shorter, but TJ disagrees and continues to race on the other side.

 

 I admit it: I saved my leather seats and loaded the wet kids in the back of the SUV for the short ride back to the condo.  That Cayelyn is a girl after my own heart.  She wants to ride all the rides and have all the fun.  I just lack her energy.

 

Isn't Casey a doll?

 

Wonder World is not especially wonderful, but we had fun.

 

 

The caves were created by an earthquake, not water, so you can touch.

 

  The cave "throne"

 

 I needed a new expression.  Pretend you are asking me to buy you something...

 

Paul is "awesome," and TJ photobombs. 

 

The lookout

Anti-gravity house

 

The kids fed the deer on the "train" ride.

 

We had a great time!  What to do on our next vacation??

Photobomb

TJ and I needed a picture together for a 2nd grade class project.  I think Gertie felt left out.

Dirty Scurry

Paul ran the "Dirty Scurry," a kids' mud and obstacle race in Fort Worth today.  He had a great time and got really dirty, as promised.  I did not manage to get any good action shots, but took a few after the race. 

Dinner Drama

TJ on tonight's dinner: "you took everything I hate and piled on my plate."

Name That Tune

Paul and I were discussing the length of the school year.  He asked when school is out.  When I answered the beginning of June, he began to sing a song to help him remember: "Matthew, Mark, Luke and John…"  No, that's not it. "January, February, March and April…"