When one door closes

In fall of 2002 Megan started school at TAMUG. She became a member of our family, first dog sitting, then babysitting her way through her years in Galveston. When she graduated in 2006 we told her that she would find an empty diploma tube if she did not find us a replacement babysitter. She took us at our word and interviewed sitters, bringing us Kaylyn- her roommate's friend from home, and a freshman at TAMUG.

Kaylyn graduated this past weekend and we attended the ceremony with her parents. Caroline was too little to remember much from Megan's graduation, but was pretty inquisitive at this one. She was excited to see Mrs. Curley's (her preschool teacher) husband up on the stage (He is a professor at TAMUG and reads the names every year). She wanted to know all about the ceremony of things and why only Kaylyn got to wear the "smarty scarf". But the best part was "singing the Aggie football song" at the end. Caroline attended her first football game this past year and she remembered the part where everyone links arms and was not going to let her neighbors get away with just mumbling along.

We were sad to see Kaylyn go, especially with no new babysitting prospects. But when one door closes, God opens another. Hunter was just getting home from fishing when we got home that afternoon. He had gone with a neighbor we had not met before. As it turns out, the neighbor has a high school aged daughter who would loves to babysit. I think I see dinner and a movie in my future.

Citizenship awards

Last Thursday Trinity Episcopal School had a breakfast to honor the students that were nominated for citizenship awards. Caroline and her friend Dylan were the Kindergarten winners (each class had two winners). This was a real honor for them. When all the kids got together on the garth for pictures it was a bit overwhelming for our short kids and they began holding hands so they wouldn't get separated. Too cute.

Disney on ice

In April we went with Tiki friends to Disney on Ice. For many months whenever we saw ice skating Caroline asked me "can you do that?" Since I have not actually been on skates for several years I can't answer truthfully, but I am a pretty good kitchen skater. Grandma Becky and Papa Marc are making her a tape of her mother's skating ability which will probably answer that skating question for good.

Disney sure can put on a show. Junior and Senior level skaters from around the world make up the cast (lots of spins and fancy footwork, not so many double jumps). The costumes and music were incredible. Caroline was thrilled to see Peter Pan fly through the air, Nyla and Simba chase through the African Savannah, and my personal favorite, the "under the sea" medley.

Got Bait?

Sunday we went to the beach for a few hours. Caroline dug an "aquarium" as usual and Daddy filled it with bait fish. His real task was to catch bait to stock the freezer for the upcoming fishing season, but Caroline likes to torture the fish to death and play with them as they pass from net to cooler. This was our haul.

That night the bait at our house came back in to our underwater light. This light is a few feet out from our dock and attracts redfish, trout, catfish, flounder and a whole host of other little things. Hunter has cast for them successfully several times. Sunday night we were just observing.

Tuesday morning before work Hunter caught one of those big redfish for our dinner. Not a bad start to the day.

May Fete

Since the 1950's Trinity Episcopal School has celebrated MayFete as a Spring celebration and right of passage for the fifth graders moving up the middle school. The fifth grade royalty sits along the front of the lawn and each of the classes provide a dance for them (and of course the parents and community members). Then the fifth graders do the May Pole dance. This year's theme was Candy Land. The kids danced to songs such as "lollipop", "On the good ship lollipop", "I want candy", and of course Caroline's class "A spoon full of sugar". Caroline was a flower.

If you think about the scene from Mary Poppins, there are singing birds, flowers and bees. So that is what Kindergarten was- with a few nests thrown in for good measure.

As part of MayFete, the students bring flowers from their yards (no store bought flowers for this tradition) to create colorful wreaths. These wreaths are hung along the backdrop of MayFete to remember a second grade student that died in the 1960's. Here is the Kindergarten/first grade wreath.

We just planted flowering bushes the weekend before and C did not want to cut any off so she brought a palm branch- 11 o'clock on the wreath. I am pretty sure the teachers added some color to these.

the eight towel weekend

It must be summer.

Saturday Caroline's Daisy troop attended the Adopt a Beach cleanup and spent an hour picking up trash and seashells. (I am not sure which we had more of at the end). We had a tough time keeping them out of the water and out of the dunes long enough to pick up some trash. After snacks and patches 5 kids decided to stay and play. Of course only three had swim suits, but that did not stop them.Saturday afternoon, C took a short nap and then we were off to Maddy's pool where the girls swam for several hours.

Sunday C could barely get through Sunday School and Church and as soon as we were home, she was back in her suit and in Maddy's pool again. You know summer has arrived when you have an entire load of beach towels in the machine and swimsuits are hanging over the shower rod.

Easter

A few years ago we added the Sunday School kids to the Palm Sunday processional. This year we had a few more hurdles than in previous years. On an island covered in palm trees, we had a hard time finding small palm branches our kids could handle. The branches they ended up with were a bit big, but boy could they reach into a pew to tickle someone as the kids walked in! After the processional the kids went to the Sunday School room where they were going to watch Veggie Tales. Unfortunately we needed to plug in both a TV and a VCR. Not a problem in most rooms, but our room is in a section of the church that still does not have power. We have one zillion foot long extension cord that runs everything in that hallway and it has one plug. So, the kids colored and played games and were just as happy.

Caroline was extremely happy with her Easter dress this year (seen in the picture). It has Fancy Nancy people, French poodles and the Eiffel Tower on it. And the best part, her American doll Kaylie has the same dress. Thank you Grandma Becky and Marshall's.
Easter weekend we hosted a crawfish party on Friday, went to a friend's egg hunt on Saturday and then went to church Sunday. The Easter Bunny knew that C had found a bunch of candy on Saturday so he hid eggs filled with coins at our house and left C a note about buying books with her coins at the upcoming book fair. Unfortunately she woke up and immediately started finding eggs. She was a bit angry that there was no candy until she saw the note and asked if she could pick any book she wanted. On the morning of the book fair she packed up her $15 in dimes and quarters and I had to convince her that she could trade her change for Mommy's check. The cashier at the book fair was extremely grateful. More on the books she picked out later.