Baseball and Family!

We had such a great family evening!

She loved dancin’ to the mariachi band!

 

GaGa, Pappy, Michael, and Kristina stopped by this weekend for a nice visit, and we had a splendid time!

Oh, how they loved fighting with Uncle Michael!

This couple will soon be moving to Kansas City!

A most extraordinary weekend!

We’ll begin with Eliza’s recital.  Her costume was adorable, and so was the dance!  She had some last-minute jitters and almost refused to go onstage, but Jimmy gave her a pep talk and bribed her with her favorite treats, so all went well!

Running laps around the auditorium during rehearsal.

So cute!!

JJ, Papa, and Aunt Jana had a tea party luncheon with us on Saturday before the recital!

Fancy ladies!

Jed loves Aunt Jana!

Learning about the birds of South Texas.  

Recital time!

Right before the jitters took over.

And right after she overcame her fears and danced beautifully!  We were so proud of her 🙂

and she was so proud of herself!

Time to enjoy the bribes now.  Parenting win or fail?  You decide.

Here’s some cute video of her performance at rehearsal:

And she wanted to perform her dance at home, too!

 

 

On Saturday, my favorite annual event took place–the Downton Abbey Tea Party!  As usual, Anne (the hostess) when to great lengths to ensure that everyone had an absolutely marvelous time.  This year’s theme was The Titanic, and Jimmy was invited to come along and play the role of Patrick Crawley (who died at sea).  She reserved the private room at Landry’s Seafood, which added another layer of awesomeness to the whole experience.  The people who happened to be dining at Landry’s while our party took place were equally intrigued and baffled by us.  It was hilarious and wonderful.

 

Sometimes I feel like I was born in the wrong century, but then I remember how much I love air conditioning and modern medicine.

He played his part with great aplomb.

Anne, the lovely hostess.

She sought to replicate the tea room aboard the Titanic as closely as possible, down to the huge frond centerpieces.  And smartphones (j/k).

His repertoire included Swanee River, By the Light of the Silvery Moon, Beautiful Dreamer, Loch Lomond, Let Me Call You Sweetheart, O Solo Mio, Take Me Out to the Ballgame, and various other tunes that were popular during the time.  A harmonious sing-along spontaneously erupted (some of the ladies in attendance had BEAUTIFUL voices), and I thought my heart was going to explode.  Oh–he played Nearer, My God to Thee when the ship began to sink (naturally).

Gentlemen playing Spades.

The captain toasting his retirement.

The captain announces that the ship has encountered a problem.

Chivalrous and nimble–that’s why I married him.

Having Jimmy there made it even more special.  He also watches Downton Abbey now 🙂

It was practically perfect in every way!  I’m always a little sad when it’s over!

Pockets full of sunshine!

Waiting to see the orthopedist.

The waiting room at Driscoll is fun and lively!

Official diagnosis: a buckle fracture in the distal radius.  The doctor said the fracture is very stable and no cast is needed.  She has to wear this brace for three more weeks.  Whew!  Not too bad, thank heavens!  Way easier than a cast.

Another little trip to the duck pond.

His shirt says it all.

No more monkeys.

Breakfast with Mom at school on Thursday morning.  This blurry selfie was the best we could do!

Happy 30th Birthday to one of the best fathers and husbands in all the world!  We sure do love you, Jimmy!  I didn’t have time to bake a cake, so I got a frozen coconut pie for him.  Then I forgot to take it out of the freezer in time for it to defrost, so it was hard as a rock during dessert.  Good news–he still loves me in spite of everything.  He’s a great guy 🙂                                                  

This little monkey leapt off Jed’s bed and landed on her wrist, and she sustained a partial fracture.  Just in time for ballet recital and swim lessons, naturally.  

She met a mermaid at a fabulous birthday party!

And a unicorn (pony)!

One-handed pinata!

He didn’t care much about the mermaids.

Reunited with one of her very besties!

I gave him a plate of apples and peanut butter for a snack, and this is what happened.  I thought we were past this phase?!

Who wants to invite him over?

Lovely days.

We had a jam-packed weekend full of fun, including lunch with friends and two birthday parties!  Also, we got to meet our friends’ newborn identical twin boys (sorry, I didn’t get any pics of the babies, but I will soon!).  It’s a great time to be alive 🙂

Yum!

These girls have been friends since they were babies.

We’ve been on a book + CD kick lately.  Luckily, the library has tons of them!  We’ve enjoyed learning some new (old) songs from this book, with O Mary, Don’t You Weep No More being a particular  favorite.

This past Monday morning, the kids let me sleep in while they ate bananas and read along with their audiobooks.  It was magical!  I never thought I’d be purchasing a CD player in 2017, but it’s been worth every penny!

She fell asleep with Shel Silverstein.

So silly!

She looks so grown up with her fancy earrings.

My sweet lil’ guy.

And here’s some improv on the Barnes and Noble stage: