Well, almost Easter.  Today Teravista held their easter egg hunt.  It was so cute to see so many kids all dressed up.  They had an easter bunny, balloon blowing clown, egg hunt and the cutest petting zoo.  Noah still has a dislike of farm animals.  Cooper loved it.  He pet the chicks, piglets, ducks, bunnies, goats, sheep and ducklings.  He fed the sheep and goats and was not afraid of them at all.  What a brave little man.  The egg hunt was nicely planned and went off without a hitch.  I was torn betwen putting Cooper in the 0-2 group or 3-4.  I’m glad I left him in the 0-2 because he is such a little pokey guy.  It took him a while to walk around and find 10 eggs.  On the other hand I think Noah had his 10 eggs in record time.

Afterwards we took the boys out to lunch.  We tried a new place in Georgetown called McAllister’s Deli.  The food was good but the authenticity can be summed up by the response I got when I asked for a pickle.  She said they don’t sell pickles but if I wanted a spear she would give me one.  It was a mushy pickle.  OK it was no Zingerman’s but what is.  They did have a great baked potato offering.  I got the 2 pounder potato.  I’m pretty sure it had everything on it.

Then the boys and I walked around the shopping area and stumbled into a Cold Stone Creamery and had to get some.  Noah got the cotton candy ice cream(I want the blue ice cream) with the gummi bears.  He told everyone that walked by how much he loved his ice cream and what exactly it was.  Such a social little guy.

On a side note I would like to tell Shannon that I have banned your comments from the message board.  You are free to continue to read my blog but your comments will go directly to a spam folder.  This is a website for family and friends and you are obivously neither.  I find your comments amusing and borderline pathetic but overall it is tiring.  I’m glad you are happy in Sterling Heights and Michigann.  My deepest wish for you is that you find some happiness in your life.

We started the day early(9:30) and we weren’t disappointed.  The rain stayed away for the festival but boy was it windy.  That was good for the pro kite flyers that were competing but not for Noah.  HEB had a kite making tent for the kids and Noah made a great kite.  He even flew it himself.  After a while the wind tore the tape and we had to go back to the tent for a little mending.  Colin brought his own big kite.  Mark got it in one tree and then another trying to get it out of the first but he was one of the few that actually got his kite out in one piece.  I guess we shouldn’t have stood so close to the tree line.  There were a lot of people trying to climb trees mostly to no avail.  The kite festival really is prettier with a blue sky.  The colors of the kites really pop better then.  Lots of fun was had by all and then we packed up and went to lunch at Hula Hut.  That was a nice part of Austin.    Very cute.  Lunch was great and never underestimate the power of a crayon to a 4 year old!

I gotta run but here are some pics of the event.

This is a view from our table

There are a lot of fun things in store for the weekend.  The weather is going to be great(mid 70’s) but the skies will be cloudy.  The good news is that the rain isn’t suppose to start until Sunday night after the kite festival. 

Saturday there is an event at the University of Texas called explore UT.  All of my middle school kids are going via bus.  It looks like a lot of people are going to this.  I found a few things that Noah and Cooper should love:  fossil find, make a pet rock, Giant operation board game, plus some face painting and musical chairs with cookie organs.  That should be fun.  Basically it is a big open house for UT.

Sunday we have the kite festival!  We had so much fun last time we went and I’m sure Cooper will get to enjoy it even more now that he is old enough to make his own kite.  After the festival we are going to the Hula Hut for dinner.  I’m really excited to try that place out as it is run by the same people who make my fave mexican here, Chuys.  The Hula Hut is a mexican polynesian restaurant.  YUM and they have a playground for the kids to play on while we eat and be merry.  This is on Lake Travis too so we get beautiful views.  I’ve never been there so this should be fun.

I’m guessing we are going to have some really tired babies, oops I mean big boys, at the end of the day.  Bed time should be a breeze.

I haven’t watched Lost yet so my post will come soon. 

I have been watching GMA and for the last few weeks they have been doing a special on the best mac and cheese and now I am obssessed with making mac and cheese for dinner tonight.  Of course I am going to add a Texan flare to it!!!!

These are the pictures from tha party/picnic we had in front of the house

This is a picture from our first trip to the Domain

Today is going to be a hot one.  It is suppose to get to 87 degrees.  89 is the record.  This warm front has bee great.  We got lots of yard work done last weekend.  Gregg and I can’t move so well today but the yard looks great. 

We had lots of fun last night at the picnic.  A big thank you to everyone who brought something and Ms. Shanna for tending the grill like “good woman folk.”  The kids had a blast.  It is so sad when they don’t want to leave.

This weekend is going to be fun too.  This Sunday is the Zilker Kite Festival.  We went to this last time we lived here and had a blast!  Oddly enough I was just wondering when this was going to happen and viola, yesterday I heard the date on the radio.  The park is huge and there are soooo many kites.  I’m excited that Cooper will be big enough to enjoy all the treats and festivities.

I will post pictures of the party this afternoon. 

Last night we went out for Mike and Gregg’s birthday.  We hit the Domain and did the usual drinks by the fire at the Domain and then late night happy hour at the Daily Grill.  It was a great time and did anyone notice how many plates we had accumulated by the end of the night.  Holy cow!  It’s so nice to get out again.  As most of you know I am not a home body.  I have always been on to get out and do something.  It seems I had gotten into a rut.  When we were in Philly we started to get out of the rut.  WE would take a trip almost every weekend.  We went to Balitmore(fun aquarium) a few times, Washington DC, dowtown Philly(great zoo and museums), Atlantic City and tried once to go to NY.  Then we got to Austin and things kind of slowed down again.   We’ve been to the hill country, winter festival etc.  but I would like to explore more.  I also enjoyed our time out with friends without our little angels.  We are getting ready to do more of both.  We found 3 new baby sitters so we should be covered now LOL.

Today we are having friends over to celebrate Gregg and Mike’s birthday again.  WE are having a little happy hour on the path.  It’s a beautifull day for it too.  It’s going to be 78 or so.  Tomorrow it is suppose to be 80 something.

Well I need to get out into the yard and finish my gardening and lay woodchips.  It’s almost time to put the hummingbird feeders out.  Woo hoo!!!!!!

Have a good day and hopefully I will have some pics of our fun day.

OK so today was the first day of my new job.  I’m so lucky to have gotten this job but I believe they feel they are even luckier for having me.  The prinicpal gave me free reign to design my own plan.  The woman before me apparently hadn’t done too much. 

My first day I designed/tweaked the schedule, assessed the test(meap like) results from last year for each student and designed an individual plan for each student.  They were extremely pleased.  I streamlined the program.  They were paying me $25 an hour to sit on my tush for 2 1/2 hours in the middle of the day.  I told them I would rather go home for lunch for 2 hours and come back for the last 1 1/2 hours(I live 10 minutes away).  I got them from 40 hours a week to 20 hours and I actually improved the  services I am providing for the students.  I saved them money and am providing better services for the children.  So my hours are 8-11 and 1:30-3 Mon. and Thurs. and 8-11 and 1:30-3:30 Tues. and Wed.!  Woohoo Fridays off!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fridays will now be my Jungle Java work days.  I still work on it daily but obviously I can’t use the phone during school.  I also get to eat lunch with my boys on Tues. and Thurs. and my big boy Mon and Wed.  LOL

Congratulations to Sarah for braving a sicker than sick weekend and still passing her insurance mumbo jumbo test(I try to sound like I know what I am talking about).  Gotta love the Vicks Vapor rub but only above the belly button!!!!!!!!!!!

WE are planning another night out with the Path at the Domain.  Late night happy hours and outside fireside chats at Joe DiMaggio’s.  We may have quite a crowd going this Sat.  Carol is going to have a parking space with her name on it with how many times she has been there this week.  Hopefully your spot is outside of Tiffany’s.

Time to go to bed.  I get to work tomorrow!  (:

Well the scary skies did absolutely nothing.  I was expecting hail and the such but nothing happened.  This morning is sunny and there are already tons of people on the golf course.

I guess we will do the park and lunch……Friday’s or Waterloo Ice House?  Waterloo is the place with a park and bottomless mimosas until 2.  HHHMMMMM

Sorry it has been a while since I last posted.  We have had fantastic weather here.  Another 80 degree day and sunny, sunny, sunny.

Saturday we had two birthday parties.  We were at Colin M.’s party first playing outside then ran over to Taggert and Riley’s party in time to see the python.  Happy Birthday guys! 

Saturday night we headed to the Domain and had a great time sipping drinks on Joe DiMaggio’s patio and at the Daily Grill.  I have a few pics that I will have to download. 

On Sunday we had our Superbowl party.  Great food and great friends always make for a nice time.  The kids had a blast in the game room and again were wonderful.  Who would think that you could put 9 kids in a game room and not have a single fight all day.  We have an amazing group of kids!  I think Carol is going to send me some pics from that event or she may have them up on her site.  The blog is linked here in the margins.

Today was another busy work day for the JJ.  We are finalizing our blueprints now.  They will be done by next Wednesday when the MEP’s get them to put their stuff on and then to the review/permit phase.  If everything works out right(knock knock)  I hope to start construction some time in the first week of March.  From there the contractor said 90 days to finish.  The play structure people are already working on our structure.  It’s getting exciting now.

My mom is only in town for a few more days so we will soak up the fun for now and send her off on her way!  I don’t know who will miss each other more, her or the boys.

I just talked to my mom and she is on her way.  She will be happy when she gets off the plane and sees we have the same temperature that she is used to in Key West.  It is finally warm again.  The kids were all out playing yesterday and no doubt will be out again.  I think I feel a Tuesday Family Fun Night coming on.

We should get a peek at our final plans for the Jungle Java tomorrow.  Then the architect will have them put in to Auto cad.  We hope to have the plans to the permit offices by Feb. 10th. then 2 weeks to get permit and finally Build out!

I am also all ready to be a substitute teacher.  I have to do my final registration then I will get the call.  I’m excited to teach again and to do so without any of the headaches that a classroom teacher has.  As soon as my mom leaves I will get back into the swing.  I’m already stocking my “sub bag.”  Should be fun!

We have 3 birthday parties this Saturday(Taggert, Riley, and Colin M.).  Then on Sunday we will be hosting the Fairway Superbowl party.  Well I think we are calling it the halftime party as Monday is a school day.  So we will all drink, eat and be merry until halftime is over.  Now I am coming up with the menu.  So far I have chicken wings and a pear gorganzola tart to eat and maybe Hurricanes to drink.  Even though I love me some champagne I feel that this party calls for something will a little more gusto.  Any other drink or food ideas would be greatly appreciated.  If I find any good recipes in my Rachel Ray files I will pass them on to you as well.  Yum I love to eat!