Sundays

Those long, lazy days of summer are slowing drawing to a close. We were still able to squeeze in a nice weekend of nudity (Sam and his buddy, Owen), playdates, and lots of swimming. Today, Sam and Tyler, looked like prunes after swimming for nearly 2 hours. Sam can almost swim the length of the pool underwater (with stomach to the bottom, as he likes to brag) and Tyler can touch the bottom and swim the length of the pool (happy to say he finally learned to breath during his strokes).

Red Bird Shabbat

Here Sam is showing off his new placemat and some of his friends around his Shabbat table. I was so glad to be able to spend significant part of the morning in Sam's class, so nice to see him progressing in his second year of pre-K. I think he will have it down by Spring and ready for Kindergarten next fall!!!

Shabbat in the Classroom

Here are some more shots of the boys. Tyler was having Shabbat with his friends at school, here he is sitting next to Wolf (the boy) and Madison (the girl). Sam is sitting in his class with his buddies.

Shabbat at School

I made my first Challah last night, and I think it came out well...thank goodness I have finally passed the final test of Jewish womanhood! I spent some time in Sam's class on Friday, we played memory, read stories and running around with the torah.

"No, Mommy.."

Tyler got a bit fed up with storytime and wanted out. Sam was trying to entertain him by asking who his favorite animal was on the banks when frog was coming out of the water...but to no avail, Tyler wanted out!

Morning Storytime

Sam decided to have some private time with Tyler, reading Frog and Toad. Tyler enjoyed some special Sam time.

What We Loved About Our Beach Weekend...

After we finished the boat ride, we decided to reflect about the weekend's adventures (and there were many). The boys really loved the beach, the ocean and the boat ride, but more than anything, they enjoyed being out of San Antonio, off of our regular weekend routine, hanging out with our good friends. And for me, it was nice and relaxing, just to smell the ocean air and to swim in the waves. I really do love the beach, and I know that my boys feel the same way.

The Mini-Island

Here Tyler can be seen running back and forth from the mini-island that was much more manageable for someone his size.

More Time on the Water

We had such a great time on the water, I think the boys are really fish at heart!

The Boat Ride

We were so fortunate to go out on Captain DuB's (Christina's dad) boat out into the bay. We saw dolphins feeding on the way to "the island" and then waded out with nets and fishing poles and caught crabs and shells. We even took two crabs back with us, not doing well day 2 on the mainland, however.

Pit Stops

We had a nice time at the beach and playing with Sonoma (the dog) and eating bagels and cream cheese and Texas sized pretzels and then topped it off with an off-highway pee break!

Boys Will Be Boys

We were at the underwater dolphin viewing window and it was very quiet and deserted, so the boys took the opportunity to play chase while the dolphins swam behind them. Did they even see the dolphins, yes, but for that moment, the running and jumping was much more fun, isn't it always?

The Aquarium (cont)

We had such a nice time exploring the grounds, climbing on the pelican and blue heron statues, looking out at the water ad the naval ships. By the end of our time there, Tyler was literally finding it hard to stand upright. Here you see him lying on the floor looking up at the dolphins from the underwater viewing window, it was very neat.

Dolphin Show

Well, there is the Sea World Shamu show and the Texas State Aquarium Dolphin show. I must say that this show at the aquarium trumped the Sea World show. The dolphins were very playful and we were able to get very close to them, unlike trying to work the crowds at Sea World. And for a special treat, on Sunday, Christina's father took us out onto the bay in his motorboat and we saw dolphins in the wild, it was absolutely breathtaking!

The Texas State Aquarium

We went to the coast this weekend with our friends Christina and Walker for a mom and boys weekend. We had a blast! First stop, the Texas State Aquarium in Corpus Christi. The setting was amazing, right on the bay, with the USS Lexington as the backdrop. We saw loads of animals and especially enjoyed the otters (Christina's favorite) and the sea turtles and the dolphins. In the first shot you can see Sam reaching out to touch the stingray and getting a little face splash as it swam away. Very fun!

Eggs on the Front Steps?

"Where do you boys want to eat breakfast this morning?" I asked, and they replied, "Outside on the front steps". Oh, and "can we take poppy with us?" So Mike joined us via skype from Iraq on the front steps for eggs and fruit. The other shots are Sam and Tyler finding treasures in the garden and Tyler wearing a nice pair of purple wedges...oh, thank goodness Mike wasn't here to view that one in person!

First Day of Heintz Preschool

I have to say how nice it is for both boys to be in school together. Tyler is so comfortable at the preschool, in large part, due to Sam's presence. Tyler is going two days a week, while Sam will be attending five days a week. They are growing up SOOOO fast!!