Carolina's Birthday

It is the beginning of birthday season for me. Carolina's birthday is August 5th and it just goes from there with most of my family and friends falling somewhere in that time frame, and ends December 11 with Isaac's birthday. Whew! Luckily nothing important falls right after Isaac's birthday...oh wait, shoot Christmas! :)
Anyway, there's not a better way to start off birthday season then throwing a birthday party for a little girl! This year I thought it would be fun to do something a little different, so we took her and Avery ice skating. Carolina loves to ice skate, she has even told me that she plans to have two jobs when she grows up; teacher and Olympic ice skater. I haven't had the heart to tell her she's getting a little long in the tooth by ice skating standards and since she's only been ice skating 4 times...well...

It's a fun afternoon outing though so we got the kids in jeans and long sleeve shirt, a rarity in August, and set out. Carolina had a rough start, she's very cautious and gets frustrated easily if she doesn't catch onto stuff as quickly as everyone else. Avery, threw herself (almost litteraly) into the skating and while she spent a considerable amount of time picking her self off of the ice, she kept going and never once cried.

Then it was home to have dinner, cake, presents and for a sleepover. Carolina made out pretty well with lots of new Barbie stuff including a little folding Barbie house and Barbie carrying case, a Tinkerbell sleeping bag and a Little Mermaid slip and slide.



Dinner for the kids was up to Carolina and she chose Macaroni and Cheese (big surprise there!) and Kristina was nice enough to offer to cook for the grown ups. She made a great pork ternderloin thing, mashed potatoes and a salad. It was terrific, I have no culinary skills with the exception of my Mac and Cheese, so I am always impressed when people make a full meal! Dessert was a giant chocolate chip cookie cake specially requested by the birthday girl!


Yummy dinner made by Kristina!

Happy Birthday to you...

After cake the girls busted out the slip and slide and took turns trying to show off. Carolina started off every turn with "Watch and learn" Hmmm, I wonder who she got that from, maybe the same person who gave her those long dark eye lashes! ;)





Isaac watching the festivities

Unfortunately our backyard is possibly the meeting ground for all the mosquitos in Texas and there must of been a rally that night because even with copious amounts of Off we were all covered in bites. Slip and Slide time ended early. The girls then tore into the new gifts and set up the Barbie house. I don't know why but I thought they looked so freaking cute in their nightgowns and wet hair. They were exhausted, so play time was soon followed by movie and sleeping bag time and you know what that leads to...



Sunday morning aftermath:




Sunday was plain fun in the sun, swimming at Kristina's pool! Such a busy weekend, but a lot of fun.



I met Carolina when she was 4, she couldn't read, write, or pick our her own clothes. Now she can read, understand what we're spelling when we're trying to get stuff by her (ex: Donuts), write notes to people, she's lost 4 teeth and I can tell her to "go grab some clothes" and she comes back reasonably put together. She still loves baths full of bubbles, her "Susie" bear, to be picked up, snuggle on laps and be carried to bed though! Happy Birthday C! :)

I am honestly not a fan of the summer. Once summer ceased to consist of laying around either my mom or dads house swimming and watching soaps and became all about work, it lost all appeal. Now summer is just like every other part of the year except it's slightly warmer than the face of the sun and I have to find appropriate work clothes to accommodate that. I'm fair skinned so walking in the sun is dangerous for me and there's no good TV. That and I suffered through 3 fairly bad relationship induced horrible summers which turned me off to the season even more. However, the last 3 summers with Isaac have been nice and this summer was actually pretty fun. There was no money to see the world, but that was okay, the world came to us!

The summer started out with a bang when Isaac's mom came from Madrid for 2 weeks, we were both able to take off while she was here and had a good time showing her around Austin.

One of my favorite Austin spots; the Hula Hut

The full Texas experience in Fredericksburg.
Mini golf at Peter Pan Putt Putt Another Austin tradition; The Oasis (you go for the view not the food or service!)


Mon left just as World Cup fever took hold and we went all in and came out with a huge payout. Spain won their first World Cup!! We had a blast getting into the games and I finally had a chance to learn about Soccer. (I'd never really wanted to, but I very much enjoyed my Soccer watching time!)


Victory celebration with Cava!

Just as we were winding down from World Cup frenzy Isaac had two friends from high school come to visit. Eleanor from Paris and Michelle who now lives right here in Texas in Nacogdoches. It was very cool meeting people from Isaac's past. The majority of his past is scattered across Europe and most of mine is about 10 miles down Mopac here in Austin, so I've always felt he has a bit more mystery to him than I do, (he may like it that way) but we got to even it out a bit! Eleanor stayed for 4 days and we had a blast showing her around Austin!
Isaac, Michelle and Eleanor, Frankfurt International School graduate.


Eleanor and I at Trudys laughing at Isaac...or with him? :)

Flaming Dr. Peppers at Touch

After Eleanor left the summer heat hit it's crescendo and we became pool bums at Kristina's new apartment complex taking a brief break to hit the ice for Carolina's 7th birthday.

Carolina ice skating for her birthday.



Isaac and Carolina playing in the pool

The weekend before school started for Carolina, Avery, Kristina and I we hung poolside and then hit Chili's for dinner and best of all dessert for the kids.

Kristina and I braving the sun (well I'm braving the sun) poolside

Kristina and Avery

DESSERT!!!!

Now summer is over, although I don't think anyone has told the sun that yet, and I'm very much looking forward to the fall. We've got birthdays, holidays, and pumpkin patches to look forward to as well...fall TV!!!

Stay tuned...