Conservation Day and Health Fair

Today we went to the conservation and health fair that our company put on. Since we were the official "unofficial photographers", we got lots of extra pictures (and at least a few of Megan) and wanted to share:

Here, we have the ballrooom with the conservation booths with details on how to reduce your carbon footprint.

Everyone got a small starter kit to plant a tree (bottom left), as well as a reusable grocery bag, a compact fluorescent lightbulb, tire pressure gauge (fuel efficiency is important!), and a few other goodies. Upstairs at the health fair, there were fun activities for the kids, flu shots, cholesterol screening, blood pressure checks, and snacks!



Mom and Dad got their flu shots while Megan played. She had fun in the kids area with her new buddy Lily. She really liked wearing the firehat backwards though, and it took some convincing to get it to stay on "Frontways!"




This picture is a little overexposed, but I think it is interesting. I always think Megan looks mostly like Chris, but here I think she resembles me as a kiddo -- mostly her eyes here I think. Awwww, isn't she a cute fireperson? (do firepeople usually carry balloons?)

National Night Out (Sort of)

Tonight was National Night Out here in Texas. It sounds so funny since National Night Out is in August for all the rest of the NATION, but this year Texas decided to pilot a different day for NATIONAL night out (isn't that really just like TEXAS?). I have to say that spending an evening out with your neighbors IS much more pleasant in October rather than August, so maybe they are onto something! We had a lot of fun. Once it got dark, there were glow sticks for all the kids and creepy green glow things continued to run around our cul-de-sac until it was time to say "night-night." Megan had a lot of fun and was sad to have to call it a day, but she went to bed almost immediately! Poor kid, being back at school full time is really exhausting her!

UNDER your tongue!!

So after Megan's flu shot (See the Broken-leg-itis Post below) we thought she might be running a little fever. We decided to try to teach her the big girl way of using the thermometer (under her tongue). After two attempts, I had to go get the camera as it was so darn funny. I missed at least a few of the tongue attempts which were hysterical, but still captured a few. Video one is Megan's traditional "under the armpit" temp method which she insisted on showing us. Video 2 is her attempt at "under the tongue" I guess this is a skill which takes some practice!

A Broken leg....!

Now today is gymnastics day, and this may leave many of you with worry of Megan's gymnastics. Don't worry, gymnastics went great. Megan loved it even more than usual and is getting much better at the exercises. She had a real workout and left exhausted. No pictures today, as I figure I won't go crazy at everything she does... [not likely!]

But afterwards, Megan had her appt for her flu shot. She was not fond of this, even though we watched another round of "Elmo goes to the doctor" and then promised to go get ice cream afterwards. She was a big girl and got her shot, but now her leg is broken. Daddy had to carry her to the ice cream place, through the library, and even around the house.

I don't think we have any REAL worries, since the leg seems to be working perfectly fine when something exciting happens, when there is a toy nearby (at the library) that another child might get, or when she just forgets how much it is supposed to hurt. Poor little girl.......

And WHATEVER you do, don't let the seat belt touch the band aid or it sets off another wave of broken-leg-itis.

Megan's first visit to Six Flags

Some fun photos and snapshots from our day at Six Flags. This is the first time that Megan has been to Six Flags, and Chris and I hadn't been in five years. But today was season pass holder appreciation day, and all season passholders could bring a friend for free. Our neighbors have season passes, and invited all of us for a fun filled day. We hadn't looked at Six Flags as I thought it was too big for Megan, but she had a blast. We were there for over five hours, and aside from the lunch break rode rides the entire time, and never really repeated any (one or two that they loved we stayed for a second ride) and still never rode all of the kid rides.

It was hot and by the end of the day we had a hot tired cranky kid with hot, tired, cranky parents, but some good photos and video to show for it! She rode on a few small roller coasters, and I am afraid we might have a thrill seeker on our hands. She rode on one (last video below) and then on the mini-runaway mine train twice. Although she wanted to ride the mine train again, by the second time she emphatically declared that it was "too scary for her" so we stuck to lighter rides (she also noted that it made her tummy hurt!)

I posted a few pics below, and here is the link to all of the pictures on flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/homanhouse/sets/72157607574510689/

Mom and Megan on the carousel


Megan, Grace and Gwyneth pose for a "head-shot"


Grace takes Megan for a "spin" in a tea cup (blech, better her than me!)



A video of Megan on the carousel (press play in the box below)


A video of Grace and Megan on the spinning tea cups (press play in the box below)

A video of all three girls swing ride (press play in the box below) They weren't really supposed to be attached to each other, but Megan grabbed Gwyneth's swing to form a train.

The first roller coaster. If you look closely, Megan and her Daddy are riding with Grace and her Daddy (press play in the window below).

Another FIRST

Today, or rather tonight, Megan got her first bloody nose, poor kid. A bit of a fat lip too.

She was swinging and crying out "Faster, push me faster. Higher, higher.....[giggle giggle] faster [laugh] higher....{THUMP} [lots of crying]....[little crying]....Push me faster, faster, higher higher!"

She fell off the swing as high as you can and landed in a bit of a faceplant (or "really hard" as she tells the story) But she does enjoy it so, and is such a big girl. We had to stop swinging for awhile to help with her poor nosebleed.

Another fun Saturday!

Today was fun and busy. We started the day with Megan getting up extra early (she is back in school this week, and apparently this broke the "sleeping in feature"). Since she woke both of us up, we got up, watched some cartoons while Daddy set out making pancakes. We had pancakes and bacon and then got ready for gymnastics.

Megan did great at gymnastics. It is abolutely adorable and hysterical to watch these little kids (Megan is the youngest at 2, and there are two other 3-year olds in the class) run around in their leotards doing gymnastics. She did more hopping like a bunny rabbit on the tumble track trampoline. We had stretching, and balance beam again, and then today also had bars. She went across a high bar, hung from a low one, and then bear climbed across a parallel set. For you grandparents, aunts, uncles, or anyone else who needs an adorable picture to remember, just come visit for a Saturday and we will show you.

When this was all over, we walked just own the street to Rose Park to see the Mansfield Pecan festival. It was a lot of fun. We got the usual vendor info, promos, etc. Then we followed that up with fair food and some kid fun (mostly bounce houses!) Megan doesn't like getting her hands messy, and this almost (I say ALMOST) made it impossible for her to eat the cotton candy. It was upsetting to her, but after a few bites she decided the addictive pink melt in your mouth the stuff was worth the mess. Here are a few snippets from gymnastics. They look A LOT like last weeks, so I just added a few of the new things (bars, bear crawl) and a cute one or two. We didn't haul the camera to the festival, so we didn't get the bounce house photos but it was cute anyway!

A visit to the Arboretum

A quick slideshow of the days fun with our friends the Kaiser's. We met at a location between us -- the Athens Arboretum. I will do some more photo editing and then post a few photos more. If you hover over the photos it should show the captions!

Gymnastics Class

Some photos and a slide show from today's gymnastics class. Megan is the youngest, since she is in a 3 -5 year old class. But she does well and pays attention as well as the other 3-year olds. Also, this Saturday class is quite small (one girl moved classes) so we now only have three students, so the kids get lots of time.

It is a large and long hall, and we sit at the very end, so I had to use a lot of zoom to get pictures. Next time, we may take a tripod, as I had a lot of trouble with blurring or the picture being underexposed. But hopefully, we captured some memories of Megan's class to share with you!

Class always starts with Tumble Track. Really -- who doesn't love a big long trampoline?



Some stretching and floor exercise -- amazing how they really pay attention in class




Then, off to the balance beam today. Megan is NOT a balance beamer, so she takes a little extra help but improved already quite a bit over last weeks beam work.

"Happy Birthday Mama!" -- a FLOUR cake and a FLOWER cake

Today was my birthday, and we had a fun but restful day. Everyone has been feeling a little under the weather (could it be the flu already?!) so we also worked in a good nap as part of the birthday!

Megan helped make a birthday cake. She is really into cake right now - at least the idea of the birthday cake. She really wanted to make me a Dora the Explorer cake (she was actually a bit upset at my choice of a chocolate layer cake) but had fun cooking it anyway. She got to eat lots of icing and even showed Daddy her chocolate mustache that she got from licking the beaters. We made a FOUR layer cake with lots of icing, and then decorated it with yummy cream cheese / butter cream frosting. I can handle cake mixes, but I always have to have homemade frosting (we used all of the cocoa powder making the chocolate frosting and had to make a trip to the store).

When we finally cut the cake after dinner, and Megan had her piece the sugar high lasted well beyond a normal bedtime. She was bouncing off the walls -- I think that is a sign of a GOOD CAKE.

Megan helped frost and decorate the cake

The FLOWER cake (thanks Nana and Papa)

I made Megan a special piece, which had her name written on the plate in frosting covered in sprinkles. She wanted the cake to say "Happy Birthday Megan" and kept asking me to change it to that from "Happy Birthday Mama" So we settled for adding her name to her plate, and that made her happy.

In the end, she celebrated well, and sang several (many many more than normal) verses of "Happy Birthday Dear Mama" even as she was going to sleep. I'll see if I can link a video tomorrow.

After all that chocolate, there is nothing like a good cup of milk


I had lots of nice emails, cards and calls. My dad said he didn't realize the time, but I think he secretly wanted to be the first to call. Of course, at 6AM I wasn't quite coherent yet, but since Megan didn't wake up, I went back to sleep anyway.

Now my sugar high is wearing off, so off to bed we go. One year (or one day) older...!