Haunsperger Family Blog: June 2007

Thursday, June 28, 2007

This past week I took the boys to Virginia to visit my brother James' family. Here's a quick summary of our adventures, I'll try to post pictures soon.

Wednesday June 20, we flew to Virginia late in the afternoon. Besides playing musical gates for our Atlanta connection, flying with both boys wasn't bad. Lucas loved rolling his carry-on backpack through the airport (thanks for the great suggestion Farida!) which both slowed him down a bit and meant I only had to carry Timmy. We arrived about 10pm, and my brother James, his wife Melanie, and their 8-year-old daughter Jamie met us at the airport.

Thursday morning we visited the Children's Museum, which the kids loved. They had fun exhibits on bubbles, trains, a giant computer, symmetry, musical instruments, and more. Timmy fell asleep during the planetarium show. In the reading room they let us choose a free book to take home. We had lunch at a nearby Chinese Buffet before returning home. In the afternoon we played in in the large pool in their front yard.

Friday we spent the entire day at Busch Gardens (Europe), from 10am until 8pm. There were lots of fun kiddie rides (Timmy loved anything with a steering wheel). Lucas was brave enough to try the Log Flume. We watched some fun shows on pet tricks, Oktoberfest, American Jukebox (the show where Melanie and James first met), and Irish Dancing. It was a lot of fun!

Saturday we went to a nearby park where the Aquarium had a presentation on different marine animals. There were also crafts, games with prizes, and of course, the playground. Lucas and Jamie especially enjoyed climbing the large rock. In the afternoon Jamie hosted a belated birthday party for Lucas, complete with new friends. It had a Bob-the-Builder theme and frost-your-own cupcakes. They had a great time playing the new games Jamie picked out.

Sunday we attended services at their Baptist church, while Timmy caught up on his sleep in the nursery. We picked some ripe corn from James' garden. We went for a walk in the evening and caught fireflies.

Monday morning we went to a nearby YMCA to swim, with a brief detour to the park again. After lunch we went to Chuck-E-Cheese for a few hours. In the evening James helped the kids make homemade ice cream.

Tuesday morning we went to see Curious George in the theater. Timmy really liked it, he kept imitating George's antics. The kids had fun playing on the slip-n-slide in the front yard while the adults stayed cool in the pool. In the evening we went out for Italian food.

Wednesday we flew home again. Lucas and Timmy slept through the entire second flight :)

Saturday, June 16, 2007

Happy Birthday Lucas (a day late)

Friday was a busy day. It started out with an early volunteer's breakfast before VBS (it was the last day). Then we had a very small birthday party, just Lucas and two friends (with siblings). He really wanted to ride the train and have a pinata. It poured on the way to the park, but was dry when we got there. With thunderstorms in the area, we skipped swimming in Barton Springs, but the rain temporarily cooled the temperature off ten degrees. Only stayed long enough for a picnic lunch and a few activities, then it was hot again so we went home. Had dinner at Chick-Fil-A (Lucas likes the indoor playground), then had cake, ice cream and presents at the grandparent's house. Stayed up an hour late playing with the new toys (mommy never learns...she pays for it the next day when he doesn't get his sleep).

Lucas 4th Birthday

VBS

We spent last week at "Avalanche Ranch," our church Vacation Bible School program. Timmy wasn't so sure about the nursery, but Lucas and I had fun. Lucas started out in my group of 11 preschoolers, but we both decided he was better off in Meemaw's group (she ended up with 13 kids, and I had 7-8). Lucas loved talking in the microphone, singing and dancing to the music, and making crafts.

Hair cut

Timmy ready for a lesson in cutting hair. Any brave volunteers?

Violin practice

Lucas playing his daddy's violin. We enjoyed listening to our friends James and Kyle play in the Austin Civic Orchestra concert at Zilker park last Saturday (although we missed most of the first half becasue Doug didn't want to miss the end of the Rice baseball game).

Fun with Marbles

Lucas and his little brother are looking more and more alike.

Sunday, June 10, 2007

Green Pastures 5 years later

Green Pastures (attending an ordination reception for Father Jamie Misko

Day Camp

Last week the boys and I volunteered at Cub Scout Day camp. Lucas is still too young to be a cub scout, but my mom was camp director and in need of volunteers.

On Monday I ran the Outdoor Fun obstacle course, on Tuesday I ran the obstacle course and disc golf, on Wednesday I ran Nature (we discussed soil and water conservation) and Friday I had the dubious pleasure of helping the scouts dissect owl pellets and assemble vole skeletons.

Timmy "assisted" me while Lucas spent a few days with the Tot Lot and the rest of the time with me or the camp director doing the same activities as the older boys (building and firing a rocket, making ice cream, shooting BBs, bow and arrows, swimming, hiking, camping out, constructing a tool box, fishing, climbing wall,...)

It was fun but exhausting. Thankfully it was much cooler than last year.