Does this look like Fall?

Still hot in Texas! This was last weekend... popsicles melting as fast as the kids could eat 'em. A blazing sun, dried up flowers. But today it rained, the temp stayed in the high 80's and I put on some sweatpants, cranked the AC and we watched some football to bring in the Fall!!

A DAY AT THE .....

ZOO!
This is the first Saturday in some weeks I haven't had to see clients and after having a family pow-wow of cleaning the kids rooms we hopped in the car and drove to Houston. We went to the Houston Zoo which is one place we can get some very old old beautiful trees, some good exhibits, a great children's zoo and the kids good and worn out. It was a good morning. The weather helf off until mid morning before we all started to sweat! Here we are starting out the morning...

Longing for home...

Longing for a little of summer today. Summer really means going home, family and no schedule. could use a little of that today. It's still 90's here and yet we have the schedule of Fall. Ugh....

(Above pics: Auntie Jill & Audra at Family reunion and Uncle Dana and Ilsa at Waterpark!)

World Cup?

A mother can dream.....

Rainy Day...

Sometimes when it rains you have to seize the "puddles". Last week it rained with the coming of "Humberto" (which as you know was a near miss for Houston). But between showers we (Guunar & Anders and myself) decided to boot up and hit the puddles. This is Gunnar's idea of adventure....backpack, binoculars and his bike. We found a long stretch of road with water that he could ride his bike through. I saw in my two sons the essence of boyhood on this day. They couldn't get enough of speed (on his bike) and dirt (flying up behind him!!) I had my pants rolled up and a cool beverage!!!

Of Mice and Men.... (or man & woman)

So much to blog, so little time. Our minds have been on our nephew Joey this week who has been in the hospital ....He is home and doing much better!! Welcome Home Joey!

that is no reflection of the above picture! In fact....we have a mouse. This little creature (Oh LORD let him be little and not a rat) Has been feasting on the innerds of chair cushions in our garage. Chris immediately threatened this unwelcomed creature with a TRAP. A hunk of cheddar where he'd meet his fate. Much to our dismay this mouse gets the cheese...NO TRAP! What...I thought.....impossible. My husband was not ruffled. He again...put out the cheese. No cheese, no mouse. What....how was he navigating this time tested method of capture? One night Chris even went to check only an hour after he put out the bait. GONE! In an hour!! I was mad now...I said "sit in the van Chris and wait for him!" My husband looked at me w/ dismay? "YOU sit in the van!" he said quickly back!!! He then mumbled "what did you think I'd shoot it if he came out?" Ok....you got me. I just thought we could see our foe first hand. I then realized since it is still 95 degrees this may be a bad idea.
My brother Dana suggested peanut butter. Ah...at last we thought. Now you've met your match. Peanut butter it is!! The next morning....we could almost hear our little fury friend laughing as the peanut butter was untouched. "hhhhaaaa ha....I don't even like PEANUT BUTTER!" he seemed to say.
Alas......we still have a mouse!

And then there's Gunnar....

Happy first day of 4 year old preschool Gunnar Storm! He wakes up, eats his breakfast, goes in without fanfare, comes out with a sweaty head, eats his lunch and says, well...not too much. The difference between he and his sissie!

and to all our family on their first day...Joey, Tanyi, Tyra, Greta...Oskar? Marissa... We wish you all a Happy Happy first day of school.