Free Range ~ Independence

Being a homeroom mom of 2 classes, keeping up with the kids, maintaining the house, training for my next race, and a weekly shift at the hospital has kept our schedules full lately. But not full enough that Fran could not meet a milestone...riding on 2 wheels!

I am a huge fan of bicycle safety so I had to chuckle at SafeKids quote: " Because they are not ready to ride bicycles, children under the age of five ride tricycles." I guess they have not my 3 year old yet!

Free Range ~ Responsibility

I have to practice what I preach. After months of begging for a pet, saving enough money to purchase all necessary equipment, and asking to become responsible for something...I could not find a valid reason to say "no" to a Betta fish (or three!)

We discussed all areas related to pet ownership: cost, feeding, cleaning, and unfortunately death. They all agreed they still wanted one so each grabbed their money and we headed to the pet store. The boys decided to share a split tank and Fran got her own. They each picked out their Betta of choice then we came home and prepared their new abode.

The kids are ecstatic and still trying to find the perfect names. Here is to a happy and uneventful 2-4 years!

LaDa ~ 2011

When you have a house full of 7 kids over a holiday weekend, someone is bound to get hurt...but who would have expected 1 urgent care visit, 1 ER visit, and a bee sting to the ear?

Our great friends from the Dallas area came to Austin for Labor Day. Each day's agenda was altered due to the previous day's injury. A head laceration on Saturday changed Sunday's swimming plans to a skate park visit, and the "almost" broken ankle at the skate park left us all home Sunday night watching movies and the Austin horizon of surrounding wild fires.

We did squeeze in Deep Eddy, a few trailer parks, sweet treats at Big Top Candy Shop and Hey Cupcake!, a baseball game at the Dell Diamond, a hike up Mt. Bonnell, skating at the downtown skate park, and a 3 hour visit to Dell Children's ER. Everyone survived and our neighborhood is not in immediate danger of the wildfires yet. So as of now we have a lot to be thankful for!