Nana & P-Pop visit

Well, P-Pop's not a Texas virgin anymore! Nana and P-Pop came out for a nice 6 day visit. Luckily they could get their own guest room since the boys were still sleeping in Morgan's bed. We covered a lot of Austin and more during their stay, including some places I had never been to. High on the to-do & see list was BBQ as you might guess, and we certainly had our fill. It rained on the first day, but we were able to do a driving tour in the afternoon to orient them, followed by BBQ brisket at Rudy's, one of our favorites. It got a thumbs up from P-Pop. The next day, while Morgan was at school, Nana, P-Pop, Dean and myself went to Mt. Bonnell, Mayfield Preserve (covered with peacocks), Laguna Gloria museum, followed by lunch at Hula Hut on the water. That night was First Thursdays where all the art vendors pitch a tent on S. Congress and stores are open late, so after dinner at the house, we went for a stroll to check it out.

Friday was also a full day, but fared better weather so we did a day trip to San Antonio. Ed had to stay back and work, but the rest of us saw the Alamo, did a boat tour on the Riverwalk, had lunch by the water and then checked out Market Square. It was a great day and gave them a little taste of San Antonio. Although Nana had seen the Alamo 30 years ago, she'd never been to the Riverwalk so I'm glad we had a chance to go. Coincidentally, that night when we got back was the first night of the Annual LoneStar Rod & Kustom RoundUp, where hot rods, vintage cars and crazy tricked out cars congregate on S. Congress. I remember seeing this show last year and thinking that P-Pop would love it given his affinity for classic cars. It was serendipitous to have it the very weekend he was here this year. After dinner back at the house, we all walked down for some Amy's Ice Cream and sat to watch the cars cruise by. Needless to say the boys were in awe, pointing at almost every car excitedly. On the walk back, we caught some live music at Jo's and danced with the kids before bedtime beckoned.

stage at Jo's

Saturday, we had a birthday party to go to, followed by more BBQ at the Saltlick in picturesque and remote Driftwood, TX. Tom loved the smokehouse and authentic Texas feel. Afterwards, we were able to show them an almost identical model of our new house. They really liked it and said they can't wait to see ours in person next time. Then, I attended a Kid Expo while everyone else enjoyed the weather by the nearby fountain/field and flew a kite. That night, Ed and I got a date night and finally attended the Piano Bar on 6th St. that we've heard all about. It was funny and entertaining and we had a good time.

Sunday held a special treat -- after a Gourdough's donut-filled breakfast, we took a 3-hour train ride on the Austin Steam Train. It was a close call, but we made it there in the nick of time as the train was backing up to switch tracks. Luckily, they had to slow down anyways so they let us and the other tardy families aboard. (Good job getting us there, Ed - next time, we'll know how far away it is!) We hadn't told the boys where we were going, so they were thrilled to learn that we were actually getting on the train. We rode through fields, small towns, over a trestle bridge and stopped at an old train station where the engine changed tracks to connect to the other side of the train to take us back. The boys loved watching the engine couple up to our car right in front of them.

All in all, it was a great visit and we were so happy to see them both and share Austin with them. I'm sure I'm forgetting some things we did and I know I don't have photos for everything. Thanks Nana and P-Pop for flying all the way out here, treating us, watching the kids so we could steal some adult time and for the beautiful "I Spy" quilt. The boys had a lot of fun playing with you and it meant a lot to be able to spend quality time. We may have seen and done a lot while you were here, but there's still a list of things to see for next time : )

Elana's 2nd Birthday

While in Maryland, we celebrated Elana's 2nd birthday with a trip to a nearby petting zoo. The kids got to pet rabbits, baby chicks, 3- day old piglets, turkeys, alpacas and more. The weather was colder than expected and we huddled together for the pig races followed by an Easter egg hunt. At the end, I couldn't feel my fingers as I tried to open all the eggs. After warming up in Rich and Jill's Odyssey for 10 minutes, we opted to go out to lunch over braving the cold to see some more animals. (Forgive us Elana for outvoting you on your own birthday, but it was just too damn cold!) Later that afternoon, we had cake back at the house. Happy Birthday Elana!

Easter

And that is how it started. After breakfast at Uncle Rich and Aunt Jill's house, the kids discovered this letter left behind by the Easter Bunny. Owen and Morgan read it to everyone, then they were off to find their eggs and even helped each other out if they found someone else's color. After all the eggs had been collected, they worked together to look for the coveted golden egg. They were so excited and giddy when they found it in the bird feeder. The clue inside led them to the wagon in the garage where yet another golden egg containing a clue led them to the porch swing where goodies awaited for all (thank goodness Owen didn't open the bag when he found it prematurely)! Everyone rushed inside to see what was in their eggs while Lola hid round 2 in the new screened in porch. This time, it was a free for all and these eggs jingled with change. It was so cute to see the cousins all working together and so excited about the hunt. Thanks for visiting, Easter Bunny!

Pelaez Bros. Meet Ringling Bros.

While in town, the boys attended their first circus with Aunt Donna and cousins Mariah and Luke (as well as their cousin Natalie) in Baltimore. I'm sure they didn't really know what they were in for, but watched in awe at all the entertainment. At intermission, Morgan was ready to go home, but luckily the motorcycle grand finale roped him back in. In the end, Dean said his favorite part was the dogs jumping through hoops while Morgan's was the motorcycles (surprise, surprise). Now when we read about the circus in our books, they'll know what it's all about!

there's 8 motorcycles in there!

Roomies

At Lola and Papa Bobby's house, we had made separate beds out of sofa cushions for the boys on the floor. After one night, Morgan requested that Dean sleep with him in his bed. Dean happily obliged and although there were more giggles and chatter than usual (Dean is the chatterbox/singer while Morgan just wants to roll over and go to sleep), they eventually fell asleep and have been opting to sleep together ever since, even now that we're back in Austin. Morgan's queen bed has now become the bed of choice. We had been wondering when to transition Dean from the crib to the big boy bed, but I guess our decision is moot now! I don't know how long this will last, but seeing them all snuggled up together when they're sleeping is priceless.

Snow Day

"Snow & Rain Mix" was the forecast for Maryland this past Monday, so we were surprised to wake up to big, fluffy flakes and 4 inches of snow covering Lola and Papa Bobby's neighborhood. Even though they were still recovering from their ear infections, we HAD to go out for at least 15 minutes... this was Dean's first snow! Not fully prepared, we layered on clothing over their fleece PJs, put socks on for mittens and ventured out into the snow that Dean kept predicting would feel "hot". He finally changed his mind after touching the snow and liked walking around in it. It was the perfect snowball-packing snow, and soon a friendly fight broke out between Ed vs. everyone : ) Come to find out, Morgan doesn't much like being a target but thoroughly enjoyed laying one on Ed straight in the nose. Even though it was practically April, it was a nice treat to get a taste of a real winter!

Rachel & Alex tie the knot

We came back east to attend Rachel and Alex' wedding in Cambridge, MD at the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay. The weather cooperated long enough for the outdoor ceremony (who knew it'd be snowing the next day??) and Rachel looked beautiful and happy as Bobby escorted her down the aisle. The ceremony looked picturesque under a tree by the water, but honestly, I missed practically all of it as I tried to wrangle a restless Dean away from the action. The event was a perfect chance to see a lot of extended family and we had a great time catching up. The boys on the other hand were a little under the weather ~ both contracted pink eye on the plane, followed by ear infections. We were lucky to have Dr. O there to prescribe medicine and they quickly rebounded afterwards. It did not stop Dean from flirting with the bridesmaids on the dance floor. At one point in the night, he ran up to me, took my hand and pulled me onto the dance floor. That boy has energy! All the cousins enjoyed the reunion and looked adorable all dressed up. Thanks Rachel and Alex for including us in your special day and congratulations!