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I can't believe school is here again already!  Although it got challenging at times with the kids this summer, it is hard to believe another school year is upon us.  And this year all of my kids are in school full time.  Emme started kinder (tears for me) . . . and Sophie started sixth grade (more tears for me).  Where does the time go?!?!

Cutest kindergartner in the school!

Sonny is a first grader this year!

He has a really good teacher and a couple of buddies in his class.

Bella is in fourth.  She is the veteran at the elementary school now that Soph has moved up to middle school.  She is very protective of her little brother and sister.

This was at the end of the first day.  All smiles!  Good day all around!

Big time now!

Sophie enjoyed her first day at middle school a lot! 

Introducing Tostito (aka Tito)

So . . . the Guinea Pig mentioned a few posts back ended up getting a bad case of ring worm and had to go back to the pet store for treatment.  In the meantime, the kids learned that the Hintzes had some baby bunnies that they were looking to find good homes for.  Instead of opting for a healthy Guinea Pig, the kids decided they wanted a bunny.  So now we have this little fella. 

After a lot of debate, the kids settled on the name "Toasty" but then started calling him Tostito because of a brown, sort of triangular patch on his back.  Tostito stuck, and that is the little guy's name (though Harrison calls him "Cody" sometimes because that was the name he wanted).  I have to admit he is pretty cute and cuddly -- more so than the Guinea Pig -- and pretty low maintenance.  Plus, we are able to use the same cage we used for the GP (after a thorough cleaning) and the kids like playing with the bunny more.

Given our shaky track record with pets, I am keeping my fingers crossed that this one sticks around for awhile.  I must confess, though, that I have come to realize I am not a big lover of animals, which is kind of strange because I grew up around all kinds of animals -- dogs, cats, pigs, goats, chickens, etc... But they were always outdoor animals.  I am not a big fan of animals inside the house.

This is pretty darn cute, though, whether inside or outside the house!

All of the kids like Toasty.

But Bella is the animal lover amongst us.

Sophie is usually not interested in animals at all, but she has really taken to the bunny too.

Lemonade Wars!

Hi,everybody, Sophie here. I taste tested two types of 5 calorie lemonades and I wanted to pass along the results.

HEB VS CRYSTAL LIGHT WHO WILL WIN??!!

HEB had some clumps but you can press on the bag before opening it to avoid those.

And the winner is.....HEB!!!!

 In the end the HEB brand was cheaper and tasted more natural. I hope you liked this post!!

Sipping up sunshine!

Summer Camps

Sophie and Bella did a tennis camp this past week, and Harrison did a Lego camp.  They all had a lot of fun!  Next week Emme, Bella, and Harrison are doing a gymnastics camp.  It is hard to believe summer is winding down.  It has been a fun and eventful (and sometimes crazy) one!

Return to NYC!

Stephen got invited back to speak at the same law conference he spoke at last year in Manhattan, and I came along again for a getaway.  It was a lot of fun!  We heart NYC!

We spent two nights and three days in the city.  Our first stop when we arrived was Norma's, which is known for its brunches.

It was good but not great.

 We had wanted to go to the temple in Manhattan, pictured above, but it was closed for cleaning.  However, the temple complex is unique.  There is actually a meeting house located on the third floor.

So we went up the elevators, toured the chapel and facilities a bit, talked to some friendly missionaries, and recharged our iphones.  It was really neat to see the house of the Lord in the middle of a sprawling metropolis and to go inside for a rest from the hustle and bustle for a while.  One of our favorite stops.  Just wish we could have gone inside the temple floor.

Our next stop was a taping of the Late Show with David Letterman.  I had gotten us tickets in advance.  Surprisingly, this was probably our favorite event this trip.  Oprah and Paul Rudd were the guests.  Being in the historic Ed Sullivan theater and watching how the show is done was really cool.  I am really glad we decided to squeeze it in!

 

And we had to squeeze it in because the filming ended just after 7 p.m. and we had tickets to see the Broadway smash hit Jersey Boys at 7 p.m.  Fortunately the two venues were close together and we were able to sneak in a little bit late to Jersey Boys.

Despite some salty language, this was a fabulous musical.  The story was interesting, the sets were creative, the music was outstanding, and the pace was swift!  It is hard to believe all the hit songs that these guys either sang or wrote.

What is a trip to NYC without Time Square?  Time Square at night has an otherworldly quality about it, in a good way.  You can't capture it in pictures or video.  You just have to experience it.

We hit the original Shake Shack at 11 p.m. in Madison Park, which was close to the hotel we stayed in.  Yuuuuum!  Their Smoke Shack burgers are soooo good!

While Stephen was at his conference, I met up with Anna and her kids.  Anna was raised in Brooklyn and now lives in Connecticut with her husband and girls.  The Changs were our neighbors in Pearland, and we have been friends since.

We ate at the original Grimaldi's Pizza in Brooklyn.  Yum!

It was a little drizzly and overcast, but that didn't stop us from having a great time!

Later that day, Stephen and I went to Magnolia's Bakery.  The Banana Pudding there is divine!

We took our Magnolia's goodies to Rockefeller Center and enjoyed the grounds as we ate.

Then we walked all around Central Park.  It is such a cool place!

And it is huge!  I can't get over how big it is and how it is smack dab in the middle of a metropolis.

That night we went and saw Wicked.  Another very good Broadway musical and experience.

The production was elaborate and the performances were impressive.

The revelation of the trip was probably a little food stand called Waffles and Dinges.  We went there on our last morning in the city.  Holy Cow!  I have never eaten anything like it.  You have to go there if you are ever in NYC. There are a couple of them near Central Park, which is where we experienced the taste explosion.  They also have a food truck that travels around the city and a store front in the financial district. 

Yes, that is whipped cream and ice cream on top of the best tasting waffle I have ever had, which was itself smothered in a special spread called Speculoos cookie butter.  Mmmmmmmm.

Please, sir, can I have another?  Pleeease?