Wednesday's toobing!!

this morning i took the older five tubing at Andy's toobs, down at Canyon lake, they went down the Guadalupe river.

The first challenge of the day was getting them up, we needed tehm to be on the river early, before the sun got too hot . I think early morning are going to be something Thomas and Ellie are not going to do for a while once they leave Texas!!!

then I drove them down there and dropped them off with a cooler and food and drink to feed an army...you just never know ...Cara made all the sandwiches..


Then i9t was up to them..they did the four hour ride, as it will be the last time they do tubing for this year..Alice might get another go, but T and E wont so we made it worth it.

You have a variety of pictures, Cara took my camera ...she is someone i can kick about if it got ruined...it didn't by the way...and I wanted to be able to show you what they ahd been up to..

The tubes have bottoms, this saves your own bottom, but they ahve all managed to get sunburt a lottle and tube rub on their arms..germoline applied accordingly when they got home..Sun lotion was applied before the went and i sent some more with them..

reapplying it was obviously not the order of the day..

well enjoy the pictures, we are off to the Alamo tomorrow, so more photo's from there.

Monday is cleaning day...

They have all learnt that Mondays is deep cleaning day...no escape and I get them all up so we can crack on.. the only day i get them up unless they are due to go out on a tourist run...

Thomas and Jack went for a sleepover at lunchtime, so we will see them tomorrow . I will pick them up on my way to Austin park...a fun filled mad house...rock climbing, dodgem boats, go-carts, mini golf, and loads of things inside as well...I personally hate it...really noisy, but |I am not your theme park girl...I am just dropping and running tomorrow..A and B are going to see G force with cara. so they are happy. Allan we are letting go to work...he is very pleased with that I can tell you.

The Music man performance

So every year a musical is put on at the open air theater in Zilker park...last year we went to beauty and the beast, this year we went to The Musicman..

we arrived early to set up our spot, Cara and I stayed to look after it and read, facebook, text each other..generally do silly things, while the rest of them went to swim in the springs, walk Tex and have fun in the playground.


Then they all came back, ate the picnic we had amde, drank soda's and enjoyed watermelon...yellow watermelon..a first for all of us.

They do not start the performance until dusk, which was 8.30pm and it ended at around 11pm...so a late night for us all.

some friends came along as well, with there four children, so we had a fun , enjoyable evening. It was a bit hot and sticky, but good fun.

Cara and I went to Zilker in the back of the truck and home again that way...not sure what the locals think of that...but we were all together and saved petrol..and only have the truck as the car is STILL in the garage.

Sunday at Cabela's

Cabela's is a HUGE store that is for outdoor pursuits, shooting,, fishing camping, kayaking, etc...lots of fun things. they have designed the store in a really fun way...with lots of fun exhibits..it has an aquarium, an African exhibit...they are stuffed, the aquarium was real!!!

They have a laser shooting gallery upstair which the boys all enjoyed and I have put photo's on of us all having a go..cara and Ellie decided not to come with us, so no photo sof them ..sorry.















Alice not scared of the bear!!!














Thomas with his eyes closed...maybe he is scared????





























The shooting gallery










This isa ctually all of us, Alex, Jack, Thomas, me Alan and Ben at the end..Alan is helping Ben















Thomas and me...i was told I do not put pictures of myself on very often...so today you do have some....fussty you lot are, is it not enough I manage to do the blog...time is not something I have a lot of and photogenic is not me!!!








Alice hates this pictures, i think it is because it is soooo posed!!!

























half the boys, the older ones where in the gun section!!!!! they caught up with us when it was time for the shooting gallery...







you get all sorts in Texas

Visiting Jo and Alans

So off to Jo and Alan's we went for barbecue, Cara and I sat in the back of the truck, and the kids were all inside, this is because we are law abiding citizens and did not want to get in trouble!!!

Here is Alex, Jo and Alan do not have kids, but tehre house is a constant attraction to my children, it is full of fun toys..romote control darlex, many remote control helo's, PS3, a musicc system that Allan would die for ( well hopefully not actually!!!) and gadgets galore....









they even have the gaming chairs, now Alex and Jack did get one each for Christmas from Cara but not as cool as these.







that is not alcohol, i promise. Alan in teh background made the burgers himself and they were really tasty, they had horseraddish in...i am going to try and steal that recipe.














Alice trying to master nerf guns!!!





















Ellie and Ben in the gaming room.
















Thomas...what more can I say.















This the pile of shoes when we arrived that we created in the kitchen.

It just goes to show how many of us there are!!! too many I hear Allan say...dont worry darling they go home soon...promise

Paintballing today

They are ready to go...feel the pain...

this is Zach and Thomas..for those of you who do not recognise them kitted out.

Allan tells me Zach and his dad turned up with new guns this morning...I feel the amount of times Jack goes paintballing will increase. Allan is being a scaredycat because when Zach last went Allan shot him at short range and gave him a bleeding whelt...not good, I am still trying to avoid his mother, and she is a lovely lady!!!







Thomas and Zach, with Alex before suiting up.















Jack and Zach.












This was the first time ben and Alex ahve been allowed to go along, and it was only to see!!! the age limit here is much lower than in UK and they, well Alex at least could play, but I am not allowing it yet...he is still such a small boy to me, trying to grow up far too quickly.
I love the way they made them have to wear the safety glasses, that works for me!!

This is Thomas' gun, I am not sure, but i expect big brother was not so accomodating with his gun!!!


here you have the legs of all three boys, very relaxed about the whole day,

Down at Zilker cooling off.

so the weather has been hot, hot hot..so we went down to Zilker on Thursday afternoon with Tex. Ellie put a ball in for Tex and this became the focus for the kids...not always Tex, who gave away the ball to other dogs frequently.

They all had fun, while i read a book on teh side lines, i had my feet in the water to help me cool down as well.

We had a thunder storm !!

poor pictures, but the idea shows through..it was raining, lightening and thunder rumbled, it was a fantastic storm and we had wanted the kids too all see a Texas storm..they are spectacular.

This is Alex on the slide.













This is Thomas Ellie and Jack playing ball with Tex.












J
Jack and Thomas
















This is Thomas it shows you how light it was, so not sure how I managed to get the other photo's so dark.

























Alice decided to sunbath during the storm...