Ice Cream festival

Austin has an ice cream festival which I wanted to go too, as Cara loves ice cream...I thought it would be fun. the day was so hot that was hard work..being outside with all the kids when it is very hot becomes trying..They had a few fair rides for the kids to go on, apart from that it was just the ice cream vendors from the Austin Area..

trip to the Capital Building

Allan took the kids off to the Capital Building and up to the vista point, Mount Bonnell in Austin..I can not remember what I was doing that day....but after the summer with all those kids, most probably nothing..or cleaning, ironing, cooking...who know...that is why i should keep up with my blog!!!

better late than never

These are photo's of Alices last few weeks with us, i am playing catch up since she has been gone a month..but am just learning how to download the photos to the network and using teh main computer...I am not the best at this technology lark...

we are in Diana pool , she lives about 5 houses up from us and they were away and said we could use the pool so we did..lots of fun for all the kids..

They drove into the sunset!!

Ok, a bit dramatic, especially as it was 0930 in the morning, but they did drive away..

Allan took them to Houston as he was off work as the office is moving, and on Monday he goes to a new building...closer to home actually.

allan stopped on the way and gave them lunch at 'Whataburger'..Thomas went for the tripple burger and cheese, it is HUGE. Ellie once again was ladylike and did not try and compete.

Thomas texted me when he was at the gate, then Allan left and drove home...

We are looking forward to them coming out again...it all seems so far away next year, but hopefully it will fly by.
Now i only have Alice left, and she flies home with Cara at the end of August..

imagine how quiet this house will become after this summer...

T and E final meal out

So on their last night we went off to the Steak house and they had there last steak from Texas.
Alex did not want a kids meal, so had a half rack of baby ribs.. and finished the lot, all his sides and had two giant milkshakes...obviously having a growth spurt!!!

Jack and Thomas both had the biggest steak on the menu...and they finished it.
Cara, Alice and Ellie were more lady like and Bens kids portion was huge, but you can always rely on Allan to clear any left over food...it is getting less and less as the younger ones get older, and Cara only ever gives away her tomatoes...poor Allan.

IHOP on the way home

On the way home we stopped for some pancakes for lunch, they had not been to an IHOP, so wanted to go. I think they were suitably impressed with the size of the pancakes..

Just FYI IHOP is open 24/7 365 days a year, even Christmas day..sad really, but very useful as well.

we used them at 5am, the day after we arrived as we had no food in the apartment and everyone was hungry and awake early, so our IHOP initiation was with in 12 hours of arriving in Texas.

it is a favourite place for the kids, as they serve pancakes with everything...Jack of course likes his with steak..no surprises there. Alex just likes a huge stack of them.

As you can see Alice had chocolate chip ones, Thomas had 'pigs in blankets' it is starter option, and althought the sausages are small I reminded him it is about the pancakes!!

a good time was had by all, allan text me in teh middle of this to say a storm was forming near us, and sure enough the heavens opened, so i ran to the car and moved it nearer for them..although Ben wanted to play in the rain...we get so little that it is fun to play in and so refreshing..like having a shower really. so wet we headed home.

The Alamo

This time we made it to the Alamo, with the car behaving itself the whole way...most impressed I was.

It is such an important part of Texas's history, that i wanted to show them, and I grew up knowing the film The Alamo, but it seems it is no longer in fashion..none of them knew a thing,

I dutifully made them sit through he film made by the History channel, only 15 minutes long but it sums up the The Alamo.

Never gone around it so quicky, but I gave them some history and feel good for it...a parents prerogative..ahhhh I am not their parent, well I felt it was my duty to force the Alamo on them and feel they learnt something and at least enjopyed being somewhere different.

The weather was fantastic, we went early to miss the main heat of the day and ate ice creams as well.

The boat trip was fun as always, and i learnt new things about san Antonio, Alice and I sat last night and watched a doulbe fest of miss Congeniality, so we could see the stage and the Alamo on the film, as I pointed these out on the trip.the boat trip.

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