The Low Down

It's been nearly 3 weeks since we arrived in Texas for our quarterly month-long visit.  I haven't posted much because it seems that we haven't really done all that much, but in fact, we're "going" from morning to night, mostly staying busy playing, going out, or just hanging around with the gang. 

Pumpkin mostly hangs out at his cousin D's house all day, every day, M-F.  I finally just started leaving his bike there so I wouldn't have to keep toting it back and forth everyday from "our" house to theirs.  One fine day during our 1st week here, I took the 3 kids (my 2 & D) to the lakeside park in D's neighborhood.  Being a weekday, the park was pretty much deserted, which was both eerie and cool.  The boys really wanted to go down to the lake to throw rocks, and of course, Giggles being Giggles, she walked right into the lake up to her knees just because she could, haha.

My kids are loving it, but they really just aren't used to this much hoopla.  Two weeks ago, after we'd been here just one week, Lis had a dance competition in Houston so the "neighbors" and the Grands were all gone for the weekend.  At the same time, my brother and sister-in-law went to Dallas for a concert, and my other sister and her fam were in San Antonio for my nephew's medical appointment.  Leaving me and my kids home alone for the weekend.  I'd planned to go to Houston for the dance-off but changed plans at the last minute.  Instead, I took the kids to a local Earth Day festival, which we all enjoyed, then we came home and all 3 of us took a nice, long nap!

Last week, I drove to San Antonio to attend a librarian conference with my sister and her librarian buddies.  I'd heard her talk about these conferences before, and here was this great opportunity for me to finally go to one too.  Whoop!  Neither kids nor rain nor...more rain was going to keep me from the conference. 
Bonus! ~> Not only was I able to crash with the ladies' in their hotel room(s), but one of my sister's friends was also able to snag me a free admission pass for the conference from one of their vendors.  Whoop whoop!  I had a lot of fun hanging out with my sister and her friends, and I made off with some EXCELLENT free books and loot!  And, I even got to take a picture with Super Scholastic Girl, hehe.

This weekend, Lis and her fam are headed back to S.A. for another dance competition.  I don't think we'll join them there either.  I'd kinda like to, but I understand hotels are sold out because of Fiesta.  There's a hay ride or something going on in town this weekend, a fund-raiser for autism.  Perhaps we'll do that instead.

Anyway, in other news, QT was recently promoted within his company, and we are moving back to Texas!  Yee-haw and Whoop-de-doo!!  Pumpkin is thrilled...as are all his cousins (about the move, I don't think they even realize it's tied to a job promotion, haha).  QT and I are pretty excited too.  We always planned to return, and it's much better when someone else picks up the tab.  ;)

Even more exciting is watching Giggles continue expanding her repertoire of words and signs and just learning more each day.  It turns out...she...likes...to..dress up!  Beautiful Grandma bought her a new outfit with a flouncy skirt, and Giggles immediately had me put it on her...along with about half a dozen hair bows, haha!  And the other night, she was crying but was instantly placated when B.G. offered to paint her fingernails, haha.  Oh my!