Friday, May 29, 2009

You Can Pick Your Friends, but...


This photo was actually requested by Dad who still has the sense of humor of a little kid. Ty easily complied and giggled as he stuck his finger up the statue's nose.

This Latin American statue sits on the campus of the University of Texas and we encountered it on our way over to the LBJ Library. Pictures from that visit will appear in the next post.


Fatherhood Friday at Dad Blogs

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Pecan Street Festival




First sign that Texas slang is wearing off on me: used to pronounce Pecan as "P-CAN" and now am adopting the softer "PUH-CAHN". So with that in mind you can say Pecan Street Festival to yourself at home and feel like you're a native Austinite.

Ty and I headed downtown one recent weekend for this longstanding tradition here. Covering multiple blocks of 6th Street (formerly known as Pecan Street) it offers great food, shopping and activities. Ty poses here in front of tie-dye work with our now iconic Frost Bank Tower in the distance. In the second photo, we found a booth where kids could paint flower pots for free. Ty used the sponge brushes to create his own rainbow of colors. We are still deciding what to plant in that pot. Suggestions welcome.


The day also involved watching a juggler, eating cupcakes, and winning a giant stuffed fish from a cruise line company when Ty correctly answered the question: "What is the 3rd planet from the sun?"

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Undefeated Pirates



Ty and his team finished out the short season with a perfect record. The last game was hard fought and actually featured a few kids from his old team the Tigers.

Ty kept up his aggressive play and had a few assists and some key defensive plays. The team celebrated later with donuts and of course their new trophies.

It seems that soccer is staying a part of our routine. He will be taking some skills lessons this summer and we will be signing him up again in the fall. Way to go Ty!


Sunday, May 17, 2009

Toothus Interruptus 3 - Carnival Trick?


Don't be afraid, he won't bite. Or at least it won't hurt as much as it would have yesterday when he had one more tooth in his mouth. That's right, #3 is gone.

Perhaps there is some sort of connection with festivals and teeth, but today while we were at Deustchen Pfest in Pflugerville, Ty lost another tooth.

Shortly after consuming a hot dog, the loose tooth (and Ty) took a ride on a spinning space craft. According to to Ty when the ride ended he bumped his chin and the tooth came out. He was screaming and holding his hand which kind of freaked me out thinking he cut himself. But he rushed over with excitement to show off the extracted tooth.

Looks like the tooth fairy has an appointment tonight at our house.

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Sidewalk Chagall


Our young master got a hold of the sidewalk chalk again and decided to make something in front of the house. Those of you who have been with us since the beginning of the blog may remember an earlier photo of Ty drawing (Sidewalk Picasso).

As you can see in this detailed (and slightly enhanced) photo for clarity, Ty's skills have improved a bit along with his age. No longer just random scratches of color, most of which ended up on his shorts. Now there is a definite figure to be seen. I asked him what this was and he said "It's you Dad!" Of course.



Saturday, May 09, 2009

Happy Mother's Day


Happy Mother's Day from Ty to his Mom and all the other Mom's out there in Blogger land. Enjoy your special day. You have earned it.

Wednesday, May 06, 2009

Montessori Memories



We are down to the last few weeks of Ty's time at Montessori school. Last weekend the parents from his class were invited to an open house to view the children doing work in the classroom. This was the third and final time for this event for us.

Ty showed off his love of the garden (seen here) as well as new skills involving division, large number addition, and knowledge of the United States. It is tremendously impressive the skills these kids have acquired even before entering Kindergarten.

We would like to thank Ty's wonderful guides during this journey who made this experience so special: Ms. Nancy, Ms. Molly, and Ms. Cindy. We will always remember you and the role you played in Ty's development.

Click through this picture to see Ty in the Montessori classroom over the three years he was there.


Sunday, May 03, 2009

Red Pirates Game Four



Finally a nice sunny day for the kids to play. Ty showed off some of his great dribbling skills here as he led the pack down the field.

More images available from this game by clicking on the photo.