Guys Night with The Stars

Last week Ty got an exclusive look at life behind the scenes of our local AHL hockey team, The Texas Stars. The team invited fans for a backstage tour of the locker room, training rooms, and a conversation with the players and coaches on the ice. 

We had a blast chatting with some future NHL prospects and learning more about the game. Ty's favorite part was undoubtedly getting to walk onto the ice and stand with the players. 

Here are two pictures below. The first shows Ty up in the suites level with an empty arena below. And the second is Ty in the equipment room where all the sticks are kept for the players. Ty is also holding a mini stick which he got autographed by many of the players in attendance.

The Living Museum

"Hi. My name is Buzz Aldrin. I was the second man on the Moon."

This is how Ty began his speech after you pressed his purple button during the presentation of the 2nd grade's "Living Museum". We got really into the costume making by gathering items from second hand stores and hardware stores to come up with a totally original space suit. 


Ty had such a blast with this and practiced his lines all week for the eventful presentation. Afterwards he asked if we could even keep the costume for next Halloween because he liked it so much.

Excalibur or The Sheriff?

It's almost Halloween, but Ty got a head start on dressing up this year. We went to a party where guests could try on various outfits for the camera. Ty pretty much hogged the spotlight much to the delight of guests nearby. 

Help us choose which one you like better by posting in the comments.

A Lime Green Machine

We signed Ty up for soccer again this fall. When we heard he would be on the famous Dortmund team, we thought that the yellow and black colors would look pretty cool. (Click on the link to see what I meant).


But to our surprise, the soccer coach pulled this lime green shirt out at practice and announced this would be our jerseys. Well we certainly can see the kids well at evening practices now at least.


All kidding aside, Ty is having a great season and is enjoying being on the soccer field again.

Happy 8th Birthday!

Another year, another milestone in the life of Ty. My he has grown...

We had a fabulous weekend filled with soccer, family, parties, and friends (oh and another 100 degree plus day). Happy Birthday Ty!

Real Tales of San Francisco

We finished our summer break this year with a weekend in San Francisco and could not have asked for more perfect weather. The skies were clear and I told Ty he was lucky to see the Golden Gate Bridge and "The Rock" so clearly. Our tourist stops included The Palace of Fine Arts and the Exploratorium, Fisherman's Wharf, and Haight Ashbury. But perhaps Ty's biggest thrill was the cable car ride. 

Here are a few highlights:

Hot to Trot

Another one of Ty's favorite activities in Tahoe is horseback riding. This year we decided to try a ride over at Zephyr Cove Stables just across the state line in Nevada. 

It was a beautiful morning with clear views of the lake when we reached the top of the trail. Ty rode at the front of the line and he had a blast with his horse who was so well behaved.

 The view at the top of the trail

Ty after the ride with his horse

At Peace in the Mountains

The Angora Lakes are nestled in the forest about 1500 feet above Lake Tahoe. We decided to get adventurous one morning and take a hike, also hoping to see and touch some snow which a guide had told us might still be up at that altitude (close to 8000 feet). After a thrilling drive partway up the mountain to the base site, we hiked the remaining mile or so to the lakes.


Ty did remarkably well on the steep ascent and we were rewarded with a set of pristine lakes hidden from civilization. We stopped on the trail for lunch and sat in the silence while listening to the wind rustling the branches of the tall evergreens.


Here is a shot of Ty and a more picturesque view of one of the lakes with some swimmers.

Snow in August

It was our third trip to Tahoe this year, but the first time we have seen this much snow still on the mountains in August. Here Ty stands with Mt. Tallac in the distance and it's famous cross of snow clearly visible.

Summer at the Wood

While in CT during the summer, Ty participated in a camp held at his grandparents' country club. He had the opportunity to swim, do arts & crafts, and get some golf lessons. His favorite part however was learning a new sport: tennis!

This makes Dad very happy and hope that we will soon be hitting some shots around on the court together.

New York City Tourist

Here are some highlights from this summer's trip to the Big Apple:

Times Square

Riding the subway

The original Nathan's on Coney Island

Coming from Texas we were used to the heat, however we happened to pick one of the hottest weeks in the city and that made it difficult walking around a lot. One of the extra special moments of the visit though was Ty's first Broadway show, The Lion King. Afterwards he could not stop singing "Hakuna Matata".

Locked Up in Legoland

Everything is made of Legos pretty much inside Legoland. Ty took the opportunity to drive a Lego car 

and a Lego boat.

But then he learned the hard way what happens to aggressive driving on the road and water. He did his time with a smile, and then we were off to look at some special Star Wars installations.

 

Chasing Dolphins

We took an afternoon cruise off Dana Point in search of dolphins and whales. The boat took us a few miles off the coast and we scanned the horizon for signs of their fins. Finally after over an hour, we came upon a good size pod of dolphins and I was able to snap the picture below.

Later, as we returned to shore, we stopped by this buoy to admire some California sea lions catching some afternoon rays. Oh and this photo below was taken by Ty by the way.

Parked Between the Stars of Cars

 

We found Mater and Lightning McQueen hanging out in front of the new Cars themed attraction coming soon to Disney in California. This was taken during the second half of our day that involved a tour of both theme parks. It was hot and crowded, but we managed to get in most of the rides we wanted. One of Ty's favorites this time around was the classic Pirates of the Caribbean ride. He loved the part when it drops down the ramp and splashes. 

 

Beauty and the Beast

Probably a cruel blog post title, but since cousin Cam is a really good sport, he will laugh along with us. Ty was also very enamored by Cam's girlfriend, Nicole, who promised to take him on a date the next time we go to LA.

An Evening on the Pier

We spent last week in Southern California hitting the theme parks and beaches. Our first full day, we drove up to LA and spent some time with Aunt Murphy, Uncle John and Cousin Cam (and his girlfriend). For dinner we all met at a restaurant just across from the Santa Monica Pier. But before dinner we had a chance to walk on the pier and check out one of the last arcades around. 

Here's a shot of Ty riding a motorcycle racing game.

And here's a great shot looking back at the end of the pier with the ocean. Ty enjoyed staring down at the breaking waves on the sand below.

Water Features

We have not seen a lot of the wet stuff fall from the sky this summer in Austin. But on a recent trip downtown, we wandered through an outdoor fountain to enjoy some mist to cool off.


Ty will be seeing a lot more water very soon as we leave for the cool breezes and beautiful beaches of the Pacific Ocean along the scenic shores of the O.C.


We hope all of our readers also find ways to stay cool this summer and we will share our adventures when we return.

Summer Slider

There are so many great parks and playgrounds around Austin. Ty and I like to discover new ones, as we did one morning over at Mueller. Ty couldn't believe that the site was where the airport used to be. 

After playing we drove around and he saw the old control tower which is still standing.

Chicks Dig Me

Like a proud Papa, Ty tenderly holds his baby chick for the camera. A class project this Spring involved the kids watching the whole process of incubating an egg until baby chicks were hatched. It was very exciting and it all culminated in this moment when the chicks got to play around in the garden. Thanks to Ty's teacher for sharing the photo of this great moment with us.

Dr. Frankens-Ty

Creative mastermind at work. Ty started this robot project at school and when it came home he realized it was not complete. We scrounged for some parts in the kitchen drawers and added some strength with tape to produce this non-threatening, laser-zapping, bow-on-the-head, honey-nut creation.

Forza Futbol Finale

Our young athlete returned to the soccer pitch this Spring for some fun and competition. Coaching his team of 8U Forza Milan was none other than the author of this blog. We had a blast and the kids played really well. This past weekend we rounded out the season with two more victories. Above is a shot of Ty and below is our team. 

We Taught Jimmie Johnson Everything He Knows

When Jimmie needed tips on how to win at Talladega today, he pulled from his lessons with the real master of the sport, Ty. As Ty demonstrates here, it's all about getting the inside position on the track and a little "bumping" never hurts either when it gets tight.

Musical Museum

 

During our trip to Arizona this year, we visited a new museum that was quite unique. It features the largest collection of musical instruments in the world. Ty was captivated with it and enjoyed listening to instruments from Africa and Asia. The best part was when he actually got to play them though. Above he is seen with a guitar, but he said his favorites were the harp and the giant gong.

Next time you visit Scottsdale, check out the Musical Instrument Museum. And be prepared to spend several hours there.

Road Trip Idea

Well we have been slowing down the posts here, and apologize for that. Ty is having a great Spring so far playing soccer, and we will have photos from that soon. I have to do double duty as his coach and take pictures at the same time from the sidelines. 

We also head to Scottsdale, AZ in 2 weeks and that will probably get some more posts and pictures here as well.


In the meantime, I came across this restaurant that one day we will need to take a road tip to:


http://www.yelp.com/biz/tys-hamburgers-tulsa

Ty's First Concert - Miranda Cosgrove

One of Ty's favorite TV shows is iCarly. He has a huge crush on her. When Dad found out that the actress who plays her on TV was going on tour and coming through Texas, well that just presented an awesome opportunity for us. 

We drove up to Dallas and walked inside the Verizon Theater along with lots of screaming little girls and boys (and parents in tow like me). Ty's eyes lit up as we walked all the way down to 5th row center and he had an amazing view of his idol for the evening. Here's a few shots to best explain how much Ty got into the whole experience.

Having a Ball with the Spurs

A cold night in San Antonio outside, but inside the AT&T Center the place was hot and rockin'. Ty and I made the trip down I-35 for the rematch between the Spurs and Knicks. 


This was Ty's second time at an NBA game, but his first trip to this arena. He got to see the championship trophies, meet the Silver Dancers, and enjoy the over-priced concessions. It was a fun night and the Spurs won! 


Ty was so funny that at some points during the game he was yelling along with the fans when there was a bad call by the referee. I think the only part of the night he didn't like was that he had to leave before the end so we wouldn't spend an extra hour getting out of the parking lot.

Yellow Belt Test - Board Break

This past Saturday, Ty passed his first Gup test in Karate to achieve a yellow belt. This video was shot during the final phase of the test where Ty had to break a board with his fist. He had never done it before, yet struck through it with ease on his first try. (the instructor partially blocks the view, but you can see Ty's success. also you can adjust to higher quality for viewing).


If you click through to our You Tube page, another longer video has also been uploaded showing him demonstrate basic form #1. It was a very exciting and proud day for all of us who were present.

Hanging with the G

 

One day soon, Ty will be as tall as G-Pop