Texas Trip Revisited, Family
/The last blog post about my September trip to Texas was mostly my favorite flower photos. Here are my favorite family photos.
Kasen was about 21 months.
Kirby is was four and a little bit.
I think that I would have loved to have a trampoline when I was a kid.
We visited the pumpkin patch to choose pumpkins and try to get a family portrait.
First, a chicken picture.
I don't think it was possible to get everyone looking in the same direction at the same time. But a beautiful family nevertheless.
I had to hide behind another window because Kirby kept looking through the door.
In the middle they changed from tap shoes to ballet shoes. The teachers helped each kid get the shoes on the right feet. They stuffed the bows in the toes of the shoes. Kirby didn't like that and twice she pulled the ends of the bows out and I saw her twisting them around each other in an attempt to tie them. Eventually the teacher tied them and left them out--I think she tied a double knot. I meant to try and teach Kirby to tie a bow while I was there but actually I think she is too young. Next time...unless she already knows by then.
On Friday Kirby went to school and Mom and Dad were at work. Kasen usually goes to day care but he stayed with me all day.
He is very self-reliant for a toddler and can entertain himself well.
I enjoy taking the kids outside for at least part of the time. The weather this day was very pleasant.
We walked to the end of the smaller road where it meets the main road. Kasen loves trucks and tractors and anything with wheels. So we started watching and listening for trucks.
I moved him to the bank on the road where we could watch both directions (By the way, look at all those flowers--it's been raining in Hill Country.) I'd hear a vehicle and ask if it was a truck or a car? "Car." We waved. Some of the trucker's blew their horns. This entertained Kasen for at last half an hour.
The road home.
Back home with a favorite book, "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see?".
Outside again.
Katie and Kurtis have set up a play area for the kids--easier to keep track of them at this age than having them running through the dry grass and having to watch out for snakes and fire ants and scorpions.
They love the trampoline and I love the trampoline because the kids are contained. (I thought I had better photos but now that I see these iphone photos on my computer I realize that none are sharp.)
The sandbox (built by Papa Dan) is also a big attraction.
Back inside with puzzles.
You can hear when someone comes in the driveway. "Mama" or "Dada"!
Time to go see who it is.
It was Mama with Kirby. Time for the trampoline (champerline according to Kirby) before dinner.
Kirby orchestrates the play time. "I'll be the princess and Kasen is the prince and you be the dragon (or alligator or monster) and you try to get me." Or "You be the alligator and you are sleeping and I'll be the princess and I'm going to get you."
All I really wanted to do was to lie on the trampoline and look up at this amazing oak tree.
Sunset view.
I found this creature on the wall of the mud room. That's one thing I don't have to worry about here.
Friday night was movie night. Ice cream and popcorn and getting to sleep in the living room. Kirby chose a Starwars movie but really only wants to see "the princess" and Darth Vader. 
Pumpkin Day. We went to a local nursery to find pumpkins.
After pumpkin selection we went to the chicken yard to select a couple of new chickens to replace some that had been killed.
Does someone have an attitude? The look on Kirby's face reminds me of one of me at that age when I was looking at my little brother.
The wagon worked well for Kasen and had the added benefit of taking all the necessary things like water bottles and the doll.
Meryl and I traded off with the wagon, but part of the point of this walk was for Kirby, wearing her black and pink Nikes, to run with Aunt Meryl.
Eventually Aunt Meryl tired and needed a ride.
Time to go home. Kirby started to pout because she wanted Sawyer's leash.
I let her take Rusty and all was OK.
What better place to entertain an 18-month old than a gravel pile with tractors? 
These trucks and tractors have been in the garage for 25+ years
Hose off the spiders and they're as good as new.
Watching kids can be exhausting. Notice what Ginny is looking at--that's her ball right next to Dan.
Kasen found the ball-thrower.
That kept Ginny entertained even though Kasen wasn't able to throw the ball very well. 
See 
The kids have aprons and they get badges for all the projects they complete.
This month's project was a wooden car. Dan started the nails for Kirby and she finished the pounding.
There are kids lined up all along the "tables" made of boards and buckets.
Katie said that Kirby often likes the painting part more than the building part. 
Pink was not one of the colors that was offered but we all know what you get when you mix red and white.
Kirby was through enough to want to paint the bottom of the car too.
This activity goes on all morning. While we waited for the paint on Kirby's car to dry we walked around the garden part of the store and looked at flowers.
Kirby came back for her badge.
Then it was time to put the wheels and the stickers on the car.
Project finished!
While Katie was still working on the barn during her visit...
...I supervised Kirby...
...and Kasen.
I think that Uncle Chris was a lot more fun than me.
Notice the dog ball in Kirby's left hand and two dogs waiting for it.
Back to the wagon.
On this day I didn't need to put the carseat in it for Kasen to fall asleep. 
Someone else was worn out too.
There was plenty of room to run.
Plenty of room to chase bubbles.
Plenty of room for drawing with chalk. Notice who is just outside the barn door painting. The kids didn't know that and I kept them distracted inside. 
Someone else needed entertaining too. 
I taught Kirby about hopscotch.
Aunt Meryl came to the barn to play. While all the names of all the other aunts are are pronounced "aunt" like the 6-legged ant, Kirby says Aunt Meryl with the "au" part as in Australia. We have no idea why because no one else says it that way.
I hid balls under the rubber tubs and then Kasen just started pushing them around the barn.
Naptime.