The end of the first week...

Since this is the first week two Nockinbirds have had to go to school, I think it's gone pretty well.  We've certainly ended the week on a high note.  Molly and Papa went to the first high school football game with Little Miss and me last night.  The two of us had to sit down front--the better to see the cheerleaders, don't you know.

I have to comment on the new uniforms--really, just the helmets.  I don't get it.  We're the Pirates!  Why is there a "G" (well, I know why there's a "G"--our town starts with a "G") inside the state of Texas (and, yes, I know we live in Texas)?  Aside from having "pirates" in small white script across the front, there's not much pirateness.  I miss the Pirate.  Maybe it'll be back on next years' helmets.

The first game was a victory for our team, so maybe the change was good afterall.  It has been a good start to the new school year.

Is it only in Texas that no one's alarmed to see something like this on the field?  My two co-workers really seemed to get a lot of joy of firing this into the crowds.  Firing t-shirts into the crowd, that is.

It is a pretty impressive piece of machinery--a couple of shirts bounced off the top tier of the press box.

If our team continues the scoring streak and Little Miss keeps chatting up the cheerleaders, I think we're going to end up with a lot of little purple smooshy footballs by the end of the season.

We hit the Build and Grow at Lowe's this morning.  They were set up in the garden center for some reason, which did nothing good for anyone's allergies.

Today's project was a school bus with a chalkboard top that slides off and reveals a hidden spot for chalk storage.

Then it was down to the square for a day with "real" pirates.

The cork gun was a big hit with both Little Miss and Loverboy.

We walked to the Old Jail Museum so she could "shoot" the "ghost."

While we looking around outside the Old Jail, I found this stern admonition.  Glad I saw that before it was too late!

Next, we were off to the library.  We met SarahBeth there, and she and I took off on a mission:  a photo shoot of her for the various dating websites she's exploring.

This striking fellow is a step up from some of her dating adventures.

I just thought this little guy (?) was cute.  And very nervy for a squirrel.  He's (?) a park squirrel, so I guess he (?) would be accustomed to people. But seriously, I was maybe two feet away from him (?) taking this picture.   Of course, he (?) doesn't seem put off by the cigarette butt right next to him (?) either, so I guess all creatures can adapt to their environment.  In fact, does he (?) seem to be eyeing that butt?  Do fuzzy park creatures eat those, too?  Squirrels in the throes of a nicotine fit...there's a fun day at the park.  I wonder about the health of the birds that hang around Sonic, too.  They always looked bedraggled and a little...off.  Is it all the fat, salt and cholesterol?  Fries are certainly not part of a natural diet, especially for a grackle.  I've spent a lot of time on a very strange topic here, haven't I?

We all wanted Mexican food for lunch, so Mexican food we had.  And there was a new "ride" at the restaurant.  Her first bullride.  I'm so proud.

And what would a Saturday out and about be without a trip to Walmart?  I was so taken aback by the huge display of giant jars of pork rinds by the cart pick-up that I was compelled to photograph it.  I'm struck, just now, by the themes that have emerged--football, weapondry, pirates, wildlife eating habits, Mexican food, bull riding, Walmart, pork rinds--a Texas weekend, indeed.

Skate party!!

How lucky are we to live in a town that has BOTH a skating rink--a seriously old school skating rink--AND a drive-in movie?

Yes, pretty darn lucky. 

Little Miss's nerve was wavering once we got inside.  Her school was having a skate get-together, but not many of her classmates were there.  Lots of the older kids, though.

I think the skates freaked her out at first, too.  I'm pretty sure they were at least as old as I am.  I like to think I've held up a little better.  Humor me.

The first time hitting the rink.

She never got far from the rail.

But she had flashes of daring and would let go of the rail.

It's probably a good thing she had the sense to stick close to the safety net.

She really started getting nervy after the first ten minutes or so and is on the way to getting the hang of it.

We didn't check out the concession stand, but it was noted.  Some seriously vintage arcade games and an air hockey table, too.  Little Miss made mention of a skating rink birthday party.  Start practicing!  Of course, I happen to have a rather significant milestone birthday approaching disturbingly rapidly...this is of a similar vintage...hmmm.  Stay posted.  And start stretching.  Maybe start taking some calcium supplements, too.

1st day of school

Hello, kindergarten.  When Loverboy and Little Miss picked me up from school, it was all smiles and excitement, loving school, and especially loving the new LeapFrog Explorer Molly had for a First Day of School Award.  We were off to cheer practice, still smiling.  Just as we sat down to dinner..."I don't wanna go to school tomorrow.  Whine, whine, whine."  Frankly, I don't either.  Whine, whine, whine. 

Nockinbirds--having fun

Last Saturday, we made it to our first Kids Workshop at Home Depot.  They have one the first Saturday of every month from 9am to 12pm.  The set up was not as spacious as Lowe's, but we had as much fun.  The project du jour was a "school bus" pencil box/desk organizer.

They had wood glue available, so Loverboy was especially excited.

So now we have an orange Home Depot apron to complement the blue Lowe's one.  However, whereas Lowe's gives the kids patches to put on their aprons (I have got to remember to buy some fabric glue--we don't have any put on yet!), Home Depot gives them pins for each project.  Score one for Home Depot.

Little Miss is very brand loyal.

We enjoyed a visit to our favorite library, even though the summer reading program is over as are the Saturday entertainments.  The end of summer is so sad.  Note Little Miss' goggles around her neck.  She wore this accessory look for several days.  Never know when a swim opportunity might pop up, best to be prepared!

This is one of the posters in the teen section of the library.  I thought it might spark a Halloween costume idea for Aunt Alice.

Our favorite snowcone stand will be closing shop (and consolidating with one they own down the street a few blocks) this Saturday.  Tear, sniffle.  I think my Nockinbirds are getting tired of being photographed here, though.

I sense some surliness.

I actually got to eat all of my blackberry snowcone.  Heaven.  Loverboy is a convert, too.

Little Miss was pleased with her Spongebob (wrong in so many ways) flavor.  After this summer of intense snowcone sampling I've come to the following conclusion:  ALL snow cone flavors are created in some sort of coconut, grape, cherry, pineapple matrix.  The exception to this alchemy is pickle juice--that abomination is simply of the devil. 

Since Tuesday, I've been in hell trainings/meetings.  I'll share after tomorrow.  It will be somewhat censored, however.  Several people have been sternly reprimanded for their negative Facebook comments directed towards the district training we went to Tuesday and Wednesday.  Even those postings made after work hours.  Hmm.  Anyway.  Tuesday, Loverboy and Little Miss picked me up and we went to the pet store for Emily food.  Of course, we had to look at, pick up, love on, and cry when forced to leave the puppies.  This is how her father lets her leave the house:  a too small t-shirt that she wore to sleep in, shorts that in no way match any color in said shirt, a silver glitter shoelace tied around her torso as a "belt" (she added that bling by herself), and a walkie/talkie tucked into her shorts with the antenna poking out.  Now, I did add the Purina ballcap because it came in the mail (I loooooove freebies) that we picked up before we went to the store.  The state of her hair was a whole other matter.  I'm glad she'll be wearing a uniform to school.

Beach Trip 2010--don't say I didn't warn you

Our 2010 Port Aransas Trip.  Loverboy and Little Miss are heading down with the beach necessities for our first day in the water.  I'm telling you right now, if you choose to proceed, go get something cold to drink and maybe a little snack...there are a lot of pictures!

The Barnes Family Beach Stick.  It predates me, so I can't explain it.

The Beach Monster That Destroyed (sandcastle) Tokyo.

It was pretty seaweedy the first couple of days.

Kite-flying on the beach--a must!

The view from my beach chair.

She can pick up on the tinny whining of the ice cream truck from two miles away even with a stiff seabreeze.

And a stiff seabreeze there was.  I don't think there was a day that we had a tent-thing that it didn't fly over or come undone at some point.  Here, Cousin Ann and Cousin Mike are saving the tarp from becoming a kite.

Miss Manners eating her spaghetti at Marcel's.

Day 2 at the beach--starting with a little beachcombing.

Day 2 view from my beach chair.

Loverboy was king of the grill for us on the beach.  Your choices:  sausage or hotdogs...everyday.

Here comes the ice cream truck again.  There was also a tamale truck!  If SaraBeth and I up production of our tamales and freeze them, maybe Papa will let us borrow the (ancient) van and we can stay all summer at the beach!

A Dora ice cream bar with creepy gumball eyeballs. 

Our most ambitious sandcastle to date.

Behold!

View from my beach chair.  A very comfortable spot from which I was loathe to wander too far.

There was much playing of washers.

Ann made Anne a tunnel for her car.

Little Miss buried her plastic sand shovel...and forgot where.  So we improvised with a barbeque spatula.

MawMaw and Cousin Ann.

Don't say I didn't warn you!  This is only the end of Day 2!  Take a break.  Stretch a little.

Day 3 we decided to take in the sights of Port A after breakfast.

Shark!

What's missing?  Oh, yeah!  A snowcone!!

Rock-n-roll flavor--kind of grape-y.

We'd just had breakfast, so I wasn't up to this...but NEXT year...yes, next year.

A charming tableau.

Next stop, seafood shop.  The bright orange one.

Mmmmm.  Shrimps.

Then we spent a couple of more hours on the beach.

Ahh...Mama like.

Little Miss almost lost her goggles to a seagull.  Loverboy and she were playing catch/fetch with them, when Jonathan Livingston swooped in and picked them up.  Little Miss charged him, splashing away, and he abandoned the booty.  Little Miss 1, Seagull 0.

De-sanding for the last time this summer, sigh.

Two things about this picture:  1) I don't worry about fancifying up for the beach, 2) I had the hardest time remembering our room number until the day we left, when I realized it's the same as our P. O. box number.  Sheesh.

Loverboy was beside himself with glee on our last night because he got to eat at his very most super favorite restaurant in Port A--Pelican's Landing.

Then Little Miss got the camera.

The view from our room.

We took the ferry out of town--I'm not even going to get into the adventure of traveling down or the trip back.  Let's just say I've been back nine days and only now found the energy to blog about it.  It was a fantastic Texas Gulf vacation!

Until next year, Seagull.