A ROE Reunion

Sunday night we got together with two of my best friends from River Oaks Elementary. Kim and Nancy were on my first grade team back in early the 2000s. While Kim and I have managed to keep up and have seen each other as frequently as possible, Nancy and I had lost touch with moves and new family, etc. However, thanks to Facebook, we have reconnected and managed to plan a dinner date with all of our families! It was a wonderful reunion full of laughter and great memories. Our significant others put up with us...and our dumb teacher stories...and managed to have a good time too!

The crew enjoying dinner at Lupe Tortillas.

Nancy fell in love with Emerson and couldn't put her down!

My boys...and a chip.


Nancy's daughted Peyton wasn't too fond of her mom loving on another little girl, but she smiled for a picture anyway!


Kim and her big boy Gavin.

The men...Chad, Garrett and Todd.

The evening wouldn't have been complete without lots and lots of sand!

VBS 2009

Charlie and mommy have been enjoying a great week of Vacation Bible School at Memorial Drive UMC this week. Our friend Natalie is one of the directors and mommy just couldn't say no to teaching! The theme is Operation Jesus and the kids have been learning about being in God's Army! Ms. Denise and Ms. Taylor have helped with our class too and Charlie has made lots of new friends! We are looking forward to Family Night tonight. Charlie can't wait to teach daddy his VBS songs! What a fun way to spend part of the summer!

Members of the Yankee Yellow 113 Crew!

4th of July

4th of July was a series of unfortunate events at the Goodman house. It started on Thursday when grandmother brought Charlie home from a playdate because he was throwing up and running fever. We finally got his fever down early Friday morning and managed to make it all day Friday fever-free. We had big plans for the 4th - that included a trip to Columbus to spend the day with Charlie's godparents, and then hot dogs and fireworks with Mimi, Papa and Grandmother at Memorial Drive UMC. But, at 3am on Saturday morning Charlie woke us and we discovered that the fever was back. After a dose of motrin and four more hours of sleep the fever was gone again, but by that time we had made the call to cancel our trip to Columbus. Chad talked to Charlie about "taking it easy", so they spent the morning hanging on the couch together watching Noggin!

We decided that if he made it through the day with no fever that maybe we could catch the fireworks later that day. About mid-morning I noticed that Charlie was very quiet, so I went over and touched his head and to my disappointment - the fever was back again! At that point we made the call to cancel all plans.

Needless to say, I was bummed! How could this be our 4th of July?! Well, that is what having kids is all about. While Charlie and Emerson napped Chad and I talked and decided that if Charlie woke up from nap perky that we would invite everyone over to our house to enjoy hot dogs. Indeed he did, so he and daddy headed off to HEB to get needed supplies. In the meantime, Emerson and mommy got dolled up in our 4th of July gear and hoped for a fun evening.

Grandmother and Shirley came over to the house about 6 and daddy grilled hot dogs and sausage. Grandmother and Emerson were SO excited to see each other!

In the end I am so glad we did not push it to go out because by 6:30pm Charlie's fever was back up over 103 and all he wanted to do was lay on the couch. More Tylenol and rest and today (Sunday) Charlie seems to be much better. The fever has stayed away for almost 24 hours and I am hopeful that whatever it was that had his little body under attack has moved on from this house!

We hope that everyone had a blessed 4th of July - no matter how you spent the day. May God bless all of you, especially the men and women serving our great nation so that we might live freely!

Downtown Aquarium

Sunday we took the kids to the Downtown Aquarium. It was a beautiful day - although VERY hot! But, we had a great time going through the exhibits and experiencing all of the rides. It made us all very excited for our trip to Orlando in just a few weeks!

Daddy had the smart idea to do the outside stuff first since it was still morning and slightly cool outside. Isn't it sad that 95 degrees is considered slightly cool.

First stop - family ride on the ferris wheel.

Then daddy and Charlie went on the Lighthouse Dive. It took them straight up and then dropped them down. Charlie LOVED it!

Next was a train ride around the facility, including the shark tunnel!

You can't see it well, but there are sharks swimming above his head!

Next Charlie and daddy rode the carousel while a VERY HOT Emerson and mommy watched.

Once we had had enough of the heat we went inside to tour the exhibits. We saw all sorts of ocean life including an octopus, jellyfish, a python and two WHITE TIGERS! Charlie's favorite part was getting to turn the big wheel like Isa does in Dora's Pirate Adventure!

After touring the exhibits we headed back outside for a hot dog lunch. Charlie wanted to play in the dancing fountains, so we stripped him down and let him go!

Daddy struggled to get the swim suit on over the sweaty body!

Whew...finally cooled off!

Monkey see...monkey do!

Emerson got to splash in the water too!

We couldn't leave without one more ride on the Lighthouse Dive ride!

We had a GREAT time and Charlie can't wait to take his cousins back to the Ah-quarium!