Orientation and Seafood Dinner

Last night was parents' orientation at school and Carolyn watched the boys while Katie and I visited with their teachers. We also took the opportunity this year, like last, to make a trip by Goode Co. Seafood, which is always a treat.

The night started off with the new principal going over some basics (safety, long-range planning, love the kids and his job, etc.), and then an introduction -- very brief -- from the ancillary teachers. This year the boys have a music teacher as part of the cirriculum, which I think is great. Jackson also has a reading period, which I know will rocket his abilities forward.

Unfortunately the PK and K homeroom visitation times were parallel, so we skipped the library and visited with Porter's teacher, Mrs. Blackwell -- she's the same one that Jackson had last year. I told her how happy we were that she and Mrs. Noonan were teaching Porter, and she said she wouldn't have it any other way -- nice to hear.

After that we headed over to Mrs. Burns' classroom where Jackson spends his day in kindergarden. Katie volunteered to be room mom, so she had extra duties to make sure everyone knew how to contact her, and to gather the sign-up sheets for copying and distribution. Mrs. Burns seems like a good, solid teacher and I look forward to seeing how her excitement for science and reading translate to Jackson.

For the most part orientations should be telling you things you already know, but every time I always take away some little nugget -- and this night was no different. This time it was from Mrs. Burns. She was talking about the Friday Folder and how important it is for parents to go over not just the messages from her and the other teachers, but look at our child's work and comment on it. She told a story of a child years ago that said, "I don't know why I'm coloring this. My mom just throws it away." How that must crush the spirit -- Point taken, and that will never happen in our house. What the boys do with their day is important, and the results of that are something to be proud of -- and while we can't keep everything, we can make sure we show respect for their efforts and the work they do.

On a lighter note, dinner was fantastic as always -- Katie got the baked stuffed crab, which was a first; I got the mesquite grilled catfish and fried shrimp. We split a Campechana Extra. And brought home dessert.

Work's been busy lately -- very busy. Two projects I'm working (75% / 25%) plus ECM SWAT Team, plus normal biz dev support. Lots of stuff on my plate. And two new projects I did proposals for a few weeks ago are starting next week and week after, so it should only get more active. Nice, but lots of work...

Minor Leage Ball for Ed & Porter's First Day at School

Took the afternoon flight to Tulsa today so that I can be at a set of meetings in Fayetteville, AR first thing in the morning. Flight to Tulsa and ride over with my buddy Curtis was WAY less expensive than flying direct to ARK, so that was an easy decision.

It also put me in the stands for the Tulsa Drillers vs. Corpus Christi Hooks AA Minor League Baseball game. The Hooks were up 7-0 when I finally had to leave at 9:45 in the 8th... I've got to get up at 5:15, so I didn't think I'd make it the whole game...

Good game, good conversation -- My buddy Layne picked me up from the airport and Kathy (from the Tulsa office) and her husband Dale met us out there. I really like minor league ball because it is so laid back, and the game is real, and unpredictable!

Anyway, if I've got to travel, then it's nice to be able to add in a treat along the way.

In other news, it was Porter's first day at SVDP in Pre-K this morning!! He was excited to get going and did wonderful -- He was hesitant at first while waiting in the gym to head to class, but once he got there, he proved to be a champ -- finding his spot on the Red Rug, and from what I hear, was his normal, outgoing, happy self the rest of the day in recess, at religion, and especially at lunch. He bought his lunch today (had been looking forward to that for weeks) and even ate Jackson's pudding since JBug didn't want it after all...

Early dismissal today meant that Katie was able to pick them up early and run by the house to see me before I had to head to the airport. They were headed to play mini golf when I saw them last, and both boys looked like they were having a solidly great week.

I'm out for a full day of travel and meetings tomorrow, then back home later in the evening. I better get some rest --

Orientation and End of Summer

Today was the last official day of summer -- the boys had their school orientation this morning where they met their teachers and found out who their classmates will be for the next year. Katie said that they both were very good, gracious little gentlemen for the most part, and that they had a great time playing in their new classrooms and out on the school playground. They even met the new principal, who they think looks a little like Daddy, since he has a goatee...

To celebrate the close of summer, we took a walk up to the Village this evening for dinner at El Meson, and a bit of shopping around the shops. Nothing good to buy, but we had a good time checking everything out. Urban Outfitters was fun; we didn't find a thing in Gap Kids that anyone liked...

This weekend we'll check out an Astros game on Saturday night and head to Waterworld for some play time on Sunday -- but not too much, since school starts for Jackson on Monday. Porter starts on Wednesday.

Other than that, we get a new roof, or half of one, put on the house on Monday. Geez I hate spending that kind of money on something you don't even notice -- but of course if we didn't keep the house up, the alternative would certainly be noticeable... That's life as a big boy.

Brothers' Day 2005

Another great celebration of brotherhood this year!! The boys celebrated the special bond that comes with having a brother as a best friend with dinner on Friday night at our favorite place -- Taqueria la Tapitia, and by heading out to the Circus again this year. I bought tickets the day they went on sale and got just about the best seats in the house -- front row, center ring -- and their eyes were as wide as I've ever seen them for two hours straight. We got there a bit early to be able to see the animals, which was presented better this year than last. The area didn't seem so crowded, and there was more room to roam among the exhibits. No hands-on stations, though. But it wasn't billed as a petting zoo!

We got the kids each a bag of cotton candy -- complete with a silly clown hat. Jackson had developed an odd fear of clowns (basically came out of nowhere about 6 months ago), so he was a little worried about being around so many. We told him that the special hat would be a 'clown repellant' and that they would leave him alone. Of course, that idea went out the window on the big opening act parade when one of the clowns walked down the row high-fiving everyone... Porter and Jackson were both a little hesitant, but after that, they didn't have a care in the world about the clowns -- they just loved watching them same as they have in the past.

After the show we headed back to the house for a bit to rest up, and then they headed over to Carolyn's to swim. She had their cousin Tommy for the weekend and the three of them had a busy, full afternoon of swimming. When the day was all said and done, it was clear that the best thing that they did to celebrate was to spend the whole day with eachother, doing what brothers do on a crazy, sometimes lazy, but always fun summer day in Houston.

Happy Brothers's Day, Porter and Jackson!!