The Simple Life of the Kanes

Dance Starts

2009-09-14T14:08:00.002-05:00

Another season of dance has started for both girls, and that means we are getting busy during the week!

Brett Starts Karate

2009-08-31T13:45:00.002-05:00

After Brett saw a child taking a karate class on TV, he decided he might want to try it. The next day I got a coupon in the mail for a free class at a local studio. We called, made an appointment, and Brett got to try it out!

He adored every minuet of it and asked to take regular lessons. The place he tried out was a bit pricey for our budget, but I am now on the lookout to find a reasonable place for his request to come true.

Gavin the Sock Stealer

2009-08-30T13:43:00.000-05:00

Yep, those are mine!

Cheering For Kaylee!

2009-08-17T13:34:00.002-05:00

Kaylee had been eagerly awaiting the start of cheer, and the time has finally come! She gets to practice for about a month, and in September the official games start.

She is in the front row with a flower shirt and black shorts.

The other kids seem to have found ways to entertain themselves while their sister practices.

Flying Kenzie!

I Guess this is Growing Up

2009-08-13T13:07:00.000-05:00

My baby girl Kenzie went through some big changes a month before her 5th birthday. First, she requested a hair cut. She heard that if you cut your hair it will grow back longer and healthier. Since long "princess hair" is the goal, she went for it. Her only request is that I do it, not a salon. It was a first hair cut for both of us!

Ta-Da!

She seems happy with it!

Next request came a few days later. She woke up and decided it was the day she was going to go get her ears pierced. We watched a few YouTube videos of kids getting pierced to ensure she understood the proses, and off we headed to the mall!

We have a few mall rituals that we had to do first, one of which is to stop at the pet store.

If you look at the corner of the cage there is a mommy rat nursing baby rats!

Next is the rides that we never put any quarters in, but the kids seem to love anyways.

Last but not least in the mall ritual is the play area.

With that out of the way it was time to get down to business. With pretty flower earrings pick out, the lady at Claire's was ready to pierce Kenzie.

The boys were hanging out to see if their sissy would be okay.

Ah that hurts! One down, one more to go.

All done! She told me she never wanted to do that again!

Everyone got suckers after, which made it better.

What's even better then suckers? Picking out a new nail polish!

On the way out everyone had to stop and make a wish at the fountain. Kenzie's wish? For her ears to stop hurting!

Swim Time!

2009-08-04T12:49:00.002-05:00

The morning after the pool was finished it was full and ready to go (thanks to 2 garden hoses filling it all night). 9am kids were up, dressed, and ready to swim!

Even my water hating Gavin got in!

Unfortunately, the installation left us quite the mess to clean up. DJ and I spent the next couple of days finding sod in the giant pile of dirt behind the pool and relaying it.

The hard work payed off. Re-sodded, some plants and mulch, and our back yard is back to being beautiful!

Passing the Time

2009-08-01T12:45:00.000-05:00

It rained heavily the 3 days in between the start of the pool and the finished product. Good thing for friends and bubble wrap!

The Gift of Swim

2009-07-31T12:01:00.001-05:00

This summer has been particularly hot. The kids and I have been hiding in the house when we haven't had access to water play. It has been a reminder of how much we wanted a pool of our very own. My mother, who every year struggles with what to get the kids because she doesn't like giving toys, decided that this year (and many more years to come) she would give us the gift of swim!

The kids eagerly awaited the installers on pool day. They were a bit late, so in an attempt to pass the time away, they played in the giant sand pile that was to go under the pool.

Finally the installers arrived and started the task of destroying the back yard.

Time to put up the sides!

3 days later they came back to finish it up.

That's a big sucker!

Splashing at the Splash Park

2009-07-24T13:47:00.001-05:00

In an attempt to see some of our far away friends that we don't meet up with nearly enough, we made an hour trek to Dallas and Campbell Green spray park. The spray part of the park didn't turn on till 2, so we had a few hours to play with our friends before getting wet.

After 3 hours in the Texas heat, the kids were MORE then ready to splash around and cool off.

More Awesome Artwork

2009-07-22T13:29:00.000-05:00

Back in May my cat, Kitty Baby, passed away after 17 1/2 wonderful years with me. I got her right after my 10th birthday, when she was only 4 weeks old. It's been a very hard adjustment not having her in my life and I have been thinking of a way to honor her and our wonderful memories. I went to a local tattoo artist with the idea of a butterfly with cat eyes and Kitty's coloring in the wings.

This is the first drawing he came up with for me, which I loved immediately.

Next he added the cat eyes and the shading for my approval. It was exactly what I had in mind, so we began the 2 hour proses of putting it on my foot.

Ta Da! I love it, it was worth every minuet of discomfort and pain. I will post a better picture once it has healed, this was taken right after it was done, so it's very red and swollen.

RIP Kitty Baby, 11/91 - 05/09

Rocking with Rock Band

2009-07-20T13:15:00.000-05:00

The kids love to play the game Rock Band at their friends houses, and now, thanks to an awesome deal, we have our very own! I took these pictures right after DJ set it up. They are still constantly playing it over a week later!

Arts-y Fun

2009-07-16T12:49:00.003-05:00

I love back to school. Trips are more peaceful, my house is less crowded, and awesome art supplies are on sale! After a trip to the store stocking up on new shinny art stuff, the kids dug right in.

This is the first time Brett has been interested in creating art. He has painted here and there before, but after he saw the colored pencils, he wanted to make a 'real' picture.

He did a picture of sun flowers, cucumbers, and green beans.

He has a tendency to be very exact in his endeavors, and that carried over into his art. He had me look up photos of the plants he was drawing so he could use the right colors. (At the time I am writing this, almost 2 weeks after these pictures were taken, he hasn't finished his drawing. He works on it a little at a time, trying to get it perfect)

Kenzie, who has been very interested in writing numbers and letters lately, asked for Brett's help with a few letters. Not only did he happily show her the way to draw them, he drew the entire alphabet for her to reference. It's the first time he has ever written anything, and they looked fabulous. She soon gave up copying his alphabet and went on to messy painting (her specialty).

Kaylee and I have been having fun learning how to crochet. I learned as a kid, so it's more refresher practice for me. We got the idea to make crochet bracelets from a friend.

Evenin' Wheelin'

2009-07-15T12:39:00.003-05:00

We are in the middle of one of the hottest summers on record for our area. During the day we hide indoors, but come evening (you know, when it's cooled all the way down to 100 instead of 105) you can find us outside. The kids love to get out all their riding toys and invite the neighborhood kids over for rolling around.

Gavin LOVES his new quad!

Swimming Anyway

2009-07-14T12:33:00.001-05:00

Since plans were changed and we didn't get to swim in Austin, we decided to head up to our community pool. The kids had a blast taking turns giving each other "dolphin rides" and having a picnic.

Quick Trip to Austin

2009-07-13T12:20:00.002-05:00

The plan was to head to Austin, check out some of it's awesome lakes and swimming holes, and cool off in the Texas heat. Plans were changed and we ended up coming home early, but we still fun in the time we were there.

Whole Life Unschooler's Meet Up

2009-07-11T19:34:00.004-05:00

Yesterday we attended the first monthly DFW Whole Life Unschooler's Meet Up at the awesome Parr park in Grapevine.

The highlight of the playground was this giant spiderweb climbing structure, very cool!

There were a ton of people and kids at the meet up which focuses on a new topic relevant to unschooling each month. Brett made many new friends, and had fun with old ones, playing Bionicle!

Snack time!

With temperatures reaching 104 degrees, we all started getting very warm after a couple of hours. We headed over to our friend Jenny's who lived near by with a very nice cool house.
The kids wasted no time in getting their Rock Band on.

After a whole lot of fun with hair dye and 8 heads (pictures to come once I get copies), we headed out to the front for "anything with wheels" play.

Backyard Campout

2009-07-09T19:08:00.000-05:00

While talking to the kids about upcoming trips and adventures, Brett said to me "Why don't we camp here? That way we don't have to drive!". Brilliant! Camping preparations went onto full speed.

The girls headed with me to the store for s'more supplies. While we were there we ran into SpongeBob!

Once the fire pit was set up, and DJ had a nice roaring fire going, the kids started in roasting their marshmallows.

DJ worked on getting the hot dogs cooked. Kenzie's friend from a few doors down was able to join us.

Mmmm, chocolate!
Mmm, the wait was worth it!

After dinner, it was time to play at our "camp site"!

Night night!

Happy 2nd Birthday Baby Gavin!

2009-07-04T12:46:00.008-05:00

My big boy woke up the morning of his birthday in a happy, awesome mood! Cerial was the breakfast of choice for the birthday boy, and he enjoyed it thoroughly!

His actual party was the next day, on The 4th of July. Presents were the first thing on the agenda!

Oh boy! Spider-Man quad!

While Daddy puts it together and the battery charges, it's on to more fun.

It's a Kaylee in a box!

Or a Kenzie in a box.

Maybe a Gav in a box!

Next present, cars!

No birthday for Gavin would be complete without them.

Grandma bought him some new outfits, which he was quite excited over.

Hmm, what's in here?

It's a bucket of puzzles!

After presents were over, the kids wanted a little pre-dinner ice cream.

Cake! Yes, yes I do realize the 2 is backwards. I just wish someone would have noticed it before I took the photo!

2 corrected and the singing begins!

Blow Gavin!

Yay!

Mmm, it looks good!

It is good!

Gotta get every last bite!

Summer Shopping

2009-07-02T12:31:00.001-05:00

Even with the Texas heat consistently hitting triple digits, come evening time we still enjoy dinner and playtime in our back yard. We decided to ditch our old chewed up patio set last year before we moved, so it was high time we get a new one. The good news was most stores already have their summer stuff on clearance. Off to Garden Ridge we go!

The kids enjoy a nice back massage in the vibrating recliners.

The girls picked out new flip flops from the $1 shoe bins.

After getting a nice big umbrella for our new set, the kids wanted to decorate it with wind chimes and twirly things.

Ta da!! Home and set up. Couch, table, 2 chairs, wind chime, and tiki torches. What more could you want in a back yard?

Gavin LOVED the outdoor fire!

Once one has an awesome patio set, they must enjoy it! Gavin does so by having a tiny tea party.

Yummy!

We can't forget the trampoline though! It's still the backyard favorite!

Down to San Antonio

2009-07-01T11:24:00.000-05:00

We headed down last week for our yearly summer trip to San Antonio to visit family. We stayed for 4 days and had a blast playing Games, swimming, boating, and hanging out!

The first thing the kids always want to do is hit the pool, and ya gotta have floaties for that!

Gavin doesn't go anywhere without his bucket o'cars.

Aah, pool time!

Kenzie hanging out with her cousin.

Double flotation power activate!

Sniper in the water!

This is the first year baby Gav really enjoyed the water.

Gav is going to get ya brother!

Flying Kaylee! It took 5 takes to get the picture just right! She was a really good sport.

Oh, Zack is looking mean!

My boys! Gavin, DJ, and Brett.

It was relax time later, and Gavin got the chance to play blocks with his cousin Kendal.

We got to see and hear about her rock collection she acquired on her vacation earlier in the month.

Boat time! Kenzie hung with Grandma Kenna for a large portion of the time.When they saw Grandpa and Daddy load the tube, they couldn't wait for a ride! Kaylee and Brett went first.

Brett is serious when he is in charge of driving.

Next was Kaylee and Kenzie. Kenzie was a little unsure about tubing, so she took a nice slow ride. By the end of the day she was riding by herself!

Kaylee's turn to man the helm! What a surprise, she isn't as serious!

Time to stop the boat for swimming and lunch. Grandma and Grandpa jump in with the 3 little swimmers.

Mmm, watermelon on the back of the boat.

Next it was time for skiing. Gavin and Daddy waived at each other.

Kaylee wanted to give skiing a try, so Daddy helped her in the water. She got up for about 2 seconds, which is real good for a first try!

Grandma, Brett, and Kenzie floated around in the tube while everyone else was skiing.

Turner Falls Take 2

2009-06-20T14:36:00.006-05:00

We had such an amazing time at Turner Falls a few weeks ago, that when we found out a friend's sister was going to be visiting from out of town, we had to go back and share it with her! I was lucky enough to steal these pictures from two different people because now my camera and my phone are broken!

This time we came equipped with tubes and headed to a different section with more falls.

The kids played for hours in this area going up and down the falls in their tubes.

With it nearing dinnertime, we broke out the grill and cooked fish, burgers, hot dogs, and enjoyed fresh fruit and pasta salad! After the meal was finished, we headed over to the swimming pool so the big kids could slide down the water slide.

9 hours of water play later, we all go our separate ways. Kaylee went home with our friends, and it looks like the fun was continued over there!

Super Berry Smoothie

2009-06-20T14:08:00.002-05:00

Brett found a recipe for a Super Berry Smoothie at the Webkinz website. Webkinz is a virtual world where you own and care for a Webkinz pet. They have a recipe book full of things you can make and feed your pet. Brett has been having fun making them on line, then trying them in real life! Since his pet tiger Spidey likes smoothies so much, he decided he might too!

Brett counts the berries as he puts them in. 14 blueberries, 14 raspberries, 8 strawberries.

Next we attempt to blend them. We discovered we need to add some sort of liquid so they will blend smoothly. It seems the recipes might need a little tweaking to make them work in real life, in goes a splash of milk.

Spidey was right, this is good! Plus, it made enough for the girls and mommy too!

Summer is Officially Here!

2009-06-17T10:13:00.006-05:00

It's never really summer until the kids and I get to spend a swim day at Jenny's awesome pool. Yesterday, we got just that opportunity!

Brett wasted no time heading to his favorite part of the pool, the spa with the waterfall.

Kenzie grabbed her Barbies and jumped in to play underwater dolls with her friend Jaiden.

Gavin, who isn't a big fan of water, sat under the gazebo and played cars.

Over to the splash area to play pirates on the seal.

Gav ventured over to dip his cars into the water. Maybe they were getting hot?

Kadence gave Kaylee and Kenzie a ride on a floaty.

At the very end of the afternoon, just when we were getting ready to pack up, Gavin decided to get in!

He had quite the cheering section! We ended up staying almost another hour and a half.

Once home, you would have thought the kids would be tired. Not so! They headed outside for swing and bubble play.

Reconecting with Old Friends

2009-06-13T19:10:00.001-05:00

Saturday we hit Leblanc park to hang out with some neighborhood friends and help them celebrate the end of this school year. The really exciting thing for Kaylee was her kindergarten teacher was there. She has stayed in touch with her through email, but hadn't seen her in almost 3 years.

Time for food! Hot dogs, chips, and juice, yummy!

It was in the high 90s this day, so the kids were ready to cool off with some water play.
First up was water balloons.

Giant bubbles!

Water fight!

Gavin had his own way of cooling off, the shade of the gazebo and a puddle!

Stormy Art Session

2009-06-10T19:08:00.000-05:00

Nothing like some good messy art fun to take your mind off of a tornado warning!