Alligators

Things on the homefront are pretty much the same as usual. Eric left for Atlanta today and will be gone until late Thursday night. We make it through when he goes on trips, but there isn't anything to look forward to at 5:30 in the evening. You should see the precision timing I get the kids to bed with when he is gone! I joke that sometimes it is easier when he goes because I don't cook as good of meals (so I don't have to clean up as much by myself) and I do enjoy a little more "me" time after the kids go to bed, but it's hard to not have that extra support when it is something I'm so used to. Elia cried halfway home from the airport which, let me tell you, made it SO much easier to have him leave! :) I can't really complain though, I know he has a job that he really enjoys and his job lets him be around for a lot more than some other jobs allow. Also as a bonus, his company informed the employees that they weren't planning on doing any lay-offs, but that they were using this time to evaluate their employees' performance. So, we feel pretty blessed to have what seems like a stable job and great friends to boot.
Anyway, here are a few pics from the week:
Elia was talking to me in the car one day about Ethan climbing into bed with her. She said that sometimes she lets him and sometimes she doesn't. I was unbelieving and questioned her -- probably something like, "He really does that?", to which her reply was, "I'm SERIOUS Mom". Well, one morning, when they didn't wake up at their usual 6:30 time, Eric and I went in and found this:

Hey, if they sleep an extra 45 minutes when they sleep together, I might as well get rid of Ethan's bed! :) Ethan sure is being a pain in the middle of the night. He climbs out of bed and quietly walks into our room. We hear the door open, but we've watched him just stand outside our door for 5 or so minutes. Another time, Eric went in in the middle of the night and found Ethan sitting between Elia and the wall, drinking water from her cup that she keeps in a little basket by her bed. He climbed over her to get back into bed when Eric went in and she didn't even stir! What happened to our soundly sleeping boy?
I'll tell you what happens... when he gets in comfortable places such as the bike trailer he does this:
We had just finished dropping Elia off at a friend's house where he had gotten a graham cracker on our way out. I ride the short (less than a mile) distance home and find him asleep, graham cracker uneaten and still in his hand. I've started making sure I bring gum on any car trip because it is a lifesaver to keep him awake!
On Friday, my friend Lynette and I went with our kids (she has two too... a girl and a boy each a little younger than Elia and Ethan) out to a place called Brazos Bend: a State Park with alligators. Our walk around the swampy lakes turned out very unfruitful (we saw a total of one alligator), but in the visitor's center we got to pet a baby alligator and learn a lot about them as well as some of the other animals in the area. All was certainly not lost. It was so great to be outside. The day couldn't have been more perfect. It was about 70 degrees, sunny and just gorgeous. This weather is why people stay in Houston... because I can tell you, I don't think they stay for the May-September months.