High Five for Friday (3.23.18)

The kids and I knocked out eye doctor appointments, Will and I spent a full day at the allergist, and both Tom and I had to work here and there, but we still managed to fit a little fun into our Spring Break.

1. Our eye doctor and allergist appointments went fairly well. At the eye doctor, Hallie picked out an adorable pair of glasses to address her astigmatism and Will learned he has, at least for the time being and unlike the rest of his family members, bionic eyes. At the allergist, Will underwent the initial stages in his peanut tolerance protocol. (More on this protocol in a future post...) While the process was/is scary, the science behind it is sound and the emerging short- and long-term results are incredibly encouraging for kids with severe food allergies. Will did remarkably well at his first appointment, and we're hoping he continues to make progress in the weeks and months to come!

Hallie's new glasses, though this is
the sample and not her actual pair.

The first step in a series of steps that took place throughout
our first long day in a series of long days at the allergist.

2. We spent as much time outside as we could during last week and weekend. We walked to the park; fed the ducks; played basketball, soccer, and kickball; rode bikes, scooters, and skateboards; and worked out at the middle school track. Tom and I also started the lengthy process of transitioning our lawn from winter dormancy to summer active growth. Raking leaves, pulling and spraying weeds, treating grubs and fungus, trimming bushes and trees, mowing the lawn...the list literally goes on and on and on. While I don't always love working in the yard, I rarely feel as accomplished as I do when at the end of a weekend day Tom and I can stand back and actually see the progress we made.

Taking a walk on campus was - oddly - a spring break
highlight for both kids. An actual quote from Hallie: "look
at that gorgeous fire hydrant! I just love this walk so much!"

Enjoying his hot tub time.
(Why does he look 16 in this picture?!)

Both kids spent a lot of time outside in the hot tub. It's a great
vantage point for watching parents work really hard in the yard.

3. The last few days of our spring break week and weekend passed far too quickly. The kids had a few playdates, Will had a "chess date" with his retired GT teacher from elementary school (is that not the sweetest thing ever?!), and we all enjoyed dinner at College Station's new food truck park, a sweet treat from College Station's newest candy store, a visit to the Houston Health Museum, and lunch at Pappasito's Cantina (a restaurant Texans had been recommending to us for years).

Not all of the food trucks were open, but the Thai
truck and Knockout Tako truck did not disappoint!

The kids enjoyed the Wayside Foodtruck
Park stage as much as they enjoyed the food.

The sweet treats offered at "Hey Sugar" were endless. Will chose
gummies, Hallie picked ice cream, I opted for a shake, and for Tom...

...we selected this massive bag of longer-
than-Will's-torso strawberry Twizzlers. 

Riding bikes alongside his new skeleton
friend at the Houston Health Museum.

"How Loud Can You Scream?" was a
favorite exhibit of both Will and Hallie's. 

Following the interactive exhibit's instructions to
arm pedal for one hour to negate eating a hamburger.

Trying out the virtual reality set-up.

And OH, the gift shop.
Yes, you read that tag correctly.

They had stuffed version of ALL the body parts.

And ALL the diseases and germs.
"What's 'The Clap', Mama?"

Yum!

4. After the first round of games, our NCAA Basketball Tournament bracket standings are as follows:

Will: 42
Hallie: 41
Erin: 47
Tom: 34 (it's not looking good for Tom...)

5. Happiness Highlights

Hallie asked if she could "touch up" my tattoo (which
has faded, stretched, and unstretched quite a bit over
the last 20 years) using permanent markers...  

...so I gave her free reign and, all things considered,
she did a decent job and saved me lots of money!

Hanging with my sweet girl at Ellis Field.
Under my sunglasses, my eyes look just like hers.

I have admired this Noonday bag for months. (Years? I've lost track
of how long I've pined.) Last week an incredible friend bought it for
me as a thank you gift, which, I should note, I did not deserve. But I
love this purse, so I'll use it often, think of her, and try to behave like
the kind of person who deserves such a fabulous friend and gift. 

Trying out Pie in the Sky for the first time...

It was "a hit"!

Happy Friday, Chasing Roots!

Linking up with High Five for Friday here: