Congratulations, Emma! (May 26, 2018)

On May 26, 2018, Emma was one of more than 600 Midway High School graduating seniors at the Ferrell Center on Baylor's campus.

Thank goodness for the big screen televisions!

After the graduation ceremony, family and friends celebrated at a reception. Joyce and I roamed around taking photos, of course. In the background, Papa Tom visits with Emma and friends. Emma's cousins Riker and Jaden flank sister Piper, who arrived all the way from Perth, Australia, with parents Chelle and Al Weedn. 

Joyce, Emma, Chelle, and Al

Emma and her grandmothers.  Wanda Bean (Chelle's Mom); me; Emma; and Mary Horn (Al's Mom).

Natural gardeners (May 2018)

Cute and hungry!  One of the praying mantises we raised poses atop the egg case, which contained at least 50 praying mantises.

Papa Tom and I raised praying mantises to add to the garden as natural pest control.  They had to be released the day they hatched to prevent them from eating each other!

Hot, hot, hot!!! (May 2018)

This moon flower has survived bugs nibbling its leaves and the scorching sidewalk (too hot for my bare feet and maybe for the bugs too, which is why they left?)  I water it daily, out of respect. Did I mention Austin experienced the hottest May on record?  The average high for the month was 90.1 degrees, about 4 degrees above normal.

Mya's Mother's Day round off

Spiralizing zucchini from our garden

We spiralized our first harvested zucchini to use in lieu of traditional pasta in a pesto dish.

One zucchini makes a lot of "pasta"!

We sauteed the zucchini with diced tomatoes and a little basil pesto and sprinkled Parmesan on top.  So yummy!

Baby possum

A baby possum helps itself to water from Einar's bowl.  Einar, watching from the sidewalk, apparently doesn't mind.

Emma's last high school choir performance and Al's birthday eve (May 14, 2018)

Midway High School's Spring choir performances featured all the various choirs and individuals who have won statewide recognition for their talent and dedication.  We watched the second performance in person, but the first via video outside the auditorium.  Hard to tell, I know, but Emma is the eighth girl from the left, if you count the girl who is seated next to her crutches.

The choir performances coincided with Al's birthday eve, which we celebrated afterward. Happy birthday, Al!

Back to Austin (May 7, 2018)

Good-bye for now, Portland!  So nice to have a direct, non-stop flight that lasted under 4 hours.

Hello, Austin!

Final moments (May 6, 2018)

The kids raced their HotWheels around the dining table.  Okay, we grown-ups called a quick halt to this activity but it looks like it was fun while it lasted.

Micah has a big hug for Otis and Fox.

Happy birthday, Micah and Otis! (Sunday, May 6, 2018: two days early)

My May 8th birthday guys.  Micah turned 36 and Otis turned 10.  Double digits, Otis!  I don't know if Otis is starting to give us a double thumbs up or playing an invisible video game.

Micah's Jack Nicholson look from that "redrum" movie, the Shining, that was partly filmed at the lodge on Mt. Hood.

Otis finally agreed to a birthday cake late Sunday afternoon.  So yummy! Thanks, Otis.  But he forbade us to sing "Happy Birthday" or any other song.  Okay.  The Birthday Boy rules.

The kids all wanted to try the red bow from atop the cake, hoping it would be pure sugar.  Not.  Some terrible, plastic tasting yet edible bow.

Ava, Otis, and Fox

Thanks, Anjanette and Fox!

Hanging out (Sunday, May 6, 2018)

I brought 4 pounds of Jelly Bellies from Costco that were a big hit with the kids.  Mason, Ava, Otis, and Fox had their favorite flavors.

Ava, and Fox's feet in the foyer

On the see-saws at nearby Grant Park

I showed the girls how to balance on a see-saw.  Fox took the photo.

Ava and Fox with Ramona in the Beverly Cleary sculpture garden

Loved our HomeAway rental!

Built in the 1920s in Spanish style architecture, the house was full of light.

Tons of books were available to peruse.  Notice that they're shelved by color?  Wonder what Dewey would think about that.

Character. Charm. Comfort.

The patio was equally fun at night, thanks to whimsically hanging overhead lights.

Breakfast nook and Mason's shoes

Everything was in bloom!  Irises, hydrangeas, azaleas . . . .

Porsche? Audi? Mustang? (Sunday, May 6, 2018)

Otis's birthday wish was to visit the Porsche dealership and check out the cars.  I think this was a Ferrari parked at the Porsche dealership  Guessing by the recessed headlights that it's from the 1980s?

The Porsche dealership was very friendly to Otis and Leila's son Mason, starting with giving them Porsche HotWheels and donuts.  A sales person let Otis know that Porsche sponsors the Portland Timbers soccer team, as does Alaska Airlines (see his T-shirt) and that a lot of their players drive Porsches.

We also visited the Audi dealership to see the R8 coupe, with a V10 engine and 0-60 mph acceleration in 3.5 seconds.  The 602 horsepower mid-engine could be seen through the rear window.  Love at first sight. But didn't get to take it for a test drive. Darn!

We also visited the Ford dealership.  Mustang Otis!

A Porsche fits me, n'est pas?

Evening of May 5, 2018

Micah showed us how to create a blaze in the fire pit.

Shadows in the foyer

Fox and Ava in front of the "king" door, as they called it, the front door to the Turret House.

Leila and Micah.  Thanks again, Leila, for a delicious Persian dinner Friday night with great leftovers through the weekend.  

Portland (May 5, 2017)

Fox, Otis, and I had the day to ourselves on Saturday.  We started with "kid coffee," mostly milk, a little coffee, and lots of Hershey's chocolate syrup.

Fox adjusts the amount of chocolate syrup in her coffee.

Nearby Grant Park has a Beverly Cleary sculpture garden.  Fox loves the Ramona books.  Here she is with Ramona.

I have a large bruise on my upper arm from being slammed by the tire swing while pushing the kids. No problem dancing backwards in high heels.  Scurrying backwards in flip flops to escape the swing?  Not fast enough!

Here's that tire swing bruise.  Do I love my grandbabies?  Yes, I do!

Otis totally whupped me at basketball.  I only made one out of about 10 shots. His favorite teams:  The Portland Trail Blazers and Houston Rockets.

First full day in Portland (May 4, 2018)

Fox and I arrived in Portland very late Thursday night.  Friday morning, we made breakfast tacos with LaWanda and Otis, then hung out in the backyard of the HomeAway rental.  LaWanda had an opportunity to draw for the first time in a while.

Later, Micah, his girlfriend Leila, and her children Mason (10) and Ava (7) came over.  Fox and Ava dressed the salad.

After a week of no screen time, as imposed by Otis's school, he was ready for the KindleFire.