Tunnel to Freedom?

So many giggles inside the tunnel!

Canoeing

Last Sunday we rented canoes with Tyler's cub scout den at Zilker Park. We mostly canoed in Barton Creek but also ventured onto the Colorado River a little bit. The boys tuckered out after about an hour and then played in the water at Barking Springs afterwards where it is shallow enough to wade in.

Tyler and Roman

Greg and Roman

Tyler and I made a good team. However, I had a hard time
keeping us straight since we row with different strength.

Jackson and Brian

Sandra, Ryan, and Arthur

David and Todd

Candice, Abby, Matthias, and Matthias

Geese up close

When I took out my camera to take a photo of the geese, they
started honking because they thought I had bread. Have I
mentioned that birds in close proximity freak me out?
I couldn't put my camera back in my bag fast enough!

Barking Springs

Soccer

Soccer season is in full swing. This year Tyler's age group moved up to a larger field, now have a goalie and are playing 5v5 (instead of 4v4), they give up the ball to the other team when it goes out of bounds, and there is a referee running the game. The boys are adjusting well to the new format and the coach has been trying out a few players as goalie each game. We are team Mexico this season but the jerseys are a neon green unlike the dark green of the actual Mexico jersey. Daphne likes playing with the other siblings while the games are going on.

Tyler (#18 in the middle) in action

Daphne and Avery goof off in the shade

Post-game handshakes

Lucy and Daphne- regular smiles

Silly faces

Tyler played goalie today for a quarter. He didn't find goalie
as much fun as playing in the field. He did pick the ball up
with his hands right outside the goalie box once and the other
team got a free kick that Tyler was able to stop.

Daphne selfie

Our Gymnast

Daphne contemplated doing t-ball this fall but instead decided to do gymnastics. She loves going to class and they have been focusing on a lot of tumbling (backward rolls, handstands), the balance beam, and the high bar. Daphne is a natural little monkey.

Elizabet Ney Museum & Portraiture in the Park

Last Sunday was free Museum Day. We decided to check out the Elizabet Ney Museum, which is a small art museum with sculptures. On the grounds of the park they had Portraiture in the Park to celebrate Museum Day. Daphne, our art lover, loved the whole experience and Tyler was mostly bored. The Portraiture in the Park had tons of stations run by local college art students where kids and adults could create various types of art. The focus was on portraits but you could make other art as well. Daphne could have done every station but we hit about five before Tyler and Michael were ready to call it an afternoon.

Photo from City's website

Marble busts in the museum

Tyler was fascinated by the typewriter in the museum's tower.

Daphne learns how to make a print.

The smash face station was fun! Tyler
smashed his face against the glass and
Daphne traced it with Sharpie on the other
side. Then you use winter oil to transfer the
marker to a paper you can take home.

Both kids were amused.

Daphne's five pieces of art that she brought home with her.
Tyler (top middle artwork) looks a little like an alien.

Schlitterbahn

We took the kids to Schlitterbahn for the first time last weekend. We had bought discount tickets at the beginning of the summer but were so busy all summer that we hadn't had time to use them. Since it was a week into September the water was a little chilly but the park wasn't as crowded. We opened and close down the park and we all had a blast. Michael and Daphne particularly loved the lazy rivers. Tyler enjoyed the big slides and convinced me to go down the Dark Knight (completely black enclosed tube slide) with him on a double raft. I tried to get him to promise not to whine about journaling homework the rest of the school year in exchange for riding Dark Knight. Tyler laughed and said that would never happen and instead offered to give up a day of video games.

After photos only since we left our phones in the locker all day:

Splat Art Outcome

Daphne was excited how her painting turned
out after taking off the painter's tape.