Still Summer?

How can it possibly still be summer? When do our structured, routine based schedules start back up again?

All kidding aside - summer was fun but also wore me out. By mid July, the kids were like an old married couple, constantly bickering at each other. And the heat really limited when we could venture out and for how long. Even our pool was spent and registered ONE HUNDRED DEGREES by the end of July.

Here's a bit of how we coped...

Zilker Botanical Gardens with Grant Hack

Happy pretty princess

And then a meltdown, just to keep things interesting.

Barton Springs is a surefire way to keep cool. Eleanor is really into posing these days;)

Cousin Taylor and her boyfriend Andrew came to visit. Family outing!

Adult outing for the cousins

Go Fish on Fish!

Off to Houston to visit Daddy. These two lucky ducks got to hang at the pool while Daddy worked.

The many sides of Eleanor.

Art camp for Ellie was a HIT! Our little artist couldn't get enough of it. Andy Warhol in action here...

Picasso

Van Gogh

Meanwhile, I hung with this stud. Somehow in the span of a summer, he went from a toddler to a big boy. *tear, tear*

Bama and Papa come to visit! Sweatband and headlamp accessories for the win.

Dinner with birthday BFF, Audrey, at Home Slice.

By mid-summer, we realized we needed to divide and conquer to create one on one outings with the kids. They desperately needed separation from one another. Sister and I went to a kids' improv show at the Scottish Rite Theater, the oldest Theater in Austin. It was super cute - improv fairy tales with audience involvement.

Followed by a ladies lunch at Josephine House

Fisher/Daddy date - downtown strolling and hot dogs at Frank's.

And a stop at Home Depot. Fish was quite the helper!

Justin's first kill - raccoon with a pellet gun. Our dear friend, Essie, "disposed" of the creature back to where it came from.

Our summer country club, Deep Eddy Pool

The .02 seconds that we captured brother relaxing at Barton Springs.

Skinny dipping at the Hacks to stay cool

Family Date Night at Old Thousand!

Fish calls his collared button shirts his "date shirts." 

Last summer weekend. We hit up the Bat Festival on the Congress Bridge. The kids saw the bats take flight for the first time and were super impressed.

After going barefoot around the bouncy houses, we brought a bit of Congress home with us.

Swimming in our hot tub!

Thomas Girls whipping up some energy balls.