Death by Platypus

And rounding out my fun photo catch-up binge is some shots from our annual First Night attendance! The kids and I headed out earlier in the day while Mommy and Grandma were at a Rockettes show. The big hit of the event was the giant wooden clock they built at Auditorium Shores.

During the day, people were encouraged to go and walk through it and write New Year’s resolutions on it. While we were checking it out, this friendly, big guy that was part of the group came up to offer the kids a sticker. Tyler started asking him about the clock. The guy explained that that evening, they were going to set fire to the clock, and then proceeded to show Tyler where they kept the fuel tanks and flame throwers. I think, had he been a couple years older, that might have been the greatest day of his life. As it was, Tyler was pretty impressed with their giant toys of destruction.

After exploring the clock, the kids and I crossed Congress Bridge to see more of the festivities. Mommy and Grandma joined us right before the parade (see some pix on Alpha Dog). Then, we went back over to Auditorium Shores for the Family Finale and the clock burning. Standing about 50 yards away from it, I was expecting them to light the base and wait as it slowly caught flame. Instead, at the chosen moment, the entire clock burst into flames (seems like they had rigged small explosives or something throughout the body of the clock) – causing a big heat wave we could feel from where we were standing. To top it off, after 5 minutes or so, the ashes floating into the air began to float back down into the crowd (including some burning Grandma’s sweater). Needless to say, this all left a lasting impression on the kids – Tyler was still nearly a week later trying to figure out why they set fire to the clock.

While our holidays were packed with our usual assortment of annual traditions, one exciting new adventure was going to Marble Falls one evening for their light walk. The first photo was taken from the deck of the restaurant we ate at first – it was a nice, mild evening and we got to sit above the river and watch for a while. There are an insane amount of Christmas lights and decorations crammed into one little city park next to the water. It was kitschy and fun!

And of course we had to do Austin’s own Trail of Lights. And take the usual kid shot in front of the opening tunnel (guess Quinn wasn’t as in to having her picture taken this time last year).

Was moving some older photos around tonight and happened across this classic Tyler shot from three years ago yesterday. It’s amazing to me how much he’s grown up in those few years, yet I can still see him in there – both the physical features and the personality. He’s such a great kid, and looking at the old photos of him when he was a baby and a toddler makes me never want to forget those days.

During this pre-Thanksgiving hike at McKinney Roughs, we got to watch a group of horseback riders and pet one of their horses. We also got to watch two armadillos rooting through the leaves right next to the trail for about 10 minutes. Amazingly, despite the kids’ noise and wanting to get up close, they never seemed to be bothered by us. Well, until Quinnie tried to chase one down the trail…

Quinnie and Mommy decided it was time to “fly”, while Tyler practices for a future role of bridge troll.

More Halloween adventuring – this time from our annual trip to the pumpkin patch. These photos have been sitting, unreviewed for months. I’ll be posting some to the Alpha Dog site soon. They kids were pretty ambitious in picking out their pumpkin this year… 

And Tyler was particularly ambitious thinking he could carry this one home.

Quinn finds a spot to sit down. Later, while waiting for our hay ride through the fields, Alyssa and the kids get to pick wildflowers.

Tyler doesn’t look too willing to share his pumpkin ice cream with me.

Our little wolf and owl… Mommy made both costumes (with a little help from Grandma). The surreal thing about Halloween (a Friday night) was that we all got up early the next morning to drive to Arkansas.

Our brave tree climbers out at McKinney Falls in early October. This was a gorgeous Fall day. The first shot of Quinn looks so much like her Mommy in that picture…

 Almost there…

And she made it! (OK, Daddy had to help her up onto that branch)

Alyssa and I had a date outing back in July and decided to go kayaking around Red Bud Isle. While out, we had a close encounter with this curious swan.

Tyler and Piper wrestling at Town Lake Park. This one’s from April.

A bit larger post of Quinn’s second birthday. She really enjoyed her special birthday dress and hat, and celebrating her very own day!

Seems like she wasn’t as thrilled with having to wear her special birthday crown.

At two years old, opening presents was something to be done slowly and with some reverence. At two-and-a-half (Christmas), she was in full-on rip-it-open-and-get-on-to-the-next-thing mode (perhaps influenced by her brother?).