Trick-or-Treating

Dax had his first experience Trick-or-Treating tonight. We met up with Dax's friend, Ethan, and his family to tour the neighborhood. The boys were so cute. It took Dax only a couple of houses before he figured out how this whole thing works. Then he really got into it. He loves meeting people so much, so he thought it was great fun to ring doorbells and get treats. He very frequently walked right on into people's houses. I'm sure tomorrow he's going to want to do it again. More pics are at : http://picasaweb.google.com/karen.derouen/October2008#

Getting ready for the big night


Whoa, that lady put candy in there!


Come on, Ethan, let's see if we can get candy from other houses, too!


Halloween is fun!

X-ray

We got a copy of Duane's foot x-ray. It's hard to see, but there are several lines that aren't supposed to be there. From the left of the picture below, the 2nd toe has a "U"-shaped crack along bottom that then runs along the side for 1/2 an inch. The 3rd toe you can't really see in this picture, but it has a crack along the bottom, up the left side for 1/2 an inch, and then back across the top. Then the 4th toe, has a crack across the middle that then forks into two. No damage to the big toe or pinky. The boot is helping a bunch. Duane can even walk without his crutches for a little bit.

Trick or Treating at the Nursing Home

Today my MOMS group from church took our kiddos to a nursing home for "trick or treating". Dax dressed up like a lamb because a) he LOVES his lamb that he cuddles with every night, and b) this is probably the last year I'll be able to dress him up in what *I* want him to wear. We had a really nice time meeting the residents at the home. Dax was a great hit because he "worked the room" and made sure he said "hi" to everyone. He didn't quite get the trick or treat concept at first. He kept trying to GIVE the treat (he's very good at sharing). But, once he figured it out, he spent the rest of the time munching on a cracker. Dax really liked a man that kept tickling him. He also liked a lady in a wheelchair. When she was leaving, he even helped her push her chair - it was very sweet. I think it would be nice to go back and visit again.

The dress rehearsal - he likes his costume


Trick or Treating


Dax was a big hit


Giving good-bye hugs

Pumpkin Hunting

Yesterday morning we hosted a playgroup at our house. Dax's buddy, Ethan, from down the street came, and so did his new friend, Devin. Devin's mommy worked with Karen and Duane at Pervasive. The boys really liked each other and even gave each other (manly) good-bye hugs.

Duane went to the orthopedic doctor and got a walking boot for his foot. He still has to use the crutches, but the boot helps so much that he can sometimes use only one crutch. They say in another couple days, he should be able to walk on it briefly. At least Duane is off the vicodin.

In the afternoon, we decided to get out of the house and enjoy the beautiful fall weather and to hunt for a pumpkin. We went to a local church that usually has a big selection. I guess we're a little late in the game, because we couldn't really find one that we liked. But, Dax had a good time looking.

So many pumpkins, so little time


Oh, I think there's one over there that I haven't touched yet


This one looks good, who cares that it weighs twice as much as I do


Do you know how hard it is to get a 16 month old to look at you when you're trying to take his picture?

Daddy's foot

Yesterday at Duane's flag football game, someone stepped on his foot and crashed into him (no, it's not SUPPOSED to be "tackle" football). Well, Duane's foot hurt really bad, even after icing it for a couple hours. So, we took him to the ER. The doctor thought it was overstretched ligaments, but they took an x-ray to be sure. Then, the doctor had to admit he was wrong. Duane actually has 3 broken bones. So, he's in a temporary cast/splint thing until we can get to the orthopedic doctor this week. Dax thinks his crutches are a blast. Badger thinks they're from the devil. Duane doesn't care because he's hopped up on vicodin. j/k He's actually hoping to get a walking boot asap. We'll keep you posted.

In other "news of the weird", Dax took a 3 hour nap this morning! I don't think he's ever done that. Then, to top it off, he even took an 1 1/2 hour afternoon nap. If only he had picked a day that I would have been able to nap, too! :-o We're guessing it's a growth spurt. He's really getting tall - he can look into the drawers in our bathroom to see what he wants to grab out of there. For some reason q-tips, hair clips, and toothpaste tubes are popular.

Cowboy Dax

Dax found Mommy's old country dancing boots. He thought it would be fun to put them on and clomp around in them. He was right! (I love how he was wearing a rodeo-themed shirt to complete the look, too.)

The British Invasion

Grandma's cousins from England, Catherine and Clark, came for a visit, and while she was at work, Dax and I played Texas tour guide. The first day we drove out to Gruene. Gruene is a great, old-time, Texas town. They have one of the best dance halls in the world, and I gave them a dance lesson there. If only they knew how cool it is to learn the Texas 2-Step, and dance at Gruene Hall! Then we ate lunch at the Gristmill next door. Clark had his first-ever chicken fried steak. He said he liked it.

The next day we met Hollie and Payton at Whole Foods. Catherine and Clark got to experience the store's lunch buffet, and the kiddos played on the playscape. Next we took them to Amy's Ice Cream for another Austin experience. After that, we met Duane at the lake and took them for a boat ride on Lake Travis. That's definitely something they couldn't do in late October in England!

The following day we went to the Texas State History Museum. There was a "Cowboys and Presidents" exhibit, complete with a kids cowboy dress-up area that Dax liked. There was also a movie about Texas history we all enjoyed. After the museum, we drove all around University of Texas campus, St. Edward's University campus, and then up to Mount Bonnell where Catherine and Clark enjoyed the view of Austin and Lake Austin. We had "Afternoon Tea" at an outdoor cafe and then took a quick tour of Grandma's office. After dinner we met Travis and Hollie at The Broken Spoke (another true Texas dance hall) for some live music. We then visited downtown's 4th Street entertainment district for some evening fun.

We really enjoyed our time with Catherine and Clark. The funny part is that each morning Dax would get a little freaked out until he got used to their accents again. Luckily, they didn't take it personally. :) They were a lot of fun to show around and we really hope to see them again soon.

At the world famous Gruene Hall


Learning the Texas 2-Step


2-Steppin' (sorry, I couldn't figure out how to rotate it)


Enjoying chicken fried steak


Beautiful day on Lake Travis


At the Texas State History Museum


Cowboy Dax