The Howard's Project 365

Day 334 - Bluebell

2010-11-30T15:53:00.000-06:00

Here is Bridget & Caroline in the lobby of the Bluebell Ice Cream Factory. We didn't take the tour because we thought it would be cutting it close to Bridget's flight home.

Day 333 - Fort Mason

2010-11-29T15:50:00.000-06:00

Today we took a drive out to Mason, TX to see the fort. It was much smaller than I imagined, but I guess they didn't need much to sleep, eat, and keep an eye out for any "bad guys". This is the view from the walkway between the 2 living spaces.

Day 332 - Auntie Bridget

2010-11-28T15:49:00.000-06:00

The kids had fun taking silly pictures with Bridget's iPod Touch.

Day 331 - Day Trip

2010-11-27T15:40:00.002-06:00

Today we did some sight seeing with the whole family!

Day 330 - Turkey 2.0

2010-11-26T15:36:00.000-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving, again! Today my parents and sister arrived from California, and we had a wonderful turkey dinner with all of the grandparents and aunties at Martta's house. Everything was delicious! ANd I even tried brussel sprouts for the first time... Martta's preparation was yummy! Here the kids are reading a book on my Dad's iPad, hanging out with Jim, and Martta & I are enjoying a break after dinner.

Day 329 - Waiting

2010-11-25T15:34:00.000-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving! Jackson is anxiously awaiting the arrival of Gramee Jane & Grampa Neil. This is his favorite place to "perch" and wait for visitors.

Day 328 - Paper Turkey

2010-11-24T15:31:00.000-06:00

The kids are home from school for Thanksgiving break, and even though I have a ton of cleaning to do before our families arrive, we all needed to sit and have a little fun together. We made turkeys from toilet paper tubes! The kids had fun cutting and glueing, and so did I!

Day 327 - Bird

2010-11-23T15:29:00.000-06:00

My Mom bought this bird at the Austin Children's Museum during their visit in May for Caroline's birthday. I hung it in the playroom above their art wall. I love the colors, and it is something that makes me smile when I walk by each day!

Day 326 - Cleaning

2010-11-22T15:27:00.000-06:00

Caroline made a big mess, so she is sweeping her crumbs... Cinderella style. :)

Day 325 - Decor

2010-11-21T15:25:00.000-06:00

Finally got the corbels on the wall. I think we need darker paint now. :)

Day 324 - Frog

2010-11-20T15:22:00.000-06:00

Gramee Jane brought this musical frog back from China for Jackson. It's pretty fun! You use the stick to run over the bumps on it's back, and if you do it just right, it sounds like real croaking.

Day 323 - Program

2010-11-19T15:20:00.000-06:00

Jackson had his Thanksgiving school program this afternoon. It was a harvest theme, and they dressed up as farmers. It was also pajama day for a PJ drive they were having at school, so some of the kids are in their PJs. Jackson did a great job memorizing and saying his lines!

Day 322 - Keep Calm

2010-11-18T15:18:00.000-06:00

These "Keep Calm" printables are showing up all over blogland, so I decided to print out a few as decorations for Thanksgiving. I thought this one was pretty cute.

Day 321 - Princess Cupcakes

2010-11-17T15:15:00.002-06:00

Caroline & I made these cupcakes today. The princess decorations were from Grandma & Grandpa Olson for her birthday. She had so much fun putting them in the cupcakes, and had a hard time deciding which one to eat!

Day 320 - Goodwill

2010-11-16T15:13:00.001-06:00

Scored 2 of these wood corbels at Goodwill for $5 each!

Day 319 - Flashback Fail

2010-11-15T16:52:00.000-06:00

Caroline in her PJ's playing with her Bitty Baby this day in 2009. She loves that doll!

Day 318 - Birthday Brisket

2010-11-14T16:48:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday to my hubby! Love you HPP! We had oven roasted BBQ brisket for dinner, along with mashed potatoes and salad. This pic is just as we put the brisket in the oven... all of that rub makes it so flavorful!

Day 317 - Rock Climbing

2010-11-13T16:46:00.000-06:00

Jackson's friend from school had a rock climbing birthday party! It was fun to watch all the boys climb the super high walls. Jackson would only go about 6 feet up before getting his feet back on the ground. I guess he might have some of Daddy & Gramee's fear of heights!

Day 316 - Donut

2010-11-12T16:44:00.000-06:00

Every so often Jim gets a donut craving. There's no stopping him, so I get to enjoy the occasional donut as well!

Day 315 - Flashback Fail

2010-11-11T16:42:00.000-06:00

Jackson & I having some fun together this day in 2009. Taken with my old point & shoot that took a dive in a pond.

Day 314- Leaves

2010-11-10T16:40:00.002-06:00

Happy Birthday to my father-in-law Neil! Have a wonderful day!

The leaves have finally started to change here in Texas. This is our Red Oak in the backyard.

Day 313 - Sunset

2010-11-09T16:37:00.001-06:00

Sunset from our backyard.

Day 312 - Upside Down

2010-11-08T16:35:00.001-06:00

Little Miss decided she was more comfortable watching TV with her legs up and head down. I'm in pain just looking at her!

Day 311 - Fuzzy

2010-11-07T16:33:00.001-06:00

Jackson wanted to wear my fuzzy socks after finding them in my room. Pretty funny!

Day 310 - Wedding

2010-11-06T16:30:00.001-05:00

Tiramisu cake balls from a friend's wedding. Congrats to Andris & Emily!

Day 309 - Pumpkin Ice Cream

2010-11-05T15:58:00.002-05:00

Jackson loved the pumpkin ice cream I made with my new ice cream maker. A little chocolate syrup doesn't hurt either. :)

Day 308 - Happy

2010-11-04T15:54:00.001-05:00

Today, Jackson got his new hearing aids! They are not programmed to their optimal level for his loss yet, but he is already hearing so much better. I had to hold back tears, both joy and pain. He is such a happy boy today!

Day 307 - Choice

2010-11-03T20:26:00.003-05:00

This afternoon I let the kids eat as many pieces of candy as they desired. Jackson said he was going to eat 20, but stopped at 17. Caroline choice Swedish Fish for her first piece, and was done by piece number 2... Whoppers. I was hoping this might get the candy bug out of the system, but they both promptly asked for more after dinner... ugh. Might be time to make some of it "disappear".

Day 306- Tired Train

2010-11-02T20:25:00.000-05:00

Caroline getting her nightly ride upstairs on the "Tired Train"... complete with ice water, and strictly specified number of ice cubes.

Day 305 - Loot

2010-11-01T20:20:00.001-05:00

All the candy the kids brought home from 2 nights of trick-or-treating... I feel my pants getting tighter already.

Day 304 - Halloween

2010-10-31T20:11:00.002-05:00

Our BatKids! And our pumpkin family.

The kids worked on their upper body strength tonight! They brought home tons of candy, which of course we are "checking" for quality. :)

Day 303 - Miss C

2010-10-30T20:09:00.001-05:00

Caroline enjoying a cookie Jim made this morning!

Day 302- Trunk-or-Treat

2010-10-29T20:05:00.000-05:00

After a reminder from my neighbor Holly, we decided to walk (with her family) down to Vista Ridge High School for their Trunk-or-Treat event. Many of the clubs & organizations on campus dressed up and handed out candy to the kids in the community. They used the back of their cars as "houses", thus, the trunk-or-treat. It was fun!

Day 301- Pumpkin Party

2010-10-28T20:03:00.000-05:00

Caroline's preschool had a pumpkin party today! She was so excited to wear her costume and eat all those yummy treats!

Day 300 - Flashback Fail

2010-10-27T20:00:00.002-05:00

A grumpy little lady on this day last year.

Day 299 - Timeline

2010-10-26T19:54:00.000-05:00

This picture is horrifying as far as white balance, etc, but I tried to "fix" it, so there was a chance someone might be able to read it. Jackson's timeline project for school. I'd like to say we had fun making it, but it took a few days of spreading out the writing to make it tolerable for him. In the end, I think he actually learned something, so I guess it was all worth the whining. :)

Day 298 - Lick

2010-10-25T19:52:00.000-05:00

Caroline loves to lick the spoon, or paddle in this instance. We found a new recipe for chocolate cookies, and they are amazing! My new favorite.

Day 297 - Flashback Fail

2010-10-24T19:47:00.000-05:00

Another fail... I guess this gets a little harder toward the end of the year, but I'm trying! Here is Jackson with his "goggles" on, last October 24th.

Day 296- Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-23T19:39:00.002-05:00

This post should make up for the failed days I've had! We took a drive out to Sweet Berry Farms in Marble Falls, TX this morning. The week before Halloween meant it was going to be busy, so we got out of the house by 8:15 for the 45 min trek. The kids had a great time, we picked a few pumpkins, took a million pictures, and got out of there just as the crowd started getting too big.

Day 295 - Flashback Fail

2010-10-22T19:38:00.000-05:00

On this day last year, Caroline was helping me bake and turned on the mixer to high! She was covered in flour, and not too thrilled about it either.

Day 294- Flashback Fail

2010-10-21T19:36:00.001-05:00

My sweet pea on this day last year.

Day 293- Rainbow

2010-10-20T19:32:00.001-05:00

Caroline found the rainbow today! The sun came through the kitchen window, and created this rainbow through a large vase I have on the counter. She was so excited when it was on her body, so I had her sit and get it just right on her foot.

Happy Anniversary to my wonderful parents today!! 37 years!

Day 292- Dessert

2010-10-19T19:30:00.001-05:00

Jim made this chocolate Oreo ice cream with chocolate sauce swirled in at the last minute of churning. Super chocolatety, but oh so good. And a very Happy Birthday to my Grandpa Gene today!!

Day 291 - Read

2010-10-18T19:28:00.000-05:00

Jackson loves to read. He was so happy to come home from school and find a stack of books Caroline and I picked up from the library.

Day 290 - Kids and "Pets"

2010-10-17T19:25:00.000-05:00

This is a bizarre shot, but as the kids play on the patio, you can see our "pet" lizards up on the pillar above them. We've watched these guys grow from babies, and I suppose I should be thankful they are eating bugs from my yard, but a little part of me is really grossed out by them!

Day 289 - pillows

2010-10-16T16:31:00.000-05:00

I made these pillows for the kids as my early sewing projects. There are many mistakes (I am still making), but they love them anyway!

Day 288 - First Grade

2010-10-15T16:15:00.000-05:00

Technically I didn't take this picture, but he brought his school pictures home, so I had to scan it!

Day 287 - Machine

2010-10-14T16:08:00.000-05:00

Grandma & Grandpa sent a candy machine with Disney M&M's for the kid's Halloween treat! They were so excited!

Day 286 - China

2010-10-13T16:06:00.000-05:00

Caroline finally decided it was ok to try on the dress Gramee brought her from China. Such a lovely pose... I can see her on The Price Is Right!

Day 285 - Solution

2010-10-12T16:03:00.001-05:00

I found a solution to the Lego mess! IKEA had these boxes which turned out to be perfect! And yes, I have Lego OCD. Happy Birthday to my sister, Bridget!! Love you Sissy!

Day 284 - Park

2010-10-11T15:59:00.000-05:00

No school today, so we went to check out a neat park in Georgetown, TX. It's made of wood, and looks like an old fort! The kids had a great time, and even lasted about 30 min at IKEA with the promise of a frozen yogurt cone at the checkout!

Day 283 - Ghost

2010-10-10T15:57:00.000-05:00

Another one of my crafty trials. Not perfect, but it stood long enough to last the night! Just sprayed cheesecloth with the spray starch we use when ironing... which is RARE.

Day 282 - Lego Sort

2010-10-09T15:54:00.001-05:00

In order to find over 750 pieces for a specific Star Wars Ship, we had to go through all of Jackson's Legos... more than 4 hours later, I was NOT going to throw them all back into a big bin like they had been kept initially. So here they stay until I find the right solution!

Day 281 - Flashing WAY back

2010-10-08T15:45:00.000-05:00

Apparently, we haven't taken a picture on this day for 5 years! Here is Jackson in 2005 playing at the park. Amazing how time has gone by so quickly!

Day 280 - Witch

2010-10-07T15:43:00.000-05:00

I love this witch... my Mom bought it for me at a craft fair years ago. There's a small light inside that changes color too. She always makes me smile when I take her out of the Halloween box!

Day 279 - Craft

2010-10-06T15:38:00.001-05:00

So I've seen these all over "blogland", and decided to try it myself. Candlestick, vase, and filler from the Dollar Tree... I already had the ribbon. Just glue them together and throw in the filler! I made two. Pretty nice from a distance, and cheap! The orange piece is leftover scrap from the wreath I made.

Day 278 - Ice Cream

2010-10-05T15:36:00.001-05:00

The first batch of ice cream from my new ice cream maker!

Day 277 - Hug

2010-10-04T15:35:00.001-05:00

Happy Birthday to ME!

Day 276- Mommy

2010-10-03T15:33:00.000-05:00

We had cake for my birthday at Martta's tonight... had to get a pic with my kiddos!

Day 275

2010-10-02T15:32:00.000-05:00

Fire boat the kids made at the Home Depot Workshop.

Day 274 - Tent

2010-10-01T12:48:00.000-05:00

I pulled out the old play tent and put it together with Miss C. She was SO excited to have a fun place to read books and play with her babies. I may have to take the play kitchen out of her room and replace it with this! It might be a lot less messy!

Day 273 - Ice Wine

2010-09-30T12:46:00.000-05:00

Here's what you get when your husband puts wine in the freezer then forgets about it... the next morning you find the cork popped and thankfully, no wine lost! LOL!

Day 272 - Fall Door

2010-09-29T12:44:00.000-05:00

Finally got my wreath up on our front door. I decided to put a wide orange ribbon on it to help it stand out against the dark door.

Day 271 - Fox on Sox

2010-09-28T12:42:00.000-05:00

Reading Fox on Sox by Dr. Suess before bedtime... it's quite the tongue twister! Naturally, the kids love to hear me mess up the words!

Day 270 - Flexible

2010-09-27T12:41:00.001-05:00

Miss Flexible.

Day 269 - Car Show

2010-09-26T12:38:00.000-05:00

We went to the All British Car Show this morning. It was a little breezy, but cooler and a nice change from the heat & humidity. I have a similar picture of myself in front of a white Rolls Royce as a kid.. I'll have to dig it up!

Day 268 - Party

2010-09-25T12:35:00.000-05:00

The kids went to a birthday party at the YMCA... they had a blast running all over the gym, climbing on everything, and playing with balls, hula hoops and gymnastics equipment.

Day 267 - Still Eating

2010-09-24T12:33:00.000-05:00

Caroline won the slow poke award tonight. We had all finished and cleaned up our plates...she was still eating while we watched a movie!

Day 266 - Butterfly

2010-09-23T12:30:00.000-05:00

Jim saw this big butterfly in our front yard! Thankfully the zinnia we planted 2 years ago happily return each year without any work from me!

Day 265 - Little Miss

2010-09-22T12:29:00.000-05:00

Caroline from my iPhone Hipstamatic App.

Day 264 - Daddy Tea

2010-09-21T12:27:00.000-05:00

Caroline was too excited to sit still, but still a great pic of their party! Miss C is quite the hostess.

Day 263 - Wreath

2010-09-20T12:25:00.001-05:00

I had a stressful week, so this project was a great way to keep my mind busy... lots of cutting and tying, but I think it turned out pretty good!

Day 262 - McKinney Falls

2010-09-19T12:22:00.000-05:00

Today we drove to McKinney Falls State Park. It's just south of downtown Austin, so it was a quick getaway on a Sunday afternoon. It was pretty hot and humid, but we powered through and did a couple of short walks. Jim thought it was funny to shake this old bridge while we were on it.... not funny!!

Day 261 - Bookshelf

2010-09-18T12:20:00.000-05:00

Jim and I built this shelf... well, mostly Jim, but I helped. :) Nail holes filled, waiting to be sanded, primed and painted. Just one more to go!

Day 260 - Happy Friday

2010-09-17T12:18:00.000-05:00

Hanging out and watching a movie on Friday night.

Day 259 - BatKids

2010-09-16T12:16:00.001-05:00

Found costumes for the kids! Hope they still want to wear them in another month!

Day 258 - Oatmeal

2010-09-15T12:14:00.001-05:00

A happy breakfast.

Day 257 - Flashback Fail

2010-09-14T12:12:00.000-05:00

This day last year... Caroline hiding under the table in one of her favorite dresses. Amazing how much they change in one year! She still has a little baby face left!

Day 256 - Laundry Helper

2010-09-13T12:10:00.001-05:00

Such a cute laundry helper.

Day 255 - Flashback Fail

2010-09-12T12:09:00.000-05:00

This day last year we had a crazy rain storm... our entire backyard looked like a lake!

Day 254 - More Flood

2010-09-11T12:07:00.000-05:00

Here is another shot of a fishing spot Jim and my Dad visit. Completely blown out and trees down... part of the road near here was also washed out.

Day 253 - Smocked

2010-09-10T12:05:00.000-05:00

Showing off her smocked dress made by Gramee for her birthday this year.

Day 252 - Pretending

2010-09-09T12:02:00.001-05:00

Today the kids tried out Mommy & Daddy roles... Jackson read the family a story, and Caroline helped Daddy make his morning coffee.

Day 251 - Flood

2010-09-08T20:09:00.003-05:00

We had about 11 inches of rain overnight due to Tropical Storm Hermine. Here is a major East/West artery through our city... closed about 1/4 mile from our house due to the creek flooding over the roadway. Normally, it's hard to see that there is even water down below the road at all!

Day 250 - Gecko

2010-09-07T20:08:00.000-05:00

Can you spot him? He was pretty happy hiding in my hydrangea.

Day 249 - Cupcake

2010-09-06T20:06:00.000-05:00

My attempt at sewing more than a rectangle. Still needs some embellishment, but I'm getting there!

Day 248 - Happy

2010-09-05T19:55:00.000-05:00

Sheer happiness as he is about to take a big bite of cinnamon roll!

Day 247 - Video

2010-09-04T19:52:00.003-05:00

Day 246 - Projects

2010-09-03T16:47:00.003-05:00

Today I worked on 2 projects. Painting the quatrefoil design on my canvas, and baking Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon Rolls. I slightly under baked the rolls, but they are still pretty tasty! How can you go wrong with tons of butter?

Day 245 - First Day of Preschool!

2010-09-02T16:38:00.001-05:00

Caroline started preschool today! I can't believe my sweet pea is 3, and off to school. She's excited!

Day 244 - Sew

2010-09-01T16:35:00.002-05:00

So I have decided to teach myself to sew... here I am at my "station" cutting some fabric and getting ready to embark on my first sewing project (a basic doll pillow) since 7th grade! That's my Mom's sewing machine from the 70's... she never took it out of the box!

Catching Up

2010-09-01T09:57:00.001-05:00

I have quite a few photos to update, so stay tuned! Caroline starts preschool tomorrow, so I hope to get some of them done during that time!

Day 243 - Boy

2010-08-31T16:33:00.001-05:00

My beautiful boy.

Day 242 - Flashback Fail

2010-08-30T16:45:00.001-05:00

This is going back 3 years... Caroline fell asleep on the changing table!

Day 241 - Light Saber

2010-08-29T16:31:00.001-05:00

Our young Jedi in training.

Day 240 - Roller Skating

2010-08-28T16:29:00.000-05:00

A friend of mine had her 40th birthday party at a roller rink today. I took Jackson, and he had a blast! He was hesitant at first, but after watching me skate a few minutes, he decided to give it a go! This "skate buddy" made it much easier for the little kids to stay upright!

Day 239 - Books vs. Game

2010-08-27T16:26:00.000-05:00

Jack struggles to decide which activity he would prefer to do... costume catalog or video game... it's a tough choice for him!

Day 238 - Flashback Fail

2010-08-26T16:23:00.002-05:00

Sad baby girl on this day back in 2008. On a happier note, today is my Dad's Birthday!! Happy Birthday Dad, we love you!!

Day 237 - Still fits

2010-08-25T16:21:00.000-05:00

Gramee Jane made this outfit for Caroline... it still fits and she is so cute in it! She is twirling here.

Day 236 - Miss Independent

2010-08-24T16:19:00.000-05:00

Caroline was very proud of herself after getting water from the refrigerator door dispenser.