Fun in the springtime sun!

It seemed like our winter would never end, but we've finally gotten some warmer, sunny days!  This has been perfect for getting outside!

Riley gave Annabelle a piggyback to the park one afternoon.

When we first moved to Houston, we got a membership to the zoo.  I took the kids a lot in the summers when we needed activities to fill our days, and we'd go as a family on the weekends, too.  As the kids have gotten older and our summer days and weekends have gotten busier, we've not been going as often.  I've continued our zoo membership because we'd usually get there a couple times and also could use it for discounts at other zoos on vacation to make it worth it.  However, since I renewed last year, we hadn't been one time.  So, I decided I wouldn't renew this year and made us all go one last time as a family before our membership expired.  Of course when we got there, parking was a completely nightmare - and we realized it was because it was the same day as the Kite Fest in Hermann Park.  So, Leighton and Roy took the car over to Roy's building and parked there while Riley and I wandered around, and then we met up for a wander in the zoo.

Riley's the 'I' in KITE!

There were several kites behind us but it was so bright that we kept laughing and couldn't get them in our selfie!

The elephants were super active and were putting on a great show!  And we went to see Riley's favorite flamingos.

After the zoo, we went for lunch.  Leighton ordered a root beer assuming it would be a fountain drink but it was a bottled one.  I was teasing him that he looked like a man drinking a beer and was secretly taking some pictures of him.  This first one cracks me up because he looks like he's a wee little bit intoxicated.  The second one is just cute :)

On Mondays and Wednesdays, Roy takes Leighton to soccer practice, so Riley and I often go out for a walk/scooter before she showers and heads to bed.  She was showing me her one handed cartwheels  a couple of weeks ago!  I was trying to catch a picture of her!

This year the Boosterthon and Field Day were combined on the same day.  It was a lot of back and forth for me to watch both kids do both events!  Plus, I was working at the Book Fair a lot of the day, as well.

We spent a Friday evening helping to finish up the Art Car ... and by 'we' I mean Riley!  Ha!  Leighton played soccer in the backyard with his friends while Roy and I chatted with ours!

We had fun at Avani's birthday party again this year.  Leighton came between his soccer games, so didn't swim, but Riley had a great time in the pool.

The next day at Leighton's soccer tournament, Riley hung out under an umbrella to avoid the rain.

When the Yankees came to town, we went to a game!  We went early for batting practice and got to enjoy a game with the roof open for the first time!

Roy had a postdoc candidate visiting the lab, so we all went out for dinner ...

 Leighton played an orchestra concert outdoors near the zoo.  I didn't realize parents were encouraged/allowed to attend, so I wasn't there, but some friends were so they took pictures for me!

We had a VERY delayed National Oreo Day playdate with the Meyers.

At the Auction this year, we got Leighton a flag football game with his teacher ... it was originally meant for a group of 5th graders, but we were the only family that bid on it from 5th grade, so it ended up Leighton and a group of 4th grade girls.  The siblings played too, and it was a really fun time.

One of the other families there gave us 4 tickets to the Dash home opener, so we went for a quick, late lunch and then drove to the soccer stadium!

On Friday, the kids were out of school.  We spent a few hours at the park with the Gentry family, including their sweet new puppy, Stella.  Riley is in love with her!