Life According to Gabe . . .

Gabriel: When I was a Little Gabriel, I started to grow . . . And then I ate a lot of food.

So true son, so true

Year in Review

This blog was more than a little neglected in 2016.  To make up for that, here's a slideshow of our favorite moments from the past year.  Enjoy!

https://goo.gl/photos/d18DnkBVfSPMnryV8

Hope you had a Merry Christmas!

These two sillies hope you had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!  They're looking forward to sharing their adventures in 2017 with you.

Happy Halloween

The pile of candy in my sons' Halloween buckets confirms that Halloween has already come and gone.  Here's what the holiday looked like in our house:

We carved this pumpkin for the decorating contest at LT's school library.  We added a fire fighter's helmet and had a perfect representation of Curious George and the Fire Fighters, a favorite in our house.

 

And this was our "standard" pumpkin.  The boys couldn't decide whether we should make a friendly pumpkin or a spooky pumpkin. As the carver, mom cast the deciding vote.

 

Meet Tony Stewart and Raphael.  This was before we headed out.  For about two weeks, they've been talking about going trick-or-treating.  Naturally, they were eager to ring door bells and collect candy.  

  

This guy was a little reluctant to put on his costume.  Once he was persuaded to dress up, he had a blast (even though he's looking over my shoulder right now, telling me that he didn't like his costume at all . . . )

See LT's tipped hat?  He tipped his hat at every home and for every baby.  Naturally, he was a hit with the moms who were handing out candy.

Plans are already in the works for next year's festivities.  I've been informed that we need more yard decorations and have been told who will be wearing what costumes.  So, if you'll excuse me, I need to get on that!

REAL Halloween Decorations

Who needs Halloween decorations when you have critters like these hanging around your home?  Meet the orb spider - at least that's what I think this is. He's taken up residence outside the boys' playroom, which makes him a good object for observation.  Every morning, we find a brand new, Halloween style web ready to catch the day's meals.

This critter is actually smaller than most of the orb spiders we've seen around here.  In truth, our yard sometimes feels like the wilderness.  We've watched roadrunners capture lizzards in the backyard and discovered other creepy-crawlies like tarantulas and scorpions.  While not generally considered welcome company, these critters fit in during Halloween . . . I guess . . .

The Big Kid

I can hardly believe this is my second grader.  When did he get so big???

Conversation

 

Gabe: Are you a princess, mommy???

Mommy (internally): Why yes, yes I am . . .

School Fundraiser

LT's school is in the middle of it's annual Fun Run fundraiser.  If you're interested in contributing, you can visit www.crowdrise.com/Lieck.  Send me an email to get the name of LT's teacher.  All donations are due by Sept. 15, and the Fun Run will take place on Sept. 16.

Thanks, in advance, for your support!

Turning Two!

I know this is technically old news, but I haven't blogged about it yet, so maybe it's new to you.

Our spunky toddler turned two this past April.  It hardly seems like two years have passed since the stormy spring day he was born, but I guess the time has flown by because he keeps us so entertained.

If you've never met our big boy, you're missing out.  Gabriel is full of personality and has his own style.  He is independent, outspoken, and down right silly.  Just like his big brother, he loves trains, dinosaurs, and superheroes.  

Gabriel is also a budding scholar.  He likes watching dinosaur documentaries as much as he likes watching cartoons.  He follows along with stories that are read to him, and he always wants to know what's going to happen next and why.  

He balances his brains with athleticism.  Gabriel has a wicked arm and can kick a ball like it's nothing.  He would spend all day every day outside playing ball or swinging on the play set if we let him.

We can't wait to see what the next year has in store for our big boy!

Coming Up for Air

I can hardly believe we're nearing the end of June.  A lot has happened around here, and I have a lot of catching up to do - in terms of posting updates, that is.  So let's do a little rewind, shall we?

I think Easter is a good place to start.  Grandma & Grandpa Gonzalez and cousin Matt visited, which made the holiday all the more fun.  Grandma organized a scavenger hunt and led the charge on the Easter egg hunt.  As you can see, the boys really enjoyed themselves:

Next post: Gabe turns 2!

Our Feelings about our Alma Mater, in a Nutshell

http://www2.baylor.edu/baylorproud/2016/05/what-it-means-to-be-baylorproud-even-in-disappointment/