Tarzan

JD has been a fan of Bowie musicals since he saw Les Misarables years ago.  This year's performance was Tarzan.  They had some pretty impressive rope climbing effects.  I'm always amazed at what a high quality performance high schoolers are capable of.

Science Fair

HOORAY - another year's science fair project is in the books.

 JD broke geodes and did observations about what was inside and how that compared to what the outside looked like.

Dad helps - so naturally power tools were involved.

Christmas and the Aftermath

 JD got this giant nerf fun for Christmas.  Rosie looks worried about being used for target practice.

We continued our day after Christmas tradition of going to Fort Sam Houston.  Here JD posed with Army Santa.

Merry Christmas

The Christmas season is upon us -- even at school.  Every year on the last day of classes before finals begin the choir roams the school caroling. 

I gave my economics students this little economics treat with their final exam.  Since they all snickered at the pun I have decided that we have had a successful semester together. 

 Our last cub scout den meeting of the year involved a craft project.

 The Zilker Trail of Lights has become a tradition for us.

 Since you can buy your way into the trail an hour before they open it to the public it has actually been a pleasant experience the last couple years.

I bribed JD with a hamburger to get him to take this picture with Santa.

Elf on the Shelf

The sad and inevitable day has come when JD has figured out that Santa is not real and that the elf on the shelf doesn't really report to him every night.  We put the elf out but I haven't been moving it around.  This morning though ---- the elf has moved and a sign by him said, "take a selfie."  The elf's handwriting looked suspiciously like JD's!  He tried to selfie this morning and I ended up taking his picture - of course Gumball had to get in on the action.

Camping With the Boy Scouts

 We are still working on our crossover decision and trying to figure out which of the Boy Scout Troops in the area is the best fit for us. We spent our time this weekend with troop 395.

 For boys the main attraction is always the fire.  They sit by the fire during the day . . .

 . . . and sit by the fire at night.  They also did a ceremony by the evening fire to retire several flags.  They tore the flag into strips, dedicated them to several events in U.S. history and then burned them.

 Even these little boys found it to be a pretty serious event.

Of course, when we camp this little girl goes to the kennel.  She was very happy to see us come home!

Happy Thanksgiving

 Our Thanksgiving holiday started out with JD getting a belt promotion.  He now has a red stripe on his blue belt.

 He has been working hard to learn the new techniques that were required to get this advancement.

 Uncle Keith came to visit and it was constant nerf gun battles!  The boys had lots of fun shooting nerf bullets at each other and then chasing Rosie down to get them back from her.

Rosie is Nina's new BFF.  Since nobody here ever pays any attention to her (ha ha  ha ha)  she soaked up all the attention Aunt Nina was willing to give.