Hurricane, Lake Week, etc.

Unfortunately, I've been a bit remiss about putting up posts lately. There's a lot to catch up on! In August, we met my entire family for a week at Big Pine Lake in MN. We had a ball, and I had so much fun introducing my guys to the ways of MN lake life!

More recently, we encountered Mr. Ike, the hurricane. We were home for the storm, and it was pretty scary (although Brady and I slept through the worst of it when the trees were actually coming down). Then the next day, we decided we would just get out of dodge. So, we headed to Austin for a few days! When we returned from Austin, the power came back within a couple hours, so the timing couldn't have been better! We feel very thankful to have come through this without any major damage as we've seen several houses with trees through the roofs, cars smashed, etc.

Sorry, I always forget which order blogger puts the photos in. I need to get packing for Italy, so I don't have time right now to put these in the right order. So, you're seeing Escape to Austin, then Ike, then the lake!

Brady was chosen to ring the bell at sunset at The Oasis. This is a tradition, and they chose him out of all the people there!!

High fivin' daddy while enjoying sunset overlooking Lake Travis.

Big tree uprooted in our backyard!

This is our backyard after the storm. It rained for probably 12 more hours after this (we left for Austin), and there was a thunderstorm this night!

This is my whole family with 'the pig' that the men roasted! Crazy!!


Chris, Brandon, and Ken with the pig!


Cousin Allegra and Brady with their turtle before Perham's International Turtle Races .

Captain Brandon (look-out!!!)

Brady and I with Chris holding what I thought was a HUGE Northern (we threw it back-not huge for a Northern)

Brady with Madelyn and Io playing with Madelyn's

A New Era

It's a new day at the Foster's. Brady has started potty training! A couple nights ago, Brady and I watched, 'Once Upon a Potty for him'. Brandon was out of town and I figured we would watch the video several times before anything would actually happen. WRONG! Brady really enjoyed the video, and after watching it once (it's only about 10 mins long), he said, 'I want to do it.' So we got out the potty chair and he sat right down and did it! Funny how proud a parent can be of something like this!

Here's a pic of him in his 'big boy' underwear. He's really jazzed about his McQueen pull-ups, too. Who knows how long this process will take, but I'm just glad we're off and running!

Happy 4th of July!

We had a wonderful day yesterday, full of friends, food, and feelings of independence! It all started at our 9:00 parade. Brady loved the firetrucks and the marching bands the most. Then we went to our neighbors for a barbecue in the afternoon, then we had our old neighbors over for dinner and fireworks viewing (the view from our new house couldn't get any better). It was a wonderful day! (and perfect that it was a Friday!)

My boys at the parade

This was a great high school band (not sure where they were from) that stopped right in front of us and performed about 5 songs. They even had great dancers!

This is the float from Brady's new school. Brady's handprint is on the blue sign as his class made that poster on Thursday.

This was a pilgrim band playing flutes and old drums (songs like Yankee Doodle) Very patriotic!

Brady on his favorite perch

All of us together

First Day of School

Today was a big morning in the Foster household as Brady headed off to school! He's going to The Woodlands Young Learners Academy, which is very near our house and was just opened at the beginning of the school year last year. We went in and took a couple pictures, and then his class was out at the playground, so we took him out there. He immediately ran to the equipment and began playing with the kids as if he'd been there a million times. We wondered whether or not we should disturb him to tell him good-bye, but we did call to him, and he ran right down, gave us each a kiss, waved, and then went right back to playing. We were so proud of him, but a little forlorn, too, at the thought of how big he's gotten so quickly!

Here he is in his uniform and backpack, all ready to go!

Here we have arrived and are just about to go find his room.

Pic from Father's Day breakfast at The Black Walnut

Brady fell asleep on the floor this weekend with his ham & cheese sandwich in his hand!

Here he is with his dinosaur outfit from Grammie and Papa (wish he could wear this to school instead of a uniform...oh well)

'Court!'

So one morning this week, we were just getting started for the day. I was still in bed, Brandon was getting ready for his shower, and Brady was playing at his train table. Suddenly, I heard this little voice shout, 'Court...where is the top of the mountain?' I thought I must have mis-heard, so I didn't answer. Then it came a second time, only louder and more insistent, 'COURT! Where is the top of the mountain?' It was Brady (of course). He's a clever little bugger...though he's never said my name before, apparently he's heard Brandon say it and made himself a mental note.

Sorry - no pics to accompany this little Foster Fun Fact.

Brady reads his first book!

This morning, Brady and I were playing, and suddenly I realized that he was sitting down 'reading' through a book that I haven't read to him in weeks! I was able to get some of it on video with my cell phone.

It's long (mostly for grandparents), so just shut it off when you get bored.

Holy Haircut Batman!!

Yesterday, Brady and I took the morning off to go get his haircut. We went back to Cartoon Cuts, which is the same place I took him last time. Unfortunately, this time we got the woman who is rumored to have recently butchered Brady's friend Lucas' hair. Before I knew it, the buzzer and the texturizing shears were zipping around, and there was a mound of beautiful sandy-colored hair on the floor. Un like me, Brady was a champ, he didn't move or make a peep through the whole thing.

I knew I had to keep my composure in front of him, but everytime I looked at Brady later in the day, I just wanted to cringe....how could I have let this happen!? Luckily, by this morning his new look had grown on me a bit, so I took a few pictures of him while he helped me in my office.

My aunt Marilyn used to always refer to getting a haircut as getting your ears lowered...I think Brady's ears might fall off if they got any lower!

Oh well...this is just preparation for when he's older and does something to radically change his appearance...he's still the same sweet kid even though he looks different!