Weekend Outings

Besides James' first soccer game, we did a few other fun things this weekend including going to the annual Zilker Park Kite Festival in Austin. It was a perfect day for it.

We brought Penny to the Festival. Here are her and Madeline on the bus ride into the park. Penny got lots of pats on the head and "aaaahhhh such a cute dog!" comments.

Stephen and I had some really yummy corndogs for lunch at the Festival. What did the kids want for lunch from there....snowcones.

Stephen helped the kids get their kites up in the air. The first spot we fly them was a bit crowded and it was easy to get your kite line tangles up. So we moved to the outer skirts of the park near the trees...

...Madeline got a lot of kite flying time there but it resulted in her kite getting stuck in a tree. There were some tears. Luckily it was only a $2 kite from HEB, so we bought her another one.

James picked out his Alien kite. He did good flying it. It was even windy enough that when we walked through the crowds, he flew his kite as he walked.

And the Festival left everyone tuckered out. You can't see her but Penny is behind the kid's bench in the jeep and she is laying down sleeping too.

Madeline also went with one of her best friends, Ashleigh, and her family to the Thunderhill Raceway opener. A stock car race track literally 5 min from our home. From what Ashleigh's mom told us...the girls had a blast. 

They got to meet a lot of the drivers and get their autographs. Fun, fun!

Zilker Kite Festival 2011

Today was the annual kite festival in Austin. Unfortunately since Stephen's days off from work have changed, he wasn't able to go with us today. Penny didn't go either, we've brought her in past years but since I was going by myself this time I decided to leave her home. It wasn't the ideal day to fly kites, yesterday was much more windy. Today the wind came and went. But you knew as soon as the wind was going, all the kites went up!

Such a lovely sight. And they had big speakers playing some great music including some of my favorites like Bruddah Iz's "Somewhere Over the Rainbow".

Water does a body good right? All their running around with their kites got them pretty thirsty.

So bummed, I had my camera on the wrong setting for these next 2 shots so they are a little out of focus. But I thought they were still worth sharing. Madeline and James ran and ran with their kites, too cute!

Who says boys can't strike a pose? James was acting silly making all these poses with his snowie cone.

Cotton candy, snowie cones, popcorn and tattoos - it's what you get at a festival right? Madeline and James got airbrush tattoos that are supposed to last 3-5 days. Madeline got a unicorn and James got a crab.

James almost didn't get his because when the guy pulled out the electric airbrush James thought it was a needle! He was so traumatized from his 4 year well check up when he got immunizations - he's terrified of shots. So the guy showed him on his and my hand that it wasn't a needle but just blows air. So he was brave and got it done. :)

Oh and before the festival this morning. Madeline lost baby tooth #9! It's the one on the right side of her top front teeth.

And this was a photo from this weekend that I posted on my 365 photo blog of James practicing flying his kite. I love the expression on his face!

81st Zilker Park Kite Festival 2009

Today we took the kids to the annual Zilker Park Kite Festival at the Metropolitan park near downtown in South Austin. The day before was super windy, but it died down and turned out to be a perfect day for the Festival. We even brought Penny Lane!

As you can see there were tons of people out for this FREE festival. I didn't get a picture of all the food stands and festivities, but there was tons to do, see and eat!

We bought Madeline and James these $4 Barbie and Cars kites, they flew great and the kids did awesome holding them!

Doesn't James look like such a big boy flying his kite!? Madeline thought it was a lot of fun.

Penny Lane was popular with the crowds. I think we got stopped every 2 minutes of people wanting to pet and play with her. Tons of people walking by saying, "Ah look at that cute puppy!". And all the dog owners came by to let the dogs sniff and check each other out, they all kept asking what breed she was. And when we told everyone she was a Boxer/Basset Hound they would all respond with surprise and say, "what a really cute mix!". Penny loved all of the attention, even rolling on her back so people would rub her tummy.

Once James' kite would stay up, he'd just sit on the ground and watch it fly.

They had a park & ride for the kite festival. So we took school buses to and from the park. Dogs were welcome. Penny Lane and the kids did great on the bus!

And when we got home, the kids flew their kites in our culdesac with the neighbor kids. What inexpensive entertainment! :)