Ellis Giles

Sunday morning MH, Alden, and I had corn pancakes that mommy (MH) made, they were yummy.  MH wanted to finish painting, so Alden and I went to Grand D.’s for swimming and second breakfast.  We had a great time, but the water was too cold!  Alden didn’t want to swim much, either did we!  I stayed in the pool the whole time since Alden kept getting in and out, Grand D. got in for a few minutes.  Alden did go under and get the sunglasses one time, but didn’t swim back and forth.  So, we headed back to the apt.  We invited Grand D. for lunch, he brought beans, buns, and fixin’s, and I grilled some bratwurst that I’d been dying to have.  Before Grand D. left he helped me move the mattress upstairs.  Alden had spent the night in our room the night before since his room was in painting progress.

It was nap time, mommy had finished painting so we all got a nap in.  After nap, MH wanted a sunday so we headed off to DQ and got some early dinner.  MH’s first time to eat at DQ in years and her first time to try their cusine.  We had a good time, the burgers were good, and Alden enjoyed my chocolate dipped vanilla cone more than the sunday with mommy.  After the employee fight, we left and went to Horseshoe Junction.

I was wearing my “I Love Trash” shirt, with a picture of Oscar the Grouch on it.  Alden likes it, it’s pretty funny.  As we were going into HJ, I said, great, I”m wearing an I Love Trash shirt.  Alden piped up, “I Love Money!”  Where did that come from?  So funny.  We both started laughing, so Alden said it again, and again!  Pretty hilarious!

Alden and I rode the bumper boats and mommy watched.  We played the airplane game, won the daily top score and first place on the Nascar racer, play skii ball, basketball (Alden’s getting good at getting the balls and throwing), whac a mole (Alden won a ticket there), and then had to leave.  Alden was kicking and screaming, but it was time to go.

Filed under: Family | Tagged: Alden, DQ, Horseshoe Junction, I Love Money, I Love Tash, Swimming | 41 Comments »

Saturday morning we went to the Bellville Market Day to get some ideas for Alden’s cowboy themed room to-be.  I made bratwurst sausage in scrambled eggs and we all had some with toast.  Alden had spent the night in our room since Mary-Helen and Grand D. had been painting all Friday afternoon.  I had moved the mattress downstairs.

We visited all the booths and all we purchased were some pickles  They proceeds went to help the volleyballteam go to state.  But we got some more ideas for barbed wire and signs.  We did walk through an over-priced store, I guess for high end cowboy decorations.  Nothing there, but they did give us a good pointer on where to get some bbq.  Battle Creek BBQ, good place to go!  Mary-Helen even liked it!  We all got bbq sandwiches and mommy got a ham baked potato that she liked.

We tried a tac shop and bought Alden a cowboy shirt that was on sale, they gave him a free sucker.  Alden chowed down on the sucker on the way home but didn’t finish.  We played Alden hiding in the blanket after he got a little restless.  He liked dropping it on the floor and making mommy or I fetch it. 

Alden and I took a nap while mommy and Grand D. painted.  They did an excellent job of a base coat and mommy did the color wash with a plastic bag.  Before Grand D. left he helped me bring the mattress upstairs to the baby’s room.

Alden and I didn’t do much in the afternoon but play around the house.  I couldn’t find the Horseshoe Junction card.  I made steak for dinner for MH, Alden, and I, but it was a bad piece of meat and was too tough, so we cut it up and made Sandy treats out of them.  Lucky Sandy!

Alden spent the night in the baby’s room, and seemed excited about it, though he woke up during the night and mommy went and spent some time with him until he went back to sleep.

Filed under: Family | Tagged: Alden, Bellville, Painting | No Comments »

On Thursday, Alden, Grand D., and I saddled up and trekked to Burton to visit the Cadillac Museum.  It was a very nice drive.  We passed the thousands of antique shops that were all closed.  Darn, we were looking forward to buying that Armoir circa 1960.

When we made it to the museum it was closed!  Their website had stated that it was open daily, but with the downturn in the economy, I guess they are only open on the weekends.  We saw an old guy out front in his Lotus Elise who could have been Sterling-McCall himself.  Dad asked him and he said it’s only open on the weekends.  Shucks!  We’ll have to try again on a weekend.

On the way back we stopped at the country’s oldest working cotton gin.  We got to peek at the building and stroll through the visitor’s center, picking up some free stuff, and Grand D. bought some post cards.  Tours are only at 10 and 2, so we’ll have to head back for that one too.

Alden was falling asleep on the way home, even though he wanted to go to Fireman’s Park.  Approaching lunch time and Alden falling asleep, we headed home and I tried getting Alden out of the car while he was falling asleep.  I made it to put him in his bed, then he saw and heard mommy.  He got his second wind and then ate some lunch before nap time.

Filed under: Family | Tagged: Alden, Cadillac Museum, Cotton Gin, Grand D. | 21 Comments »

Alden went to story time on Wednesday with Grand D.  A photographer for the Brenham Banner came by and took his picture with Miss Lou-Lou and said Alden might be on the front of the paper.  Grandma Rowlett called Thursday afternoon and said guess who’s on the front page?  Alden!  Famous at only 2 years old!

Alden feeds a turtle chocolate covered flies at storytime.

Filed under: Family | Tagged: Alden, Banner, Brenham, Grand D., Press, Tobias, Turtle | 35 Comments »

Sunday morning we went swimming at Grand D.’s.  I made waffles and Alden even ate some!  He was a fish in the pool this week.  Getting better every week!  The water was cold!  Mommy thinks it was because we had hail on Thursday night and made it ice water, hmmm…. still cold, dunno.  I gave Alden the idea to splash Grand D. :-)  So Grand D. got in the pool too.  Mommy got some sun, Alden swam back and forth between us all, and has now started walking his hands down the wall, so he can scoot around the entire pool!  We made hot dogs - Alden was hungry, mommy wasn’t feeling well, so I ran to Lowes to buy a fitting for the weed eater.

That afternoon, after nap, I worked on the weed eater, no luck!  Alden helped me mow a small patch of grass in the back, and then I mowed the front.  Alden visited the neighbors who brought by some yummy brisket for dinner!

Filed under: Family | Tagged: Alden, Swimming | 23 Comments »

For lunch on Thursday MH, Grand D., Alden and I packed in the van and headed to the Brenham International Airport.  Ok, not International, just Municipal.  There we looked at the helicopter on the pad, and the airplanes parked.  We went into the World Famous - Southern Flyer Diner.  The waitresses were dressed in poodle skirts and they had a jukebox packed full of oldies.  You could even choose songs from your table. 

Alden liked picking songs from the table.  He kept wanting to hear Rockin-Robin, though it wasn’t what he had expected.  We played several songs, and eventually found out that you really don’t have to drop a quarter in to start the jukebox.  haha.  Grand D. and I each enjoyed our hamburgers, mommy her chicken fried steak, and Alden his hot dog.  MH ordered apple crisp and ice cream for dessert, Alden ate ice cream too. 

We had been sitting next to a pilot, who eventually had left with a couple of passengers.  After lunch, we watched a sport stunt type plane land and another small plane take off.

On Friday, Alden went there for lunch again with Great Grandma and Grandma!  They didn’t know we had gone the day before, but I’m sure it was just as much fun!

Filed under: Family | Tagged: Alden, Brenham, Grand D., Southern Flyer Diner | 27 Comments »

Sunday morning we went to visit GG and Gramp.  I got an old keyboard and hot wheels car set from upstairs that I when I was much younger and Alden loved all the cars.  Mom and Doug brought over chicken fried steak lunch and we all visited.  We had to leave and go put Alden down for a nap.

After nap time, which ran late, we packed up food for spaghetti dinner with turkey and headed for Grand D.’s house.  Mary-Helen, Alden and I all went swimming for about half an hour.  Alden loved it.  He’d yell for joy when mommy or daddy swam across the pool or underwater.  Hopefully, we didn’t bother the neighbors too much!  We had a great time.  It’s been awhile since Alden went swimming!  We worked on his skills of getting in and out of the pool, not running, going underwater.  He loved it.  And in Alden style, when we were headed back out of the pool area, “Do it one more time!”  Ha ha. 

We made spaghetti, Mary-Helen spilled the noodles down the drain so I ran to HEB to get some more.  So we were a little late leaving and getting Alden to bed, but he didn’t want to leave.

What a great day!

Filed under: Family | Tagged: Alden, Grand D., Swimming | 39 Comments »

I got to spend some time with Alden Saturday afternoon, just me and him.  Mommy was in New Orleans for a conference.  We went to Horseshoe Junction.  There we went on the bumper boats and got soaked by a man and his three children.  Luckily, they left and we got to putter around the pool in the bumper boat.  Alden really enjoyed going next to the waterfall and water fountain.  We were getting hot so we got out and watched the go-carts for a few minutes.  Even though Alden’s got the height requirement down to passenger ride a go-cart, I don’t think it’s safe quite yet, even though he might!

Next we went inside and proceeded to play a little hoops game for basketball where you win tickets and the skee ball game.  We won some tickets but not that many!  So, we went back and won some more, enough so we could get a lollipop.  Alden wanted purple, 10 tickets, wow!  That took us a few games to win that many.  Next we got our pictures taken, “Wanted Outlaws!”  I’ll be posting them up here soon.  We also played afterburner with him on my lap.  That was fun with the tilting and turning, though I didn’t like the blow up stuff.  We enjoyed more skee-ball and mini-hoops and won 10 more tickets.  Next time we go back, we can start off with a lollipop.  Finally, we played the Nascar driving game which we won first place!

We’ll be going back soon.  It was a great day.

Alden, Grand D., and I grilled chicken legs and veggies out on the deck.  Grand D. made homemade BBQ sauce, it was good!  Don’t tell Mommy!

Filed under: Family | Tagged: Alden, Horseshoe Junction | No Comments »