I'll talk more about Harvey in another post, but looking back through my photos on my phone made me realize how many of them showcase some of the best of Houston, and I thought I'd share our final weeks of summer break (though of course we now have an extra long break as school is cancelled this week). It's my attempt at a touch of normalcy during a very abnormal time.
In preparation for the new school year, we got the boys phones. With the boys at different schools and with me not always doing pickup, we really wanted them to have a way to be in touch with us if needed. I needed a new phone, so Will inherited my old one and Henry got the most inexpensive smartphone T-Mobile had. Somehow, Gene managed to keep our bill the same, so that was a pleasant surprise.
Will's Kinkaid uniform is complete -- after multiple trips and online orders to the uniform store! Apparently so many people had issues this year that the first two weeks of school were "community dress," (Kinkaid t-shirts) rather than the regular uniform.
Will put his final touches on his summer reading assignment.
Pizza night
We only had a few outings during Will's last week of break, besides the usual trips to our nearby libraries. We did head back for a morning at the science museum.
The Foucault Pendulum is always a hit (pun intended).
Will suggested we visit the Gladiator exhibit, which he had toured during camp, and it was phenomenal! I'm so glad we took his suggestion.
Virtual Reality at the Coliseum
Building a stable arch
And these pics are just the best -- check out Henry's expressions!
The Houston Museum of Natural Science is one of our favorite places in Houston.
Before the skies darkened for Harvey, we got caught up in the solar eclipse excitement and donned our eclipse glasses. We only had a partial eclipse here in Houston, but it was still absolutely incredible. Full eclipse here in 2024!
Will started school last Tuesday (for only three days because of Harvey), so Henry and I had grand plans to make the most of his last week of vacation. We started off on Tuesday with another visit to the science museum. Henry really wanted to try this iFly machine, which is another virtual reality machine in which you fly like a bird over the city.
We also visited the butterfly center for a butterfly release, which was really awesome.
This piece of wood is covered with a special banana brew, made up of beer, banana and more. Apparently the butterflies love it!
Henry also chose a couple of insect treats -- a protein bar and "Chirps," which are chips made with cricket flour.
It was a warm day, so we took a quick walk in the McGovern Centennial Gardens. Another gorgeous spot in our beautiful city.
On Wednesday, Gene took Henry to Mike and Jess's house, where he spent the day swimming and playing and eating with the cousins. He had so much fun and it gave me the opportunity to spend a few hours helping a friend who is moving to California pack up.
On Thursday, Henry and I headed back to Hermann Park to visit the Houston Zoo, another of our favorite spots in this city. We arrived early and it was pleasant out (for August), so we we spent some time wandering around the park.
We love Houston!
This goose hissed at us, so we stayed well back.
And then we spent the next two hours wandering around our zoo.
Black bear, just like we saw in Sequoia.
Gorilla
We ended the morning with a ride on the train, lunch at Mai's (our favorite spot for Vietnamese food), and a visit to the library to pick up books that we on hold. It was just a normal day here in Houston, enjoying some of the best our city has to offer.
We love this city of ours and know that our community will come together to rebuild and help those in need.
