New Year's Eve = Fireworks and Friends

What could be better? A great evening with friends and friends of friends, topped off by our own personal fireworks display.


Ok so not quite "personal" since we shared it with millions also in downtown San Antonio, but it felt like it was all ours! Though not my picture (borrowed from the official city photo) this is pretty much the view from our back porch.

Was a wonderful night, lots of good friends, happy crazy kids, a nice fire and lots to eat. Too much to eat, since we have so many leftovers we need to have another party.

New Year's Resolution #1: Make less food for the next party, or plan take-home packages for everyone!

We're lucky to have such good friends with whom to share the excitement of a New Year.

Now, if only I could figure out how to get Angelina to sleep just a little bit longer in the morning...

Slides and Swings

When Papa is away, we will play!
Fredo went to Germany again, so Angelina and I went to HemisFair Park to play in their wonderful playground. As you can see, she had so much fun.



Little Miss Social Butterfly found friends too. A little girl, not much younger than her wanted to go on the slide. So Angelina said "COme here Baby." Grabbed her hand and showed her how. The mom and grandparents were with her, and it wasn't long before they were ready to take Angelina home with them, convinced she was the sweetest child on earth....

We think she's going to be a gymnast.

Summer lovin, had me a blast....

And why I love Lavaca Part XXXVI

And more on Hurricane Angelina.

You know how when you were in school, you felt like when you hung around the cool people, you're cool by default? Well, I feel cool living next to my neighbors. They're the ones behind the Slab Cinema. They used to screen public domain films on the 'slab' at La Tuna outdoors in summer. Very cool. Except, well, we never made it...I loved the concept, a weeknight was just hard, especially after Hurricane Angelina crashed onto our shores.

This year, the city asked Rick and Angela to team up to show films at HemisFair Park. Ok, so that's not officially in our neighborhood, but it's close enough to walk. Last night they showed Grease.

Who doesn't remember dancing around singing "Go Greased Lightnin', Your burning up the quarter mile. Greased Lightnin' Go Greased Lightnin'
Go Greased Lightnin'!?" My cousin and I used to sing out the whole film.

Well, I wasn't alone. Tons of people turned out to see the film (apparently ~350), and after "Summer Lovin" people cheered. Had I been in back, I would have been dancing and singing along.

Which leads me to our little Hurricane. We almost didn't go because at dinner earlier to say goodbye to Manda, Angelina was going a bit crazy. We didn't last long and headed home. On the way home she saw Wiley and Felice at the Park getting ready for the film, and well, that's that. The little hellion turned into a happy child ready to party after all.

As soon as "Summer Lovin'" started, she was dancing. And then she could NOT stop dancing! Her favorite must have been the dance scene in the gym - "Born to Hand Jive" she was twirling and jumping all over the place. Alas, she got a little too close to the projector for about the 10th time, and I decided it was time to leave so we didn't get to see the whole thing.

We're going to have to start finding a babysitter for Thursday night, so we can go more often to "Movies by Moonlight" aka "the new slab". And not to worry, the old classics will be back, though I feel like such a pop culture kid getting so excited about Grease.

Summer dreams ripped at the seams,
bu-ut oh, those su--uh-ummer nighhhhts....

Fountains

Angelina's Favourite thing: Running through water.



A couple of weeks ago we met Wiley, Felice, and their 2 cousins at HemisFair. Angelina was, of course, in Heaven.