Where we've been!

It has been hot here in Houston.  Like heat index above 100 EVERY SINGLE DAY hot.  So, we have been spending a ton of time at our neighborhood pool.  Gabe's exhuberance in getting into the water the instant we walk into the pool area has resulted in very few photos.  By very few, I mean one.

Alas it is not even a good picture.  But it is proof that we frequent the pool.  Gabe is so much more wild in the pool this year; ducking his head under water, jumping (from sitting on his bottom, of course) off the wall, kicking up a storm and splashing.  This child loves to splash! The only bummer of the neighborhood pool is the 10 minute adult swim at the end of every hour even when Gabe and I are the only people there and the fact that it is closed on Mondays for maintance.

Besides visiting the pool or the splash pad we haven't been spending too much time outside. But don't let that fool you, we are staying busy inside.  One of Gabe's favorite activities is playing with his trains.  Gabe loves trains; Thomas, Percy, Henry, Toby.  Couple them with the Dinosaur Train and he is in train heaven!  Some days he leaves the traditional train track behind and uses furniture to create new adventures for Thomas.

 Gabe is continuing to develop the budding artist in himself and has developed a great love for painting.  Finger painting or using a brush, it doesn't matter either way!  He also works on his fine motor skills by coloring.  He usually requests certain colors (blue, green and purple) and scribbles until his hearts content!  I have a question for all you parents of budding artists out there.  Do you save all of your childs artwork?  I've been throwing away Gabe's papers from Sunday school but feel a little guilty.  We don't have room to save everything; so what do we do?  What do we save?  Where do we keep it?  And how do I get over the guilt from throwing his 'masterpieces' away? 

Besides hanging out inside reading books, playing trains, working on our alphabet, reading more books, playing basketball (indoor hoop) we have been going on adventures.  Last week we joined Matt in Houma, Lousianna for work.  While the rain ruined all of our plans we did get in a swimming session at the hotel and eat at the TARC restaurant.  This is a restaurant ran solely by adults with special needs.  My blackberry cobbler was to die for!  Yes, I went right to the dessert this time.  You only live once!  Gabe, Matt and Barry (Matt's friend and co-worker) all enjoyed their food as well.  Another cool part of this restaurant is that there are pictures, kitchen wares and canned foods you can buy.  We bought a jar of cajun salsa and a super cute painting of an owl for Gabe's bedroom. I'll take a picture once we get it up.

But truly this place was awesome.  Being a parent of a differently-abled child allowed me to truly appreciate the fact that this place exists.  That these adults are given an opprotunity to provide a good life for themselves, to work hard and feel good about themselves.  I'm thinking Houston and/or Cleveland need a place like this.  The How I Met Your Mother in me wants to say "challenge accepted."
Besides traveling 6 hours to Houma (Gabe did moderately well in the car - cried at the start of the trip on the way there and was just so done with sitting in his carseat when we were about 30 minutes from home) we haven't done much else besides visiting the train table at Barnes and Noble.  I'm definitely seeing a train table in Gabe's future. 
So that's where we have been... where have you been?