Candid Kassidy

Guess who found my phone camera this morning before I woke up?

Sleeping Cutey

This was Keira tonight, fast asleep on our bed.

She almost made it all of the way on, but now its back to her room for her.

Lodging with the Wolves

We just got back from spending the night at the Great Wolf Lodge, which is a really cool indoor splash park that serves as a mini-vacation destination for a lot of people around here. The facilities, service, and expenses all say resort, but then you step outside and you're still in Dallas...

It was a school day for the non-home schoolers, so what I imagine is typically a madhouse during summers, vacations, and weekends ended up being relatively peaceful for us.

Keira and Kassidy mainly stuck to the kid pool. Kassidy made a few dashes to some of the bigger pools, but she does that anywhere nowadays. The girl seriously needs a leash...

Katharine hit all of the water slides (and dragged me onto a few of them). 

No complaints here- they were all a ton of fun. 

When I wasn't around to bring along, she would always find a new friend to play with.

The boy's favorite activities were the wave pool and winding river. They just kept going back and forth between the two for the whole time.

Keira and Kassidy were usually done after an hour, but Katharine and the boys stuck it out for up to 3 hours at a time.

This is when I knew that Lukas was ready to call it quits.

Happy Birthday, Katharine!

The 2012 birthday calendar has officially kicked off. Katharine turned 9 years old today, and is celebrating it on a trip to the ballet with a few of her friends from dance class.

Here is Katharine's annual portrait, wearing a dirndl dress that she had picked up for Easter.

Katharine and Trinity, who visited yesterday to kick off the first part of the birthday celebration.

This morning, blowing out her birthday cupcake.

Katharine got a bunch of American Girl doll accessories and another dollhouse.

Later on that evening, the girls met up for pizza, strawberry cheesecake, and more birthday candles before heading out to the ballet.

Here is the ballet troupe as they get ready to head out to the Winspear for a performance by the visiting American Ballet Theater company.

Katharine facts:

She loves to dance- and is currently enrolled in 6 (!) classes (plus the competition team)

She started to learn how to play the piano this year, and has already composed some original songs

Her favorite drink is Sweet Tea (just like her Dad)

Her favorite food are strawberries

Her favorite subjects in school are Art, History and Science

Her favorite books are the Harry Potter series, which she has already read through twice

She is trying to save up for the 'Diagon Alley' Lego set

When she grows up she wants to be a professional dancer or choreographer

She also wants to have 10 kids...

She still loves to draw, and has been drawing family portraits and Monster High dolls as of late

She is an avid reader, and often falls asleep with a book open on her pillow

She is currently reading a coffee table sized animal life almanac that she got for Christmas, and some American Girl books

She has lots of favorite colors, but gold is currently high up on the list

Katharine describes herself as "a very detailed girl" and "a crazy bookworm and the keeper of my room"

Some of her best friends are Charlotte, Maya, Sarah, Nicole, Claire, Liam, Davis and Kaylee

Three wishes: more food for the poor + more money + a mansion

She loves to snuggle with her Mommy

She loves to snuggle up and watch Harry Potter movies with her Daddy

She likes to keep all her little brothers and sisters OUT OF HER ROOM

Harry Potter house: Gryffindor

A day in Daddy's Life

I gave a "career day" talk at a local middle school today, and brought along some slides of a typical day at work.

I arrive at Gearbox early in the morning, anytime between 6:30 and 8:30. 

I usually walk up the 11 flights of stairs to get some exercise.

Here is our cool lobby, which I walk through when I'm taking pictures but typically never see (I work on the floor below this one).

Eating cereal at my desk, and catching up with Shacknews and Confluence.

Starting work in the Unreal level editor.

Morning meetings...

meeting with the producer and LD's for a production update.

Lunch meetings...

attending Colonel Antal's weekly leadership class.

Free snacks and soda always beckon from the break room (now you know why I walk up all of those stairs every day).

After lunch, everybody in my office is hard at work- except for me, who is taking photos :P

Around 6 PM I shut down the computer and head home.

Then I get pounced on by my kids, although it's always fun to hear "Daddy's home!". 

Later on I'm off to the drawing board once everybody is asleep. 

When I'm not drawing I'm playing console games or catching up on TV. 

And every night I need to read for at least a half hour before I fall asleep, no matter when I go to bed.

Lights out. 

Good night!

Temperatures Rising

The thermometer hit 80 degrees in Dallas today, so the kids were outside in the back for most of the afternoon,

It should be dropping back down to the 50's tomorrow- time to break out the winter coats again!