Punta Mita 2018: Part 3 First Snorkeling Trip

As mentioned in previous posts, while we got to the same place every year, the trip is never the same.  This year the boys were all about being active - paddle boarding, boogie boarding and going on walks.

They also expressed an interest in snorkeling and so we embarked on this new adventure.  WE did tell them that once we pay for this, we're in for the long haul - and they were on board.

The day we went was beautiful, but a bit windy making the waves pretty big.  Not three minutes in, we hit our first wave and Ethan wants to throw in the towel.  However, once we showed Ethan how to  look out for waves, he calmed down (unlike the ocean) and we made it out to the Marietas Islands for a super fun adventure.

Our captain drove us around, showing us the native Blue Footed Boobies (you can imagine the fits of laughter from the boys) that inhabited the island.  The island is normally dark brown, turning white over the years from all of the bird poop - another highlight for the boys!

After touring caves and enjoying calmer waters (photos below) - we left into the cold water and snorkeled for 30 minutes before it become too cold for the boys.  We saw clown fish, puffer fish, needle nose fish and angel fish, just to name a few.  Overall, it was a huge success for our boys that are becoming better risk takers!

Ethan in a more relaxed state once we were at the island

Noel taking in all of the boobies

Said Blue Footed Boobies

The boys in a cove

All of us in a cove!

Ethan like La Ventana (The Window)

Punta Mita Part 2: Lucha Libre Edition

It was our first night out and Bruce was tipsy on family connectedness and a pre-dinner margarita, so he indulged the boys with a a gift from one of the local stores.  The boys each selected their wrestling match (Ethan in red, Noel in Blue - Que Sopresa!)

After ordering dinner, the boys quick hopped over to the beach to act out their newfound characters:

Noel showing off his signature move "The Fist of Fury"

Ethan turns the tables and shows his

Noel begs for mercy

 Ethan shows the ultimate move of dominance - revealing Noel's true identity!

 Noel says, "No photos - I'm on my break"

Two margaritas later, we have a new contender!

Punta Mita Part 1: Fun in the Sun

This was our seventh trip to Punta Mita - and so much has changed - just see below for a picture from our first year there for reference:

The great thing about this trip is that it's such a familiar and lovely cornerstone for our family - yet it changes every year.  What used to be early mornings on the beach and afternoon naps for them and beach reading for us has turned into later morning arrivals that are jam-packed with activities.

We failed on the photo from this year - we were busy paddle boarding, boogie boarding, tidal ball and  snorkeling (more details on the last one in another post).

See below for some highlights of our boys relaxing and even READING!!

Noel enjoying a virgin Pina Colada

Amazing how Noel looks so grown up with the hat and braces!

Ethan enjoying the finer things in life!

For the first time, they enjoyed reading in their down time.

One thing that doesn't change - our love of jigsaw puzzles!

Dance Party - Ethanoel Edition

For Christmas, the boys received the Nintendo Switch - something they semi-funded and were super excited to open this gift.

One of the games is Just Dance - a super fun and interactive game where you mimic the dancers on the screen and the more you are on beat and copy their moves, the more points you receive.

They were super excited to show this to the Shroyers when they were here in January and Danielle was a good sport to play along (through, by looking at her moves, she was clearly into it and well within her wheelhouse!).

See below for a few videos showcasing their moves.  Noel caught wind of me videoing and was not happy (who came blame him).

Ghost Raptors Fall 2017 Season

Once again, Bruce led the Ghost Raptors to not only a winning season, but an undefeated season!  We brought our team of merry misfits together again for a successful Fall season.  The weather was spectacular and the boys really enjoyed the games - with some new skills discovered!  

Noel used to prefer defense as he was a little timid about getting into the thick of it.  This season, however, he was all about offense!  He was a great team player and was able to grasp the concept of team work, passing and that assisting is sometimes as important as making the goal!

Ethan was a little reluctant to play this season - however, we quickly found our secret weapon in Ethan's goalie abilities.  He loves the equipment factor (constantly checking his gloves) and he's got a great gift for endlessly blocking goals.  One of the highlights - we were up by one point in the last 30 seconds of the game - a lone opponent came barreling down the field and kicked it straight towards Ethan.  It hit him square in the face and bounces out of bounds.  He was borderline in all out tears  (he did just kicked kick in the face, Fabiana!) until he realized he'd won the game.  His social standing immediately skyrocketed and he was all smiles!

Group shot below with commentary on the team members

Back Row (L to R)
 - Noel: Newly discovered offensive dude/bro - he loves being a part of the team and winning!
 - Keaton: His "baby giraffe" grace from previous seasons was refined and anything he might have lacked in coordination, he more than made up for in sheer determination to score a goal!
 - Abe: Impervious to pain, sweet as all get out and just a brute force - he's besties with Noel and also goes by the nicknames "Abraham and Cheese Sandwich" and "Abraham Lincoln."  Oh - and he has the voice of a man who smokes two packs of unfiltered Camels a day.
 - Sean: A true sports phenom - he hates playing goalie as it deprives him of field time.  An amazing athlete and another great kid!
 - Nathan: New to the Raptors - he's always smiling, happy to be with the boys and a great addition to the team!

Front Row (L to R)
 - Jack: Our British transplant who leaves us this summer.  Jack loves the glory of scoring - though equally as notable is that spark of mischief oozing out of the photo - we'll miss him dearly!
 - Kellan: Comes from a family of soccer players and it's all he wants to do.  He's got a foot of gold and determination to boot!
 - Sid: He's equally as good as Kellan and Bruce often times told him to shoot with his bad foot just to give the other team a break - he'd still score using his bad foot....
 - Ethan: Newly found goalie skills made him so happy!
 - Not photoed - Ethan's gloves

Full team photo below (Chris - one of Bruce's employees, worked with me on weekly practices, and is pictured below)

Second Grade School Photos - 2017/2018

School photos came back and it's always fun to see how the boys have changed year over year.  Check out THIS for a year-by-year progression.

Noel has only one fashion rule - comfort above all else, so Picture Day can be a bit of a struggle for him as jeans are not super comfy.  This year, though, he was a champ.  He looks adorable and was agreeable to boot!

And our sweet Ethan gives us another awesome story to go along with the below.  It was the day before photos and he declares he wants to wear a bow tie.  Mind you, it's 3.30p the day before photos.

We skedaddled over the Gap and found the perfect bowtie and loafers and headed home.  Once home, Ethan wanted to try on his entire outfit - once on, he says, "Oh - I can't do this without a belt." - at 5.00p, the day before photos.......

He wanted to go back to the Gap and we finally compromised by finding a belt online and ordering it for store pickup after rush hour traffic died down.  The next morning - he was all smiles when he sees his belt and all is good and right in the world!

And mind you - Noel has watched this unfold over the previous 12 hours and it's so not relatable for him - I swear he looked like this:

This investment of time and energy into a "look" is so foreign to Noel where Ethan is all about presentation.

I'm unsure of where the full class photos are and will update once they are discovered?

Ethan Knievel!

Yesterday was likely one of the last sunny days of the season and Uncle Ronnie took Ethan out for a bike ride.

Right next to the bike path that goes around the lake is a course of hills and jumps made out of dirt.  Ethan always notices it when we go to tennis and here was his chance.  Ronnie always toes the line of medical professional and professional kid, which we appreciate.

Sometimes it works out questionably (watching Jurassic Park at age 3) and sometimes it turns out to be magical (see below).  Ethan is super proud of himself all while maintaining his cool persona (double peace signs afterwards).

Lego Animation Camp

The boys started their Summer Camp Extravaganza this week and it kicked off with Lego Animation Camp.

The great news - the boys love Legos.  the bad news? It was not only at their school, but it was IN ETHAN'S OLD CLASSROOM.  Ethan moaned, "Paiiiiiiii, it's like we're still in school!"

While to boys were mildly disappointed that this wasn't a straight up Lego building camp, they were able to see the fruits of their labor in the short films below.

Honestly, though, when you think about how many pictures they had to take in order to make this into a film - they get huge props for concentration and commitment!

Microwave some popcorn and hit platy below on these cinematic beauties:


Ethan's: "The Magic Story"

And Noel's: "Noellie Potter"

Camp Colman 2017 (Part 2) - Beach and Bonfires!

I mean, the day was so long, we had to break this up into two posts!

So, to no-one's surprise, around midday, Bruce got a case of the introverts.  Positioned that we needed more firewood and more wine he volunteered to be the man for the job.  And, hey, if he happened to find a place for lunch or a pedicure, he might pop in there for a second and read for a bit.

He arrived back at the camp refreshed, replenished with supplies and ready for more Gaga Ball.  The day ended and we opted against doing any skits and headed back down to the beach.  Some great photos of the boys from one of the other dads:

Throwing a Nerf torpedo - soon after Nathan's nose (l) collided with Noel's melon (r) and blood was spilled

I like my marshmallows like meteors - crispy and on fire!

Keeping warm by the fire 

Ethan playing in the sand

Ethan preparing a marshmallow

Ethan was fascinated with the sea creatures on this pipe - he would make them squirt water.

How did neither of us fall in the water??

Ethan wanted us to look cool with our hoods on.

The second night ended with each of the 9 boys effectively melting down.  It was a long day full of activity without a break.  That being said, we all went to sleep early and slept in the next day until 7.30a!!

And bet your bottom dollar, Bruce had us packed before breakfast was served and on the road soon after.

Overall, a great Milam Men camping experience!