Zoo

Our playgroup went to the zoo on March 23. Megan was ecstatic to be with her friends, running like crazies all over the place, and occasionally checking out the animals. Brooke enjoyed things from her vantage point in the stroller and we all enjoyed having my Mom with us.
We carpooled with my friend Ashley in her "mom van" and with 4 little girls in the back, it was an enjoyable trip amid the screeches of joy. We have a great group of ladies that come to playgroup on a regular basis and we had so much fun with all of them that could make it that day! It was nice to get to the zoo while it was so nice outside--perfect, perfect weather.

Looks like we're packing for a week, right? Nope, just 4 hours!


One excited girl--and one sleepy one--that's Brooke asleep under the blanket in her carseat up above


Megan and Megan checking out the prarie dogs


This cheetah was awesome--he was stalking us and did NOT seem to like that I was taking his picture!


Our carpool buddies--Ashley and girls


Me, Megan, and giraffe




Crazy monkies...


Granny and Brooke


Megan and Bradley (she LOVES him--it's adorable!)


Her 3rd petting zoo experience in 3 weeks--she finally warmed up a little!


Part of the group after lunch...

Old Macdonald's Farm

During Thursday (March 18) of Spring Break down here, some of the ladies from church headed to this cute place called Old MacDonald's Farm. It had petting stalls, playgrounds, a little train, a picnic area--the works. We loved it. And I especially loved it because the nice man that runs it took pity on me--it was a cash or check only place and (of course) I had used my last check and didn't have one and (of course) I was the first one of my group there, so after trucking around the whole place looking for someone I knew to borrow a check, he came and told me I could just stay. Bless you, Old Macdonald man, bless you. You made my day. I was almost in tears just thinking about packing the stroller, lunch, and kids BACK in the car, finding an ATM, and getting it all out again. Anyway. We had a great day!



Megan preferred enjoying the wildlife from outside the cages--she wasn't too thrilled with being near enough to pet the animals.

Bunny and Bear

Like many mothers of 2 year olds, Megan knows the joys and frustrations that come from caring for your "children" each day. Bunny and Bear may look so sweet, but sometimes Mommy Megan has to be firm.

Watching Megan mother her toys is a source of both joy and occasionally, guilt!
One of the most common conversations I overhear is "No Bear! No push, oh NO! time out. say sorry. hugs. go play."
At first I was feeling bad that her toys were always in time out--but at least she gives them hugs at the end! And I also feel better when she lavishes them with praise--especially if they go potty-- "Oh Bunny, need go potty? Ok. Go potty. Yaaaay Bunny!!! Bunny go on the potty!!!"
She sings to them, rocks them to sleep, takes them on walks, you-name-it. She talks to them all day long(especially when she's not napping during naptime). And even though that particular habit (of not napping) drives me batty, I do love to hear her little voice carrying on those funny, one-sided conversations.

March 11

Doo Rag

Megan and Brooke definitely have their differences--but sometimes there's no denying they are sisters. Remember this?
I love this little doo rag outfit. And I love that each girl has been in the same scooting stage while it fits. Brooke became a master of scooting forward on March 9, 2010.

Ali and Ben visit, part 2

The rest of our time with Ali and Ben was very fun and very busy!
We went downtown on Thursday, March 4 and met Dan for lunch at a park there. After lunch we drove to the Galleria and saw the WaterWall (a Houston landmark that I hadn't been to since Dan and I were dating) and walked around the mall a little.
Friday, March 5 we headed to the coast to see the Kemah Boardwalk and ride the little train there. We then headed over to Galveston to ride the ferry--we had a great time feeding the seagulls and seeing dolphins in the wake of the boat. And of course we stopped along the Seawall to test the water and put our toes in the sand. Dan and I are definitely doing a beach trip this summer--Megan and Brooke LOVED the sand.
Saturday, March 6 we went to a movie and lounged in the hot tub at my parents' house after dinner with the kids--it was so nice after such a busy week!
Sunday we went to church--our first week in our new building--and drove out to the temple in the afternoon.
Ali, Ben, and Alonzo (Megan's new best friend) left Monday, March 8--we all missed them when they left, but Megan especially missed seeing Alonzo all day. For the next week or so she would ask where Alonzo was when she woke up and she still LOVES to see him on Skype. Thanks for coming guys! Come again anytime.

Megan and Lon-o playing in the park downtown


Checking out the sculptures on one side of the park


The Waterwall



Kemah








The Galveston Ferry


The Beach


Church girls



The Temple

Rodeo Time

March in Houston means Rodeo time. We were so excited this year to have Dan's sister Ali, her husband Ben, and their little boy Alonzo come to visit for a week right during rodeo season. They own livestock and horses and while almost anyone would enjoy the rodeo, we thought it was especially appropriate for them.
We went on opening day (March 2) and the place was empty! It was perfect (although Ali and Ben aren't quite convinced that Houston really is a big city--lots of the places we visited were really quiet).
We had a great time taking the kids around the exhibits at the livestock show during the day and then we went to see the rodeo itself and Alan Jackson perform that night. Megan LOVED the baby chickens (they have these glass enclosed warm pens where you can watch the chicks hatch and dry off) and looking at all the other animals. She was a little timid in the petting zoo though. Thanks Mom for watching the kids (and Ali and Ben for treating us to such a fun double date!).

Megan and Alonzo watching horse cutting (and that doesn't mean horse hair-cuts--it's a horse trying to separate one cow from a herd and keep it separate for a certain amount of time)


Barbecue, anyone?


That's right, Megan passed out walking from the horse arena to the main exhibit hall (where all the kids stuff is). So, I had to WAKE HER UP to let her see it. I was so torn doing this--I try VERY hard not to wake up a sleeping child. But she loved the animals, so it was worth it...and I wasn't putting her to bed that night :)






Oh by the way, Brooke had her first case of hives from Feb. 28 to Mar. 4--and it was a doozy! She looked like that scene from Hitch where his ear gets huge and his eye swells shut--so, so sad. And the best part is, we have no idea what caused them! Thankfully they haven't returned yet (knock on wood).


The day after the rodeo (March 3), Ali and I took the kids to the children's museum here. It was packed with field trip kids and was a little overwhelming for Megan (and thus, crazy for me dragging my timid, near-tears 2 year old from exhibit to exhibit while toting my baby in a front pack). But we bought a season pass and we both liked it more when we went back on a less crowded day.

Megan's favorite part--the grocery store


See, I was there!


Ali and Alonzo