Saturday in the Park

I love that song but, no, no Saturday in the park for us this time. This was a Weekday in the Park. After a long day at work one Wednesday, I decided to pack up dinner and take the boys to the park for a picnic. Now is a great time to go. Since we live in TX, it usually turns sauna-ish after May 1st or so. Actually, let's face it, it's hotter than a nekkid jalapeno pepper on the Fourth of July. The temperature on the day I chose to go was about 78 degrees and perfect for trying dinner outdoors. I have no windows in my classroom and I forget how much I need fresh air and sunshine sometimes! Plus, to be honest, I sometimes feel like I don't spend nearly enough time just being a mommy; not a student, not a teacher, and not an employee, but a mom. I also forgot what it's like to run like the boogey man is chasing you. You know, running and laughing until your legs hurt and you can't breathe anymore? That's the good stuff.










It's Indiana Jones but with fruit by the foot instead of a whip

Even superheroes need to break for dinner.

Sometimes I think he's so intense,but then I remember this is his Les Stroud pose.



...and he's doing the robot

Happy-to-be-at-the-park-dance

Denton? Really?

How cute is this courthouse?


They love their "Jomaaay"

Pesci and De Niro?

Yum.



Yes, french toast flavored ice cream...





Yes, really. I have only been to Denton a handful of times. The thought of driving the distance and being on I35 was enough to deter me from ever visiting. But, my lovely Zooey Deschanel-like sister, Jamie is a UNT student. She invited us out one weekend to see her new apartment and so that she could show us around. We looked at her lovely apartment, met one of her roommates, and saw a Hurley-esque looking guy sunning his big ol' belly by the pool (yum. Did you sense the sarcasm there?). Mkay. Kolache Haven. Enough said. That place is bomb. We stopped there for a quick breakfast and we decided Rockwall should have one. We drove around for a while after breakfast and headed to Highland Village. It's a cute little place. It reminds me a bit of how Frisco used to look before it burst into people/house/shopping flames. We took the boys into a great little toy store while we were there. I decided that I love little independent toy stores (even if they are more expensive) than TRU. There's just something about seeing original toys and books that cater to the creative/scientific/imaginative child's mind that makes me happy. Dude Manager even let Ethan try out some cool outdoor toys. Very awesome. We decided to head to the downtown square in Denton and grab lunch and dessert. Pizza in a place with a basement bar= I likes it. It looks like it could have been a speakeasy though. It had charm. But, the greatest place ever? Beth Marie's Ice Cream Parlor. ZOMGoodnesalkdnfas;ldfawoeinfa ;ldfnasdkfjnaweoiptrbw9eubt (I had to make up a word just to describe it): This place is for real like an old fashioned ice cream parlor. They make their own ice cream and sell it by the ounce. Nom.
I promised Jamie we'd be back and we will. It was definitely worth the drive just to spend some time with my baby sister.

Legoland-Discovery Center

Grapevine opened up a Legoland Adventure place. Basically, it's a Lego store but with rides and activities. It was interesting. We went during the week after 5 because that's when you get the best discounts. And, yes, you have to buy tickets to reserve your place. I loved this idea because it prevents the place from becoming overcrowded. Aside from that, there was definitely plenty to do. There were two play areas; one was for younger kids (Duplo Village) and the other was for the older rough and tumble crowd. I loved that there was only one way in to the structure and an attendant was on duty the whole time to guard the gate to go into the play structure. There were two rides for grownups and kids alike, a walk-through of the minatures from the area including the Ballpark and Jerry's Death Star, and a 4D movie which we all enjoyed.
Sidenote: The best part was the laser tag adventure ride. I can be lazy AND enjoy a laser tag game. Excellent! (And I am being so serious.)
Caden even kept his 3D glasses on the whole time. This is an amazing breakthrough for us. Legoland even had a demo on how Legos are made. That was pretty cool. Do I think it is worth the $$$ tag it comes with if you go on the weekend? No. Still, it's new/different and it's about the kids. And they LOVED every minute of it. Brian and I decided that when we take our family vacation to San Diego next summer, we'll have to do the Legoland deal. Next on our To-Do list? The new aquarium is opening up this summer right across the way from Legoland Adventure. Ethan cannot wait.

Whoa.

It's been a long while since I've updated the blog. It's been a complete madhouse with the flooring stuff going on, school, work, and my own school has taken up a lot of my time. I was afraid that I'd do this kind of thing. You know, think about updating later (which turned into later, later, no really-LATER) and then lo and behold! an entire month has almost passed without pictures/posts to document. Good news! I got my groove back because TAKS testing is over. (Thank you, Lord!)