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Monday, June 30, 2014
Neighborhood Views
So I thought it would be neat to kind of catalog how the neighborhood looks now so we can reminisce when it's all built up later :)
Saturday, June 28, 2014
Our True House Twin!!!!
I mentioned that we'd seen another house in the community that is the same Rockdale floor plan as ours. But this week, another one went up and it matches our elevation, too!!!! This is EXACTLY what ours will look like!
And when I drove by it with the kids a few days ago, I was actually kinda bummed by the size of the front porch. I thought it was going to be large enough for us to have a nice little bistro table set up there. Oh well....
Then when we visited it today, I was overjoyed to get an up-close look.
It's about 8-10 feet deep depending on where you are standing and about 20 feet across! My jaw literally dropped when I saw it! So happy! We saw many more things inside that made us ecstatic but I will get to those later ;)
I am SO in love!
And when I drove by it with the kids a few days ago, I was actually kinda bummed by the size of the front porch. I thought it was going to be large enough for us to have a nice little bistro table set up there. Oh well....
Then when we visited it today, I was overjoyed to get an up-close look.
It's HUGE!
It's about 8-10 feet deep depending on where you are standing and about 20 feet across! My jaw literally dropped when I saw it! So happy! We saw many more things inside that made us ecstatic but I will get to those later ;)
Dallas Trip (June 2014) - Day 5
Our last day in DFW did NOT go as planned, but it turned out perfect! In more ways than one...
We woke up expecting to check out and head to Plano while Jay had class and get back around 1pm when his class was over. And then at breakfast we saw THAT was probably not a good idea. Lots of severe weather around the metroplex. So, after giving the kids the bad news, I got the kids packed up and decided to head to Arlington where we would one hour ahead of bad weather when Jay met us after his class. We hit up The Children's Place Outlet (soooooooo overdue) which was quite the experience. It was only 10:30am and with rain and everything on a weekday, we had the store to ourselves. And thank GOODNESS we did because my kids acted like they'd never been to a store before. Braden decided to play hide-and-seek with me...until I told him a trip next door to Chuck E. Cheese hinged on whether or not he wanted to behave himself. I am so awesome. That worked like a CHARM! One child down, but the other child was two and could not be bought off :( Oh, and they both had to go potty. Good stuff...
And, of course, we had tons of time to kill until Jay got out of class and the kids were hungry so Chuck E. Cheese was ideal. But, have YOU ever taken two kids age 5 and 2 to that place and you know NO ONE else? I definitely earned my Mother of the Year nomination that day.
This is what Landri would do. She'd sit at a machine like she wanted to play. I would put money in, and as soon as it started, she would run off. BEYOND infuriating......enraging really. The good thing is I saved money by not paying for rides for her anymore LOL
And she was so fast and sneaky (I had about 6 heart attacks because she would vanish for minutes at a time while I would look to see if Braden was okay), that the biggest heart attack I had was when she disappeared for five LONG minutes (I was *this* close to contacting security) and I finally looked up and saw this:
She had snuck under the bar to enter the Fun House that was DEFINITELY NOT designed for kids under four. But, what I saw on that screen also touched my heart because I witnessed three older girls (about 5-7 years old) who were helping her every step of the way to make sure she stayed safe and got out without getting scared. I watched them hop from screen to screen as the cameras captured a few diffferent parts of the House. I thanked them profusely when they finally emerged from the slide exit.
I also saw this:
After an hour of playing I corraled them over to the front so I could order pizza for us. I have no freaking clue how I managed to do that plus get us all self-serve drinks and seated without crying and screaming, but that's why I will be named Mother of the Year I suppose ;)
We did a little more playing before Jay met up with us.
And she was so tired out and full, she actually sat still long enough for me to get this <3:
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We were making awesome time until we got in the traffic jam in Ranger, TX. Ugh. Ridiculous construction lane closures on a road that is 50-75% 18-wheelers. But whatever. It only cost us about 20-30 minutes. We then stopped for dinner in Sweetwater and headed home.
The reason I said it was perfect was because if we had left 30 minutes later or been caught in traffic 30 minutes longer, we would have been driving through extremely strong thunderstorms with baseball sized hail in Abilene :o Thank you, God, that we didn't have to deal with anything other than traffic and a little bit of rain :)
We woke up expecting to check out and head to Plano while Jay had class and get back around 1pm when his class was over. And then at breakfast we saw THAT was probably not a good idea. Lots of severe weather around the metroplex. So, after giving the kids the bad news, I got the kids packed up and decided to head to Arlington where we would one hour ahead of bad weather when Jay met us after his class. We hit up The Children's Place Outlet (soooooooo overdue) which was quite the experience. It was only 10:30am and with rain and everything on a weekday, we had the store to ourselves. And thank GOODNESS we did because my kids acted like they'd never been to a store before. Braden decided to play hide-and-seek with me...until I told him a trip next door to Chuck E. Cheese hinged on whether or not he wanted to behave himself. I am so awesome. That worked like a CHARM! One child down, but the other child was two and could not be bought off :( Oh, and they both had to go potty. Good stuff...
And, of course, we had tons of time to kill until Jay got out of class and the kids were hungry so Chuck E. Cheese was ideal. But, have YOU ever taken two kids age 5 and 2 to that place and you know NO ONE else? I definitely earned my Mother of the Year nomination that day.
I also saw this:
B having trouble with the Hall of Mirrors
After an hour of playing I corraled them over to the front so I could order pizza for us. I have no freaking clue how I managed to do that plus get us all self-serve drinks and seated without crying and screaming, but that's why I will be named Mother of the Year I suppose ;)
We did a little more playing before Jay met up with us.
The reason I said it was perfect was because if we had left 30 minutes later or been caught in traffic 30 minutes longer, we would have been driving through extremely strong thunderstorms with baseball sized hail in Abilene :o Thank you, God, that we didn't have to deal with anything other than traffic and a little bit of rain :)
Monday, June 23, 2014
Dallas Trip (June 2014) - Day 4
On Wednesday, after two days of rain and cooler temperatures, I was determined to get use out of our free pool access! So, we got all dressed up and headed down to the pool.
And it was filthy, freezing, and NOT kid-friendly :( Grrrrrrrr....
So, I had to drag them back up to the room (kicking and screeeeeaming) where we chilled for an hour before taking Nana to lunch at Cici's. I only got them calm because I promised to take them to some sort of water park since the hotel pool was out. So, we went to lunch with mom. I had planned to then take them to Celebration Park in Allen since it was only 15 min from my brother's apartment, then come back and let the kids play together for a little while until 4:30. But first, since Landri's bathing suit was all wet from the failed swimming adventure that morning, I figured I could buy one at Children's Place outlet in Allen on my way to the splash pad. But, when I took my mom to Walgreen's on the way back from lunch, they had a swimsuit in Landri's size. YES! Looked like things were finally going my way!
Uh, no.
No they were not.
I typed in the address to Celebration Park into my phone and off we went! This was going to be so fun! And I wouldn't even have to change clothes because it's a splash pad not a pool, this was P-E-R-F-E-C-T! We get close and I can see just how huge and fantastic this is going to be, tons of mommy points for me! I pull into the parking lot and the kids are both cheering and clapping as they see the monstrous playground and splash pad that has..............no.....water.....on.
AAAAAAAAUUUUUGGGGGGHHHH!!!!!!!!!!! NO!!!!!! Are you kidding me????
Braden says, "Mom, why aren't we getting out of the car?" and Landri is screaming "SLIDE! SLIDE! SLIIIIIIIIIIDE!"and pulling with all her might on her seatbelt while kicking the seat in front of her with every ounce of strength she has.
"It's okay, guys, Mommy is going to find another place for us to go." You know, in a city I know nothing about with my phone that is four years old and slower than a turtle. Cue the tears now, as I spend TEN minutes searching for another splash pad within a 20 minute drive and find nothing. I call my mom and she says there is a rec center not far that has a splash pad, too.
AWESOME.
So, it's off to Oak Point rec center we go, and the kids are slowly drying their sniffles. I drive over and get the kids out, walk them down, pay the entry, and the lifeguard puts the life bracelet on Landri that signifies that she has to have an adult supervisor at her side the entire time.
Wait, what?!!!
"Excuse me, I'm sorry...does this mean you guys don't have a splash pad area where she can play in water without being in an actual pool of water?"
No.
"So, do I have to have a suit on or can I just wade around in my capris and blouse? Because I don't have a bathing suit with me."
They look at me like I've grown a second head, and then the kid behind the counter says, "Sorry, m'am, I thought your suit was in your huge bag."
Keep in mind, that at this point my kids are trying to break past the gate and Landri is crying because we won't just go in! Also, a crowd is staring at me because we are blocking the entrance.
"So what am I supposed to do?"
The cashier and lifeguard just look at each other. And they really aren't going to let us in. Wow.
"Fine, I guess I'll be buying a suit then!"
I grabbed Landri who immediately began alternating between thrashing and slippery limpness, and somehow managed to hold her, our towels, life preserver, beach bag, and Braden's hand (he is also sobbing hysterically) and drag them back up a very steep hill where the parking lot is to the hot car. I explain as fast and loudly as I can that we are coming back....right after I buy a swimsuit at Walmart. Do they believe me? Doubtful. And where is the place everyone loves to be on a hundred degree day with two hysterical children under the age of 6? Oh yes. WALMART.
I got us in and out of there in 10 minutes by some sweet miracle and then we once again unpacked the car, headed back down the ridiculously long trail to the park and into the locker rooms. We are all dripping sweat at this point and now in a room filled with steam and sweaty bodies. Awesomeness. Somehow I managed to get us all changed, lathered up with sunblock, and ready to go. We put our stuff on a table (in direct sunlight since all the good, shaded tables were full) and get in the water!
And Landri hated it.
But it'd been a terrible 90 minutes and I was not having it. So I pulled her to me and sat in the shallow end with her clutching my neck. She stayed like this for about 15 minutes. Then her brother came back from where he was playing (loving it) and over the next 25-30 minutes coaxed her into the water. And so then she went from hating to trying to go on the kid slide that went into water too deep for her. She's crazy.
It was 3:30 by then (we'd lost nearly two hours because of the drama) and we needed to leave if we were going to have time for them to play with their cousin(s). Uh, no. Braden refused to leave. After 25 minutes of more tears, threats, and screaming, we were finally all heading up that stupid crazy hill and to the hot car. Again. Landri was really happy with how the day had turned out.
And it was filthy, freezing, and NOT kid-friendly :( Grrrrrrrr....
So, I had to drag them back up to the room (kicking and screeeeeaming) where we chilled for an hour before taking Nana to lunch at Cici's. I only got them calm because I promised to take them to some sort of water park since the hotel pool was out. So, we went to lunch with mom. I had planned to then take them to Celebration Park in Allen since it was only 15 min from my brother's apartment, then come back and let the kids play together for a little while until 4:30. But first, since Landri's bathing suit was all wet from the failed swimming adventure that morning, I figured I could buy one at Children's Place outlet in Allen on my way to the splash pad. But, when I took my mom to Walgreen's on the way back from lunch, they had a swimsuit in Landri's size. YES! Looked like things were finally going my way!
Uh, no.
No they were not.
I typed in the address to Celebration Park into my phone and off we went! This was going to be so fun! And I wouldn't even have to change clothes because it's a splash pad not a pool, this was P-E-R-F-E-C-T! We get close and I can see just how huge and fantastic this is going to be, tons of mommy points for me! I pull into the parking lot and the kids are both cheering and clapping as they see the monstrous playground and splash pad that has..............no.....water.....on.
AAAAAAAAUUUUUGGGGGGHHHH!!!!!!!!!!! NO!!!!!! Are you kidding me????
Braden says, "Mom, why aren't we getting out of the car?" and Landri is screaming "SLIDE! SLIDE! SLIIIIIIIIIIDE!"and pulling with all her might on her seatbelt while kicking the seat in front of her with every ounce of strength she has.
"It's okay, guys, Mommy is going to find another place for us to go." You know, in a city I know nothing about with my phone that is four years old and slower than a turtle. Cue the tears now, as I spend TEN minutes searching for another splash pad within a 20 minute drive and find nothing. I call my mom and she says there is a rec center not far that has a splash pad, too.
AWESOME.
So, it's off to Oak Point rec center we go, and the kids are slowly drying their sniffles. I drive over and get the kids out, walk them down, pay the entry, and the lifeguard puts the life bracelet on Landri that signifies that she has to have an adult supervisor at her side the entire time.
Wait, what?!!!
"Excuse me, I'm sorry...does this mean you guys don't have a splash pad area where she can play in water without being in an actual pool of water?"
No.
"So, do I have to have a suit on or can I just wade around in my capris and blouse? Because I don't have a bathing suit with me."
They look at me like I've grown a second head, and then the kid behind the counter says, "Sorry, m'am, I thought your suit was in your huge bag."
Keep in mind, that at this point my kids are trying to break past the gate and Landri is crying because we won't just go in! Also, a crowd is staring at me because we are blocking the entrance.
"So what am I supposed to do?"
The cashier and lifeguard just look at each other. And they really aren't going to let us in. Wow.
"Fine, I guess I'll be buying a suit then!"
I grabbed Landri who immediately began alternating between thrashing and slippery limpness, and somehow managed to hold her, our towels, life preserver, beach bag, and Braden's hand (he is also sobbing hysterically) and drag them back up a very steep hill where the parking lot is to the hot car. I explain as fast and loudly as I can that we are coming back....right after I buy a swimsuit at Walmart. Do they believe me? Doubtful. And where is the place everyone loves to be on a hundred degree day with two hysterical children under the age of 6? Oh yes. WALMART.
I got us in and out of there in 10 minutes by some sweet miracle and then we once again unpacked the car, headed back down the ridiculously long trail to the park and into the locker rooms. We are all dripping sweat at this point and now in a room filled with steam and sweaty bodies. Awesomeness. Somehow I managed to get us all changed, lathered up with sunblock, and ready to go. We put our stuff on a table (in direct sunlight since all the good, shaded tables were full) and get in the water!
And Landri hated it.
But it'd been a terrible 90 minutes and I was not having it. So I pulled her to me and sat in the shallow end with her clutching my neck. She stayed like this for about 15 minutes. Then her brother came back from where he was playing (loving it) and over the next 25-30 minutes coaxed her into the water. And so then she went from hating to trying to go on the kid slide that went into water too deep for her. She's crazy.
It was 3:30 by then (we'd lost nearly two hours because of the drama) and we needed to leave if we were going to have time for them to play with their cousin(s). Uh, no. Braden refused to leave. After 25 minutes of more tears, threats, and screaming, we were finally all heading up that stupid crazy hill and to the hot car. Again. Landri was really happy with how the day had turned out.
Braden not so much...
Had to call mom and say the playdate was off and we headed back to the hotel where I had more than enough time to shower and get ready for girls' night. Oh wait, no. No I didn't. Because we were in Dallas. And the one (of two) thing about Dallas I don't miss is? TRAFFIC. While it wasn't horrible (only at a standstill for 20 min), I was now pressed for time.
Luckily, everything worked out and once Jay got back I headed to Arlington for a MUCH needed girls' night at Gloria's with some amazing ladies :)
Ashley my BFF who set it all up!
w/Laura...
Emily...
Jayme...
and of course me and BFF!
Dallas Trip (June 2014) - Day 3
On Tuesday, we had lunch at Gigi's house since she hadn't seen the kids since Christmas and wanted to give them their bday gifts. Had a great time!
After that, we headed to Mansfield to spend a couple of hours with Ashley and the boys since they had all been so upset that we didn't get to go to their house the day before.They had an awesome time!
A kite! Perfect for windy Midland!
Jewelry :)
Doing a sticker book w/Gigi
After that, we headed to Mansfield to spend a couple of hours with Ashley and the boys since they had all been so upset that we didn't get to go to their house the day before.They had an awesome time!
The Cuties
Sunday, June 22, 2014
Dallas Trip (June 2014) - Day 2
On Monday morning, we woke up and had breakfast with Jay downstairs in the hotel before he left for class. Then I took the kids back to the room and we had planned to swim but their were thunderstorms and cloudy skies so we couldn't that day.
Unfortunately, Landri did NOT get the memo.
She pulled it out of the drawer and cried until I put it on.
Little did I know she would wear it for an hour.
She didn't really get it until I told her we had to get dressed to go ride the "horsies" (aka Carousel at the Parks Mall in Arlington). LOL.
Since Braden was like 2, riding the carousel has been one of his most favorite things we do as a family treat. So, when I realized we wouldn't be swimming to fill in the hours before we met up with Ashley and the boys or a playdate in Arlington, this was PERFECT!
From there, we met up with Ashley and the boys (and later, her sweet momma, Terry) at Pump it Up Arlington and the kids got to play.....and play....
Mason and Landri were SOOOOOOOO cute on the slide because he would literally wait at the bottom for her to slide down into him and they would giggle like it was the funniest thing in the world. Every. TIME! lol I caught my fearless, half-crazy girl following her bubba up a (no joke) TEN FOOT climbing wall and she MADE it. Completely by herself! WHAT?!?!?!? I could not believe it! Her brother had already run off to play with Madden or to play air hockey with another child he buddied up with, so she just continued on without him. I was beyond impressed (and slightly horrified!). I tried to get a video but my 4 year old iPhone was out of memory :(
From Pump It Up, we went to grab some McDonald's and let the kids play before I had to meet up with Jay to go to the Rangers' game.
Our kids were so bummed to say goodbye to each other, so Ashley and I made plans to find time the next day to get them together. And it was on to the Rangers' game!!!!!!
It was a nice, overcast, upper 70's evening which is beyond a rarity in DFW this time of year so we felt blessed. Also, we know our kids, and how long they can tolerate sitting in one place so we bought tix to the Ballpark Kids' Zone. It's this enormous, indoor (air conditioned!) park for young kiddoes and Braden loved it last summer so we had to try it again, especially since Landri was old enough to play there now.
Needless to say, they had a great time.
While we were in there, two innings had gone by and we were already down (to stinky butt Cleveland! of all teams) by 4 runs. Well, did we really want to walk all the way to the opposite side of the ballpark plus up to the very top just to watch us lose for another 2-3 innings since that's as long as the kids last? No. So, instead, we made use of the remodeled stadium and sat in the centerfield open seating area. They have lots of tables set up in front of an enormous Jumbotron so you can watch the game while eating from the concessions that surround it. SUCH an awesome idea!
Then, some of the "big head" guys who do the dot race came out to visit us :) and scare the crap out of some fans, too.....they are mondo-creepy!
We stayed until the other team scored like, I don't know. 10???? runs? Ugh, but we had great, memorable evening :)
Unfortunately, Landri did NOT get the memo.
She pulled it out of the drawer and cried until I put it on.
Little did I know she would wear it for an hour.
While drinking her juice...
Watching Peppa on my iPad...
Watching Sophia on the TV in the bedroom...
She didn't really get it until I told her we had to get dressed to go ride the "horsies" (aka Carousel at the Parks Mall in Arlington). LOL.
Since Braden was like 2, riding the carousel has been one of his most favorite things we do as a family treat. So, when I realized we wouldn't be swimming to fill in the hours before we met up with Ashley and the boys or a playdate in Arlington, this was PERFECT!
Grubbin' on Chik-fil-A in the Food Court
Ridin' the "Horsies" and many other animals (lol)
From there, we met up with Ashley and the boys (and later, her sweet momma, Terry) at Pump it Up Arlington and the kids got to play.....and play....
And PLAY....
Mason and Landri were SOOOOOOOO cute on the slide because he would literally wait at the bottom for her to slide down into him and they would giggle like it was the funniest thing in the world. Every. TIME! lol I caught my fearless, half-crazy girl following her bubba up a (no joke) TEN FOOT climbing wall and she MADE it. Completely by herself! WHAT?!?!?!? I could not believe it! Her brother had already run off to play with Madden or to play air hockey with another child he buddied up with, so she just continued on without him. I was beyond impressed (and slightly horrified!). I tried to get a video but my 4 year old iPhone was out of memory :(
From Pump It Up, we went to grab some McDonald's and let the kids play before I had to meet up with Jay to go to the Rangers' game.
Our kids were so bummed to say goodbye to each other, so Ashley and I made plans to find time the next day to get them together. And it was on to the Rangers' game!!!!!!
It was a nice, overcast, upper 70's evening which is beyond a rarity in DFW this time of year so we felt blessed. Also, we know our kids, and how long they can tolerate sitting in one place so we bought tix to the Ballpark Kids' Zone. It's this enormous, indoor (air conditioned!) park for young kiddoes and Braden loved it last summer so we had to try it again, especially since Landri was old enough to play there now.
Needless to say, they had a great time.
Peek-A
BOO!
TEAM HARVILL! Don't mess w/us!
Again, fearless...
Fun with the air shooter
While we were in there, two innings had gone by and we were already down (to stinky butt Cleveland! of all teams) by 4 runs. Well, did we really want to walk all the way to the opposite side of the ballpark plus up to the very top just to watch us lose for another 2-3 innings since that's as long as the kids last? No. So, instead, we made use of the remodeled stadium and sat in the centerfield open seating area. They have lots of tables set up in front of an enormous Jumbotron so you can watch the game while eating from the concessions that surround it. SUCH an awesome idea!
Her first ballpark frank!
Then, some of the "big head" guys who do the dot race came out to visit us :) and scare the crap out of some fans, too.....they are mondo-creepy!
Save me, Daddy!
Braden was okay with Davy!
And he LOVED Earl Campbell!
<3
We stayed until the other team scored like, I don't know. 10???? runs? Ugh, but we had great, memorable evening :)
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