I’m not really sure how it happened, but I had said something about playing in mud and leaves to A.  That stuck in her mind and she’s been relentlessly asking to play in the mud.  Since I don’t lie to her, I had to make it right and let the child play in the mud.  So we got a bowl, put some potting soil in it, and mixed in some water.  How can I describe how she acted or the look of joy on her face?  It would probably be similar to what my face would look like if someone gave me an all expense-paid trip to Disney for my family :)  Yes, she was that happy to play in the mud!

A and I are officially Daddy groupies because we followed him again.   This time we went to Minneapolis.  Hubby’s brother, D, was there too.  Hubby and D were installing a system for a major client just outside Minneapolis.  D got there on Tuesday and Hubby got there on Wednesday.  A and I flew in Friday evening.  The plan was for them to have all of the work finished and then the four of us would enjoy the weekend together.  We were supposed to go to Oshkosh in Wisconsin.  They have a HUGE airshow there that lasts an entire week.  Hubby has wanted to go for years, but we have never been.   Hubby and D were both wanting to meet General Chuck Yeager.  We didn’t get to go though because they had some unforeseen trouble with their installation.  General Yeager wasn’t there either, so at least we didn’t miss him.

So we improvised and went to the Mall of America.  This place is AWESOME.  It’s huge, but is so well-thought out that it wasn’t bad at all. The directories were divided into north, south, east, and west, so it really was pretty easy to figure out where you wanted to go.  They had a big Lego store there and some great Lego creations.  They reached up to four stories, with the top stories creating a space scene complete with little aliens and a satellite.  We loved to look at everything there, very cool

The best time though was had at Nickelodeon Universe.  It’s the indoor theme park right beside the Lego store.  It was so fantastic.  They had rides for all ages.  A had the best time ever!  She was absolutely giddy with excitement.   She and Hubby rode the hot air balloon ride, the carosel, and the Blue Skidoo ride.  Both Hubby and I rode the Diego ride once each with her.  All of that riding for $20!  A also got to meet Spongebob and Jimmy Neutron.  I took a million pictures of course.  The lines to everything there weren’t bad at all and we were there on a Saturday afternoon.  I imagine that it would be pretty cool to visit during the school year.  You could probably almost have the place to yourself.

There is also a shark aquarium at the mall, but we didn’t have time to fit it in.  Next time though.  I was so happy with the family time we had and the time we got to spend with Uncle D.  He and A were quick friends.  She hadn’t seen him in about 15 months.  They were definitely buddies.

Hubby, A, and I flew back to Dallas on Sunday.  Hubby’s car was still parked there.  So we drove down to the Austin airport, picked up my car, and headed to have dinner with Mr. T and his family.  It was a very long day and a very nice trip.  And even though the trip didn’t go exactly as planned, we had a great time.  I would do it again in a heartbeat.

A on the plane.

Minneapolis skyline - it really is a pretty city.

A and Uncle D (and Wall-E too).

Feeding Uncle D pizza gave her such happiness

A loved the hot air balloon ride with Daddy.

A and Mommy on the Diego ride.

Meeting Spongebob was a highlight.

Daddy and A on the Diego ride.

Carosel time.

Jimmy Neutron was so nice.  She later told me that she just loved that shirt he was wearing

Daddy and A on the Blue Skidoo ride.

I have talked about how much A loves Wall-E.  On the way home from our last Dallas trip, we stopped at the Disney outlet to see what new stuff they had.  We walked out with Wall-E and Eve action figures.  She floated out of that store.  She later built them a cage out of clay.  For whatever reason, they both have some green clay on top of their heads too

Daddy finally got home on Thursday night. He has been traveling so much, but thankfully the end of this project is near. We just need to hold on a little longer. Anyway, he worked a regular day on Friday and then went with us to the Friday Family Fun Night. After that we enjoyed a fantastic sushi dinner with Mr. T and his family at Mikado. We were celebrating the one-year anniversary of their partnership. It has been a great year, and without Mr. T and his abilities, the business probably wouldn’t have survived. It was just getting to be too much for Hubby to handle alone. We have told Mr. T as much and everyone agrees that it was the best decision for both families and both partners. The part that I love most is that if Hubby is working or traveling, then so is Mr. T. Hubby had a partner before and it just wasn’t like that at all. This way is sooo much better and I take great comfort in knowing that Hubby doesn’t have to bear everything alone.

Anyway, some things happened in Dallas on Friday that made it necessary for Hubby to go back. We were all so sad to have that happen. We were looking forward to some family time this weekend. But he left on Saturday morning. A and I went to C’s birthday party and filled our day with friends. Everything was okay, but I knew that Hubby was depressed and that bothered me so much. The worst part though was A’s phone call with Daddy on Saturday night. She asked him what time he was coming home. She was assuming he was on his way and when he had to tell her that he wasn’t coming home, she started crying. This broke everyone’s hearts. She never cries when she talks to him. Her crying nearly destroyed him. We immediately decided that A and I would join him in Dallas on Monday. A was fine after she realized what was really going on. I mean of course she misses Daddy, but he has been traveling a lot. So it’s not really anything new to her.

Sunday morning, Hubby woke me with a phone call. We talked for a minute and he suggested that maybe we come on Sunday instead. He thought he would have more time with us since the workers were only coming in to work for a little while and not the entire day. So I started getting everything ready - packing, changing the litter, feeding the cats, doing dishes, getting us both dressed, etc. etc. We grabbed Sonic for lunch, filled up with gas, and were on the road by 12:20. We drove straight there and arrived at 3:20ish. Hubby was with us by 4:15 and we were having fun in the pool. Being together is soooo much better than not!

We enjoyed a tasty dinner at Posado’s and then headed to Celebration Station for some miniature golf. First though, Hubby was going to take A on the bumper boats. They looked really fun. But I guess you have to be older than four to agree with that statement. Hubby started to put her on the boat and she started crying. So no bumper boats for her, or Daddy for that matter. So we just did mini golf. We had a great time. A hadn’t done mini golf before. Besides wanting to continually pick up the ball, she did great. We had some great family time over the weekend after all. It was so worth the drive. We all needed to be together. A slept in this morning so we stayed and had lunch with Daddy before heading back south. A and I got back around 3:30, stopped at the Disney outlet, took some pizzas to some friends who are having a rough time, and then went with M and Z to Gattiland. Yes, I am tired

Our little friend C turned two on the 25th, and we were very happy to help her celebrate on the 26th.  M went all out with the luau theme. The party was super cute, complete with limbo music and leis. A had a great time. The food was great and the pool was fantastic. M and Z joined A and I for dinner at California Pizza Kitchen and then on to Borders books for some browsing later Saturday evening. Great day with friends.

Thanks for letting us help you guys celebrate. Happy Birthday again little princess!

We have been going to nearly every Friday Family Fun Night at Kaleidoscope Toys this summer. We saw Mr. Johnny and Sharon on Friday evening. They were very entertaining and had all those kiddos up and dancing, throwing beanie animals all over, playing with tubes and scarves. It was great. I loved how they had the kids participating. Then at the end, they had the kids come up and sing a song of their choosing. Hubby and I were just waiting for A to ask to sing “Video Killed the Radio Star.” But she didn’t. She sang “Twinkle, Twinkle” instead. Z chose to sing the months of the year. They did fantastic. We all had a blast!

This was A hugging me as soon as she was finished singing. She did so great!!!!!

Quite a while back, a really good friend of mine asked me if I was interested in participating in “playschool.”  It’s really a co-op of sorts.  A group of moms go together and purchase a curriculum and then take turns teaching their kiddos.  Since I already had A in preschool at the time, I said no.  But I thought it was a great idea.  So I asked her if they were going to continue with playschool during the summer.  Her first thought was no, but after reconsidering and asking the other moms, she said yes.  So M and D, another momma who participates have invited A and I to join in the great fun for the summer.  The first day of “school” was at M’s house on July 10.  A could not wait.  She loves to play with C anyway.  When we pulled up to the house, A said “You don’t have to go in with me Mom.  Bye.”  Funny girl.  Of course I took her in and talked with M for a few minutes.  She also teaches at her church nursery and is really great at handling a group of kiddos.  I said my goodbyes to A and then pretended to leave.  I was really just eavesdropping on the stairs.  I wanted to listen to the structure and get some idea of how I would handle things when it was my turn to teach.  So I sat there for about 30 minutes and then quietly left.

A has shown nothing but the utmost enthusiasm for playschool.  She cannot wait for it each Thursday.  The next week it was at D’s house.  Same thing.  Great experience.  I even got to go clothes shopping for me :)  Then last week was my turn.  I was really impressed with the curriculum.  It is very detailed.  If a craft is outlined in the lesson plans, then all of the materials are included.  We bought 30 days worth of curriculum, and we are teaching 2-4 days each week.  The theme for the month is camping. The letters are C and G.  The number is 3.  The shape is the crescent. I spent quite a bit of time planning out what I was going to do.  We did a couple of crafts, made a book about camping, talked about C and G and practiced writing them and thinking of words that begin and end with their sounds, played a riddle game, talked about the moon, and about frogs, etc. etc.  Then came the dramatic play portion of my lesson - camping.  I put a huge bedspread over my dining room table, put in blankets, a flash light, books, and a radio.  That was the tent.  Then each girl got a hat, a backpack, and an umbrella.  We also made trail mix for our snack and the girls were allowed to eat their snack in the tent.  We all had a great time.  I’m anxious for August 21st to come so I can teach again

Post Number Two for today…

I cannot believe A’s energy. Let me explain that statement.

She and I left Dallas at 9:30 this morning. We stopped for gas and lunch in Waco and arrived home at about 1:30. She played while I took care of a few things, fed the cats, talked to M, etc. Then we went to the mall to meet some members of our playgroup at the Inflatable Wonderland. A is not a jumper and I only went because she promised she would jump. After a total of six hours in the car during the past two days, I thought she needed to move around a bit. She did run around quite a bit after we arrived but she still wouldn’t jump. A little later she came to me all excited and said she had jumped! I was happy, but I figured that would be it. So I just made sure I saw her every few minutes and went about my mommy chatting. Then I look up and she’s jumping like crazy!!! I grabbed the camera and got some fun shots of her. She had asked for pigtails this afternoon. I put her hair up, put her glasses back on, and just couldn’t believe how darn cute she looked. So I grabbed my camera for that too. I mean, I have NO pictures of her at all

We stayed almost 30 minutes after all of our friends left. She found another little girl to lead and follow around. They were fast friends. She and I then went to Dragonfly for dinner. After a trip to the Disney Store, I figured we were on our way home. But she floored me and asked if she could play at the little free play area. I agreed, and she played and played there. She and a little boy were running around like crazy kids. I truly don’t know where she got all of that energy, but I would pay money to have just a little of it. When we got home, she begged me to play. So we played until almost 9:30, at which time I said it was time for bath, head washing, and bed. That whole process takes about an hour so she was still up when Hubby called at 10:00. He heard all about her day and was surprised that he got to talk to her at all. She continues to amaze us both. But she’s definitely sleeping soundly now

A has now seen the WallE movie three times! She loves her new stuffed WallE

We took off the glasses while she was jumping. She wears them so well. We are so proud of her.

As I’ve mentioned on numerous occasions, Hubby has been traveling soooo much this summer. He knew that he would be in Dallas this entire week so he asked me to bring A up and stay overnight. I was all for the idea. It shortens the time away from Hubby/Daddy and gives A and I a little vacation without all of the hassles of being out of town for several days in a row. We didn’t need anyone to check on the cats, get the mail, or any of the little day-to-day chores that we have to take care of.

This is our little timeline…

7:00 Monday - Since Hubby wasn’t coming back with us, we had to take both cars. We followed Mr. T and Daddy all the way to Dallas, only stopping for breakfast at the Whataburger drive thru. That was a challenge for me. I never drive while I’m eating, but I scarfed down that sausage biscuit while I was navigating 1431 and it all worked out just fine. A was fantastic. She slept for a bit. We talked and she watched her DVD player. She was even concerned if it was too loud. She didn’t even ask for a potty stop! Mommy is gushing a bit tonight. We’ve had a fantastic couple of days

10:15 - We arrived at the hotel. I was a little nervous about whether we would be allowed to even get in to the hotel this early since check-in isn’t until 3:00. The thought of being in Dallas with a 4-year-old and not knowing what to do until 3:00 was a little unsettling. But Hubby, the optimist that he is, was sure they would have had vacancies on a Sunday night and that a room would be readily available to us. He was right. We checked right in. My plan was to go to the indoor pool, meet Hubby for lunch, and then head over to Celebration Station with A. Well, the pool was closed. But we were assured that it would reopen in just a bit. So A and I just hung out in the room. We read, watched some cartoons, and she played with her toys and puppets.

12:30 - We met Daddy, Mr. T, and a gentleman they have been working with for lunch. I must explain the layout of where we were staying. The hotel was in a great location among at least 10 different restaurants. Everything was easily within walking distance. The Celebration Station was literally in the parking lot. I loved that I didn’t have to drive around trying to find a restaurant or something fun to do. No getting lost, no worries about traffic. Loved it!

After lunch, A and I went straight to Celebration Station. It is similar to Gattiland and Chuck E. Cheese’s in that they serve pizza and soft drinks, host birthday parties, their walls lined with video and arcade games, redeem tickets for prizes, etc. But they also have some attractions outside. They have miniature golf, bumper boats, and go carts - all of which were just too big for A. They did have a little train and an airplane ride for the little ones. So I bought some tickets for those. A loved that train. It was extremely hot out, so she could only sit in the cars that had roofs. The seats were burning up. The seats on the airplane ride were completely uncovered so they were very hot. She burned her legs and wouldn’t ride. Can’t blame her for that. So I was going to try and hold her in my lap (the attendant said it was okay), and it was so hot through my capris that I could only imagine how that felt on bare legs! So needless to say, we didn’t ride the airplanes. She rode the train a couple of times and we went inside for a cold drink. The rest of my tickets were wasted, but not completely…I’ll use them on my scrapbook pages

When we got back to the hotel, we asked about the pool again. They had been adding chemicals, but they were all done. We went upstairs, got ready, and hit the pool. We had it to ourselves most of the two hours we were there. A had so much fun. I took her life vest with me. I will not be in the pool alone with her without it. I have gotten so much more comfortable in the water, but that life vest being on her is just a requirement that I have. We had so much fun. Hubby called to check in and said he would be there in about 20 minutes or so. We decided to stay in the water and have him join us. What fun we all had!!!!!

4:00-6:00 - Swimming

6:30 - Dinner

All that swimming had us famished. We went to Olive Garden and had a delicious meal. A ate her entire bowl of spaghetti. I knew that she had to be hungry. That girl was all over that pool, kicking and paddling. She was asleep by 8:00

I took this while I was driving by the Dallas skyline. I was just pointing and snapping. I took several and this is the best of them.  Don’t worry, I was completely paying attention to the road.  Always my first priority

A just playing in the room.

Celebration Station…

A was showing her new WallE shirt to a little girl on the train. She got a little stuffed WallE too. He’s riding beside her

Daddy and A having so much fun in the water…

M called me a pool mama - love it!

Completely. Finished.

We left this little note for Daddy as we left this morning. I felt really sad to leave him there alone, when all we wanted to do was bring him home with us. We love you!!!!

We had a lot going on yesterday. First we met up with M and Z and her friend B and her two kiddos at Ceramics Cellar to let the kiddos do some of their very own creating. All of the kiddos had a great time. A chose a motorcycle that she is sure Daddy will put on his desk That thought makes her so happy. Z chose a rattlesnake. G chose a mug while M chose a bowl. It is always enjoyable to watch the kiddos choose their colors and create away.

After we finished painting, we headed over to Quizno’s for lunch and then to Zero Degrees for some ice cream. We went straight from there to pick up A’s glasses down in Austin.

I haven’t blogged about her needing glasses yet, so I will do some filling in here. I had mentioned that she had failed two screenings and that we were going to see an eye doctor. We went on Monday, the 14th. We were glad to have Daddy home so he could go to the appointment too. He was a huge help in getting A to relax so she could cooperate with the doctor. The big equipment intimidated her though and she was afraid to look through the lenses so the doctor could give her a proper diagnosis and prescription. So we thought we weren’t really going to get any kind of answer at all at this visit. Daddy had to leave for another appointment and I took the opportunity to talk to A in private about what we were trying to do for her eyes. The doctor had certainly determined that her left eye was lazy and nearsighted. He just hadn’t been able to get much further than that without the proper testing. A and I were in the room alone and I convinced her to look through the lenses. She did with the promise of going straight to Toys R Us afterwards to get some pom-poms. Up to this point, I didn’t even know she wanted those. But okay, I agreed. I really wanted to know what the doctor thought and I knew he needed to complete the exam to tell me anything concrete. After really completing the test, he did determine that glasses would be our best option. He is doing something called passive therapy. A’s right eye is really good (20/20). So he is decreasing her vision just a bit (it’s a piece of scotch tape on the lens) so that her left eye will be forced to work harder for her to see. Her left lens is also corrected for nearsightedness. So after his diagnosis, we ordered her frames. They are so cute - purple with little hearts on the side. I also had the special Transitions coating put on the lenses so they will tent when she’s out in the sun. She loves that they do that. We talked about them all week and her excitement and enthusiasm was always there. The doctor had me pretty discouraged though when he said that she probably wouldn’t want to wear then since her overall vision would be better without the glasses. So I was really worried about that too.

We picked them up at 3:00 and I am soooo happy with them. The tech explained that they are only using a piece of tape on the right lens. He said they could have frosted it, but then I would have had to buy another lens once we get the left eye strengthened. He also gave us some cleaning solution and a soft lens cloth. The glasses came with the cutest little case that almost looks like a purse. A has worn them like a champ. She wore them for about 5 hours yesterday and all day today. To go from never wearing glasses to transitioning that quickly is so great. We are continually telling her how proud we are of her. And she looks BEAUTIFUL!!!!

We went to see Bonzo Crunch at Friday Family Fun Night. M, Z, and B went along too. Daddy had gotten home right after we got back with the glasses so he went with us. We all had a great time at the clown show. A got to go up and do a magic rope trick with Bonzo. She was so happy and excited. After the show, we all had dinner and finally got home after 10:00. Needless to say, A was sleeping soundly when we pulled in to the garage Memorable day!