City Mouse, Country Mouse

I feel quite fortunate that my kids are able to experience the best of two worlds. They spend most of their time in a city full of culture and museums. There is always somewhere to go and something to learn. Life is hectic and rushed.  But they also get to spend time in the country where they learn even more invaluable life lessons about hard work, joy in simplicity, using their imaginations and a love and respect for the outdoors. I wouldn't trade our summers in my hometown for a vacation anywhere else in the world and I know my babies feel the same way.

(Thank you Canty Family)

An Expert's Guide to Trainspotting

Step 1:  Get your brothers and Great-Grandfather involved.

Step 2:  Find a suitable mode of transportation and don't forget to take a coin.

Step 3:  Place a coin on the track and listen for the train by putting your ear on the rails.

Step 4: Watch in amazement as the train passes and blows its whistle.

Step 5: Collect coin and do a happy dance because you have never seen a quarter so incredibly flat and warm.

Note: In order to make the most of this experience it helps to wear cowboy boots with shorts and go with a retired railroader.

Rocky Mountain High

The first few days of our trip we spent in the mountains with my Gilleland side of the family. My grandparents, Harley and Janice,  have 18 grandchildren and 33 great-grand children with 3 more on the way and almost all of us were there.  Many of my favorite childhood memories took place on the ranch with my cousins. I love to see my own kids having so much fun fighting and playing with their cousins just like I did. One summer when Scott was in Colorado I remember hearing about a family reunion he attended where he got into a fight with his Colorado cousins. He was upset because they were senselessly killing mice.  I remembered thinking at the time, (I was probably 14) what a city slicker and wuss he was to be upset about killing mice. Well, things came full circle when my boys had an all out battle with their Colorado cousins over killing snakes and caterpillars.  I have a few city slickers of my own now, but I love them just like I loved their dad. Besides the trauma of witnessing the death of a few water snakes, they got to shoot their BB Guns and Bows, explore caves, play in the creek and the river, catch creatures, ride 4-Wheelers and dirt bikes.  It was a little boys paradise and Harley fit right in. We even saw a bear which was really exciting. Sometimes I think I could actually abandon civilization and take my little family into the woods and live that way forever, but then I remember how much I like to shop and eat at McDonald's.

Trooper Travelers

TAKING A REST ON THE FLOOR OF DFW AIRPORT & FLASHING THE PASSING AIRPLANES

 

Let me take this moment to brag about my children.  We had a bit of a stressful traveling experience on our way to Colorado last week and they handled it exceptionally well. From everything to being late to the airport and being forced to run through the terminal, having our luggage held hostage by a skycap,  being trapped inside an airplane for almost 3 hours before actually taking off making our total time in an airplane for the day nearly 9 hours, a tight connection where more terminal running was required, even dealing with their mother's air sickness and vomit, plus a four hour car ride once we finally landed, throughout it all they never complained, wish I could say the same for myself. They carried their own bags and walked/ran great distances from gate to gate. They were happy and patient and I keep wondering where in the world they learned such behavior. Here's hoping to a better return trip and more good children.



Rocks & Bugs

The boy's interests change just like the weather, but lately their life has been all about Rocks & Bugs.  We feel pretty blessed to be able to live so close to museums where they can learn about almost all of their whims.  Today we went to the Smithsonian Natural History Museum.  They wanted to see the Hope Diamond and the Bugs.  They even got to hold a Madagascar Hissing Cockroach, Giant Grasshoppers, Silk Worms, and Millipedes. 

 

Clash of the Fountains

Okay, school has only been out for 8 days and I am thoroughly exhausted.  Not to mention my kids are eating me out of house and home.  Each day of summer so far has been filled with some activity or friend or party most of which have taken place in the strength-sucking-sun. Today we went fountain hopping. We didn't plan on fountain hopping it is just that the first fountain we went to sucked, a lot like the aforementioned strength-sucking-sun.  First stop was the Mosaic District fountain.  Look, maybe "suck" is a harsh word, no doubt my mother would not approve of my use of the term. It is a fantastic place to go if you are 2. You will eventual get sprayed if you have the patience to wait the extra long intervals between said spray.

 
After 15 minutes and approximately 10 sprays from the fountain we headed to Old Faithful, not Yellowstone but our original favorite fountain at Fairfax Corner.  Perhaps the question should be, do we really love this fountain or its proximity to Ben & Jerry's where Nash taught us that even when the ice cream is gone there is almost always some left that you can spoon off of your belly?
 

Summer Reading

As tradition dictates we headed to the library to pick up our reading logs and a stack of the books we want to finish before summer's end. I don't have time to write much. As you can tell we have a lot of work to do!

 

Beach Day