Star Spangled Adventures

The Butterfly Flutterbye

2011-10-17T12:44:00.000-07:00

We went again this year to Grapevine's Butterfly Flutterby, a celebration of the monarch and little girl heaven. We had a blast again, and I think this year was an even better experience than last year, if that is possible.

Here is Addie with friends Isabel, Acacia, and James.

Addie and the giant scarecrow.

Cute pic of a happy girl.

The Parade

2011-10-17T12:39:00.000-07:00

This year, instead of marching, Greg took Scott to the sidelines and played spectator. Much better for pictures, I must say.

Here is the front of the parade as it advances down the street.

Keep in mind, by "parade" I mean bagpipes in front, playing away, a scarecrow on stilts just behind, and then a mob of little girls in butterfly wings and just as many parents. Oh, and dogs too. There are plenty of dogs in the parade.

Here is Addie!

Greg's artistic shot. :)

And a shot from the back, to show how cute Main Street Grapevine is.

The Release

2011-10-17T12:31:00.000-07:00

Sure the parade is fun, but the best part of the flutterbye for us is the butterfly release. Each child gets a monarch in a special envelope, and at the designated moment, hundreds of butterflies are released into the air.

Here is Ads with her butterfly, which she named "Flier."

Flier was a little sleepy, and didn't take off right away. We had to open the envelope really wide....

then he flapped his wings.....

began his departure...

(look at her face!)

and took off!

There he is, right above her antennae.

"They Landed on Me!!!"

2011-10-17T12:25:00.000-07:00

Addie's favorite part of the whole day was that after the butterflies were released, a lot of them looked for somewhere to land and warm their wings up. They landed all over the place, but the best part for this little girl was that some landed on her butterfly costume! They even stayed there for a long time, even while she was walking around!

If you look below her outstretched hand, there is a monarch there.

Here is a close-up.

A few minutes later, two landed on the back of her wings. She loved it!

We had her stretch out her wings to get a better picture.

Male Participation

2011-10-17T12:19:00.000-07:00

Though this was a pretty girly event, Greg and Scott managed to have a fun time as well. Here is Scotty waiting in his spot for the parade to come.

And Scott as a really cute butterfly.

There are a lot of reasons why I love my husband, and this is one of them.

State Fair of Texas

2011-10-15T12:35:00.000-07:00

An important first for us was achieved last week. We went to the State Fair of Texas! This is the biggest fair in all of the US of course, because it's Texas after all. We did our best to take it all in.

Gotta say hello to Big Tex! And he is BIG!

Addie got to participate in the backyard circus, which was ridiculously cute. She was a butterfly ballerina. Here she is with the ring master.

We also got to watch a dog show, which the kids loved.

The Rides!

2011-10-15T12:30:00.000-07:00

Nothing like a spin on the carousel!

And Addie liked it too!

She was nervous about the carousel, so we weren't sure her choice for bumper cars would go so well.

Ha! She was fine!

If you look close, you can see her stinking out her tongue in concentration trying to ram the cars around her. She loved it!

Animals!

2011-10-15T12:26:00.000-07:00

A real hit- the bee hive, where Addie got to see the queen bee. She was REALLY excited about that!

In the petting zoo area, where the camel freaked out Scotty. Look at that nervous face!

An ostrich is a really big bird.

And in the cow barn, where the kids played for a long time with the farm toys. Sure it smelled like cow dung, but the parents got to sit and rest!

Play Time for Ads

2011-10-15T12:23:00.000-07:00

Which did she enjoy more?

The play farm, where she got to collect eggs...

and drive a tractor?

Or the pottery wheel,

where she made her own vase?

The pottery for sure! She loved it! (and she made a beautiful vase)

Arts & Crafts

2011-10-15T12:16:00.000-07:00

For me, a fair trip MUST include a visit to the arts and crafts exhbits. I love to see the quilts especially. This quilt won grand champion and was fantastic.

At the photography, we noticed this wonderful picture, then we noticed the name of the photographer. If you look close, you can see her last name is La Londe. The same as Addie's name sake. We thought that was wonderful.

And here is the Texas version of arts and crafts, a life size sculpture made out of butter. Yes, for real.

Addie and the butter cow. :)

Fair Food!

2011-10-15T12:10:00.000-07:00

The Texas State Fair doesn't just do regular fair food, they do it big! The food vendors here have gone to such extremes in the last few years, that the yearly offerings usually make the news around the country, and the fair now gives out the Big Tex awards every year for the top ten newcomers, the best new taste and the most inventive. For us Spanglers, this was what we came to the fair to do!

Here we are, about to go into the food court. Bring it on!

Greg's first choice was the fried rib...

pretty good, but a little dry.

I figured "go big or go home," so I selected the koolaid pickle. Yes, you read that right, koolaid pickle. A big 'ol dill, soaked in koolaid, then sprinkled with koolaid powder.

Here we go- giving it a try.

It was pretty much what you'd expect.

Overpowering sour, overpowering sweet. Makes your hair stand up on end and your eyes bug out.

None of us could do more than three bites.

Scott Eats Fair Food

2011-10-15T12:04:00.000-07:00

Chowing down on a french fry.

Trying the koolaid pickle...

and taking a BIG drink, trying to wash the taste away.

Don't know what he was trying here, but the face was cute.

Still more Fair Food

2011-10-15T12:02:00.000-07:00

Here we are, sampling the fried pineapple upside down cake. It was ranked in the top ten of fair foods this year, and was our hands-down favorite. YUM!

Addie goes to town on an ice cream bar

But still her favorite is a lemon. She just loves to suck a lemon. Funny girl!

Scotty about to dive in with us on the fried bubblegum. The winner of the Big Tex Award for most inventive this year. Greg didn't care for it, but the rest of us loved it! Really, it's a bubblegum flavored marshmallow, deep fried of course, and topped with icing and chicklets.

Leaves, an excuse for a man toy

2011-10-15T11:55:00.000-07:00

The home where we're currently living happens to have a lot of oak trees on the property. A lot. And with a lot of oak trees, come a lot of leaves. Since Greg and I have been apartment dwellers for all ten years of our marriage now, we have felt a little deprived from yard work, so we look at this as our chance to get outside and make up for lost time.

We have done a good portion of leaf raking by hand, but Greg had his eye on Randy's manly Cyclone Rake, and last Saturday he finally got to use it.

This beast of a machine sucks up the leaves like a vacuum and deposits them into trash bags which are set up on the cart you pull behind the thing. I will agree, it is pretty cool.

Greg had a great time using it, and spent about 3 hours going after the leaves. We filled about 27 bags. That's a lot of leaves!

Playing Around

2011-10-14T11:43:00.000-07:00

A few shots of the kids at play recently...

Addie playing dress-up, and I took a picture because the two of them climbed into the chair together and were just so cute sitting there!

Also, this was a good day because I realized her hair has finally grown out long enough for pigtails. Hooray!

Addie in her bible costume we made for school. This year in school we'll be learning about the Old Testament, and now she'll have a costume for acting out stories. We had so much fun going to the fabric store together to pick out the fabric, and it was a snap to make- no sew! She loved putting it on, and we pretended she was "Lydia, a seller of purple cloth." So when Dad and the Busters came home from work that night, she met them at the door and offered cloth for sale. So cute!

And as usual, Scotty really wanted his picture taken too.

Trampoline!

2011-10-14T11:32:00.000-07:00

We ventured into the Buster's backyard the other night, and decided to clear the leaves off the trampoline and take a look at it. We expected to see that the springs or mat were shot, but instead we found it in great condition! So up went the kids, despite the thick layer of dirt on there, and they had a blast.

Two kids, four adults surrounding the thing to make sure they don't bounce off. :)

Scotty having a great time, and all dirty. And yes, he does look older all of a sudden.

Addie being goofy while Scotty tries to brush the dirt off his hands in the background (he doesn't like being dirty usually).

Greg playing popcorn with the kids. It wasn't hard to "pop" the corn!

Playing in the Rain

2011-10-14T11:22:00.000-07:00

Within the first few weeks of moving into the Buster's house, we had a great big rain that was just perfect for playing in. During dinner it just started pouring, and we couldn't resist going out to play.

Believe it or not, this was the first time our kids have gone out to play in the rain. All these years we've lived in apartments, and there was never a good place for it. We are thankful for this quite little cul-de-sac with great puddles to enjoy, and for Texas rain, which comes down in force, while it is still warm outside.

Greg in his work clothes, and Pam and Randy, stayed on the porch while the kids and I jumped and ran and laughed so hard! What fun!

First Day of School

2011-10-14T11:16:00.000-07:00

In the midst of all the moving madness, we still had to start school. So with moving boxes piled behind us, we started into the grand adventure that is First Grade.

Addie is such a unique kid! She's a tiny little thing- about the size of a four-year-old, but going through the first grade. We had started Addie into Kindergarten material last year because she seemed more than ready for it, even though she was a little young. We weren't sure how she would do, but she took to school like a fish to water and sailed through Kindergarten. We are so thankful that the Lord has given her a sharp mind for academics, and we want to give her the opportunity to keep going, so into first grade we went, though she is now a year ahead of the other kids her age. We're thankful for the chance to homeschool, since this way she can stay challenged.

Here she is, first day of school picture.

And of course little brother wants his picture taken too. Notice his "wowo" in his hand, which is never far from him.

Moving

2011-10-13T14:51:00.000-07:00

Yes, we moved again! That is the main reason why this blog is so terribly un-kept!

You would think that this move, being in-town, compared to the last move, half-way across the country, would have been easier, but instead it was just as crazy, if not worse! After a year in our apartment, we decided to pursue renting a duplex. We were looking forward to the kids having a yard to play in, and living in a neighborhood instead of a complex. We gave notice, got packed, found a rental, moved some of our stuff in, then a few days before the big move-in, it all fell apart. It's a long story, but sufficed to say, the Lord made it very clear it was not a place we should move into.

So our very good friends Randy & Pam Buster insisted we move in with them instead. They have plenty of space to share, and guest quarters with a lot of privacy, plus we REALLY like them, so we happily accepted their generous offer. Within a matter of days we had to get moved out of our apartment, get our things out of the duplex, get everything to the Buster's house, or to storage, or re-packed so it could go to storage... it was pretty nuts. But thanks to an amazing church family, and the grace of God, it all got done.

Here's Randy Buster, moving some of our stuff (and actually giving me sass about having his picture taken, I believe).

Greg and Randy Zeller working hard.

And a shot of the kids about their business in their new home (even if it is temporary, it is home). Their room is the size of a "bonus room," so it is used for sleeping, playing, and school. Addie is doing school at the table while Scotty plays with Little People.

A nice shot of Pam Buster reading to the kids in the apartment, a few days before we moved into their home!

Scott Turns Two

2011-10-13T14:26:00.000-07:00

Scotty's birthday fell on a Thursday night, which is when we get together with our small group. Since the kids in small group are some of his closest friends anyway, a birthday party seemed a little redundant. So we brought cake to small group, and celebrated there! Incidentally, our little friend James shares a birthday with Scott, so we got two for the price of one.

Two-Year-Old phtoto shoot

2011-10-13T14:23:00.000-07:00

Here he is, the big two-year-old.

This is his "smiley face"

And more cuteness.

The Ark

2011-10-13T14:21:00.000-07:00

To escape the July heat, a few friends from church and their broods met up at "The Ark" one day. It's a great indoor playground at a local church. We had a great time!

Here's part of the indoor play structure for big kids. Their's a play area for the little kids too.

Nickie Ralston and Shaleah Channell, who are both in our small group.

Addie with Jamie Buster. You can tell how Addie feels about her.

Sliding

2011-10-13T14:16:00.000-07:00

Addie coming down the giant slide....

tada!

Scotty goes down one a little better suited for his size.

Summer Eating

2011-10-13T14:11:00.000-07:00

Family dinner at Chick-Fil-A. It was cow appreciation, and if you dressed like a cow, you got a free meal. This was a no-brainer for us.

My birthday dinner at a Brazilian Steakhouse. Amazing food!

A good dinner at home one night. Ratatouille! (over polenta)

Our First Ranger Game

2011-07-17T15:06:00.000-07:00

We went with a group from church to Rangers Ball Park for our first Rangers game! This was the first ball game the kids had been to, and we had a blast!

Here we are, about to go in!

We entered into the stadium just as the National Anthem was being sung. It was a fitting introduction for such a uniquely American experience.

Addie liked watching the flag wave on the big screen, and she seemed a little amazed at the grand-ness of everything around her.

Rangers Ball Park

2011-07-17T15:02:00.000-07:00

Entering into the park, and this is Greg's first look at the place.

Addie likes it!

Settling into our seats. It's HOT, but still fun! (It was 98 in the shade)

Scott at the Game

2011-07-17T14:59:00.000-07:00

"Smiling" for the camera

Gotta have a hot dog at the game!

Still more Ranger Game

2011-07-17T14:57:00.000-07:00

Scotty was very interested in what they were doing down on the field with the ball. He was fascinated with the pitcher especially, and his fist was pumped along with the pitcher when it was time to pitch. Since the game, when he throws a ball at home now, he is careful to lift his leg first.

Family shot!

Val Zeller loaned Addie her Rangers hat so she could look Rangerific.

Lake Grapevine

2011-07-17T14:51:00.000-07:00

We briefly visited the lake near our home the other day. We kept it brief because it is really, really hot outside and we couldn't take it for very long.

But anyway, here is the lake.

Ads and Scott throwing rocks in the lake- what a thrill!

Paradise Pond

2011-07-17T14:40:00.000-07:00

We spent a morning last week at a wonderful place called "Paradise Pond," an indoor play area at First Baptist Grapevine, which is just down the street from us. I can't believe we hadn't made it there sooner! It was full of all kinds of great toys- each different type in it's own little area, it was air conditioned, and only cost $1 for each of us! On hot days here, that is totally worth it!
We met up with our friends the Zellers and the Pelphreys there, so we had a blast!

Here is Addie in the dinosaur play area, showing me what a pteranadon says.

Playing dress-up in the fabulous dress-up area. This is what happens when Speed Racer and Ariel marry and have children.

Riding the bike-a-go-round. I don't know what else to call it. But the kids LOVED it and made it spin really fast!

The Bounce House

2011-07-17T14:38:00.000-07:00

We spent a good deal of time in the bounce house. This is the FIRST time Addie went into a bounce house by her own choice and actually liked it and wanted to stay. Hooray!

Here is Addie and Caroline

Scotty kinda liked it- but wasn't sure. The whole "can't-stand-on-my-own-or-get-my-feet-under-me" thing kinda threw him for a loop.

I post this picture just to highlight the view you get of the climbing structure in the background. It is very big and wonderful, with all kinds of tunnels and slides and other fun stuff. Since my kids are still pretty little, we didn't even go in it this visit! There were too many other fun things to do!!!

Scotty Plays

2011-07-17T14:29:00.000-07:00

He loved riding this little car/ roller coaster thing! I think he would have ridden for an hour straight if there weren't other kids needing a turn!

Riding in the dump truck, courtesy of our friend Avary, and her arm muscles. (This is in the section with all the cars and such)

Playing with a dinosaur in the dino area.

But his very favorite of all, was the basketball game! (Of course, it's the only thing there that involved balls!). He is in the foreground of this picture, looking longingly. This game was a little too old for him, and though he got to play, he had to throw while mommy held him up, so it didn't last that long!

Addie Plays

2011-07-17T14:23:00.000-07:00

The girl scaling the mini climbing wall

And in the doll area.
Other girls rock and feed the babies, this is what Addie does.
I was just happy to see her play with a doll at all!

Addie & Randall together. My word, these two are HILARIOUS together!
This shot gives you a little glimpse into their personalities (Addie is being goofy, not angry).

Caroline, Randall & Addie. What fun friends those Zeller kids are! There is always a lot of laughing and imagination going on when we play together!

Bedtime

2011-07-17T14:15:00.000-07:00

Just thought I'd take some pictures of a regular night at our house!

Here are the kids, bathed and in jammies, just about to go to bed.

Greg reads a portion of the Bible on his ITouch, and Addie follows along in her Bible.

Then we pray together and...

tuck in our wonderful girl,

And tuck in our wonderful boy!

(He loves to sleep on this little pillow that used to be Addie's, and snuggle this little bear)

Friends on the Fourth

2011-07-06T09:16:00.000-07:00

This Fourth of July we got to spend time with our friends, the Barnes family, hanging out in the park by the lake and watching the fireworks. What fun!

Here is me and Melitsa, with her cute little guy Cullen! Melitsa and I were both home ec majors at TMC, which gives us a lot in common to enjoy!

Carl & Greg, former roomates in their bachelorhood. And a couple of terrific husbands and fathers, we say.

Our kiddos! Scott, Addie, Cullen, and Aiden.

Aiden in the midst of making a silly face. :)

Fireworks

2011-07-06T09:12:00.000-07:00

Blowing bubbles for Scotty

Addie & Aiden off by themselves in the field playing bubbles

Watching the fireworks!

Addie & Aiden watching the fireworks. They were super cute!

Big Day for Little Ears

2011-06-25T17:48:00.000-07:00

Addie got her ears pierced today!
We had told her she could have it done whenever she was ready, but she wasn't interested. So occasionally I would ask her again if she wanted to get it done, and yesterday she replied "Sure!" So we went over to the mall today and she sauntered into the store calm as can be.

(Here she is for a "before" shot)

She climbed up in the chair, went to town on the lollipop they gave her, and was set. "Do you want to sit with your mom?" "No, I'm fine."

This was taken RIGHT when the earrings were going in, and you can see she was a bit put-off, but didn't make a sound.

And this is about 3 seconds later. She didn't cry, didn't whimper, didn't even flinch! I was so proud of her!
And impressed!
And a little embarrassed to realize that not only is she tough, she is WAY tougher than me!!!

Afterward, Greg and I were marveling all over again at Addie's very high pain tolerance. This isn't the first time we've seen it (she doesn't cry for shots either, and a few weeks ago she calmly walked up to me and told me she was bleeding, with a big skinned knee), but every time we see it again, we are a little surprised. We always remember how much of the first few years of her life she spent shrieking and crying, and wonder just how bad her reflux was hurting her. We also wonder if that's what made her so tough, and though going through reflux STUNK, at least she can come out of it with a high pain tolerance.

Anyway, now we have a little girl who is very excited about her new earrings. And in case you're wondering, she chose rainbow-colored daisies.

It's Finally Summer

2011-06-23T11:29:00.000-07:00

We are glad that is finally OFFICIALLY considered summer now, even though it has felt like summer for many weeks around here. We have had a hotter-than-normal June (that's what the locals tell us), and it has been so hot, and to think it wasn't even summer yet was a little discouraging. So now that it is summer, the heat seems a little more appropriate. In case you're wondering, it has been in the high 90's almost everyday, but with humidity, and the part we're really not used to, is that it doesn't cool off at night. Like 94 degrees at 10:00 at night!

Here is Scotty, in from being out in the heat, watching a little TV and cooling off.

The last few days gave us a little relief from the heat ( a little) and some fun storms. The other night, as a storm was rolling in, this is what the sky looked like in one direction...

and then in the other direction.

Pretty beautiful, huh?

In unrelated news, I made Shrimp and Creamy Polenta for dinner the other night, and thought it looked pretty, and thought I'd share the picture. :)

Our Tenth Anniversary!

2011-06-20T09:47:00.000-07:00

We celebrated our tenth wedding anniversary this last weekend!

The kids spent the night with our friends, the Busters, and we spent a luxurious overnight in downtown Dallas.

We checked into the Adolphus Hotel, then snapped this shot before heading downstairs to dine at "The French Room."

Aren't you dying to know what we ate? Well, for our foodie friends out there, here is the scoop:

To start, the chef sent out an Amuse-Bouche (for the non-foodies, that's a little hors d'oeurve that the chef puts together to amuse the pallete of diners). It consisted of a yellow tomato, topped with Chilean Sea Bass, red radish, capers, and drizzled with olive oil. Delish!

For appetizers, Greg ordered the Jumbo Lump Crab Cake with mango curry and raspberry jams, and lobster-lemongrass sauce. He says it was the best crab cake he's ever had. I had Crisp Pork Belly with wild mushrooms, swiss chard, five spice sauce, and carmelized pearl onions. The pork melted in my mouth and the pearl onions were so gorgeously darkened that Greg thought they were cranberries on my plate!

For Main course, Greg enjoyed Colorado Rack of Lamb with yellow corn and green garlic gratin and kalamata olive puree. I had Duck breast with white chocolate polenta, foie gras mousse, and duck confit. The polenta was sooooo creamy. I had not tried foie gras before, and I knew it was goose liver, but I gave it a try anyway and it was CRAZY GOOD!

We even squeezed in some dessert! A white chocolate souffle with grand marnier drizzle.

What an amazing meal! Every bite was a thrill, the service was amazing, the environment was lovely. They even sent us off with a chocolate-banana cake for the next morning! We had a great time!

Stuffed to the gills, we retired to our lovely room for rest! One of Greg's co-workers at his hotel called a friend of theirs at the Adolphus, and they upgraded us to a Junior Suite. So here is a shot of our room. It felt a little like a waste of space for just the two of us, but we enjoyed it anyway. :)

Next morning, we slept in, then checked out and headed to the spa at the Stoneleigh hotel for a couple's massage and aromotherapy soak. Oh the bliss. After lugging around a 30 pound boy all the time, these muscles really appreciated some pampering.

Then we headed out for a late brunch at "Smoke," a local place we'd heard great things about. We enjoyed the food, but our visit was memorable for more than just that. But before I explain, here's what we ate:

I had smoked ham (they smoke it themselves) and a farm egg fritter with a sweet corn griddlecake and dublin dr. pepper red eye gravy. I loved every. last. bite. Greg had a omelette with goat cheese, mushrooms, bbq brisket and... something else I can't remember.

The food was GREAT! Here's me about to dig in.

What I think was most memorable, however, was that we inadvertently got ourselves right smack in the middle of some MTV reality show. When we walked into the restaurant, we noticed a camera and crew filming two guys at a table, but we didn't think that much of it, since we still have LA in our blood, and since we only saw one camera we figured it was a B level local production or something. But after sitting down somewhat near the table, we realized it was a bigger crew that we had first noticed and that their equipment was high-end. As our meal went on, the taping broke from time to time, and the crew and cast seemed to swarm throughout the restaurant. We also noticed that the guys who took over the table next to us where somewhat connected with the guys who had been being filmed, at we were right in between the crew, the cast, and their entourage. (The waitress told us it was an MTV reality show). Though we enjoyed the food immensely, we were glad to leave the world of reality TV. :)

With bellies full, we headed to Penzy's spices for some fun shopping.

We also hit an antique mall before heading back to the Buster's to reunite with the kids. They had us stay for dinner and cards that night, which was a blast. And I must say that even after eating such great food all weekend, at dinner that night, fresh tomatoes with salt and pepper and the company of fun friends and our wonderful kids was every bit as wonderful.

It was a great time together to celebrate God's goodness and faithfulness over the last ten years. We spent a lot of time reminiscing and just enjoying each other's company. I am so thankful for the time I've had to be married to my best friend, and to share so many joyful and challenging memories together!

We had a great time celebrating our anniversary!

Unique

2011-06-20T09:13:00.000-07:00

I found Addie like this on the couch during rest time. Evidently while reading books, she decided she wanted a blanket, and that her umbrella would provide some privacy. She was dead asleep under there! Cracked me up!

Central Market

2011-06-20T09:09:00.000-07:00

Since our arrival in Texas, I've had a hard time figuring out where to do our grocery shopping. The nearest groceries are at the Super Walmart, which might be fine for a few basics, but the produce stinks and very often they don't carry what I'm looking for. Admittedly, I'm often looking for more "gourmet" ingredients. And that is the problem. If I wanted to find store-brand Velveeta, there would be no problem.

My other option is the Tom Thumb, which is the same as Von's/ Safeway. It is not very close, and I have also had a hard time finding much variety there (ie: a few kinds of pasta, but not the wide selection I could find in the grocery stores in CA). But I end up there more than not.

I have also become acquainted with Sprouts, which has a huge selection of produce, and great produce too, for super-low prices. Since we eat a lot of fresh fruits and veggies at our house, I like shopping there. BUT- it is about 15 minutes away, in the opposite direction from the other stores, and I can only get my produce and a few other items.

So I've been left trying to hit two or three stores for our groceries, none of them close, and still I'm often not finding what I'm looking for.

All of this to say, we have for months been driving past a store called "Central Market", which is about 15 minutes away. I had been told it was over-priced and high-end and hadn't managed to get in there yet. What a SHAME.

We decided to go explore this store a few weeks ago, and found we had been missing a gem all along!

First of all, in front of the

entrance are signs that say "Foodie Crossing," and we knew that was a good sign. :) Secondly, we entered into the produce department, which is self-contained and semi-refrigerated. Also happy. The prices were a little high, but they had produce I haven't seen anywhere else in Texas, so I was delighted. Now if I want to find tri-colored heirloom tomatoes, I know where to go!

Among the aisles, we found bulk nuts, beans, and grains of many varieties. Yellow lentils! Organic red quinoa! And in bulk so I can buy just how much I want! Oh happy day! Among the dry goods there were more healthy options, more variety, more "gourmet" ingredients. We even found whole wheat gemelli pasta!

Then we hit the chip aisle and found the "El Milagro" chips our friend Vonna had told us we MUST find when we get to Texas. In the soda aisle, there was the Hank's Root beer and the Hawaiian Pineapple Soda we used to get at our favorite soda ship in Pasadena! Woohoo! There was a huge cheese counter with gourmet cheeses, and so so so so much more.

Just when we thought it couldn't get better, we rounded the corner to find the cafe, where you can order a scrumptious meal or snack and get a gourmet soda from the soda fountain or a gellato from the gelatto counter, then sit outside and let the kids play in the huge, beautiful play area (with slides and climbing toys of course). Or you can take a cooking class together in the back room. *sigh*

We were delighted with our find, and though I won't be able to go do ALL my shopping there, I will know where to go when I need unique ingredients or just need a smile. It is good to know there are other foodies in the area too.

Also, we bought a jar of Nutella while at Central Market, and had some on graham crackers the next day for snack.

The kids LOVED it, and Scotty turned the snack into a full-body experience.

Notice Our Ticker?

2011-06-11T14:31:00.000-07:00

Just have to point out the ticker to the right that declares Greg and I have been married close to ten years now! In fact, next weekend is the big anniversary, and we are so excited!

Kindergarten Stuff

2011-06-11T14:18:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of Addie celebrating "100 day" for school. We reached 100 days pretty late in the school year because we only counted days that we did school at home (not TEACH theme days or field trips). Each day we added a number to the chart, and when we reached 100, we had a super-fun day. Here is Addie with the chart, wearing her 100 crown.

Making "100 snack mix"- 10 pieces each of ten different snacks. And you can also see the legos we counted out to see how tall of a stack we could make with 100 pieces.

Addie and Scott playing 100 pin bowling on the Wii.

Our special "100" dinner! (Breakfast for dinner- bacon and pancakes with apple butter)

This fun day was just a few weeks ago, yet here we are having now finished Kindergarten. Hooray! We had such a fun year together and learned so much. Last night we celebrated the grade completion by going to the bookstore and allowing Addie to pick a new book. Then we went to get frozen yogurt, and strolled through Southlake Town Square. The kids played around the fountain and we spun in circles in the gazeebo, and mommy even got a reward! A pretty little blue glass tumbler from Anthropology! A great end to a great school year.

Main Street Days

2011-05-14T06:51:00.000-07:00

Our new town just likes an excuse to party. In May, they call it "Main Street Days" and they shut the street down for the weekend, throw up some booths and a little carnival, and watch the people come. Since it is right down the road from us, we just couldn't resist.

We realized it is exactly the same as "GrapeFest" in the Fall, but without the wine, and without the heat. So "Main Street Days" wins for us!!! We strolled, we ate, we bought some Apple Butter from a local vendor, we rode the rides and danced to some live music. All in all, a good Friday night!

Here are the kids, about to dive into their first Funnel Cake.

Me enjoying Scotty.

Milking a pretend cow. Very educational.

Dinner Time

2011-05-14T06:46:00.000-07:00

This year's festival showcased local pizzarias, and each restaurant had a booth. We ended up with pizza from three different vendors, and all were pretty good! The weather was lovely, we sat and watched the crowds and enjoyed our pie, it was great.

Scotty gives a cheesy grin to the camera. I kinda hope he outgrows this soon, and I kinda don't.

Evidently, all that grinning is exhausting. He climbed up on the chair next to Greg and plopped his head down for a rest. You can see how Greg felt about that.

The Teacups

2011-05-14T06:42:00.000-07:00

THIS is how Addie and I do tea together.

I loooove the teacups, and it looks like there's another Spangler who does too!

Shortly into our ride, I thought I might try REALLY spinning the cup and see how Addie reacted.

She sreamed, she looked up like she was going to be sick, I slowed down a little, and then she laughed and yelled for more!

This is the "sick" face.

I had such a fun time watching her get ridiculously dizzy, and then hollering for more! Half-way through the ride she was yelling (with a smile), "I'm never riding this ride again!" Then as soon as the ride slowed to a stop, she declared "We broke it! We broke the ride!" and then "I want to ride AGAIN!"

This is the most fun I have had in months, for sure.

Petting Zoo

2011-05-14T06:36:00.000-07:00

Greg took the kids into the petting zoo- and Scotty was big enough to go in this time! He wasn't so sure what to think about the animals...

They got to know a friendly llama,

and some goats.

Scotty was still unsure about the animals...

And the cow finished the deal. Too big, too stinky I guess... You can tell from the face what he thought about the cow. It was probably mutual.

Addie Rides the Scrambler

2011-05-14T06:31:00.000-07:00

These pictures are my favorite from the whole evening. Watching Addie ride my favorite carnival ride, and love it, was another mother-daughter bonding moment. Plus, her faces in these pictures are hilarious!

Butterfly Week

2011-05-13T13:48:00.000-07:00

This last week in school we were studying butterflies. As a special treat, I made the kids "Flutterby Franks" for dinner last night. What a hit!

Butterfly week was super fun- especially since we'd already had a butterfly habitat in the dining room, and watched our caterpillars turn into chrysalises, and then into butterflies. We also had some butterfly tattoos to enjoy too (Scotty has a caterpillar tattoo on his arm now).

Mustangs

2011-05-13T13:40:00.000-07:00

We happened by the Mustangs in Las Colinas while out exploring on Mother's Day. Thankfully we had the camera to grab a few pictures!

Scott strolling

Greg and the kids- to give you an idea of the size of these sculptures!

Volcano

2011-05-13T09:38:00.000-07:00

We made a very simple volcano for school the other day. I thought the outcome was less than thrilling, but the kids seemed to enjoy it.

Here is Scotty saying "Ohhhh!"

And a goofy grin for the camera.

ROAD TRIP to Austin!

2011-05-01T20:51:00.000-07:00

After eight months living in Texas, I thought I would burst if I didn't see some of Texas already! So we spent this last weekend on a road trip to Austin, and had a blast! We took the backroads down, and turned what would have been a 4 hour freeway trip into an all-day exploration. Though we missed the wildflowers blooming, we did enjoy the green landscape all around. The drive was so pretty! We saw lots of small towns and quirky stuff. My favorite? The sing for a local meat-seller with a big picture of a pig and the words "Bite my Butt."

First stop was in Glen Rose for lunch at a little used bookstore/ cafe. This book was titled "Becoming Southern," I got a kick out of that.

Scotty konked out during the drive.

Nothing like Sonic Happy Hour on a road trip! Thank you for the half-price Cranberry Limeade!

Dinosaur Valley State Park

2011-05-01T20:42:00.000-07:00

Friday: First stop! Dinosaur Valley State Park. Time to see some REAL DINOSAUR fossilized footprints.

And of course, pose with giant dinosaurs.

Crossing the river on the stones to get to one of the fossil sites.

Footprints!

2011-05-01T20:33:00.000-07:00

Don't be alarmed, it's just Addie

For real. A footprint. So cool.

Scotty in another footprint.

Crossing back over the river.

Marble Falls

2011-05-01T20:29:00.000-07:00

Stopped in Marble Falls to get some wiggles out. We walked up and down the little main street. Found this and let Scotty ride the praying mantis, until we saw the sign explaining it was a $7,000 sculpture. Whoops.

This is for our friend Randy Buster, who is evidently loved in Marble Falls too. :)

We saw a lot of quirkiness on this trip, this was a good one. One sign says "set of 6 oak chairs $400 or trade for deer rifle."

Also thought this place along the way was fun- selling pecans, sorghum honey, and pickled okra.

Stops

2011-05-01T20:25:00.000-07:00

Playing in the park by the river in Marble Falls.

Started back on the road, but quickly pulled over because there was a bee in the car!!! Greg tries to get the thing out....

We just wait.

Yeah Greg! Success! And we're back on our way.

Salt Lick Barbeque

2011-05-01T20:17:00.000-07:00

We heard about a great BBQ place outside of Austin that might be worth a slot on our trip schedule, so we found the Salt Lick BBQ in Driftwood Texas, and in we went!

It was secluded (out in the country), crowded with the hungry and hip, fantastically good-smelling, and we were sold. The food DID NOT disappoint. Here is my pork rib, brisket and sausage.

Yes please.

Here is the pit. I kinda want to say the Pit of Goodness.

Children Eating

2011-05-01T20:15:00.000-07:00

Scotty wanted to get all the fresh bread into his mouth in one bite. If necessary, he will use a fork to push it in.

Aww yeah. BBQ sauce all over the face, reclining after the meal.

Addie tries a dill pickle... and likes it!!!

After a big meal, the little man likes to check into his hotel and chill for awhile.

Visiting the State Capitol

2011-05-01T20:11:00.000-07:00

Saturday: see the state capitol!

The grounds were beautiful! So was the building, which is a pinkinsh hue. The building is made out of Texas Sunset Red Granite, dug out of neighboring Marble Falls, where we visited Friday.

Greg had a happy-nerdy moment!

The Floor

2011-05-01T20:08:00.000-07:00

Me & the kids enjoying a choir sing "The Star Spangled Banner" in the rotunda. I think they sang it just for our arrival. :)

Beautiful art in the floor

Notice it doesn't say the "state" of Texas!

Touring the Building

2011-05-01T20:06:00.000-07:00

The ceiling inside the dome, looking up.

See? Looking up!

Getting a tour of the Senate chamber

The floor in the rotunda.

More Capitol and Zilker Park

2011-05-01T20:04:00.000-07:00

Love my kids

And seriously love this picture!

Greg goofing around with Scotty on our way out

Next stop- picnic lunch at Zilker park. Once we got there it was hot, crowded, and more geared towards swimming, so not the biggest hit with us for that day, but still fun. Greg and the kids played with the giant xylophone.

Collins Street Bakery

2011-05-01T20:00:00.000-07:00

For all the road trips to Austin we plan for the future, we now have a perfect half-way stopping spot.

It all started with this billboard, boasting about the "World's Greatest Chicken Salad." Really? We found that hard to believe. Especially considering the numerous claims made by Texas establishments claiming the biggest, best, greatest, or other record-breaking status of their products.

And then we found ourselves hungry and ready for lunch, just as their massive billboards announced our nearness. So in we went.

Here is Greg, giving that chicken salad a try, along with a Dr. Pepper (when in Rome, ya know- read post below).

We will say it was NOT the World's Greatest, but it was good. The food was tasty, the prices were good, the restaurant was bright and big and clean, and so were the bathrooms. It made us all smile. And how convenient that it is half-way between here and Austin!

Addie loved her PB & J!

Dessert

2011-05-01T19:51:00.000-07:00

You can't eat at a bakery and not get dessert! Greg had a macaroon- and it was gooood.

The kids loved their cookies too!

The red velvet cupcake was not a waste either. Yes, I am indeed taking a big bite. It was RED VELVET, people!

Dr. Pepper Museum

2011-05-01T19:48:00.000-07:00

Sunday's adventure: the Dr. Pepper museum in Waco. A perfect 1-hour stop halfway between Dallas and Austin!

The soda fountain where Dr. Pepper was invented.

Greg- the Nascar driver.

Easter Sunday

2011-05-01T19:41:00.000-07:00

Family Easter picture

We celebrated Resurrection Sunday at church in the morning, then with a big meal that evening with the Worsely family and several others. Here is Heather with our traditional cross cake- this year Heather prepared it

Addie and Isabelle while we talked about the Resurrection Eggs.

Hunting for eggs outside.

Egg Hunt

2011-05-01T19:37:00.000-07:00

The kiddos- 4 Worsleys, 2 Spanglers, and our neighbor Evelyn.

Addie looks for eggs, my camera looks at the flower in her hair

Spring Random

2011-05-01T19:31:00.000-07:00

Had to try out a new ham recipe I saw in the Southern Living: Brown Sugar and Bourbon Glazed ham. Yes, it was A-mazing. I should have put it on a pretty plate before I took this picture, but we just couldn't wait to start eating it.

As a funny side story for you, imagine us, who did not have bourbon in our cabinet, and don't know any neighbors with any, finding out we live in a partly "dry" county (only beer and wine can be sold here). So finding the nearest liquor store, and me running in, looking like I was 17 years old, but dressed as a housewife, can't barely read because of the allergies in my eyes, and hollering out to the man behind the counter, "Bourbon?"

Well, I found it humorous anyway.

Just a cute pic of Scotty.

My jasmine bloomed for the first time this year! It was not easy to move from CA, and we weren't at all sure it would survive the freezing temps here in winter, but it did, and bloomed! BTW, the reason it moved with us is because I love it, and Greg bought it for me for Mother's Day one year. Every year it would bloom for the first time just before Mother's Day, but this year it was early!

Passion Week- Easter Mountain

2011-05-01T19:23:00.000-07:00

We made an Easter Mountain again this year, to celebrate the Passion Week and Easter. Again, what a great experience of fun and worship!

Painting....

Scotty loved sprinkling on some dirt for texture.

Greg and Addie acting out one night's activities.

Amon Carter Museum

2011-05-01T19:21:00.000-07:00

Mid-April we took a field trip with TEACH to the Amon Carter Art Museum in Ft. Worth. What a great experience! The museum, which touts that it caters to homeschoolers, wasn't kidding! They broke our group into smaller groups by age, and led a custom tour through the museum focussing on what we had requested, color theory and self-portraits.

Here is our docent, Ms. Long, helping our little ones understand the art. I was so impressed that with our mostly Kindergarten-aged learners, she had them sitting in front of the painting, answering very well-crafted questions to really dive into the art. They loved it, and I was amazed at how much they noticed with just a little guidance!

A Georgia O'Keefe

Talking about "how colors play together." Again, mesmerized children, and this mommy loved it too!

This one, called "Figure" was one of my favorites.

Cuteness

2011-05-01T19:10:00.000-07:00

Baby in a box. Does it get cuter?

Well, Addie dressed up for a "Fancy Nancy" birthday party ties the cuteness I think!

Another good picture, including the cat of course.

The Big Haircut

2011-05-01T19:05:00.000-07:00

We had a bit of drama around here a few weeks ago regarding Addie's hair. Thinking I could save a few bucks and cut her hair myself, I decided to get out the scissors and do the job at home. A big mistake that STILL has me asking "What was I thinking????"

Addie's hair was half-way down her back when I started, and I trimmed the ends a little. No biggie. Then I thought I could add some layers around her face, and started cutting more. Pretty quickly I realized it was not going well, and that I had cut WAY more than I really meant to, and the horror of what I'd done began sinking in. I started crying and trying not to panic. I started trying to explain to Addie that it wasn't good, and she replied with, "It's OK mommy, I don't mind if it's short!" I called Greg, who helped me calm down, and I made an appointment that afternoon with a salon.

Addie arrived at the salon, having been given a "Trailer-trash Alabama Mullet" (this is my term of affection for it), and given to her by her own mother at that. I knew the front was too short to even be cut into a bob. But thankfully, we had a great stylist, who cut it into a cute short doo, and then Addie's natural curl came out. So she came out of the salon looking like this, and even her mommy was smiling.

Until now, I couldn't bear to post the pictures of what I did to her hair, but I am ready now. This is what it looked like before I took her to the professional.

The Girls Go To The Movies

2011-05-01T18:44:00.000-07:00

After Tolbert's, we ladies walked up Main Street to the Palace Theater

One night only! The Wizard of Oz on the big screen!

Front row, here we go!

How was it Addie?

Dinner at Tolbert's

2011-05-01T18:42:00.000-07:00

Took the family for dinner at Tolbert's on Main Street in Grapevine

Brad & Charlie

Addie wrote a message for Elliot while we were waiting for dinner

Elliot playing Jacob's Shapes

I finally tried Tolbert's famous chili! Actually, I ordered Frito Pie, which included the famous chili. It was delish!

Couples Photo Shoot

2011-05-01T18:39:00.000-07:00

Greg and I in front of the fountain at the Gaylord Texan

Brad and Sarah

Galen and Julie

Scotty Likes to Hug

2011-05-01T18:37:00.000-07:00

Peek-A-Boo Photo Shoot

2011-05-01T18:36:00.000-07:00

Cousins

2011-05-01T18:35:00.000-07:00

5 little Spanglers all in a row.

Watching the fountain at the Gaylord Texan

Photo shoot!

The Indy and Texas Spanglers with Meemaw and Papaw

Twosomes

2011-05-01T18:32:00.000-07:00

Brothers

Girl cousins

Addie and Elliot, leaning backwards off the ottoman

To The Park We Go

2011-05-01T18:30:00.000-07:00

Elliot!

Walking to the park.

Brothers. Please notice that they dressed themselves separately in different states. Yet here they are together in their brown shorts and beige shirts with blue logos. :)

Elliot decided this first evening that he and Scotty were buddies. Scotty agreed wholeheartedly and that was that.

The Grandparents Arrive!

2011-05-01T18:26:00.000-07:00

In early April, we got to have a wonderful weekend with the Indiana and Arizona Spanglers.

First, Meemaw and Papaw arrived at the house.

Scotty wasn't sure what to make of all the excitement.

But Addie knew how to take advantage of Meemaw right away.

Then Scotty put Papaw to work.

A few hours later, the cousins arrived and we finally got to meet our nephew/ cousin Charlie!

Visiting the Firehouse

2011-05-01T18:22:00.000-07:00

Long overdue post about our field trip with TEACH to the Firehouse. We had a great time visiting our friend from church, Mr. Ralston, at the Firehouse where he works! He gave the kids a great tour and taught them a lot, and they all had a great time!

Firehouse 2

2011-05-01T18:19:00.000-07:00

Checking out the Firehouse kitchen

Joel explains the gear to the kids

Putting on the suit- the kids were fascinated!

Firehouse 3

2011-05-01T18:15:00.000-07:00

Hose lessons with Mr. Ralston

Seeing how high the ladder goes up!

That is HIGH!

Sickness

2011-03-15T13:18:00.000-07:00

That's what's been going on at our house for the last few weeks!

It hit Scotty hard, and when we finally got him into the Dr. (Greg had to take him, I was home sick with sick Addie), the poor little guy had an ear infection and such a deep cough that they put him on a nebulizer. A first for us! He takes the treatment so well! He is a trooper!

Addie caught the junk too, but is shaking it off pretty well. Some cough medicine was helping her along for a few days.

Greg has it, but he's tough- he'll shake it off!
I caught it and it went straight into a sinus infection, which is pretty much standard operating procedure. Went to see another new doctor, and given antibiotic, which caused insomnia, now I'm on a second antibiotic. It seems it's never easy and straightforward with me!
The whole thing gave us the chance to try out some new doctors though, and maybe these ones will stick?
We are wondering if "Everything is bigger in Texas" applies to the germs also.

The Fort Worth Stockyards

2011-02-26T20:21:00.000-08:00

We Spanglers played tourist today and set out to explore this new town we live in. Actually, it's the new TOWNS we live in, since we've got Dallas and Fort Worth to discover. So today, it was tourist destination- the Stockyards. We had a great time! Addie and I got cowgirl hats too!

Addie proudly shows off her badge.

Greg proves he could tangle with a longhorn and win!

OK, this is a strange picture, let me explain!

In California, when you aren't used to California things, you might see a tv shoot in progress and have a moment of surreal shock, "is this REALLY what I'm seeing, and do I REALLY live here?" Well, I had a Texas version of that today, when we were walking down the street, and a guy in cowboy boots walks past carrying a 6 foot long set of cattle horns. And no one blinks an eye or looks twice. But I thought it was hilarious and snapped a picture on the sly (hey, I didn't want to look like a tourist, right?), which is why this picture is so badly framed.

We really do live in Texas.

Checking out the Herd

2011-02-26T20:13:00.000-08:00

Look! Longhorns!

The kids also enjoyed the petting zoo, to see some smaller, less frightening animals.

Lunch & More

2011-02-26T20:11:00.000-08:00

This was our scrumpty lunch at Riscky's bbq, which fueled us for...

shooting each other with pop-guns,

posing for ridiculous pictures,

and sitting tall in the saddle.

Billy Bob's

2011-02-26T20:06:00.000-08:00

Scotty and me in front of Billy Bob's the "World's Largest Honky-Tonk." Inside, there is not only a huge area for concerts and dancing, but also lots of games and pool tables, and their own bull-riding ring.

But the best part?

Famous country stars' hand prints!

Now I know my hands are the same size as Steve Wariner's!

That's RANDY TRAVIS up there!

Fun Times

2011-02-26T20:03:00.000-08:00

Addie got to sit up on a REAL LIVE LONGHORN!

Meanwhile, Scotty was satisfied just to have the space and freedom to run.

Sharing a cone.

I am posting this horrid picture to entertain you all and to take my pride down a few notches.

The Cattle Drive

2011-02-26T20:00:00.000-08:00

Twice a day, right down the main street through the Stockyards, they parade out the "Fort Worth Herd" of longhorn cattle. What a nice show for the tourists! Hey, we enjoyed it!

Holy Cow!

Dallas Zoo

2011-02-26T19:39:00.000-08:00

Spent yesterday morning at the Dallas Zoo with some friends from church. Well, Heather, in the middle, was a friend in college too, but she also is a friend from church now. I was so glad they invited us along! We had a blast!

About 10 pictures into the zoo, which translates into about 5 minutes, my camera battery died. NOOOOOO! So I am extra thankful for these pictures which the other mommies took and shared with me!

Scotty

This picture captures my son's essence.

Everybody likes to ride an elephant while being put in a choke hold.

Petting the Goats

2011-02-26T19:35:00.000-08:00

Last week was "goat week" in school, so weren't we so happy to see goats in the petting zoo!

Hey buddy!

Ha Scotty- you can try to attack the cats at home because you are bigger then them, but try it with the goats and see what happens!

Birds of a Feather

2011-02-26T19:33:00.000-08:00

Scotty hatches out

What a beautiful parrot!

Addie feeds the birds- WITHOUT Mommy thank-you-very-much. She went into the aviary with the Zellers, and left me outside- since the idea of birds fluttering near my head makes me want to run screaming in terror.

Addie rides in the spinning nest on the Carousel with Randall Zeller.

Addie & Randall

2011-02-26T19:30:00.000-08:00

And speaking of Addie and Randall, my goodness did they have fun together!

Feeding the birds,

Riding a giant caterpillar,

whooping it up like cowboy and cowgirl,

and of course that carousel ride. Heather, Randall's mom, and I were giggling watching Randall "spin" the nest- when really he it was him moving around the wheel, and Addie sitting back with arms spread wide on each side, looking pretty impressed.

No shortness of personality with those two!

Our Little Man

2011-02-26T19:10:00.000-08:00

Oh, I just adore this kid!

Here's our boy, 18 months old now, asleep in mommy & daddy's bed. He was so cute, I wasn't even bitter about the fact that he was in our bed because he woke up AGAIN ridiculously early in the morning. No really, I wasn't!

After the Super Bowl commercial with the little Darth Vadar who thinks he started dad's car with the power of "the force," Greg taught Scotty to control the Roomba with the same power. See, the Roomba has little boxes that go with it, that shine a laser beam in front of them, and the Roomba "sees" the invisible beam, and treats it like a wall- turns around and goes the other way. Since Scotty doesn't understand the beams, he was amazed that if he stood with Daddy (behind the beam of course) and held out his hand like Daddy showed him, the fascinating little round thing that he thought was chasing him, would just turn around and go the other way. So now he walks up to it, and holds out his hand, and when it doesn't turn around he looks really confused- and freaked out because it's still coming at him. It is very entertaining for us to watch!

A first- he was so tired one day at lunch that he fell asleep while eating! When I lifted him out of the chair to put him to bed, he didn't wake up, but he did start chewing again!

Our Big Freeze

2011-02-26T19:01:00.000-08:00

Right around the time of the Super Bowl, it got pretty wild around here for us. First, we had some really cold temps (well, for us at least, and for Texas anyhow!). From a Monday through a Saturday, the temperatures didn't rise above freezing even once! We also got some snow and snapped this shots.

Looking out from the living room.

The view out the kids' window.

And a REALLY strange sight- OUR car, with show on it and TEXAS license plates! A little surreal, to tell you the truth.

Well, because of how cold it was, the kids and I were pretty much home-bound all week. Then Greg and I both got the flu at the same time, and it was miserable!!! By the end of two weeks of illness and icy roads, we finally emerged, like groundhogs coming out to check for their shadows. I think we squinted at the sun.

Thankfully, a few weeks have passed now and we are feeling like normal people again!

If Only She Weren't So Boring...

2011-02-26T18:56:00.000-08:00

I say this tongue-in-cheek of course, because our Addie is anything but boring! I just love her spunky personality!

She came out of her room dressed like this one day and I died laughing!

She may also have a future as an art critic, as she drew this the other day. In case you can't understand it, there is a scribble, circled with a slash, and the title "not art," and a drawing of a person, circled, that says "art."

Found her sitting in her room like this. She loves this umbrella, LOVES it- and was reading OF COURSE, with her precious Piglet hanging from the umbrella's handle.

And then there's this. **sigh***

Boy Scouts of America Museum

2011-02-26T18:51:00.000-08:00

Our homeschool group had a field trip in January to the Boy Scouts of America Museum. Seeing as how our only boy is a bit young to even consider scouting, we weren't the target audience for this subject, but we had fun regardless. There were lots of interactive things for the kids to do, and we always enjoy being out with our Texas friends!

A pine car derby race! What fun!

Addie wins one heat.

Listening to stories around the campfire- indoors, in the city. :)

Norman Rockwell

2011-02-26T18:46:00.000-08:00

THIS is what Addie and I really came for- the Norman Rockwell gallery! Our cute old tour guide was awesome, and seeing paintings by Norman Rockwell was a thrill to me! These paintings were ones Mr. Rockwell had done for the Boy Scouts of America.

The colors were so vibrant, and the subjects so darling!

Addie listening

There it is- the famous signature!