Saturday, November 22, 2008

The forgotten blog

Well hi there. I thought since Todd was doing such an awesome job at updating our blog while I was at my scrapbooking retreat, that it would continue- but alas, he has not. :) So here I am again. Hi.
Retreat was wonderful, I felt like I got a lot done and that the event went smoothly- which is sometimes an impossible combination. I came home to a sick husband, and in a few days the girls would get sick too- so we've been a sick house. And, you guessed it- I'm getting a little sniffle myself, but I'll be fine. Moms can't get sick and I know that, so I'm ignoring it. :)
Christmas is right around the corner...okay actually Thanksgiving is first, I don't want to discredit that, but Thanksgiving doesn't require as much of my brain, although I am hosting my family this year-so I certainly need a good brain. Got one handy? Anyhow, Christmas is coming so I've been thinking about the gift thing. I consider myself a good gift giver, which is a blessing and a curse. A blessing because I think its fun to give unique and individualized thought and effort into gifting. A curse because I have to keep it up, and sometimes financial limitations get in the way. For example, I would love to buy my husband a trip to Argentina, where he served his mission. We could tour the area, taste the cuisine, enjoy the weather. Likelihood that will happen? I'm going bold with a 100% not going to happen. Okay, that was an exaggerated example, but regardless Christmas is on my mind, and so with that- I need to go on faking health and get ready for the day, Todd is away playing volleyball so I have time to think about a gift for him. Not that I have any ideas...but I have all day to think about it. :)
Hope you're having a good one.
Happy thinking.

Friday, November 14, 2008

First Theater

We went with the Moore's to see The Very Hungry Caterpillar at the Waco Hippodrome this this morning.  It was the first theater experience for our children.  We pulled up to the theater to see a massive crowd of kids waiting for the doors to open.  Even though we were some of the last to get in, we still had really good seats in the orchestra section.  (Since we went to one of the daytime shows, tickets were only $5 a piece.  It would have cost $45 dollars for me and the girls to attend the evening performance!)

I have to say it was an amazing experience for me to watch Ava and Sydnee so engrossed in the production.  Because it was a "non-hushing" show, the girls were able to clap and laugh and call out all the shapes and animals they saw.  They are also familiar with all the stories represented in the program so they were excited to see them told in a new way.

The format was very well done.  All the puppets and props were painted in flourescent colors with black lights illuminating the stage.  I posted a link to a promotional video from the theater company, but it does not convey the experience at all.  The second daytime show has already begun, but if you can go tonight, the ticket price is certainly worth it.  There are plenty of tickets still available.

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Disappointment at the zoo?

After we said goodbye to Lindsey, the girls and I went to the zoo. Now that the rain clouds of the last few days drifted away, the day was perfect for spending time outside with the cool breeze. I had never been to the zoo on a weekday. About 20 cars filled the parking lot, but we only saw 2 other families during the 2-hour visit. It was fun having the zoo virtually to ourselves, especially because all the animals were very active.

We could hear the gibbons from the parking lot. They were whooping loudly and playing a game of tag.

The last few times we went to the zoo, we didn't see the tortoises, but today they were there AND they were moving and eating! I think I was more excited about that than the girls (my top 3 favorite animals are elephants, spiders and turtles).

There is a butterfly garden we always skip, so we decided to see it today. We didn't see any butterflies at first until we sat quietly on a bench. It then seemed they appeared out of nowhere. What was most surprising, though, was Ava suddenly jumped up and grabbed a butterfly out of the air, cupping it with both hands. I don't think it got hurt and I believe Ava was more surprised than it was because she didn't know what to do with it.

As usual, it was a great trip to the zoo. We have certainly paid for the family pass. On the way home, I asked the girls if they had fun. Sydnee said yes but Ava said no. When I asked her why she said, "because the animals didn't catch any people."