TX Day 6

So Saturday was our 6th day in Texas. It started out a little more low key. We were able to sleep in and take our time getting ready. Once we were all finally dressed and ready we headed out for breakfast. We just settled on McDonald's knowing that they kids would eat and they could play for awhile. It had a great playground so we let them run and stretch for awhile. Afterwards my parents took the kids back to the hotel and we took a trip to Target for a couple of things. Afterwards we got back to the hotel and let the kids swim for an hour. My dad and Austin got in with them and my mom and I just sat by the pool and visited. Again it was a lovely low key morning and helped us all sort of unwind and relax! The kids loved all the swimming they got to do! After swimming we ate a little snack lunch in the lobby of the hotel. The kids enjoyed that and it kept us from eating out.
That afternoon I spent mostly just getting cleaned up and ready for the wedding. We made the kids rest and take naps in the hotel room. This room was nice b/c they had their own room which gave us a little more space and everyone was able to rest/sleep better. Austin dropped me off at the wedding venue around 4:30. Ashley was still getting dressed and makeup done so I just sat around and visited which was nice. We took pictures around 5:30ish. The wedding was beautiful! I really enjoyed being a part of it! I was a little nervous of how the kids would do (it was only Colby's 2nd wedding and Lindsay's 1st). They ended up doing awesome though. I was caught up most of the time with wedding stuff though atleast until later in the reception b/c we had to take a few more pictures after the ceremony. Afterwards I was able to sit down and enjoy my little family. The kids loved playing with Jude again and it was so nice getting to visit with our old Calvary friends. We stayed until about 10. The wedding wasn't over but we knew the kids needed to get back. They were troopers though and hung in there without getting too crazy/grumpy!

TX Trip Day 5

Friday our 5th day in TX was an exciting day. This day we arranged to go to the George W. Bush library and museum. It was my first time in any presidential library. I was also excited my kids would get to do something like this at such a young age. We got an early start to the day and got to the museum around 9ish. The museum was awesome and done really well. Even the kids were able to enjoy it. There were plenty of interactive exhibits that kept them busy. I really liked the 9/11 exhibit and the Life in Whitehouse exhibits. The kids mostly enjoyed the interactive exhibits of No Child Left Behind and the Bush Pets. I was really proud of how well they did. I would say we were in the museum about 2 hours. A lot of the workers I think got a kick out of them as well!
After the museum we went to lunch on the SMU campus. My aunt had joined us for the museum and lunch so it was good getting to visit with her. We had a nice liesure lunch. We could tell though that the kids were getting tired.
We got back to the hotel and made them rest. It wasn't long though before we had to start getting ready for the Rehearsal Dinner that evening for my friend Ashley. I was a little nervous on how the Rehearsal would go especially with 2 kids but we wanted to bring them so they could meet everyone in a more casual atmosphere then the wedding plus I figured it would be good for Ashley's son Jude to have some company. We got to the Rehearsal before any of Ashley's family so we had to wait around a little while before things got started. Finally everyone arrived and we all visited for a bit. We went quickly through the ceremony then it was time to eat! The kids did well during all of this since it was outside they were able to run around and play a lot! During the dinner we found a table for 4 but Jude joined us too which was precious! He and Colby had lots of fun talking and playing. Austin took them outside after we all ate and let them play while I visited with Ashley and her other bridesmaids. It ended up being a wonderful, laid back evening! I had so much fun and so did the kids! We got them back to the hotel and put to bed pretty early for the next busy day!

TX Trip day 4

So onto our 4th day in Texas. This day we weren't in a HUGE hurry to wake up so we kinda took our time. Once we were up and packed we went to Cracker Barrel for a big breakfast before heading North to Dallas/Ft. Worth. The breakfast was good. Also Lindsay seemed to be feeling much more like herself which was a huge relief! My throat though was sore when I woke up though.
It took us about 4 hours to drive to Ft. Worth. The kids were great in the car. We only stopped a couple of times for bathrooms and gas. We ate a snack lunch in the car. We really tried to conserve money and calories on this trip. I hate eating out so much!
We got into Ft. Worth around 3 I think. We settled into our rooms. Yes rooms! At this hotel we had adjoining rooms with the kids which was lovely. It was nice to be able to spread out some! We relaxed for a bit before freshening up to go to Olive Garden for dinner. Also my parents joined us for this part of the trip so they were with us! it was nice having them along and the extra hands with the kids!
We got back to the hotel fairly early but we skipped swimming b/c the pool was crowded and I felt like we all needed an early to bed kinda night. Especially since I wasn't feeling that great! I felt like everyone slept better since we were in 2 different rooms.

TX Trip Day 3

Wednesday we planned to hang out with some friends and visit the Houston Children's Museum. The kids were very excited to go do this. We ate breakfast in the hotel restaurant before we went. It took us about 30 min to drive there. Again the kids just enjoyed sitting and seeing all the sights there in Houston. We got there and met our friend Rick and his 2 girls Addison and Mackenzie. They are 5 and 2. They were great friends of ours here in NOLA and moved to Houston this year. The museum was really big and awesome but Oh so crowded. I think it was a little overwhelming for all 4 kids. It was also hard to get them all interested in the same exhibits at the same time. They all wanted to go in different directions. We explored most of the museum downstairs. Lindsay was very clinging and whiney. We were thinking she was just overwhelmed and tired but we later found out she was getting sick. Colby really loved the kid town they had but we didn't get to fully explore and enjoy it b/c Lindsay was getting really fussy and it was just soo crowded. We did a few more exhibits inside before heading out. Going outside was wonderful...even though it was hot it wasn't nearly as chaotic as the indoor exhibits. The kids really seemed to love the water exhibits too! Although they all got soaked! We took a break and even had a juice and popcorn break in the shade. We went back in and tried to get the little girls to do the toddler exhibit but neither was really interested. We went to one more area to design some things. Colby and Addison were having fun but the little sisters were miserable...especially Lindsay! I would have loved to stay longer bc I don't feel like Colby got to do everything but I felt so bad for Lindsay and it was hard carrying her around everywhere.
We stopped to eat lunch at Jason's Deli. This is where we discovered why Lindsay wasn't herself. She was burning up! I didn't have a thermometer but I knew she had a low grade fever atleast. She refused to eat lunch and didn't eat anything the rest of the day. We got back to the hotel and she fell asleep. I felt so bad for her. I wasn't sure what would happen the rest of our trip. I was afraid she might have a stomach bug. We all rested that afternoon. I ended up calling and cancelling our dinner plans with the Theriots. I hated so much to miss it! But we didn't want to spread germs plus it seemed like we all needed to rest. So we stayed in the hotel the rest of the day. We all started to get restless around 4 though. Lindsay perked up enough to swim for an hour. She acted completely fine in the pool! I loved that we got to take them swimming almost every day on this trip! Such great excercise! We went back upstairs and Austin picked dinner up for us. It worked out well just to eat in the hotel room and take it easy. That night I slept with Lindsay and Austin with Colby just to hopefully prevent any spreading of germs. She ended up eating some yogurt about 3 am.

TX Trip day 2

So our 2nd day in TX we went to NASA. Austin and Colby have been excited about this for awhile. We woke up pretty early to head out there when they opened. The kids ate breakfast in the car on the way out there. It was about a 45 min drive so they were able to eat and take in the sights of  Houston. We got there around 9:30. We went in and walked straight to the TRAM tour. We were going to do the more "kid friendly" version but a huge group of camp kids were going to be on that one so we opted for the other. We got to see the old Mission Control room and see Rocket Park. The kids enjoyed the sights I think. The whole tour took about an hour or more so by the time we got back it was time for them to eat lunch. We enjoyed a little lunch in the Food Court before continuing our tour. We walked around and enjoyed seeing the different space things. Colby did get upset b/c he was too young to do most of the space experiment type things. It was fun just checking everything out though and Lindsay was quite the trooper with all of this. We did buy them a couple souvenirs which they were excited about! After that we saw a movie/presentation then it was time to head back to the hotel. On the ride back Lindsay got in a little nap which was helpful. We got back to the hotel to rest and cool off. It was nice being able to take our time and go at our own speed.
After cleaning up we went to eat at Chuy's. We were told about this place and it definitely lived up to its reputation! It was soo yummy! After dinner we went back to the hotel for a swim. It was so nice having the empty pool to ourselves in the evenings to play and hang out with the kids! I know they loved swimming and I think it made bedtime a little easier in the evenings!

TX trip day 1

So we are traveling for the first time ever to tx for 8 days with two kids! We are having a great time! Let me start at the beginning though!
So day 1we finally got out of nola about 11. This was later than our goal but we had two errands and plus just trying to get everyone and everything packed for that long was quite a feat! So we drove into Baton Rouge where we stopped for lunch. The kids were excellent travelers and really enjoyed their Jason's deli lunch break! From there we started driving to tx. We only stopped again at the tx rest stop. The kids did great and both actually napped in the car some. We got to our hotel around 5ish. We checked in and got settled! We wrote very happy wot your hotel and room! The room was huge therefore made it easier to all four be in the same room. We unpacked and drove a short distance to eat at a smash burger. Afterwards we knew the kids needed some exercise so we took them to the pool! It was awesome bc we had the whole thing to ourselves! We had so much fun splashing around and playing! The pool was awesome and very kid friendly!
Afterwards we bathed and just tried to settle in! It took awhile for the kids to sleep but once they did everyone slept really well!

Monkey Room and 4th of July Weekend

So Thursday was one of our first FREE days in what felt like forever! This summer has been filled with to do's and honestly I don't like it! I do like that we've been busy and therefore I haven't really heard the kids say they were bored too much but I really love just free fun days with my kiddos and taking them fun places! So since Thursday was free for us we went to the Monkey Room! This was the first time we had been since Colby was 3! Lindsay had never been! Its so hot these days that I figured indoor play would be best plus it was a new thing for them! I am not sure Colby even remembered it much so he had a blast! Lindsay really had fun but it was good that Colby was there to help her on the big stuff. She freaked out a few times but Colby was good to stay with her and help her on stuff. I do love that about them! They fight like crazy but when it really comes down to it they can be soo sweet to each other! I hope those memories stick with them! We stayed for about 2 hours before coming home. I was just glad they got to run and climb and be kids!
Friday was the 4th of July. We had a really quiet day. Austin had to work unfortunately. Its better for us for the 4th to fall during the week b/c when it falls on Essence weekend he has to work plus with our upcoming trip. The kids and I just went to my parent's house for a quiet day of swimming. Randall and Elizabeth are out of town too so it was just us. It was fun swimming with the kids. Again we haven't gone nearly as much as I would like to due to such a busy summer! Colby is doing so well swimming alone and Lindsay is getting really brave. We mostly keep floaties on her but she can kick and move her arms around and does great! After swimming we had lunch and just enjoyed the time to visit. The afternoon has been really quiet b/c Colby stayed over there for a few extra hours. I think this worked out well b/c its given me a little time to clear my head. With being with the kids non-stop I have felt myself really reaching my breaking point several times lately and I hate that! So now with Lindsay napping and him gone its been a nice break for me! I do look forward to hanging out with them tonight though.
Saturday morning was another busy day! Colby had tennis lessons at 9:30 so we went to that. Afterwards we had to go run a few errands. The day has gone by fast and I have a lot to do before our trip! We will have a quiet afternoon. I am hoping the kids will be able to play nicely while I pack and prepare for the trip!
Sunday was church day. Austin again was working so the kids and I went to church. This was my week to teach the preschoolers. It always seems a little crazy the weeks I am there without Austin and have to teach. I have to deliver my own kids to their classes then teach. Today I was hoping to split the classes up but we once again ended up having like 7 twos and 1 4 year old. It worked out ok though b/c Cash was the older one and he's just so go with the flow I don't think he really noticed he was the only older one! It was a little hectic though with that many two year olds. We did the older curriculum mostly so that Cash wouldn't be bored but it was very hard to keep the attention of all the 2 year old boys! They run around like crazy! Although I am looking forward to seeing them grow and mature this year! Anyway we came home to eat lunch and rest. Now this afternoon I will be busy trying to clean the house and get packed for our trip!