A Last Fun Trip with Dad Before He Leaves...Playing at Sea World!

The Gas Game

We have been doing a lot of day trips with the kids before Steven has to leave. Which means lots of boring time in the car waiting to get to the fun stuff we are going to see *grin* Actually, my kids are GREAT in the car...it's me who gets bored LOL It's that ADD brain being stuck in a car that causes problems!

Anyways...we took the kids to Marble Falls to a pumpkin farm last week by way of Austin (which added an extra hour to our driving time) Boy my husband loves me enough to take the extra time...just so I could hit all the craft stores while they were having 50% coupons for the holiday weekend and I had 5 bodies with which to use the coupons (WHOO-HOO!!)

The extra driving time let us play our new family game..."Watching the Fluctuating Gas Prices" Our favorite location was in Marble Falls...within a two block radius...These were the gas stations:

Now...I can understand a few cents difference between gas stations...but 54 cents per gallon difference within two blocks of each other??? That is crazy! But what is even more crazy??? People were still filling up at the higher price! Our gas prices locally were about 2.98 a gallon at that time...so YEAH we put in gas at 2.55! CRAZY!!!

I Hate Mondays...

Enough said...Two more weeks My heart is breaking.

Playing at the Fair...

A couple weeks ago (Yes, I know I am behind in blogging *sigh*) we decided to take the family to the Heart of Texas Fair in Waco. Our kids LOVE to go to fairs...well...most fairs anyways (They haven't QUITE forgiven me for the "P" fair--they decided that the Pocatello Fair didn't even qualify as a full-fledged fair on THAT "Mom Mis-Adventure" so it will forever be nicknamed as the "P" fair LOL! I guess it wasn't quite as exciting as the Puyallup Fair in Washington--which was HUGE!!!)

Don't they look THRILLED to be here? Okay...maybe it wasn't QUITE as big as I thought it would be! Smile...it could be worse guys!

After walking around the fair...which I admit...we covered in about 45 minutes...I broke my own rule...we NEVER buy ride tickets! (Steven worked traveling carnivals for awhile in Maryland and isn't thrilled with them--plus they are $$$$$$!) I offered to buy a ride pass for the kids. Stevie JUMPED on that one (He loves rides) but the girls said NO! That meant Steven got to be his "ride buddy!" I am not sure he was real thrilled with that! He decided after several rides...he is not as young as he once was! LOL!

Don't they look COOOOOL waiting for the rollercoaster to start??

You HAVE to click on the picture above to see the look of sheer terror on Stevie's face...I don't think he enjoyed this ride very much--he only rode it once!

They look very happy getting into the ride above...after it was a different story--It was a little train that went around and around the oval track as the track spun also--Steven got off pretty green!!


They both liked the slide! Stevie went on several more rides by himself after Dad "wimp'd out" He had a blast riding the UFO and other fun rides--he definately got his use out of his wristband!

And what do you do at a fair? EAT!!! That's one of the most fun things to do (and one of the most expensive *sigh*) We had to get all the favorites...Cotton Candy, Foot-Long Corn Dogs, Funnel Cakes, Lemonade...We just shared them so everone got a taste...and Dad didn't go totally broke!

They had this fun building that had all kinds of things kids could do...bubble stations, BIG building blocks, a giant marble toy, and lots more! We spent lots of time in there playing!

Steven volunteered at the Hypnotist show to go up on stage...this is about how far he got. Unfortunately he didn't get to go completely under...and cluck like a chicken or bark like a dog *grin* We just teased him that he liked doing it because the girl next to him had such a low-cut shirt! They sent him back to his seat right after this shot!

Can you believe I lived in Idaho growing up...and had never been to a rodeo?? We were so tired after rides, games, food and fun...we decided to go sit down awhile at the rodeo. We watched all the fun events...our favorite was the "Calf Scramble" They take a whole group of girls...put them in the middle of the area and then let a bunch of calves loose. The girls have to catch the calf...which sounds easier that it was! My favorite was the girl in the picture below--she caught the calf by the tail and would not let go...but then couldn't get ahold of it to put the halter on and bring it to the center to get the prize! It was so funny!

It was a fun day! Very long and exhausting...but lots of fun memories!

I'm Thinking About a New Job...

There's an effort to elect an unknown random person as President... and it's someone we know! Watch this online video about the surprising new nominee:

http://www.tsgnet.com/pres.php?id=52383&altf=Ifjej&altl=Xfbuifstupo

Jot back a note to let me know what you think!

Taking a Cruise to See a Few Bats!

For our last fun activity on our "See Austin in One Day" field trip...we took the kids to the Congress Avenue Bridge to see the 1.5-2 million bats that live there! It seems like we waited FOREVER for it to happen...but very cool!!!

We decided it would be fun to watch the bats from ON THE RIVER so we took a "Bat Cruise"! We made sure to get the open-top boat to see them better...but once we were seated I kind of wondered if that was a smart idea? An umbrella might have an idea! LOL!!

If you look REALLY close in the next two pictures...you can see a few bats! Most of my pictures did not turn out--I will have to try again!

I think if I were to go watch the bats again...I would probably try to be on the bridge like the people below. I had a really hard time seeing the swarms of bats against the lights above. If you were standing on the bridge they would take off right in front of you! Something to think about for next time *smile*

A Special Day at Build-a-Bear!

There Might be a Reason Why They Put Us in a Room Alone??

Lunch...yes, of course we had to do lunch! Just because we felt compelled to eat 3 breakfasts is no reason to skip lunch *grin* After many dad "scenic routes" (lost travels) we came to our destination...OLIVE GARDEN! One of the kids' (and parents) favorite restaurants! We hit it just as lunch was ending but was told we would still have a 15 minute wait. I guess the manager took pity on us, because he gave us the special big table room to ourselves (It is usually for larger groups) I think he could just tell we were going to be obnoxious!!

The room was decorated so beautifully. It had this trellis on the ceiling FULL of FAKE grapes. Why the emphasis on the word FAKE?? After we were done eating, Stevie was talking about how cool the grapes were and he wished he could have picked some to eat...how did they keep them from falling on people...what if they go bad...etc. It took me a few minutes to realize he thought they were real LOL!

The kids got into a giggling war! They kept teasing each other and being obnoxious (as always!) I am sure the waiter was starting to wonder! At least they kept the burping war to the car! (Stevie had to prove he could burp the ABC's and it just kept going downhill from there!)

From giggling wars...it quickly moved to a "Funny Faces" contest...Missy had a pretty good one!

BUT...I really think Steven wins with his "Do you think I'm Sexy" face! This is the face he quite often gives me as he leans in to kiss me...ooh la romance! Cracks me up everytime!

Finally the food arrived! Maybe they thought with our mouths full, we would be quieter? Everyone had the "Never-ending Pasta Bowl" and was in HEAVEN! I have carb-loving kids! We kept our waiter busy *grin* Steven even got full! Miracle of miracles! (At least until supper anyways!)

After we waddled out of Olive Garden, it was off to do a little craft shopping for mom! (YEAH!!!) and a visit to Krispy Kreme (can't go to Austin without that!) then off to our BIG event of the day (well, one of many!) Steven and I decided to let the kids go to Build-a-Bear and make their own "Daddy Bear" for the deployment. We had printed and laminated a small picture of each of them with their dad to put inside--and he wrote a message to each of them on the back. It was a very special trip! I even got to make a bear (which I named Handsome of course). Many happy tears later, the kids played with their bears the whole way home! (And they haven't left their side yet!) I am going to slideshow the pictures from Build-a-Bear...just cause I took SOOOO many!

Fun Day in Austin Part 1...

Steven had an appointment in Georgetown Friday, so the kids and I tagged along! I had him drop up at our favorite playground (from my earlier slideshow) while he went to the appointment. It was GREAT! We had the entire playground to ourselves! (I love being a homeschooler!) Missy and Stevie got to play for about an hour while I read and Kimmy worked on homework for her Spanish class. We spent the rest of the day PLAYING!!! *grin*

Check out how red Missy's hair is in the sun! I tried to bleach my hair blond when I was in high school and my hair went BRIGHT red too! My Sullivan Irish genes must have passed onto the kids! *smile*

We had breakfast before we left, then stopped at McDonald's in Georgetown for a breakfast sandwich after playing hard on the playground...BUT that still didn't stop us from having breakfast at IKEA! MAYBE we got stevie full...but don't count on it!

Yep...even Heidi had to play with the toys at IKEA! I would LOVE to have a train table when we finally settle down--not for my kids--for Steven and I! We always tell the kids that they can move away--but they have to leave the toys for us!

More silly pictures at IKEA! Steven thinks he is a cow *grin* He walked around the store wearing the cow rug *sigh* Just can't take that man anywhere!

More pictures to follow...we spent ALL day playing in Austin! We're trying to deposit more happy memories in the kids memory banks...so they can draw on them this year as needed! Be watching for part 2!