Oklahoma City Birthday Trip!

Over this past weekend we took a trip to OKC for John's birthday other then him running a toll booth once and the zoo being way to hot we had a great time.  First we started out at the Botanical Gardens----very beautiful!  They are adding an area for children unfortunately they are still working on it----of course Sean wanted to run through it and John wanted to take pics of everything but it is beautiful in there (humid) just be sure you have a spare battery or you have charged yours overnight because half way through what do you think happened???? You have it the person wanting to take pics of every plant was not very happy :(  Next stop was the OKC zoo---well if you have been to the Fort Worth Zoo there is NO comparison if I had my choice of the 2 I would definitely pick the Fort Worth Zoo!  Granted it was still HOT outside we should have went to the zoo on Sunday after the cold front came through and did the Science Museum on Saturday since it was all inside----Next drip I am definitely going to plan according to weather look at the zoo maps to plan out where we go!!! Well back to the zoo OKC's zoo is very spread out and a lot of concrete!  I like the more realistic settings----we were there quite a few hours and I never did see the animals that I would like to have seen so maybe they were in a better setting....don't know but I know it was hot---they did have misters to walk through but the wind kept blowing the mist up and away..........  The Children's Science Museum on the other hand was GREAT!!!! Absolutely loved it!!!!  They have a whodunit section and it is all FORENSIC science and you get to solve the crime!!!! So much fun if you are into that sort of thing which I AM!!!!!! Loved it!  They also have an IMAX theater which is extra but worth it---EXTREME was playing on Sunday which was different extreme sports.  Would have preferred a different title but oh well they are still fun.  The Planetarium is included in the price of admission and who does not love the night sky?  They show sky from OKC view--what you would see that night from OKC without all of the light pollution.  They have a ton of hands on exhibits too the Tornado wind tunnel and the earthquake section was really cool too.  Totally recommend the Science Museum.

Day Trip

Today we drove down to Fort Worth to see my niece Brinley and took my mom to leave her down at Cook's Children's Hospital to stay with my sister.  On the way back we stopped at Sal's Italian Restaurant 5465 N. MacArthur Blvd, Irving, Tx-----keep in mind I am not much for Italian food really it is at the bottom of the list of choices for dinner----YUCK Olive Garden----just not my cup of tea!  On the way to the BSA museum we see Sal's over in a shopping area, well my first thought is it is not even a stand alone restaurant how good can it possibly be?  Well we walk in and we are seated rather quickly because no one else is there other then people up at the full bar.  It is actually very nice inside; they had white linen tablecloths on the tables, black linen napkins and candles which were not lit but it was about 330 in the afternoon-I am sure it would be very romantic for a couple in the evening :)  The waiter immediately asks what we would like to drink which is nice considering it is so hot outside and the sweet tea is very good :)  Sean chose water (yay!) and John Dr Pepper.  We did order garlic bread with marinara sauce as an appetizer and I have to admit it was quite yummy---the bread was buttery, garlicky and crispy and the marinara sauce was quite good which is the one thing that really turns me away from Italian food there is always so much sauce on everything---actually Sean will not eat spaghetti with sauce on it----if I do fix spaghetti his has garlic butter with Parmesan cheese.    For Sean we ordered the 8" personal size cheese pizza and just to say they must have given us the wrong size because this was way larger then an 8" pizza and let me tell you it had no chance!  He ate every bite except for a little wedge of the last piece that he gave to John so he could try it!!!  John ordered for us and we both got a Stromboli (sausage, pepperoni and cheese) OMG it was out of this world!  Have not had Stromboli like that since I lived in Virginia!!!!  Best crust I have ever had and I would really love the recipe for it!  We didn't have desert but now I wish we had we were just to full then but they do have Cannoli and Tiramisu to name a couple!  Really a great place to eat...even for someone who does not like Italian food!

Tiger Cub

Well today John took Sean to sign up for Scouts!  I am excited for them----we will see how it goes and I am certainly praying for a certain way!   They bought the Tiger Cub book, Shirt, little bandana, and the little thing that holds the bandana closed ? no idea what it is called, his belt, cap and badges that I will be sewing on his shirt hopefully sometime this weekend!!!! Tonight was football practice so after we got home and ate dinner (yes, late for dinner but he will get sick if he eats close to practice so he eats as soon as he gets home from school and then again after practice) we read the first section which was safety scenarios which all of them are like a parents worst nightmare but to tell ya the truth there were only a few of them that I have really ever discussed with him!  I was very impressed with the scenarios and honestly it was stuff that we should have already discussed.  I read him the scenarios and asked him what he would do in each situation and you could see the wheels turning just by his expressions on his face----I got to one and it stated---you are walking to school in the rain and someone driving by stops and asks if you want a ride to school? What would you do? What would you do if they persist?  He said No and I said well what if they persist?  He laid there for a few seconds and said what does persist mean?  I said they just keep on asking.......they say come one I have some candy and transformers you can play with....He said No leave me alone!  I threw all kinds of his favorite things at him and he kept saying NO!  He paused again and said that is why you do not want me walking to and from school!  Exactly why!  There was one where you are at a park and someone comes up and wants you to help them find their lost puppy.....what do you do?  Well his initial response was well it would be nice to help them....same response if someone asked him to help them carry in their groceries!  I could actually picture him going to help them and that scared me to death! We had a long discussion on what he should do and why it is not safe.  There are some more scenarios and they are very graphic if ya know what I mean but they honestly were things that I should have already discussed with him but trying to protect him just did not talk about but it is not protecting him; it could be hurting him not discussing these things no matter how much we do not want to think about it happening to our kids we do live in the real world and unfortunately bad things can happen!  I am so glad we discussed these topics tonight and he has had a long day but he listened and I could actually tell by his little facial expressions that he was actually thinking things through it wasn't like okay mom lets hurry up I am tired!  He actually said lets read this book every night and he has never wanted to do that with any book----well other then parts of his bible he likes to continuously read.

COOKING WITH KIDS!

I found this at campbells.com----Anything to get my son at the dining table.....he would prefer to set in front of the tv to eat----I am trying to break him of that, before I know it he will be grown and I do not want to miss any moment of the little him!

What do you get when you combine some family favorite dinners along with a few fun activities? A great opportunity to start building lasting memories. Here are few memory-making ideas you can serve up along with your great dinners.
Eat dinner together at the table as much as possible. Not only is it a good time for family bonding, but this conversational period actually promotes good digestion. Every other month, go formal. Break out the good china and glassware (don't forget the candles!), and have one of the kids set a formal table. Besides being fun, it's a good way to learn which side of the plate the fork goes on and what all those different glasses are for. This is also a perfect time to teach manners and etiquette. Don't worry about making fancy, unfamiliar food for these affairs—the family favorites work just fine here. Rainy or snowy days are perfect times for an indoor picnic. Spread a blanket on the living room floor and, if you have a fireplace, build a fire for atmosphere. If you get stuck on menu ideas, winter barbecues are always different, fun and, of course, great tasting. How can you beat BBQ chicken and potato salad anytime of the year? Nothing boosts a child's self esteem more than a sense of accomplishment and spending time with a grownup in the kitchen. Share the cooking with one of the kids. Four- to eight-year-olds can add premeasured ingredients to a bowl and stir them together (great for developing hand-eye coordination) or wash vegetables in the sink and place in a colander (encourages cleanliness). If you're making meatloaf or meatballs, measure all the ingredients in a large resealable plastic bag, seal the bag closed, and have the kids “mold” and massage the mixture until incorporated. Older kids can help with rolling out dough (good for dexterity), measuring ingredients (extra math tutoring!), and planning menus. And if your teenager shows an interest in cooking, give them responsibility for a portion of the meal or even the entire dinner itself—casseroles are a perfect place to start. It's a wonderful way for them to start developing kitchen skills that they'll use for years to come.

Black-and-White Pudding Parfait Recipe - Every Day with Rachael Ray

Black-and-White Pudding Parfait Recipe - Every Day with Rachael Ray

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Retro Ric Rac Apron and Potholder Set

Retro Ric Rac Apron and Potholder Set