Wednesday, October 28, 2009

How Embarassing! I'm Not Old

So my daughter had a play date with another 4-year-old yesterday in our neighborhood. When I picked up Little K to head home, her mother told me the most interesting thing.

Little K apparently had given the friend's mom a big hug. In response, the mom said: "Thank you. That was so nice of you to give me a hug."

Little K responded: "I love to give old people hugs."

Yes, really, she said that. When I left with my head hanging in shame, I told my fellow mom, "I think you look so young." Her husband looked oddly at both of us. He knew he shouldn't ask.

Until the next nap time...

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Pumpkin Time Again in Houston


Pumpkin picking and carving is a big deal in my family. I have the fondest memories of picking out pumpkins with my family. We always tried to pick the biggest pumpkin, knowing that my mother would complain that she simply could not bake that many pies. She'd try every time. If we had 5 pumpkin pies, no one minded. Mom always played along.
And those pies! Yummy! I won't embarrass myself by admitting how many pumpkin pies I ate one time. My mother wanted to crawl under a rock. That's what happens when you have a baby who's born the day after Thanksgiving!

My sister & I always picked the biggest pumpkins. If we couldn't actually pick it up, even better. The tradition continues in the Salch family. On Saturday we went to a local pumpkin spot and Little K picked out the biggest one. Trent & I laughed. It must be in our DNA.

My dear friend Kelley called us early in October to find out when we'd be roasting pumpkin seeds. How about this Tuesday night? She'll likely be here because she says ours taste better. Sounds like a mini mid-week pumpkin carving party to me.
Until the next nap time...

Party Like a Rock Star

On Friday night, Little K attended a "Party Like a Rock Star" birthday party at Double Dave's pizza. Our whole family had fun dressing up. I'm not sure our hosts expected the adults to dress like a rock star, but Trent & I couldn't resist. Trent pulled from the bottom of his shirt drawer a Van Halen concert T-shirt circa 1992 and a Metallica concert T-shirt from around the same period. I had tried to throw out these things years ago because they really are horrendous. My husband refused. I actually remember roller skating to Van Halen so I'll give a little there. Metallica is just too hard rock for me.

Thus, my husband smiled in delight when I sported his old Metallica shirt (above) to a five-year-olds birthday party. All in the name of fun, right?
Little K wore her "Daddy's Rockstar" shirt with a pink hair extension and, of course, her Hannah Montannah guitar. (I can't believe I just wrote Metallica and Hannah Montannah in the same blog.)

The party hosts went all out. I was surprised to learn that the Double Dave's on 34th Street and Ella Boulevard has a sizeable patio in the back. The party was complete with a DJ, strobe light, inflatable guitars, temporary tattoos, temporary hair dye/spray and bubbles. We laughed when the DJ tried to get the 4 & 5-year-olds to sing "Who Let the Dogs Out?" because they clearly had never heard that song. That didn't stop them from dancing and doing the hoola-hoop for all to see. After eating pizza, the hosts distributed sugar cookies shaped into colorful music notes, tying nicely into the "Rock Star" theme. But they didn't forget the cake and brownies, too.
Toward the end of the party, one little girl held the microphone and sang her little heart out. It was hillarious. She even thanked her adult audience after each song.
I have to say, it was really a clever and enjoyable party. When both parents & kids are smiling, you know you've done well and this family really did a super job.
Another favorite aspect is that the birthday girl's parents asked that in lieu of b-day gifts, we purchase a book to be donated to the girl's school library in her honor. They even provided a "Rock Star"-themed sticker to place inside your book saying the book was being donated in honor of the birthday girl. They really thought of every angle, including the giving back to others.

Houston Zoo in the Autumn







Over the last month, we've gone to the Houston Zoo twice and really enjoyed it. Finally this week, I decided to buy a Zoo membership. A friend said that even on rainy days, her family will go to the Zoo because there are so many indoor exhibits. It sounds like a plan.

I have to say that the Houston Zoo is a lot different from when I was a kid. New things include the water fountain for kids to play in (great for hot months when Mommy remembers exta clothes), the carousel, and the frozen Icees. Still, I love the fact that the Zoo does have the bat exhibit (which I used to be fascinated with. Note "used to be") and the traditional zoo animals. It's a good mix of tradition and new.
I found the Zoo Boo to be very crowded but cute. I liked seeing the animals play and eat pumpkins that the zoo keepers had added to their cages. Plus, seeing so many kids in their Halloween costumes was adorable. I just wish we had gone earlier in the day (not 4 pm) so that the trick-or-treat booths were still running.

These photos are from our Zoo trip last weekend for Zoo Boo as well as our trip on a no-school day with our St. Rose School friends. We're already looking forward to our next trip to the Zoo. Note to self: wear comfortable shoes & pack snacks.
Until the next nap time...

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Wonderwild is Coming to Houston

Here is a great new venture for local families with kids. We are so intrigued and can't wait to check it out.

Wonderwild is the brainchild of local Houston moms who were tired of the heat, humidity and bugs. An art gallery, education center, and indoor playground, Wonderwild focuses on up-and-coming local, national and international artists--creating an artful environment where families can learn and play. Our 4300+ sq. ft. play area and equipment encourages children to physically and mentally challenge themselves in order to build strong muscles, creativity, and confidence. Our extensive array of play equipment includes:

- One of the city's only kid-powered trains with an indoor track--kids exert their own energy to make their cars move
- A giant 28-ft. wide indoor inflatatable "Jumpoline"--it's like jumping on the biggest bed ever, safe even for toddlers
- Soft play structures designed by product designers and child development experts, allowing kids of all ages to create their own dynamic area of play that never gets old
- 15 ft. inflatable slide* A special place just for infants to roam free and discover the world around them
- A three-story playscape that kids can wear themselves out by crawling, running, climbing and sliding - COMING SOON NOV 2009!

They are holding grand opening parties in late October to celebrate Halloween on Friday, Oct. 30 and Saturday, Oct. 31. We can't wait. Check 'em out at http://www.gowonderwild.com/

Until the next nap time...

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Our Trip to the Land of Oz

This morning we went to the Children's Houston Symphony to see & hear "The Wizard of Oz". Little K loves music. It was great. I loved the fact that they kept it to one hour, just right for my 4.5 year old. The performance included actors that spoke and sang a bit about the story. Then, the conductor Mr. Franz did a great job of leading the Houston Symphony through a lively performance. I also appreciated how they wove in educational aspects. For instance, Little K has decided that she doesn't like percussion. "It's too loud and mean," she said. Perhaps she's inherited my dislike for loud noises. Does that mean we've eliminated screaming matches? Hmmm....

Looking forward to another performance in the future. Thanks to the Majeres Family for giving us their tickets. It was awesome.

Until the next nap time...

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Students Sing at St. Rose of Lima Church

On Saturday evening, Little K and her classmates sang "This Little Light of Mine" at our church service. You can see Little K over the heads of the congregation. My husband promised he would be discrete with the video camera but I'm not sure that really happened. Still, this is so cute that it brought tears to my eyes. So precious. I was also so excited to see so many families turn out for this, considering the kids only sang one song after Communion. People who weren't even Catholic came to see their children sing. How wonderful to see that. Go St. Rose of Lima School!
Please add your comments to my blog. Until the next nap time...

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Count Your Bessings

This week has been a doozy but rounded out nicely. One of my marketing clients keeps flip-flopping on what they want. Another client wants more work done but doesn't want to pay for more hours. Well, I wish I could get more done in the same time, too. Go figure.

Then, Thursday morning my husband Trent was shaving, shook his head and muscles in his neck and back began to spasm. Soon, he couldn't move his neck at all and he was carrying his arm as if it was in a sling. His general practitioner saw Trent at 11:30 am, gave him muscle relaxant and anti-inflamatory pills, and sent him on his way. Trent stayed as still as a statue in the bed for the rest of the day but the meds were not helping.

"Ah, if the pills aren't working by Friday, I'll call the doctor for another prescription," Trent said with a strain in his voice.

Occasionally, his entire body would jerk in pain. Trent said the muscle spasms were going up his spine into this scalp. I asked if it was also hurting his feet because his legs would shake so much. "No, that's just me bracing myself," he said. Comforting, I thought sarcastically.

Trent finally fell asleep Thursday evening and watched my weekly TV shows, and then went to bed. Suddenly, at 2:30 am Friday, I woke to Trent trying to stand up beside the bed but he was in extreme pain. It looked as if the muscles were spasming and shaking his whole body violently. I called my sister Colyn so she could stay with our sleeping daughter. We rushed to the hospital, where we stayed until 5:30 am. Trent was given two Vicodins, a shot of another muscle relaxant and a shot of an anti-inflammatory.

We returned home to discover my sister had taken our daughter to her house so she could get ready for work while her husband headed to work himself. Trent headed to bed while I went to pick up my daughter.

"Is Juji (nickname for my sister) going to pick me up again tomorrow?" my daughter asked. "That was fun!" It was not even 5:45 am. It, in fact, was not fun.

Trent slept all day on Friday but is recovering nicely. He took Little K to the park today to meet some school friends. He looked a bit like Frankenstein, not moving his head much, but his sunny disposition is back and he's feeling much better. One friend even took this photo of Little K and her classmate at the top of the climbing tower. So glad Little K could get down on her own. Trent wouldn't have been much help even today. Many thanks for the thoughts & prayers for his quick recovery.

This morning, I went to a funeral of a 38-year-old father of two kids. He died unexpectedly of a heart attack, leaving his wife and kids. I wish them great strength and hope the community will continue to be there for them. It reminded me that, despite the stresses we've experienced this week, all is well on this home front. If only all were so lucky. Hug your families and count your blessings.

Until another nap time...

Monday, October 05, 2009

Free Theater Performances in Houston

I had to pass along this exciting opportunity to watch theater performances in Houston at no charge. There are matinee performances for kids and evening performances for adults. Check it out. Thanks to Elena for sharing this tip.

http://haatx.com/free-night-of-theater-schedule-of-performances/

Until the next nap time...