Cool Culture for Kids and Adults in Houston

I like to introduce various cultures to our family but it can be difficult at times to share these with a youngster. However, here is a clever way to explore some Hispanic culture and enjoy a break from the day.

The Artisan Jewelery Bazaar will be held on Tuesday, May 4 from 5 - 8 pm at Under the Volcano, located at 2349 Bissonnet. This is a sale of Colombian and Mexican artwork and artisan jewelry with part of the proceeds benefiting "The Vagina Monologues" and La Rosa Womens' Shelter. While I don't advise taking children to the bar, this event provides a short break for adults and then an opportunity to talk about how the art and jewelry were created and how the pieces reflect the Colombian and Mexican culture. My daughter would love the jewelry and I appreciate the lessons about different cultures.

Please RSVP so the facility can make the necessary arrangements.
Amira Gongora, Community Coordinator: (713) 551-3944
Oralia Acosta (832) 858-4260

Talento Bilingue de Houston

Until the next nap time...

Go Astros!

Last Saturday, we decided to go to the Astros game. It was fairly unlike us to make a last-minute decision like that but I'm so glad we did. We sat on an upper level but just to the left of home plate. The view was really pretty good. Plus, I could see Astros owner Drayton McLane sitting in the front row of the first level so I was pleased.

It wasn't long before Little K was asking for a treat. Before I knew it, she had struck a deal with her daddy to go to the Astros shop after the 4th inning. From there on out, Little K asked if it was time yet every five minutes. I tried to teach her about the game (& get her mind off of buying something she clearly doesn't need). Since Little K is playing t-ball this year for the first time, she was able to better grasp the concepts and cheered for the Astros... then asked if it was time to get a treat.

I remembered time after time when my grandparents took me and two of my cousins to Astros games in the old Astrodome. They'd feed us over & over again, plus Grandmother always brought candy for us and the other kids sitting around us. While ticket prices weren't as high as they are now, I wondered how my grandparents did this regularly for years.

Soon, it was time for the treat. Trent took Little K to the shop and returned with a huge Astros monkey. I suppose it's a "rally monkey", although the home team didn't need it. We won against the Pirates. Yeah! After the purchase, Little K's heart sang with glee. Her monkey cheered for the Astros, too, and then tickled his new fan. Indeed, we will now have a new friend to accompany us to future Astros games.

Until the next nap time...

Wild, Wild West Festival

Flashback to Childhood Swimming

Yesterday, as we watched, the kids splashed about in the teacher's pool. They were taking turns with the instructor and supposed to be practicing the latest lessons. All I saw was a lot of splashing and smiling.

Suddenly, I started laughing so the adults (including my husband) asked what was so funny.

"When we were little, my sister used to to an inverse 'Nestea Plunge'," I said while wiping the laughter tears from my eyes. "She used to fall face first into the pool with her arms spread like an eagle and yell 'Dead Bird!' It was the funniest thing ever."

While I kept laughing, the adults looked at me oddly. What funny things kids do.

Until the next nap time...

Tickle Your Kids' Art Tendencies at the Free First Sunday Event at MFAH

Families will discover the exciting world of Movement in Art. Don’t miss the innovative artists of the CORE Performance Company. They will share a dance specially created to be performed outside in the Cullen Sculpture Garden where families will also create wire sculptures full of movement and sketch beautiful works of art. Inside the museum, create a colorful paper collage, get moving on a family gallery experience led by an MFAH Educator, move your body as you listen to a story and look at contemporary art, and more.


When: 1 – 5 pm on Sunday, May 2, 2010
Where: The Museum of Fine Art (MFAH)’s Caroline Wiess Law Building is located at 1001 Bissonnet Street with free parking across the street. Call 713-639-7300 visit www.mfah.org/planyourvisit for more information.

Free admission for all throughout the day (the museum is open 12:15-7:00 p.m. Sundays)

Enjoy! Until the next nap time...

Week of Earth Day

Earth Day is April 22. At Little K's school, they are celebrating all week. Over the weekend, we were asked to collect recyclable products that the kids could turn into musical instruments in class. Little K took an empty, plastic coffee jar with dry pasta inside. When she shook the container, the dry pasta made "music". During class, Little K said she put beautiful stickers all over the can. Later this week, her class is going to have an Earth Day parade, making music with the items produced in class.

Today, the classes will be planting flowers around the campus as part of the celebrations. Not only will it help beautify the grounds, it also teaches the kids about nature. I love gardening with my daughter. While her attention span is still short, it's good to show her how things grow when they are nurtured. That works for plants and people. :-)

What are you doing this week in celebration of Earth Day? I'm thinking about going to get some vegetable plants to add to our garden.

Until the next nap time...

Backwards Day

Have you ever had one of those days where things seem backward? Yesterday was Little K's. After school, we begged her to get her swim suit and a cover-up on so we could run by a networking event in the Heights and then head to Little K's swimming lessons at 6:10 pm. We had so much to accomplish yesterday that we were literally running from place to place. Finally, my husband Trent went into our daughter's room to "encourage" her to get dressed.

After a quick networking stop, we journeyed on to swim lessons. I chatted with my husband and some other parents while Little K and two other children practiced in the pool with their teacher. I noticed that Little K's bathing suit seemed to come way down in the front. Luckily, she doesn't have anything to show but it looked really weird.

Maybe she just needs to pull up her suit, I thought.

Ten or fifteen minutes go by. I watch Little K practice her freestyle swim and she's really trying to work on her arms. Unfortunately, I'm distracted by the fact that it looks like she's wearing a skimpy bathing suit because her backside is hanging out of her swim suit. That's when it hit me.

"Trent, did you help Little K get her bathing suit on today?" I asked my husband.

"No, I told her she could do it herself," he replied. After all, she's 5, right? I get the thinking here.

"Well, she put it on backward. Look!" I said.

There went my Little K paddling away with her bottom hanging out. Maybe I should remember she's my LITTLE K.

Flash forward to dinner time. We were starving so Little K quickly changed into play clothes and we went to a restaurant to eat. By the time we got home, it was past Little K's bed time so we started putting on her nightgown. She was so exhausted from the full day that she lay on top of her bed like a wet noodle. I just looked at my husband and laughed.

"What?" Trent asked.

"Her underwear is on backwards. I've got to fix it for her," I said. "What a day!"

Hope your Friday is better and that all of you have a wonderful weekend! Until the next nap time...

Spring Time Hot Tub

After a great 5th birthday (thanks to many friends), we relaxed in the back yard. Little K loved time in the hot tub but begged for the swming pool.

"That's what summer is for


," I said. Someone has to look ahead.

Until the next nap time...

Bay Area Mom Updates Blog for Local Parents

Here's another good family-oriented blog for folks living in the Bay Area (outside of Houston & Galveston). See http://bayarea-kidsactivities.blogspot.com/ for details.

Until the next nap time...

Bluebonnet Sighting

Yep, spring is here. I just saw bluebonnets at Loop 610N & East TC Jester. Park at the Boy Scouts office & walk on over! Great photo opp!


Until the next nap time...

Spring is Here

There's just something about


being barefoot in the spring. We got so lucky with the blue sky weather for Easter weekend. I know different families have


different traditions for this holiday but my favorite is the family time.



Until the next nap time...