Pet Parade

What has beads, dogs, cats, a


snake, ferrets, chickens & more? The annual Krewe of Barkus & Meoux (Aka Pet Parade) in


Galveston!



- Until the next nap time!

Galveston Mardi GRAS is Kid-Friendly

Several people have asked me


about Galveston Mardi Gras being kid-friendly. Yes, you can find some good clean fun on the seawall at day parades.

This weekend we attended the


Krewe of Aquarius parade & had a ball. At the day parades the themes tend to be more kid-oriented with fire trucks in the event & giveaways like stuffed animals, cups & of course beads.

Check 2 of the family-friendly parades next weekend (the first weekend of March). The Children's parade starts at 1 pm, followed by the Pet Parade at 2 pm on Sunday on the seawall. It's a fun couple of events after church. Hope ti see you there!


- Until the next nap time...

Go Texan Day in Houston

Today is Go Texan Day in Houston. While other cities just don't get this annual celebration, we absolutely love the hats, horses & friendly chatter. Although I raced to my daughter's dance at school from a required business meeting, I made it in time for the finale. I haven't yet mentioned denting someone else's bumper as I whipped into my parking spot but oh well.



It's always fun to see the kids country & western dance. I remember dressing up & dancing with my annual partner Kris Lambert while in elementary school. It was a good break from the norm.




Again this year, we waved to the trail riders as they journeyed south on Shepherd. They make a put stop at the Sears so kids can pet & ride the horses, check out the chuck wagons & talk to the cowboys & cowgirls. Reminder: this is right in the middle of the 4th largest city in the U.S., but it feels like a small town. We are looking forward to seeing these trailriders on TV tomorrow during the Rodeo Parade. Too fun! Yew haw!

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Who's Preparing for Mardi Gras?

This morning as I got ready for church, I decided I'd wear the pearls that my father-in-law gave me for Mardi Gras 2 years ago. I looked in my jewelry box but they weren't there. Our house is on the market so I worried that someone grabbed them from my hidden spot. Nah. I likely put them with my costume jewelry by accident. I checked but the necklace wasn't there either. I double checked both places again. Little K & I recited: " Tony, Tony, look around. Something's lost & can't be found."

I looked again but nada.

I went downstairs to tell Trent with tears bursting from my eyes. On top of it all, we are 1 week from the 1 year anniversary of my FIL's passing. Ugh.

"Check the vegetable crisper & I'll look upstairs," Trent said. Oddly, my MIL found a diamond tennis bracelet in the vege crisper so it's not that odd of a statement. Unfortunately, it wasn't there either.

I followed my husband upstairs on the search. He looked in the same spots but nothing. Then we looked everywhere else & Little K looked through her jewels. I feared the worst. Gone!

Then Trent said: "Are these them?"He pointed to the small stash of my favorite Mardi GRAS beads from over the years. They hung in my closet. There on top of them all ...was my pearl necklace. What? I would never have put the pearls there. But since my FIL loved Mardi Gras, I wondered.

Who's preparing for Mardi Gras?

- Until the next nap time.

Discovery Green Park

The weather was so nice today


that we met some old college friends with their kids at Discovery Green.


Little K had fun playing on all the playground equipment & I like the rubberized floor. Why have we not been here more recently?



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Little K hugged Father Clint after mass with a smile.

He replied with an innocent smile to my 5-year old: "You smell good."

"Oh, I took a tubbie," Little K responded.

Was that necessary for her to share? The man in the collar just smiled.

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Denis' Seafood is a Great Restaurant for Families

We have been going to Denis' to eat for years. Somehow I've forgotten to post a review on its kid-friendliness. We went there again today & Little K ordered a bowl of shrimp gumbo.

The staff was exceptional, bringing a high chair for her doll & a small tea cup for the doll.


Of course, I loved the gumbo that I had & Trent enjoyed his lobster bisque & sea scallops. You will love the super fresh seafood!

- Until the next nap time...

Location:Houston

Black-eyed Pea for Warm Food

With all this cold, rainy weather in Houston, we headed to Black-eyed Pea for grub to warm us up. Great grilled chicken & broccoli. Trent loved the chopped steak &


Little K ate most of her spaghetti. Her favorite was the ice cream sundae included with the kids meal. I guess she didn't need to warm up after all.

- Until the next nap time...

Location:Deauville Plaza Dr,Houston,United States

The grinch Who Stole Christmas

It was another great TUTS performance. We loved "The Grinch!"


- Until the next nap time...

Making a Christmas Poster

It's a beautiful afternoon in Houston. Our indoor Christmas decorations are up so my husband bravely agreed to hang the out door lights. Years ago, he chastised me for singing & dancing to Christmas carols while I was holding the ladder. Atop the ladder was my husband, bouncing around amidst strings of lights!

Today, Little K needed help "finding something to do" & I wanted her within eyesight. We decided to set up an outdoor art studio, where Little K could paint a Christmas poster. Instead of wearing a beret, she donned a Santa hat!




I helped write in pencil "Merry Christmas!" & then she painted over the cheerful message. Then she added her own designs. To dry, we hung her masterpiece on the gate, which again proved to be a good display area. It was a nice way to spend time outside with my daughter.

- Until the next nap time...

Singing the Meaning of the Holidays

So Thanksgiving is just 2 days away and I don't like it when we forget about Thanksgiving and jump straight into a shopping spree-induced holiday season. So when my husband sent me this link http://www.philly.com/philly/video/106492678.html, I was hesitant to open it. I'm so glad I did.

When you see and hear things like this, it brings the best of both Thanksgiving and Christmas to mind... and heart. My daughter loved this music and enjoyed looking for the people who wore the big buttons because they are the singers. Great publicity, too! What do you think of this?

Enjoy! Until the next nap time...

Free Holiday Music from the Veggie Tales for Youngsters

For a limited time, the Christmas collection "The Incredible Singing Christmas Tree" by the Veggie Tales is available through Amazon.com for FREE. It has 16 songs by those adorable Christian vegetables. Amazon walks you right through the process in about 2 minutes.

Surprise your youngsters with this festive music.

Until the next nap time...

Thanksgiving Art Work

This morning, Little K & her CiCi made this little Indian. They took a tangerine from CiCi's tree in her back yard. They carefully taped two yellow leaves to the back of the fruit. Then they pushed cloves into the front of the fruit to make the face. Ta da! Thanksgiving art work.

- Until the next nap time...

So it's the eve of Halloween & we're on the way to a Halloween party in Galveston. Little K lost her red hood, which was the key piece in her handmade-by-her-Grand "Little Red Riding Hood" costume. My husband just announced that he forgot his cowboy hat (he was dressing like a western bandit!) and Nestle recalled Raisinets & lollipops because they failed to mention that peanuts are in the candy. Really? As a mother of a child with a severe peanut allergy, that's a big miss! Nestle should have been more responsible.




All this said, the weather in Houston is gorgeous & I'm thankful for my family. We had a great time at the St. Rose School fall festival last night & I'm eager to learn how much money the school earned from the event. (In spite of the fun, it's still a fundraiser, you know.)

My fingers are crossed that my daughter will have no run-ins with peanuts this weekend. It's a high alert holiday when you have a peanut allergy. I hope Little K & all kids revel in the spirited fun of Halloween. I can't stop smiling when I see all the great costumes. Too fun!

- Until the next nap time...

Masquerade Ball at the Houston Symphony for Kids

This morning, Little K (aka Little Red Riding Hood) and I went to the 10 am Houston Symphony performance - Weatherford Family Concert. The theme was "Masquerade Ball" so kids were encouraged to wear their Halloween costumes. It really helped the guests get into the Halloween spirit.

The music was fantastic and the conductor was great about explaining what the music was describing in advance of playing a piece -- super for young audiences. I liked the chance to snuggle in our seats with my daughter and relax for almost an hour. We heard music from Ghostbusters, Night on Bald Mountain and Danse Macabre. Fantastic! Plus, the symphony put projections of jack o'lanterns, witches and ghosts on the walls to tie into the music. Even Little K was excited to tell her daddy about the music.

On our way out, we found Radio Disney playing games and music outside Jones Hall. It was a good end to the morning. I highly recommend season tickets to the Houston Symphony's Weatherford Family Concerts. It's ~ $100 for the annual subscription for one child and one parent with a symphony each quarter. One performance is at 10 am and a second on is at 11:30 am. Here's the line up for the rest of the year:

- Saturday, Dec. 4: Raymond Briggs' classic The Snowman (with a visit from Santa)
- Saturday, Feb. 19: Music from The Lion King
- Saturday, April 2: Symphony in Space with tunes from Star Wars and ET

Hope you'll check these out with your families. Until the next nap time...

Fishing Tales

All this fishing this evening reminds me of a funny fish tale. When I was young, Dad took me fishing regularly at Grandfather's ranch.



Once, I was apparently quite talkative. The trees lazily hung above us in a canopy. Dad just wanted a few fish.

"Megan, If you keep talking, you'll scare the fish away. You have to be quiet," Dad said.

My little brain suddenly flooded with hundreds of questions for dear Dad. Finally, one burst from my lips: "Where are fish's ears, Daddy?"

It was suddenly time to go & I had no idea why. Patience is priceless but so are good fish tales with Dad.

- Until the next nap time...

Location:Navasota, TX.

Scarecrow Festival in Chapel Hill, TX

Today, we decided to take our first trip to the Scarecrow Festival in Chapel Hill, Texas. It was really fun.



They had tons of booths with items for sale like a traditional street festival. They had an area for the kids that included a small ferris wheel ($5), a train ($3), a petting zoo ($3) with the cutest pot belly pig baby & much more. Of course, the costs add up quickly.

Food ranged from everything on a stick, fried Twinkies & potato chips, gyros, sausage, snow cones, fruity tea, lemonade, beer & much more. Dieters: be ware!


Little K's favorite part was getting her face painted & getting a unicorn doll now named Abby.

The adults had fun, too, walking around & enjoying the nice weather. Trent said: "I went all the way to the Scarecrow Festival & all I got was poor!' it was really fun though. I'd like to go to the Scarecrow Festival in Brenham tomorrow to do a comparison. Maybe they'll have more scarecrows. I'm not sure I can convince my family to get up tomorrow to go though. We'll see.

- Until the next nap time...

Addressing Obesity in Our Children

I think this is a great idea so I have to share. According to the American Heart Association, "currently, 25% of the nation’s children are showing early warning signs of heart diseases, but this can be undone."

Our own family set out just last week to eat healthier and be more active. I know, it's only been a week but we all have to start somewhere. Check out the following facts about childhood obesity and health in general and then learn how your family can do more to care for each others' health.

Thanks to Meghan Allen at the American Heart Association for these facts.

"Our nation is facing an increasingly dire obesity epidemic and this includes the Houston community. The number of meals being eaten outside of the home has reached an all time high. Since foods eaten away from the home are typically served in large portion sizes and are higher in energy density compared to meals eaten at home (My insert: not to mention they're usually drenched in salt), it is extremely important that Houstonians are well informed about what they are eating.

The American Heart Association is pleased to announce the launch of the Houston DINEs campaign. Houston DINEs is a local education and awareness campaign to provide dining information and nutrition education to all Houstonians.

The American Heart Association wants to empower consumers by encouraging them to ask questions about the calories they consume. This will increase the ability of consumers to make informed choices in the food and beverages they purchase in restaurants."

Learn more about what the American Heart Association is doing and how it can help you & your family. Visit http://houstondines.blogspot.com/ to learn more.

On a Friday evening, my thoughts of restaurant eating have been curtailed and healthier choices are trickling in. How about you? How do you encourage your kids to eat healthy?

Until the next nap time...

FREE DAYS AT THE ZOO

"Rather than offering free admission on already-crowded holidays, patrons now will be admitted for free after 2 p.m. the first Tuesday of every month." - according to By PAIGE HEWITT of the HOUSTON CHRONICLE

So which Tuesdays are the free days. I checked out the Zoo's web site and found: "the Houston Zoo will offer free admission to our guests on the first Tuesday of every month from 2 p.m. until closing. During the months that Daylight Saving Time is in effect, the Houston Zoo closes at 7 p.m. (last admission at 6 p.m.). During Central Standard Time, the Houston Zoo closes 6 p.m. (last admission at 5 p.m.)."

For more information, visit http://www.houstonzoo.org/. Perhaps we'll see you there.

Until the next nap time...

Snow Cone Time

Although school is in full swing, it's still hot in Houston. Yesterday, Little K had been so helpful, that


she earned a snow cone after dinner. These snow cone wagons have popped up all over Houston & are a refreshing treat. This one, at Ella Blvd. & 43rd St., is open until 8 pm. Tasty!

- Until the next nap time...

Location:Houston Heights