Zoe riding her new tricycle she got for her birthday.
Dad showing Zoe what she has grown after throwing zinnia seeds in the whiskey barrel.
Zoe picked out this cute little tutu from the antique mall and just had to wear it when we got home.
Zoe loves picking the zinnia flowers and smelling them and also loves spreading the seeds around in the flowerbed.
She then transformed into the 5 gallon bucket Zoe.
Yesterday was a relaxing end to the weekend, after Saturday’s fiasco of Zoe throwing up in the car after leaving Whole Foods.
“I throw up,” she said.
Needless to say, my car still stinks after cleaning it out last night. That should make for a long day at work today.
We stopped at Bachman Lake on the way home Saturday and watched the “Big” planes land at Love Field, while Ma Goose and the baby ducks swam in the lake.
With Steve and Carol (Steph’s parents) out of town, we made plans to visit another church yesterday. We ended up sleeping in later than we should have. Zoe asked for some chicken. That’s code for chicken nuggets, ranch dressing, and ketchup. What a breakfast. While she indulged herself on 3 nuggets and some tube time with the purple dinosaur, Steph and I sat out back enjoying the morning shade and a few cups of coffee contemplating the plans for the day.
A few things came to mind.
Lunch, the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, and a visit to some old friends.
The tea room inside the antique mall off Montgomery St. is always a place to sit down at when you’re in the area. Scrumptious sandwiches, soups, and quiche. I had the turkey and Swiss with basil mayo and chicken vegetable soup, while Stephanie had the vegetarian sandwich on a crossiant roll with fresh fruit. Zoe had the orange slices from our tea and some noodles. Without ketchup.
I could mingle through that store for hours looking at all the ‘stuff’. Hand crank mixers, old pieces of furniture, first edition books, records, old political pin back buttons, windows and shutters.
Afterward, we headed over to the newly renovated Science and History Museum. A bummer, I might add. The new parking garage requires 5 dollars to exit. Top that with 14 dollars for Adults and 10 for 2 years+ and you’ve got a very expensive afternoon ahead of you. And that’s just for the normal exhibits. Exhibits? Puhleez. One small room for the Dinosaurs. A “Fort Worth” exhibit (I can drive down to the stock yards for that) complete with a 5 minute “show” that failed to play. The other areas were geared for older kids 8+, with a painting room, energy room, and a building room. The only things for young kids was a very McPlayland type spot that had kids running around with little to no parents at all. They had a Da Vinci exhibit I would have liked to stroll through but by then Zoe was getting restless. The planetarium had a long line to get into.
The food prices were comparable to the ballpark or a movie theater.
Gracie, one of the babies we came know from our time at the NICU, was admitted to Cooks Hospital late last week. We both decided we wanted to visit both her and mom, Meagan, while they were in the area. San Angelo is a bit of drive. Meagan came with Lori, the lactation nurse, to Ashleigh’s funeral. Its nice to know people from less than a hours a week that would be there for you like that. Well, after leaving the museum, Zoe conked out and was down for the count so we had to nix our visit. Fortunately for us, after we got home we got a message from her that children under 12 couldn’t enter the rooms. So we plan to go tonight or Tuesday evening.
I made a run to the store after dropping off the girls and picked up a few things for the week, and for dinner.
Zoe had a nice photo shoot complete with ballerina tutu and the new “bucket body” pose (see also “bucket head”). Look for those tonight.
By December 31st:
Pass all classes with A’s-
Okay, so if you didn’t know already, I’m officially a student again, taking 10 hours of courses this fall. Eventually, I plan to apply to the Respiratory Therapy program at TCC, and eventually a BSN from UTA. In years past, I didn’t really have the drive to finish college and ended up dropping my classes in 2004 all together. My GPA back then was 1.25. Crap! I’ve got my work cut out for me. To even be considered, I need no less than a B in all my core classes, but it would be best for A’s.
Go camping twice-
I say twice becuase we already have a trip planned for Memorial Day weekend at Dinosaur Valley State Park. Early in the year we had planned on going in April, but with Ashleigh still in the hospital, we cancelled. Then the heat hit and its just to hot in the summer months to go camping.
So really I just gotta plan for another weekend, probably sometime after Thanksgiving.
Learn how to knit-
This may prove to be the most difficult of the three. I can crochet.
When I was young my grandmother taught me the basics and then it got filed far away in my brain. In 2003, my first summer at Philmont, I noticed a lot people crocheting and knitting, so I decided to try my luck at making a beanie. It fit my head. Very snug. I would later pick up a hook every so often, but it was until late 2008 when the growing season of the garden had ended that I became interested again (more of a time filler than anything). I’ve only really made hats. I tried my luck at a produce bag but it gets no use.
So I’m trying my luck at making a lady bug and frog. Crochet, of course. After that I’ll try my luck at knitting. Something simple.
Went for a nice run with my sister tonight. It was nice having her as a running partner. I haven’t seen her since Ashleigh’s funeral, and she is a bean pole. I guess that’s what hiking 2000 miles does. After my last summer at Philmont, I was probably 160.
She has her trail legs still, but she held her own. I’m hoping we can make it an every other evening thing.
2.1 miles ran:
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After she left, Stephanie wanted to go for walk. We are both eating healthier and working out, so I was more than happy to with her. We put Zoe in the stroller and off we went. It was nice and refreshing to have an evening that wasn’t lingering in the triple digits. Zoe loves going for stroller rides. She points out the barking dogs and the cats that run across the street. Tonight she even dozed off for a few minutes, that a far cry from those months long gone where she would actually fall asleep in the stroller for hours on end.
1.6 miles walked:
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Cold showers. I like it.
(side note: If you actually find yourself clicking the Philmont link then click on “About Philmont” over on the left. Scroll down and click on the photo album link, then click on Camping Headquarters. The last picture on the right, click on it.)
A few photos of Thursday and Friday dinners.
Spinach and onion omelets.
Homemade whole wheat blueberry muffins
Pork ribs with grilled potatoes.
Sliced peaches with homemade whipped cream.
Can you believe she turns two years old today. Well, actually this evening at 6:34pm. She has grown so much, again, in 12 months. You can review last years post >here<
I think we’re going to visit some “pishes” today. For breakfast decided she wanted chicken nuggets and ranch dressing. Yum! She is having a birthday party on Saturday. Complete with “Barney” stopping by for a visit.
Here is photo collective from the past year. Enjoy.
Learning to eat with a spoon.
Enjoying her first snow with Nana
Bucket Head
Catching some Z’s with dad
Swinging with Pawpaw
Coloring eggs…and herself.
Playing with Poppy
The q-tip aliens have invaded
Playing in the pool
Feeding Mimi lunch at that lake
Playing on the elephant at Putt-Putt
“I’m too cool to wear my sunglasses correctly”
Apple juice? Chocolate milk? I’ll have both.
Zoe sleeping with Pawpaw.
Eating blueberry muffin batter
Yes, dinner tonight was delicious. Homegrown spaghetti squash. I was kinda of hesitant at first to even grow it, because according to Stephanie, whatever I grow, I gotta eat. So tonight was the night for out first spaghetti squash dinner. It was awesome.
Dessert were graham crackers with a strawberries, cream cheese, and sugar. Placed in a freezer until solid and served.
So, this morning we’re off to take Zoe to Little Gym. I don’t think she cares that much for it. The only part she really likes is at the end, when they bring out the balls. She loves “making baskets”. After that, we gotta make a run out to Azle to look at Ashleigh’s headstone before they deliver it to the cemetery. After that, clean up the house a bit and work on the slide show for church.
Yesterday’s route (just under 2 miles):
Oh, and I’ll post some pictures of the peppers I picked yesterday. Finally, have something come in from the garden again.
Sunday Evening Review
1. Granddad, my dads dad, is in the hospital. He fell at the retirement center late last week and broke his hip. He had surgery Saturday morning and all went well. It was just a partial replacement. He should start physical therapy later this week.
2. I started the fall semester yesterday. English Comp 1.
It’s a 3 hour class with minimal students.
Probably the least exciting of all the courses I’m required to take.
Luckily it’s just one day a week.
This first class sucked, though. Since there is no class next weekend, due to the Labor Day holiday, we go stuck with a crap load of reading.
3. Cheese.
Cheese was just the beginning Saturday evening.
My sister held a wine and cheese party for some of her old friends. Many of whom she had not seen in a long time. Chris and I made a run to Goodwill since they were holding a half off everything sale. When we got back a few people had left and the cheese was put on the back burner as 5 bottles of wine were empty by this time. Stephanie and I stayed the night, as neither of us were “okay” to drive.
4. Hangovers suck.
5. I got the yard mowed before the busy week ahead. Sprayed again for the spidermite infestation.
The week ahead:
A&P on Tuesday and Thursday.
Meet with a Canon Regional Representative for a problem copier.
Figure this whole internet Psych class out.
Camping with the family and my sister and bro-in-law at Dinasaur Valley SP.