Just for fun

I took the 43 Things Personality Quiz and found out I'm a

Romantic Self-Improving Self-Knower

What great days are made of

This has been one of those shiny, yellow, glowing days. Truly a great, great day. John let me sleep in this morning, which would have made it a great day in itself, but, oh my friends, it did not stop there. John taught Zoey "cheese" while I was sleeping. Look at those chubby cheeks! Love them!

We then loaded up the babe and headed downtown. I have a workshop ALL next week at Rice, so my precious husband drove me down there so I would know exactly where to go. Zoey fell asleep for little while, so the trip was pretty peaceful. When Zoey awoke, we took her to the Children's Museum. She was in toddler heaven in the 2 and under area. Driving her first car

Scoping out the toddler area with daddy

There was plenty for our little monkey to climb on!

Zoey's favorite thing was walking up and down the little trail that stairs and bumps. She got daring and wanted to run over the bumps, but only with daddy's help!

We had to wear booties on our feet. I felt stupid at first, but then I looked at all the other parents with booty clad feet, and I felt a little better.

Having so much fun in the tunnel. This time we we did not get stuck.

That museum is one cool place! I can't wait to take Zoey back when she can appreciate all the different exhibits. Heck, I'll enjoy them too! Z and Dad in a phone booth at the museum

After we wore Zoey out, John took me to Bubba's Texas Burger Shack. I heard about this place on Food Network awhile ago, and I have been itching to go ever since. John has gone without me a few times (grrr), but I finally got to experience the beauty of a buffalo burger. As a good 'ol southern girl, I have eaten my fair share of burgers, and this was definitely one of the best. To round out the meal, we stopped by the Chocolate Bar for some dessert. I am personally a lover of S'mores, and to my delight, they had S'more ice cream! It was the best ice cream I have ever put in my mouth.Chocolate ice cream with marshmellows and chocolate covered graham crackers-my taste buds were dancing. We brought some goodies home with us too. Zoey was a monster from her lack of nap when we got home, so she crashed super early, and John and I got to enjoy some homemade fried rice compliments of the hubs himself. Now I am sitting her anticipating watching HP6 with the brother. Seriously, the perfect day!

Aunt Christie

I have been blessed to have a wonderful sister. Words don't even begin to do justice to what an amazing person she is and what a presence she has been in my life. However, even more of a blessing to me is that Zoey has been blessed to have a wonderful aunt. I am so happy that my sweet girl gets to grow up knowing and loving my sweet sister. I love that my sister will be an influence in my daughter's life. Goodness knows she was in mine. It is so clear that Christie adores Zoey. I love watching my sister love my daughter, because, simply, they are my two favorite girls in the world.It brings my heart close to bursting. I could not ask for more.

I am so frustrated!

Just when I think I am feeling good about putting Z in daycare, something makes me second guess myself. I hate that! I just don't know what to do! I want to do what is best for Zoey. I know that nobody can care for her like I do, but I want the second best thing, and I am now doubting that is daycare. I know that they have a curriculum that they will teach her, but she has thrived so much under one on one care. She is such a happy kid. I don't ever want her to wonder if anyone cares about her. If she needs a hug, I want her to be hugged. If she needs to be changed, I want her to be changed. If she needs to sleep, I want her to sleep. What am I going to do????????????????
On another level, I just feel like a bump on a freakin' log these days. It is so hot outside-too hot to play (but also hot enough to eat ice cream everyday). So, Z and I just hang out inside all the time. I wish I had something stimulating for her to do everyday, but there are only so many things we can do without spending a small fortune. Maybe I should start teaching her an excersize routine so we can work out together. She would probably really like that. She is such a dancer. I mean seriously, I can sit on the floor and play blocks with her, but honestly, that just gets old after awhile. It is not like we are constructing the Taj Mahal or anything. We pretty much just take the blocks out and put them back in the bucket. Sometimes Z rocks the boat by putting the bucket on her head, but that can only last so long. So, again I am faced with the question, what do I do?
I am hitting a mid summer mommy low, and filling my void with ice cream, while delicious, is only making things worse. I want to hide my head under a pillow. Most of all, I just want someone to tell me what I should do. I need a life coach.

A weekend in smalltown, USA

John and I are total festival goers. We just love walking around small town celebrations enjoying local culture. And there is something so friendly about a small town. When we were trying to figure out a place to take a little weekend trip, the idea of exploring a small town was so appealing. Plus, when you go far away, there is a pressure to be busy the whole time. One of the appeals of staying pretty close to home is knowing that if there is something you miss while relaxing, you really can go back.

We started our trip with a little tour of the Blue Bell factory complete with a little ice cream

The Brazos Bed and Breakfast was so tranquil. One evening we took a walk on the grounds and just enjoyed God's creations...

including each other!

Downtown Brenham was so cute! Even though it was SOOO hot, we enjoyed exploring all the antique shops. John was in photographers heaven.

To my surprise, there are two wineries in Brenham. We toured Windy Hill Winery on the 4th. The owners gave us a tour then fed up wine soaked hot dogs and watermelon. They were so nice! If you need something to do next weekend, the winery is having a grape stomp. It sounds really fun. We were tempted to go back, but we figured it would be a little difficult to stomp grapes with a baby in tow.

We concluded our trip with a tour of the Barrington Living History Farm in Washington. Although it was HOT, it was really cool. We have already planned to take Zoey back when the weather is a little cooler.

I fell in love with Brenham and the surrounding areas while we were there. The people were just so nice, and it seems like they are always celebrating something.We have already pored over all the brochures and decided which festivals to attend. I highly recommend this area for anyone who wants a little weekend getaway.