Tag: Boy Mom

Hometown Adventures

Leave a comment

Other than the beach, we didn’t have any big plans this summer so we decided to spend a weekend in our hometown. We went to visit family, but we also wanted to take the boys to do some fun things, so we decided on the Perot Museum of Nature and Science in Dallas.

The museum is huge and each floor has a different exhibit. Several of the exhibits are interactive, which was fun for the littles, however, I think some of it was just a little too advanced for our 5 and 3 year old. The museum did have a newly renovated kids area on the bottom floor but was overly crowded and much smaller than expected. All in all we still found plenty to do and it was a fun day. I think we will visit again when they’re a little bit older (bonus: teachers get in free!)

The next morning the Bearded One helped his family with a building project while I took the littles around to explore downtown Garland, our home town. First stop was coffee at Rosalind’s. The coffee shop was beautiful and right on the square. Once I was caffeinated I let the boys explore the green space and playground that was right in the middle of the square. They ran, they climbed, they played, and I enjoyed the outdoor environment. It was still pretty early so none of the shops were open yet but we were able to walk around and look at the many murals and beautifully renovated buildings.

I think the next time we visit I will look for an Air B&B in the area so we can walk around and enjoy the downtown amenities.

Overall, we had a great little adventure in our hometown. Up next, time to explore Houston.

Spring Break-Staycation 2025

Leave a comment

This year we decided to do a few things close to home for spring break. With a 5 year old and a 2 year old traveling can be quite an adventure of its own. We didn’t want to go anywhere that would be notoriously over crowded so we opted for a few adventures in our comfort zone.

We started the week by driving up to my husband’s grandmother’s lake property on Lake Fork. The area itself is pretty quaint, which was the vibe we were going for. We just wanted to relax by the lake, do a little fishing, enjoy the outdoors and of course make s’mores. It was just what we needed to start off spring break. Bonus: we found an awesome little park in Quitman, TX that was built by the Sabine River Authority. It was perfect, I highly suggest you check it out if ever on the area!

Next on the agenda our favorite, Huntsville State Park. All the camping spots were booked of course, but that didn’t stop us from enjoying the numerous trails and beautiful spring weather. (One of these days we will take the boys camping!)

We really wanted to do something new so we decided on the Ellen Trout Zoo in Lufkin, TX. I knew ahead of time that this was a much smaller zoo, however we heard great things.

It was definitely small, and honestly, a little underwhelming. A lot of the bigger animals were hiding and there were quite a few exhibits under construction. Overall it was a pretty little zoo, and we did enjoyed our visit (especially seeing all the peacocks that freely roam the grounds).

And that’s a wrap for Spring Break 2025…we’ve got plenty more adventure on the agenda for this year 🙃

Christmas At Kalahari

Leave a comment

Christmas time at Kalahari year three did not disappoint.

We’ve always been able to enjoy the resort during the week around Christmas time, however, this year we had to book the weekend before. I was a little nervous that it would be entirely too crowded and unenjoyable. Although it was more crowded than we’ve experienced in the past, it wasn’t overwhelming and I feel like there were lots more holiday activities to enjoy.

The boys were able to see Santa and Mrs. Claus, color in an igloo, search for Kalvin the elf daily, and participate in other fun Christmas activities.

If you’re on the fence about waterparks in general ( I’m genuinely not a fan) then I suggest you try Kalahari. Everything is in close proximity, the resort overall is clean, the staff is friendly, there’s so much for kids and adults to try. 10/10 we will continue to come back and enjoy the holidays at Kalahari in Round Rock, TX.

We’ve contemplated visiting the resort during the summer season but I truly enjoy the holiday magic 🎄🎅🏻

Link: Kalahari

Winter at the Waterpark

Leave a comment

Kalahari Resort in Round Rock

We celebrated Christmas and O’s birthday with a winter trip to the indoor waterpark Kalahari in Round Rock, TX. This was our second time there and it did not disappoint.

I personally am not a huge waterpark fan, but I really do enjoy Kalahari. I don’t know if it’s because it’s inside, or we go in the winter and avoids the crazy TX summer heat, but it really is a great experience.

We were fortunate enough to stay 3 nights this year and I think that was plenty of time. We enjoyed the waterpark right when it opened at 10am, then again after nap, around 3pm each day. The first 2 days weren’t very crowded (several districts were still in school) and the boys were able to play in the toddler/kid area for hours.

This year O was tall enough to enjoy the tandem tube slides with the bearded one. He went on quite a few and loved every minute of it. Baby L (Mr. Independent) was also able to enjoy the waterslides in the kiddie area and had so much fun climbing and sliding all by himself.

I was perfectly content watching the shenanigans and smiles all day. We also did several activities together like the wave pool, lazy river, and the occasional dip in the outdoor hot tub to warm up.

For those of you that haven’t been, Kalahari isn’t just a waterpark. It has restaurants, shops, and a huge arcade, all of which we enjoyed.

The convenience of onsite restaurants can’t be beat and we ate there several times. The pizza place was perfect for lunch and we enjoyed dinner at B-Lux, which had yummy burgers.

After traveling so much with a 3 (almost 4) year old and 20 month old, I’ve picked up a few tips and tricks along the way.

Tip & Trick

  • Get your owns snacks for the hotel, we have a big old snack box we pack and fresh fruit and veggies I chop before we go.
  • Buy portable bed rails, little O slept all by himself on the pullout bed and I knew he was safe with the bed rails
  • For potty training kids or kids who are recently potty trained, buy a portable seat
  • Bring the kids their own cups and a portable drying rack for easy clean up
  • Buy robes for when you leave the waterpark and head back to your room. You have to walk through the arcade and lobby and it can be a bit chilly. The resort lets you rent towels but the boys loved their robes
  • Don’t stress the schedule and routine; we have a very strict “bath at 7 bed by 8” for both our boys, which is a Godsend during the school year but, we were very lax during vacation and we all survived!
  • Take a few pictures, then put the phone away and enjoy time with the babes. They are only little once .

My Unadventurous Valentine’s Day 

Leave a comment

It’s 8:30 AM and my Valentine is taking his first nap of the day. 

My Valentine didn’t get me flowers or chocolates or make me heart shaped pancakes.

My Valentine is not going to take me on a fancy date or write me a sweet love poem. 

There will be no oversized teddy bears or red and pink balloons. 

There’s no time to do my hair and make up or throw on a cute red and pink Valentine’s outfit.

                            ❤️💕❤️💕❤️💕

We didn’t exchange Valentine cards or gifts and that’s okay, because none of those Valentine’s Day cliches compare to the snuggles and smiles I will get today. 

My Valentine doesn’t care that the shirt I’m currently wearing is covered in his spit up, my hair may or may not be clean, and I’m still in my pajamas. 

My Valentine doesn’t need chocolates, balloons, or love notes. 

My Valentine and I will spend our day soaking up the unconditional love I never knew I could feel. 

One day I’ll make him heart shaped pancakes and he will follow the lead of his daddy and fix me the perfect morning coffee and kiss me goodbye. But today, on his first Valentine’s Day, we have a nap date on the couch, a warm bottle waiting, and all the snuggles and kisses in the world.