NFL Experience

Our dear friend Sarah offered us her tickets to take the boys to the NFL experience yesterday.  We went back and forth as to if we should go or not since I had been sick for a few days and Christian woke up saying his stomach hurt.  We had a 1:30 basketball game and would leave from there if indeed we were going to go.  Just in case, I packed the truck with a change of clothes and a few snacks and we agreed we would make a last minute decision after Christian's basketball game as to what we would do.  After a tough loss we got in the truck and decided it was a beautiful day, the boys would have fun, and we should not pass this up.  We left McKinney and went straight down 75 to the Parker Road station as we were going to take the Dart Rail for the very first time and really make this an adventure.  I had done my research on the internet and felt like a pro when I walked up to the vending machine, immediately punched in our tickets and waited a few minutes for the train to arrive.  We immediately boarded and took our seats, I snapped some pics and Chad confirmed all was well.  

Our cautious little Christian was a little uneasy at first but he soon loosened up and they enjoyed counting the train stops, going through the tunnel, seeing the skyscrapers downtown, all while Carson piloted his rocket ship into outer space.   This was great....or was it?

  

Around Walnut Hill my poor little baby bladder was full.  I told Chad we might ought to jump off but he told me it was all in my head.  We made it to Union Station and would be getting off at the next stop so I sat there breathing and not moving.  Once we got off at the Convention Center I told Chad he was in charge of my purse, camera and kids.  I had a one track mind and it was an emergency, surely there would be a restroom.  We walked and walked and walked and NO BATHROOM.  We made it to the CC and I took off for the first set of doors I could find...locked.  I had to wind through the lines (luckily there was not much of a line), walk through the main entrance, run across the ticket lines, go over the velvet rope where a man tried to stop me to no avail, at last I had made it!   Let the fun begin!

There was so much to do we did not know where to start.  All Christian knew was he wanted to pass, kick and punt the ball.  

Chad found the draft stage so we waited our turn to take pics of our two #1 draft pics for the Cowboys.

Here they are in the bigger than life Dallas Cowboys team picture.

Next the boys would compete in the 40 yard dash and go through the Under Armour Combine

I think Christian ran a 7.4

By this point we were all starving so we found a table and sat down to our $8.00 cheeseburgers, $5.00 fries, $3 bags of M&M's, $3.50 waters and $4.50 cokes.  Now that we were re-energized it was time to play!

Chad and Christian went head to head in this obstacle course!

Christian was thrilled that he won!

Carson and I took off for the Cartoon Network area where the events were a little more his size.

I love this next picture of Carson getting the run down on what to do in this next event.

Everybody around clapped for him as he returned the ball for a touchdown and showed some attitude by spiking it too

Christian makes an incredible catch!

Carson insisted we go back and find this tunnel on the way out.

Christian found a Cowboys uniform and decided he would take a pic.

On the way out they were playing an amazing light show on the Super Bowl sign!

Around 9:00 pm we decided to call it a night, got a bag of cotton candy and headed for the rail station.  I wanted to take a few pics of the boys at the station.  I got this one of our little comedian before the cops came over and told me no pictures were allowed! Yikes.

All in all, it was a great day and wonderful experience!

It's A Miracle.....

Christian finally sat down and learned how to tie his shoes last night!  So, about 30 minutes before bedtime I told Christian to go get his tennis shoes and come sit down with me on the couch.  As soon as he sat down and realized we were going to work on tying his shoes he immediately started whining, "no mom, do we have to?"  I think he said this is boring about 10 times but I was not giving in this night.  He was going to learn to tie his shoes!  We sat across from each other, each with a tennis shoe in hand.  We went step by step, over and over again.  I could not quite remember the bunny running around the tree technique that I remember learning as a child so I just improvised.

Grab the laces and make an X.  Then take one lace and go under the bridge.  Pull both ends tight.

Make a tree and then grab the bunny and follow it around the tree.

Dig a hole and pull him through

Now pull his ears tight

That my friends is a tied shoe

I then had him put his shoes on his feet and try again

TUH DUH!

After we high-fived, cheered and celebrated he sat there for a second and decided he wanted to call Grandma and Ta Ta to share the big news!  He was quite proud of himself and knew they would be too. I think he then put a call in to Shea Shea and Yai Yai to let them know too.  Last but not least, he called Chad who was sitting right next to us the entire time.  When we heard Chad's phone sound with my special ring we all burst out laughing.  He answered the phone and Christian blurted "Dad, I learned to tie my shoes!"  It was hilarious and about time!

A Surprise Puffer Fish Encounter

January has turned out to be quite the busy month.  A few days following Christian's field trip, Carson's preschool took a field trip to the Heard Museum after learning about dinosaurs this month.  I am ashamed to say that this was going to be my first trip there too.  Carson and I loaded up in the car after checking in at the preschool and all caravanned to McKinney.   Once we arrived each child and parent was able to leisurely stroll through the indoor exhibits before heading outside to see the dinosaurs.

Carson checking out the dinosaur bones.  

Inside they had a Bug exhibit. I much prefer these colorful big plastic bugs

as opposed to this enormous live tarantula

When we rounded the corner into the next room which featured things you would find in the ocean we were amazed to find you guessed it....a PUFFERFISH!  Chad nicknamed Carson "puffer fish" a couple years ago because when he got mad Chad said he blew up like a puffer fish.  It is just a family nickname that has stuck a bit, but Carson will jokingly remind us or refer to himself as Puffer Fish or as we like to say, "Puff" for short.  Seeing this "real" puffer fish was quite a surprise so we definitely decided to take some pics to show daddy.

A future paleontologist?

Time to bundle up and hit the walking trail. He looked so cute I could not resist.

We had so much fun walking up to each dinosaur and deciding if it was a meat eater or not.  Right after this picture was taken the boys were surprised to hear this dinosaur "burp".  They could not stop giggling.

 Look at that face....."RUN"

On the lookout for a T-Rex

Found him.  Trying to get a snapshot of the three and four year old classes

Carson's wonderful teacher Ms. Kitty sat with a few of the students amazed at just how big T-Rex is

Next we went through the animal exhibit outside.  Carson said this raccoon was mad because he kept pacing back and forth.  As we walked back by him on the way out he said that raccoon probably was sad and missed his family so he thought that we should be his family and take care of it.

Once we left the Heard we all went to McDonalds for lunch before heading home.  Carson sat at a table with a few boys in his class as I sat at the table beside him with some of the teachers.  Once the kids ate their Happy Meals they all wanted to go into the play area to you know play.  The teachers decided they had time before they had to be back at school so I just cringed and said yes when Carson asked if he could play and then had to laugh with another mom as it was her kids first time to ever play in a McDonalds and the third time I could think of for Carson.  It wasn't the end of the world just the end to a wonderful morning spent exploring with my baby!