Has Fall Really Arrived?

Hold the phone, stop the presses: Sunday it was 83 degrees here in Fort Worth. That's 2o degrees cooler than it was just Aug. 30; 30 degrees cooler than many days this summer. The windows are open and the A/C is off. This had better not be some kind of cruel joke! After months of being trapped inside and swimming in a warm pool, we were ready to get out! Our first stop was the zoo. The last time it was cool enough to walk around the zoo was when my mom was in town right before Easter, and even then we were sweaty. On Sunday we started backward this time, so we actually got to see the Texas Wild exhibit for only the second time. We saw wolves, an armadillo and touched a starfish. We were there for three hours... three glorious, unsweaty hours. Then we headed to our favorite picnic spot: The Fort Worth Botanic Gardens. After lunch we walked around a bit before heading home for some outside play. The only unfortunate part of this weather is the wind and absence of rain, neither of which are helping the Texas wildfires.

Mother's Day

I joked with several friends last week that I didn't want to blow Mother's Day... didn't want to ruin the special day. I didn't want my Mother's Day to end up like Frankie's on The Middle. She wanted her hubby and kids gone for the day, so they left. Instead of relaxing without them, though, she ended up doing work around the house. And the kicker was, the kids and hubby had a picture perfect day off on their own. You can see the full episode here. Additionally, for various reasons, Mother's Day is always a tad bittersweet at our house. Plus, this is the first year that Nigel's old enough to understand appreciation and the concept of Mother's Day, so I knew there was potential for greatness.

So, Saturday was family fun day. First, we drove to Plano for an Asian American festival. On the way there, Nigel counted to 10 in Spanish and French. I got a "I did that!" feeling in my heart and was just overwhelmed with just how much I love being this little guy's mom. At the festival, Nigel got to play a violin and a drum, listen to Indian music, and have an egg roll during our picnic. It was refreshing to see so much diversity, something we continue to crave here in FW.

Next stop: the Cottonwood Art Festival in Richardson. It reminded me a lot of Arts in the Park.
Nigel enjoyed looking at some of the art — large sculptures are a huge hit with him — and he also made a plaster hand print. Of course, no festival is complete without ice cream so he had some of that, too.

After a brief stop at home, I chose Indian food for dinner. We went to Tandoor in Arlington. This is where the magic died. I'm not sure if Nigel had just been out too long or what, but he was wild! He refused to eat everything that was offered to him (despite the fact that he's been eating Indian food for two years), and he ran into the parking lot when Tim took him outside for a "chat." It didn't exactly leave me with a warm feeling in my mothering heart.

While I was with my running group on Sunday, Tim and Nigel made carrot cake cupcakes for me (I missed my mom's carrot cake over Easter). They also surprised me with three cards (the one Nigel picked out was in Spanish), a new sports bottle and a running shirt. After lunch, Tim and Nigel went to the YMCA to practice swimming while I watched something on Netflix. When they returned, I ventured off on my own. I went to the FW Botanic Gardens to read and get some sun, but I quickly realized it was way too hot and relocated to Starbuck's.

The weekend was the perfect balance of family and alone time. I really did feel special, minus the Indian restaurant episode. But really, I feel like that every day. I'm so lucky to have a husband who shares the responsibility of parenting, who recognizes when I need some down time and appreciates my style of parenting. And I'm super lucky to have a son who tells me "You're the best mother in the whole world. I love you more than all of the cupcakes, all of the ice cream and all of the hot dogs in the world."

Main Street Arts Festival

A week ago Thursday, we all headed down to the Main Street Arts Festival in downtown FW. My friend Amy tipped me off, but I had no idea just how cool it is. It puts RVA's Arts in the Park to shame for sure. Supposedly it's the No. 1 arts festival in Texas and the third largest in the entire country! We went in the afternoon and it was hoppin': live music, tons of cool art vendors and crafts for kids. Nigel made a mask and a tree ornament.

There's a THREE-YEAR-OLD in the House!!!

Nigel turned 3 today! In some ways, it feels like he's been 2 forever, so I've been thinking of him as 3 for a while. Despite all the crap the universe dumped on us last year, Nigel has blossomed into an amazing kid. By the time he was 2 he'd already mastered counting to 20 and could recognize and say all of the letters of the alphabet. During this last year he's learned to count to 10 in Spanish and French, skip, put his clothes on and take them off, use the potty, carry on complete conversations, etc. His thirst for knowledge and growth knows no bounds. I'm in awe of how much he can absorb.


We began the big day with a doughnut, juice and a voice mail of my mom and her class singing "Happy Birthday." Next, we took a ride on Thomas the Train. Tim ordered the tickets back in the fall, so we've been excited about this day for quite some time. Nigel's love of Thomas began with a sweet farewell gift of DVDs from his pals Clementine and Gabriel and has been fueled by books from the library. Aunt Nancy and Uncle Dan came over from Plano to join the fun. The train ride was very cool, but in all honesty it was secondary to all of the cool stuff nearby: train and Lego tables, a petting zoo, sandbox, temporary tattoos, music, bouncey house, etc. The only break he took from 9 a.m. to noon was to say hello to his great-grandma on the phone.

When we finally pulled Nigel away from the fun, we had lunch and spent some time at Nigel's favorite playground. After a trip to the grocery store to pick up a cake for tomorrow, we opened a massive pile of presents at home. He was so excited to get some super cool stuff, including finger paints, binoculars, clothes, PJs and a remote-control car. And he seems to really dig the Thomas the Train set we got him.

The magical day was capped by a birthday dinner of Nigel's choosing (chicken nuggets and fries) and a cupcake that he and his new pal James decorated yesterday.

For many reasons, Nigel's birthday will always be a little bittersweet, but I'm totally proud to be his mom.

FW Nature Refuge

Nigel and I were so glad to have Tim home an extra day this week. Since the weather is still beautiful, we decided to head to the Fort Worth Nature Refuge. For just $10, the three of us toured the nature center and hiked two trails. We'd heard conflicting reports about the ease of seeing the animals here. Unfortunately, Tim's no-sightings report from his boss held true for us on this day. We saw some caged rescue animals, including a bobcat and two owls. But the closest we got to a prairie dog was seeing one in a cage and spotting a tunnel hole in a field (below). We saw no trace of bison. Still, the trip was very enjoyable. FW, Dallas and everything in between are concrete jungles. Even the beautiful parks are filled with concrete paths. So it was so refreshing to get out and see nature. We saw cactus growing wild all over the place (below), some ducks and some ideal alligator spots (sans gators) along Lake Worth (yes, that sign above says don't molest the gators!).

A Magical Afternoon in Dallas

We've really enjoyed spending time with Tim's great-aunt Nancy and great-uncle Dan in Plano. We've only known them for a few months, but it feels like they've been in our lives forever. They are so sweet and kind. And Nigel is smitten*.

Last Saturday Tim and I took them up on their offer to watch Nigel for a few hours so we could have some alone time. Between my mom and several trusty sitters, Tim and I were never without an opportunity to go out in RVA. But the last time we'd been out alone was July. We were overdue.

Being the planner that I am, I racked my brain and hounded Tim to come up with the perfect afternoon. We couldn't blow this opportunity. Trouble was, everything we came up with we could conceivably do with Nigel. When we left the house the only thing we knew was we wanted to go to the Ethiopian restaurant Desta in Dallas, which you can read about here.

Not having a plan was the best option, though. When Tim stayed with Dan and Nancy his first week in Texas he took the train to FW. One of the stops along the way was at a mega Whole Foods in Dallas. So of course he knew I had to go. Now I know what you're thinking. Going to a grocery store is something we could do with Nigel. True. However this was more than a grocery trip. As soon as I walked up to those giant doors I felt myself exhale for the first time since November. I felt like I was home again. Yes, I'm obsessed with Whole Foods, but I'm talking about the vibe I felt and the people I saw. For starters, Dallas has more of an East Coast vibe to begin with. If a highway speed limit in FW is 60, FW drivers go 55; if a highway speed limit in Dallas is 70, Dallas drivers do 75-80. Secondly, while FW has more blue collar companies, government agencies and cowboys, Dallas has mega corporations. So with all of that comes more diversity in Dallas. MUCH more diversity in Dallas. We saw no less than 10 Habesha people while we enjoyed our coffee on the patio, and I saw more Indian, Vietnamese and Chinese people in that one store than I have the entire time we've been in Texas. There were VWs in the parking lot; patchouli was in the air. I was among "my people."

With that recharged energy, we drove through some cute neighborhoods in north and west Dallas. Some were way out of our league, but others might be doable. We also walked a few blocks in downtown Dallas, where we saw the spot that JFK was assassinated. (Strangely enough, there isn't a marker here. Next time I'd like to check out the museum.)

After our dinner we bought some Ethiopian groceries and pastries and picked up Nigel. That's it. That was our perfect day. We both felt re-energized, but I was giddy. Not to get cheesy, but since I've had a lifelong obsession with Texas I figured that once I got here I'd see why. I mean, Texans have such strong state pride, so there's got to be something amazing about this place. Where was my "a-ha!" Texas moment? It has happened to me once before. My entire life I'd also been focused on Ethiopia and adoption, separately. Obviously, the two came together. The moment we stepped out of the airport in Addis, I felt myself exhale for the first time in a long time. I knew at that moment why I had been thinking about that beautiful country — of which I knew very little about at the time — for my entire life. It was magical. So I had assumed that my "a-ha!" Texas moment would be Texas-related... cowboys, longhorns... something to make me realize this is where I was supposed to be. Turns out, it was the big(ger) city that did it. We ended that night with our eyes toward our Texas future. We'd been planning to move to the mid-cities next fall, but now we're angling toward getting to Plano/Dallas by next spring.

Among other things, that move would bring us closer to Dan and Nancy, which brings me to smitten Nigel*. As you can see from the above picture they wore him out! They played with Play-Doh, made pudding, ate ice cream (and dinner), fed ducks and went to the playground. He honestly didn't want to come home with us. He was so tired from such a fun day that he fell asleep in the car on the way home — something he hasn't done in a long time — and stayed asleep while Tim carried him into the house — something he's NEVER done. Have I said yet that it was a magical day?

FW vs. RVA: Wildlife. Take II

I still haven't seen any of my animals on my Texas wildlife wish list, but I have seen a lot of other wildlife over the last few days. Driving into River Legacy Park on Sunday for my weekly running group, I saw a mom and a baby bobcat crossing the road in front of me. I slowed down to take a closer look and see if I could get a picture, but they ran back into the woods. (I didn't get a picture, but I did take one of the caged bobcat to the left at the Fort Worth Nature Refuge the next day.) Then, when my group was toward the end of our run, we saw a single bobcat at the edge of the trail. Bobcats are so beautiful, and since they pose no threat to humans (unless they're rabid, of course) it was a really cool find. And yesterday when I was driving to a nearby park along the Trinity River to meet a friend for another run, I saw a turkey on a trail close to the road. On that same trip I also saw 2 dead skunks. Despite a childhood in the woods, I've never seen a skunk in the wild — dead or alive — so to me that was kind of cool. Who knows, maybe I'll see a wild pig next!

Super Bowl XLV

For the last four years, Dallas, Fort Worth and Arlington have been preparing for their first turn at hosting the Super Bowl. As I mentioned before, the weather and some other unfortunate occurrences — falling ice, unsafe seating and dog killer Vick getting the key to Dallas, for starters — have left a bad taste in many people's mouths.

Because of the weather, we weren't able to get out and take in as many festivities as we would have liked, but we did see some things. Tim took the train to Dallas to take in the NFL Experience, where he saw the Lombardi trophy. As a family, we went down to Sundance Square to check out the ESPN Zone. Unfortunately, our timing was as such that we didn't see any celebrities, but it was cool nonetheless. We also snapped a quick shot of the hotel where the Steelers were staying.

I've seen it all...

The weekend before the Super Bowl we took Tim's great aunt and uncle to the Stockyards — their first time there. We had a great time, but I think my highlight of the outing was seeing this guy. Why yes, yes that IS a man riding on a motorized drink cooler.

FW Stock Show

After our hours-long stay at the FW Science Museum on Wednesday, we went to the FW Stock Show & Rodeo since it was included in our admission. The show runs Jan. 14 through Feb. 5. We missed the kickoff parade because of a bad weekend and rain, but we were glad to make it to part of the show. Our visit was on a down day, which was a bit of a bummer but at least we didn't have to fight crowds.

This show is the real deal! There's a livestock auction, a rodeo, saddles for sale, etc. This is also a great place to find real, authentic cowboys. I'm talking hats, boots, spurs... the real deal!

We checked out the Future Farmers of America's little barn, where we found two escaped wee goats munching through a plastic feed back; a modern milking demo; a petting zoo complete with feed from an ice cream cone; and a pony ride. We also snacked on a Frito Pie, a Texas specialty that's essentially nachos made with Fritos (there's a fried version at the Texas State Fair). Judge all ya want, but it was goooood! Next year we'll be sure to take in the Cowboys of Color Rodeo, too.

FW Science Museum

Wednesday we joined some folks from a Meetup.com group at the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History. The museum also has a children's museum inside. The Children's Museum of Richmond was always fun, but this place is AWESOME! So awesome, in fact, that we were in the kid part from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., with just a 30-minute break for lunch. They have sculptures, light and shadow play, an air tube that kids can "fly" paper cup creations, a doctor/ambulance area, a massive play grocery store complete with grocery lists and manual conveyor belts, a trolley, and a huge wooden train set.

(Clockwise from top left: driving an ambulance; weighing
a baby; playing with the giant LiteBrite

FW Water Gardens

Playing a little bit of catch up here... After being trapped in the house for a week with potty training, we needed to get out of the house on New Year's Eve. So we hit up the Fort Worth Water Gardens. It's pretty cool. Wasteful, in my opinion, but pretty darn cool.

Look! We're Social!

I lamented here about how much we miss our friends. Pity party's over — we've been out socializing, y'all! Two Saturdays ago, we had lunch at Tim's boss's house and enjoyed some adult conversation. The next day, I went to a cookie exchange through meetup.com; the group is for ladies who are looking to make friends. I had a really good time and am looking forward to doing more with the group.

This past Saturday evening we drove to Frisco for a Christmas potluck with a group of families who have adopted children from Ethiopia. We had
such a great group of similar families RVA, so we were really excited to find these guys online. Turns out, most of the group lives in Dallas and beyond, but we did meet a really nice family with a 4-year-old boy that actually live about 4 miles from us! After the party we made a quick stop at Frisco Square to see its Christmas decorations. Supposedly next weekend there's a parachuting Santa, but it's quite a drive for us so I don't think we'll be back for that.

The next day, Sunday, we met a Plano couple and their young son (friends of my former coworker/friend in California) at Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine. Great Wolf is an indoor water park/resort, but they have some free stuff in the lobby that we checked out. We had a great time and would love to see them again soon.

Speaking of Plano, we're going there Saturday to see Tim's great-uncle and great-aunt again. We hope to make a quick stop in Dallas to see the famed window display at Neiman Marcus.

We don't really have much going on this week other than storytime at the library. We're hoping to check out some more Christmas lights, too. From what we've seen so far, folks in FW aren't super big into holidays lights. But Tim's boss clued him into this neighborhood that looks promising!

The Stockyards

The day after Nigel and Sarah arrived in TX we all went to the stockyards together. Tim had been before to check it all out, so it was a great place to start. The stockyards are just outside of downtown Fort Worth. Here you'll find several blocks of restaurants, museums and shops. There's also a rodeo and the twice-daily cattle drive. It has the feel of a tourist trap, but it's still a must-do if you come visit us here in TX.

A pair of boots at Leddy's that probably cost
more than our mortgage, rent and car payment
combined. These folks are serious about their boots.

In case you're interested in the logistics of a drive. We'll have to visit the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame to learn more.

We're pretty certain these same cows are brought out each day for the show and aren't actually going to the slaughterhouse, but you still couldn't help but feel a bit sad for them. We're guessing even PETA doesn't mess with Texas.

Nigel in a stagecoach.

Nigel got to sit on this Longhorn named
Pecos Bill. Technically he rode it because it
took a few steps forward.

One of the many restaurants at the stockyards.