Week Two With Malea and Elena

Monday - day stuck at home drat


Tuesday:

Welcome to week 2 with our beautiful granddaughters.  Now this is what I call a yummy breakfast!

We had planned to go to the Arboretum today and spend time at the beautiful new Children's area, but it is raining cats and dogs out there.  Guess we are stuck in the house playing games and relaxing instead.

Wednesday:

It is cool out today, but not raining so we are off to the Fort Worth Zoo.  They have two baby elephants that Mister and I have wanted to see for awhile now, so yay - we get to check something off our list as well.

Aunt Cassie decides to come along and we arrive fairly early in the day.  Since it is cool out, most of the animals are out and active and it is awesome.


We make a beeline for the elephants with a quick stop to peek at the rhino along the way.  Watching the elephants is so much fun and 15 minutes flies by.  I really don't want to leave them.












Oh goodness, check out this pic: waaaaay cool.

Across the way we spot the giraffes and they are oh so entertaining.  Elena thinks they are incredibly funny as they try to eat and drink.

We continue on through the paths and come across the lions.  The male is very vocal and roars several times for us.  In the next habitat, the female is up and moving as well and would really like to go visit her boy.  So sad for her.

Malea's attention doesn't last long on any one item and when she spots a carousel, she is only desirous of going there.  Unfortunately, she is too small to go alone and we discovered last week that she really doesn't like them.  It is also massively expensive for us to put her on so that she will quickly want off.  We move on, but she is very unhappy with us.

The next area is the aviary and Malea and I go for a walk while Grandpa, Cassie, and Elena go to feed the birds.  We are determined to get Elena to like birds.  I think she is starting to come around.  In fact, she finds a bird of prey and stands with it for quite awhile, barely moving.  The two of them never blink and then she is done.  Fortunately, we catch this one in a picture.

Group shot - oh yeah.  Malea always wants to see what everyone else is doing.  Grandpa is boring as he is simply holding a camera.

Elena has now found the carousel as well and she wants to ride.

Auntie rides along and they both have fun with Grandpa while he takes pictures.  Meanwhile, Malea and I have moved down into the frontier town and are busy playing with a stagecoach when Grandpa spots us.  Gammy still has a few tricks to make little ones forget what it was they wanted.

Continuing on our way -- we come to the MOLA (Museum of Living Art).  This place is fantastic!  Seriously.  One of our first encounters is with a snake and after some coaxing, Elena finally reaches out and touches it.  She is getting braver every day.

There is also a massive aquarium full of turtles and other marine life in addition to some crocs.  Loved it!

Thursday:

Good morning.  Miss Elena is treated to breakfast on a tray on her lap while watching her new favorite show:  Winx.  Lucky her.

Meanwhile, Miss Malea needs to get clean.  It is definitely bath time.  I so love playing with her after her bath.  She laughs and giggles with such delight and is willing to stay put and play.  At most other times, she has places to go, people to see, and things to do.

When we returned from the Dallas Zoo the other day, we had stopped at Chick Fil A for lunch and Elena's kids meal came in this little bag.  As we were cleaning up this morning, we discovered that it has "jewels" in it for bedazzling.  Well obviously that needs to be our next project.

Mister asks if we are going to put out the scarecrows this year and although I had forgotten them, it sounds like a wonderful idea.  We ask if the girls want to help and we blow Elena's mind when Grandpa pulls down the steps to the attic.  It takes her several attempts to get brave enough to climb all the way to the top but once she does, there is no stopping her and she is in full help mode.

The totes are brought down and we get to putting all my scarecrows up on the porch and inside the house.  We even add a couple of "Halloween" decorations to make it more festive.  It truly is way more fun when there are little people participating with joy in their eyes and their wonderful little voices saying, "I can do it."  Love every minute of it.

What to do?  What to do?  How about a quick trip to the park?  I get all smiles with that suggestion so let's go.

LOVE this shot.  It's not the clearest, but it is pure.

But, perhaps this one is better yet.  Such REAL fun.

Hmmmn . . . "Whatcha doin' Gammy?"  She is enroute back to the slide again.  Slides are definitely her favorite at the park.

Friday:

It is a pretty day and we have decided to head down to the arts district for a little fun today.  Come along and play with us please.

First stop is Klyde Warren Park.  This new park is built over the highway and has become a major attraction here in Dallas.  It was a long project to get built, but oh so worth it.  We park at the DMA and walk over to the park and the girls are quickly in hot pursuit of the playground.  Well, at least Elena is - Malea would really like to get out of the stroller and run as well but I just push a little quicker.

Yes, Rhiana, she has been told to stop at the corner.

Elena LOVES the roundabout and it doesn't take long for Malea to join in.  I am standing ready to jump at all times fearing that she will get to close to the edge, but she stays in the center the whole time.  Elena, on the other hand, moves around and climbs everywhere.  This is one item in which she never seems to show any fear or need to be "brave."

Fun is had by all and we are definitely kept on the run.  We have to laugh as one grandma tries repeatedly to get her grandson to play on the roundabout and he just won't do it.  She finally asks me how old Malea is and then shrugs in exasperation and says her grandson is 2 1/2.  

The park has a great water feature and even though the girls would love to get in it, it is not THAT warm out and we didn't bring a change of clothes so they have to be content just playing around it.

We take a little snack break and then are on our way down the road to the Perot Museum of Science and Nature.  It is several blocks away but not a bad walk at all.  It's an even easier walk for the girls as Malea is in the stroller and Elena finds her own transportation mode -- Grandpa.

The Perot has a wonderful Children's Museum and the girls are off and playing instantly.  I take a seat near Malea as she plays with the flowers for a long time.  She loves taking them out of the hole and putting them right back in.  Elena, on the other hand makes a beeline for the craft area.

There are blocks to build:

Markets to shop in, conveyor belts to operate, and trucks to drive.  They are having such a good time and we have not received a single complaint or even request for a drink.  It is so fun to watch their enjoyment at each and every station.

We discovered a campground so Malea and I set up camp while Elena cooked us a fish dinner.

The day is passing quickly and we know our little charges will not be sweet much longer so it is time to leave the children's area and check out other parts of the museum.  Let's go.

We find an area when you can race against any number of competitors: dinosaurs, cheetahs, Olympic sprinters, etc.  Elena choose a female runner and away she goes.  Yay!

She wants to try again and I decide to run with her.  BAAAAD decision.  My shoe catches on the fake turf and down I go, cracking a rib.  Ugh.  Time to go home.

What is every single childs favorite thing to do:  unload cabinets and drawers of course.  Malea is no exception and has a great time while Mister makes dinner.

Uncle Scott and Aunt Cassie have brought home a giant coloring book for Elena and they settle in playing but it isn't long before Malea discovers that they are having fun without her.  She finishes up with the dishes and makes a beeline over to help color.  Fun day.

Saturday:

I read about a fun pumpkin patch in Flower Mound and want to take the girls there this morning so we are up and moving pretty early.  It is a good thing because when we arrive it is not totally packed yet, but there is a steady stream of cars following us in.  There are bounce houses, pumpkins, face painting, cut-outs, pumpkins, hay rides, mazes, trains, and more pumpkins.  This looks like fun.

I like this one Gammy

Or maybe this one

Nope, I found the one I want

Time for the hayride -- standing in line.

Loving time with these girls:

Time for a corn dog --- soooo good.  Grandpa LOVES corny dogs and they were so expensive at the fair this year that he didn't get one.  They are reasonably priced here and he returns to the table with several to share - oh, and a Dr. Pepper to give Gammy some energy to keep going, lol.

There is a roundabout near the table and Elena asks to go play while Malea finishes.  There are bigger kids playing so I go along and supervise so that she doesn't get hurt.  The older boys have it spinning sooooo fast.  I make her sit and this other girl takes it upon herself to keep an eye out for Elena.  So sweet.

She wanted to be a big girl and go all by herself.

Malea LOVED the little pumpkins and made friends everywhere she went.  She kept handing him one pumpkin after another.

This day has been so much fun, but it is time to go and we have very tired little girls.  Since it is quite a drive home, we are hoping for naps along the way.

As far as pumpkin patches go, this one is fantastic.  It was $5.00 to park and after that, everything was free except the food.  The girls had a great time and I would certainly come back here again with kids of all ages.  Perhaps just me and Mister.

We were right and the girls slept the whole way home so I ask Elena if she would like to help me make some cookies for Grandpa.  I guess that was a no brainer.  Oh, and yes, Malea wants to help too.

We are making Gingersnaps and it requires rolling the dough into little balls.  We have a lesson and soon she is on her way - rolling the balls and then rolling the balls in sugar.  She never complains or gets tired and we get through the entire batch wonderfully.  As they bake, she turns on the oven light and watches.  Waay too fun.  As soon as we have some baked, she gets a taste and then takes milk and cookies to Grandpa who is in the office working.  Made his day.

Sunday:

We are up for staying close to home today and yet still need to find something to do.  Oh, I know, let's walk over to the school and play for awhile.

Malea finds a slide just her size that doesn't require any help on either end.  She is oh so happy.

Elena meets Lily and they play together while I talk with her mom, Claire.  After a short time, Claire asks if Elena can come over that afternoon so the girls can play.  They are new in the neighborhood and her daughters have not made many friends yet.  I ask Elena about it and she definitely wants to so I agree, we set a time, and I get an address.  On our way home from the park, Elena and I take the alley as a shortcut to try and beat Grandpa home.  We are running and I start to worry about falling again as we start down the hill.  I warn Elena to stop and walk as I do the same.  She proclaims that "I'll be okay Gammy," and promptly falls, hurting her arms and hitting her forehead on the rocks.  Oh Yay - I was so hoping not to damage any grands this trip.

The girls have a great time together and I pick up a beautiful princess a couple of hours later.  What fun for Elena who has been stuck with adults for quite awhile now.  Old adults at that. (Second picture compliments of Claire.)

Mister goes out to the back and discovers that the garage door has broken.  I walk out to see if I can help --- BIG MISTAKE.  I use the door from the sewing studio and step down oh so wrong.  Pain, pain, pain.  I have really messed up my ankle and am just praying that it is not broken.  Mister and Scott take me into the house and get me settled in.  I won't be walking anytime soon.  Ugh.

Monday:

Here is my day - blurry picture, but check out the size of my ankle.  I don't leave the room all day.  Cass and Scott find me some crutches to get to the bathroom with and Mister takes over with the girls.  They have a quiet day at home playing with toys and watching movies.  Double Ugh.

End of Week Two -- Good until the very end.