Time With Jared - Days 3 & 4

The weather is a little cooler today so we get up and get an early start to the zoo.  I love it when the animals are active and that happens early in the day and on milder temperature ones.  Our first stop is at the lemurs.  They are out and enjoying the morning.  No fighting today -- although that certainly does provide some great entertainment.

From there, we move down to Primate Place and the monkeys are out and playing in every enclosure.  Their colors and markings fascinate me and several of them have babies out as well, although fairly well hidden.

You can tell Mister is the better photographer (as if you had any doubts, lol) as he has managed to get the fencing almost out of his picture (below).  The one above (mine), on the other hand, has it all over the place.

One of the places here that I want to take Jared is Lorikeet Landing.  I think he will enjoy it and it appears it was a correct assessment on my part.

We no sooner get in the door and we have birds all over us.  Oh my, they certainly do want that lovely little cup of nectar that we have.  See my face?  I am being bitten - in the same place - over and over until I get a blood blister out of the deal.  It hurt.

Jared has such a good time with the various lorikeets.  There are several types in the aviary -- including a few that have cross bred, making an interesting color scheme.  They are little little performers seeking the adoration of their audience and will come back over and over to be rewarded simply for being pretty.  One finds Jared's ear to be especially appealing and tickles it repeatedly.  The keeper tells us that this particular bird is known for ear tickling and will do it every time an opportunity is presented.

"Hey there -- are you paying attention to me?"

Even long after our nectar is depleted, the birds keep Jared company.  While he squats down on the ground, they climb all over him and he is not able to move due to the one trying to get into the small spot between the soles of his shoes.  It provides a wonderful little cave area.  The ear tickler is back and the two in front are really trying to get the pocket open.  Too fun.

We are in the Koala Walkabout section of the zoo so we leave the lorikeets and visit the emu.  Again, Jared is a hit as the bird is VERY interested in him.  It just doesn't want him to know that there is interest so he looks at Jared sideways.  They are seriously only about a foot apart here and if fingers were put between the panes, I'm pretty sure they would be tasted.

After a visit with the koalas (certainly can't take Mister this close to them and not see them) in which Tekin is active and awake for a change, we make a loop back towards the entrance passing the giant tortoise along the way.  Now "I" have to stop.

They are also active and on the move.  There is a mud pit at the end of their enclose and this guy was on his way to it when his attention was diverted and a small attempt was made to go through the posts.  Nope, not gonna happen.  He soon turned and was back on his way to the cool mud.

The habitat also includes a small wading pond and this smart lady is enjoying the benefit of a cool soak topped off with a refreshing spray.  It looks very inviting -- wish I could join in.

As we are leaving the tortoise, I can hear that the Wings of Wonder show has started and tell Jared to run over.  We follow behind and Jared takes a seat down in the sun to watch the show.  Well, I am interested also, but find some shade to sit in.  Is he nuts?  After the show, he is able to go down and talk with the trainer and see the owl up close.  The owl is a bit camera shy though and I take several pictures but he turns his head each time.

After Jared leaves and climbs back up to Grandpa, THEN the owl looks at me and lets me take a picture.  Figures.

It is time for the Giants of the Savannah.  Gotta see the elephants and giraffes.  A visit to the zoo is not complete without a stop here.  When we arrive, the elephant encounter is taking place and Jared goes over to hear what the keeper is saying.  She gets the elephant to trumpet and I absolutely love it.  Each time I come here, I am treated to new things.  They have also put up a huge water jet and are spraying the animals.  There is a happy girl right away and she just stands and basks in the coolness of it.  Great shot Mister.

From the elephants, we walk down to feed the giraffes.  This is a highlight for all -- young and old.  I don't think I visit without stopping to see the big black tongues.

Jared's hand.

Such fun.

As we leave the Savannah, it seems as though every child on the planet needs to climb on the elephants.  Today is no different and it is a perfect end to our day.  Love the zoo.

The heat has officially struck and the a/c in the car feels dang good as we head home.  Once there, it is quiet time and the puzzle gets brought out.

After a short break, Jared asks to walk over to the school and play a bit.  Now, never let it be said that I am not one to get in there and play.  Heck, I am even willing to post this horrible, no-good, very bad picture to prove it.

The moods of Jared.  All within a minute.  Whew.

This has been a great day.  We have a busy one scheduled for tomorrow as well so it's time for tired grandparents to rest.  Night.

When asked what he wanted to do this week, Jared had requested a day at the Summer Adventures at Fair Park.  Since it is such a good deal and a ton of fun, we are happy to oblige.  The only drawback this time around is that there is only one child, meaning one of us will have to ride more.  I'm pretty sure it is not going to be me.

First stop, as always, is the Texas Star.  This one I can ride.

I think it bothers Grandpa more than me and I remember how nervous it made Jon.  It is another pretty day here in Dallas and once again, we are the only people on the wheel.  What is wrong with people here?  I cannot believe they are missing out on this activity at this price.  They will be paying $10.00 each to ride this during the fair and people will line up for hours to do so.  Nuts.  The price for our ENTIRE day today will be $15.00 -- everything included.  Rant over, moving on.  Time for Grandpa to ride.

The log ride I can handle so after taking the picture, I climb in between the two of them and we start our bumpy float.
When we get to the top, Jared hides as much of his body as he can behind the front cushion, scrunching down as much as possible and still see what is happening.  He is pretty elated that he doesn't get wet.

It is my turn for a ride with my grandson and I select the spook house.  It is a permanent ride here and I love it.  I especially love the exit where the worker holds a very ugly hand in front of your face.  Oh my, did Jared every scream.  Way too funny.  Mister watched the whole thing totally prepared with his camera.

All three of us play in the bumper cars and then I let Mister handle the dang boat.  Jared comes off the boat ride saying it is evil.  Grandpa's look indicates that his stomach might think the same thing.


 It doesn't slow them down though and they take on the very next ride laughing as Jared is not able to stay off Grandpa.

The bubble house is a big hit as well, although Jared says he fell down inside and that is the reason he is so covered.  I think perhaps there could be a fib there.  Next up is the Tower of Texas and we have to wait while it drops down.

Jared occupies himself playing golf until he spots us in the hammocks and then decides a rest looks good as well.  Then angle that I took the picture of Mister at makes him look like he has the biggest feet ever.  Ha ha.

It is really starting to heat up and I am ready for a little break.  There is a cat show about to begin and I ask Jared if that sounds good.  He is ready for it and away we go.

It's a pretty decent show as far as trained domestic house cats go.  It is very hard to catch them in action, but in one act one of the cats climbed about 25 feet up a pole and then jumped into a blanket that two people were holding out.  I know that takes trust as most cats won't even think about landing on something that is not solid.  In the picture to the left, the cat is rolling the ball along a plank and then returning with it.  Not sure I could do that if I consider the size relationship.

Jared is hot on the trail for the roller coaster next.  It is all he has talked about for the past hour and he cannot be refused any longer.  When I rode it with Jon and Jacob, I learned how rough this coaster is and I decide that I do not wish a repeat experience so Grandpa and Jared are off.  When they finish their ride, Jared wants to go again and he is told he has to go alone.  That doesn't faze him even a little -- actually he is excited and thrill.  He is the only person on the coaster.  Again -- so odd.  Check out this grin.

They are onto the swings and then we all took a calm ride on the carousel.  It is another permanent ride here and was built somewhere between 1914 and 1924.  It has the original wooden horses and has been here since 1951.  Pretty cool, but perhaps a little too tame for Jared.  His cheeks are getting pretty red -- time to go indoors and get some relief from the sun.

Our package today includes a trip to the Children's Aquarium and since this is always a hit - off we go.  First stop:  the rays and a chance to pet them.  It is something that I never tire of and I always have to put my hands in the water.  Mister too.  It's just fascinating to me --- and always takes me back to a trip in the Caribbean where I sat on a sandbar out in the ocean and fed wild ones.  Love them.

Continuing through the building, we make a stop at the touch tank.  The chance to see wonderful creatures up close and to hold them is one of the best parts of this place.  The attendants are so helpful and always take the time to teach and answer questions.  Today there is a cool starfish to check out as well.  As we wander through the tank areas, we are able to see several types of marine life being fed.  We go from tank to tank and are treated with eels, octopus, and isopods all about and moving around their homes.

Mister takes a phone call so Jared and I make a run for the rays again as it is now feeding time.  With little fish in hand, Jared gets up close and personal with the rays.  In no time, he is out of food and Grandpa has joined us again.  What a cool shot of the face -- and the little fish in hand.  Yum.  Well, at least the ray thinks so -- they actually remind me of sardines.

We finish our time at the Aquarium and make one more stop across nearby.  The Discovery Garden Butterfly House is part of this package as well and I didn't get enough of them the last time I was here.

I try and grab a cute shot of Jared, but he really isn't into having his picture taken right now.  Can you tell?  I think he is starting to run out of energy.

Yep -- I was right.  Time to go home.

Ah -- one last look at my favorites - one enjoying a little snack.  Beautiful.

The other - just hanging out.  Great Morning.

The afternoon is spent at home cooling off, snacking, and watching Frankenweenie.  It was cute - definitely Tim Burton though.  We enjoy a nice dinner and play a few games before sleep overtakes us all.  Fun day.

Time With Jared - Days, 1 & 2

The day has arrived for our scheduled days with Jared.  Jen is driving to Denton to pick up Jon from another robotic camp and will be dropping Jared off late this afternoon while on her way.  Yay!  I am looking forward to this time alone with him.

We only have a few minutes to visit with Jen when she stops by as she is running late and it is still quite a distance to Denton in traffic.  Once she is off, we get Jared settled in and he shows me a craft project that he brought along.  Well, let's get going on it shall we?  I find a rolling pin and some parchment paper to work on -- now we are ready.



It is a clay magic kit and he gets down on the floor to roll out the base for his "creature".  Once he has the base coat on the ball, I help with opening little blobs of colored clay and get them rolled out as well.  Soon he is decorating away.  The end result:  a very colorful little monster.  This is a fun kit -- may have to pick up a couple of them to keep around the house for visitors.

After our mess is cleaned up, Mister makes "cocktails" for all (yep, Shirley Temple again) before dinner is ready.  Jared loves his drink and asks for several refills.

When dinner is complete and the dishes done, Uncle Scott takes Jared off to play for awhile before bed.

It has proved successful to let the grands help select the food we are cooking during their stay.  We need to get groceries for this week and our first stop is at Farmers Market for fresh fruits and vegies.  We love to buy local as much as we possibly can but all sheds are visited, especially for handouts along the way.  Jared is in melon heaven.

We find quite a few good deals and some unique ones as well.  The watermelon that he selects is a yellow one on the inside and oh so very sweet.  The blueberries are a steal at $1.00 a box and since we are out of jam, seems like a good afternoon activity.  Look at our haul -

We take a little time to sit back and play.  Jared spots the blocks in the back closet and asks for them to build for awhile.  When he finishes, I get out the Mancala game and Jared and I play a few games in which the grands retain their record of walloping Gammy.  Grandpa brings out a game he has had for many years and teaches Jared to play.  It looks interesting and I think I will challenge Mister to a game or two every now and then.

Aunt Cassie gets home from work and wants some nephew time as well so out comes the mancala board again.  I love the thought processes involved --- the facial expressions indicate that some strategizing is taking place.

While Cass and Jared play, I get everything set up for jam. Blueberries can make an awful mess so I round up aprons for all.  I start cleaning the berries and am joined by Jared to help pull stems.  Once the berries are all cleaned and washed, into the processor they go.  Now it's time to make the magic start working -- pectin -- the wonder powder.  After the required stir and wait time, we are ready to fill containers and Jared is in charge.

Aunt Cassie comes out to the kitchen to check on things and takes some of our jam and marks Jared's cheeks with it.  He is now the "Jam Master" (said like a super hero).

Six boxes of berries gave us thirteen containers and a little leftover for the fridge.  Doesn't that look good?  Time to put it in the freezer.

Grandpa and I ask Jared what movie he would like to see and he says, "Percy Jackson, Sea of Monsters."  Mister locates the theater near us with the best deal and away we go.  It is a good thing we get there early cos we might not have found a good seat otherwise.  Does this bode poorly for the movie?  Somehow I thought this movie had opened this weekend.  Hmmm.

The important part --- Jared loved the movie.  It was in 3D - even better.  Aunt Cassie provided popcorn and soda and he was one happy little camper the entire time.  All in all -- a good day.

A Very Quick Trip to Billings - Rhiana Bday

It is Rhiana's birthday today and yesterday around 3 in the afternoon I thought it would be fun to fly up and do something fun for her and let her know that she is loved.  I arrived in Billings around midnight, was picked up by Becca when she got off work around 1, and crashed until 7.  Becca and I then stopped at the store for a few supplies that I needed and she dropped me off at Rhiana's a little after 8.  I now have about 3 hours to put something together to surprise her during her lunch.

When I walk in, Elena is so excited that it warms my heart.  The first thing she tells me is, "today is my mommy's birthday."  I say, "yes it is and that is why I am here."  I then explain to her what we are going to do and we get to work.  She is my constant little shadow as we go from task to task.  Malea is only around for about 5 minutes and then heads to bed for a nap.  Dang.

First things first.  We have flowers that need to be taken care of and so with some help from Elena, I locate a vase and we make the food and cut the flowers.  I then let Elena do all the arranging and she does a great job of it.

Next thing we need to do is start the fruit pizza.  Rhiana has always requested this for her birthday instead of cake -- I am hoping she still feels the same way.  We slice the cookies for the crust and put it in the overn.  Now to make the "sauce" and put it in the refrigerator to chill.  That means it is time to lick the beater.  Of course that job falls to Miss Elena.

Now to start cutting the fruit so that we can put this pizza together as soon as the crust cools.  Again, my great little helper gets started but she gets sidetracked easily by eating the fruit as quickly as she is putting it on the cookie crust.  I don't blame her -- it all looks so good.  She finds the can of mandarin oranges and as soon as we have all we need on the pizza -- well she finishes that can right off.

As soon as the pizza is finished, we set everything up and take a quick picture.  Mister has sent a framed picture of the girls along as our gift and everything looks wonderful.  I sure hope she likes it.

Now that the work is done, I have about an hour to play with Elena before Matt picks me up.  She asks me to go out back and play tag.  Really?  Goodness.  Okay, let's go but I have to take the camera along.

We grab a couple of pictures together and then she takes my camera and wanders around taking pictures with it.  I thought I bought her a camera -- hmmm.  As awful as this picture is, I kept it because Elena took it of me and that is a rare treat.

After a few rounds of tag, I ask Missy if she will pose for a couple of shots for me.  She is more than happy to oblige.

Brittanie, the girls' nanny, wants to curl her hair to get her ready for Mommy.  Once that is finished, we go back out to play again and grab a few more pictures.

I am not sure how helpful I am with keeping her hair nice.  She laid down and I kept reaching down to grab her; resulting in the next three pictures in sequence.

LOVE THIS ONE!

Unfortunately, my time is over and Rhiana is on her way home so that Elena can do her birthday surprise.  Matt picks me up, takes me over to his house for a quick lunch and a few minutes with Hyrum and Zyra before taking me back to the airport for a 1:30 flight.

Zyra poses for me when I take the camera out.  And I do mean poses.  One would think she is a model.  Way too cute.

Is that not just the best smile ever?

It is also Matt and Becca's anniversary, so I give a little gift to them as well and after a wonderful lunch, I am on my way.

I land back in Dallas 24 hours after I left.  Whew.  Mister picks me up and since it is a Tuesday, we make a stop down at the Bottle Shop for empanadas and a beer.  Much needed.  It is time to wind down.  I have been a moving unit since I left but had so much fun and such quality time with Elean.  I cannot wait to do it another time and perhaps get that one on one with a different grandchild.