Sesame Place

Last night I watched a new episode of my favorite show - Jon and Kate plus 8. For those of you who don't watch , it's a show that follows a family with twin girls and sextuplets in their day-to day-lives. I LOVE IT!

Anyway...in last night's episode, they took the kids to Sesame Place in Pennsylvania. It's a children's theme park with a Sesame Street theme. Does anyone remember the Sesame Place that used to be in Irving? I went when I was 5, maybe 6, and here is the picture to prove it.

That's me and my brother in Oscar the Grouch's trash can. No, we are NOT naked. It was also a water park and we are in our swim suits. My sister is in the can next to us, and that is my dad with the crazy hair and my grandmother holding my sister's favorite stuffed toy, "RRRRRRabbit!". I don't know those poorly dressed kids on the steps but I am almost certain that I owned jellies identical to those that the girl is wearing.

I searched the Internet for pictures of the old park, but couldn't find any. I did better. I found an Oakridge Boys video that was taped there. The song is called Thank God for kids. I watched it without sound and it was bearable. If you want to get a feel for what the park looked like, check it out.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=6ol46MKHhdM

(sorry, embedding this video was not allowed)

Top three creepy things about this video:

1. The guy with the knee-length beard who jumps at the kids near the beginning.

2. The guy who hides behind the Mickey Mouse face and then pops out at the kids. What is Mickey Mouse doing at Sesame Place anyway?

3. The guy who sets the boy's head down on his lap and strokes his hair.

Shame on me

Shame on me for letting so many pictures sit in my camera. I'm sorry it took so long to share them (and the stories that go with) on this blog.

Right before we left for Mexico we got new neighbors. You know us - we introduced ourselves and just kept inviting them over so that we could get to know them. Welcome Melissa and Josh (and Max, Lola's new friend).

Lola, me, Max and Melissa

Only July 3rd some friends came over, we cooked out and hung out in the garage. Typical yet tons of fun. We bought "ladder ball" at Wal-Mart for $20 and it was a great investment. I'll post more about that later.

Michelle, The Ticket's own Chris, Kody and Jeni

Melissa, Jodie, Max and Sara. Max made friends with everyone very quickly.

Neighbors - me, Sara and Melissa

On the way to watch fireworks, we are headed down 377 in Haltom City. There is not a mall - or even a strip mall with a Target or Bed Bath and Beyond for miles. I look over and what do I see? A Steve & Barry's - Freddy's favorite store. It was so oddly placed that we had to go back the next day to verify that it was in fact the same Steve and Barry's that is normally found in a mall. It was.

S&B is Freddy's favorite store for one reason - everything in there is $8.95. Sadly, that same week we learned that they filed for bankruptcy and would be closing. It was a sad day for my frugal husband.

You be the judge. Is it oddly placed?

This was the third year in a row for our July 4th tradition - Subway and fireworks with Sara, Austin and Lola. The first year there were more neighbors, but they have since all moved away, but now we have Josh and Melissa.

Lola was mesmerized by the fireworks.

The next weekend we went to the wedding of some dear friends - Lance and Kyla. Their wedding was beautiful - antique romance with just the right amount of personal touches. We are so happy for them!

And with weddings, of course, is the gathering of friends.

What a busy weekend that was. The next day I helped host a baby shower for my college friend and sorority sister, Kimmy. I am looking forward to watching her be a mother - she is going to do an incredible job.

The shower theme was "cupcake". Isn't this cake amazing?!

I would like to take a moment to brag on my AMAZING husband. He bought me flowers. Just because. I love him SO MUCH!

1 down, 29 to go

10. Take an IQ Test - Check

Why is "take an IQ test" on my thirty by thirty list? Even I'm not quite sure. I guess I just thought that it would be interesting to a. find out what kind of questions are actually ON and IQ test and b. to find out what I would score.

I wanted to take an "official" one, but opted for http://www.iqtest.com/ for several reasons.

1. It was free
2. It only took a few minutes and didn't require me to go somewhere to take the test
3. Results are immediate
4. I couldn't find information for taking an offical test anywhere online

So, how did I do? I won't tell. I think that an IQ score is personal - like your weight.

Visit the site and check it for yourself!

On another note - Freddy is going to borrow from his dad all the tools we need for me to change my oil all by myself, so stay tuned for that official checking-off-the-list post.

What am I going to do with myself this weekend? I am going to meet Freddy's mom for a movie (Mama Mia), lunch and pedicures. It should be a very relaxing Saturday.

Stay Hard, P1's

Last summer I assisted in the management of a week-long event that involved daily remotes with Sports Radio 1310 The Ticket. Ever since then I have been a loyal listener (aka a P1).

When I learned that Big Brothers Big Sisters would once again be teaming up with The Ticket for our First Annual Big Bro Drive, I was beyond excited. All four shows came out to broadcast live from our office lobby and encourage listeners to stop by and sign up to be a Big . I managed the first half of the day from 4 am until noon, but decided to stick around for my favorite show, the afternoon show, The Hardline.

Around 5:00 I asked Mike and Corby if I could take a picture with them and they said yes.

The next week my co-worker Sara presented me with a gift; a thank you for my help with the event. I could feel it was a picture frame and just knew it was the picture I had taken with them. I was wrong. It was better.

After I left, Sara (knowing that I LOVED them) asked them if she could take a picture of them in my cubical. I had previously mentioned to Sara that I planned on asking them for a picture but wanted it to be unique so I was going to ask them to take the picture with me in my cubie. But I chickened out and Sara surprised me with this picture. It now sits on my desk – framed.

FYI – my desk isn’t normally that cluttered and doesn’t usually have that many boxes. Give me a break – I had an event and I had been there since 4 am!

Ready or not...

I did it. I have finally completed (as in MADE) my Thirty By Thirty List – a list of thirty things that I want to do before I turn the big 3-0 on May 10, 2010.

Like I said in an earlier post, I heard about a co-worker doing this a few years back and thought it would be fun. Shelby was already making her list when I mentioned it to her, so it has been fun comparing lists. Some other co-workers have jumped on board, too. It is interesting to see what is different on each person’s list. I can’t wait to get started!

Without further ado, here is the list (in no particular order):

1. Change the oil in my car - completed
2. Run a half marathon
3. Start a Book Club - first meeting 3.2.10
4. Become CPR certified again - completed 2.13.10
5. Volunteer with Habitat for Humanity - completed 3.6.10
6. Learn how to play Texas Hold ‘Em - Completed
7. Learn how to drive a stick shift well enough to do it without someone else in the car
8. Visit a state I have never been - Completed Nov. 16, 2009 - NEVADA!
9. Complete a do-it-yourself home improvement project
10. Take an I.Q. test - completed
11. Donate blood - completed 7.17.09
12. Take a self-defense class - completed 7.11.09
13. Read the Bible cover-to-cover
14. Pick up the tab for someone in the US military and leave before they can thank me
15. Take a photography class - Completed
16. Host cocktail party
17. Start a family - completed March 13, 2009
18. Watch Sex and the City episodes in order and then watch the movie - completed 4. 30.09
19. Try a new cuisine - completed Oct. 16, 2009. Veitnamese food with Sara
20. Visit a site important to American history
21. Complete a comprehensive family health summary
22. This one is a secret until after I do it! - Completed Aug. 13, 2009. Surprised Freddy with trip to Vegas.
23. Work at the polls for an election -completed November 4, 2008
24. Learn about investing and do it!
25. Give someone a handmade gift - completed
26. Live a “greener” life - this is ongoing, but I have I'm feeling greener already
27. Cook a gourmet meal
28. Plan a family reunion
29. Go two months without buying clothes, shoes, jewelry or purses - completed! July and August 09
30. Write a children's book and submit if for publication.

So, what do you think?

Freddy likes to joke and say that this is his Thirty by Thirty list, too since he will have to be involved on several of these adventures.

Here we go…

Mexico - Day 4

Day 4 was basically our last day of vacation since day 5 was all traveling, but I think that Day 4 was by far the most fun.

We spent every day before this at the resort (the only exception being the night out in Playa), which was nice and relaxing but it was also fun to get out and explore.

Freddy and I decided that we would do one “excursion” and we would do it together. I had my heart set on visiting the Mayan ruins but I knew that wasn’t high on Freddy’s list – or Morgan’s who made it clear even before we left that he didn’t want to visit a “hole in the side of a mountain”. I know, I know. Please don’t comment that the ruins are not a hole in the side of a mountain because I know.

I found the perfect excursion – zip lines, repelling, snorkeling in a natural, underwater cave, lunch and then an hour and a half at the ruins. PERFECT! Just about everyone signed up for this excursion – me, Freddy, Morgan, Rachel, TJ, Kacie and Andrew. It was so much fun!

The bus ride through the jungle to the site was pretty much a rollercoaster ride. We were in the back of the van, so we were bounced around more than anyone. Had Freddy not guarded his head from the ceiling, he could have easily left there with a concussion.

Was I scared of the zip lines? Heck no! But I did almost get my teeth kicked out when I was taking a picture of Morgan coming in on the zip line.

Freddy on the zip line

Rachel on the zip line. She wore flip-flops, so she had to zip barefoot.

That's me!

Was I scared of the repelling? No, but I was nervous because I had never done it before and I was the one who determined how fast I went down. I opted for going down slowly. Apparently it was too slow because my guide offered to get a machete from his car to help me get down faster. Funny. Very funny.

Kacie repelling

The cave was beautiful (sorry, no pictures of us snorkeling), but it was also the coldest water I have ever been in, the rocks were sharp and hurt my feet and the bats creeped me out, but I still liked it.

Lunch was okay. Off to the ruins!

They were BE-A-UTIFUL! I can’t even describe them, so I will post pictures instead. Even though the pictures turned out really well, I still don’t think that they do the ruins justice.

Freddy decided that these were too small to be houses, so they had to be dog houses.

Where do you think we went after the excursion? You guessed it. Right back to the pool. I think this might have been the day that Hag smacked Freddy in the face with the water polo ball. Or maybe that was the day before.

Anyway…we hung out there for a few hours and then went to get ready for our last night out. We ALL went to dinner together and it was very nice.

Side note: Do you know someone who, no matter where they go, knows someone? That’s me. The last night there, as we are waiting to get in to the restaurant, I hear someone call my name. It was a friend from college. Small world!

After dinner we headed to the disco (that’s what they called it) , but it was closed. So we shopped. Those who were on the vacation know what happened when we shopped, but I promised me husband that I wouldn’t blog about it, so let your imaginations run wild. I will never tell!



Hag picked coconuts on our way back to our hotel. They weren’t ready to be picked, but he picked them none the less. Then the guys tried to smash them open (boys will be boys). When that didn’t work, they asked the bartender to cut it open for them and he did – with a machete I believe, but I could be wrong. Had and Andrew tasted the milk, but neither one liked it. Can’t say as though I would have either.

Poor Freddy. He dropped his drink.

A few more pictures and we were off to bed so that we could rise early the next morning and head back to Texas. More about the trip home later.

Mexico - Day 3

Sorry for the two week silence. Things have been busy and I have been lazy. Hey, at least I can admit it.

Day three of Mexico - let’s see if I can remember that far back.

Hmm….We slept in (of course) and then went and ate breakfast. I loved their French toast. I think that I had it every morning. What I didn’t have every morning was coffee. I like fancy coffee – cappuccinos, lattés, etc. There was a lady who made these fancy coffees, but the line was always long and I didn’t want to keep the rest of the group waiting so I only got a cappuccino one morning. The next morning I asked for a vanilla latte and got a cup of foamy milk with no coffee in it at all. The other bummer was that this coffee lady wasn’t around in the evenings.

We spent the morning at the beach again. Andrew tried to discreetly take pictures of a topless lady with my camera, but she caught on because she covered herself with a hat in all of the pictures! Ha ha, Andrew!

We road these things called aqua trikes – basically a big tricycle with huge plastic tires that float. Our chain had a skip in it, so I was over it in about two minutes.

You can kinda see the water trike in the background.

Then we headed back to our favorite spot – the pool by the Captain Morgan bar. Before heading to lunch, we went and got henna tattoos. I got a star on my wrist. I liked it in Mexico, but began to feel self-conscious about it at work, so I rubbed it off after a week.

getting my henna tattoo

It was off to the beach to take pictures (again) before dinner. My hair frizzed within two minutes of being outside. Aaaggghhh! I wasn’t too crazy about these pictures regardless, but I do like the scenery. For some reason, I think that Freddy I look cheesy when we “pose” together.

The rest of the night gets boring. We just wanted to relax so Hag, Kacie and Andrew all come to our room and we watched National Treasure II. I said it was boring! But it was nice to just relax for an evening. Morgan and Rachel came, too, but if I remember correctly they left early.

That is it for Mexico Day 3. Stay tuned for days 4 and 5 along with a post about things that I have done since Mexico. That one should be lots of fun! Oh, and I only need one more thing for my Thirty by Thirty list, so I bet that post will be up by the end of the week.