Silly Chili: April 2011

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Texas Spring break #7 - In the car

The kids were warriors. We drove all the way from Fort Worth past St. Louis on day one of the trip home. The storm we drove through spawned multiple tornadoes. The kids were a little crabby on the last leg Saturday, but who can blame them.

Texas Spring Break #6 - Ft. Worth Zoo

The Fort Worth Zoo is way cool. Elliot found $4 on the floor of the parrot exhibit and bought he and Nata feeding sticks for the parrots. Good kid. Cheap parents.

Texas Spring Break #5 - Japanese Gardens

We headed north to Fort Worth to hang with Aunt Bean and our old buddies. The Japanese Gardens are real purty.

Texas Spring Break #4 - Zilker Park

Fletcher loves the train ride at Zilker Park in Austin. He's no fool. It is sweet.

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Texas Spring Break #3 - Bastrop

Many other things happened in Austin, but a big one was our overnight trip to Bastrop State Park. We went for a great sunset hike. Fletcher did a super job of sleeping after he got over the excitement of sleeping next to his Da-Da, hearing crickets and road noise, and kicking the side of the tent. The kid is a natural.

Texas Spring Break #2 - Austin

We stopped in Hillsboro for lunch and found a sweet park with a long, fast slide. Once we got to town we headed to dinner at Joe's up the street from D and Valerie's. Getting the kids home took all of D's cat herding skills.

In the am, EBD and Valerie were under the weather so D, FDDS, Nata and I went to the local farm to see baby chicks.

Texas Spring Break #1 - Cooper Lake State Park

Soon after reaching Texas, we decided to look for a place to camp. Dad wanted to get away from the interstate so we did our best to follow our phones to the nearest state park. Once we were good and lost, we stopped for directions in Sulphur Bluff. The nice men at the gas station that took only cash directed us to the cows across the street from their filling station and then to Cooper Lake State Park.

Despite the fact that the lake is 8' low, it was quite beautiful. A storm spawning tornadoes came through in the night. For a kid who practically grew up in a tent, Julie does not do well when people plant fears in her head (bears, tornadoes, etc.).

In the morning, the kids gathered up a dozen ladybugs and a big furry caterpillar to bring on the drive to Austin. On the way, my greatest fears were realized when the bugs all escaped and we were racing across Texas with ladybugs flying all over the car. On the plus side, we had no aphid problems for the rest of the trip. The caterpillar was never seen again.