Mother's Day

I had the very best Mother's Day weekend. I seriously couldn't imagine a better weekend spent with my sweet family. We headed down to Houston on Saturday to do some exploring around Hermann Park. There is a peddle boat rental place that I've been wanting to cross off my list for awhile, so I was happy to finally check it out. It was a beautiful day for it too. For the second stop on our adventure we walked through the park until we stumbled upon the butterfly museum. We brought the kiddos here once before, but it was over three years ago so it was a much more enjoyable experience for them now that they are older. The butterfly museum is basically this giant dome shaped green house and the butterflies flutter freely all around. It's pretty cool, very rainforest-esque and super humid. The kids have been learning about butterflies in school, we raised caterpillars at home, and now after this butterfly museum I think I'm tapped out on butterflies for awhile. They are very majestic creatures though. We had a really fun time! 

We were all ready for lunch after the museum, so I found a place nearby called Little Matt's. My preference would have been Mexican food (duh) but when I pulled this place up on Google, I knew we could not pass it up. Their website made it seem like the coolest kid hang out ever and it definitely lived up to the expectation from the moment we arrived.The first thing that caught my eye was the candy bar spread across their front counter with a magnitude of variety. Potentially a parent's worst nightmare, but from a kid's perspective it was heavenly. They had an icee machine and free ice cream for kids. I'm realizing now it basically sounds like I'm describing Chukee Cheese, but just trust me, it is so much cooler than that. It definitely has a funky/hip vibe and all the employees were so incredibly friendly and attentive. The menu is surprisingly impressive, including a lot of diverse options and they have an incredible amount of sauce selections. And an arcade!!! You're probably thinking okay sure, arcade, yeah yeah yeah, but it's legit. The claw machine isn't rigged like all those other money-robbing-crap-chain-places. Max won four silly animals from that game!!! He was so proud of  himself! And I was proud too --- you may not know this, but my dad is actually a claw machine master, although he claims it is all natural ability. I was lucky enough to inherit this unique talent from my dad and I am happy to pass on this valuable skill to yet another generation. :) Hahaha! Okay so my description of Little Matt's got a little extensive, but the last thing I need to mention is the story behind how the restaurant got started --- "An idea that came alive from a difficult time as my son was fighting cancer for the second time in his life; an idea of bringing families together in my West University community to witness and provide kindness, faith, love, and hope to all. Little Matt's was born, 4 years ago today; not for profit, but to provide support to many in need while dealing with a childhood illness." Oh my gosh. Grab me the tissues!!! It makes me love the place even more. I'm a sucker for anything sweet and sappy. 

Okay. Moving on. We stopped at this adorable park after lunch right around University Boulevard in Houston. It's a really quaint little area. We decided it would definitely be our 'hood if we ever decided to become true Houstonians aka city slickers. But that will never happen because I watch way too much crime TV. However, I do love discovering new neighborhoods in Houston because there are still so many I have never visited. The park was the last stop on our Saturday adventure before we headed home. It was the perfect day for me. I'm appreciative of Kirk because I know walking around all day isn't exactly his idea of fun after a long week at work and it was definitely a lot of walking, especially for the shorter legs in the group. I miss my kids being babies sometimes, but I am also embracing this newish stage of having increasingly "big" kids. We don't have to bother with diapers, carriers, or strollers anymore. It turns out life is a lot easier without the nursery on wheels. It's all about lathering on the sunscreen and distributing fruit snacks these days!

First thing Sunday morning the kiddos headed into the kitchen with Kirk for what seemed like forever. They wouldn't allow me to get out of bed and I was beginning to feel like a prisoner in my own bedroom! They finally greeted me with breakfast in bed, flowers, and a sweet card. Lyla was in charge of delivering the coffee for some reason and from the moment she entered the door I watched in horror as the coffee splashed out of the sides of the cup with each step she took. Hahahahaha it was actually really really funny. I couldn't decide whether to tell her to stop or hurry up because either way it was already a disaster, but she was so giddy about her delivery it was impossible to say anything. It probably wasn't the best idea to let her be in charge of the coffee, but luckily the coffee came right out of the carpet and my white comforter was left unharmed. Haha! I will never forget the image of Lyla, wide eyed, walking across my bedroom as the coffee splashed all over. She was too excited to stop walking even though she knew she was spilling it.

We spent the rest of the day in the pool. Charli, Jeremy, & Hali came over and Kirk grilled for lunch. It was great to hang out all together and it was another day of much happiness. That evening I fell asleep on the couch while snuggling and watching a movie with my babies. My heart felt so full the entire weekend. I am one lucky momma! 

Three of Max's favorite things --- bbq sauce, quarters, and icees!!! 

My Name Is...

The Children's Museum has become one of our frequent daytime activities since moving to Texas. It's the perfect place for us to spend some time when the weather makes it difficult to play outside. I can remember taking Lyla there with just the two of us when she was still a wobbly walker. We couldn't spend more than five minutes in each station before she would wonder off to the next. And Maxwell started his museum adventures as a sleeping baby in a carrier and now he runs around like he owns the place. It is yet another example of how our dynamic has evolved and [for once] it isn't one I'm crying about. We have a lot of fun at the museum. They are at the prime age to enjoy all it has to offer!

The pictures below are from our most recent visit. I always enjoy watching Lyla as she makes friends wherever we go, whereas when she was younger it was nothing more than just playing alongside with other kids. This week I noticed she was connecting with a little girl very well as they bounced around from the grocery store to the fire station together. I've been talking to Lyla a lot lately about introducing herself and asking for a name upon meeting new friends. She's becoming quite familiar with that common exchange, but on that particular day as we were leaving she said "I didn't want to tell my new friend my name today." Puzzled, I asked her why. It totally was not what I was expecting when she said "because people always say why-wuh" --- which is because that is how Lyla pronounces her own name, including when she introduces herself to other people. Haha! It appeared her feelings were a combo of being bummed out and annoyed. It's a sad day when you don't want to share your name because you haven't quite mastered the 'L' sound yet. I almost feel guilty for still thinking it's so cute!

*Please note: This is our local Children's Museum and not the giant one located in Houston.