There are two trips a year to a doctor that I actually look forward to believe it or not. Because we are based in nowhere land and I, um, "passed" on the o.n.e. dermatology doctor in this town who took my insurance I have to travel two hours away at least twice a year to see the acceptable dermatologist. This means two things - I have to travel two hours one way and I get reimbursed to ride to a town with out-of-this-world shopping and eating! So I figured out more then a year ago that if Cowgirl could get a sitter for her kids and Nate could watch the girls I could have a companion on this trip. Cowgirl was all in and if you only knew the extremes we have gone to to make this work you would either be a mom or you have participated in these extremes for us. These visits are typically, precisely, 6 months apart and they are on our calendars that far in advance.
So, about a month or so ago I get an email from my mom who hasn't seen her grand-babies in almost 5 months (a record I am sure) to see if we could meet her in Dallas this past weekend for a rendezvous on her way back from a business trip to Seattle? Is it so bad to admit that I actually had to think about this for like more then just a minute? Yes, this was the weekend planned 6 months ago and Cowgirl and I had even planned an overnight! Like double shopping days...with NO kids! But as we all know, time with Meme and Popi will outweigh anything except shopping for mommy who has no clothes for her 5 year old for summer because she planned to buy them on this trip because we live in nowhere land.
So, I have this one condition that I have to go to the doctor and then I HAVE to shop. Oh my how excited she seemed about this prospect. You know, no mom around to "regulate" anything with the kids or question or say, um, no occasionally. As we all know that word does not exist in the grandparent vocabulary. So, her only request was to set up some stuff to do with the girls, which I was happy to do for them. So, we got all primped to go to Dallas...
Let's see...the girls would LOVE to "eat" at American Girl, which just happens to be located above the store with the five thousand doll items. Yes, this most definitely sounded like a Meme kind of place. We could test her "no" skills...you know what I mean if you have been in that store.
Well, let's see that was not going to last forever so in my attempt to book the train from Grapevine to Fort Worth I noticed that Legoland was opening the week before we were to be there. Yes, no train but we can go to Legoland. So, off we went from American Girl to Legoland while Mommy would shop. You must have a ticket to enter so I only got a few shots from the outside. They were in there for almost three hours of constant entertainment and pure fun! They LOVED LOVED LOVED this!
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| These were the animal balloons that came after the train and carousel rides, oh and Legoland??? |
As we crawled to our car that night I could not imagine how we were going to rest enough for a full day of fun at the zoo the next morning. We somehow managed some rest and after meandering through the craziness of the Dallas construction we made it to the Fort Worth Zoo!
Let me just say, the zoo plus 80+ degree weather is not for the weak at heart, especially since the 5 year old was the most tired and needed to ride in the stroller? Where was her father might you ask...working...and then well...
not "exactly" working, although he would tell you this is work!
Here I will take a moment to promote a lifesaving product...it will save your sanity, patience, and many more of those annoying endearing moments that you so much look forward to on long trips with your kids. Books on audio...I checked these out from the local library and they are like MP3 players. You plug in your headphones and SILENCE!
I am stopping now because I know you are half way out the door to the library already...you are welcome!
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