Getting Sav ready...gotta have her pigtails! Little Miss Independent wants to help Mommy with EVERYTHING. LOVE IT! (again, another "smile!" on command--looks a weeeee bit scary...but precious nonetheless! lol)
So funny when Mom and Dad are more excited about the adventure than the kids!...They are oblivious.
The Aquarium is AMAZING!!! The entire inside of the building is one huge rainforest--complete with a 40 foot waterfall that feeds into the "shark pit" below. It is all open as you walk down three different stories.
Here is some quick video
Ewww...as close as we'll ever get to swimming with the sharks!
Suz's arch-enemy...JELLYFISH! Sure, they are BEAUTIFUL...but I have a fear of these blubbery ghosts with all of their stinging venom-filled tentacles! (ICK!) I watched my brother get stung by a Portuguese Man-O-War when we were little and that just about did it for me!
A neat pic of another tunnel
We topped off the night with a nice birthday dinner at PF Chang's (courtesy of Paul and Kate!)--while Collin and Ashley offered to watch over the little ones as they slept! (completely grateful!)
Another HUGE thanks to ALL of you, friends and family, for making this weekend possible and absolutely amazing!!! WE LOVE YOU SO SO MUCH!!!
ALSO--quick question for all of you DFW folk--when we finally get the quads out & about, what are some cool places we should go? I pretty much got pregnant right after we moved here so we never got to really know the area. I don't even know any good parks where I live! I'd LOVE to hear any suggestions you may have!!! Thanks! ;) Happy Friday!
68 comments:
I teach first grade and our class went on a field trip to the Dallas World Aquarium last Friday! It was SOOOO packed we could barely walk through it all! It looks like Monday was much better! It was a good day for y'all to go!
We live near Frisco so we like watching the professional soccer games and at Pizza Hut Park! There is also a place called the Herd Natural Science Museum and Wildlife Sanctuary. I have never been there, but it looks neat! Here is the site, http://www.heardmuseum.org/. That's all I can think of right now! Have a GREAT weekend! :)
You guys are so stinkin' cute. It's not fair. I used to be young and cute. Okay, I used to be young...
Thanks for praying for Abby, Suz. Look forward to seeing you in the magazine on Monday.
Brent (Abby's Dad)
www.riggsfamilyblog.com
www.seriouslifemagazine.com
We evacuated to Irving, TX for Katrina with 2 year old twins in tow. I think there was a pretty cool park there, but I am not sure the name of it. We also spent a lot of time at the mall in Coppell or Carrollton, I think it was. They had a indoor play area that was awesome. I know this might not be much help, the details are fuzzy since it was so long ago.
The Botanic Gardens in Ft. Worth are really nice in the Spring. Only problem is you probably wouldn't want to take the stroller b/c there are lots of steps. Sooo...you might want to wait awhile - that's a good idea for when they're a little older. It has a butterfly exhibit that is really cool, and lots of space to run around so they'll take a great nap for you that day!! :)
Oh wait - one of our favorite things to do is the Forest Park Train. It's right before the Ft. Worth zoo on your left. It's about a 45 minute ride, and they stop in the middle where you can buy snacks and take lots of pictures. :) Our boys LOVE that train. Right now it's only open on weekends, but should be open during the week soon. They have a web site. Just Google it!
I just thought a few more things...
Grapevine has a train that you can ride! It is a lot of fun. It takes you to the Fort Worth Stockyards for lunch and walking around a little bit and then back to Grapevine!
http://www.grapevinetexasusa.com/ThingsToDo/GrapevineVintageRailroad/tabid/267/Default.aspx
Also, in September Plano has a Hot Air Balloon Festival! We went last year. You can see pics and videos on our blog,
http://v-becksadventures.blogspot.com/2008/09/plano-hot-air-balloon-festival.html
Here is the balloon festival website, http://www.planoballoonfest.org/fest-facts.html
My husband and I just went there on Valentines Day, its really amazing!!!!!
So fun! We've been to a wedding at the Dallas Aquarium and it was beautiful! I'm glad you asked about fun things to do-- I haven't taken the girls out yet either-- yucky sick season, so I'll have to check back and see what people say! But.. my sister and nephew love going to the Dallas Arboretum (BEAUTIFUL) and do a lot if mall walking too. :)
Galleria mall has a great indoor soft play area right next to part of the food court. I have taken Hunter there with some friends and my sisters kids and they love it. It is conveniently located right next to a parking garage for easy access (since the galleria is so big).
Suz
I don't know exactly where you are located, but here are a few of our favorite places (my son is 18 months).
There is a really nice park with low crowds in Fort Worth off of Camp Bowie and El Campo.
The duck pond and playgroud at the Trinity Trails has a lot of play equipment (it's a big place though and usually crowded).
There is a miniature train at Forest Park (by the Fort Worth Zoo) that is cheap and enjoyable for adults and kids. (Google Forest Park Miniature Train).
Lastly, there is a place in Lewisville called "Going Bonkers" that is GREAT for a day that needs to be indoor. It is a big place and is super crowded on weekends so I would try for a week-day and maybe take an extra set of hands too. (They have a website too).
Hope some of these are helpful. If you have any questions feel free to contact me!
Suz
I don't know exactly where you are located, but here are a few of out favorite places in and around Fort Worth (my son is 18 months).
There is a really nice park with low crowds in Fort Worth off of Camp Bowie and El Campo.
The trinity trails duck pond and playgroud are nice. The playground has a lot of equipment and is a big place. It can sometimes be pretty crowded.
There is a miniature train in Forest Park (near the Fort Worth Zoo) that is fairly cheap and fun for both kids and adults. (http://www.fpmt.us/).
Lastly, there is a place in Lewisville called "Going Bonkers" that is great for an indoor day. It's a large place and can get really crowded, so I would try for a week-day. You might also want an extra pair of hands. (http://www.goingbonkers.com/index.htm).
Hope some of these are helpful. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me.
Michelle in Fort Worth
Now that looks like a blast! What a great place! ANd Love Sav's Piggy Tails!
Too Cute!
Have a great weekend!
Rebekah and the girls!
I'm in the DFW area also - but so using you as my guide. Same here we moved when my first was 2 weeks - we have been to both the Dallas and FW zoo and the Dallas Aquarium. I really want to go to the Dallas Museum and Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Gardens - so please keep all your suggestions coming. Our girls are 3 and 1 and we have cabin fever.
Hi Suzanne. I got to your blog from a friend and I love it. Thanks for sharing your life with us online bloggers.
That aquarium looks so neat. We live in OK about 3 hours away so it wouldn't be a bad weekend trip for us.
The Dallas Aquarium is awesome! I haven't been since we had the twins, but I'd love to take them there soon.
River Legacy Park is probably the best in your area. It's in Arlington off of Green Oaks Blvd. and has tons of jogging trails, bike trails, play areas, etc..... You've probably already been there, but I just thought I'd throw it out there anyway. :-)
Great Pictures! I think we are gonna try and go to the Aquarium when we are there over Spring Break!
Some things to do:
Parks with shallow pools for kids:
www.arlingtontx.gov/park/aquatics/index.html
We went to one over the summer and it was just for little kids and so much fun.
Dallas Arboritem (spelling?). There is also the Botanical Gardens in ft. worth but I think the Dallas one is better.
Ft. Worth Stockyards. They have the longhorns go through at certain times of the day which might be neat for the kids to watch. You've got to eat at Risky's Barbecue (so good) and order the corn nuggets (YUM!!)
Dallas Children's Museum
You've GOT to go to Fossil Rim in Glen Rose (you drive around and the animals come to your window for you to feed) Very cool!
That's all I can think of at the moment! Have fun! :)
Oh my goodness! You guys are such a cute family! Looks fun, we will have to make a trip there!
Blog stalker Kendra here . . .I want to go to the aquarium now! Fun! My boys and I love going down to the zoo area and riding the little train that goes into a cool park there (forgot the name of the park, but it's a good, big one). The train ride is cheap - only like 2.50 for an adult (your little ones might be free??).
Our church, Richland Hills CofC has a cool indoor playground with a great toddler area that is nice and air conditioned for those hot summer days. Plus, there's a coffee house upstairs with a bookstore if you dare to read while they play! Lots of playgroups meet there either when it's really hot, too rainy, or too cold.
then there's the playground area at North East Mall . . .I actually haven't been to that one because my older boys are too big for it, and, well, I just don't go to malls! ha!
I'm a big fan of any toddler splash park in housing communities . .sun and water and splashing make for lots of fun and great naps in the afternoon!!
It will be a fun spring and summer for you for sure!! Thanks again for sharing your precious ones with us - they are absolutely precious!!
You should check out River Legacy Park - it is beautiful and it is in Arlington.
Then in South Fort Worth (Benbrook actually on 377)there is an AMAZING castle park - all of the jungle gyms are made to look like an HUGE castle! It is a lot of fun!
WOW! you guys are awesome!!! these suggestions are SOOOOO great!!!! i appreciate you more than you know! thanks!!!
I live in Dallas so my suggestions will all be in Dallas. I love the Dallas Arboretum. They have a children's area with Texas themed playhouses and wagons. In March they're also having a fairytale house competition.
http://www.dallasarboretum.org/
I'm a teacher and we have taken our kids to the Science Place in Fair Park. It's neat and they have some very kid-friendly areas.
http://www.natureandscience.org/
The Dallas Museum of Art offers programs for kids and has a kids area.
http://dallasmuseumofart.org/Dallas_Museum_of_Art/index.htm
One of the undiscovered Dallas adventures is in Northpark Mall of all places. There is a branch of the Dallas Public Library inside the mall and they do programs for kids. Right outside the outside door is an interior courtyard with two restaurants and a big patch of grass. It's open for people to play. Not to mention Northpark is owned by the Nasher family (Nasher Sculpture Garden) so there is an incredible collection of art throughout the mall. That, and great stores, of course:)
So much fun! Love that he sports the Aggie ball cap everywhere you go!! Don't know if you would remember me, I'm class of '01. Saw y'all in the MSC 12th Man quite a bit back in the days.
We are in Dallas, too. No kiddos yet as my hubby (class of '02) just beat cancer two years ago and I'm trying beat epilepsy that just started a couple years ago out of nowhere.
I've been reading your blog for forever and had to finally say hello. We live in Rockwall and there are some fun parks out here. I wish I could drive to you to come help, but Tx won't let me drive with seizures. So, if you ever decide to come to Rockwall for a day o' fun, let me know and I'll try to help you with the kiddos!!
We just got a membership to the Dallas Zoo for our little ones. The great part about it is that it's also good for free admission to the Cameron Park Zoo in Waco and several other zoos in Texas. It also gives you a 50% off to the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center in Glen Rose- a neat place where you drive through and feed the wildlife (giraffes, zebras) through your car window.
We also love www.dallaschild.com for finding up to date stuff to do in Dallas and Fort Worth. Also, Metroplex Baby has this savings card which helps with ideas and discounts: http://metroplexbaby.com/SavingsCard.htm
Hope it helps!
I live in South Arlington and there is a good kids playground off of Main St in Mansfield. Also, the Mansfield public library has storytime.
Hey Suz -
My twin boys are almost 2 and we went to Fossil Rim Wildlife Center. It was great and the boys love it! Check it out on my blog:
http://hagenandmason.blogspot.com/2009/02/fossil-rim-wildlife-center.html
Leslie
I also use this website - they send out an email ever so often with some good stuff on it if you are interested:
http://gocitykids.parentsconnect.com/calendar/dallas-tx-usa
I already posted once, but just wanted to come back and say THANK YOU for asking for the suggestions. I'm going to save this post for future reference. I grew up here, but we moved to Indiana for a few years, had twins, and just moved back. So, I'm not familiar with all of the cool "kid stuff".
My twins were born on the same day as the quads, so it's easy to use you as a reference. :-)
i love that aquarium!!! it's been my favorite since i went there some number of years ago i cannot at the moment recall.
someone already mentioned fossil rim and i second that one whole-heartedly. my siblings are 11 and 12 (going on 13 here very soon) and STILL love that place!! it's great!
the dallas arboretum is beautiful and a great place to go on a cool spring day.
this will probably sound crazy but northpark mall is great!! it's good for both adults and kids. puzzle zoo is there and has a good variety of demo toys the kids can play with. there's also the little ponds next to neiman marcus with these planter things every kid i've ever known loves to slide on. there's also about an ACRE of grassy area in the center of the mall with places to sit and eat.
if you haven't already been to wild about harry's on knox, go!! hotdogs and frozen custard with a waving dog out front? how could that POSSIBLY disappoint?! i take some of the kids i babysit there sometimes and they LOVE it.
the fort worth stockyards would probably be fun too!!
feeding the ducks at white rock is great fun and there are all kinds of amazing species of wildlife out there too. there are species you'll see at white rock that you likely won't see anywhere else in dallas! it's a huge bird watcher spot.
i'm racking my brain for fun spots for little ones and nothing is really coming to mind besides what i've mentioned... but i also don't have young ones!! haha. if i think of anything (or hear from any of my friends with little ones), i'll be sure to come back and let you know!
Love your post about the Dallas Aquarium!
There is a great book about things to do with a toddler in the metroplex that comes out annually, but I am not sure of the name.
I have a 12, 9, and 3 years old. We have always lived in the area, and things that we love (or have loved in the past) are:
Dallas Blooms at the Dallas Arboretum - BEAUTIFUL (great photo opportunities)
There is also a city park in Grapevine that is like a mini-arboretum. Plus it has a playground, and it is free.
FBC Grapevine has a GREAT indoor play area that is open to the public on certain mornings each week. It is like a dollar a kid and they control the number of people that get to come in at a time.
Ft. Worth Zoo (Wednesdays are 1/2 price.)
The Gaylord - nice place just to walk around indoors (wonderful at Christmas!)
Boomerangs in Flower Mound - indoor (air-conditioned) place FULL of inflatables. They have a "little kid" area too.
Stonebriar Mall has a carousel and a good play area. If you go in the morning it is CrAzY! If you go a little after lunchtime, the crowds at the play area have thinned. (They have lots of "kid stores" there too.)
Bookstore & library story times are free, and sometimes they even have music, parachute play, etc. (I love the Southlake library in the town square.) On weekends, B&N often has characters for kids to meet too.
Once your little ones are big enough to "hold their own" at a playground, Central Market is a GREAT place to take them. You can eat good food on the patio and visit with Joe or a friend while they play. It can almost be considered a date. Almost. ;)
There is a shopping center near us that has fountains that shoot out of the ground that the kids can run and play in. (without the threat of falling in to a pool) It is in Flower Mound near a restaurant called Pollo Salsa. You can take a picnic and eat it there too.
Let me know if you have any questions or want to know about anything else from this "experienced DFW mom" ;)
I think that you know my sister, Emily, from Waco. (choir) She and I both live in the Lewisville/ Flower Mound area. If you ever want to get together at any of these places with us (she has a 2 yr. old little girl), we'd love to!
Long time reader, First time commentor; but since I'm relatively new to DFW (only been here 5 years) I wanted to share some of my "finds" since having children. We love the Ridgmar Mall- it has an awesome children's play area and my son loves it. I also highly recommend getting your zoo pass to the Ft Worth zoo- they occasionally do cool things like Member Mondays, where you get to come an hour before the zoo opens and watch the elephants paint or things like that. (Plus the pass pays for itself in no time). We also like the Grapevine Mills mall- they have an area dedicated to Thomas the Tank Engine, where your kids can ride mini-trains. Let me think... we love the Dallas Arboritum- always has cool things going on, but especailly love their pumpkin patch in Oct. Oh, yeah, and sprinkler parks. We have a nice little clean one near us- it's at Misenheimer Park in Arlington. Good luck, and I hope that helps! And I love your blog, btw. My son's only a few months older than your kids, so you give me encouragment- if you can do it with 4, then surely I can survive with one :)
i love that aquarium!!! it's been my favorite since i went there some number of years ago i cannot at the moment recall.
someone already mentioned fossil rim and i second that one whole-heartedly. my siblings are 11 and 12 (going on 13 here very soon) and STILL love that place!! it's great!
the dallas arboretum is beautiful and a great place to go on a cool spring day.
this will probably sound crazy but northpark mall is great!! it's good for both adults and kids. puzzle zoo is there and has a good variety of demo toys the kids can play with. there's also the little ponds next to neiman marcus with these planter things every kid i've ever known loves to slide on. there's also about an ACRE of grassy area in the center of the mall with places to sit and eat.
if you haven't already been to wild about harry's on knox, go!! hotdogs and frozen custard with a waving dog out front? how could that POSSIBLY disappoint?! i take some of the kids i babysit there sometimes and they LOVE it.
the fort worth stockyards would probably be fun too!!
feeding the ducks at white rock is great fun and there are all kinds of amazing species of wildlife out there too. there are species you'll see at white rock that you likely won't see anywhere else in dallas! it's a huge bird watcher spot.
i'm racking my brain for fun spots for little ones and nothing is really coming to mind besides what i've mentioned... but i also don't have young ones!! haha. if i think of anything (or hear from any of my friends with little ones), i'll be sure to come back and let you know!
I love Sav's shirt...Abbey and Emma have the same one! Her pigtails are just too much for words...the girl is precious!
I was laughing out loud when you did role call down the stroller and then got to Joe. He was so cute and looked like he was waiting patiently for his turn to be recognized. How funny!
Glad you had a good birthday crazy Joe!
Jac
SO much fun!!! Something free and fun, libraries always have story time.
I Love this Aquarium I visited it this summer and had a blast...I liked the sea horses from different parts of the world exhibit. What an exciting adventure for your quads!
It looks like you did have an amazing weekend! I agree, Jellyfish are pretty, but so scary!
Library, library, library!!!! It is a great place for the kiddies. With loads of toys, storytimes, and other programs, plus helpful children's librarians you can't go wrong!
You need to find a contest somewhere online that enters, "WORLDS MOST GORGEOUS COUPLE". If you enter, nobody else will bother... you'd take it all! Seriously, you guys are absolutely a gorgeous couple!
that place looks awesome! I wish we had something like that near is in MI.
The train in Grapevine...Thomas the Train will be there Fri-Sun (i think) the last weekend of March & 1st weekend of April. Children under two are free, just pay for adults...they get a 25 minute ride, story time and more with Thomas...yeah!
Walk around in downtown Fort Worth - LOVE it in Spring & Summer (in the evening). You can eat at Qudoba and have ice cream at Marble Slab. Easy places to eat with little ones in tow.
Any park with ducks...feeding ducks, fishing...great for this age.
Library - storytime at your local library.
Hey! I sent you a comment a couple weeks ago (I know you can't possible remember everyone lol) but I went to ACU with Liz and your cousin, Julie, so I became one of your blog followers! :)
I think you should go read my newest post.. it's a cool story about someone close to your heart (and mine now), Linda Gibson! ;)
Suz it looks like everyone has covered all of the places in DFW except maybe the Fort Worth Science and History Museum. They had a great kids space they were remodeling and I am not sure if they are through yet but definantly check it out its worth it. Also check out some pop in play times at Pump it Up locations near you, however you might want to wait till they can cruise a little bit better but you can play with them there. Lots of Fun and Great Excersize!!
Brandy
One thing you've GOT to do is Dallas Blooms at the Dallas Arboretum. It starts tomorrow (March 7) and runs through Easter weekend (April 12)!
It's an awesome photo opp - acres and acres of the most gorgeous flowers and blooming plants you've ever seen this side of heaven (tulips, daffodils, hyndrangeas, azaleas, etc, etc, etc.).
Find out more at dallasarboretum.org. There are also certain activities planned for little ones on different days of the week that would be fun for them.
This is so timely...we are headed that way for our Spring Break to visit family. I can't wait to read all your answers. BTW - does anyone have suggestions for San Antonio and the Crawford area? We hit there first before Dallas.
Ann from Marietta, GA
Kiddos: Jordan (12), William (7), and Grace (4.5)
They are still a bit young but the bounce house places like Jump for Fun or Pump It Up have bounce times for ages 2+. COMPLETELY worth it with one kid, 2 or 4! Not sure EXACTLY where you are but we're in Southlake so that area offers a lot of bounce house places as well as Bob Jones Park and Nature Center. You could do a My Gym class - they were GREAT!
We love going to the Dallas Arboretum and this is the best time of year with Dallas Blooms starting tomorrow. We also like the Museum of Nature and Science at Fair Park. The downstairs kids area is great for toddlers. Also, this website (http://www.metroplexbaby.com/index.html) has a great weekly newsletter and searchable events calendar.
What a SWEET day! Okay, did I keep hearing "da-da-da-da..." in the shark tunnel? SO CUTE! I'm glad you two got to go have special birthday dinner together. LOVE PF's tofu lettuce wraps and plumb wine! MMMMM!
I'm in Frisco so this website may not help much but I'm always looking at it to get ideas on where to take my kiddos. www.aroundtownkids.com
Great Wolf Lodge is a lot of fun and has a kiddie area. You and Savannah could have a mommy/daughter day and go to the American Girl store. Nope, she's not too young, they have bitty babies for baby girls. You'd love it too! I turn back into a 7 year old girl when I walk in. :)
Indoor bounce house places like Pump It Up have open play times. It would be a heck of a drive but there's a Wiggly Play Center in Frisco and that's a blast for toddlers. Do the quads like The Wiggles yet?
I think everyone else has given great suggestions. You should be set!
I loved the aquarium pictures and video. That's a wonderful place to go. Except for the penguin area..ick, it stinks!
Cathy in Frisco
Ft. Worth Botanic Gardens--Like a park only better! And, it is free unlike the zoo, aquarium, etc! Wait until summer, though. Lots of field trips this time of year.
Kind of been stalking you for awhile, live in Phoenix now, but I lived in SA for awhile, and I am obsessed with Sam Moon, please tell me you have been there!? All the accessories would be so cute with all your cute clothes! I know it is not kid related, but we need to have some "mommy-fun" as well!
There is SO MUCH to do in DFW...parks galore, zoos (Dallas and Ft. Worth), Science museams, Botanical gardens, and the library. They do great story times and the kids actually enjoy them :)
~Elyse~
Hi, I am Marty & Dallas' cousin. I live in Fort Worth, near Hurst and we like to take our kids to the Ft Worth Museum. They have a cool kids area. Also, the omni there is neat. If you live near Hurst, there is a place called Boomerangs that is cheap and fun. It's like a bounce house/slides, etc.
Some of these may be too far away from you, I'm not really sure where you live. Anyway, I have 5 kids (although not multiples), so I can kind of understand the difficulties of getting everyone out!! Here are some of our favorites:
-Heard Wildlife Museum in McKinney - lots of exhibits & nature trails. There's a fossil dig for the kids & usually in the spring there's a dinosaur exhibit that my boys love
-Dallas Children's Museum. You'd probably want helpers here! There's also the Science Place, which has a section for the younger kids.
-Dallas Arboretum. In March & April they have Mommy & Me days with fun stuff for the kids. The Easter bunny will be there in a couple of weeks. (Ft Worth Botanical Gardens are also nice, but haven't been there in a couple of years)
-Drive through zoo in Gainesville - the animals come up to your car window
-There are several indoor bounce house places
-Art Museum. I know it sounds weird with little ones, but mine really loved it.
-Most of the malls have pretty good indoor playgrounds now. Not as exciting as the zoo or aquarium, but good for those days when they can't be outside but you've still gotta get out of the house!!
Sorry so long, but hopefully there's something in here you can use.
You have to go to the Dallas Arboretum for the spring flowers, I think it starts in April or May?They have different things that they highlight every season. It's awesome there with tons of room to run around and they even have fun classes for the kiddos.
Elizabeth
Hello! I've been following your blog for a while. I love it! I have a question for you though...
I have twins and was thinking about taking them to the aquarium while we're in DFW for a trip. Did you think the aquariuam is pretty double stroller friendly? Any advice you give. Thanks for the help! ~Deminy Highley
i'm sure someone has told you the botanical gardens are awesome...they are! if you can wrangle a couple more sets of hands, the japanese garden is cool, too...there is a lot of water, but it is SO beautiful and peaceful! totally heart your blog - you have the greatest outlook! =)
i like to check out the city's visitor's guide to see what all is going on.
Looks like you all had a great time! Theya re getting big and are sweet as pie!
Hi, Suzanne. When I saw that you went to the zoo, I was gonna suggest the Dallas Aquarium, but I didn't remember it being very stroller-friendly. Glad it was and that you had fun.
I don't have any suggestions for good places to take the kiddies, but I can share some suggestions for you and Joe and friends that we and/or our friends have enjoyed.
http://www.meltingpot.com/ (I mean to try this.)
http://www.fathomevents.com/upcoming/default.aspx (Live transmission of The Metropolitan Opera.)
http://www.kingtut.org/plan_your_visit?location=dallas (No, King Tut isn't there, but it's still a cool exhibit.)
I have other little lesser known, one-owner or privately-owned restaurants that are good that I can share with you, too. Feel free to email me. Dallas is the "City with the Most Restaurants per Capita", so my suggestions are mostly food-related.
We missed you by a day . . . we had our 1st graders there on Tuesday. Good thing it wasn't the day you went. . . it was CROWDED with little kids (due to TAKS). My favorites are the Leafy Seadragons. If you didn't see it this time, next time you go, arrange to see the penguin feeding at Noon and get close to the feeder . . .she'll give you all sorts of penguin facts.
Looks like the list is pretty extensive at at this point. Thought I'd give you a few notes on some of the things people mentioned.
You can see baseball, hockey, and soccer in Frisco. If you go to a daytime FC Dallas game, you want seats on the west side . . .east side is very sunny and HOT. My kids love sitting behind the goals at the Tornados games.
Heard Museum -- they do snake feedings. My son is almost 13 now and still wants to do at least 1 snake feeding a summer with my mom . . .they've been doing this for YEARS.
There are also Butterfly gardens at Fair Park. . . also has some flowers -- not as spectacular as the Arboretum, but still cool.
Science Place has lots of interactive stuff for the kids, including a huge sand pit for them to dig in. Seems like they also have some water fun areas, where thye float boats in water. . .but it's been a few years, not sure if they're still there.
Fossil Rim -- do not go during DFW area spring breaks. . . the animals aren't hungry, the drive through time is long and it's bumper to bumper . . .wait until April, early May to go.
Wiggles Play Center in Frisco is one of only 2 in the world . . .the other is in Australia. My dd was a year or so too old when it opened, so we've never been there, but I have a lot of friends rave about it.
If you wanna go a long way for a cool park . . .Frisco Commons is all wooden, lots of space, treed area. There's also one in Plano that is similar (Arbor Creek maybe?)
Check your parks and rec page to see if there are any spray parks in your area. The kids love these.
And a side note for Ann going to San Antonio -- the Witte Museum is there and is a great one for kids. Also Sea World and the Alamo.
I'm not a Dallas/Ft. Worth citizen, but we have been to the Ft. Worth zoo several times, and it's incredible. We are visiting our daughter next week (North Richland Hills) and she has been planning on taking us to the Dallas World Aquarium. It looks awesome!
Your little ones are absolutely precious.
My kids LOVE going to the Arboretum, including their Cool Thursdays Concert Series that starts the end of April this year. My kids have been going to there since they were little and love walking the grounds, looking at the beautiful scenery, and playing in the Frontier area. Northpark is also great, despite having no play area. Kids can truly appreciate beautiful spaces. Last, is Fair Park with the Science Place and the Dallas Aquarium (a pititully small place but CHEAP and the kids love seeing the fish). It's fun to walk around the lagoon and visit the huge Mammoth statue. And don't forget the State Fair of Texas in Sept/Oct!!
Thanks for asking for all the ideas! I'm always looking for places to go just to escape the house!
Oh yeah!! There is a place in Main Street in Grapevine called Let's Pretend and she does Mommy & Me mornings and it is SO FUN! You play dress up (mommas too!), have tea (decaf for little ones), tea sandwiches, scones, little pastries, it's SO GOOD!! And they serve "chocolate soup" for the little girls, too. It's seriously such a fun thing!! You can see our pics from when we went here:
http://the-bellfamily.blogspot.com/2008/09/tea-time.html
And also the Gaylord Resort is fun...we only go around Christmas when they have the live reindeer and trains up...but they might have other things throughout the year.
Im so bad about commenting... BUT i have to tell ya.. I'm digging the Aggie hat. Gig'EM. I miss home. SO its nice to see such an adorable family.. and know they have excellent taste in higher education.
Blessings,
CeCe Garrett
(TAMU class of 96, now living in Indiana)
Just thought you might liek to see another girl-y-fied cranial band. This is a friend of mine from church and I'm sure she would love to hear some encouragement form a mom whos been there!
Also are you guys using Hanger for Savs braces? I just thought the waiting room photo looked familiar. That's who we use for my daughters braces.
Hey Suzanne-I'm loving reading all the ideas people are posting! Thanks for asking for them! I have a 2 and a 3 year old and we spend most of our time at water parks, Six Flags, minor league games (hockey and baseball-the Airhogs in GP), feeding ducks at local parks (watch out for the geese at the pond by Parks Mall-they'll attack!), and one of their favorite places to eat is on the Patio at Oasis by Joe Pool. I let them pick out fish food and they feed the thousands of nasty, slimey fish that pile on each other and think it's hilarious. The trains at North Park Mall are really fun for indoor things, or Pump It Up of course. Good luck and keep us updated on what y'all try/like!
Dallas Arboretum does Mom's Monday's in the Spring and Fall. It is so much fun!! We, too love the Dallas Aquarium, Dallas Zoo, and Ft. Worth Zoo...
The Dallas Arboretum is a must see. Dallas Blooms is going on right now and they have Mommy & Me Mondays and Tiny Tods Tuesdays. Bring the camera and pack a lunch! We also love the Nasher Sculpture Center. They have Target First Saturday with free admission and activities for kids. It's an indoor and outdoor museum.
You guys ARE so cute!
:)
I took our son once, and I swear---we must have missed HALF of the aquarium. People kept asking us, "did you see this?" "did you see that?" we missed TONS of stuff! Looks like you guys saw it all! We'll have to go back....
Have y'all ever been to the Fort Worth Stockyards? If not that's a place to go! It has shopping, train rides, horses, shops, old shops, rodeos, cattle drives, etc. etc. it's pretty awesome!
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