Dallas Aquarium

Madelyn and Grammie


You can find wildlife just about anywhere in the Aquarium


Look, there 's Nemo!!!!!!!!!!!

Madelyn wanted to make the observing sting ray tank and touch and feel exhibit

The highlight of the aquarium is a long tunnel that runs through the shark tank. While posing for a picture, Madelyn found the large shark swimming over top to be more interesting than the camera.

Madelyn admiring the sleeping leopard

Madelyn pretending to be a flamingo and stand on one leg.

Grammie got to do her fun visit with Madelyn, rather than a week long hospital stay. So to celebrate her recovery we all headed downtown to the West End to the Dallas Aquarium. I was a little leery of going because the admission price is pretty steep, but "you get what you pay for", and we had a great visit. You start on the Canopy level of the rain forest and work your way through the jungle levels and end up on the bottom of the aquarium. There are birds and other wildlife roaming round the exhibits and building, and with so much to see, Madelyn was totally enthralled with everything she saw. Especially the fish! Oh we had to find Nemo and she near hysterics when she actually found the clown fish.

After the aquarium, we meet up with Michael to eat lunch and then I got to play tour guide with my mom and show her Deely Plaza and the Sixth Floor Museum where JKF was assassinated. There is a giant white X in the middle of Elm street, exactly where he was shot. So in between quick traffic signals, I got her to go out into the street, so I could get her picture. I took the picture and my mom is still standing there and cars are now starting to get closer. "Run mom", and she takes off remarking that if I had waited any longer to take the picture there would have been two X's on the Elm street. Good news, I got the picture, mom is still in once piece, but all the pictures I got of the West End are on her camera.

Passed Out

I love days when Madelyn in so worn out that she passes out cold for a great nap. How is something so cute and peaceful, so destructive and messy around the house when she is awake?

Pool Rat

We have spent a a lot of time this summer at the pool. And Madelyn is a true pool rat! Anytime you ask her what she wants to do, she immediately pipes up with "I wanna go to the pool".

She is fearless of the water, which in some regards is great for introducing new swimming concepts, but also rattles my nerves as she has no qualms about jumping head first into the big pool. I usually hear this response, "no, mommy, I wanna jump by myself. Move back, move back!" And we couldn't make a trip to the pool with Maddy's trust side kick, Dora the Mermaid. Dora does every thing that Madelyn does and vice-versa. Its actually good for when I am trying to cox Madelyn into trying something new. "Look Dora is floating all by herself, can you do that?" Much to my delight, she has really made a lot of progress this summer. Maybe I have a future Katie Huff (Olympic swimmer) in training.

Bubble Bath Fairy

Maddy loves taking a bubble bath!

A Day at Little Gym

Bells, Bells & More Bells. How many bells can I carry?


Just hanging around

I can walk across the balance beam all by myself

All smiles : )

Ms. Kirsten helping Maddy balance on one foot

laughing after completing her somersault

climbing monkey

bouncing balls

eating bubbles... new favorite snack

Ms. Kirsten helps Madelyn pop bubbles with her toes

Getting stamps is Maddy's favorite way to wrap up the day

Madelyn just finished her first semester at the Little Gym, and today was Show off Day. Our little monkey thoroughly enjoys,and looks forward to attending every Wednesday. She has developed quite interest in the uneven bars and loves to walk across the balance beam all by herself. If you ever ask her what she does at Little Gym, she will sum it up to bells, bars, balls, and bubbles. What more can a kids ask for!

Memorial Day Cook out

Chad and Jen...husband vs. wife boxing


Suzette...Master Bowler looking very cute


Mikey vs. Jon Boxing

We had an awesome Memorial Day weekend! Jonathan and Suzette, Jen and Chad, and Anne Marie and Matthew all came over for a cookout and Wii tournament. Although it was already very hot outside, Madelyn and Mathew had fun playing outside, while the rest of the big kids challenged each other on the Wii. It was so much fun to see our wonderful friends and just relax. I just wish that we lived closer and had less hectic schedules so we could see more of each other.

The Wii tournament went over so well, that we didn't even get to our traditional smack down of Trivia Pursuit : ( That's OK, just an excuse to come back over! Bowling and boxing were the biggest highlights....I never would have imagined how much of a work out you can get from boxing. I think all of us had sore arms the next day. But there is something fun about saying that I knocked out my husband with our leaving a mark!