Pecan Park is One of My Favorite Places

I love to be outside.  The scenery is always so much more beautiful.  And like most kids, Brenna prefers to be outside too.  Wide open spaces to run, animals to chase, and of course, play grounds.  All kinds of fun is to be had outside.

All that being said, Pecan Park is quickly becoming one of my favorite places.  It's just a simple park in one of the neighborhoods here in Houston, but no matter which way you look, the views are beautiful in any seasons.  So, its no wonder photographers flock there with their clients.  It happens to be the same location that we had our family pictures taken back in 2009 (whew, its getting time for an update).   That's how we originally discovered the park, and we've been back several times just to enjoy the playground.  I've always wanted to take my camera, but never planned it out just right.

We've been couped up a bit with some cold weather lately and this week finally brought some manageable outdoor temperatures.  So, this Friday we met some friends there for the kiddos to play and burn off some energy and finally a chance presented itself for me to snap some pictures.  These are just some funs shots of Brenna and John enjoying their day outside!

Fun at the Fire Station!

One of the moms at church organized a great playdate for our preschoolers.  We got to visit the Sugarland Fire Station and met the Firefighters.  The was excited.  We had been reading a Fire House book all week in preparation for our visit, and her main objective was to slide down the fire poll.  She was disappointed to discover that this fire house only had one floor, no fire pole!  But, that was quickly forgotten once the firemen took over.  They started the tour by gathering everyone into the general living quarters and talking to the kids about fire safety.  Then Fireman Greg, geared up to show the kids all the equipment that a fireman must carry and what the finished product looks like.  And yes, despite the Captains best effort to explain that it was still Fire Greg under all that gear, we still had a some tears from some of the smaller kiddos.

The Good, the Bad, and the UGLY! Photography Class Lesson 1

Well, as all of you know I've become a bit of a picture taking fool lately.  So, in and effort to improve upon my foolishness, I decided to take a photography class with friends.  Our first class was this week and I had been very excited about the prospect of what new and interesting techniques I would learn.  However, the overall first impression was a bit of a mix bucket.

The Teacher - Upon first glance, I was a bit worried that this man could possible know anything about photography or teaching in general.  He was dressed in a much too tight plain black t-shirt that hugged his enormous belly to bear thread.  The t-shirt had been hastily tucked into a much too small pair of jogging pants that didn't leave much for the imagination.  It was apparent that he had no concern for appropriate dress and I was stunned to hear that he had once owned his own photography business.  Well, as the old saying goes, you can't judge a book by its cover.  He was indeed very enthusiastic and knowledgeable about photography.

The Classroom - This was just a regular old everyday classroom that was no different the the millions of others across this great country.  However, something has obviously changed in the last 10 years in the manufacturing of students desks.  After sitting for the length of the 2 hour class, I felt I may need someone to get a can opener to get me out.  Why is it that in college I could sit for hours, fully attentive, and ravenous for knowledge as I listened to lectures on thermodynamics and reactionary chemistry (you believe that right, ravenous......) but now I feel like a sardine that's just been released from his aluminum prison.  Not that I've ever given much thought to continuing my education, but this experience has assured my that my classroom based learning days are over.  Looks like it online tutorials from here!

The Class - As a mention, the teacher is indeed very enthusiastic.  I'm not entirely sure if this is to our benefit.  He started the class by saying that we would be doing a flash exercise later, which I thought sounded interesting.  However, his enthusiasm drifted into the first camera ever invented, past photo shots concerning cafeteria women, and demonstration on how to build you own monopod.  It's seems he has trouble focusing his enthusiasm.  So, we didn't even pick up a camera until 5 minutes after 9 pm, at which point everyone hastily snapped a few photos leaving no time for discussion or review.  My hopes are that as the class continues there will be alot more picture taking and alot less talk.

So, here's my first photos from photography class!

Hello 2011!

Well, another year has come and gone.  I guess time flies when your having fun!  We had a wonderful and action-packed Christmas.  We enjoyed a slow week at home with Jacob being off work.  On Christmas day, we all hit the ground running.  We had to wake Brenna to kick off Christmas and in her sleepy state her only concern was whether Santa had eaten all the cookies.  Only after we closely evaluated that he did indeed consume both the cookies and the milk "He must have been hungry, Mama!" did we moved on to gifts.  Once we made our way through the pile, Brenna began to play, while I began unpackaging toys and putting together our new Toy Story tent and Jacob went outside to jerk down (literally) all the outdoor Christmas decorations.  Within 2 hours everyone and everything was crammed into the car and we were headed to the airport!

Santa ALREADY Came to Town!

Big Thanks to the Richmond Fire Department for giving Santa a lift to our neighborhood for a merry wave and a jolly Ho! Ho! Ho!  See you again on Christmas Day Santa!

Birthdays, Birthdays, Birthdays!

We've been busy lately with playdates and Christmas shopping and especially Birthdays! We've celebrated 3 birthdays all in the last 2 weeks.  We had friends turning 1, 2, and 3 years old, and boy did we have fun.  Here's a few pictures from two of the parties.

Pinkalicious Cupcakes Please!

For Brenna's birthday, our neighbors gave Brenna the book Pinkalicious and it could not have been more well received.  From the first time Ms. Bridget read it to Brenna and girls sitting on the curb in front of the house, to the 100 times we've read it since, it will always bring on a laugh.  For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, the book is about alittle girl who turns pink after eating too many pink cupcakes.  She can only turn back to normal by eating a steady diet of green vegetables.

So the questions I had been expecting finally came on Monday night after reading the book.  "Mama, can we make some pink cupcakes?"  And so, we made a special trip to the grocery store where Brenna picked her own icing and sprinkles (both pink, of course) and I picked up some food coloring.  We went to dance class where her excitment began to bubble over as she told her friends that she was going to bake cupcakes.  Jacob and I were rushed through dinner that night when we got home, because of Brenna's impatience to wait any longer to bake!

And that's when the mess began.  Brenna mixed the ingrediants, poured up the batter, and watched as the cupcakes began to rise in the oven.  "Look Mama!  Look how big their getting!"  Then it was on to frosting and sprinkles.  Brenna stood on her stool, frosting her cupcakes, and telling me "I'm the baker and I'm gonna share my cupcakes with everyone!" Some cupcakes were covered in 4 inch deep frosting and coated in sprinkles.  Two hours later, we had 20 cupcakes and pink sprinkles and icing everywhere!  I cleaned up immediately for fear Moose (one of our over weight cats) would discover the crumbs Brenna left behind and go into sugar shock.

But the fun wasn't over yet!  The next day, she made good on her promise and delivered her cupcakes to all her neighborhood friends.  I plan to get her Goldilicious and Purplilious for Christmas to complete the series.  I haven't read those books yet, so I can only imagine what our next adventure will be.

Christmas at the McAlister's

As a child, every Christmas my Mom decorated the house inside and out with lavish christmas trees, animated figures, and singing Santas!  I know thats not what Christmas is all about, but through the eyes of a child, all those decorations smeared from wall to wall made Christmas feel that much more special.

Now, as an adult, I want to give Brenna those same happy memories.  So, like every year before this, we pulled out all the decorations and got to work.  This year was even more enjoyable, since Brenna played a much bigger part.  She "helped" so much that what is normally a 2-day job, turned into 3.  But that's ok, she had so much fun this year putting up the Christmas tree, decorating it, and hanging the stockings.  She took a particular liking to my collection of Christmas bells (which she kept calling cow bells!).  Here's a few pictures of the start of our McAlister Christmas.

Brenna's First Game of Bowling

Brenna recently took notice of the game of bowling after a very interesting episode of Curious George.  After several requests, we decided it was time to hit the lanes.  Several things surprised me about our trip to the bowling alley.

#1  They had bowling shoes small enough to fit Brenna
#2  Even the bowling alley is on the hi-tech wagon with bowling bumpers that pop in and out of the gutters for the appropriate bowler.
#3  Niether Jacob or Marcus were as good as they had proclaimed (ok, maybe that one didn't surprise me)
#4  Up unitl the last 3 frames of the 1st game, Brenna actually beat Uncle Marcus, he just got lucky at the end.

Here's a few pictures from our game.

The Holidays Are Here!

Well, we've been busy!  With visitors and shopping and Christmas decorating!  So there's been little time for pictures.  But we did manage to sneak in one very important one!

Grand Parkway Baptist Church Fun on the Farm!

Every year our church hosts a "Fun on the Farm" day just for our preschoolers.  One of our members has a beautiful home and farm in Fulsher, where they let the kids run wild in the wide open, literally!  They have fishing, wagon rides, hay rides, swings, crafts, food, and fun!  As usually, Brenna had a great time and enjoyed the company of her Sunday School friends.  Here's a few pictures from the day.

The Things Kids Say.......

Today I broke down and made my twice annual visit to Merle Norman.  I only go after I'm wiping the last drop of my foundation out of the container lid and cautiously using the broken pieces of rouge in my compact.  It's always a last ditch effort.

I hate going to Merle Norman for a couple of reasons:

Halloween

We'll this year was different than previous years!  It was alot more fun!  This was the first year Brenna picked what she wanted to be.  And the winner was Minnie Mouse!  Nobody was surprised given her recent Mickey Mouse Clubhouse devotion.  This year we did more of the traditional halloween activities, with a visit to the pumpkin patches and pumpkin painting.  Brenna understood all about Trick-or-Treating and was excited all day.  In her words she wanted to "Fill my treat bag all the way up to the top!"  So just before dark, we rounded up the troops and hit the street!  Our kids ran from house to house knocking on doors, ringing door bells, and happily letting themselves into all the neighbors house to help themselves to their Candy Buckets, sometimes more than once!

After we made our rounds, we retreated back to the house, where Brenna would run the door at every knock yelling "Trick-A-Treaters Mama!  Trick-A-Treaters!"  And then she would dump hand-fulls of candy treats in their bags!  All our "Big Kid" friends stopped by after dark for candy and to visit.

Brenna had a great night and thanks to a couple of carefully selected candy treats washed down with a juice box, it also turned into a late night.  She was too excited to sleep.  She wanted to talking about all the trick-a-treaters she see saw, Buzz Light Year, Woody, and Cody the neighbors dog that was dressed up like a cow!  Her eyes finally closed and I'm sure she dreamed of candy corn and painted pumpkins.

Pumpkin Painting

Instead of pumpkin carving, we decided to do something alittle less messy and more "little hands" friendly, pumpkin painting!  Brenna got together with her friends next door and they decorated pumpkins.

Dewberry Farms

We got together with a couple of friends and went with our church to Dewberry Farm.  Dewberry is a working farm that's created something like an amusement park country style!  Complete with pig races, rudder duck floats, petting zoo, jack-o-lantern forrest, hay rides, pumpkin picking, a tractor train, hay bail jumping, and much, much, more.  This was our first trip and I didn't really know what to expect.  I was pleasantly surprised.  Our kids had a great time!  There was plenty to do and even though we spent all day there, we still didn't get to everything.  The farm is open to the public only on the weekends, and then it opens to private groups and school field trips on the week day.  Our driver on the hay ride told us they move about 1,100 people though each weekday and 16,000 on the weekends!  Fortunately, we went during the weekday and had low crowds and great weather.  Here's the shots for the day!