Summer 1 vs. Summer 2

I like to think that I am an open book.

Ask me a question about pretty much anything and I'll give you an honest answer.

But I wasn't so honest about my feelings coming into this summer.

My first summer as a mother of two was stressful, lonely and many times it was completely overwhelming.

As I got closer to my second summer as a mother of two, people would ask if I was excited to spend more time with my boys. I would smile and say "Yes, I can't wait." But honestly, I was nervous about being home alone 7 days a week with two babies in a town that still seemed foreign to me.

Yes, I was soooo ready to not have to do lesson planning, and to be at a slower pace than I was during the school year.  But regardless of how adorable I think my kids are and how much I love them to pieces, they are highly demanding little people who make me feel like I am going insane sometimes.

Enter operation "Make Houston Small" as I like to call it.

I sought out to make my corner of Houston feel more familiar to me by trying to find all the hot spots that are both kid friendly and budget friendly close to our house.  I knew that I just needed to get out there and keep my kiddos entertained. This way we weren't watching hours of cartoons all day, but I also wasn't totally breaking the bank.

And I've got to say that I am proud of myself for venturing out with my boys all by myself as much as I have.  And honestly, although I have had my tricky moments, it has been easier than I thought it would be.

We've gone to the splash pad in Market Street and walked around Market Street several times (free)

Evan running in the center.

I hope these guys are best friends when they are older.

The New playground in the Woodlands Mall (free)

 

I forgot to take a pic so I took this one from the Internet.

The beach in Galveston (Free minus the gas.) We have gone twice. Once with staying the night and the other just a day trip. The Beach is just a little over an hour from where we live.

 

Mar-Mar and Poppy

Steve and I consider car rides with both the boys asleep as a date together. It was so romantic. Haha! :)

See the seaweed in the back....Yes, there is a lot, but we still had fun.

Moody Gardens (not so free...) I haven't decided if it was worth as much as it cost, but it was pretty cool, and thank you Poppy for the Penguin Encounter. Apparently, Moody is non-profit...Cool.

 

My babies...

The boys loved being able to touch the penguin. I had no idea that penguins were so loud.

The Aquarium was my favorite part of Moody Gardens.

I love this pic of my dad! Perfect timing with the shark in the back ground.

Discovery Green AKA Green Oasis in the Middle of H-Town (free)

 

It takes a lot to keep them still for a pic. God bless those who do baby photography.

They love it when I let them run without holding my hand. They were squealing with delight as I took this photo.  

Huge splash pad with sky scrappers in the background.

We all drove to work with daddy that morning and wore ourselves out at Discovery Green while we waited for dad to get off of work early. Then we headed to Abilene for a short weekend visit. You want sleepy, worn out children when you are going on a long car ride.

Shanks Mini-Glow Golf ($8.49/adult and kids under 4 are free)

Ian just walked around with his golf club, but Evan tried to play. Good thing they were free.

Without the flash to give you an idea what it really looks like.This place was so awesome!

Ian was a little skittish of the dinosaurs. We had to hug them to get Ian to come close to them.

Bouncin' Bears Texas (4 dollars a kid and they don't charge the adults)

We spent 4 hours here.

You could bring in your own food or buy snacks.

Tons of space and bounce houses.

The early morning kid movies at Silverado (Free)

 

It started off fine, but then Ian got cranky.

Thank goodness for my carrier, and the theatre being full of noisy kids. I didn't feel awkward at all walking the entrance aisle until he fell asleep.

This is what they were showing. It was pretty funny.

 

Rob Flemming Aquatic Center (8 dollars a kid and 10 for adults) This was kind of pricey, but we spent 6 hours there and this is much cheaper than a water park.

 

We brought our own food in of fresh cherries, water and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

This place rocked with an awesome kiddie area and tons of shade. I want the boys to feel comfortable in the water. We practiced floating and putting our heads under the water.

Town Green in the Woodlands to watch the fireworks on the 4th of July.

 

Waiting on the fireworks

Can you believe people ask me if they are twins...I want to ask "Do you see their size difference?"

Impressive!

I'm starting to fall in love with my corner of Houston, just like I did to my piece of Oklahoma.

And to church every weekend that we have been home. Which we didn't do last year, but that's another blog post.

I've got a few things up my sleeve for this week too.

We are gonna do the free movie again, go back to Bouncin' Bears, and I found out that the Houston Children's museum is free on Thursday nights from 5-8. So, we are going to meet up with daddy after he gets off of work and check it out.

It looks huge.

Also, the Rob Flemming Aquatic Center is showing a movie on Saturday night. So, you can swim and take in a flick at the same time.

In summary, Summer 2 is kicking Summer 1 in the rear end.

I heart summer 2.

I am loving all this extra time with my boys.

I feel like super mom.

I love my job that allows me to have this time off with my kids.

Also, this summer will stick out in my mind as a reminder. When you have a task that seems overwhelming, make a plan and believe that you can do it. Your positive thoughts and actions will take you far.


Have suggestions of places I can check out? Tell me about them!