Forest Park Miniature Train

This weekend, we went to downtown Fort Worth and rode the Forest Park Miniature Train. I needed to make a quick run to the zoo to pick up new membership cards (they won't MAIL THEM! ugh), so I decided to come up with something else fun to do while down there. We are going to a special members event later this week at the zoo, but I know the members office will be crammed with others getting cards....so....I wanted to get it done early so we wouldn't have to worry with that.


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It was hot, hot, hot, but since the train is covered and moving, it really wasn't unpleasant. It is a roundtrip ride with one stop at a little depot close to a park where you can get popcorn and a drink. We had planned to get off at the depot with a cooler for a picnic....but then we decided that we might get in trouble if Henry had a 3-year old moment and we needed to get to the car fast. So while on the ride, we decided to do the whole round trip and then drive back to the park.

Here is another train that was not in use. On really busy days, they run two trains.

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It is a 20-minute round trip.


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The boys had a big fit that they wanted to sit by themselves on the train. Um, no. We have enough emergencies with almost suffocating supervision.


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I am pretty much the crazy-floppy-hat lady all summer because I just want no sun on my face, neck, etc. If I could figure out a way to have a big tent attached to myself, I would


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Henry is really interested in "the forest," so he liked this part.


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We stopped for popcorn at the little depot. Henry refused to pose at all today.


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So nice to have a kid who is old enough to take pictures!


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Look at this sweet face! I had to make silly noises to trick him into looking at me.


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Then we went to the park and had a picnic. Chicken salad sandwiches, crudites and hummus, and fruit. I have to buy the hummus in the 100 calorie packs now b/c I just cannot be trusted.


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Henry had been playing and playing on this, but he ran when he saw me coming.


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Sprayer. That's the Trinity River in the background.


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Down by the river.


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Henry refused to look at the camera, but Todd talked like a duck to make him smile.


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Memorial Day...in a nutshell

Leo played with neighbors all day. We had all the boys over in the morning, and he went swimming next door in the afternoon. (We have a first grade boy on one side of us, and then triplet first-grade boys on the other side. Very convenient!)

Henry went to LA to stay with Brooksie. She is already out of school.

I made this bag. I had cut the pieces last year and finally got around to sewing it up.


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Todd did this. (This is his fun project....not for work. He told me what it does, but you know....in one ear... Ha! Just kidding, it's some sort of file system for our family files that we need to save and access easily, such as photos.)

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We grilled burgers for dinner! That's about it! A good day.

Science Museum

Recently, I came across a deal for a Dallas Science Museum membership for $45. That is half the normal price, so I did it. It has exhibits, an IMAX theater, and a planetarium.

So last Saturday, we all went down. When we got there, we found out that they were having a member's only morning to open a new exhibit about water. They had snacks out, and there were hardly any people in the new exhibit. Very nice.


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Digging for dinosaur bones...

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He's looking at dinosaur bones hanging over his head.

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Henry was a bit cantankerous at the house before we left, and I said..."Come on, it will be fun. At the science museum, you can crawl through things and touch things." So, of course, he latched on to that. From the minute we got in the car, he had a constant refrain of..."I want to climb through things and touch things. When do I get to climb through things and touch things?" Well, we finally found something.

Prairie dog tunnels...

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Spider web...

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Then we walked next door to the nature building. This is like the museum that time forgot. The exhibits are very faded (both dead animals and background). They have the awful dramatic lighting that terrifies my kids....where it's dark with spotlights shining on these dead animals. They kept asking...how did the bear die? Why is the beaver dead? Todd says he can remember coming here as a child and that it is exactly the same in this part. In the museum's defense...they are building a schnazzy new building, so I'm sure this will go away or get updated.

Everyone was intrigued and then scared by the bear.

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This was pretty cool. Huge ancient sea turtle/dinosaur type thing that was found in a farmer's field right outside of dallas.


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Leo was fascinated by the woolly mammoth.

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