Super Dreamy Record Shop

I miss TKO and California.

Especially when it snows in Austin.

Children in Non-Children's Museums, Dreamy Combo or No?

I know Children's Museums are supposedly the way to go with kids but with our four energetic and diverse (read: all four always want to do four completely different things) kiddies, I'm still working up to visiting the new one in Austin (we went to one in Tennessee and one in Alabama so I'm not just making this up).

So I took a cue from my mom and dressed up our girlies for a visit to the Blanton Museum of Art.  I did a preliminary tour to make sure the art was age appropriate and then decided I'd take only our three girls (ages 4, 6 and 8).  

I'd been dying to break out these skirts from Old Navy (Old Navy was my go-to place for building a wardrobe for four kids from scratch on a limited budget) and thought the girls' first trip to a 'Grown Up Museum' was the perfect place.

Their Lifelike exhibit was a big hit (meaning, all three loved it and were happy to stay in the same room looking at the same art).

 In the end, our visit was short and sweet (we left just as a mini melt down was beginning) and our 6 yr old is already asking for another visit to the 'Grown Up Museum.'

Our second museum trip in Austin was to the Bullock Texas State History Museum to see the Extreme Mammals Exhibit with all six of us and Mimi.  Having three adults for four kids was such a luxury (and we had someone to take a family photo of us).

(And I know there are more photo ops in the Bullock Museum but camera time was limited to areas with natural light and those rare moments when I didn't need both hands.)

Verdict: I love taking our kiddies no non-children's museums and they seem to love it too.  They've been such great sports that now I think it's time to visit the Thinkery.  

Dreamiest Thing that's Ever Been Mailed to Me

Scenes from a Rainbow Unicorn Party (on a Budget) Which Everyone Helped Make Tres Dreamy:

Here's our birthday girlie:

On the menu: homemade enchiladas, beans and rice (thanks mom!), corn dogs (they look like unicorn horns, right?), vegetable platter (thanks to my brother-in-law), Cake Pops (via Groupon), cupcakes and cake

(Don't even think about trying to escape getting your hair done.  And, if I didn't find you I know my mom would have.)

Activities: 

Musical Unicorns  

Pin the Horn on the Unicorn

Unicorn Pinata

Opening Presents (Mostly related to unicorns)

Cake with a Unicorn Topper (and an outfit change for the birthday girl, of course)

My parent's next door neighbor surprised us with face-painting for the kiddies (she's the best!)

 She even painted a teenage mutant ninja turtle with no ninja-turtle drawing experience.

I loved seeing our little girlie so happy.

The Dreamiest Sad Photo

My heart breaks for Joey but I would have chosen Johnny too. . . 

I'm dreaming of a White Light Christmas. . .

Used to be that my Christmas-anticipation was directly correlated to the December issue of British Vogue, for obvious reasons. . . 

This was my first Christmas as a married lady with step-kiddies and I kept thinking it would be all magic and photo ops.  Ha! Foolish new parent!  I learned my lesson. 

 I think Santa was loving that we live near an Ikea now.

We slept at my parent's house for a couple reasons:

1. More adults to help out - I mean, to see the wonder in our childrens' faces.

2. My parent's lovely home has a tad more space than our 2-bedroom apartment.

I thought we were going to be woken up at the crack of dawn but miraculously the girls slept until almost 8 and Lil' Dude didn't wake up 'til almost 9.  We contemplated waking him up so we could see Christmas at the same time (and get a photo of us 6) but if you're 2 yr old wants to sleep - you let him sleep.

(Maybe we can photo shop Lil' Dude in later.)

Apparently we had a theme: bears + scooters

Come on! How cute is this Grandma?  

Love that you can see Tia Monkey, asleep in her striped onesie.  

 Totally wishing Santa had brought me a scooter too.  I WAS muy grateful for the "Mrs. Roper caftan" my mom gave me.  

We never did get a photo of all 6 of six.  But the thought of corralling 4 little kids on Christmas after they've opened their presents was on the same level as catching the frogs that used to jump in our home when we lived in the woods in Mississippi.

Is it wrong to say that Christmas was exhausting and I'm glad it's only once a year?  By 3pm I wanted it to be over so I could sleep and dream of everything non-Holiday.  It was fun seeing the kiddies all hyped up on Christmas-magic, though.  Oh goodness, I have a feeling that this time of year will never be the same.  


I mean, I still bought the December issue of British Vogue, I just had to wait until January to read it. 

twig and tree