We went on a fantastic trip to the Ft. Worth Botanic Gardens!

We parked the cars & met at the entrance to the gardens. Mrs. Deb is always so creative with her recycled materials, and today was no exception!

She created some awesome, fun binoculars for everyone using toilet paper tubes & yarn. These were a HUGE hit, and the kids loved using them all along our walks to look at things!

All along the boardwalk, there are interactive displays & lots of informational signs. It’s hard to believe this whole location is free! There were displays about trees, leaves, even a display with bird eggs in boxes with a guessing game to find the Mommy bird. I would have expected to pay for something this educational!

Walking on the log path

Answering the question: “Do trees poop?”

The holes in this tree were made by the sapsucker bird. What a lot of work to make all those holes with your beak!

Reese & a friend at the Bird Sounds interactive display. If you pushed a red button, a bird sound would come down from speakers in the trees & you had to guess what type of bird made that noise. You could lift the flaps to see if your guess was right. The owl sound was really neat!

A big leaf Reese was excited to find

A hot day calls for Icee Pops! Mrs. Deb thinks of everything. I think everyone ate their fair share of yummy icee pops on a warm morning.

When we stopped to eat icee pops, Mrs. Deb took some time to talk with everyone about trees. One interesting topic that got lots of answers was whether or not trees were alive. We talked about what trees need to live, & Reese went into a story about bees & pollination & how they can sting you. Here, he’s showing how the bees sting. So dramatic!

All along the path, there were also fixed looking tubes, which were pointed at different items of interest along the forest floor. There were little signs at the bottom of the looking tubes telling you what to find, such as raccoon dens & damage on a tree from lightning. Reese asked Mrs. Deb to lift him up here.

Here’s Reese looking through another looking tube.

If you’ve got water coming up out of the ground, you can almost bet that 4 year olds will eventually get wet. Everyone started out using their hands, then Reese decided to step into the water. I warned him that if he got wet, he had to stay wet until we left. Of course, he didn’t care, & just got completely wet!

And if you’re already wet, why not just lay down on top of the fountain?!?

Lucky us, there was ANOTHER fountain just steps away! This one had a big bowl on the top which Reese & his friend loved splashing in with their hands. Is that a botanical gardens faux pau?

Splash, splash, splash! These two were completely soaked from head to toe when they were done here!

After our fun morning of hiking, learning, & splashing, we headed back to the entrance for a yummy picnic lunch together.

One of the things I LOVE about being a mom in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is that there are tons of things happening. There are places to go and people to see. This is not limited to in real life (IRL) experiences . There is an ever-growing list of online resources for moms in North Texas. These are websites tailored for what moms want and need here in DFW.

Of course…
*drum roll*
*rim shot*
*deep announcer voice*

We will begin with BURB MOM!

really, what did ya expect?

BurbMom.net

What is inside: Burb Mom is a website that has new daily content for moms in the Dallas-Fort Worth ‘burbs.  It is like that that girlfriend that everyone needs that knows stuff – you know the friend you call when you need an electrician, a hair dresser, or a night out.  She may not know the answer to your question, but she will definitely have a contact name for you.  She is also the kind of friend that totally understands being hung up in the middle of a conversation because a child in the background yelled, “Mom, I just pooped!”

Stuff I like: Beyond the daily informational stories about mommy stuff in DFW, there is silliness.  Funny stories about moms and families that happened right here in North Texas.  Burb Mom is a great way to connect with your Dallas-Fort Worth ‘burb on a mom’s schedule…2 minutes here, 7 minutes there…even at 1 am.

Around Town Kids

What is inside: Around Town Kids is a website with a calendar of activities for kids in Plano, Frisco, McKinney and Allen.  There is also information about each city, resources for parents, coupons and a directory.

What I like: The calendar at Around Town Kids is super easy to use.  Each city has it’s own calendar so the information isn’t overwhelming.

Daily Candy Kids – Dallas

What is inside: Daily Candy Kids – Dallas is part of the Daily Candy family of websites/e-newsletters for 5 major world cities.  The Daily Candy Kids – Dallas is updated weekly with something unique for kids.

What I like: I love Daily Candy and receive all the daily email articles for Dallas.  The look of the website is great and there is always something funky and off the beaten track featured.  It isn’t really for kids…it is for the moms.

Dallas Child

What is inside: Dallas Child is a part of the family of websites that include Fort Worth Child, North Texas Child and DFW Everything Family.  Each website features the latest Child magazine plus website-only stories.

What I like: I love the look of the Dallas Child website.  I also like that the stories are written by experts right here in Dallas-Fort Worth.

DFW Area Moms

What is inside: DFW Area Moms is a forum-based website.  Members sign up to participate in discussions of just about anything related to mom, family, work and the Dallas-Fort Worth area.  Regular membership is free, but members may upgrade for $20 a year after a trial period.

What I like: I am a member of DFW Area Moms under the name Texasholly.  I like that it is an active forum with quite a few members participating on a daily basis.

Dallas – Moms Like Me

What is inside: Moms Like Me is a discussion site for moms.  I first heard about it when vacationing in Colorado where they were doing a lot of TV and newspaper advertising.  There have over 100 local sites within the US and one of them is here in DFW.

What I like: I am a member of Moms Like Me under the name Texasholly.  I like how easy it is to navigate the site and find what discussions interest me.

Fort Worth Mommies

What is inside: The Fort Worth Mommies website is part of the Mommies Network of 95 websites nationwide.  The site has news and mom-related stories on the front page and a discussion community where members can participate.

What I like: I am a member of Fort Worth Mommies under the name Texasholly.  The website is a non-profit organization “dedicated to helping parents find support and friendship in their local community”.

Family eGuide

What is inside: Family eGuide is an extremely comprehensive calendar of family events for the North side of the DFW metroplex.  At the website you can sign up for a weekly e-newsletter which is an organized overview of what is happening close to home.

What I like: I love the Family eGuide.  So much so that we are coordinating some future content exchange with Family eGuide in the near future!  YEAH.  If you are not on their email list…go now and sign up!

Go City Kids – Dallas

What is inside: Go City Kids is part of Nickelodeon’s Parents Connect Network of almost 50 local websites.  The website has information about local activities, events and a directory of services.  There is also a parent discussion forum.

What I like: I am a member of  the Parents Connect network under the name Texasholly. Besides the discussion groups, there is a lot of local information on this site about things happening in the metroplex.

In The Loop Kids

What is inside: In the Loop has been in the loop via email for over a year.  July 2009 they launched their first website.  The website provides general information about all things Dallas Mommy plus upcoming events.

What I like: My favorite part of the newly constructed site was the series of recipes for kids by local chefs.

Lila Guide

What is inside: The Lila Guide is part of The Bump network of 25+ local websites for parents across the country.  There are local reviews, events, groups and online message board for parents.

What I like: I am a member of this message board under the name Texasholly.  I like the modern, yet retro look of the website.

Mamasource – various DFW groups

What is inside:  Mamasource is the ultimate mother forum.  Moms sign up at the main website, enter their zip code and each morning they receive an email of 8 selected requests from the last 24 hours.  Requests are questions from local moms.  All you have to do is click on whatever request you want to answer and you are transported to the website where you can add your 2 cents. Mamasource is also behind the new website Mamapedia which will be compiling popular questions and answers into an encyclopedia-like format.

What I like: Mamasource is simple.  I have been a member for over 2 years – under the name Holly H. in Flower Mound.  It is so simple that I was interacting online with other local moms regularly on mamasource long before I started blogging.  I have answered almost 200 questions.  I love that there is tons of local interaction.  It is part information and part soap opera.

Metroplex Baby

What is inside: Metroplex Baby & Kids is a website for “MetroMoms”.  It has a calendar, list of events, area directory, and a social network where moms can connect with each other and post to forums.

What I like: I am a “Metromom” under the name Texasholly.  The network has current and frequent postings.  I like that on member home pages they can display RSS feeds – this is one of the few local online networks that allow this.

Metroplex 4 Children

What is inside: The Metroplex 4 Children website is a part of the Kirace.com family of websites.  They have locations in several Texas and Wyoming cities.

Modern Babies and Children – DFW

What is inside: Modern Babies and Children is the website for the complimentary local magazine by the same name.  Dallas-Fort Worth is one of 6 locations that currently has Modern Babies and Children websites/magazines.  The magazine is published three times a year and can be read online.  There are also resources, an event calendar and articles to read.

What I like: I like that the resource directory is broken down by child age and that grandparents are one of the targeted audiences of this site.

Mom 2 Mom – DFW

What is inside: Mom 2 Mom – DFW is a Fort Worth Star Telegram website for moms in the metroplex.  There is new daily content from 11 featured bloggers that rotate days.  Members of the Mom 2 Mom online network can also post blogs which can be featured as well.

What I like: I have been a member of Mom 2 Mom for almost 6 months.  They have made some changes lately that make it much easier to navigate the network and post things easily.  I am Texasholly there and write under the “June Cleaver Nirvana” blog.  I really like that they allow full blog posts with links which is why I contribute to this site occasionally.  I also appreciate that there is new content daily that is not dependent on a parent forum.

Moms Blog – Dallas Morning News

What is inside: Dallas Moms Blog is a feature of the Dallas Morning News website.  It is updated on a daily basis and has information about Dallas specific to moms.

What I like: There are interesting and informative pieces about family life in Dallas written by local reporters.

Moms MeetUp

What is inside: MeetUp is a website that connects online groups to in real life groups.  You enter your location and a type of groups for which you are searching and a list appears in order of how close the group is to you.  The screenshot above is Mom MeetUps near Flower Mound.

What I like: I love finding out how far away something is from me.  I also am impressed with the variety of groups that are available.  There is everything from exercise, playgroups, supper clubs, scrapbooking, etc….kickball for moms, anyone?

Moms Outloud

What is inside: Moms Outloud is a website and online network for moms in North Texas.  Moms become members and create a profile that allows them to add reviews, post to forums and share information.  Moms Outloud also has an extensive calendar of events for families in DFW that is featured monthly in North Texas Kids magazine.

What I like: I was one of Moms Outloud’s first members (under the name Texasholly).  The site offers a lot of good information including area business reviews that isn’t available anywhere else.  The calendar is very comprehensive.  Moms Outloud often features DFW moms and their inspirational stories.  Rebekah, the founder of Moms Outloud also writes at My Kind of Mom.

North Texas Kids

What is inside: North Texas Kids is the website for the North Texas Kids magazine.  You can read the magazine online or view their calendar of things to do in North Texas.  They also list summer camps in DFW.  North Texas Kids also hosts periodic events for moms in the area.

What I like: You can sign up for a monthly newsletter which will give you the inside scoop for upcoming events and contests.

Parent Zone – Dallas

What is inside: Parent Zone is one of almost 75 local websites in cities across the United States.  Dallas is one of their newest.  Each site has a local tour guide who oversees the members who are invited to add listings and events.  There is a calendar of event where all the added events are listed.

What I like: Parent Zone is easy to navigate and join.  It appears to be a relatively new site (still listed as beta), yet has some information which is unique to its site.  I am a member under the name Texasholly.

Southlake Moms

What is inside: Southlake Moms is an online forum for moms in the town of Southlake.  Members post and answer questions related to family life in Southlake.  There is a directory, calendar and classified area.

What I like: The website has a nice look.  I am a member under the name Texasholly.  I hope they don’t mind too much that I live 10 minutes out of Southlake…

The Parent Hive

What is inside: The Parent Hive is a website and online network for DFW parents.  There are articles, events, a calendar, online groups and forums.  The site is very new and still listed in beta form.

What I like: I am signed up as a member under the name Texasholly.  I like that there are rewards for interaction in the social network that can be redeemed for prizes.

WHEW!

I think that is all of ‘em.  If you know of a website specifically for moms in the DFW metroplex, please mention it in the comments below.  I will check it out and add it.

*re-edited with updated information!*

I am relieved to find out from a commenter that one of my favorite places in Fort Worth is NOT gone….we have just literally been missing the train.

The Forest Park Miniature Railroad is still in action.

Last fall, we tried to go and the parking lot was roped off and I justified that we were there at the wrong time of day.

Mid-winter, I tried again and the train station looked a little deserted, but I figured that they were now only open on weekends.

Yesterday we tried again.  And it is still not open. I jumped to the conclusion that it was gone forever.

*sigh*

Let me get all mushy for a moment…

We regularly took the train ride which was a 45 minute tour of Forest Park.  The boys loved it.  I loved it.  My in-laws often took them as well.  It was just about the perfect family outing for small boys.  Trains, bridges, parks, rivers, popcorn, whistles, etc.  Reid even had his fourth birthday party there.  It was the perfect prelude to a lunchtime breakfast at Old South Pancake House.

In today’s super high tech and noisy world, this is just good old fashioned fun…

The Fort Worth Botanical Gardens has an amazing boardwalk learning trail for children.

It is tucked inside the first Botanical Garden exit (the one closest to 30).

When you see the big log, you are close.

The “log” is actually made of concrete and large enough for a whole group of children to play.

Just beyond the log is the entrance to the boardwalk.

All along the raised trail are learning stations where kids can learn about plants, animals, insects, birds and whether trees poop.

Because the entire trail is high, children can peek through the wire rails at everything below.

Just beyond the boardwalk is a really pretty Lilly pond. I am happy to report that no one ended up in the middle of it on this trip.

We saved the water fun for this action-initiated fountain in one of the prettiest corners of the Botanical Gardens.

Everyone goes home wet, worn out and happy.

The amazing thing is that we have only scratched the surface of things to see at the Fort Worth Botanical Gardens, but that is all we needed today. We will save the rest for another adventure.

You aimed to rent a beach house the Big Island this summer for your family, but alas, the economy has downsized your plans to include only cold showers at home.

That said, you and your kids can substitute a costly vacation with a smashing “staycation” here in Texas. All it takes is a little imagination and perhaps some phone calls. And just think: You’ll have the luxury of your own washing machine, which, when enjoyed with a frosty margarita, is a beautiful thing.

We spent the day at the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History. What a fun way to learn about science with your friends! But you can’t learn on an empty stomach, right? We headed to Fort Worth a little early so we could have breakfast at Ol’ South Pancake House which my friend Holly over at June Cleaver Nirvana recommended a while back.

Nicholas ordered from the kid’s menu…french toast with scrambled eggs and sausage. Good choice. Hmm, would you like a little french toast with that powdered sugar and syrup?

Rachel enjoyed bits and pieces of my breakfast while flirting with everyone around her. She’s quite a little social butterfly.

Finally, we were off to the museum. They have been closed for what seems like forever while doing a total $80 million redesign of the museum. Let me tell you, the wait was worth it!

We found some great activities for kids at the museum. We found a station on generating electricity. The staff person let Nicholas hook up some wires to what looks like a fishing reel and let him spin away. Look at Nicholas’ face as he realizes that he is manually generating the electricty to turn on the little light bulb that the staff person is holding.

Next we went to a station on aerodynamics. There was a table with lots of crafty-type supplies such as scissors, tape, pipe cleaners, paper cups, coffee filters, etc. The children made their own creations and then floated them in an air tube to see how well their design floated up in the air.

Nicholas loved this station and he made several different designs.

The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex has some distinguished art museums.  They are often discounted as a place for children, but here are some reasons why you SHOULD be taking your kids with you.  These museums have gone out of their way to be family friendly and offer fun and education to “artists” of all ages.

Dallas Museum of Art

The Dallas Museum of Art has three different Family Audio Tours.  Arturo, the Museum’s Mascot leads the tour geared for 5-11 year old children.  The tours are available at the Visitor Services desk and are free.

DMA hosts Late Nights, (We)ekends at the Museum and Family Films.  For the younger children, The Dallas Museum of Art offers Arturo & Me.  3–5 year olds and a favorite grown-up will work together to look at works of art, read a related story in the galleries, and do an art-making activity in the museum studio.  For the even younger kids they offer Toddler Art.  2 and 3 year olds and a favorite grown-up will participate in art-related activities and play in Arturo’s Nest, the Museum’s kid-friendly space.

Meadows Museum at SMU

The Meadows Museum hosts Family Days which include gallery games, hands-on activities, and performances highlighting the temporary exhibitions at the Meadows Museum.  There is also a series of Drop-In Art experiences on select Saturdays from 11:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.  More information about both these Meadows Museum events can be found on their website.

Kimbell Art Museum

The Kimbell Art Museum has new family gallery guides focusing on masterpieces in the Kimbell’s permanent collection. Picture cards for each artwork provide fun facts and discussion questions that encourage children and adults to explore new ideas together. This free Kimbell family resource at the Information Desk to enrich your next Museum visit.

The Kimbell also hosts summer camps, school break camps and workshops for kids along with Family Festivals that include hands-on activities and film programs, along with storytelling and other performances.

Amon Carter Museum

The Amon Carter Museum has a series of guided tours for all levels of participants.  Advance reservations are required for a specialized tour.  The other thing that this museum provides is quite a few online learning resources.  These might come in handy for school projects or at home adventures.

Fort Worth Museum of Modern Art

The Fort Worth Museum of Modern Art offers Wonderful Wednesdays which is a free gallery program for families is designed as an informal introduction to the collection and special exhibitions.  It is offered once a month and consists of a focused tour and is accompanied by a gallery project designed by the Modern’s education staff.  Admission is free for participants of the program.

Due to popular demand, the Modern is starting a new series this spring for teens age 12 to 16 age of 12 about Andy Warhol.   Andy Warhol:The Last Decade,  is designed and led by the collaborative efforts of the Modern education staff. The program includes tours, group discussions, and gallery projects and concludes with a studio project.

The Modern will again host summer camps in 2010 for young artists – ages 5 through 13.  These camps emphasize learning through direct observation of art and thoughtful art activities inspired by the current exhibition. This introduces students to some of the complex and challenging concepts and practices behind modern and contemporary art.  Activities will include everything from art making in the traditional sense to interdisciplinary exploration.

More information on all these programs can be found on each museum’s website.

Have I missed anything fun? Please add it to the comments below and I will update the article.

We had a wonderful time at Casa Manana Children’s Theater in Fort Worth where we saw the play, “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town”. Nicholas was excited to see the giant inflatable Santa outside the theater.

These pictures are all taken with my cell phone which for some reason was acting up while we were in the theater so I didn’t get any pictures of my two sweet children in their Christmas best standing in front of the Christmas tree. As always, I had brought the good camera with me but didn’t realize until I was about to take a picture that I had left the battery on the charger at home. I put it on the charger last night because I wanted to be sure I would have plenty of battery to take some really great pictures. So much for that plan!

Stuart chuckled and wished me luck when I told him that I was taking both of the children to see this show. He knows how fidgety Rachel is. She doesn’t like to sit still much anymore and is very squirmy and wiggly and wants to always be on the move. The show is about 80 minutes long and we had to arrive about 45 minutes before the show started so we could meet up with our Early Childhood PTA friends and get our group discount. I must admit that I was quite worried too. The lobby at Casa Manana can be quite crowded just before a show so I knew I wouldn’t be able to let Rachel just walk and crawl around like she would want to do. Just holding her in the lobby for 45 minutes before the show could bring her to a meltdown. Then the thought of holding her in my lap for 80 minutes of the performance didn’t seem likely at all. I had already prepped Nicholas that we might have to leave the show early if it just wasn’t working out.

Fortunately, all of our worries were completely unfounded! Rachel was mesmerized by the Christmas tree, lights, and chatter in the lobby so she did great. Some friends of mine even took our picture with their camera as the three of us stood in front of the tree. Nicholas, of course, had fun talking with his friends. Then it was time to enter the theater. How long would we make it into the show before I had to excuse myself because of Rachel’s squirming and fussing? I made sure to sit next to a friend of mine who I knew wouldn’t mind letting Nicholas stay in his seat next to them for the show if I had to step out and let Rachel get her wiggles out somewhere in the lobby. But she did fantastic! I’m sure the fact that our seats were second row, center stage helped to keep her attention focused on the action on the stage. She was quite cute because she kept waving to the actors when they looked in her direction. She had a great time – which meant that Nicholas and I were able to have a great time too. The show was great. The story was full of fun as well as a whole good-guy-bad-guy drama which Nicholas always loves. There were wonderful costumes and props, great acting, and lots of fun songs and dancing. Of course I have no pictures of it because of my whole camera fiasco! Being with friends was wonderful, and having our first taste of Christmas spririt for the season was fabulous!

I had planned to take the kids to a great little deli and pastry shop called the Swiss Pastry shop. Oh, their pastry cases have the most beautiful treats in them – you ALMOST hate to eat them. I finally found my way there (I ALWAYS get lost in Fort Worth) only to find that they are closed on Monday. This wouldn’t have been such a big deal if I hadn’t talked it up with Nicholas so he would think it was more exciting that going to the McDonald’s playground for lunch. Of course, I don’t go to Fort Worth much (probably because of my previous statement about always getting lost there) so I couldn’t think of another fun place to go to for lunch. Finally I came up with Krystal for some burgers. Not nearly as exciting as a pastry case but I thought Nicholas would get a kick out of the mini burgers. I was right.

I don’t eat at Krystal very often so I couldn’t really remember how big the burgers were and how many Krystal burgers might be needed to accomodate a regular-sized burger appetite. I told Nicholas that they were tiny bite-sized burgers and he might be able to eat two of them.  Nicholas informed me that he was going to eat 6 burgers. So I figured with myself and two kids (one of which was going to eat 6 burgers!) I should get the Sackful of Burgers deal which gave us 12 mini- burgers, two drinks, and two fries.  Of course, we missed out on the whole “sack” part of the deal since we weren’t getting it to go but the Trayful of Burgers that we did get was still quite impressive.

That was a bit too much. I think we ended up eating 4 burgers between the three of us!  That clearly means that Nicholas DID NOT eat the 6 burgers like he promised!

Rachel tried a cheeseburger for the first time. Even though the burgers are small, I still made them even smaller for her. She got bite-sized burgers. She still only has her four front teeth so I worry that she can’t chew her food very well so everything she gets is small and broken up. She didn’t mind.

As a matter of fact, she got quite cozy eating her Krystal bites. Here she is in her stroller, in her Christmas dress and stockings, eating her Krystal burger with one leg propped up like she’s sitting in Laz-Y-Boy chair!   Looks like I’ve got a long way to go on teaching her how to act like a lady

I highly recommended going to Casa Manana for “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town”. You won’t regret it. And if you have a chance to go to lunch, and it’s not on a Monday, then make your way down to the Swiss Pastry Shop at 3936 W. Vickery Blvd which is somewhere south of Casa but don’t ask me for details because I took the really, really, long way to get there!

(Grounds of The Winspear Opera House include a reflection pond, and plenty of room to explore)

First off- the newly opened Winspear Opera House in Dallas is DIVINE! Stunning, sleek – and state of the art. And The Texas Ballet’s production of “The Nutcracker” was truly revelatory for me. I love the arts , but ballet has never been my thing. Shakespeare – yes! Musicals – yes! Tutus … not really. This production changed that for me. It was a beautiful, but also celebratory production! In fact, the climax of the opening act includes a Christmas tree that grows to 40 feet tall, and a snowfall on stage!

(The Opera House lobby. My daughter was smitten with all the Nutcrackers!)

(My daughter with blankie and sippy cup, looking so tiny in her grown up theater seat!)

- Did you know over 200 costumes are used in the ballet?
- 10 miles of thread were used to build the costumes!
- 17 loads of laundry have to be done after every performance!
- Some women go through one pair of pointe shoes for each performance!

(Did I mention my pumpkin developed a small crush, on a lobby nutcracker just her size? Who knew she would go for the strong, silent type? Lol.)

I really recommend this production of the Nutcracker, it’s child friendly and would be a memorable family tradition to start! And if you are on the other side of DFW, you are in luck too! The Texas ballet is taking this production to The Fort Worth Bass Performance Hall, starting December 11th.

Whether you see it in Dallas or in Fort Worth, you are in for a real holiday treat! My husband and I both left with smiles on our faces, and in the Christmas mood. And when our daughter fell asleep in the car on the way home – we smiled knowing she was surely dreaming of Snow Queens, and Sugar plum fairies!

http://www.milkandcuddles.com/