Opportunity for Kids to Contribute in North Texas – SLANT 45

The Super Bowl is coming to North Texas next year. It is something that we are all excited about. It is a novelty of epic proportions.

We are all looking forward to the game, the circus of events that surround it and the positive economic impact it will have on our community.  The Super Bowl planning committee has given us an additional reason to cheer…

SLANT 45

SLANT 45 stands for - Service Learning Adventures in North Texas – for Super Bowl 45.  It is a way for kids to get involved and take volunteerism to a whole new level.  In fact, it is the LARGEST service learning initiative ever undertaken.

Everything is BIGGER in Texas.

What is SLANT 45?

An adult coach gathers a group of kids to plan and implement a simple project to improve the community.  The group could be a family, a group of friends, a soccer team, a girl scout troop, a classroom…you get the idea.  They are trying to keep the numbers to less than 25 kids per adult coach.  The team submits the idea/project through the SLANT 45 website and utilizes the resources and information provided there.  No project is too small.  After the team completes the project, the kids submit a simple art project that reflects their experience.

The art project will become part of a traveling art show.  The SLANT 45 experience throughout North Texas will be captured by a documentary film crew.

And at the end there will be a super big party for all the kids that participate…so fun.

I went to one of the first training sessions last Friday at NISD to get more information.

You don’t have to attend a training session to participate.  Everything that they showed to us is available on the website.  Once a coach signs up, they will be sent a Coach’s Playbook and teammate playbooks for each child.  The coach’s playbook takes the adult step by step through leading the kids through the service learning process.

The kid’s playbook is written at a 3-5th grade level (any age child is encouraged to participate) and helps the child record each step of the project.  It is colorful and just looks like a lot of fun.

The whole process is very simple and will be advertised throughout North Texas on all sorts of media.  Here are some billboards you may see throughout the metroplex.

During the meeting I took notes and posted them to Twitter.

I am posting a copy of these notes because I am afraid that the room full of teachers were a little disturbed that I was on my phone the whole meeting and appeared to be texting.  You can find out more information about SLANT 45 on Twitter by searching for #SLANT45.

For the record, I was being productive!

I am really excited about this project.  Big Thought, the people behind the plan, are hoping for more than 20,000 kids in our area to get involved.  I am planning a project with my boys and will be pitching another idea to my homeschool group.

Burb Mom would LOVE to follow some of your SLANT 45 stories…how YOU get your kids involved in service learning through this really amazing project.

Check out the SLANT 45 website by clicking here.

BURBMOM: THE BEGINNING

A few years ago I started a blog.
I don’t know why I started a blog.
Why , Oh, why did I start a blog?

I started writing every day. I enjoyed the writing. I enjoyed the online community that developed around my blog and the blogs that I read regularly. Before long I found that many of the people I considered friends were people I had never met in person.

A year and 1/2 ago one of my online friends emailed me to make sure I knew about a group of bloggers meeting in Dallas. I signed up anxious to meet my friends.

As the details formulated, I mentioned that I lived close to the airport and could easily pick up people who were flying in for the weekend. Shauna, the person who was organizing the event emailed me asking where I lived. I replied…

Flower Mound, TX (it is just North of DFW in the metroplex)

When she replied that she lived in Flower Mound too I nearly fell off my chair.

One of my anonymous blogging friends was my neighbor.

We met in person soon after this revelation. Soon after that we met our non-Flower Mound blogging friends for an amazing weekend of fun.

That is how it started. As a blogger writing under the name Texasholly, I ended up with a local friend.

It should be easier to meet local moms.
It should be easier to meet local moms.
It should be easier to meet local moms!

And that is why Burb Mom was created. So much of our life is LOCAL. The places we go, the experiences, the frustrations, the activities, the food, the FUN!

It all starts at home. It all starts in our town. It all starts in our ‘burb.

We created a place where we want to hang out. A website that tells the story of our community.

We don’t just want to tell this story by ourselves. We want you to join us.

Oh! What about that french toast pictured above?
That is a picture of what I ate at the first official Burb Mom meeting (at Le Peep) proving that breakfast is the most important meal of the day…

This was the first post we published when we started Burb Mom in November of 2008.  I am re-running it because I am feeling a little nostalgic and mushy.

Mama Called The Doctor, and The Doctor Said, No More Corn Kernels Stuck Inside Your Head!

Once upon a time, in the land of Vacation, was playing in the room while Mommy took a

came into the bathroom & told Mommy “I put a popcorn in my ear!”

“You did what? A what in your ear?” Mommy said.
“A popcorn. Look!” And as digs his finger in his , Mommy yelled “Stop!”

From inside the , she saw in his .

“Tilt your head & jump up and down.” says the soapy Mommy in the . No luck. The was firmly in place.

Greaaat. At least we passed a hospital about 5 minutes away from the hotel. Mommy had a feeling we’d be making the trip, so she told to ask to try & get it out.

As he’s working at the computer, sees come over nervously & says “I have popcorn in my ear. Can you get it out?”

Thinking Mommy would be mad (and not knowing that Mommy already knew), and went quietly into the bathroom to look for a tool to remove the .

Luckily, found , and using his big, bad Daddy ninja-skills, he popped the out of Reese’s .

Mommy was SO glad we didn’t have to make a hospital trip, & we all understand NO popcorn kernels in the ear!!

Christmas Texas Style at the Gaylord Texan

Last year on our first day of Christmas break,  I decided that I’d take the kids somewhere I’d always wanted to go – the Gaylord Texan.

For those of you that aren’t from the area it’s a huge hotel/convention center that is beautiful and I’d heard that it was all decked out for Christmas.  I really wanted to go the year before, but we could never make it work.  My mom and I took my three kids and my niece and we could have used another set of hands- there was so much to do and see we were constantly having to keep tabs on who had who.

It was super cold that morning so the first thing we had to do is come in and sit by the fire.

Next we saw the obligatory Texas longhorn.  They have to remind us that we’re in Texas.  

The Christmas tree was massive and beautiful.  Like they say- “Every thing’s bigger in Texas” I guess that includes Christmas trees.

My favorite thing was the life size gingerbread house.  It was so much fun to look at and the kids loved it too.  They couldn’t understand why they couldn’t go in.

And for those of you industrious cooks/crafter’s here’s what you’ll need to make this bad boy:

Who doesn’t have 10 gallons of molasses on hand?

Here are a few more things that we saw while were there:

Overall we had a really good time.  We paid $10 to park, but we didn’t pay for anything once we were inside.  It was worth the parking fee- the kids really loved it.

If you’re going there are a lot of places that provide great photo opportunities.

We arrived around 9:45 am and it wasn’t too crowded, but when we were leaving around 11:00 am it was getting pretty crowded.  If you’re going to take pictures go early – it’s much easier to get the shots you want when there are less people.

I’m a Rookie

Last month, I was making my way up to Texas Motor Speedway from my home in North Texas. I was nervously excited for a night at the speedway since I had never been to any kind of race before and I didn’t know anyone else that was attending that evening.

I parked my van, looked across the parking lot at the magnificent Texas Motor Speedway, and then spent the next forty-five minutes searching for the Chevy Tent to sign in. Wouldn’t you know that I had only passed up the Chevy Tent three times.

Cause that’s how I roll.

When I finally found the tent, I signed in, handed over my drivers license, and then proudly put on my VIP Bling. Then I stood like a dork because I didn’t know anyone else around me. I hope no one noticed how panicked I felt, and if you did please don’t tell me. I really felt like Jenny the Bloggess at that moment and wanted to hide underneath the 2010 Chevy Silverado Texas Edition.

Then finally John White with General Motors gathered us in a big circle and starting speaking. Now tell me this–doesn’t John look a lot like Woody Harrelson in King Pin just with more hair? I still can’t remember what John does with GM, because the twenty-hundred times he told me all I could think of was, “Dang he looks like Woody Harrelson. I wonder if they’re cousins and don’t even know it. Maybe I should ask him if he’s been Munsoned. Or at least if he likes bowling.”

I have no idea what John talked about for the ten minutes or so that he spoke. I introduced myself, the other people in the group introduced themselves, and then I got hooked up to sit next to Tim Herrick in the golf cart on the trip to the Chevy Drive area.

Tim Herrick is the engineer for the crossover vehicles with General Motors and specifically engineered the Chevy Equinox (the same vehicle I reviewed over the summer). He is a gentleman and tried to keep me from falling off the back of the golf cart several times.

He even answered a couple questions I asked about the Chevy Equinox, specifically:

1.) What is your favorite feature of the Equinox?
2.) What feature would you not take away from the Equinox?

I hope you’re not looking forward to his answers to these two burning questions, because, again, I was so nervous I totally forgot what he said.

Once we arrived to the Chevy Drive area, I hopped in the 2010 Chevy Malibu and drove around the course scaring the guide next to me as I peeled around the turns. I should let you know right here that if you are looking into getting a car that has great steering and maneuverability, the 2010 Chevy Malibu is for you. I know I could have done some totally rad donuts in that car if I hadn’t thought the guide next to would have freaked out. Are you the type of person that gets lost quite a lot? The Chevy Malibu can make perfect U-turns…

As we prepared to enter the Texas Motor Speedway to watch the drivers perform practice laps and to eat our catered light (yah right) dinner, I shot this scene of the sunset reflecting onto the speedway:

Once again, we hopped into the golf carts and began our journey down into the center of the  Texas Motor Speedway. We ate catered food and chatted for a little bit. I found Trish (twitter: @BouncingCoCo) and her friend there and proceeded to have a great time as my nervousness wore off. Trish, her friend, and I moved along to the crowd forming where two men gave us instructions for the Driver Introductions. I honest to God thought that Driver Introductions were all about two or three drivers introducing themselves to us. When Chevy told me that I’d be driving one of the racing drivers around the Texas Motor Speedway track, all I could think was, “You’ve got to be kidding me. You really don’t know what you’re getting yourself into by asking me to do this.”

Oh my sweetness they did not know what they were getting themselves into.

Into the 2010 Chevy Silverado I sat like a scared plucked chicken. Donna with General Motors got into the seat next to me. I was so nervous I couldn’t figure out how to turn off the headlights. I was so nervous my hands began to shake. I gave my camera over to Donna and told her she had to take the photographs. She told me she couldn’t because her hands shook. I looked at with a so-what expression and told her she still had to take photographs and that I adjusted the settings so she’d have a hard time screwing the photographs up. Then it was time to begin driving.

As I pulled onto the speedway track and turned left towards the stage, I began waving at the crowds. Cheers and whistles blew up from the stands. I was having a nervously grand time! Then the Number 15 gasman came over to us and chatted. He says he’s gonna be my Facebook friend, but I have yet to see him on there. Maybe I scared him off.

Then the line began moving.

I watched as the drivers got introduced one by one on the big screen and then jumped into the back of the Silverados. Too quickly, it was my turn to pick up a driver. I pulled up, Number 25 or 29 or some-other-number got into the back of my truck and I carefully proceeded driving away, watching the driver’s nice rear in his black and yellow uniform in my rearview mirror. That is why they call it a rearview mirror you know.

Of course, I was so busy carefully glimpsing this driver’s rear that I completely forgot that I was supposed to drive all the way around the speedway track. So I turned left back down towards, well I don’t know where I was going, then had to turn back right, then slow down to an almost stop, all while the poor, probably embarrassed driver, yelled to me, “Go! Go! Keep straight…Where are you going?!”

Donna, laughing, yelled out the window back to him, “Sorry! She’s a rookie!”

To which I yelled, also laughing, “Sorry! I have no idea what in the world I am doing!”

And then Donna and I laughed the entire way around the speedway track. I had never had so much fun in my adult life before. Here I was, meeting the greats of racing, and I will probably always be remembered by this driver as the Chick Who Embarrassed the Hades Out of Me at the 2009 Camping World Truck Series WinStar World Casino 350.

If he can get all that out in one breath.

Much thanks to Chevy and BurbMom for a great experience at Texas Motor Speedway!

Oh Christmas Tree!

If you take a little drive down Shiloh road in Double Oak/Flower Mound area between 407 and 1171, this is what awaits you.

It is bright.

It is beautiful.

It is worth the drive.

It is something that just takes my breath away each time I see it.

So glad it is back this year.  I saw it this morning on the way to black Friday shopping...very early.

Six Flags!

Every year we make the trip to Arlington for the Pepsico Frito Lay employee party at Six Flags where we get the run of the park from 5:00pm to midnight. Every year I have to get this same picture as we enter the park. We went to the Six Flags party last night and I said I wasn’t going to get this picture again this year. But at the last minute I pulled out the camera. I just like that they close the entire park just for our private party!

Of course, Six Flags is a not a Pepsi location. All through the park you see vending machines selling only Coca-Cola products. So I thought it was really cute to find these signs on the vending machines….

We did enjoy our fair share of the complimentary Pepsi and Frito Lay products. Throughout the park there are stations full of various Frito Lay chips and iced down Pepsi products like Aquafina, Gatorade, Sierra Mist, Mountain Dew, and of course Pepsi. They are all free with no limits so our tummies were never left wanting for anything.

Nicholas brought a friend of his and they spent several minutes trying to decipher the map. They were quite cute as they discussed where they were and where they wanted to go although I’m quite sure they really had no idea what they were talking about since even I can’t read the Six Flags map very well.

We spent most of our time in Looney Tunes land where the rides are more geared towards younger kids. One of Nicholas’ favorite rides here is the roller coaster. It is just two laps around a track that goes up and down but it gets quite a bit a speed at times and can be scary for little ones. But not these boys. They loved it! And I got a good seat right in front of them and was able to take lots of pictures of them screaming while smiling

They also rode a hot air ballon ride with Stuart. They loved how the ride went up and everyone spun around but the boys quickly learned that they could spin the center wheel to make their car spin around separately as well so they were going extra fast. Stuart was not so fond of this ride but notice Nicholas’ tongue helping him to spin them even faster…

I really don’t know how they did this, but the boys ALMOST talked me into riding on the Aquaman ride with them. This is one of those rides where you are in a boat and at the end you come down a hill and splash into the water. I really really almost did this with them but then came to my senses.

With our free tickets to the park, we also get free Daffy Dollars which is like “Six Flags Money” and can be used for food, drinks, games, or souvenirs in the park. We always eat dinner before we go and have plenty of free snacks while there so we get to spend all of our Daffy Dollars on toys and souvenirs. We got each boy his own super hero cape. Nicholas really enjoyed strutting around in his Batman cape…

Of course, they had to ride on the Tea Cups, another spin-around-as-fast-as-you-can kind of ride.

They tried a new ride this year which was designed to feel like you are falling from a skyscraper. It goes straight up and free falls a little and goes back up and free falls a little more. Eventually it works up to letting you feel like you are free falling all the way down.

Before we left we stopped back by the toy shop to spend the rest of our Daffy Dollars. The boys each got large super hero action figures. On the way out to the car, both boys were tired so we let them sit and rest while Stuart got the car. They both fell asleep before we got home.

She’s someone’s Grandmother: Meals on Wheels

My Gammy Johnson was a hoot; all 5 feet of her!  For most of her life, she was a single mom raising two kids, working forty hours a week at a time when most moms didn’t work.  Though I’m sure she struggled, you would have never known it to look at her.  She was always dressed to the nines, always in heels (yes, even when we went to the Laundromat) and always had a smile on her face.  From Gammy I learned the thrill of giving to others, the beauty of a gut-wrenching country music song, and how to polka with the best of them at the local VFW.

My Grandmother Chilton always seemed so tall to me.  She had the perfect posture of a southern lady, and I can’t remember her ever saying a negative word about anyone.  She raised a large family with her best friend, my granddad, and always seemed honored to do so.  In her church and her community, she was someone others could count on.  Though her house was always immaculate, she was never too busy to chat with a friend or family member. From Grandmother I learned how to make moist strawberry bread, the fashion statement a great hat can make, and the importance of church in everyone’s life.

Though I miss them both very much, the lessons they taught me and the time I spent with them is not forgotten.  In today’s world when so many people live far away from their families, sometimes it’s the seniors in our communities who suffer the most.  In years past, if family members weren’t geographically close to their aging relatives, there were long-time friends who could lend a helping hand, or provide a meal when times were tough.  Today, sadly, those connections are rare, yet there are still grandmothers, grandfathers and other adults in our community who need a helping hand.

This is why I volunteer for our local Meals on Wheels program.

The seniors, or handicapped adults, who I visit at lunch-time are more grateful for the one on one conversation than they are for the hot meal.  For many, the Meals on Wheels volunteers are the only people they speak with on a daily basis.  The recipients of the meals always thank me profusely for taking the time to talk with them, but truly, I feel blessed for having the chance to make a small difference in someone’s life.

Before my kids left for college, they rode along with me on Mondays.  Now that both of them are gone for the school year, each time I ring the doorbell of another home, I know there will be a quick conversation about how the kids are doing.  In turn, I’m always ready with an update or photo.  If you have a young child who is not yet in school, what a great example you could set if he or she accompanied you on a Meals on Wheels route!  The added benefit is the conversation that inevitably take place back in the car about how blessed your own family is.

If your heart is open, and you have an hour that you are willing to give, call the Lewisville Senior Center – 972-219-5050. They can set you up once a week, or once a month.  My route never takes more than 45 minutes to complete, but the benefits last so much longer.

Wafflepalooza

I don’t cook much.

OK, I really don’t cook at all.

BUT I can make a mean waffle.  Waffles at our house are a major food group.  They take special priority and can occasionally be found at the dinner table.

*gasp!*

It isn’t all bad.  The boys enjoy applesauce or a fruit topping on the first one and then the syrup comes out for all to enjoy.  They really are good.

A few Christmases ago a family member gave us the fancy barnyard waffle maker.  I figure that protein is implied when the kids are eating cows and chickens.  The gift is well used.  It probably is used more than my oven.

The waffle recipe I use is originally from the Oster Belgian Waffle maker I received for my wedding 17 years ago.  I have tried a lot of other recipes, but this is by far my favorite:

LIGHT ‘N CRISP WAFFLES

2 egg yolks

2 cups milk

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup oil

2 egg whites, stiffly beaten

Preheat the waffle maker.  I separate the eggs placing the whites into a small mixing bowl and the yolks into a large mixing bowl.  I add all the other ingredients to the large mixing bowl.  I pull out my hand mixer and first whip up the eggs until fluffy.  Then mix the other ingredients with the hand mixer until they are combined.  I then fold in the egg whites with a spatula.

That is it!  Pour the batter into the waffle maker…

Mmmmmm.

Dinner? is served.*

*also works well for breakfast!

More yummy recipes can be found by visiting Rachel at A Southern Fairy Tale where she hosts Mouthwatering Monday .

When Holly isn’t trying to pass off breakfast food as dinner to her family, she is at June Cleaver Nirvana.

Dallas Zoo

Last Friday we had good intentions.  A friend and I agreed to meet at the Science Museum with our collective 5 boys for a morning of fun.

I was 1/2 the way to Dallas when my husband called and said, “Where is this museum?”

“Fair Park.”

“You CAN’T GO THERE TODAY!  It is the Cotton Bowl!”

About that time my friend called to report her husband had just called her with the same information and she was already in a traffic jam on I-30.

We had 5 anxious boys, 1 grandma and 2 very uninformed mommies!

We made a snap decision to go to the Dallas Zoo instead.  The weather was great and we already had sandwiches packed…

The boys were excited to get out of the car and run around.  The zoo was a perfect place for expending child energy.

There is an area where you can buy either worms or birdseed sticks to feed the birds for $1.  All our boys chose the birdseed sticks.  The birds were still on their “winter schedule” so eating wasn’t a high priority, but we had some fun encounters.  Several of the birds kept trying to climb into my purse or up my mom’s coat sleeves.  They were not shy and the kids loved it.

Next time I will encourage buying the worms.  Some of the birds only eat worms and they seem to be a less popular purchase among the zoo visitors.  You don’t actually touch the worms, the birds will eat them out of a small cup that is provided.

The zoo has a huge play area.  It has equipment for kids of all ages.  This spider web was my 5 y/o’s favorite:

There is also slides and tunnels and large eggs to climb into…just a bunch of fun stuff.  Surrounding the play area are several smaller learning centers and the Nature Exchange Center.

All the boys thought this was great.  You can bring in up to 5 items (you collected at home) and trade them for other nature treasures.  There is a point system assigned so it is like a nature store.  There are many things to see and touch even if you (like us) don’t have anything to trade.

This Nature Exchange Center is one of the main reasons we will be returning to the zoo this year–and next time we will be prepared with treasures to trade.

The underground learning area is really unique.  It is dark (and quiet) and has all sorts of animals that live underground.

There is also a tunnel to crawl through to fully experience underground living.

There are also lots of animals at the zoo…

Overall it was a great experience.  We were glad we had missed the craziness at Fair Park and gone to the Dallas Zoo.  It took us about 45 minutes (without traffic) to get there from Flower Mound.  We spent 4 hours, but could have easily spent another hour or two if everyone had the energy!

If you have written about your experience at the Dallas Zoo, please mention the link in the comments.

When Holly isn’t planning trips in the middle of major events, she can be found at June Cleaver Nirvana where being a mommy and blogging is not in the middle of traffic.

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