Rusk Train Ride

We had a great opportunity to ride on a historic steam engine train in Rusk - and it fit perfectly with our unit study of transportation. We rode in the open air car, which was great!!! We were also able to see them turn the train on the turntable. It was a wonderful experience!!

Teddy, Dawson, & Sarah by the train before our ride.

Sweet, happy boys.

Dawson loved the window seat.

Dawson and friends enjoying the ride.

Getting their train ticket punched.

The train backing up to the turntable.

It was so neat to see them turn the big engine.

Airport Field Trip

As part of our unit study on transportation, our homeschool group visited the city airport. We saw an airplane take off, another land, and went to Randy's hanger to look at his airplane and learn a little about it. Each kid got to sit inside the airplane and see what it was like to be the pilot - and it provided a great photo opportunity. Also, another dad rode up in his motorcycle, showed it off to the kids, and let each of them sit on it. It was a fantastic field trip thanks to some fantastic dads. :-)

Dawson looks so natural in the plane. Hopefully he'll be flying with his dad soon.

Randy telling the kids a little about the plane.

Watching a plane take off.

Gathering to check out the motorcycle.

Dawson on the big bike.

No More Training Wheels!!

Dawson recently began riding his bike without training wheels!! He saw a younger friend doing it, so he did it as well. What a milestone!

Posing with Dad on the 2-wheel bike.

A video of his first 2-wheel ride at home.

Ride-on Toys

I recently took the boys on a "Woodlands Fun Day." We started off at the mall, playing on all the coin-operated riding toys (no need to put coins in when they can use their imagination), spent some fun time on the new indoor kids play area, spent a long time at Barnes & Noble playing trains and reading books, went to Northshore Park to picnic and play at the awesome playgrounds, visited the Children's Museum, went to Carter's to pick out new summer pajamas, ate supper at Cracker Barrel, and then went home to have a bath and enjoy a movie night and popcorn. What a day!! What fun memories.

It's really a story time truck, but they pretended it was an ice cream truck.

On the lookout for any customers wanting to buy ice cream.

Yum, my serving of blueberry ice cream. :-)

Driving in a giant apple, of course.

Peering out the window. What a cutie!

Brady and his pet worm.

Dawson's horse is winning the race!

Getting ready to start another race.

New Tree Playground!

The best thing about the new tree playground area in the mall is that it's new!!! And clean!!

Hanging out in the treehouse.

My boys!

Fascinated with the giant fish.

Riding one of the turtles. Yee-haw!

Carefully climbing the caterpillar.

I think this was a dragonfly?

Very, very tall. :-)

Going on some adventure in the boat.

Dawson was pretending to be a stature that sticks out on front of the boat. He cracks me up!

Barnes & Noble

We love to go to Barnes & Noble when we are in The Woodlands. They have a great children's book area with lots of great books, little tables and chairs to sit and read, and the always fun Thomas the Train table.

Brady spent almost an hour and a half playing at the train table!!

Dawson played with the trains for a while, but then sat reading a pile of superhero books.

Then he moved on to a Magic Tree House book. It was one our library doesn't have that he's been wanting to read. He finished the whole thing while we were there!!

Fun at the Big Park

Climbing and swinging on very high things - Dawson's latest passion.

Such a sweet boy.

Zipping down the speedy slides.

Climbing, of course.

He loved to shake and swing on this ladder.

A great big brother helping his little brother get across a big gap.

Brady coming to get us!

Crossing the wobbly bridge.

Dawson following.

One of the best things at the park - the rock wall.

At the very top!

Enjoying our picnic and the fun day!

Children's Museum

Brady's first stop was the train table. The boy loves trains!

Shopping together at the market.

Pushing his cute little basket to the checkout counter.

Dawson's career aspiration is to be a cashier at Target so he was happy to practice at the museum. :-)

Taking some fruits and vegetables to his home.

Preparing a meal for us.

Brady requested that Dawson read him a story at his castle. I love these sweet brotherly moments.

Boys digging.

They both love this fun water exhibit. And we miraculously made it out of there without getting soaked.

Definitely the cutest fireman!!

Awe, another very handsome fireman.

Speeding to put out a fire.

So sweet!