Which is why I took all of these photos from inside, looking through the kitchen window. There was no way "Mark" and I were going out in that yucky mess! Looks like they had fun, though! Thanks to Gram, for letting me post photos of her in her at-the-last-minute, thrown-together snow clothes. You look fabulous! And thanks for letting my kid pelt you in the face with cold, wet snow. He enjoyed himself immensely.
Look who's out of the baby swing.
He's even pumping his legs, trying to swing all by himself. Such a big boy!
That is one BIG tree.
Sam and Gram and I visited the Galleria yesterday to see the tree-mendous tree and watch the ice skaters. The tree was sooo big my camera couldn't fit it all in, so I pulled out my phone and was able to get some good shots! The first and last pictures show
almost
the whole tree! So much fun going to Galleria with Sam since I used to come here at Christmas when I was little, too! Next week we're heading out to Northpark for more Christmas-y window shopping. Let the holiday fun begin!
Gram and Pops sent Sam some mail. At first he didn't know what it was, then he was excited to say the least. Remember what it was like to be happy about getting mail in the mailbox? I never make these faces when I open my mail these days. I don't hug my grocery store circular or water bill. Other than my birthday when all my sweet in-laws send me cards, my mail is pretty boring! :)
Well, Sam's mail turned out to be a big, glittery, tri-fold Mickey Mouse Halloween card. I didn't coach him on any of these pics, by the way. He really did hug his card all on his own and take it out in the backyard to spend some time alone with it.
Doesn't take much to excite a two year old! Thanks Gram and Pops!
Gram helped Sam decorate pumpkin cookies, just like we used to when Andrew and I were little. He did a good job of stirring the icing and putting candy corn eyes on the pumkin heads. Then he started sticking his fingers in the icing and shoving raisins in his mouth. So Gram helped him finish and we called on Pops to decorate one for us. Fun and tasty!
Gram gave Sam two hats from her collection of plastic bowler hats that go back to the days when she taught the story "Caps for Sale" to her Kinders.
Sam was feeling silly very early on this particular morning. He was putting the hat on, then "sneezing" to make it fall off. You can see in picture #3 he's saying the "choo" in "achoo", his little lisp clearly visible!
A very memorable parade, indeed.
We returned to the exact same parade spot we snagged last fourth to watch McKinney's parade Monday morning. Sam was in a little bit of a funk, for some unknown reason, so his pictures didn't turn out particularly "smiley". But the parade was a success overall...ask him what we saw that day and he will tell you every time, "fire twucks, motorcycles, and horse poop!"
Happy Fourth!
image credit: Daddy
image credit: Pops
image credit: Daddy
Our Fourth of July celebration started off right in our own neighborhood.
Saturday morning we walked down to the same corner we were at last year to watch our neighborhood's parade. There were fire trucks, police cars and kids on bikes throwing candy! That night Gram and Pops and I took Sam to see our fireworks display by the big bass lake. It was an awesome show and Sam did great. He fussed right at the end (just in time for the grand finale) but that's never a surprise on a no-nap day. I carried Sam home -
all the way home
- he was sound asleep, dead weight and sweaty!
The next day we just had to make a pa-wade with our trucks and cars and Sesame Street friends. Everyone loves a parade!
Sam and I went on a little farewell-for-now tour on Friday.
We stopped by my school for the last-day-of-school assembly, visited Mrs. Ellis' library for some flashlight-reading as she was finishing up her last class for the year, then had one last dinner with Daddy, Gram, Pops and Andrew before Andrew goes to Austin for a few months. Not sure how Sam's going to handle not having Andrew to boss around...
Our little critter had a great time on his first trip to the zoo!
His favorite part? His new wagon!
Please don't feed the animals!!
There were those who soar and those who slither. And then there were those who flirt.
Among the birds at the zoo was the owner of this awesome pad, the stork.
And the beautiful, long-legged flamingoes.
Plump little penguins,
and Sam's favorite bird, the Bald Eagle!
In the Butterfly House!
This guy was trying to digest the meal he'd just devoured - ten whole mice!
(they're all sitting in that pouch there, underneath his throat)
And then there was this handsome bird - and old California Condor. He's fifty-eight and loves to flirt!
Some scaly critters...
Mr. Boudreaux, showing off his choppers!
Peek-A-Boo!
Some of the tamer animals for the little ones!
Best buddies!
A pretty barn owl and a giant bunny. These bunnies can grow to be three feet long and twenty pounds!
Sam and I went into the goat pen with Gram and Pops to pet and feed the goats. One of the goats tried to munch on Pops' shorts! Naughty goat!
Checking out the ponies!
Checking out the fish pond with Gram and Granny.
Best buddies!
Get ready for some hungry - and sleepy - animals.
These were some of the prettiest animals at the zoo, but also some of the sleepiest. I didn't know lions yawned so much!
The elephants weren't quite as sleepy as the lions. They were all walking around, playing with the hay in their corner of the "savannah". I think elephants seem sweet. They are my second favorite animal at the zoo :) This one looks like she's giving us a sheepish little smile!
Don't worry - I wasn't really this close to Miss Cheetah, I was behind some glass. She just liked walking close to us, showing off her spots!
We took a vote Monday and all agreed the giraffe was the Straka Family Favorite Zoo Animal. These sweet babies came right up to us, looking for food. Some of the kids there were feeding them romaine lettuce, supposedly one of their favorite foods, so I just snapped away. I could have stayed there all day, taking pictures of these guys. There were so sweet.
The lady on the left deserves special mention. Her name is Katie. She's pregnant. And she will be pregnant for *gulp*
fifteen months
. In a row. And that's not all - she will spend those months
standing up
, and will continue to stand up right on through, including during the grand finale when her baby will drop to the ground from about six feet up.
Yikes.
Good luck with that, Katie. Better you than me, that's for sure.
One of the giraffes checking out Sam and Gram.
SLURP!!!
This camel was taking a break...
A rhino!
Ha! This zoo speaks my kid's language!
It was a beautiful spring day at the Arboretum.
We took Sam to see the fairy tale castles and enjoy the spring blooms!
up close shot of the pollen sacs on his legs!
go bee! make new flowers!
at the first fairy tale house!
picnic lunch
miniature rock garden
the bed from the princess and the pea rapunzel, rapunzel, let down your hair!
a beautiful old tree
throwing pennies in the fountain
resting with Gram - what a day!
We had a nice, relaxing Mother's Day this year. Brian got up early to make me breakfast and had Sam bring me a flower from the bouquet he bought, along with a funny card (which was addressed to "Mum"), into the bedroom when I first woke up. "Here you go, Mama", he said!
We enjoyed an awesome breakfast - eggs, sausage, bagels with salmon and cream cheese, juice and coffee - before heading out to meet Gram and Pops for a picnic at Frisco Commons. Andrew, Great-Grandma and my Uncle Brad joined us, too, and we had fun eating lunch and taking a walk in the windy, but pretty weather. Sam was such a patient boy that we finished our day at the park with some time on the giant wooden playground. Sam did the silly stairs with Gram, the swings with Pops and the horsies with Andrew.
Jan and Emil sent me the sweetest card and Nell and I chatted on the phone later that evening. Thanks, too, to Brian and Brad for the flowers. It was fun photographing something new for a change and they look great in the house! The two pictures of Sam at the bottom of the post are from the Mother's Day Tea at Sam's school. His teachers did a great job of celebrating us moms and Sam enjoyed showing me the puzzles he plays with at school!
Boy, did this guy have fun at his party!
He got lots of great presents and had a ball being the center of attention! The highlights of the party - - big turtle, little turtle and "Aunt Bail" (Aunt Bell). He's mentioned her name almost every day since. Thanks to everyone who came and celebrated our little boy's birthday, and a special thanks to Gram who saved all of my Sesame Street toys all these years. It made decorating for this party very easy - and very retro!!
Waiting, waiting, waiting for Granny... Finally! They're here!!
Pinch, pinch, pinch!
Enjoying birthday snacks with Gram
Great-Grandma Having a blast being the center of attention!
Cowboy Sam made an appearance, much to the delight of the Grannies and Grandpas
He liked his cake this year!
Helping Mommy put the finishing touches on the birthday cupcakes before our guests arrived!
Our Sesame Street friends helped us celebrate!
Happy Birthday Sam!
Sam's birthday fell on a Wednesday this year. Even though his party was coming up, we still wanted to celebrate this special day.
We took Sam down to see Gram and Pops and then we all went out for ice cream - yogurt, actually. Very yogurty yogurt. Sam loved it, though!
We joined Pops and Gram Sunday for a combination Birthday/Super Bowl party.
Sam dressed in his football jersey (Cowboys colors...sorry Strakas) and had a great time cooking with Gram, tossing the football around with Andrew and helping Pops blow out the candles on his birthday cake.
Uncle Andrew is so funny!
Stirring the rice for Gram
Watching Gram add the chicken
Stirring the onions into the green beans
Helping Pops blow out the birthday candles
Thanks for having us all over Gram and Pops!
