Happy Gotcha Day!

While we were out, Penny stayed home and devoured a bone. Four years ago I picked up Penny (her real name was Patty) from the Houston SPCA. They estimated that she was a year old so.... Happy Birthday 5 Year Old Dog! Age has been good for Penny. She no longer runs out of the house and down the street. She simply walks around the garage and alley and comes when told (most of the time). She's absolutely the BEST with Bella. We couldn't ask for a more tolerant and sweet dog. We love you Penny!

Road Trips from Houston - Trip 3

No stickers this time in our quest to get our Park Passport completed! We drove to a Preserve, but it was either under construction or closed. Happily relieved (because of the heat), we went to Old Town Spring. This is a destination listed from our book. Those who know us, know this is hardly a "road trip." We enjoyed lunch together with John, Ashley and Jack then walked around to look at the shops. Honestly, we went into many shops just for the air conditioning. Bella and Jack posed in an old wagon. What good sports they were in the heat!

Road Trips from Houston - Trip 2

In an effort to get another sticker in the park passport, we drove to Sheldon Lake State Park. It was a great park and just about an hour outside of Houston. We got the sticker! We also walked around the park loop which was about a mile. This time we remembered to bring the jog stroller so we could maneuver more easily on the uneven gravel trail. It was an interesting walk and just long enough for a dog and a baby. We also remembered water, hats and sunscreen.

There are signs everywhere that said "Danger: Alligators" along with descriptions of what to do if you see an alligator. If you see an alligator, don't feed it. Duh! The park ranger reiterated not to let the dog or baby in the water. We agreed. We enjoyed walking around looking at lily pads and walking through the shaded trails. There were several ponds all of which Penny attempted to drink the water. Each time I reminded Matt that there were alligators, but Penny prevailed and usually got a quick sip before being yanked back to the trail (she had a harness on so it didn't really hurt to be yanked). One particular time, she got a bit too close and fell in!!!! Of course she had to be lifted out (quickly mind you!) by her harness because she couldn't get her footing on the marshy pond bottom. Penny really can't swim either so there was lots of thrashing around and me yelling and warning about alligators. Fortunately, no alligators chased or snapped at Penny. You could tell she felt foolish for falling in. She doesn't like to be wet so she moped, head down, tail between her legs until she dried off and forgot about the whole incident.

We recommend eating at Jax's on Main Street in Liberty, TX. We arrived as they opened at 11 am. They were kind, accommodating and the food was delicious. The place wasn't crowded yet so Bella could be loud...and she was. We ended up eating in shifts, despite the fast service. It was a cooler, breezy day so it wasn't too bad walking up and down the sidewalk after we explored every bit of the restaurant.

Road Trips from Houston - Trip 1

Ever since rigging my car for radios (read: extra long antennae mounted on the hood and a radio in the front seat), Matt has excitedly suggested mini-road trips so that he can talk on the radio to people all around the world. We bought a book called Day Trips from Houston. Last weekend we went NE of Houston beyond Liberty to Big Thicket National Preserve. You would think that this is a big chunk of land, but it's really a series of corridors along most of the streams, creeks and rivers of South East Texas. We drove around all over enjoying the scenery hearing imaginary banjos playing in our heads. The book is an interesting guide and it's just that, a guide. It doesn't suggest where to take a baby to eat. It doesn't suggest where dogs are allowed and where they are not. So, we're modifying for us to develop a baby-friendly, dog-friendly list of outings from Houston.

The state parks are great, but you must bring the jog stroller (we didn't). When we checked into the park office and asked what we could do with a one-year-old, the ranger told us about some short hikes. She also gave us a Park Passport. Each park or groups of similar parks has a page and when you visit you get a sticker to show that you've been. We love it! I know the passport is for Bella, but I'm very motivated to get all the pages stickered. Hopefully, Bella will see it later and appreciate all the places that she's been (but not remembered).
We frequently use the snap n go stroller frame with Bella's infant car seat. Yeah, yeah...I know she's one, but she still fits in it so why change? We walked about a quarter of a mile looking for a small little flower. We found it! ...and during that short walk, we were drenched. It was one of the hottest days of the summer and there was not much shade despite being in a forest. According to park rules, Penny should be on a leash, but honestly, there wasn't a person in sight. No one was a foolish as us to walk mid-day squatting every few feet to see if we could identify a specific little flower.

We attempted to eat at a marina restaurant suggested by the book, but after a drive-by, we decided that we wouldn't survive at the indoor restaurant. We were expecting lunch on a deck which would be conducive to screaming (if needed) or frequent breaks and walks to look at boats (again, if needed). Instead, we ate tater tots at Sonic while sitting in the car. Not exactly a reason to drive outside of Houston, but...we're learning.

18 month statistics

Bella visited her pediatrician last week and here's the latest:

weight = 25th percentile = 22 lbs. 13 oz.
height = 60th percentile = 32 inches
head = 85th percentile = 48 cm

Who knows exactly how accurate these are since Bella was screaming during all the measurements. All is okay. She has a good bill of health.

Catskills

Grandpa Joe and Bella had a great time hanging out together. It took her a bit to warm up to everyone, which is typical for her age. She led Grandpa Joe around to whatever she wanted (see the blur below). Uncle Mike was the chef extraordinaire so she frequently walked into the kitchen requesting slices of tomatoes. Grandma Tutu followed and guided Bella around while we got to get out of the house, just the two of us. We found a great little vineyard and tasted wine...which somehow tasted much better at the vineyard than at home with the bottle that we bought.

We went an outing to ride the Catskill Mountain Railroad train. Matt has always had a fascination with trains (among many other things) so he particularly enjoyed the ride. Above Bella is being held by the conductor.
She LOVED walking all around the moving train. Surprisingly, she was very steady on her feet. Matt and I were falling all over the place, but not Bella. Here she comes....
...there she goes.
Gulp! Bella drinks out of bottles like a champ!
When we began rolling, Bella said "whoa!" and we actually captured the moment. She says "whoa" a lot whenever something loud, interesting or funny happens.
A family picture near the kid window on the open car.
The window was perfect for kids. A view all to her own!

This is the final post from our vacation. It was great time! We can't wait to return again next year and experience a whole new level of activities with a 2 year old!