Monday, July 15, 2013

Weekend Fun: the Symphony, a Sleepover, and the Zoo

The boys and I had such a fun weekend! The Houston Symphony is celebrating their 100th anniversary this year and put on their first-ever free day-long music festival on Saturday. They showcased 30 different musical groups from Houston and anchored the day with Symphony performances in the morning and evening. We were only there for about three hours but it was a fabulous experience and I hope they'll do it again!

Before the family concert at 10 a.m., we listened to the Celtic band Clandestine in the front lobby. 


Then it was time for the family concert. The Houston Symphony never disappoints, and this was one phenomenal performance. The highlights were astronauts Chris Hadfield, Astros announcer Milo Hamilton, and a talented 15-year-old pianist named Patrick Pan whose hands literally flew over the keys. Will was inspired! We had great seats in the fourth row and enjoyed every minute of the hour-long concert. At one point, Henry leaned over and whispered, "This is my favorite place ever!" I am so glad my boys love music!


After the concert, the boys were starving. There were food trucks in the plaza across the street from Jones Hall, but they were in the blazing sun with very long lines, so we opted for lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe instead. It was the boys' first time there and they thought it was uber-cool!


After lunch, we headed back to the front courtyard of Jones Hall. The boys were getting goofy,


but we listened to the first songs of the Joy of Djembe drum group. What a fun way to spend a Saturday morning!


On Saturday night, the boys decided to have a sleepover. I came upstairs to find this Boys Only sign in front of Henry's room.


Weezie blatantly disregarded it and cozied up on a pillow in the tent!


The noisy boys soon scared her off, though!


I always wonder how well the boys sleep in their sleeping bags on the floor, but everyone woke up happy and refreshed on Sunday morning.  Will snoozed til almost 8 but Henry was up before 7. He and I played a few rounds of "Tic Tac Toad" (as Junie B. Jones calls it). 


And then we were off to the zoo! 



My plan is always to get there right when they open to beat the crowds and the heat. It was quite warm, but it was overcast and I'm so glad we went. Will really wanted to see the Lego animals again! 


We explored the Children's Zoo


and rode the carousel,


 twice.  


We ended our visit in the air-conditioned reptile house, 


 where we saw lizards, snakes and alligators.  


We even said hello to this gal outside!


There's no denying that Houston is big and hot in the summer, but we feel so lucky to live in a city with so much to do and see. We had a fantastic weekend exploring two of our family's favorite Houston attractions.  

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