A Sunday Adventure: Galveston

On Sunday, we headed down for a day in Galveston. It was one of the hottest days of the year so far so some beach time sounded ideal.  We started at Moody Gardens with a visit to the Rainforest Pyramid.  

We saw bats, birds and the two resident white-faced Saki monkeys.  

It had been years since we'd been to the Rainforest Pyramid and we all had so much fun!

Scarlet Ibis

After visiting Moody Gardens, we drove straight to Stewart Beach, where Henry played in the sun for about two hours.

We usually bring our own chairs and umbrella, but we left home unprepared this time and rented an umbrella instead. It was much more comfortable (and easier) this way.

Gene and Henry played in the water while I read.  Henry read 24 Hours in Nowhere months ago and was shocked that I hadn't picked it up yet, so I promised him I'd read it.  If you're looking for a fun middle-grade adventure, this is a good one!

After the beach, we had a late lunch at our favorite lunch spot, Mosquito Cafe, before visiting Galveston Coffee Roasters and the Galveston Bookshop.

Galveston's beach may not be the prettiest, but we are always so grateful that this little beach town is just an hour down the road. It's the perfect spot for a quick getaway!

A Sunday Adventure: Galveston

With a three-day weekend ahead of us, we decided to spend Sunday down in Galveston. We hadn't been since last June, and January is always a nice, quiet time for a visit to the island. We left home shortly after 9am and arrived at Moody Gardens just after opening.  

The boys get in free to one attraction with their good grades, so we chose to visit the newly renovated aquarium.  The aquarium doesn't disappoint. We saw penguins, sea lions, sharks, and fish galore.  The penguins are a highlight and we were there in time for the 11am feeding.

Yep, Henry is taller than a penguin!  

We took advantage of all the touch ponds.  We even got to touch the moon jellies, which are much firmer than I would have expected.  Touching the bat rays is always fun too.

The aquarium was fun, but next time, we'll go back to the Rainforest Pyramid, as it's been years since we've been there. 

After visiting the aquarium, we headed to our new favorite restaurant, the Mosquito Cafe. The food is so good there!  Then we hit our favorite local shops -- Galveston Coffee Roasters, Galveston Bookshop, and LaKing's Confectionery.  We came home with pounds of coffee, four new books and a couple of bags of taffy.

We were there in time for the 1pm taffy pull.

Galveston is one of our favorite spots for a quick getaway and we can't wait to get back!

Summer Break: Week One

School's our for summer -- for all of us except me! I started grad school (again) back on June 4 and am working to get my certification to be a school librarian and may also pursue my Masters in Library and Information Science. It's made for a busy summer so far, but I am so enjoying my class!

On our first weekend of summer (just before I started grad school), we went down to Galveston. It was a quick day trip. The boys played at the beach, we ate lunch to a new-to-us restaurant and explored a museum we'd been excited to visit. 

Stewart Beach

Mosquito Cafe

The Bryan Museum 

Our first week of summer break was pretty quiet. We played lots and lots of board games.

We visited the science museum. The energy hall has some new exhibits, including one where you create fireworks displays by adding different amount of chemicals to the mix. We made fireworks over Singapore in honor of Gene who was there for work that week!

We also visited the butterfly center

for the Friday Feeding Frenzy! We've been other years, but this time we got to see the preying mantis devour a cricket.

We also visited the pool 

and spent lots of time playing with Ruby.

Our summer fun has just begun!

Lately: Back to School and Labor Day Weekend

School has been back in session for two weeks, so our days are jam-packed. I think we're all missing the slower pace of summer break!

Here's a peek into some of what we've been up to lately:

Ice cream with my big boy after his well-visit check-up

Jess gave us monarch chrysalises again.

College Colors Day at school

Look who's home from training (aka manners camp)

Ruby is so much better behaved now!

It's only early September and it still feels like summer here, but the retailers are convinced fall is coming. We could barely drag the boys out of the Halloween candy display at Randall's.

We spent Saturday in Galveston, playing at the beach and hanging out with some of our favorite friends, Jonathan and Julie.

We love our visits with them at the beach. Gene and Jonathan grill and swim and Julie and I talk books, while the boys run and play. We are so thankful for these friends!

We were out and about on Sunday and took a quick photo at the Lawndale Art Center in front of Russell Etchen's About ____ Rocks mural.

Henry has to present a science project to his class in the next few weeks, so we tried out a few at home. This "Bubble Inside a Bubble" experiment was a hit -- sugar in the bubble solution makes the bubbles sturdier!

We spent Labor Day at home and it was so nice not to have to be anywhere. Gene smoked a brisket all day; Ruby was his trusty sidekick.

 It was SO good and tender! Mmmmm.

Brisket, homemade pretzel rolls, roasted squash and raw carrots, and the Hefeweizen Gene brewed with his friend Jim back in June -- the perfect Labor Day feast! 

I hope your long weekend was spent enjoying good food with family and friends too!