Catching Fire

We read the 2nd installment of The Hunger Games trilogy, Catching Fire, as if we were on fire.  The story just runs along, a little sad, perhaps, but never slow.  We started reading a chapter a night, with each of us reading a page or two.  I, being the faster reader, was soon the only reader.  When my daughter's homework schedule interfered with reading time, my son and I went on without her never looking back.  It's that good. 






We try to implement an activity with each book we read. After reading Hunger Games, we foraged for and tried 3 different recipes for dandelions, the food Katniss credited with saving her life.  To read about it;   http://havingfuninthetexassun.blogspot.com/2012/04/hunger-games.html
Before we had even started Catching Fire, we knew what activity we were going to do.  The kids were already obsessed with archery, and begging me for a recurve bow.  Katniss and her bow became the symbol of that obsession. 

Outdoor World in Grapevine

 

I had heard that they were offering archery at Outdoor World's Family Summer Camp, which seemed like a fun event, so we made plan to go.

  . What a great selection of activities that have for kids!!

 And, it's all FREE!!

My neice practicing casting at the fishing exhibit!

The bb gun range.  An Outdoor World employee shows
the kids how to hold the gun and aim.

 

This is what we came for!! My son did great,
hitting the target 3 of his 4 shots!

Each hour they offer an outdoor seminar over
topics like camping, hunting, bird watching, etc.
They give each child a lanyard, and then they get a pin
for each seminar they attend. 

Between seminars, the kids visited the crafts table
to make a gold fish game. 

 My neices were in town from Las Vegas,  and we took them with us.  The younger one loved the reindeer carousel, while her sister and my daughter enjoyed checking out all the beautiful boat, and pretending they were out on the lake!   It was lots of fun, but I guess for us it's not really summer without a trip to the emergency room!

As we were looking at the boats, and probably lost in the dreamland of one day owning one,   my ten year old daughter fell!  Now it's not the first time she has fallen off a boat, but it's the first time she didn't land in water.  This time she landed on the handrail of the steps they have to get in and out of the boats! 

If someone had a video camera, it would probably have made one of those tv shows that replay people getting hurt. 

I don't know if it was the sight of all the blood, and there was alot of blood, or the sound of her screams, but I think I went into sympathy shock.  I just became a helpless blob of mom, unable to think what to do next. The staff at Bass Pro was amazing.  They immediately realized that I needed help, and called 911, got her a towel and corraled my other 4 kids. Many long hours later, after a visit from the Grapevine paramedics, and a trip to Baylor Grapevine, the bleeding stopped, the doctors determined she was going to be okay, just sore and bruised.

We left the hospital late that night, and her grandpa surprised her with a chicken fried steak (her favorite) from Esparza's in downtown Grapevine.  My poor baby, she had to eat it standing up. 

For more information on Bass Pro Shop's Outdoor World and their Family Summer Camp going on until July 15th 2012 ;  http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CFPage?storeId=10151&catalogId=10051&langId=-1&appID=94&template=listallevents.cfm&storeID=18#63819

If you want to try some wonderful Mexican food, or, according to my daughter, a good chicken fried steak, visit beautiful Esparza's in the historic district.  Dine on the patio under the huge cottonwood trees;  or inside the renovated home built in the 1800's.   http://esparzastexas.com/