Preschool Discovery Class at the Fort Worth Nature Center

The Fort Worth Nature Center is one of our favorite hang outs.  Located on the far west side of Fort Worth, along the shore of Lake Worth, there are lots of quiet hiking trails,  gently rising and falling roads to ride, and plenty of wildlife to watch, as well as some great paddling opportunities.  The nature center offers many wonderful classes, too, and my children all spent their preschool years learning about turtles, vultures and pond life in their Discovery Preschool. 

The Preschool Discovery class is offered once a month, on the fourth Friday of the month.  Each week they cover a different topic.  This month the subject was  snakes. 

The classes are led by Mr. Michael.  He starts each class with a story.  He read Hide and Snake by Keith Baker. 

 
Then he brought out a live snake, a resident of the refuge.  The kids were then allowed to come up and meet it.  Mr. Michael explained some differences and similarities of the snake to people, and emphasized words like "reptile" and "scales".  He told them some facts about snakes, explaining what it means to be "cold blooded". 












He then showed them a snake skeleton to help understand the way a snake moves.  When he asked what the children thought a snake ate, my four year old yelled out "Carrot!".   Mr. Michael explained that they eat small mice and rodents and are helpful to people because they do.  However, my little guy still insist they eat carrots, too! 

Afterwards, we went outside for a walk around the nature center, and Mr. Michael pointed out different locations that snakes would prefer for living conditions, and explained how snake will "sun" themselves on rocks or logs, to warm themselves. 

We then went back inside for a fun art project, making a snake!

 
We started with white paper circles.  It's better if you use a thicker grade of paper than copy or construction paper, but not something as rigid as card stock. 

Then completely color the circle, both sides!!

Finally, cut the circle in a spiral, and add eyes on the head.   It looks great when you stretch it out! 

After the class, we took the kids for a short hike and looked for snake habitats.  We didn't see any snakes, but we spotted some nice fossils.  We also visited Scout, the nature center's bobcat.  Scout was busy eating a mouse, and the boys couldn't take their eyes off her!  Bobcats don't use silverware!  There are several animals which call the nature center home, and sponsorship opportunities are available for their Wild Ambassadors.  To learn more, visit their website; http://www.fwnc.org/docs/AnAm/AnAmBrochure.pdf

My Mommy Tips:

• If you want to bring your preschooler to a Preschool Discovery class, register EARLY.  We have been turned away because I waited too late and the class was full. 

While we are on the subject of snakes, one of our favorite books is about a young python, Verdi, by Janell Cannon, the acclaimed creator of Stellaluna. 

 

 

chicken & mushroom tacos using Kitchen Pride Texas Grown Mushrooms

Do you love mushrooms?  So do we! 

We were looking for something different to do for dinner, and decided to make Chicken and Mushroom tacos.  They were terrific, and even my husband, who is not a chicken fan, enjoyed them!  What I loved most is that, except for slicing the chicken, my kids made the entire dinner themselves! 

Ingredients:

4 large skinless boneless chicken breast
1 package of Kitchen Pride sliced mushrooms
1 large yellow sweet onion
2 tbsp cumin
flour tortillas
monterey jack or pepper jack cheese
sour cream

Sautee the chicken breast in large skillet on medium heat until brown on each side.  Remove from heat and slice into medium size chunks, return to skillet.  Add sliced onion and mushrooms, with 2 pats of butter.  Cook until onions are tender.  Add cumin, salt and pepper, and stir until well incorporated.  Serve on flour tortillas with monterey jack or pepper jack cheese and sour cream. 

Feeds 2 adults and 3 kids, although one of those kids ate like 5 tacos!

We love to use Kitchen Pride Mushrooms, because they taste great and because we are supporting a Texas business.  Grown exclusively in Gonzales, Texas, the town known for their "Come and Get It" flag, is it suprising that Kitchen Pride's motto is "Come and Eat It"!  I feel good knowing that their mushrooms are grown in accordance with the GFSI certification (Global Food Safety Initiatives).  Please go learn more about their mushrooms, and tell them that Having Fun sent you!  Their website is user friendly, and offers some more good recipes, too!  http://www.kitchenpride.com/default.aspx

Our weekend with Frog

My four year old just started his last year of preschool.  This week, his teachers passed out book bags  for the children to take home.  Leo brought home the class mascot, a stuffed frog.  I just love his fun, creative teachers!  The idea is that Frog will accompany him during the weekend, we will take pictures and make a journal entry about their adventures! 

Our first stop on Saturday was at Leo's t-ball game.  He had a blast cheering on our team, and laughed when Leo detoured between bases to come get a "kiss and hug" from me! 

We also visited my daughter's Girl Scout troop's community garden.  While we pulled some weeds, and picked some eggplants that are growing, Frog watched us from a fallen tree.  It looks like we have some tomato hornworms; I wonder if frogs eat those? 

On Sunday, Frog accompanied us to the Dallas Zoo!  He chilled in the Nature Exchange while Leo read him a book. 

Leo and Frog played on the giant spider web at the zoo, however, I think Frog was a little worried that the spider might come back!   

And they were definitely worried about the return of the owner of this nest!  Hey, where did Leo go? 

We got home, and Frog enjoyed hanging out with some of the friends he made at our house.  In case you didn't know, frogs are terrible gossips!  I wonder what they were talking about. 

On Monday, we took Frog with us swimming, but he wouldn't get in, the water was too chilly! 

And finally, Frog went with us to Cole's football game.

Houston Toad

We enjoyed our weekend with Frog, who will now go hopping back to class, and onto adventures with another friend.  However, Frog has cousins in Texas who are facing a much less happy future.  Already on the endangered species list, the largest population of Houston Toads exists in Bastrop county, and the devastating drought and wildfires of 2011 decimated their already dangerously low numbers.  To learn more about the toad, or how you can help, please visit the Houston Zoo's website. 

Champion Dog, Prince Tom

When I was a little girl, about 2nd - 4th grade, my FAVORITE book was Champion Dog, Prince Tom by Jean Fritz and Tom Clute.  It's the true story about a cocker spaniel named Tom, the runt of the litter, who, as you may be able to guess, becomes not only a champion dog in the obedience field, but also as a hunting and sporting dog.  As a child, I loved it because it was about dogs, (I had secret dreams of growing up to be a professional trainer) and because it is a great story of determination, not giving up on dream when everyone tells you it's impossible.  I read it many times, and spent many hours in my childhood backyard, "training" our family dog. 

When my son and daughter started reading, I couldn't wait for them to read it.  Although I pout a little that they don't want to read it over and over, they did enjoy it.  And while my kids grown up dreams don't include Westminster, they do enjoy teaching our old dogs some new tricks occasionally. 

My son, Cole, and I were at our local pet store, picking up some crickets for his fire bellied toad, when we saw that they had 2 week old box turtles for sale.  They were absolutely adorable, and I had to have one!  We picked the most active one, and we were unanimous in naming his Jonner Thompson after the box turtle in the story. 

The book can be found in libraries, and online at Amazon.com.  If you would be interested in attending a dog show, the American Kennel Club offers a list of all events by state.  You will be surprised how many events take place in Texas each month.  Click on over and find one near you! 

If you think you can give a box turtle a good home, be prepared for a long commitment, as they can live up to 100 years.  They are also a little more difficult to care for than a red-eared slider, but like the slider, they can carry salmonella, so limit handling by children and keep hand sanitizer close at hand and practice good hygeine constantly.  The website Turtle Puddle offers some good advice on caring for a pet turtle.  Also, be certain that the store where you purchase the turtle buys only captive bred turtles, check your local animal shelter or adopt one from the Gulf Coast Turtle and Tortoise Society.  TexasTurtles.org is an informative site by Texas Parks and Wildlife.  Another option to enjoy turtles in the wild, and help their dwindling numbers is to volunteer at Texas Turtle Watch.  As volunteers, we visit three local ponds monthly, and report the number of turtles we count back to them.  Here's our previous blog post, http://havingfuninthetexassun.blogspot.com/2011/08/texas-turtle-watch.html

Dallas Zoo Nature Journal Contest

Each summer the Dallas Zoo holds a nature journal contest in their Nature Exchange at the Lacerte Family Children's Zoo.  The zoo chooses from a one page submission of a contestant's nature journal, the entry that they think is the best, most detailed.  My daughter entered a page from her journal of her experiences this summer watching an antlion.  A few days ago we were notified that she was one of the winners!  She was awarded 5000 pts. to use in the Nature Exchange, and a notebook from their gift shop.

The Nature Exchange at the Dallas Zoo is filled with amazing items. Visitors are encouraged to bring in items they have found outside of the zoo, and turn them in for points, which they can use to trade for items others have brought.  My daughter started her painted animal skull collection from a cow skull she traded for at the zoo.  She and my son have also acquired numerous rocks and minerals, small vials of sand from around the world, and lots of other items!  My 4 year old always gets petrified wood, his favorite.  The Nature Exchange also awards points for bringing in your nature journal, and letting one of the zoo naturalist tell you a little about it! 

Why drawings in a nature journal?  It would be much easier to just take pictures and add to your journal, but not nearly as educational.  By drawing your subject, you are learning parts of it.  A photo may give you a better picture of a blue jay, but by drawing it you realize which wings are a darker shade of blue, and you will find that you remember it much longer than just from looking at a picture. 

This is a copy of my daughter's antlion entry.  An antlion is a small bug, similar to a doodlebug, but very veracious in their appetite, and killing capacity, of ants.  For a first hand account of this, find an antlion burrow, which appears to be a small mound and funnel in the dirt.  If you place an ant in this trap, being careful not to be bitten by the ant, the capture of the ant by the antlion, who is hiding down at the bottom of the trap, will certainly entertain and surprise you!


My Mommy Tips:  It's helps to guide children when they are first starting a nature journal.  For toddlers and preschoolers, take crayons and colored pencils out to the park, and show them different things to draw, or even doing rubbings of different leaves. 

For older children, give them a subject to make an entry about, depending on the season.  Starting with something big, like a tree.  It helps if you do a little research about it at home before going out, so they know what to look for.  An example is a pecan tree.  What the tree looks like depends on the season.  Are pecans present.  What about squirrels?  Can you find pecans on the ground, and have any of them been eaten?  Are there bird or nest in the tree?  

Some of our favorite journal entries have been:

• bird nest
• cattails
• sweet gum trees
• old stumps
• creek beds
• pine cones
• mockingbirds
• soft shell turtles
• caterpillars

Galveston Duck Tours

While I love the beach at Galveston, so much that my husband and I were married there, I also appreciate the history of the island.  There are sooo many fun tours you can take in Galveston, and we have taken alot of them!  But for the money, I think one of our favorites is the Galveston Duck Tours!

Of course, what everyone loves about a duck tour is that you get to go in the water!  The Galveston Duck Tour takes you into Offat's Bayou, not the beach, off of 61st Street.  The duck drives around while an friendly and funny tour guide informs you about the birds and boats inhabiting the water around you!  My kids just loved it!  Young brown pelicans were everywhere as we descended into the water, and barely moved as we slid through their ranks!  The guides, which are all Galveston natives, also give some terrific restaurant advice for where the locals eat, such as Beaudreaux's on the Bayou right off Heards.  Although we didn't see any on our tour, we were told that often dolphins are sighted while on the tour.  If you have your heart set more on seeing dolphins, I recommend Baywatch Dolphin Tours.

Following the water, the Duck, which is actually a modified and painted DUKW, a six-wheel-drive amphibeous vehicle built by General Motors during World War II, takes to the East section of town.  The guide discusses many of the town's cemeteries, mansions, monuments and markers before reaching The Strand, and then finally the harbor.  The tour last about an hour, and is well worth the money. 

My Mommy Tips:

• The Duck doesn't stop, so be sure you and your kids "go" before you go!  
• Be sure and take a bottle of water for each person.  The open air and Gulf breezes are really nice, but on warm days you still need to stay hydrated.  I was parched after our tour!
• During the tour, take as many pictures as possible.  I took lots of pics of places I want to return to visit or sight see, restaurants they recommend, and I also nearby street signs to help us find our way back, once we were on our own. 
• Everyone waves at you on the Duck Tour, and encouraging your child to wave back, especially your young child, gives them an interactive activity that allows other visitors to hear the guide. 
• The best seats are at the front of the Duck!

Cleburne's Burger Bar

"When a cheeseburger is really good, you don't mind standing up to eat it!"
 
That's what I told my boys when we had lunch at the Cleburne Burger Bar, located at 109 N. Anglin, in downtown Cleburne.  The tiny little restaurant cranks out some fantastic burgers, although all the credit goes to the approximately 100 year old grill, claimed the owners, Mike and Cathy Elmore.  During our visit, the four bar stools stayed occupied, my boys taking up two of them, and the door never stayed shut long, as locals popped in and out to pick up orders and catch up with the friendly Elmores.   Treating strangers like friends, they chatted with us while our burgers cooked, and kept my youngest son well supplied with pickles, his latest favorite! 

My Mommy Tip:  The charm of the small restaurant lends itself to one problem, there is not a restroom inside.  Be sure and visit one before you get to the restaurant.  Proud and understanding grandparents, Cathy has hand sanitizer available for guest.  Another option is to pick up your burgers and visit nearby Hulen Park, which offers a walking trail, playground and restrooms. 

While we ate we asked about the history of the Burger Bar.  We had spotted the Johnson County Historical Commission plaque hanging near the door, so we knew the place had to have a story!  Sure enough, it's one of the oldest buildings in Cleburne, and originally it was the office of a wagon yard.  Back in Cleburne's early days, E. Henderson was the main road into town.  Even before it was a road, Indians would use it as a trail to reach nearby Buffalo Creek.  In 1949 the office was converted into a restaurant, and has been one ever since.  The space now occupied by the air conditioner was once a second door used during segregation.  It blew my son away that such a small building would have required two doors.  Cathy explained that Amtrack has a station in Cleburne, and tourist from DFW, Austin and San Antonio often ride the Texas Eagle train to Cleburne for a weekend of shopping and sightseeing before returning home.  As she is telling me this, I'm not sure if I'm still drooling from the burger, or the idea of another field trip!!

Built in 1893, and sitting diagonally across Anglin from the Burger Bar is the Chuch of the Holy Comforter. 

Interested in Mike's reference to Buffalo Creek, we drove down East Henderson a few blocks until we came to the creek.  Retaining walls have been built to keep the creek in place, and we watched as fish and turtles surfaced.  We shared with them a few slices of bread we had in the car, that we had planned to feed to some ducks at the park.  Sitting along the creek is the Cleburne Public Library.  We entered the library and visited the children's section to read a few books to my four year old.  My kids loved the live turtles that call the inside of the library home.  Named Jack and Annie, after the characters of one of our favorite book series, The Magic Treehouse!   
http://www.visitcleburne.com/recreation/listing.php?Buffalo-Creek-5

we're going on a bear hunt

We’re going on a bear hunt… I’m not afraid!

I’ve got good friends to come with me.

What do I see?

It's the Thursday night before school starts, and just as we have for the past 7 years, we are going on a "bear hunt".  What started as a spontaneous night walk one evening with some friends, has turned into a yearly back to school ritual for us. 

The town we live in has a "linear park", a trail system that connects the parks, to be used for walking, running, bicycling, etc.  The trail runs along a creek, and cuts through some very wooded sections, really making you feel like you are out in a forest, not inside town.  Wild animals such as coyotes, raccoons, skunks, etc do live there, but no bears.  When we went on our first hunt, our children were still in preschool, and the lyrical chant, "going on a bear hunt", was a staple in our song repertoire.   The first bear hunt was filled with clingy children, fearing every noise in the dark was a bear poised to attack.  We walked along slowly, taking time to stop and stare in awe at the night time creatures we encountered along the walk, such a glo worms, spiders working on webs that shimmered in the  flashlight's beam, and lightening bugs that lit up the night, always in the tall grass just off the trail (where they weren't allowed to go). 

We enjoyed it so much that we made an annual event out of it.  My brother-in-law even dressed in a bear costume one night, an amazing contribution considering how warm August summer nights can be.  As my kids have gotten older, it has lost a little of it's magic for them.  My oldest no longer fear the bears, or any creatures in the forest.  This last year, my daughter and friends ran the entire trail, waiting for us at the park on the other end.  Some of the moms wait for us there, with cold drinks and our "bear trail mix".  The kids play on the playground while we chat for a bit, before returning home via the trail.  It's just under a four mile walk.  Each year we have recruited families with young children to join us, and it's fun to see the excitement as they make their first "bear hunt".  Not only are we offering the kids a chance to connect with nature during a time that they may not usually be outdoors, but when we finished, they are feeling that exhausted pride that comes from overcoming a challenge and facing our fears. 

Bear Trail Mix
1 box of each of the 3 flavors of Teddy Grahams, honey, chocolate and chocolate chip
1 bag pretzels
1 bag mini marshmallows
2 large bags of gummy bears

My Mommy Tips:
We have a standing rule, adults carry flashlights, kids carry glowsticks.  Since we adults are very outnumbered by the kids, who are running back and forth in the dark, this rule makes it easy to keep up with where the kids are, even if we can't tell who it is.  Even from quite a distance back, it's easy to tell if it's an adult or child going off the trail.  Also, it's a matter of comfort for the adults, because what is the first thing a child will do with a flashlight?  A- shine it in your face! 

Bears in Texas
According to Texas Parks and Wildlife, "Bears have been making a slow and natural return to Texas since 1984, when a black bear was observed in Big Bend National Park for the first time in nearly 50 years."  Today, bears are returning to Texas, and being spotted as far as the Hill Country and in East Texas.   The East Texas Black Bear Taskforce offers land owners information on how to welcome and coexist with these returning Texas natives. 

Baking with Grandma

The wonderful smell of banana bread is filling up our house as I am typing these words.   My four year old and I decided to make some banana bread, and I pulled out my grandmother's old recipe.  It's not my favorite banana bread, nor is it the recipe I usually use.  I think it's not as moist as some others, but I hold onto it because it was her's.  The reason I brought it out today is that Sunday is Grandparent's Day, and I thought that it was a nice way to start up a conversation with my youngest son about his Great Grandmother, who he never knew. 

As we mashed the banana's and mixed the butter and sugar, I told him about her, and shared some of my favorite memories of her.  Now, he's above average in the hyperactivity department, and most of his comments about her reflected his newest obsession with superheroes.  "Did she like Spiderman?', he asked.  Giggling, I fibbed, "Of course she did.".  But we still had that special time together and talking about her, as close as we will ever come to baking with her.  After we put the pan in the oven, I pointed her out to him in some pictures of her I have around the house, and pulled out an old photo album.  He was able to connect with a picture I have of an appoximately five year old me sitting in a chair with her, opening a birthday present. 

As I am often fond of saying, I'm not just parenting for today.  By these gentle reminders of their geneology, I'm hoping my children will grow to remember who they are, and from where they came.  I hope one day when I'm no longer around, they will hang onto the reminders of our family I have cherished.  Things like family recipes, our photo albums, the Luffwaffe dagger my grandfather took off a German soldier during WWII and the painting of me done by my mother.  My wish is that these items won't be found one day in a pawn store or trash pile, that they will be used by my children to tell their stories. 

My Mommy Tips:
If you have favorite recipes you want to pass down to your children, write them down!  Don't type them, write them, no matter how badly you think of your handwriting.  After 8 years, I still get flood of warm feelings every time I find something with my mother's handwriting on it.   

My Grandma's Banana Bread 

Ingredients:
 
1 stick butter (room temp.)
2 eggs
1 cup sugar 
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon cinnamon
3 ripe bananas, mashed

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Butter the bottom and sides of a loaf pan.  Mix all ingredients.  Pour batter into pan and cook approximately 1 hour.  (Forget what you hear about letting it cool, it's best warm, right out of the oven, with fresh bananas and honey!)

our big, flat Texas family

When my daughter, Danielle, was in second grade, her teacher had us do a Flat Stanley project.  If you have never heard of poor little Flat Stanley, he is a character in a book by Jeff Brown.  In the stories, Stanley is flattened when a bulletin board falls on him.  He then travels around by mail, visiting family and friends.  We had lots of fun with our "Flat Danielle", however she got lost all the time. 

Our family has so many amazing places in Texas we want to visit, but we never have enough time.  I was looking for a fun way to let the kids experience and learn about Texas, when I remembered Flat Danielle. 

So we made Our Big, Flat Texas Family, in hopes that we can send "us" around Texas to different places, and track our journey on facebook!  Like so many things we do, it's really an educational activity for my kids, but they don't know it! 
Come visit our facebook page, and travel with us.   
http://www.facebook.com/OurBigFlatTexasFamily?skip_nax_wizard=true

If you would be interested in hosting Our Big, Flat Texas Family, downloading and printing our photo, taking it to a family friendly Texas landmark, historical site or someplace significant to YOU or your town, pose for a picture while holding "us", and posting it to our facebook page, then please email me at havingfuninthetexassun@gmail.com.  Thank You so much and please join us as we, hopefully, see and learn about lots of Texas! 

Burger's Lake, it's not really a lake, but it is!

If you have never been to Burger's Lake, just stop reading now.  Get away from the computer, go find your swim suit, and just GO!!  Labor Day weekend is the last time they are open for the season, and summer is not complete without a trip (or two) to Burger's Lake. 

Burger's Lake really isn't a lake at all, but it is. Confusing?  Well, the water isn't what you expect from lake water.  Coming from underground, natural springs, the water is cold!  Then it's micro-filtered, and chlorinated.  Meaning that there is nothing living in the water, no turtles, no fish, no wiggly little things, and no harmful bacteria.  Well, no more than what you are going to find in your average swimming pool. 

But the water is NOT like a swimming pool, because it's a LAKE!  You can scrunch your feet in the sand when you walk around in it!  (Sand, there is NO slimy mud!)  It's fantastic!  My kids love diving down to get rocks on the bottom, which they can see!  The water is BROWN, although clarity is very good.  Why does BROWN water excite me?  Because, unlike swimming pools, the darker water ABSORBS the sun's rays.  It doesn't feel as HOT,  and the rays aren't being reflected back into your face and eyes.  But my favorite is the SMELL.  A friend of mine commented about this to me, too.  It just smells like a lake!  Your hair, your towels, they just have a good, clean, natural scent! 

Unlike swimming pools, there is very little concrete throughout the park.  There is sand, and dirt and grass!  As a mom who DREAMS of spending a concrete free summer with her children (and sadly realizing that as they get older and camps, sports, etc.  require more and more, this dream will likely never happen) I love the significant lack of hard surfaces! 

But similar to a pool, there are LOTS OF LIFEGUARDS!  There are diving boards, including two high dives, and slides!  There is shallow, zero depth water which gradually gets deeper, like a pool, that is trying to imitate a lake.  There is a spray park (where the water is REALLY cold)!  But to remind you that you are AT A LAKE, they have a rope swing! 

Unlike most pools, you are surrounded by NATURE!! Picnic tables are nestled under big, shady trees!  Volleyball courts await in the grass.  When we first arrived, we were greeted by Raquel, a very friendly little raccoon who was found by the park owners.  We were, as always, the VERY LAST to leave, and thrilled when we spotted several deer venturing out to eat at dusk.  Accompanying them were a mother and twin babies!  My kids will talk about that for a year!!

You are allowed to bring food, drinks and ice chest!  Grills are scattered among the picnic tables.  A concession stand offers snacks and treats to help cool off!  Sandy beaches offer hours of digging and castle building fun for kids! 

You can also bring floats, etc. from home.  They rent large intertubes, and the water is chilly enough that you can close your eyes and almost believe you are floating along the Guadalupe! 

But my FAVORITE thing about Burger's Lake is that it's deep.  20' in some places.  And I like  LOVE to swim in deep water!  There is something so FREE about swimming in water so deep that you can't see the bottom!  I know lots of people complain that they don't swim in water they can't see in, ruling out lakes, rivers and oceans from their choices, but WHY?  Assuming that you use good, common sense, the most dangerous thing about swimming, aside from drowning, and if you aren't a good swimmer you shouldn't be out there, is the DRIVE IN THE CAR to where you are going to go swimming!  So turn off River Monsters and dive into some reality!  STepping down from my soap box, now. 

My Mommy Tip:

Now that I have just ranted about the JOY OF SWIMMING, I am going to warn you of the dangers.  It's NOT A POOL!  It's a large lake filled with people.  If your child isn't a good swimmer, take or borrow a life jacket!  Yes, there are life guards, but they can't see the bottom of lake.  Keep an eye on your children, and keep your little ones close to you! 
This was the first year I let my kids swim out to the swim platform in the middle of the lake, by themselves.  I couldn't go because of my four year old, and they don't allow life jackets, or any floatation devices in the deep water. But I kept a constant eye on them!  And I enforce the buddy system; ALWAYS KNOW WHERE YOUR BUDDY IS!   But, after half a day of swimming, I asked my kids, "What would you do if your buddy dived in the water, and didn't come out?  Their response?  "I would come find you".   WHAT!!!!   I explained that NO, after you are sure that they didn't come out (and this is no time for games) you QUICKLY GET A LIFEGUARD!!  Discuss it with your kids, don't just assume that they know what to do in an emergency! 

Interesting Trivia
As we were leaving, I was surprised to learn that each winter the spring is rerouted to flow into the nearby Trinity River, and the lake is drained until the next year.  It makes sense, from a financial perspective.  It would be expensive to filter and chlorinate the water all winter.  But it just amazing me that they can do this.