math at Cedar Ridge Preserve, Dallas

I'm all about hands on teaching with my children,

and I love this activity we did with my five year old

 during a hike at Cedar Ridge Preserve in Dallas. 

It started with a bright metal "1" at the trail head. 

 

Nearby, I spotted a black caterpillar, of which there are many in this area.  

My son picked it up, and we counted one caterpillar and took their picture next to the number one....

And our hike evolved into a math activity.....

What I love about it is that at each number on the trail,

we searched for items unique to the area of that number. 

He found these three pieces of bark with holes in them, from perhaps an insect or maybe a woodpecker before the bark fell from the nearby tree.  We took time to visually locate the tree, and talked about what we thought might have made the holes.  Of course, his suggestion was zombie ninjas...  but it's still a great way to make those connection to nature.   

These are little acorns caps, surrounded by fallen oak leaves. 

We found these old shells under a nearby walnut tree. 

He found these six sticks, and we sang the rhyme..... "This old man, he played 6, he played knick knack on my sticks."   I know, but it's important that the activity is child led. 

Juniper trees are found throughout Cedar Ridge preserve.

We collected these Juniper berries from around number 7. 

I love his dirty little hands!

And acorns from around Number 8.

 

I love the little snail shells we found for Number 9. 

They weren't in the rocks, but in a patch of thick mulch nearby. 
 

 

Not sure what kind of leaves these were, which is okay, as long as you remind yourself

 and your little one of the Poison Ivy rule;

Leaves of Three, let them be.....

Number 11 was my absolute favorite, Possumhaw Berries,

because we were walking along the Possumhaw trail!  

The Possumhaw is a deciduous holly, which means it loses it's leaves each year,

and is left with nothing but these attractive red berries. 

Watch your little ones, because they are mildly poisonous to humans if consumed,

but a winter staples to wild birds. 

They also make a wonderful, native addition to your landscaping!

Oak Leaves

 

Sticks from a Juniper tree

We found many little fossils hidden in the limestone.   

 

and 15 beautiful reminders that it is Fall in Texas! 

 

 We even snuck in a little Language Arts lesson, too! 

My little Leo loves to write his name. 

 

Cedar Ridge Preserve, referred to as "one of the best kept secrets in Dallas" by one of my facebook followers, is maintained by Audubon Dallas, and has over 600 acres, and numerous trails for hikers, runners and nature enthusiast. 

Keep Having Fun in the Texas Sun!

Michelle

Bad photos and Bethlehem Revisited in Waxahachie

The reason I like WORDS so much is that I take such BAD pictures. 

 

During the day, with plenty of sunshine, coming from just the right angle,

I can manage a few good shots. 

 

But at night, with bad lighting and moving subjects........ oh my!!!

Such was the case at Bethlehem Revisited in Waxahachie! 

I had all three strikes against me! 

Which is really a shame, because it's such a beautiful religious reenactment. 

From the beginning, while waiting in a field with the shepherds and their sheep.....

 

to watching as Joseph walks by, leading a donkey on which his wife, Mary, sits. 

 

It's beautiful!

 

 But my pictures aren't!  

 

I wish I could blame it all on my camera, but I can't.
For example... 

 After watching Joseph pay the tax collector...

and the tax collector asked the young boy standing next to me his occupation....

A little startled, he answered, "I mow the grass."

And the tax collector replies, "You mean you're a GOAT?"!

 

And I laughed out loud, right as I was clicking!    

Somehow my picture turns green! 

Green?  Like an alien....

 

And Joseph and Mary may have to lay their new baby down in a manger,

but from my pictures, they could be at Motel 6. 
 

Even the beautiful camels that came in with the 3 Wise Men,

appear in my pictures more appropriate in one of the Twilight movies! 

Just look at that eye!

  

The community of Waxahachie has done an amazing job of rebuilding a permanent, miniature town of Bethlehem, creating a wonderful living history event!   

And the local volunteers excellently portray the lives of the bakers, basket weavers, blacksmith...

and whatever this guy is suppose to do! 

The actors have alot of fun with it, too! 

With each picture, they ask in a frightful voice if I have captured a star in my little box.

And they really enjoy manipulating the language barrier,

as my daughter found out when the Roman guards apprehended her for being disrespectful. 

Of course, her mug shot is the only picture that came out..... 

Bethlehem Revisited runs November 30th, Dec. 1-2 and Dec. 7-9, from 6-9pm. 

The cost is FREE but donations are requested. 

It's really a magical experience, and a wonderful family outing. 

For more information visit their website;

http://waxahachiechamber.com/calendar/bethlehem.php

 

The camels are provided by Texas Camel Corp, which can be seen at many historical reenactments across the state.  Check out their calendar for more appearances during the year. 

 

Waxahachie is a beautiful town, filled with antique stores and beautiful gingerbread homes. 

Visit their website for more holiday events,

including the annual Candlelight Tour of Homes and the outdoor synthetic ice skating rink. 

 

We began the evening with a yummy dinner at Tuscan Slice in Waxahachie. 

The kids really enjoyed getting to make their own pizzas, 

and I enjoyed the kids being busy so I could eat!  

Keep Having Fun in the Texas Sun!

While I try to find a photography class....

Michelle

 

 

Black Friday at Buc-ees

I'm not sure why anyone would want to go to the mall,
superstore or toy store on Black Friday. 

Why would you wait, much less camp, for a store to open? 

Because you can buy everything you need at Buc-ees. 

And they are all open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. 

The Texas owned stores, which has 20 locations across the state,
and a giant beaver for a mascot,

are a MUST stop on all of our road trips! 

 I love their root beer, sweetened with real sugar, not high fructose corn syrup! 

They also have a deli, fudge counter and everything else you could ever need for road snacking! 

 

 

Our favorite are the Beaver Nuggets. 

Sweet little somethings. 

Not really sure what they are, but they sure get eaten quickly. 

 

 

My kids love their teeshirt selection. 

Because when isn't a beaver a fashion statement?

Yep, even beaver underwear.....

And they have a great selection of Texas Home Decor. 

Not everything at Buc-ees has a beaver on it. 

They also have a great toy selection, filled with fun stuff. 

But I wasn't able to get any pictures.

My arms were too full to hold my camera

And I was already getting some pretty strange looks

after the 10 minutes I spent taking pictures of
the fountain drinks and Beaver Nuggets.   

 

I have to also mention their amazing restrooms

although I didn't get pictures of them, either.  

Because can you imagine the looks I would have gotten,

taking pictures in there? 

 

For more information on Buc-ees, or to find a location near you,

visit their website;

http://www.bucees.com/

 

All opinions are my own, and I did not receive any compensation for this post,

except by my husband.

Although he doesn't know it.

And what he doesn't know won't hurt him. 

Because we bought alot of Beaver Nuggets. 

 

 

Keep Having Fun in the Texas Sun!

Michelle

 

Texas ATV Adventures

With my backpack filled with leftover Thanksgiving Turkey sandwiches and bottles of water, we set off on an ATV adventure.....

We rode about 45 minutes, and enjoyed our lunch by a small creek, surrounded by the beautiful East Texas pine trees and fall foliage, before returning home. 
And taking a shower. 
Because we were covered in dirt, and mud.... and happiness.   

My husband usually complains about the 7 mile logging road we must travel to reach our farm, but he loves it when we get out our four wheelers. Surrounded by timber country, it's isolated and fun. 

We purchased our four wheelers when the big kids were still little, and would ride with us.  We added some dirt bikes as they got old enough to ride on their own.   It's a great family activity, and something we look forward to whenever we visit the farm.

 

 

Some top locations in Texas for riding ATVs;  

Bring Your Own

Rocky Ridge Ranch in Decatur, Tx.  Offers day riding, and camping facilities. 

Sam Houston National Forest  85 niles for OHVs, located in Montgomery, San Jacinto and Walker counties. 

The River Run in Jacksonville  ATV park offers daily rides, camping, cabins and even canoe rental on the Neches River!

 

ATV Rentals and Tours  

Big Bend Far Flung Adventures    Enjoy ATV tours, as well as jeep and river tours.


Lajitas Golf Resort and Spa offers 2 and 4 hour guided ATV trips, as well as horseback riding, skeet shooting and river tours through Big Bend.

South Padre Island Adventures riders enjoy private sand dunes. 

Cross Bar Ranch, Oklahoma  If you must, just must, leave Texas. 

*** Disclaimer ***
ATV riding is lots of fun, but can be dangerous. PLEASE always wear a helmet!

 

Keep Having Fun in the Texas Sun!

Michelle

Sam's Restaurant in Fairfield

Listen to your Mother. 

Or in this case, Mother in Law. 

Well, my Mother in Law, not yours. 

Unless she has also recommended Sam's Restaurant in Fairfield. 

 

For a few months, my MIL (Mother in Law) has been raving about Sam's.  

And although I had a groceries packed in the ice chest for our weekend road trip, the allure of a good food find was too great as we drove through Fairfield. 

Since the parking lot was PACKED at 10:52 on a Saturday morning, I thought she might be onto something. 

Now, some people love buffets, and some don't. 
Usually, we are a family of the "don't" persuasion. 
But, one look at their buffet and we laid down our menus. 
And we THREW them across the room when our friendly waitress told us that the kid's buffet prices were staggered by their age! 

Okay, we didn't ACTUALLY throw them across the room, but we got rid of them pretty quick! 

The buffet is huge, filled with fried chicken, brisket, shrimp and catfish and everything we ate was good! 

My four year old ate 3 plates of food, and a chocolate ice cream cone for $2.99. 

And when you can fill up a 12 year old boy/bottomless pit for $6.99, it's a good day! 

Afterwards,  we visited their gift shop.  They carry a nice selection of Texas collegiate gifts, and Texas gifts, too.  Enough to make my husband groan, the way hubbys groan when they know you wanna go shopping!

And it was HIS mistake to take the four year old to the restroom, 'cause my daughter and I did some shopping! 

We loaded up on some yummy smellin' candles, and she got a new It's a Girl Thing Southern Girl teeshirt.  Have you seen those?  They are so cute, even if they are made in South Carolina!  We love them!  She also got her grandma (my MIL who gave us the tip) a new fat little pink winged piggy to add to her collection!  Shhh.. don't tell! 

Keep Having Fun in the Texas Sun!

Michelle

P.S.  The view expressed above are completely my own. 
I wasn't compensated in any way for this endorsement, it's just good road food!

Our Thanksgiving Adventure

 

 

Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!  

 

 

 Before we went to my inlaws for turkey and dressing, mashed potatoes and pecan pie,
we spent Thanksgiving morning at the Dallas Zoo. 
 
We wandered around, watching monkeys swinging on bars, birds flying between branches and snakes sticking their tongues out at us. 

Lots of snakes and lots of tongues. 

And all the time I'm thinking how blessed we are. 

Blessed to be together. 

Blessed with our health and happiness.

Blessed to be a Texan, and live in America,  
and to know not ever to take that for granted.

Blessed to live in a world that sees a significance in having zoos. 

and appreciates snakes that stick out their tongues. 

 Blessed that I don't eat my food while it's still alive.

And Blessed with wonderful friends like you.  
That travel along with us on our sometimes crazy adventures,
and sometimes just to the zoo.

Blessed. Blessed. Blessed. 

 

 Happy Thanksgiving Day!

Keep Having Fun in the Texas Sun!

Michelle

Prayer Mountain, Dallas

How can you not love a place named "Prayer Mountain"? 

Especially with a view like this!!
Located in Dallas, (That's right, Dallas, didn't you know there was a mountain in Dallas?) on Mountain Creek Parkway at Eagle Ford.   

We just stumbled on it by accident. 

Well, not really accident.  We found it because I'm.... well, let's just say I'm curious.  While driving along, I saw a road heading up a hill, with open gates for a church at the top of the hill.  And I just had to have a look! 

And what an amazing look you get at the top! 

Okay, this is a crummy picture, but it's the best of the crummy pictures I took.  Blame the photographer and not the photo.  Trust me when I tell you that the view is amazing!  They say it's the highest point in Dallas County.   

Winding through the cedar and juniper trees are trails for mountain biking and hiking on the over 100 acres of the mountain.  Some are easy, some medium, and a few are much more treacherous and difficult.  We are anxious to return one afternoon for the Sunset Trail, along the west side of the mountain! 

D.O.R.B.A. (Dallas Off Road Biking Association) maintains the trails, and some of the "additions" are kinda crazy!  Look for it on their website as Big Cedar. 

The trails are open 7 days a week, from dawn to dusk.  Parking is near the electrical lines behind the church, which oversees the care of the mountain.  Access to the mountain is free, but if you visit, consider making a donation for work on the trails.  If you are riding, you must have a signed waiver.

After spending a morning exploring the trails, we had a picnic lunch at some picnic tables near the trailhead.  There is a fire pit, grill and even restrooms.  Camping is allowed with permission.

 It's a wonderful place for kids to go exploring, finding caterpillars, snail shells and all things .......kids! 

Although Joe Pool Lake is just a few minutes away, there is also a small, stocked lake for catch and release only fishing.   I love this picture, and the little butterfly I captured fluttering away on the top, left hand side. 

Mountain Creek Church

The property is owned by Mountain Creek Church, a non-denominational Christian Church.  They have services on Sunday morning and Wednesday evening.  It's a scenic location for weddings in their chapel or outside in their gazebo, near the overlook.  Visitors of all faiths are invited to enjoy their beautiful prayer grounds, also.

Texas History Trivia

If the name of the road, Eagle Ford, sounds familiar, it's because no matter where you live in Texas you have probably heard the term Eagle Ford Shale.  Probably the news.  Probably in a discussion about oil.  You might think that they named the road from this 90 million year old sedimentary rock formation, but you would be wrong.  The shale was first sighted in this West Dallas neighborhood of Eagle Ford, along the Cedar Hill escarpment.  Want to understand Texas Geology more?  I found this informative rendering on Wikipedia.

For a similar, interactive 3D example, visit the Botanical Research Institute of Texas (BRIT) in Fort Worth.

 

Keep Having Fun in the Texas Sun!

Michelle