Dallas Road Trip - Day One

My goal was to be in the car pulling out of our driveway at 8am sharp.  So 8:15 wasn't too bad considering I was toting a 2 1/2 year old with me!!  First stop...gas station!  Filled up the tank and we were off to Target for some car riding books and toys as well as a few snacks!  We loaded up our shopping cart with some goodies and headed off to Tate's 9:30 swim lessons.


Swim lessons...he is doing amazingly well!!  I am so proud of this little boy of mine.  He is a natural with the back float.

I have to apologize for our random potty training conversation in the background!!  LOL!


I got Tate changed and back in the car and we were off by 10:15!!  Dallas, Texas here we come!!


He did amazingly well!!  I mean he did just great.  I gave him his after swimming snacks and he entertained himself for about 30 minutes.  I then handed him his lunch (chicken nuggets from home) and he was happy as a clam.  As long as I was playing 'Bon Jovi and the little girl' he was in heaven.  (he LOVES the song by Bon Jovi and Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland "Who Says You Can't Go Home?"  For some reason he calls Jennifer Nettles the little girl;  anyway he asks for it almost every time we get in the car.  Around noon I changed the music to some lullaby music, gave him his hippo and he was out by 12:30.  He wasn't excited by the nap suggestion, but he finally fell asleep and slept almost 90 minutes.  We made a pit stop at a Dairy Queen to get me a blizzard, potty time for me and a snack for him and we were off.  It's so funny...I can't even remember how he entertained himself...he had lots of books in the backseat, his LeapFrog computer and his Tag reader.  I didn't even break out the new LeapFrog toy I bought him that morning (It's actually still in the bag in the trunk).

New BFFs!

We got to Flower Mound around 3 and made a grocery store run to get some food allergy safe food for Tate and we were meeting little O and her grandparents at 3:30 at Angela's gorgeous house.  Angela was in a meeting until later that evening.  Tate was immediately taken with O.  And O is a princess...100%!!!  Such a little doll!!  After investigating the house, eyeing the TWO playrooms, the kids played dress up.

Snack time!!

And then the kids raced outside to play on the huge swing set complete with a rock climbing wall, a picnic table underneath, slide, 3 swings and a 'fort.'  I wandered back inside to grab my camera and unpack a bit for our stay in the princess room...

The kids had an absolute blast with O's papa running around and just enjoying being 2.  O is exactly 3 months older than my Tate.

In addition to the pool and swing set there was a play house!!  A gorgeous playhouse with air conditioning and electricity.  The kids had an impromptu tea party.

 

 

There was also a beautiful pool, but sadly it was a bit too chilly to get in.  In fact, Tate had to borrow one of O's jackets because it was so cool outside even at 4:30 in the afternoon.  And I know it was cool because he didn't balk when I put it on him (or he wanted to be just like O and wear something pink). 
Though they couldn't get in the pool, Tate and O insisted upon at least testing the waters...

 

Look at our sweet babes!!!

Soaking wet hands and sleeves.  I opted to then give both kiddos a bath!  This was quite the adventure...remembering Angela was still not home, and O had just met Tate and me for the first time.

The kids had an absolute blast!

Nekkid Time!!!

After I mopped up the mess these two made we traipsed back downstairs and lo and behold my fabulous roommate (my senior year) , awesome sorority sister Susan had arrived with her 4 1/2 year old S and husband Stephen!  Soooooo great to see her.  Wow, I love these women.  And I don't think I've realized how very much until writing this post.  Susan and I were roommates and Angela was our suitemate my last year in college.  And we were all sorority sisters.  And I know at the age of 44 you would think I would have 'grown' out of the whole sorority thing, but this place we called college was just amazing.  Southwestern University.  The friends I made there are my extended family.  And these women are like my sisters.  I LOVE them.  They are part of who I am, these two and several others.  We may go years without seeing each other, but we are part of each other.  I can go into Ang's home and treat it as my own, just as she can with mine.  And Angela is an SMC as well.  Susan has been married a few years, but also had Sophia later in life.  And we're all successful professional women...all thanks to SU.  (they are both physicians).  Anyway, they are the sisters of my heart.

O, S and Tate enjoying their dinner

Angela finally arrived after an extremely long day.  She looks exactly the same as does Susan.  Kisses, hugs and introductions all around and we were a happy group.  The kids played (and fought) and we caught up if only a bit.  I did take Tate upstairs around 8 to get ready for bed while the other 2 continued to play.  I deposited him into the pack n play for the evening around 8:45 and headed down for some yummy food on the grill and a nice glass of wine.


It was a gorgeous evening.  And though I have no recollection of what we talked about, if anything, I know I was happy, tired, but happy.  I crawled into bed around 10:30 and settled in for a short night.


New friends, old friends, the best of friends.