Arboretum

This morning we met Grammy at the Dallas Arboretum for a wonderful little outing.

(Though it wasn't as warm as expected. It was 60 degrees and sunny when we left Flower Mound, but when we reached Dallas the sky was dark and the temperature was 53. Now, 55 degrees for a January outing is perfect...unless you're dressed for 65 degrees. Fortunately, there was enough running around to keep us warm enough.)

David assumed there would be lots of pumpkins. When I explained that there wouldn't be pumpkins this time, he was a little concerned about the point of going. But I reminded him of the plow and assured him that he would have fun in the frontier houses. He was not disappointed. In fact, there is an entire Texas Pioneer Village--kid-sized. It was wonderful!

Here is Mary, running off through the village...

Mary's favorite was climbing up and down these stairs. She returned here again and again...

I almost didn't bring my camera. That would have been tragic because then I wouldn't have taken this picture...

and the twenty thousand others I am now going to show you...

Please pretend David is sitting in the chair with a perfect little smile on his face. He WAS there. But I wasn't fast enough with my camera...

Oops. Somebody lost her shoe...

I'm not exactly sure what is going on here, but I believe that is a pout on Mary's face...

Uh oh. The Q-tip is back...

Not a even a huge grin can distract from the poof ball on Mary's head...

This is the booger picture. Now I'm sure I could have spent 2 minutes editing it out, but what's the fun in that?

The double booger picture. (Mary has one too.) Keepin' it real...

(Psst. If you really want to see Mary and the booger in her nose, click on the picture. I'm blissfully un-savvy and don't know how to make Flickr pictures fit on my blog.)

Love this sweet girl...

Mary channeling Willa Cather...

David and Mary preferred to think of this as a choo-choo train...

This is Mary choo-choo-ing and David chugga-chugging...

Grammy and David discussing the merits of farming, pre-combustible-engine...

Meanwhile, Mary was at the school house...

Again, the highlight of the Arboretum for David was the plow. We need to buy a house with a good garden plot and put that kid to work...

Pondering that time-old question of what to make for dinner...

Oh my baby...

Hmmm. Do I hear this photo begging to be b&w? Let's try it...

I think I like it.

What about this one? Is it asking for black and white too...

Or this one...

This one?

Who knows. Not me. I know nada about photography, and I have a terrible track record when it comes to choosing black and white. (But those stories are for another day.) I consider it an achievement that I can change the batteries in my camera and upload the pictures.

(Hey, once I did take a photography class in seventh grade. But we never came close to touching a camera. Instead we built some kind of cardboard photo box, played around with photo paper, and filled out worksheets on how to organize your dark room. Needless to say, the class was something of a letdown. Maybe someday I will pick up where that class left off--well, more like 67 steps after where that class left off. But probably not because I enjoy my ignorance way too much. Bliss, bliss, bliss.)

Anyway, it was a truly enjoyable morning, and we are already looking forward to our next visit the Arboretum. It is always nice to "get out," especially to such a lovely setting.

Thanks, Grammy!