Rain or Shine

Over the past few months, our days have been nothing but sunshine.  The heat has kept us indoors.  But we don't mind one bit.

We still get our outdoors time.  It just happens in the evenings now.  And we've pretty much put trips to the zoo on hold until the fall.  

Yesterday we decided to venture out into the city to find a couple of places that we were excited to check out.  One of them was the Texas Art Asylum, a shop that sells used art supplies at big discounts.  The other was Canino Produce, a Mexican farmers' market.  So we headed out, with a vague sense of directions and an almost full tank of gas.  

We struck out.  We found neither of the places!  I blame it on the lack of directions, the lack of physical addresses, and leaving our phone at home.  Defeated, we started to head home.  Then it started to rain.  Soon after we found ourselves driving by the Houston Zoo.  It wasn't the ideal time for a zoo trip, a Saturday in the rain, but we decided to go anyway.  Maybe it was so the trip wouldn't be such a waste of gas.  

We had a great time.  It was only raining slightly and the rain helped to keep the temperature down.  The glorious rain also helped to keep the crowds to a minimum.  

The kids seemed to like it.

The birds didn't mind either.

And the carousel ride offered some shelter from the drizzle.

And just to switch it up, we spent the evening indoors.  Another free dinosaur night at HMNS!  We saw the new Mosasaur fossil that will inhabit the new Paleontology hall.  We saw our favorite paleontologist, Dr. Bakker.  We saw the one of the newest dinosaur discoveries, the Dracorex Hogwartsia (can you guess what the name means?) skull.  

Beckers! Get with the program...

And since there was a DJ at the museum, we danced.

We drove home to find our flowerbeds watered and our gas tank empty.  It was a great day thanks to the rain.  

You Can Dance If You Want To

Annie has left her cares behind.  The need to dance has begun.

So far it's just small movements to such classics as "Old McDonald" and "Here We Go 'Round the Mulberry Bush".   But with enough practice she can advance to such heights as her brothers have achieved.

As you observed, Orry does the "Multi-taskers Dance".  Wiping his nose while dancing takes a lot of focus and concentration, but as a veteran dancer, it's nothing he can't handle.  Also take note of how Isaac works the room.  Leave no space untouched, my man.  And don't forget about the "acrobatics".  Any pro knows that a good performance is one that thrills the audience.  Wasn't it thrilling, ya'll?