Danielle Reads.... Beezus and Ramona

I've been reading Bezus and Ramona by Beaverly Cleary. 4 year old Ramona can get her self into trouble like locking Henry Huggins dog in a bathroom, taking a bite out of every apple then throwing it out, or mabye baking her doll into her sister Beezus' birthday cake while it was in the oven and even inviting everone over for a party without telling her mom. As you can tell Ramona is a big pest and not a joy for Beezus but, when Aunt Beatrice came over for Beezus' birthday dinner she relises that what Ramona does isn't as bad as what her mom and aunt did as children. Although there are some times when Beezus doesn't like Ramona she always loves her. She couldn't imagine life without her.

Culinary Warriors Visit Lonesome Dove

Planting a Teacher's Gift

Preschool Painting

Ride Your Bike To Work Day

Dinosaurs Unleashed at the Fort Worth Zoo

Lions and Tigers and Dinosaurs, Oh My!!

Monday was one of those absolutely beautiful, cool springtime days that staying inside just isn't an option.  So we went to the Fort Worth Zoo.
The day doesn't have to be an absolutely beautful, cool springtime day for us to go to the zoo.  We have passes to the Fort Worth Zoo and go often.  We also have passes to the Dallas Zoo.  I really like passes.  

We had lunch inside MOLA, the Museum Of Living Art.  The crocodile cafe shares a window with the crocodile exhibit.  We had a large turtle on the opposite side of our table.  As fascinated as we were by him, you can't help but wonder what they are thinking......."those nachos look good". 

Dinosaurs Unleashed is the new exhibit running at the Fort Worth Zoo until sometime this July.  We have seen the exhibit before, but it's so much better outside.  And the Fort Worth Zoo has some beautiful backdrops for the dinosaurs.  The thing I like about Dinosaurs Unleashed is that all of the dinosaurs represented have had fossils found in Texas.   

 Sarcosuchas

 Referring to the birds, not the antagonist of Jurassic Park. 

The Stegosaurus

Texas (Pre-historic) Wild

Leo loves sand!

But the zoo sand apparently doesn't taste too good!

 "Leo, what did you do at the zoo today?  Did you see dinosaurs?"

 "I talked on the phone"

Baby T-Rex

I told them to try to look scared! Do they look scared to you?

Dimitrodon is, um, not a dinosaur....

Triceratops

Brachiosaurus

The Day We Met Sid The Science Kid!

The Dallas Museum of Nature and Science had a special, members only event to meet Sid the Science Kid. 

Leo was so excited!  He loves the PBS show!
He ran up the steps to the museum!
He ran in and hugged the cardboard stand-up!

Then he screamed and screamed when Cole

and Danielle took him to meet Sid!  Figures! 

 

Sid the Science Kid Activities were all around the museum!

Don't know Sid?  Check him out!

http://pbskids.org/sid/

They were also having a special presentation of

their "Fire and Ice" show!

Cole was chosen to go up on stage and assist Scientist Kyle.  

Cole is ALWAYS chosen as a volunteer, no matter where we go.
He burned a piece of magnesium, which emits a very bright light. 

Danielle was also chosen to volunteer! 
Scientist Kyle kept calling her "Spotty Girl".
They set fire to a balloon filled with hydrogen.

Can you see the fireball? 

Largest shark ever!

Digging for dino bones?
No, he was covering them up. 

He wouldn't say why.

Want more information on the Museum of Nature and Science? 

http://natureandscience.org/

Outside the Museum lies the Leonhardt Lagoon, the Cotton Bowl, the Texas Star Ferris Wheel, Children's Aquarium, Dallas Music Hall, Planetarium and much more that makes up beautiful Fair Park!

Aren't the swan boats dreamy?

It was the kind of day to lay under a cypress tree, close your eyes,

and listen for Louis playing his trumpet. 

 

 The wonderful sculpture that lies in the lagoon.  Art and Exploration become one as children of all ages walk around and watch the large fish and turtles that make the lagoon their home. 

For some interesting information about the sculpture's origins,

http://patriciajohanson.com/fairpark/.

I love Fair Park!

I adore all the old buildings that house the museums. 

Families were out having picnics, and riding bikes around the lake.

Dallas is building a "new" museum in Victory Plaza. 

How can you improve on this?

Feeding popcorn to the turtles and fish.

These huge alligator snapping turtles just come

right up out of the water to eat it!

Danielle was petting them!

Really? 

The Museum of Natural History.

Lagoon with Texas Star in the background.

"Jumbo", the Mammoth Sculpture that sits outside

the Museum of Natural History.

We also visited the Texas Discovery Gardens at Fair Park. 

This is the Butterfly House.

Outisde in the garden.

Cole and Danielle at the Grand Aisle Fountain.

Danielle, my butterfly princess,

and the Butterfly House in the background.

Want to plan a trip to the Texas Discovery Gardens?

http://texasdiscoverygardens.org/

We completed Nature Challenges at both the Museum,

 and the Texas Discovery Gardens.

http://naturechallenge.tamu.edu/

Fountains inside Fair Park!

Don't you love it?

Don't miss out on all the fantastic museums and events at Fair Park!
http://www.fairpark.org/