Dallas Mini Vacay

One of Nick's buddies that he worked with in So Cal was in Texas for training. We ended up meeting up with him for a day of fun in Dallas. It was so nice to get out of Louisiana for the day and have some fun that much more my speed. Dallas is about a three hour drive for us, not too far, but does take a little planning.

Our first spot was the Dallas Farmers Market. We were planning on having lunch at the Pecan Lodge, but the line was over an hour...not something we can really do with a toddler. But...don't be discouraged if you plan to go, we heard the food was worth the wait. Instead we ate at a tamale place. It was good...not as good as the home made ones I have had with friends, but definitely better than anything we've had in Louisiana.

We took a short walk around the market...and let me tell you the fruits and veggies smelled and looked amazing! If we were going home, I would have picked some up. But they never would have lasted in the car in the heat.

Our next stop was the Dallas World Aquarium Zoo. Let me just say...WOW! I loved it! There was a wait to get in, about 30 minutes, but it was in the shade and totally worth it. If you go, I would say, go during the week. It was very crowded. But again...totally worth it. The place is a few stories tall...you start at the top and walk your way down. It is very open...you are able to see the animals up close, and there are animals every where! Cute little monkeys, a manatee in a pool, a giant crocodile, and tons of tress and plants. It is beautiful.

Our next stop was purely for dad. :) He shops for computer stuff on TigerDirect.com and found out there was a store in Dallas. So we headed there for Nick to visit geek heaven.

Our final stop was the Galleria. Yeah....this is more like it! Malls here in LA are so small. Just nothing like what I'm used to. Even the largest one in the area, although nice is small in comparison. But the Galleria was amazing, huge, and had all the stores and eateries (well...not all, but many) that I was missing. I did not have a chance to go through the whole thing, But from what I saw...there are 4 levels and an ice rink. I was so extremely happy to be able to get one of my favorites...a caramel apple from Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. The small things in life...make me happy. :)

Anyway....it was just nice to get away. It was a much needed break from the norm.

Stride Rite - Size 4 - Baby Girl Shoes for Sale

These same shoes are selling for $35 on other sites. I bought them for my daughter and she outgrew them before she ever wore them. And its too late to return them. So...I'm re-listing them on ebay. Baby Shoes on Ebay

Here are a few more pictures. They are in brand new condition. The box is included, but is a little beat up (that's how I bought it).

The shoes are Stride Rite Baby Jan Bear Cub in Dark Brown with white stitching and pink on the Velcro strap. Stride Rite shoes are highly recommended by pediatricians...and pretty much the only shoes I buy for my daughter. They are baby size 4M. The material is listed on the tag as leather and man made. The sole is rubber...perfect for a new walker.

Mud Bugs...My First Time

Mud Bugs (or crawfish) are a Louisiana delicacy. People cannot wait for crawfish season. To celebrate, our town has a big festival called Mud Bug Madness. They have food vendors with various southern foods, music, art vendors, and some kids activities. I was really excited to go and even passed up a night out to dinner so we could make sure we had room in the budget for this event.

Fast forward to the day...95 degrees, 57% humidity. Yuck. Parking $10 and a few blocks walk. Entry free since we have military ID (saved us $10). We walked around a bit to get the feel of the land first. The kids activities were all too old for our daughter...so we went straight for the food. We ordered our crawfish: 3 pounds plus potatoes and corn for $9. Not a bad price at all...so we got two plates. We found a place to sit on a bench in the shade (unfortunately all the tables were taken). And the gentleman next to us lights up a stogie. Great....we are not smokers and do not want our daughter exposed either. So we pack it in...take our food to go and enjoy our first crawfish experience in the comfort of our own home, in our air conditioned kitchen.

I almost forgot the best part. While walking back to the car, we are almost run over in the middle of the cross walk when WE had the green light to walk. One thing to know about Louisiana...people are horrible drivers here! They do not pay attention...at all. Every day there are stories of pedestrians getting hit. Every time I brave the roads, I am horrified by the blatant lack of respect for the rules of the road. Driving on the wrong side of the road, stopping in the middle of an intersection because..whoops I just realized the light is red (and then sitting there), and forget the California roll at stop signs....stop signs and stop lights are more like a "suggestion" here. I shared a few of the pictures I have captured of BAD DRIVERS (remember I just moved here in February).

 Driving on the wrong side of the road...and completely oblivious to it.

The awesome mark of a parking lot hit and run on my car (nope..no note)

Stopped way over the white line at a red light (this is not even the worst I have seen)

So you can understand why, even though I was originally excited to get out of the house, I was super glad to be back home. And the crawfish were delicious. BUT...a lot of work for very little meat.

Next week, I am going to try to brave the farmers market...hopefully I won't get run over in a cross walk.