Hamburger Helper, Rain, and Perspective

It's almost the end of summer and although I see school coming and know that time is slipping, slipping away, I can't seem to step out of the fast lane.  Since next week is the last week of summer and I have no childcare during work hours this week or next, I am getting up earlier and earlier to get a jump on my tasks.
I am rolling out of bed sometime between 5 and 5:30 a.m. and immediately turning on the laptop to start working.  It's much easier for me to get work done when there is not a child literally sitting on my shoulders, and I have been productive, but I am constantly trying to remind myself that I do have limits and am not superhuman and that it's a good thing.
Yesterday I was productive, but by 10 a.m. I realized I wasn't going to finish what needed to be done and the kids needed to be doing something besides watching the Muppet movie.  I used to be vehemently opposed to television for children, but this summer have let up a little and I let my kids watch about an hour or so a day while I try to breathe or get something done.
We needed to do something fun and silly and fast, or there was a danger I would start taking myself too seriously.
Here's what we did:

We took our Hamburger Helper foam hand puppet to the zoo. We all brainstormed and struggled to find anything that was not awesome about taking Hamburger Helper to the zoo and we couldn't find anything.  "The thing about Hamburger Helper," Claire said thoughtfully.  "Is that he rocks."  Paul said, "Yeah, Hamburger Helper is totally awesome."  These are definitely my children.

Hamburger helper loves giraffes!

This was so cute we left Hamburger Helper out of it.  It's the new baby elephant, Belle.

Claire suggested we put Hamburger Helper on the elephant's trunk.

Hamburger Helper visiting ducks.

Hamburger Helper wearing a Burger King crown while waiting for the zoo train.

Awww!  Look!  No arms!  Hamburger Helper rode the zoo train.

Every time I start feeling sad and guilty that my human powers aren't super; that they are just normal, then I get some perspective.  I was feeling guilty about letting the kids watch a movie in the morning instead of forcing them to play.  Oh the humanity!  Television in the morning!  Obviously the kids would be scarred for life from that.  But then I saw a family at the zoo who put their child on a leash.  Not a cutesy kid leash like I had to use for Claire when Paul was an infant and she was a fast two year old at the zoo.  No, they used a retractable dog leash attached to the poor kid's pants.  The father sported a tattoo on his arm that said "100% rebel." He was trying, he really was, but I wanted to pull him over and give him some mercy.  I wanted to suggest that maybe he remove the leash while the kid was climbing in the rope playground but I couldn't.  I was intimidated and all I could do was pray for him to be able to calm down and let go just a little.  So I sat on my bench and said a prayer for him and within 30 seconds saw him relax.  He stopped yelling and did let go a bit.  He didn't take the leash off the kid (I'm afraid it was reinforced with duct tape.) but he stopped his angry rant.  I was so glad because I didn't think I could sit there another minute without crying for his child.

Then while Claire climbed across the rope tunnel close to the ceiling she shouted down to me, "You are the best Mommy ever! And I know other moms can hear this and are disappointed!"  That made my day.  She wasn't on a leash and apparently watching the Muppet Movie didn't scar her or make her a terrible person.  It was going to be okay.

We followed our trip to the zoo with a trip to Central Library downtown.  We went last week and all the librarians remembered us and not because we were disruptive.  They remembered us because we are sometimes awesome.

The library has a program where you can check out a stuffed animal cow called Maggie. You are supposed to take pictures of Maggie all over Fort Worth and put them on Social Media.  

Paul built Maggie a tower.

Maggie in Sundance Square.

Maggie at the Water Gardens.

Kids splashing and running in the Water Gardens.

We played at the Water Gardens until a torrential downpour arrived.  We were soaked and Claire was very upset that Maggie was wet, too.  We had to run back to the car in the rain that was coming down so hard that I had to take off my glasses to see.  We also passed a beautiful lady standing on the curb trying to stay dry.  A man approached her from the hotel across the street and then it hit me that she was a prostitute. What can I do but offer her a prayer at that point?  

So by the time we got home, I had about three inches of my body that were dry, and that was where my purse had hung.  I was cold, wet, and humbled.  How heart breaking to see a poor family using a dog leash on a kid and a beautiful lady selling her body in the same day.  As the rain covered my entire body, all my stress was washed away and I was filled with compassion and perspective instead.

Female Fun in Fort Worth

Yesterday was beautiful.  Not just the weather, the entire day.  My family strolled through the day without a care in the world and no agenda until Adam took the kids camping.  They are currently asleep on the TCU baseball field.  I like camping, but when given the option of going camping or spending some time by myself, I choose myself.
Last night I met my friends Stacy and Helen at Rodeo Goat for burgers and fun.  Stacy and Helen both went to high school with me, and oddly, they still don't mind being seen in public with me.
After burgers, we piled in my car and went downtown for Main Street Arts Festival.
I love festivals in downtown Fort Worth.  I know how to get around, so instead of wondering which way to walk or decide on a defined route, I get to focus on people. It makes me happy to be in a familiar place full of people because I know I will meet fascinating folks.
Since I was driving, I also gave Stacy and Helen a mini-tour of downtown FW, Boyette-style. ("That sign says Burnett Plaza is for tired moms.  That is FUMCFW.  The guy that owns that restaurant makes sandwiches for  homeless ladies.  Best burgers in town at Blue Tower.  Police Cat Fluffy lives there.  Library!")
Here are some photos of our adventures:

At this point, we had just parked the car.  Woohoo!  After at least 15 minutes of sitting in traffic we got a parking space! (Yes I know it's kind of lame to take a picture after parking a car.)

Inside the old Fire Station No. 1 is Fort Worth's smallest museum.  150 years of Fort Worth all celebrated in one room.  Here Stacy reaches for the stars and hopes for 150 more.

Helen who is a marathon runner.  If you call her that, she'll blow it off like it's no big deal, but this lady runs marathons!

I decided to sit side saddle and try to make the cheesiest picture possible.  

Here was our first new friend.  We all got to touch that awesome hair!  Really, anyone that spends that much time to perfect a look deserves applause.

This was our friend Willie at Green Mountain Energy.  Stacy actually filled out an advertisement form (she loves the environment), so we got to talk to him for a long time.  Another lady came up and was patiently waiting to ask if she could have some candy.  Helen and I tried to fill her purse.  She acted like she was really hungry and this was the only food she was going to get.  We kept urging her to get more, and then even Willie said, "Girl, you help yourself."

The lady that took this photo for us missed how to use the flash.  Oh well.  We are supposed to be the Wild Bunch.

Street preacher.

One of the highlights of the night was the street preachers.  As a person of faith myself, I am always fascinated at how differently the message of God's grace sounds from a street preacher.  Also, I have to applaud these people who feel that the only way they can save the world is by doing this.  They suffer ridicule but are still out on the corner preaching.

I didn't get to have a long conversation because Stacy and Helen were with me and I had embarrassed them enough, but I would have liked to compare notes.  If their goal is to share the consequences of people's actions, I think they got me beat.  I don't do that.  But if their goal was to share the message of God's love, I would be curious to how many people they were able to engage in conversation or to offer love to.  Because for me, sharing God's love last night included lifting a stroller over a curb for a frustrated dad, offering my koozie to a starving artist, sharing Willie's candy with a hungry lady, admiring an afro, offering compliments and admiration on artwork, and actually looking for people to engage in conversation with.

All the street preachers were on one quadrant and at each corner, they had a different tract about going to hell.  I made sure to get all of them for my pal Jason.  The best one was a "Get out of hell free" card.  At the last corner, when I engaged the preacher in conversation, I complimented him on the marketing brilliance of creating a tract that looked like a Monopoly game card.  He asked where I got it and I pointed to another corner of the square, where the African-American man that gave me the card stood.  The preacher said, "Oh, I don't know about him.  He's not with us."  That was so interesting to me, because these guys are standing about 20 feet apart doing the same thing, and they hadn't talked to each other?  

Then the street preacher asked me if I had been saved.  I told him I was a big-time Jesus lover.  He looked confused.  "I love Jesus.  Big time.  Go ask my friends."  He looked very uncomfortable like he wasn't sure if I was lying or not.  I guess people don't often come up to him and admit to being a Jesus lover.  I enjoyed throwing him for a loop.

I can't wait to hear how the camping trip went.

Downtown Fort Worth, Boyette-style

When I was a kid, for a very special event, my mom would take my sister and I downtown to ride the Tandy subway and look at all the ice skaters.  I fell in love with the concept of "downtown," and watching all the business people in their suits crossing the streets at the crosswalks.  Since then, downtown Fort Worth has held a special allure to me.
Now that I've grown, my feelings about the ladies in their business suits has changed.  I can't imagine walking around in high heels all day.  Occasionally I'll wear them to church, but only because I do a lot of sitting on Sunday morning and am relatively sure I won't fall in the little time I'm walking.  Working in a skyscraper still sounds exciting, but cubicle life doesn't.
I've passed the love of the mystery and magic of downtown onto the kids.  The best part about it is how they see the world completely differently and together we have magical adventures that I would never have by myself.

Today I thought I'd share a list of sites to visit and memories-in-the-making, Boyette-style.
1.  I'm going to go ahead and get the gross one out of the way.  Two years ago, when Paul was in the midst of potty-training, we ventured out with him in underwear for the first time.  I was smart enough to pack a few changes of clothes in case he had an accident, but I didn't foresee what really happened.  We were standing on a sky bridge that connects two buildings, looking down below at how things look smaller from a distance when Paul said he needed to go potty.  I was about to scoop him up and take him but then I realized he was sopping wet.  He was standing over an air vent.  Luckily there was no one else around, so I changed my son's clothes right there.  All of downtown Fort Worth could see his cute little buns.  I figured every step he took would be messy, so it was best to control the mess.  Now every time we pass that bridge, the kids remind me of that day.

2.  Central Library

Oddly, every time we go to the downtown library, the children's section is sparsely populated.  Maybe we go on off-hours, but it never seems busy there.  (I know the adult sections are packed.) This week we revisited a favorite: Bearly Bedtime Stories.  Each Tuesday at 7 p.m. the librarian encourages kids to come in pajamas and hug on a bear while she reads stories.  Pretty awesome.

3.  Jamba Juice
Around our house, it is not uncommon to hear someone shout, "Razzmatazz!"  It doesn't really mean anything; just an expression of excitement/ playful aggression.  At Jamba Juice, the menu features a fruit smoothie called "Razzmatazz," which the kids love for the taste as well as the name.  If I have a coupon, I buy them their own smoothie.  If I don't, I buy a large smoothie and the Jamba Juice folks put it in two cups.  (Pssst....you get more smoothie that way and the kids are less hyper than they would be consuming a whole smoothie.)

4.  Sid Richardson Art Museum
We went there twice so far this summer and I am pleased to say that the docents really love kids.  We went during kid-friendly events, but each employee engaged the children in conversation about art on their level.  They have puzzles that match the paintings on the wall.  Admission is free and this is an art museum that actually wants you to bring kids.

5.  Spider Web
In Burnett Plaza, there is a giant rope-climby-thing that looks just like a spider web.  The kids love for me to pack our lunches so we can go to the Spider Web and eat under the shade and then they climb the ropes.

6.  Molly the Trolley
The city has a bus/trolley system just for downtown, and it's free.  Molly will drive around most of downtown.  The kids love waiting at the stop and getting on Molly.  They enjoy public transportation, and the drivers are always friendly.

7.  Barnes and Noble
With their summer reading program, the kids each got a free book.  We like Barnes and Noble downtown for that as well as an exciting escalator and a public bathroom.

8.  Hidden tunnels
While having lunch in Burnett Plaza recently, Paul needed to use the restroom.  It was during business hours, so I decided to pretend like we knew what we were doing and go in the office building to find a restroom.  We did eventually find one, but not before we found an escalator that lead to underground tunnels that go from one office building under the street to the next.  We had fun exploring underground.

9.  Police Cat Fluffy
Two days ago we discovered the Fort Worth Police Department's secret weapon:  a cat.  We were walking around exploring after a trip to the B&N restroom and came across the building of the First Methodist Church, possibly the oldest brick building in Tarrant County.  We looked at the building, noting it was now a police station.  It was nearly 9 p.m. by this point, so we were about to cross the street and head back to the car when Paul spotted a cat.  He asked to pet it.  I said, "You can if he'll let you.  He might be a wild cat."  Not at all.  It appears that this cat lives at the police station.  He's clean, de-clawed, and very friendly.  We don't know his real name, but Claire named him Police Cat Fluffy.  The kids know about K9 units, so they were trying to figure out what Fluffy does for the police.  Adam and I are allergic to cats and we have two dogs, so unfortunately for them, the kids will never have a pet cat.  They had never been around one so sweet.  Claire carried Fluffy around, petting the cat and cooing to it.  When the cat hopped out of her arms, Paul picked him up again for her.  I thought this might be a one time thing, but the kids begged to go see him again yesterday and sure enough, Police Cat Fluffy was still there.  He was right in front of the police station door, so the kids picked him up and walked around with him.  I was a little apprehensive about appearing to steal a cat from the police, but no one said anything to us.  The police just waved.

10.  History of Fort Worth Exhibit
This is a small exhibit housed in the first fire station.  It's just one room, but it's free and it's interesting.  We went on Tuesday and the kids were a little apprehensive because we were the only ones there.

An Evening in Sundance Square

Last night we didn't have plans and Adam had to work, so the kids and I went to downtown Fort Worth to see what kind of adventures we could find.  We found a lot, mostly expressed in pictures below.

First we went to the Central Public Library.  We stayed until closing and checked out many books.  We kept hearing closing announcements over the PA system, to which Paul kept saying, "We're going to get trapped in here!"

Then we stopped to look at a partially demolished building, shown below.

We found this interesting because it seemed incomplete.  It looked like the demolition company started their job and then punched out at 5 p.m. on Friday, regardless of whether or not they were finished.

After staring at the building for a while, we rode Molly the Trolley, a free shuttle around downtown.  We met many interesting people, all with wineglasses in their hands, all celebrating one gentleman's birthday.  We also sidled up next to a car of newlyweds, still in their gown and tuxedo.  They waved cheerfully and we clapped for them.

We got off the trolley and started walking around downtown, looking for more adventure.  We met this lady below, who had a bad day and decided to reverse her mood by standing at a street corner with a sign.  We gave her several hugs throughout the evening.  As we toured around, we kept ending up at her street corner to give her more hugs.  She said she turned out to have a great day.

After hugs, we enjoyed some gelato before returning for more hugs.  I warned the kids that their gelato might get on her pristine white outfit, so in this photo, they are keeping their distance.

We saw several people marching in protest of Palestine's lack of recognition as a country.  I didn't explain all that to the kids, but Claire recognized the word Obama, so I said they didn't like his job.  We called this a parade...These people were marching through downtown with their banner, singing, "Give Peace a Chance."  We only saw them for about ten minutes and then they disappeared, so I wonder if they didn't have parade permit.

There were many carriages downtown, but Paul's favorite was the one pulled by Michelle, shown here.  The horse owners were friendly and let us stand talking to and petting their horses for a while.  Claire pet a horse named Bucky.  The kids were also highly entertained that behind the horses was a special sack to hold their poop. 

After all this excitement, we headed home, but not before riding an escalator and waving and folks from a sky bridge.  The entire evening cost me $17, but the fun we had was priceless.

Molly the Trolley

Last week the kids and I discovered Molly the Trolley. From 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. the trolley runs around downtown Fort Worth every 15 minutes and it's free.
Claire was in need of an adventure the other day, so I took the kids down to ride the trolley. We got on in front of the Sheraton and rode around downtown. Of course we had to stop at Marble Slab and Barnes and Noble, so while the transportation was free, the trip cost me $42. Oh well.
Last night we rode Molly again and went to Jamba Juice. The kids love it! This morning, if we can get everyone together, we're going to ride to the Stockyards to see the stampede. The trolley costs $1.50 on Saturday, but the stampede is free and we're bringing a picnic lunch, so we'll have lots of fun for under $10. Pictures coming later!
http://www.mollythetrolley.com/