Read This, Made That {Spindly Spiders}

October 29, 2014Amber 2 Comments

In this tale, Happy Halloween, Max pulls out all the stops including dangling rubber spiders in a futile attempt to scare Ruby. The quads absolutely L-O-V-E waiting for the end of the book when Ruby startles Max. In honor of Max’s not-so-scary spider, we made our own spindly spiders.

We had black dessert plates from the quad’s birthday party that we used as the spider body. I punched eight holes around each plate and let the kids string pipe cleaners through the holes. I then dotted the center of the each plate with glue and let them stick an assortment of googly eyes. For a little more pizzazz, I swirled more glue onto the spider and let the quads dust them in black glitter.

Hugs!

Amber

Psstt…Don’t forget to share your pictures on our Facebook page if you try any of our craft projects. We’d love to see your handiwork!

Read This, Made That {Candy Corn}

October 27, 2014Amber Leave a comment

In this cute little tale, 10 Trick-or-Treaters, the children’s cache of candy is displayed on the final page for a counting game. The iconic candy corn was in the mix and naturally inspired our next craft.

To create our masterpieces, I cut orange construction paper into triangle shapes with rounded edges. Next, I taped the triangles into the bottom of a shallow pan. I dunked about 4-5 marbles into white tempera paint, dropped them into the pan, then let each child tilt the pan. In time, the marble made its way across the paper several times over creating a striped effect. I then dropped 4-5 marbles dipped in yellow paint and repeated the process. When we were done rolling marbles, I thought they looked boring. We added a dusting of orange glitter for sparkle.

After our works of art were complete, everyone sampled candy corn for the first time. For a sweet and salty snack we also paired candy corn with salted peanuts. Delicious!

Do you have a favorite seasonal candy?

Hugs!

Amber

Read This, Made That {Paper Plate Jack-O-Lanterns}

October 25, 2014October 26, 2014Amber 3 Comments

After years of hating Halloween, the kids are helping me change my perspective. We live in one of the best neighborhoods for Halloween, and it’s high time I enjoy it. In fact, last spring as we searched for a new home, we felt a sense of relief knowing we would stay in our beloved neighborhood. It’s the type of community where families play outside together, take walks, ride bikes, and know the neighbors. On Halloween night, hundreds of children will line the sidewalks escorted by parents clad in costumes. Families living on cul-de-sacs will invite others to join them for snacks and activities. This neighborhood makes Halloween night exactly what it should be- filled with community fellowship, and I want the quads to experience every bit of it.

When October rolled around, a family friend gave each of the quads a Halloween themed book. Little did she know, these books would help stir the spirit of Halloween. As I read these toddler books, it brought to mind the nostalgic parts of Halloween, and the reasons kids adore it. As I read, I began explaining the process of trick-or-treating and other spooky traditions, increasing our anticipation of the holiday. In addition to the books gifted to us, I scored a treasure trove of Scholastic books at our community garage sale, which resulted in a decent collection of Halloween themed toddler books. Since I’m a sucker for thematic crafts and activities, we spent the month of October creating a gallery of Halloween themed art loosely tied to toddler literature. Check out my post about literacy based crafts to see how I approach these. We read several if not all of these books at least once daily.

We kicked off our Halloween literacy based crafts with Five Little Pumpkins paired with a paper plate jack-o-lantern craft. The book is actually a poem, and the quads now recite it as I read, which melts my heart every single time.

To create the craft, each child painted a plate with orange tempera paint (mixed with a few drops of dish soap). When the paint was dry, I dotted glue on the plate where the face should go, and let them add facial features (pre-cut them from black construction paper). I finished it off by tracing their hands on green construction paper to create leaves and a stem.

Stay tuned to find out what other crafts make up our Halloween art gallery. I’ll be posting a new one daily until Halloween.

Hugs!

Amber

Flower Mound Pumpkin Patch {Spot to Visit with Tots}

October 20, 2014October 20, 2014Amber 9 Comments

You may recall several months ago, I shared a listing of toddler friendly places we’ve visited with the quads. After writing that post I was eager to begin a new list, but a compilation of ten places may take another year. Instead of waiting for a list I’m starting a series, sharing as we go.

Last weekend we joined our local mothers of multiples club at the Flower Mound Pumpkin Patch, and I believe we began a new fall family tradition. George had to work, but Nisey and Poppa joined us for the experience and helped me manage four two year olds sans strollers. Here’s the scoop:

Flower Mound Pumpkin Patch

Location:

Double Oak Ranch
5100 Cross Timbers Rd
Flower Mound TX 75028
(817) 430-4536

Hours:

Seasonal from October 1st – 31st
9:00 am – 7:00 pm

Cost:

Parking is $5 and ALL activities (e.g. train ride, hayride, corn mazes, bounce houses, photo opportuniites) are included

Buses and walk-ins are $1

Favorite Features:

Our crew enjoyed running through the rows and rows of pumpkins as well as the hayride. For older kids, there are bounce houses and corn mazes.

Running in a pumpkin patch can be dangerous business.

The pumpkin patch is a fantastic place for snapping photos. During our visit it was overcast, which made for great fall pictures.

There are hundreds of character cut outs perfect for photo ops. Our attempts to convince the quads to pose with the cut outs were futile, however.

Since the quads were unwilling to sit next to the cutouts, this is the only picture we snapped of them. This is a mere fraction of the cut outs we admired. Literally every popular children’s character is represented somewhere on the farm.

There isn’t a petting zoo, but we had a blast watching the farm animals. The main attraction? Horses snacking on pumpkins of course.

Tips:

On weekdays only drinks are sold on site, so pack snacks or a picnic to enjoy during your stay. On Saturday and Sunday, vendors sell seasonal favorites such as kettle corn, grilled burgers, corny dogs (Fletcher’s!), and pumpkin bread.

After nibbling at our picnic lunch, these four gobbled bright, festive cupcakes provided by our local moms of multiples club.

Radio Flyer wagons are provided free of charge, you can borrow one to cart any bags, snacks, ect as well as any pumpkins you plan to purchase. No need to bring your own wagon!

Bathrooms are port-o-potties so plan ahead the best you can…I personally avoid those at all costs.

The Flower Mound Pumpkin Patch gave us a fantastic, nostalgic fall experience. What is your favorite fall activity?

hugs!

Amber

His Name is Elmer

October 6, 2014October 22, 2015Amber 11 Comments

Our neighborhood has a hopping Buy, Sell, Trade site, which may be a slight addiction for me. George and I check it frequently for the latest deals. We’ve scored everything from free moving boxes to board books, and sold our share of goodies too. Several months ago we removed the builder grade mirror from the quad’s bathroom and replaced it with an ornately framed version. Once the old mirror was removed, we posted it as free on our Buy, Sell, Trade site. A firefighter snatched it up for the firehouse workout room, and George set it out for porch pick up. Unbeknownst to me, the same firefighter posted a Halloween decoration for sale at $10. Being a Halloween aficionado, George asked if this particular item was still available, and naturally it was. However, instead of charging $10 for the gem, the altruistic firefighter decided it was a fair trade for the mirror. Worst trade ever!

When I came home from work one evening, I was greeted by a life-sized skeleton dangling in a cage. This guy was a grisly, unwelcome sight! Not only was it realistic and enormous, but it also lights up and chatters spooky things. I was certain it would terrify the quads and therefore be unacceptable at our house. The next day, I ushered them into the foyer were our new resident perched, fully expecting shrieks of terror. Instead, all four squealed “pirate!” as they inspected this guy, going right up to the cage and poking him with their little fingers. Apparently all the preparations for their Pirates & Princesses birthday party created an immunity to skeletons. Ugh. Over the years, I’ve accepted the fact that in October George will put out an array of kitschy decorations that I don’t prefer, but this one really made me cringe. I’d do about anything to banish him from our home, but I knew it wasn’t happening. George’s eyes glistened like a child on Christmas morning. As much as I loathed this decoration, I knew he would stay. However, he could only stay under a few conditions 1. He would be banished to the attic 364 days of the year 2. He could only post on the porch Halloween night 3. We could dress him in pirate attire to make him a bit more kid friendly. Against my demands, George kept his new friend in our study for several weeks, and became so attached he named him Elmer. I’d cringe every time I entered the study and laid eyes on the wretched beast so I eventually heaved him upstairs myself. Instead of stuffing him deep into the attic, George placed him directly at the entry of the attic so whenever anyone opens the attic, Elmer is staring back with his empty eye sockets. It’s horrific!

Even though I despise old Elmer perching in my attic, I’ve settled with the fact that he’s a permanent family member. Last weekend, George and I began hauling our fall boxes from the attic, and against George’s wishes Elmer stayed up. We didn’t have time to begin decorating so the boxes stayed in our dining room. The next day was like any other, George changed the quads while I prepared breakfast, he set off to work as we nibbled our meal, yada yada yada. After breakfast, I began tidying up while the quads entertained each other. After a few minutes, all four ran into the breakfast nook proclaiming there was a monster upstairs. I recalled reading a Halloween book before bed and thought their imaginations were really running wild. I made a futile attempt to convince them we were monster free upstairs. Eventually, they led me by the hand to the foot of the stairs as they pointed to a tall dark silhouette of a witch. I had to conceal my laughter because I knew they were genuinely scared. Harper refused to step foot out of the kitchen and instead peered at the witch from around a corner. The others were only slightly more brave and approached the witch with fingers covering their eyes.

I spent the remainder of the day trying to prove that the black figure was only made of wood. I turned her over to show the wood grain, laid her on the floor, and even walked along the surface of it. Rylin, Mason, and Sydney eventually believed it was no monster, but Harper could not shake the fear. Even after I moved the witch out of sight, Harper fearfully inquired about her all day and shielded his eyes.

That evening, George and I situated our witch in the bushes outside and adorned our porch with friendlier fall decor including warm orange lights and grinning pumpkins. Harper still isn’t a fan of the witch, but he tolerates her the way I tolerate Elmer.

What are your favorite fall decorations? Do you appreciate the grisly variety or prefer subdued, friendlier fare?

Hugs!

Amber

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These Shoes were Made for Wearing.

September 22, 2014Amber 4 Comments

Several months ago, Harper developed a bit of an obsession with shoes. It started with his shoes. He wanted to wear shoes most of the time, and loved changing into different pairs multiple times daily. Since he wasn’t independent with putting shoes on himself it was sometime a hassle for me. However, he always sat patiently while I crammed his chubby feet into narrow shoes or used a shoe horn to help the process so I’d oblige him. It wasn’t long before his interest in shoes progressed to any and ALL shoes.

Currently, if Harper spies a vacant pair of kicks, without fail, he’ll remove his current pair and slip into his new find. It doesn’t matter who owns the shoes, what size they are, or even the style. Seriously, he can strut around effortlessly in anything from my 4″ wedges to Poppa’s work boots. It’s a futile effort, but he will attempt wearing his siblings too small shoes as well. He snags my shoes on a regular basis, and even the shoes of visitors. The day I take him into a shoe store he’ll be in hog Heaven.

These red Converse are among my favorite shoes for Harper, but he and I don’t always agree about when they “go” with the outfit.

Harper chose the entire outfit here from pirate hat to Daddy’s yard shoes.

I’m not sure an outfit is complete unless you have a fedora and Eeyore slippers.

Honestly, I can’t blame Harper for his passion for shoes. I have a rather extension collection myself. In fact, I’ve commissioned George to build storage for them in our new closet because I can’t locate every single pair with ease. Mint strappy sandals found at Target are my among current faves. I wore them with most everything all summer…mint pairs surprisingly well with many colors. I’m sad they’ll soon be out of rotation, but looking forward to boot season.

Do you have a favorite pair of shoes?

Hugs!

Amber

P.S. Should you ever pay Harper a visit, please keep your shoes away from his reach. Otherwise he’ll assume they are for him and off he’ll trot!

Conquering My Fear

September 4, 2014September 6, 2014Amber 12 Comments

I remember the days B. Q. (before quads) when I yearned to have a baby and had all sorts of notions about what motherhood would mean. At that time, I’d see mothers out and about with their littles in tow. It seemed that every woman I passed had an adorable “mini me” clad in Janie & Jack attire with a winning toothless grin. I fantasized about dressing my own baby up in itty bitty boutique outfits and having a chubby cheeked baby sitting in my shopping cart. Of course, my baby would never wail, smell rotten, or spit up. My baby would be perfect at all times. (A girl can dream, right?)

When our instant family of quads arrived, I found myself getting plenty of baby snuggles but I was also marooned. My fragile babies couldn’t go anywhere besides the doctor for a full year. When the days of lockdown ceased, George and I seized every opportunity to let the quads explore their world. We toted them to museums, stores, restaurants, and anywhere else we thought we could safely take them. Many of our field trips involved other friends and family members to help wrangle the tots. No matter where we ventured, it was always a four ring circus for many reasons. It wasn’t quite what I envisioned in my fantasy world.

Despite our many family adventures, I had never loaded the quads into the van myself and taken them out in public. Not once. I’ve taken them out alone, or in pairs myself. And, we’ve enjoyed many play dates on our own and taken trips to the neighborhood strip mall in our Runabout, but never a legit outing just the five of us.

The notion of being alone with four babies in a public place terrified me. Each time I considered a quick errand with them on my own, I immediately conjured up a laundry list of scenarios from downright embarrassing to horrific. I thought surely before they were two I’d have the courage to take them out own my own, just once, but I didn’t. Their second birthday came and went, but my fears paralyzed me still. Every last one of my quad mama pals took the plunge and flashed pictures of their success stories with a pile of kids in a cart somewhere. They could do it, why couldn’t I? Thursday morning I decided it was time. We were going to Target. After all, Target boasts triple seater carts, sells most anything my heart desires, and it puts people in a trance with its merchandising tactics.

Thursday morning after breakfast, I scribbled a quick list of items we needed and scrambled to get everyone dressed. Naturally, everyone was uncooperative. All four were whining without mercy. Entire bins of toys were dumped and strewn about the house creating landmines for me. Though I felt discouraged and now concerned about how they’d behave, I was also determined. As soon as everyone was sufficiently dressed, I hustled the crew to the van where I strapped everyone in. Much to my chagrin, everyone settled once the van was in motion and I revved up our best kid tune playlist. I thought, “Okay, we CAN do this!”, and made a beeline to Target.

Upon our arrival at Target, I circled the parking lot for THE cart. I spotted one in the back corner of the parking lot and parked beside it. I loaded Harper and Sydney in the harnessed seats, Mason in the main cart seat, and padded Rylin in the buggy with threats to her life should she stand. (Rylin is by far the most opinionated and strong-willed of the quads, but she’s also the most obedient of the pack, which makes her trustworthy with responsibility.)

I strutted into Target with my brood of smiling toddlers and it felt darn good. I know the layout of Target like the back of my hand so I started tackling each item on the list and making sure to skim end caps for clearance finds. Thirty minutes into the trip and all four were chipper and clearly enjoying the scenery. In fact, I hadn’t offered a single snack to anyone. I ponied on, grabbing more items off the list. At 45 minutes of Target time, all items on the list (plus a few extras) were loaded into our cart and I had four happy children. WOW!!!! At that point, it was time to check out, but they earned their individual baggies of Fruit Loops and loads of praise for their upstanding behavior. I checked out, loaded our goods into the van, and loaded four toddlers without incident. SUCCESS!!!!

It feels liberating to finally conquer my fears of taking the foursome out own my own, and I feel encouraged to try more things myself. I know every trip out won’t be so easy, (and it wouldn’t be if there were just one toddler either) but at least I know successful trips CAN and WILL happen.

Triple seater carts work great for multiple toddlers

One of my many fears about solo outings was handling the public Q & A sessions. I don’t mind answering questions, but being alone meant we needed to stay the course. Interestingly enough, at 10:00 am on a Thursday our local Target was primarily populated with moms that had full carts of kids. I saw at least five other moms with more than three kids. It seemed that most shoppers at that day and time were on a mission of their own, and didn’t have time to worry about my crew. Dare I say it was peaceful?

It wasn’t long before Rylin realized the diaper bag doubled as a pillow.

After our successful Target jaunt, I rewarded myself with a salted caramel frapuccino. I won a giftcart at our last Moms of Multiples meeting and i thought of no better occasion to enjoy it.

After our successful Target jaunt, I rewarded myself with a salted caramel frappuccino. I won a gift card at our last Moms of Multiples meeting and thought of no better occasion to enjoy it.

What fears do you need to conquer? What encouragement do you need?

Hugs!

Amber

Four Friends

September 3, 2014Amber 2 Comments

Although our home is often filled with piercing shrieks of, “MINE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” and sibling scats, the quads are finding playmates in each other. For every shrill scream that makes me cringe, toddler cackles and chatter warm my heart. When I feel exasperated by the bickering, I see what close bonds are rapidly forming and I am grateful. I only hope that as the quads grow they continue to enjoy each other’s company and love each other fiercely.

These two ladies cheered on their brothers during the riding toy races.

The compassion they have for each other is undeniable as well. It’s a well-known fact that a kiss from Mommy or Daddy heals any boo boo, but a sibling’s kiss will also do the trick. If someone is picking at their dinner, it’s not uncommon for someone else to spoon feed them with a little airplane “zoom zoom” for fun.

Best of all, they inspire each other to use their imagination during play and invite each other to try new things.

Mason and Harper think it’s hysterical to walk around the kitchen on their knees. As I cook dinner, one of them will start this antic and it’s not long before two boys are strutting along the kitchen floor giggling the whole way.

The four pack practiced setting their table for tea time. They served quite the spread of plastic food.

I can only imagine what is in store for these four little people.

hugs!

Amber

10 Spots to Visit with Tots in Dallas Fort Worth

August 15, 2014June 7, 2015Amber 5 Comments

Because the quads were born nine weeks early we took extreme precautions their first year of life to protect them from potentially fatal germs. It was difficult being homebound most of the time, but we do not regret that time since we did not have a single sick visit to the pediatrician until 13 months. It’s been a year since we lifted our “lock down” restrictions and have been on a mission to explore the greater Dallas Fort Worth Metro area ever since. It’s always a challenge getting out and about with four toddlers, but a worthwhile mission. With each new adventure the quads learn just a bit more about the world around them.

1. Sea Life Aquarium

Location:

Grapevine Mills Mall
3000 Grapevine Mills Parkway
Grapevine,Texas 76051

Hours:

Monday – Saturday 10:00 am – 7:30 pm
Sunday 11:00 am – 5:30 pm

Cost:

Adults $20

Children 3 and up $16

Children 2 and under FREE

Favorite Features:

Seeing the fish that were featured in Finding Nemo (Dori, Nemo, and Marlin)

360 degree aquarium

Touching the sea stars

The toddler slide in the play area

Tips:

Arrive early and go on a weekday if possible as the aquarium becomes crowded easily.

Look for coupons. We were able to get $4 off each adult ticket with a single coupon.

Pack a picnic lunch to enjoy in the food court of the mall, or grab lunch in the food court. After you buy aquarium tickets you are allowed reentry during the same day.

The aquarium is stroller friendly so bring one along if you have young toddlers who may tire easily.

2. Celebration Party & Event Center

Location:

5950 Park Vista Circle #140, Keller, TX 76244

Hours:

Tuesday-Friday 10:00 am – 2:00 pm

Cost:

12 months and up $5

Adults accompanying children FREE

Under 12 months FREE

Favorite Features:

Children’s town made up of a fire house, police station, hair salon, restaurant, movie theater, day care, and hospital

Toddler sized bounce houses

Cozy coupe cars

Tips:

If you may go frequently, consider buying a punch card ($40 for ten punches). It can be used with multiple children and will save you money over time.

All children must have a signed waiver to play. You can sign it online ahead of time to save you time in the center.

You can bring your own food and drinks so pack a picnic or snacks to enjoy.

Shoes aren’t allowed in the bounce house area so skid proof socks are a great way to keep your little one’s feet clean.

Arrive early to avoid crowds and go during the weekday free play times.

If you have a child who receives ECI services, ask your case manager about their monthly play dates. Admission is discounted for ECI families during the play date.

3. Perot Museum of Nature & Science

Location:

2201 N. Field Street
Dallas, Texas 75201-1704

Hours:

Monday-Saturday: 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Sunday noon-6:00 pm
Thursday Night Late Nights: 5:00 -9:00 pm

Cost:

Prices vary depending on which exhibits you choose. General exhibit admission is as follows,

Adults $15

Children 2-11 $10

Seniors 65+ $12

Youth 12-17 $12

Children under 2 FREE

Best Features:

The children’s museum located on the first floor was most appreciated by the quads. They splashed in the water table and loved the side area.

Tips:

Purchase your tickets online ahead of time. Your ticket is valid for the entire day after your reservation time, so choose an early time even if you are going later. (e.g. if you choose 12:00 pm, you will not be allowed entry until 12:00 pm or later. So don’t expect to enter even at 11:59 am).

The Perot has elevators, but they tend to become extremely crowded at there is a long wait time. Therefore it is not ideal for strollers. I do not plan to bring the quads back until they can manage walking distances and do not need strollers.

No outside food or drink is allowed in the museum area, but there is a lovely concrete park with splash pad that would be great for a picnic. With your ticket, re entry is permitted during the same day. Therefore, you could leave the museum for a picnic lunch and return later in the day.

Check to make sure the museum is not closed for a private event. It was closed the original date we planned to visit.

4. Chuck E. Cheese

Location:

There are multiple locations, check for your nearest location.

Hours:

Varies by location

Cost:

Technically, entry is free. In order to play games, you’ll need to purchase tokens, and you may choose to order food from the menu.

Best Features:

Dancing time with Chuck E. Cheese (the quads loved chasing him and playing follow the leader)

The toddler play area/ slide

Tips:

Complimentary bibs are provided so no need to pack one (or more) in your diaper bag.

Remember, you don’t have to buy a meal to play at Chuck E. Cheese. I’d suggest going when it’s not a mealtime, and either order a small snack to enjoy or eat prior to arrival. Going when it’s not a mealtime means it’ll be less crowded and you will likely spend less money on food. You can buy tokens and enjoy the games and play area even if you don’t buy food.

If you sign up for the Chuck E. Club, you’ll receive discounts, and a calendar with 10 free tokens.

5. Island Carousel

Location:

Grapevine Mills Mall

3000 Grapevine Mills Parkway Grapevine, TX

(there are many other locations nationwide)

Hours:

Monday – Saturday 10:00 am – 9:00 pm

Sunday 11:00 am – 7:00 pm

Cost:

Children 2 and up $2 per ride

Adults riding with a child are free

Best Features:

Carousels are nostalgic!

It’s located close to the Sea Life Aquarium and Rainforest Cafe so you can stop by if you are already visiting Grapevine Mills.

Tips:

If you have multiple children or plan to visit often, don’t forget to get a frequent rider punch card. Your 11th ride is free.

If your child has never ridden a carousel, you may want to choose a stationary horse or sleigh seat.

6. Paradise Pond

Location:

First Baptist Church Grapevine

301 E. Texas Street

Grapevine, TX 76051

Hours:

Thursday & Friday mornings 9:00-11:00 am (arrive at 9:00 sharp because they close the doors when they are at capacity)

Cost:

$1.00 per person (ALL ages, babies & adults)

Best Features:

Play areas are sectioned off by picket fences, which makes keeping an eye on babies and toddlers easy.

They have a limit to the number of guests per day so it doesn’t get too crowded.

Tips:

Shoes are not allowed in the play area, and socks are required. They have loaner socks available, but you’ll want to pack your own. If you feel generous, and want to support the ministry, I suspect they’d appreciate new packages of white socks, especially in toddler sizes.

The area is designated for ages 2 to 6th grade. There are plenty of areas for smaller babies to play with close supervision. Older children, especially pre teens would not likely find this play area entertaining.

There is a required Liability Release Form that can be printed and completed at home.

Girls wearing dresses are not allowed in the jungle gym or bounce house, so dress your children accordingly.

7. Fort Worth Zoo

Location:

1989 Colonial Pkwy, Fort Worth, TX 76109

Hours:

open 365 days per year

10:00 am – 5:00 pm (hours may vary on holidays)

Cost:

Adults (13+) $12

Children (3-12) and Seniors (65+) $9

Children 2 & under FREE

Parking $5/ vehicle

Best Features:

MOLA (museum of living art), which houses the reptiles and fish

the food court is open to MOLA, which creates an entertaining back drop for family meals

There is a toddler and children’s petting zoo and play area that looked great, but we did not have time to visit this trip

Tips:

If possible, visit on a Wednesday when admission is half price.

Check for coupons, local employers often have access to discounted tickets as well.

The zoo is stroller friendly so be sure to bring one if you have little ones who will tire from lots of walking.

8. Dallas World Aquarium

Location:

1801 N Griffin St, Dallas, TX 75202

Hours:

9:00 am – 5:00 pm daily

Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas

Cost:

Adult (13+) $20.95

Child (2-12) $12.95

Under 2 FREE

Senior (65+) – $16.95

Best Features:

The majority of the facility is indoors and climate controlled so it’s a great place to visit if it’s rainy, too hot, or cold.

Despite being an “aquarium”, a significant portion of the facility is made of rainforest creatures. The quads most appreciated the monkeys.

9. Legoland

Location:

Grapevine Mills Mall

3000 Grapevine Mills Parkway, Grapevine, TX 76051

Hours:

Monday – Friday: 10:00am – 6:00pm

Saturday 10:00am – 7:00pm

Sunday 11:00am – 4:00pm

Cost:

Children 2 & under FREE

2 and up $18

Best Features:

The Lego miniature of Dallas-Fort Worth was by far our favorite attraction.

Tips:

Look for coupons, especially if you are also interested in visiting the Sea Life Aquarium. There are often discounts if you buy tickets together.

If you don’t score a coupon, you can save money by booking tickets online the day before.

There is no reentry and outside food and drinks are not permitted so plan accordingly.

Allow about 2-3 hours for your visit.

While babies and toddlers are welcome to play, Legoland would likely be most appreciated by children over three.

10. Old Town Lewisville Playtown

Location:

Vista Ridge Mall

2401 S. Stemmons Freeway
Lewisville, Texas 75067

Hours:

Open during mall hours, except for cleaning at 3:00 pm

Cost:

FREE

Best Features:

The entire play area is soft sided, which is ideal for new walkers, and even crawling babies.

Everything is toddler sized and not too tall for younger babies.

The price is unbeatable!!!!

Tips:

Visit early in the day, or after the 3:00 pm cleaning so the area is fresh.

There are so many more places on my list….The Dallas Arboretum….The Botanical Gardens….The Dallas Zoo….AND at some point we plan to travel outside of our metro area for a legit vacation. I’d like to wait until the quads are potty trained and sleeping in beds before we take that plunge.

What’s the best place to visit in your hometown?

hugs!

Amber

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Ahoy, mateys. Greetings, ladies. {Pirates & Princesses Party}

August 4, 2014August 8, 2016Amber 10 Comments

As the quad’s second birthday approached I began to panic as I fell short on party ideas. Instead of choosing a theme and then searching for a coordinating invitation, I reversed the order. I perused invitations first, and found a simply adorable princesses and pirates birthday invitation for boy girl twins. I contacted the designer and she customized the invitation for us by adding an extra pirate and princess making it the perfect invitation for quadruplets. Once I had a theme and invitation chosen, I discovered a treasure trove of ideas on Pinterest fit for a princesses and pirates bash.

When we choose a party theme, George and I go all out. consequently, we both dressed the part. I made good use of an old bridesmaid dress my mom had in storage and accessorized it with my bridal tiara. George wore a few tatty items from his closet with a dew rag to create a pirate look. As part of their birthday gift, I ordered princess dresses (on clearance) from the Disney store for the girls and Carter’s pirate t-shirts for the boys.

After our guests were welcomed, each tot was given an empty bag personalized with their name, which would later be used to collect game prizes. Little pirates were to take a hat, sword, and eye patch while princesses were asked to select a dress and tiara. The pirate gear was all found in Target’s party section and doubled as party favors for the boys. The dresses were on loan, but the tiaras were also party favors. I used a shower curtain rod to display the selection of princess dresses available.

Give party guests an empty bag to fill with game prizes at a party

I used free clip art from Disney Junior to create labels for the loot bags. Unbeknownst to me, it’s a “Princesses and Pirates” summer on Disney Junior. This made finding party goods a cinch.I used more free clip art found online to create signage for directing pirates and princesses about what to get.

A few weeks before the party, it occurred to me that the quads weren’t familiar with pirates. To prepare them for the party, we watched The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything: A Veggie Tales Movie and Jake and the Neverland Pirates. We also read Unexpected Treasures from our own bookshelf. Since I love literacy based crafts, we created a few pieces that served as party decor. Pirates don’t generally have the best reputation for being kind and such so I carefully selected books and videos where pirates were portrayed as having desirable virtues.

The quads had fun making their party decorations and still enjoy looking at their masterpieces.

My friend, Jen, kindly served as our party photographer. I have enough trouble being a hostess without also managing the camera. Besides, she’s a far more talented photographer than I! To make sure she’d be IN a picture and not just behind the lens, I snapped this one of her.

My sister and cousin, Brandi were both on board with our princess theme and donned old formal dresses to the party. Noteworthy…CiCi is wearing my junior prom dress, and I think she looked just like Belle.

Matt did his best to dress for the pirate theme with his red and white stripes with eye patch.

Each of our little pirate guests came sporting pirate themed threads, but our quad buddy, Harrison matched Harper. It was adorable!

Since the quads are two and all of their guests were two, I planned a few simple party games to keep everyone occupied. First, everyone tried their hand at fishing. My cousin, Ryan, sat behind a black curtain hung by a tension rod while the little ones tossed a fishing pole over the curtain. He then clipped goldfish crackers or shark fruit snacks to their line for the “big catch”.

I also set up a treasure dig in the yard. I filled a bucket with sand and littered it with gold doubloons (Dollar Tree plastic coins), gems, and rings. Each guest had a chance to riffle around to find a few treasures of their own.

My friend, Ashley, is talented in the baking department so I sequestered her help for creating cupcakes and cake pops. Both were a huge hit! By the end of the party one cake pop remained and I enjoyed savoring it with a glass of vino.

Ashley made cupcakes for each princess and captain, and the liners coordinated with their “assigned colors”.

Ashley hand-made each of the sweet treats served at the party. Her attention to detail is impeccable.

The boys easily made wishes and blew their candles out, but the girls were a bit more hesitant. Rylin used a straw to finally blow hers out, but Sydney got help from Mason.

This year the cake smashing was much more tidy. I love how each of the quads approached their cupcake their own way.

Harper willingly wore his eye patch for just long enough to capture a photo.

With four tykes, gift opening was a bit like a Christmas extravaganza. I was proud of how well the littlest guests as well as our four managed the scene. No one protested, tried to get into things they shouldn’t, or caused any trouble whatsoever.

The quads worked well together to open packages.

The quads are all able to tear through paper, but still need a bit of encouragement to realize there’s something beneath the pretty paper. With a little help from ~~Captain Flynn~~ Jen, Mason decorated his arm in Jake temporary tattoos as did his troupe of friends and siblings.

Set up a temporary tattoo station for a pirate themed party.

Little princesses chose from an assortment of princess tattoos. Sydney’s choice was none other than Cinderella.

What a scene!

The boys immediately made use of the pirate ship riding toy they received. This toy has been among our most popular toys since the party, and is often sought after.

Hugs!

Amber

I missed out on taking pictures of our food spread, but we served toddler favorites (PB & J, goldfish crackers, fruit, chicken nuggets, ect) and paired them with cute labels with fancy names for the Plain Jane fare. Here are all the printables I created using the free clip art from Disney Junior. Feel free to edit and use for your own Princesses & Pirates Party.

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