We were out of town pretty much all last week, so I have lots of adventures to report!

First, last Tuesday, Lulu and I tagged along to Dallas on Gary's business trip so we could visit with my friend Sherry, who moved there a few years ago. Sherry took us to a lovely place for lunch and then to the Dallas Aquarium! Here are several of the creatures we enjoyed seeing there:

Flamingos...



Penguins...



A jaguar...



And a rare sighting of a (silent!) Toddleris Sittinginstrolleris...



Later, we met up with Sherry and her boyfriend Kevin at the yummy restaurant Asian Mint. Afterwards, they took a picture with Emmylou which was a real privilege-- Sherry and Kevin don't take pictures with just anyone.



See? Here they are with another super-cool human (ice cold, in fact):



We got home on Wednesday and by Thursday were in the car again heading down to the Rio Grande Valley so Gary could go dove hunting. Although we thoroughly enjoyed hanging out with our friends Keith, Ashley and their family and the usual group we see in Brownsville, I didn't take any pictures except for these below. On a rainy afternoon when we couldn't take the kids to the pool or beach, we headed to the mall to ride the carousel and play some arcade games. After absolutely loving riding the merry-go-round horse, Lulu and I excused ourselves from the arcade to walk the mall a bit. It was then, as I turned a corner, that I caught sight of something so wonderful that caused me to stop in my tracks and gasp audibly (maybe letting out an "Oh my God!" as well). Alongside the coin-operated police cruiser, mini-firetruck and Elmo-mobile for the kids to ride in, was a life-size Richard Scarry Apple Car with Lowly Worm inside!! Please tell me you all know Lowly Worm and his apple car. As children, Emily and I loved all of Richard Scarry's books-- I mean, I think we had all of them to learn basic things about transportation, shopping for food, going to school, etc., etc. In fact, I think our earliest moral lessons came from the book "Pig Will and Pig Won't" about two pigs who experience very different consequences when one is helpful and the other is not. And to illustrate just how lasting of an impression these books have been on us, Emily actually suggested a few years ago that "Pig Will and Pig Won't" be the only training manual given to any new employees where she works.

Anyway, I can hardly begin to describe how excited I was to see Lowly Worm in his apple car and that my daughter would now have a chance to meet him herself!

So here they are together at last...



She must have felt some instant connection to Lowly and his apple car as well, because when I took her out of it and put her back in her stroller, I've never in my life heard her scream so angrily!