Staying or Going?

Recent events leave my family in limbo.  My husband was recently laid off and he's now interviewing all over the country so we aren't sure if we'll be staying or going.  We are starting to look at other options and I think we'll at least be staying for a few more months, especially since I've decided I'd like to go back to work.

We'll be putting the girls into daycare full-time and I'm going to start getting out there looking for a job while he's pursuing consulting gigs to get us through until an ideal job become available for him.

I'll try to update my blog as things progress and we see if Sienna will remain our home or not.

Wish us luck!

St Catherine Episcopal Pumpkin Patch

I've complained before about how much I miss the Dallas Arboretum, especially during the fall because they have such a fabulous pumpkin patch and Halloween events. I think I've found a substitute albeit a tiny version at the St Catherine Episcopal Church on Sienna Parkway.

They have plenty of pumpkins to choose from and several little photo spots around to shoot the little ones. It's just around the corner from home and the people were really nice so I think we'll have to go back next year.

Bee's Creek Grill

When we lived in Dallas we were really close to restaurants and shopping, like about 5 min drive from all the action. So now that we're living in Sienna where it takes no less than 10 min just to get to Hwy 6 down Sienna Pkwy, 'running to the store' and 'real quick' just don't make it into the same sentence. The same goes for any type of food.

We did find a restaurant that delivers inside Sienna and it's pretty good. Bee's Creek Grill is on Sienna Pkwky at Bee's Passage. My favorite is the Angus Burger and fries, they're really yummy. I also get the fried pickles every now and then, they make a great snack but they aren't really healthy.

So if you don't feel like driving and need some food, try them out. They do have a $15 minimum order and charge $2 for delivery but it's worth it for being so close and with so many choices other than just a McD's or Burger King. Plus the burgers are much better.

Another Awesome Restaurant

Azuma Sushi and Robata Bar in Sugar Land was awesome! We managed a night out sans kiddos a couple weeks ago and had so much fun. The location is really nice, on a man-made lake, and the food was amazing.

I'm usually pretty predictable at a sushi restaurant, sticking only to my favorites, but this time I decided to try something new and I was NOT disappointed. We started with the Crazy Irishman Roll with salmon and tuna, and it was flash fried. Yum! We were also drinking some pretty awesome martinis and I don't remember the dessert we ordered but it was fantastic too.

We'll definitely be going back for more!

Downtown Aquarium - Houston

We tried a new family friendly destination, the Aquarium. It's more of a full day destination with multiple activities, some I wouldn't consider toddler-friendly. You can enjoy the ferris wheel, train ride, water fountain/dance floor with a DJ, the restaurant and of course, the aquarium.

I have to give it mixed reviews. First of all the aquarium isn't as large as I would have liked but walking around with 2 toddlers means you can take your time and make it last since you won't be walking too far. Enjoy the petting ponds for as long as you can, those are pretty cool. Once you reach the gorgeous white tigers, you've reached the end of the road which dead ends into the gift shop. For the record, there's a gift shop nazi in there who won't let you back into the tiger exhibit even if you get separated from your group. The aquarium gets 3 stars.

We managed to get through with our double stroller so the halls are wide enough but there are only bathrooms at the beginning and the end of the exhibit, nothing in the middle. So be sure to visit the bathroom before you walk in if you're not sure you'll make it because you'll have to rush the rest of the aquarium to find the next bathroom.

Once you get through the gift shop you can hit the restaurant or the lounge for some drinks. The food at the restaurant was surprisingly good though the menu had everything on it that you'd just walked through the aquarium to see, seems wrong. And the wait staff is knowledgeable about the huge tank in the middle of the restaurant and all its residents. We were impressed with the overall experience, the food, the fish and the service. The restaurant gets 4.5 stars!

When my 2 little ones are a little older then the rest of the stuff outside the aquarium will be fun but for now those 2 were enough.

Houston Zoo in the winter

I know I've posted several times about the zoo but I have to say I'm glad we purchased a membership. The weather was just warm enough to enjoy a stroll through the newly opened African Forest near the Children's Zoo and some time on the playground.

P & S really had a great time. It wasn't crowded, we didn't have to wait in long lines for food at lunch or for a snack on our way out at the Dippin' Dots stand. It turned out to be a really perfect day and we even got a parking spot near the entrance even though we didn't get there until 11:30am.

So long as it's not freezing or raining, we'll go a lot more during the cooler months. It's just a great way to get out of the house and have some fun.

Date Night! Aura

We don't get to go out much but when we do, we try to make it count. One of my husband's co-workers recommended an American/French restaurant in Missouri City so we had to try it out.

My birthday was Dec 29th and it was less than stellar. One of my girls scared me and we ended up in the ER twice that day. Everything turned out fine but this was a chance for a do-over.

Aura turned out to be a fabulous night out. It's one of those tight little restaurant spaces in a nondescript shopping area but those are usually the best places to eat. We started out with a couple of our favorite appetizers, escargot and fois gras. Amazing! For dinner I had the Beef Medallions Diane and my husband had Shrimp Risotto over Chilean Sea Bass. Both were super yummy! And we ended our meal with a Chocolate Fondant cake and Blackberry Cobbler.

The restaurant is located at 3340 FM 1092, #160, Missouri City, TX 77459,
Township Square, 281-403-AURA. Be sure to call for reservations because even though it wasn't full when we arrived for our early dinner at 6:30pm, it filled up pretty quickly.

We'll definitely go back often to this place and the best part is how close it is to Sienna. The only complaint I have is that they only offer beer and wine and don't have liquor but the wine list is really good.

Try it out, you won't be disappointed!