First Colony Mall - Play Area

We finally made it out to First Colony Mall in Sugar Land today so the girls could play at the play area. I was very disappointed in what we found. I know we were very spoiled in Plano at the Willow Bend Mall but I'm just really bummed out that I haven't been able to find anything even close as of yet. If you have young children who are crawling and beginning to walk, this is perfect for them because all of the play structures are low to the ground and easy to climb. If however you have a toddler or older, your kids will probably like the play area for about 5-10 minutes and then get bored pretty quickly. There aren't any bathrooms close by, except the one in JCPenneys, but I wasn't willing to squeeze my double stroller into their tiny elevator to get there.

I will give the mall some kudos on the bathrooms even though they are too far away from the play area. There are 2 bathrooms for men and women and 2 additional family bathrooms complete with a fold down changing table and miniature toilet for toddlers. Again, we were really spoiled in Plano having a huge open family bathroom with a countertop changing table with padded mat and separate sink and plenty of room for strollers and this was in addition to the actual bathrooms (2) with an adult and child sized toilets with their own sinks.

On a scale of 1-5 I'll give the mall itself a 3, the family bathroom a 3.5 and the play area a 2. I'm not sure we'll go back unless the destination is the mall itself and the girls need to blow off a few minutes worth of steam. But to drive this far specifically for an indoor play area, it's not worth the trip.

We're moving soon!

Looks like they have a completion date set for mid-December which means we can begin moving in right after Christmas. We're very excited to be getting out of this cramped apartment!

Every week we get to see the progress and the brick surround over the cooktop went in a few days ago and looks fabulous! I think next week should be the countertop installation and I can't wait to see how that's going to look.

At least we have an end date in just over a month so we can start counting down the days until we can finally be home. And to add icing to the cake, we got an offer on our Dallas house so our fingers are crossed that the sale will go off without a hitch. But we'll see...

Family Photo Day

Today turned out to be a fantastic day, sunny and cool without any wind. Perfect for family photo day. We met our family photographer, who happens to be family, at the trail behind the Brushy Lake Fitness Center on Chapel Creek Way.

We had the water behind us as a gorgeous backdrop and both of the girls cooperated and smiled and had a good time while we were there. It turned out awesome.

Lucky for us this really pretty location is going to be a 2 minute drive from our house once we move in.

59 Diner (update)

We shuttled the girls off to Grandma's for the weekend and managed to find a little diner for breakfast. It's located at 6302 Hwy 6 in Missouri City.

We got a table right away when we walked in but had to wait a few minutes for a server, probably not the norm considering how they acted when they did get to us. The menu was fairly decent sized and we didn't have to wait very long for food once we placed our order.

I enjoyed an omelet and my husband had huevos rancheros. Both were yummy and were way too large for one person to eat. I think next time we might split one item to share and still have plenty of food.

This looked like a good place to take the girls too the next time they're with us, but at least we found our new weekend breakfast place. We'll definitely be going back.

UPDATE:
We're never going back again!
The last two times we had breakfast it took forever or we didn't get food at all because the waffle machine broke. Once is a fluke but twice in a row is a pattern.

Zoo Boo (part 2)

We had a fabulous time today at the zoo. On our third visit, we finally managed to get out without my 2 yr old having a temper tantrum. Yay!!!

We discovered that she'll finally eat ice-cream so we got her some Dippin' Dots on our way out and it worked like a charm. It was worth every penny of the $5 we spent on that little cup of heaven.

Having said that, the rest of our visit was just as great. We got there a little earlier than our last visit and got to do everything we set out to do and leave before noon. And it's a good thing because it was already 85 degrees at 11:45am when we drove out.

P wore her costume (fairy wings and a tutu) and had lots of fun. This time we met up with our playgroup, well for a few minutes anyway. P was antsy and waiting on a group can be hard for a toddler so we said our hello's and made our way through all our favorite attractions.

First we got our Zoo Boo tattoo and then colored for a couple minutes on the 'Monster Mural' and then headed to the elephants. After saying hi while they had their morning bath, off to the pumpkin decorating tent. Then we saw some big cats and some small cats and went to the Children's Zoo to play on the playground. While P was playing, S managed to fall asleep this visit. There was actually a nice breeze this morning so I think she was pretty comfortable.

After that we headed to Cypress Circle for an early lunch. This time I brought utensils and a plate for P's lunch. It made eating much easier that way. My husband managed to find himself some beer at $5 a glass. Ouch! And we split a shrimp po'boy since they are so large.

After some quick trick-or-treating for some tootsie rolls, we got P some Dippin' Dots and headed home.

It was a smooth and easy visit, partly because I planned a week in advance and packed the night before for everything we'd need and to make life with the kids easier. Now it's just after lunch and both girls are having a nice long nap. Now it's time for Mom to get herself a beer. Yum!

Pumpkin Patch Photos

One of the things I love each October is shooting pumpkin patch photos. We were very spoiled in Dallas with the Arboretum. They do it up right and have the best pumpkin patch and Halloween events I've ever seen.

In Houston, however, I'm having trouble finding something that even comes close. The search continues. I did find a church pumpkin patch in Pearland at St. Andrews Episcopal Church on Broadway. It was a bit more of a drive than I was prepared for, about 25 min from home, but it was cute.

The one thing I didn't like was how close it was to a busy street which made me, the over-protective mom, very nervous. After we move into Sienna Plantation we won't go back to this church mainly because it will be too far away but also because it's just too close to traffic, but I did manage to get some cute pumpkin photos of the girls.

The one thing it had going for it were the little photo areas they had scattered around the patch. There were different fall and Halloween backdrops where you could sit your kids down for photos.

For this year, seeing as how we're living in a transitional area in our apartment, St. Andrews served its purpose but I'm still hoping to find something like the Dallas Arboretum one of these days.

MerCheri Martini Bar and Grille

Another good date night with the hubby, this time at a Cajun restaurant called MerCheri Martini Bar and Grille. It was a week night so it was rather quiet and there were plenty of open tables. We chose to sit outside because it was freezing indoors. It felt like an ice-box.

My husband enjoyed some red wine and I sampled a couple drinks from their martini bar. I started with a dirty martini with Belvedere Vodka but it was a little dirty for my taste. Next I tried the Pearland Martini and it was fabulous. I highly recommend it.

For dinner we started with Boudin Balls and Lobster Bisque which were both awesome. For our entrees we both had the Seafood Etoufee' which was good but not great. I'm part Cajun so it wasn't up to my standards so next time I'll try another entree to see if I have a better dining experience.

Overall a nice quiet night out and perfect because it's only 5 minutes from home but the menu isn't that big for food. If you're looking for a great place for drinks and appetizer food, this will work out nicely for you.

Zoo Boo (part 1)

I'm really loving the zoo! If you haven't been yet, every weekend during October the Houston Zoo hosts a 'Zoo Boo' event for the kids. There are candy stations at which to trick-or-treat, 'tattoo parlors' where little goblins can get a Zoo Boo tattoo and a pumpkin craft tent. It's awesome!

Grandma came to visit for the weekend and we took the girls and had lots of fun. The only bummer was how hot it turned out to be. Yuck! But P enjoyed dancing at the 'Mashquerade' and painted her miniature pumpkin and of course loved the playground in the Children's Zoo.

We had our fill around lunch and stopped for a bite at Cypress Circle and again I was impressed by the food. I wasn't expecting to see Po-Boys and gumbo on the menu and it was really good. But of course, the wait was pretty long, about 15-20 min standing in line. And that's an eternity when you've got two little ones waiting for lunch in the heat with Grandma.

We made a quick stop at the gift shop before heading home. We managed to make our exit this time without a tantrum partly because P was already in the stroller but when we got past the main gate headed to the car she started crying when she figured out where we were going.

We'll be going again next weekend with our play group and this time we'll wear our costumes. I just hope the weather is a little more forgiving.
Some things I did differently this time around made life a bit easier. Near the elephants and across from the pumpkin craft tent there's an open grassy area. I used that as our diaper changing spot and didn't have to worry about the size of the double stroller hindering anyone's bathroom break. I also remembered to bring a sports cup with a built-in lid and straw so I could pour my soda into it. It made using the cup holder in the stroller much easier. For the hot weather I think I need to find some kind of battery operated fan for the baby though. It was so hot I think she had a hard time napping this visit.

One thing I was looking forward to that I didn't get to do was taking pumpkin patch photos. I thought there was going to be a pumpkin patch for Zoo Boo but they didn't have one. The reflecting pool near the Mashquerade however is a pretty backdrop. There are pumpkin buckets for trick-or-treating hanging from the trees.

Chick Fil A - Missouri City

We met some new friends at Chick Fil A last night for family night and P had a blast! I'm not usually a fan of play yards at fast food joints but I must admit this is really nice. Plus there was a lady doing balloon animals and face painting. P didn't sit still for long enough to even notice she was there and stayed in the play yard for most of our trip there but she really loved it.
The only thing that worries me is that she can open the door on her own and get out easily and if I'm not paying constant attention and I'm not with my husband, she could quickly disappear and I'd never know it. If I venture here alone with the girls I'll have to be diligent about watching her. And again, you know Piper enjoyed herself by the temper tantrum and this time was a solid F4.
And I was pleasantly surprised at how nice the staff was too. I got a drink refill without having to ask for it or get out of my seat. Later, when we got up to leave, someone took my tray from me to throw away our trash for us. I think I've found my hot weather play spot for the girls every summer.
It was quite a hike from Pearland but this will be much easier to get to once we move into the new house.
I'll post some photos the next time we visit.

Houston Zoo

Well we finally made it to the Houston Zoo today and it was lots of fun. P really had a good time running around and looking at all the animals and S was a little angel sleeping a good chunk of time in the stroller. Even when she was awake she didn't mind hanging out even though it was quite warm.

If you've never been before it really is pretty cool and I'm not really a zoo person. We left around 9am from Pearland and arrived about 20 min later so the drive is really short and there wasn't much traffic, not even when we entered the zoo parking lot. I do recommend arriving early so you can get a spot in the zoo lot, which is free, otherwise you'll be walking a long way for paid parking.

We only stayed for about 2.5 hours leaving soon after lunch and a quick stop in the gift shop for a toy for P. I think that was the perfect amount of time for a toddler and a baby, although we didn't see the whole zoo. But that wasn't the point, it was for P to enjoy herself and to see something new.

I think the best part is the children's zoo which includes a playground, a splash pad and petting zoo. If you've walked for a while and want a few minutes to catch your breath, the playground is perfect so your little one can keep going. Then when you need something different you can walk next door to the petting zoo to see some goats. And I was very impressed to see they had a hand washing station right outside the exit to the petting zoo for when you were done and needed to clean up. They even had step stools for the little ones. The carousel looked fun but we skipped it this time since it required another ticket purchase to ride and I'm not a fan anyway.

When it was time for lunch, a quick stop at the Macaw Cafe near the entrance and the gift shop is where we headed. Surprisingly the food was pretty good for zoo food. We got chicken and fries for P and we each had a hamburger. They had highchairs too and a few tables indoors with the a/c and plenty of other tables outside in the shade.

Although all the bathrooms were quite small they were still just large enough for me to maneuver the 29" wide double stroller around and they all had changing tables. They weren't the cleanest though so I'd recommend something like we have, a padded portable changing pad you can spread out. Then you only have to clean the outside of it at the end of the day but you know your kid is on a clean surface each time. I wish they had a few more bathrooms throughout the zoo but when we needed one it wasn't too far of a walk.

One cool little thing I noticed on our way out was a vending machine full of baby related items. It's the coolest thing I've ever seen. There were pacifiers and diaper rash cream and other things that you can buy just in case you lose yours or just forgot something at home.

I certainly won't be coming during the summer but for the fall through the spring I think we're going to purchase a membership and spend lots of time during cooler weather. So overall it was a successful trip with the exception of our exit. You always know when P has had lots of fun by the temper tantrum she throws when it's time to leave. Today was a category 5 so she LOVED it!

Brushy Lake playground

Since we're building a house in Sienna Plantation right now, we try to get over to our lot to see the progress every now and then. We brought the girls with us today so we could see how the playground near the new house would work out for us. I was very happy with it and I'm not usually happy about playgrounds because they never have activities for toddlers. This one is different.

There are still certain areas my 2 yr old just isn't ready for but she still had lots of fun. They even have a couple swings, one for babies and young children and one regular swing for the big kids. It's very pretty and well maintained and right next to a covered picnic pavilion.

When we get moved into the new house, I can see us spending lots of time at this playground.

It's located right next door to the Brushy Lake Recreation Center at Heritage Trail Ct. and Brushy Lake Dr.

BJs Brewhouse - Pearland Town Center

BJs is a restaurant I went to quite a few times while living in Dallas and the one I found in Pearland is just as good.

The food has always been good and drinks are even better, but the best part is the kid-friendly atmosphere. I was surprised the first time I took the girls to lunch with a friend at how accommodating the staff was. The hostess set up a booster chair for my 2 yr old like a champ and that sucker was going nowhere. As an over protective mommy I was very happy about that.

The kid's menu is good with lots of choices (as far as kids are concerned anyway) and they even have happy face shaped french fries which are really cute. And like most restaurants they have crayons and an activity mat to color on but their crayons are shaped like triangles so they won't roll off the table. If you've ever spent time with a toddler at a restaurant you know how often you're picking up crayons off the floor and how annoying it can be.

The staff has always been good at getting us a table that is suitable for the stroller I always bring with me so I have plenty of room to maneuver and without blocking the path of their servers or other patrons.

This place has been on my list of favs for a while and will stay there because they continue to satisfy. And because of the great bar they have it's also a great parent's night out spot. They get a thumbs up from me!

Little Gym - Pearland

During the summer we had our 2 yr old registered at Little Gym in Dallas and she loved it. She's always climbing on things and loves to explore and this was a perfect fit for her. When she was a baby we had her at Gymboree but as she got older it just didn't work out for her personality. She's much too independent for it now.

I had intended on having my youngest at Gymboree during the school year after we got settled in but the schedule just didn't work out for us. There was a Little Gym class available in the right time slot though, and it was close to our apartment too.

Well I'm glad I didn't enroll and only signed up for an intro class because I wasn't impressed. I'm sure it would have worked out for my oldest but the baby classes are just nothing like Gymboree. I felt like they just didn't have enough activities for my baby that were appropriate for her and it was really boring. She didn't seem to get anything out of it. To top off our experience, after the class was over I needed to change her diaper but they didn't even have a changing table in the restroom. Why would you offer classes to babies and not have a place to change them?

I just can't recommend the Little Gym for babies, it's just nowhere near as good as Gymboree, and I can't recommend their Pearland location because of the lack of changing tables.

Looks like we'll have to wait until my baby is older so she can enroll in the Gymboree class for the next age group up.

Parent's night out - Sakura sushi

We had a quick pseudo night out on Monday and found a sushi restaurant near our apartment that was amazing. Most of my posts will be kid-centric but this really was so fabulous that I had to share. We went to Sakura Japanese Steak House at Business Center Drive and FM 518 / Broadway in Pearland, TX.

I usually only stick to my usual sushi favs but decided to try all new stuff and everything we ordered was delicious. We tried the Godzilla roll, Victoria's Secret roll and the Red Lobster roll. The flavors were so good we didn't need soy sauce at all.

We ordered too much so there was leftovers that we had tonight and it was still amazing. I've never had any sushi that tasted even halfway good after a few hours but this was outstanding.

Imagine how awesome it will be when we can actually eat in the restaurant next time rather than doing take-out. Yummy!

Houston Galleria: Play Area

I grew up in Beaumont, about 2 hours outside Houston, and use to spend lots of time at the Galleria growing up. But 20 years later I'm not as impressed with it as I used to be. Maybe that's because I got spoiled in Dallas with all the shopping options and the quality of the Dallas Galleria which is in a league of its own.

Since I knew where to find it, I got to the Galleria in no time and went right to my old favorite parking location in the blue parking garage only to find it's not stroller friendly. Every entrance into the mall from this garage has stairs and no elevators so if you're going, so far the only recommendation I can make is the yellow garage. We found it after getting into the mall later on and saw a direct access area with no stairs and no need for elevators, at least not that I saw from that level. I'll have to update this section later on when I get more familiar with it, so for now, just avoid the blue garage if you have a stroller.

Once we found the play area located on level 2 right outside Borders Books, I needed to change my youngest and didn't find a bathroom. I had to change her on the floor at the entrance to the play area only to discover a changing station inside the play area opposite the entrance. It's great that they have it there but you can't see if from the entrance and the nearest bathroom is one level down and around the corner - not close at all. They are building one but as of Sept 2010 there isn't one nearby so if you have a potty trained toddler, go to the bathroom before you get there.

The play area itself is kinda cute. It's an exact replica of the mall showing all the stores. There are some younger child's toys along the walls here and there but the play structure takes up most of the space in the center.

I should warn you now that I'm an over protective mother and like having an eye on my girls at all times. If you have one older child playing and get distracted by the younger one for a diaper change, you could turn around and not see your child at all because of how the play structure is built. There are lots of nooks and crannies for them to hide and crawl in so if you worry about strangers kidnapping your kids, this might just give you a heart attack. I came to the conclusion that I'll never go to this play area alone, instead waiting for a once a month trip with my husband so each of us has a child to watch at all times so I don't worry. If you're more nonchalant about how you watch your kids in public, you should have no problem here. I just didn't like it from a safety standpoint.

Having stated my own reservations about it, my daughter liked the play area. She had lots of fun climbing and jumping and that's the only reason we'll go back.

I forgot to take a photo when we were there so I'll update this post with a photo next month when we return.

Introduction

My name is Wendy and my family just moved into the Houston area from Dallas. I have 2 daughters and I'm married to a wonderful husband. We're currently building a home in Sienna Plantation in Missouri City, TX and hope to be all moved in by Feb of 2011.

Since we're new to the area, we don't know where all the kid-friendly places are so I'm always looking for recommendations to restaurants and activities for the girls. With the heat, playing outdoors isn't the best so one of my challenges is finding indoor play areas so we don't get cabin fever being stuck in the house all day.

The purpose of this blog is to document all the kid-friendly places I find so I don't have to remember all of them and to share them with other Missouri City moms that are looking for similar activities for their children.

I always try to include photos whenever I remember to shoot them, and sometimes you'll see lots of photos if I really like a location. Comments are always welcome, especially if it's an update on an older post so all my information is as up-do-date as possible.

I don't always have time to post daily because having a 2 yr old and a 7 month old keeps me pretty busy, but I will update as often as I can when I learn of a new location to try.

Feel free to email me directly if you have a location to recommend because we're always looking for awesome places.