What can be both wood & long and black & alive?

The Answer: BATS!

 

That's right, folks.  The Stansberry clan went to a baseball game and then the boys and I went to see some live bats at the aquarium.  How much can we pack into a 24-hour mini-vacation?! (The answer to that question is TOO MUCH.)

 

 

First up, we headed to the Ballpark in Arlington on Sunday because Mike has to work up in DFW for a few days.  We went to a Rangers game to celebrate Father's Day.  And by "game," I mean 3 innings.  It was HOT: 95 degrees, no breeze, whining kids, and chocolate ice cream on my new white shorts.  Time to go.

 

 

This was Tate's first Rangers game (Cole has been a lot and to the World Series last year).  Both boys really loved it while we lasted.

 

 

We stayed with Mike at his hotel that night, and then he left for work early Monday morning.  I had promised the boys I would take them to the Dallas World Aquarium.  Of course, that was before I woke up on Monday to a torrential downpour.  We were not at all prepared for the storms, but I had one umbrella that I keep in my car so we persevered.

 

Picture this: Cole holding the umbrella in the pouring rain while I try to strap Tate in a stroller and then cross the street in downtown Dallas at 9:00 am with a backpack, my purse, and money to pay the parking attendant, all while wearing a silk shirt.  #nightmare

 

But once we made it inside, the boys LOVED it, and it made the jaunt through the rain worthwhile. (It stopped raining by the time we left, which is when I snapped this pic.)

 

 

SHARK TANK!

 

Tate was looking up at the giant sawfish...

 

This is a terrible pic of Cole, but you can see the sawfish. This was one of Cole's favorite animals, he said.

 

Look at the cool spotted sting rays and giant catfish at the bottom!

 

 

The boys both loved the sea otters.  Tate's other favorite were the owls, which were in live flight across a part of the aquarium.  So cool.

There were lots of snakes, reptiles, bats, penguins, and both boys fed blueberries to a toucan.

 

Tate actually fell asleep for 20 minutes on the way home, so that was a nice break from the usual screaming to get out of the car that we hear on road trips ;)  We will miss Mike for a few days this week, but hope he had the best Father's Day.  He is THE BEST dad. 

 

Happy Father's Day to Grandpa, Papa Jim, and Johnny, too.  We are pretty lucky to have a family of wonderful men.  We are not lucky enough to have cloud cover at a 2:00 pm baseball game in June. Next up: a night game! :)