DDA Chapter 14

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Thanks which Zoo? I just talked to my mom and she said she wants to take the kids to Six flags so we will probably stay close to their and the stadium. the Aquarium is something I want to do. I think it will be us 4, my mom, brother and nephew who will be 4. Possibly my cousin and her family girls 11 and 8. The older 3 girls would probably like it. But not sure if I want to do that.

The Ft. Worth Zoo is "better", but I have a special love for the Dallas Zoo. My membership is at the Dallas Zoo and the dad of one of DS's former classmates is the CEO (or some such thing), so we tend to go there. I also don't like to drive all the way to Ft. Worth. If you have a zoo membership you can check the reciprocal list to see if you can get in free with the membership you have.

Hunter's appointment is over. He ended up coming home with me as his eyes were still very dialated and he couldn't read anyway. The doctor found a significant change in his eyes. Hopefully that explains the headaches. We are moving him back to yearly appointments instead of every 2 years in hopes of catching changes sooner. After the appointment we went and ordered a new pair of glasses. We also left one of his old pair that are still in great shape and we will have the lenses changed in those. The doctor said that his current glasses cannot even be used as a backup pair because of the significant changes. I really hope that once the new glasses arrive he will be headache free

I hope the new glasses do the trick!

DS's "good" (translation: expensive) glasses have been bent so many times that now they won't hold their shape. He has been wearing his "back up" pair lately. He won't go back for another exam until the end of January, so I don't know if I should have the "good" ones replaced now under the warranty (for $60) or just wait until he can get a new pair covered by insurance. They will cover one new pair every year. I don't think I am going to buy another pair with the sunglass attachment because he NEVER wears it.

 

[bear74]

The Ft. Worth Zoo is "better", but I have a special love for the Dallas Zoo. My membership is at the Dallas Zoo and the dad of one of DS's former classmates is the CEO (or some such thing), so we tend to go there. I also don't like to drive all the way to Ft. Worth. If you have a zoo membership you can check the reciprocal list to see if you can get in free with the membership you have.

Thanks we don't have a zoo membership as the zoo here in town is very small and not worth it.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Thanks we don't have a zoo membership as the zoo here in town is very small and not worth it.

I don't think there is a huge price differential between the zoos. I know Dallas is less expensive, but not THAT much less. I think it is $5 to park, $8 per adult and maybe $6 per child. 2 and under get in free. There is a carousel, pony rides, fish food, and a monorail that all cost extra. If it is really hot the monorail won't be running. Right now they have a Stingray thing where you can feed the stingrays and that costs extra, too. That exhibit is temporary though, so it might not be there next June. They have a food court type restaurant with burgers, hot dogs, pizza, ice cream, etc. or there is a McDonald's down the street. Be advised the Dallas zoo and the Science Place are in bad neighborhoods.

The Dallas World Aquarium is in actual downtown, so from there you can walk somewhere to eat lunch. There is a cafe in the aquarium but we have never eaten there.

 

[tmfranlk]

Tia love the pics of Terra.

Olivia said to tell Terra Hi

Terra says hi as well!

Randy will be at a printing company today with some people from his company, as well as auditors from two firms, lawyers etc. as they print and edit their 192-page document. And he could possibly be there all night in to tomorrow. He said these places that print these kinds of projects have beds, showers, pool tables etc. so that you have something to do inbetween edits/printing. He was originally hired to work for the spin-off of his company, but has been asked to work for corporate now. That's a great thing for him. It would mean more job security (if the spin-off doesn't work out) and it's boosted his ego. Not sure about money yet -- they haven't talked details, but it would be no less, so I'm happy for him and very thankful he is employed!

That's the type of company I used to work for. The clients are well-fed and cared for while there which helps pass the time a little better. I loved big client days cause that meant yummy leftovers for lunch. I hope they aren't stuck in-house too long and that all goes well with the new job offer.

Good morning all!!

The big boss is back from his sabbatical and I already feel like I've been thrown under the bus (learned a new phrase last week) because of what frustrated me so much on Thursday. I made a resolution yesterday that no matter what December 31st is my last day here....I've got to have something to look forward/hold on to.

Continued good wishes for the job hunt. I think the resolution will be a big help to get you through the next two months.

Great Pictures. I'm glad to see that she is taking swimming lessons. That is so important

Yeah, we signed up her, Kassie and Connor fora 5 week program. She's still hesitant about putting her face in the water, plus I learned at the very end that I think the idea of water in her ears holds her back too. We're going to get earplugs for her next time and she's practicing putting her face in the water in the bathtub. Hopefully she'll get more comfortable putting her face in and then we'll sign her up again in the spring sometime. With the pool in mom and dad's backyard we'd really like them to all learn the basics pretty soon.

Thanks for the picture comments, everyone! She really is getting big. I've never been able to not roll her pant legs and now they're almost too short.

 

[tmfranlk]

So Emma's birthday party is this Friday. Her and I decided on the sleepover. We've invited 7 friends and I know that 2 will be here only for the party. 2 of the other moms are staying with me to help out and one will probably spend the night as her DD isn't comfortable leaving mom home (the friend from scouts whose dad was in Iraq).

She decided on Tinker Bell for the theme. I found at AC Moore a pack of 8 pillowcases that the girls can color, that will be their favor. I found some green sparkly nail polish and Tinker Bell decals so we'll do their nails too. I also plan on making fairy cakes and then once every is in their pj's we'll watch the new movie.

Eric will be spending the night at his parents. And my mom and aunt have offered to keep Mo and Lucy for the night.

Sounds like a fun night! I hope that all goes well.

 

[my3princes]

The Ft. Worth Zoo is "better", but I have a special love for the Dallas Zoo. My membership is at the Dallas Zoo and the dad of one of DS's former classmates is the CEO (or some such thing), so we tend to go there. I also don't like to drive all the way to Ft. Worth. If you have a zoo membership you can check the reciprocal list to see if you can get in free with the membership you have.



I hope the new glasses do the trick!

DS's "good" (translation: expensive) glasses have been bent so many times that now they won't hold their shape. He has been wearing his "back up" pair lately. He won't go back for another exam until the end of January, so I don't know if I should have the "good" ones replaced now under the warranty (for $60) or just wait until he can get a new pair covered by insurance. They will cover one new pair every year. I don't think I am going to buy another pair with the sunglass attachment because he NEVER wears it.

I think I would wait. When does the warranty expire? Maybe in January you could warranty the frames and just buy new lenses or warranty the whole thing now and just get new lenses in January if he needs them? Glasses are certainly expensive. The frames that Hunter has are the EasyTwist Brand which cost $150 retail. He's had them for 2 years and they still are holding there shape well. The new lenses are $135 with a protective coating. The lenses will have a 2 year warranty though the frame warranty has expired now. The second pair is 100% covered by our secondary insurance, but the selection of frames is very limited. The can be replaced as often as necessary as they are cheap and brittle and break easily.

I don't think there is a huge price differential between the zoos. I know Dallas is less expensive, but not THAT much less. I think it is $5 to park, $8 per adult and maybe $6 per child. 2 and under get in free. There is a carousel, pony rides, fish food, and a monorail that all cost extra. If it is really hot the monorail won't be running. Right now they have a Stingray thing where you can feed the stingrays and that costs extra, too. That exhibit is temporary though, so it might not be there next June. They have a food court type restaurant with burgers, hot dogs, pizza, ice cream, etc. or there is a McDonald's down the street. Be advised the Dallas zoo and the Science Place are in bad neighborhoods.

The Dallas World Aquarium is in actual downtown, so from there you can walk somewhere to eat lunch. There is a cafe in the aquarium but we have never eaten there.

It amazes me how many kids things you have to do around there. We have 2 movie theaters, a bowling alley, and a roller rink (that is 45 minutes away). We have a nice science museum, but the exhibits don't change that oftern. We have ice rinks and ski mountains during the winter, but skiing and snowboarding are not cheap. We don't even have a major stadium within a 100 mile radius What we do have is small school, very low crime, huge yards for the kids to play in, lots of hiking trails and other nature activities.

 

[tink2020]

Fly-by picture post.... gotta feed girls and get to the grocery store

 

[PrincessLeighsDaddy]

Fly-by picture post.... gotta feed girls and get to the grocery store

What a great picture!

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

I think I would wait. When does the warranty expire? Maybe in January you could warranty the frames and just buy new lenses or warranty the whole thing now and just get new lenses in January if he needs them? Glasses are certainly expensive. The frames that Hunter has are the EasyTwist Brand which cost $150 retail. He's had them for 2 years and they still are holding there shape well. The new lenses are $135 with a protective coating. The lenses will have a 2 year warranty though the frame warranty has expired now. The second pair is 100% covered by our secondary insurance, but the selection of frames is very limited. The can be replaced as often as necessary as they are cheap and brittle and break easily.

It amazes me how many kids things you have to do around there. We have 2 movie theaters, a bowling alley, and a roller rink (that is 45 minutes away). We have a nice science museum, but the exhibits don't change that oftern. We have ice rinks and ski mountains during the winter, but skiing and snowboarding are not cheap. We don't even have a major stadium within a 100 mile radius What we do have is small school, very low crime, huge yards for the kids to play in, lots of hiking trails and other nature activities.

I am pretty sure the warranty expires at the one year mark, which is when we are eligible for a new pair under the insurance. When we bought these 2 pairs it cost me $100 total. For the first pair the lenses are covered at 100%, the frames are covered up to $60, then we pay 20% of whatever the frames cost over $60. The second pair I just paid for because I wanted him to have 2 pairs. I don't think we will get glasses at Target again because I think they pulled a fast one on me as far as what is covered and what isn't. They sold me lenses that are "better" than the ones the insurance covers so our OOP cost was higher than I wanted it to be. Next time I think I will INSIST that the glasses we buy are PRECISELY what the insurance covers, and we'll see if DS notices a difference.

We have tons of movie theaters, a couple of bowling alleys, an ice rink at the Galleria. I think there is a roller rink not too far from us - DS went to some parties there when he was younger. The funny thing is the roller rink was IDENTICAL to the ones I used to go to back in the late 70's. Same decor, same disco ball, same skates with orange wheels. Kind of freaky!
We have an art museum, a sculpture center, an Asian art museum, a women's museum, an African American museum, a railroad museum (never been to that one), the Science & Nature museum. Lots of stage/musicals/opera/symphony stuff, too.
We have Reunion Arena, which is the old basketball stadium and now it is sitting empty. I think they are supposed to tear it down. We have the new American Airlines Center which is basketball/hockey/concerts. In Arlington there is the baseball stadium (not sure what the name of that is today). The new Cowboy stadium will be in Arlington, which will leave TX Stadium sitting empty. We have the Cotton Bowl for college games. We have a minor league baseball stadium in Frisco (maybe 20ish miles north). Not that we ever go to any of those places. Out by the airport we have the Great Wolf Lodge and Bass Pro Shops. They built a Cabela's somewhere, but it may have gone out of business already. I can't quite remember.

The trade off is that the crime is very high and kids have to be supervised every minute.

 

[bear74]

I don't think there is a huge price differential between the zoos. I know Dallas is less expensive, but not THAT much less. I think it is $5 to park, $8 per adult and maybe $6 per child. 2 and under get in free. There is a carousel, pony rides, fish food, and a monorail that all cost extra. If it is really hot the monorail won't be running. Right now they have a Stingray thing where you can feed the stingrays and that costs extra, too. That exhibit is temporary though, so it might not be there next June. They have a food court type restaurant with burgers, hot dogs, pizza, ice cream, etc. or there is a McDonald's down the street. Be advised the Dallas zoo and the Science Place are in bad neighborhoods.

The Dallas World Aquarium is in actual downtown, so from there you can walk somewhere to eat lunch. There is a cafe in the aquarium but we have never eaten there.

thanks Elizabeth. Dallas zoo is 10/7 Ft. Worth is 12/8. I did look and the Zoo in Waco doees have a reciporal thing with the Dallas Zoo. So I told Jeff to tell his Dad that is what we want for Christmas. As he lives in Waco so we would get use out of it.

 

[bear74]

Fly-by picture post.... gotta feed girls and get to the grocery store

love it

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

thanks Elizabeth. Dallas zoo is 10/7 Ft. Worth is 12/8. I did look and the Zoo in Waco doees have a reciporal thing with the Dallas Zoo. So I told Jeff to tell his Dad that is what we want for Christmas. As he lives in Waco so we would get use out of it.

We have had a membership for such a long time I have lost track of admission prices. Having the membership for Waco sounds like it would work well for you guys!

I got an e-mail yesterday that the Dallas zoo has 2 new giraffes. They are really pushing to finish a new elephant habitat quickly because there has been a lot of controversy over the elephant. They had 2 elephants, but one died. Apparently they were treating her for one thing, but she actually had some other ailment with symptoms that mimic what they were treating her for. Now there is just one elephant left. They were planning to transfer her, but a bunch of protesters raised a big ruckus so they are keeping her, building a new habitat, and looking for a companion for her. The enclosure she is in is from back in the 1950's and it is pretty terrible, so I hope her new space opens soon!

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Amy & Jennifer - Cute pic!

 

[babytrees]

You all have been very, very quiet this afternoon.

 

[Pooh67_68]

Got a new ticker.

We debated between Jan. or Dec. 2009
Dec. won out as we would be able to stay POFQ, if we went in Jan. we would have to stay Pop and John was not happy about that. Also we love all the decorations and the Christmas party. But the biggest reason for Dec. is John is determined to stay Contemporary once, so we have longer to save for it.

 

[Pooh67_68]

Yes they have, which means it will probably only be 2 or 3 pages in the morning when I log back on.

You all have been very, very quiet this afternoon.

 

[Pooh67_68]

See ya in the morning all.

 

[UP Disney]

Good morning all!!

The big boss is back from his sabbatical and I already feel like I've been thrown under the bus (learned a new phrase last week) because of what frustrated me so much on Thursday. I made a resolution yesterday that no matter what December 31st is my last day here....I've got to have something to look forward/hold on to.

That's a standard phrase in my office. It has happened several times to me.

 

[tink2020]

Got a new ticker.

We debated between Jan. or Dec. 2009
Dec. won out as we would be able to stay POFQ, if we went in Jan. we would have to stay Pop and John was not happy about that. Also we love all the decorations and the Christmas party. But the biggest reason for Dec. is John is determined to stay Contemporary once, so we have longer to save for it.

Hooray for a new ticker!

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Got a new ticker.

We debated between Jan. or Dec. 2009
Dec. won out as we would be able to stay POFQ, if we went in Jan. we would have to stay Pop and John was not happy about that. Also we love all the decorations and the Christmas party. But the biggest reason for Dec. is John is determined to stay Contemporary once, so we have longer to save for it.

What are your dates? We plan to go either Dec. 3-6 or 10-13. I owuld rather NOT fly on the 13th, though.