This month, my family and I were determined to visit some new places for our monthly FAMILY FOCUS! I would say that while we did indeed take in a few new spots, we weren't particularly adventurous in this area. And we're an adventurous family! We've been a little distracted over here as we adjust to life with Daddy at the office full-time. Probably more than any of us realize or care to admit, this has impacted life in the Lopez home in a big way. We miss our Papa Bear when he isn't here to share his love, his hugs, his enthusiasm and his encouragement. He is our team captain and sometimes, we just want him home with us!
But NEW PLACES was our focus for February. Every time we experienced a new place, everyone was quick to make note of it. Even though we didn't do a lot of things that I hoped we'd do (namely, museums and parks we've yet to discover), we still had that train of thought going and I think that is part of what makes a family activity work... just being on the same page with one another.
No surprise that RESTAURANTS topped our list! We visited four new places and I think the kids' favorite was Kobe Steakhouse. They were happy to have a Benihana-type replacement; I'm always so surprised at how enthusiastic these somewhat picky eaters are at places like this... David tried everything... from the mushroom soup to the grilled zucchini. As with Benihana, he liked it all. I think watching the chef brings the foods to life for them and they can appreciate the work that goes into the meal. We also enjoyed a new BBQ place (Cartwright's BBQ). We're such carnivores.
Since February was Oscar month and we'd set out to watch all of the BEST MOVIE nominees, the boys were able to visit two new movie theatres. They seemed to really like the unique feel of The Regal Arbor. We watched "The Artist" there and it gave us the opportunity to talk about the genre of independent films. It was a really wonderful time and I was reminded how grateful I am that we're raising our kids and they're with us pretty much ALL THE TIME (except when we're in Waco, of course). Sure we could use some more date nights, but I am so glad that we're making so many memories with our boys as they're growing up.
Finally, we attended my niece's birthday party at a jumping place called Jumping Beans out in Round Rock this past weekend. One jumping place is pretty much like the next, but they had lots of fun and we were able to cap off the month with a new place.
Baseball is now officially taking over! The boys have started practice, I'm working with new umpires and as soon as David comes home most days, it's outside to practice. I'm not sure what next month's family focus will be, but I intend to keep our family time a top priority despite everything else going on in our world.
