ROAD TRIP!!

Our plans to go camping during this first part of Spring Break were foiled by this blessed, blessed rain which I am by no means cursing (just don't want to camp out in it) so we so completely on the spur of the moment pulled plan B out of our asses ears and headed to beautiful downtown HOUSTON (Which I had once heard described as the armpit of America by a former resident, and had never had any desire whatsoever to go to before now)!

Actually we were headed first to Hunstville, TX because I'd been turned on to Dan Phillips and his amazing work building houses with low income folks (with, not for, so they also get the amazing skills along with a house of their very own for insanely cheap by today's standards) out of STUFF OTHER PEOPLE WERE THROWING AWAY. So much good stuff gets thrown out from other building sites... and then along the way he also uses hickory nuts, license plates, glass relish plates, bottle caps, egg shells, and bones. It was so cool and I'm going to blog more about that over at Mungo.

We decided to do this trip so on the fly (and I want to give a big SHOUT OUT to my man for being so flexible and actually going along with my crazy idea when it woulda been so much easier to just stay put) but he totally rolled with it and got the kids in the car and all packed up within an hour when I caught Dan on the phone and he said he'd be happy to give us a tour. Matt also got on the computer ( I never would have had the foresight to do this, again, Matt, I applaud your hotel-booking genius) and got us a priceline thingamajingamabob where we scored a four star hotel in downtown Houston for $50!! I am quite glad he did this because I had already looked for a few moments online and had resigned myself to paying $72 for the cheapest (I thought) motel about which reviewers had written "scary neighborhood", "paper thin walls", "ice machine kept us awake all night", " bed was so uncomfortable we ended up sleeping on the floor"... yes, I'll say a four star was quite up our alley. Though a bit of comedy was that in our haste and hurry Matt had booked a room with just one king-sized bed (king sized... mmmm... the luxury....) and no they did not have extra cots, not even to rent. But they did have cribs, and they were free, so we ordered us up two of 'em. Thank goodness our big boys aren't yet a shade too big for the cribs, 'cause ain't nobody sharing my king sized bed with me. I mean except for the folks who normally share my bed. I'm just mean like that.
Anyway, in the morning, we ate crackers and avacados and grapefruit for our breakfast at Discovery Green, which was quite beautiful, then we went to the Rothko Chapel and to Star Pizza, where some good friends of ours met and fell in love and now have three children, and then on to the Children's Museum, which was downright insane in more ways than one. They just added on this major addition and it is GRAND, people, I mean, beyond belief, really. But they added on the damn new addition three days ago, which we did not know, and with it being spring break and all, it was just a little too coocamungo for our blood, and we weren't able to stay very long. Anyone feel like taking a trip there sometime soon though? We could caravan it, plan it for a day when most kids are in school, have the place to ourselves.... it would be hella fun. There was so much we hardly caught a glimpse of.

All in all, I didn't see much of Houston that was armpitty, and there was a lot more I'd like to do there and see there, and we drove through some beautiful old neighborhoods that gave thrills to those of us who like to look at houses and neighborhoods and gardens, so I think we'll be back. All in all I just think it was high time that this family had ourselves a little adventure. I really feel like it set us right, some sort of balance that has been upset for the last few months or so. Everyone was in high spirits and a holiday mood and I cannot tell you how much it fed my soul to see the kids love each other, look out for each other, and play with each other... it has been a long winter of fighting, ladies and gentleman, but now is the spring of our getting-along-ness... from here on out.
ROAD TRIP!!! Cures what ails ya.