Bob and I are enjoying our last day of break at the house together, children safely delivered to their home last night. Yesterday was exiting, a highlight for K.K. and Danny who were just in heaven at the Dallas World Aquarium, where they saw not just the quiet enigmatic manatees but a beautiful young jaguar (K.K's school mascot, who entertained by rolling and playing), simulated rain forest habitat with lots of birds and monkeys, bright colored, giant billed, playful. The aquarium was crowded, which was hard for Zachary at his height, but he managed to see enough, especially enjoyed the feeding of the outdoor, warm weather penguins and an arched aquarium in which we sat under and surrounded by sharks and rays of many kinds - really impressive.

On the way home we finished a family project of rating, individually a menu of fifty songs Bob selected for our enjoyment - and for the children to have in their MP3 players. The activity was really fun - and the songs a treat ranging from the ballads of Robin Hood and Davy Crockett through bubblegum music of my own sixth grade year (Purple People Eater and Monster Mash), lots of Peter Paul and Mommy, to freedom songs of the civil rights movement and some fun kids songs by They Might Be Giants. The children have grown up on some of these songs in our car. K.K. calls the Peter Paul and Mommy "joyful music". Their tastes are beginning to individualize. I think K.K. likes songs she can dance to and Danny likes songs he can sing, and songs with great heart. Zach particularly liked several by They Might Be Giants, and anything with dinosaurs in it.

Bob not only is instrumental in planning these wonderful trips, but he is the one who remembers to stop to EAT - which is a great blessing to growing children. I would have just kept heading for home after the aquarium. The music was on and if I was hungry, I didn't know it - but we would have missed the pleasure of a last meal together at a Chinese buffet in Waco, which all of us enjoyed for variety of food, and company.

Time to go to the grocery store and start looking forward into new year planning.