Family Fun | the paquettes

Archive for the 'Family Fun' Category

Mar

Rodeo Austin 2014!

Categories: Family Fun and Spring Break
Tags: carnival, rodeo austin

I grew up going to the fair every summer, and I just LOVE taking my kids to the fair every spring break when it comes to town! Maybe next year, we will bring the kids to the rodeo too! 🙂 I love taking pictures at the carnvial, maybe it’s all the colors, or maybe it’s their faces when on the rides! We had a great time at the fair this year, with nice weather and no crowds! We went on almost all the rides!

Look at Asher running into the fairgrounds!

Ella learning how to milk a cow! Not too invested though-lol

Asher and his cousin with their dream truck!

Rilyn at the petting zoo with baby goats!

This rodeo mascot loved to dance with the girls!

Pig races were a hit as usual!

Lunch break before we hit all the carnival rides!

Can you find Asher on the bridge?

Potato sack slide!

Asher wasn’t feeling well right after lunch so he didn’t enjoy it this time around!

Rilyn loves her spinning rides!

Did I mention she LOVES spinning rides? She went on this 3 times by herself!

Favorite part of the fun house? The end spinning wheel of course!

Asher’s favorite ride-Genesis!

James was cracking up here because Asher was telling him one of his body parts “feels funny” when the ride goes around and around! LOL

“it tickles me!” LOL

Ella taking flight

Had to have a cotton candy snack break!

sticky fingers…

Dragon Swing!

Time to go home! What a great day!

Dec

may your christmas be merry and BRIGHT!

By Julie P. Leave a Comment

Categories: Family Fun
Tags: christmas card photos, color dust, merry and bright

We had a little fun this year with our Christmas card photos! 🙂 Enjoy the “colorful” pics, and may your Christmas be merry and BRIGHT!

kids vs. parents!

*If you are interested in doing this too, (which I highly recommend for a good time!), click to buy the Festival Colors (Rangoli) Holi High Quality Colors (Pack of 10)

Dec

Thinkery: a review

By Julie P. 1 Comment

Categories: Family Fun
Tags: austin, childrens museum, Thinkery

On Sunday, we got to visit the new Austin children’s museum, Thinkery. My mom was so thoughtful, and bought my family a membership for 2014! This past weekend was a members only preview, and they had some extra special treats like a photo booth, cupcakes, and face painting!

Thinkery is so much better than the original children’s museum (which no longer exists). My kids are 9, 7, and 5 and I felt like the museum exhibits were just right for those ages. Any younger*, and I’m sure they will have fun, but not really ENGAGE in most of the exhibits (downstairs). It was fun to watch my kids go from room to room and explore! Let’s start with the downstairs!

* The museum has a baby/toddler room upstairs and a baby/toddler “playpen” downstairs

When you walk in they have walls filled with people’s faces! You go to a photo booth and when you take your picture, it will come up on the wall for about a minute! Can you find Rilyn?

I believe James did this activity 4 times! He loves seeing his picture in lights! lol

The first floor is more for older kids-age 4 and up (I would say).

My kids loved painting on windows! Then they have squeegees you can use to “erase”!

Ella tinkering with lights and wires

Loved watching my kids engage!

This room said age 7 and up, but they let everyone explore it (maybe because it was a preview). This is a plane launcher. You can see the plane Rilyn built ready to launch! You can measure how far it flew and use different wings next time, etc.

watching Asher’s plane fly!

In this “older kids room” they also had a hot wax machine for kids to make wax sculptures, but it wasn’t on when we were in there. This is just a cool pic of the girls exploring in that room. 🙂

My favorite room was the “light room”. Here is a life-size Lite Brite! How fun! This was Asher’s favorite room too!

playing with shadows and lights!

This was in the “Mi familia” room which is from the old museum. Lots of pretend play in here!

Pinata time!

There was a “backyard” (not pictured), which looked cool, but my kids said it was only “okay” after they played out there. I’m sure younger ones would love it!

Upstairs was a water room. You will get wet here and they even provide Crocs for your kids to change into, waterproof aprons, and dryers! This was Ella’s favorite room!

Asher about to get wet!

More pretend grocery and kitchen play upstairs!

There was a “motion room” which was, I think, for younger kids, but Rilyn insisted on jumping in!

Rilyn’s favorite room was the “experiment room” which will have different experiments each month(?)

All in all, it was a fun experience, and we are looking forward to going back and letting the kids explore and learn some more! Go check it out!

Oct

Family Fall Farm Fun

By Julie P. Leave a Comment

Categories: Family Fun
Tags: crowes nest farm, Manor, TX

James went to the Aggie game last minute on Saturday and so that left me with the three kids to do SOMETHING fun on such a beautiful fall day! Crowes Nest Farm happened to have it’s Fall Fest that day, and since it’s in town, I thought it would be a great trip! The kids and I spent 4 hours there, and it was a lot of farm fun!

It was 60 degrees in this photo, but the poor Texans were freezing!!

The kids eyeing their Thanksgiving dinner?! 😉

I like to think that the ostrich in this photo is smiling and not angry at ANOTHER picture! lol

so fun watching this guy eat!

There was a snake show…

careful Rilyn…

Asher is fearful…

ahhhh! Poor Asher!

We went on a hay ride and the bison came right up to us to eat. It was pretty cool to watch these majestic creatures!

Ostrich egg!

Asher’s reaction to the ostrich egg!

our sweet Ella Bella

They also had a raptor show. Here is an eagle!

Me and my bud watching the raptor show

The girls wanted to roll down a hill!

and run down the hill!

This farm is full of beautiful gardens!

until next time Crowes Nest Farm!

Mar

more carnival fun!

By Julie P. Leave a Comment

Categories: Family Fun and Spring Break
Tags: rodeo austin

Time for bumper cars! Rilyn seems like she might develop road rage when she becomes a driver! Watch out!

look out!

oops! You bumped me!

Rilyn started going on the rides all by herself because me and James had enough spinning. She loved the enclosed space ship where you spin around so fast that you stick to the wall!

Rilyn exits, very proud of “big-girlness”

Dragon swing time!

me and the kiddos

Ella wanted to barf the whole time, can you see her hand over her mouth?

Check out Ella’s eye…sheer terror…get me off!

Rilyn sat across from us, much higher up, so she could experience more of a thrill!

This was the one ride that Rilyn did not like afterward. Probably because her stomach was DONE being dropped and spun all day!

And to finish off our busy day…COTTON CANDY!!!

As our kids get older, it is so fun to watch them experience the fair! We almost hit up every ride too! Until next March, Austin Rodeo!!

Mar

Carnival fun!

By Julie P. Leave a Comment

Categories: Family Fun and Spring Break
Tags: rodeo austin

My kids’ favorite thing at the carnival is the fun houses! I grew up going to the Orange County fair, and I loved the fun houses too, so it brings a big smile to my face to see them enjoying the mirror houses and moving floors so much!
James made a really neat video of our day. You can see it here!

and they’re off running!

mirror maze!

Asher and Rilyn love fast rides! They would go on all of them together and it was really cute to watch. After each fast ride, Asher would get off and say, “I almost threw up!” and then laugh like it was the best feeling in the world! 🙂

I love his “Bluesteel” Zoolander face on this ride!

More rides with daddy! (Why do they have to airbrush seductive women on the rides?!)

More fun houses!

superman ride!

Love Asher’s face in this!

me and Rilyn!

After seeing this picture, I realize just how dangerous ferris wheels can be! Do you see Asher’s head hanging over the cart?!?

Oct

Spooky Skedaddle!

By Julie P. Leave a Comment

Categories: Family Fun and halloween
Tags: austin, hot air balloon, ryan gosling, spooky skedaddle, texas school for the deaf

Last night we went to the Spooky Skedaddle 5K, an event to fundraise for the Texas School for the Deaf. I took pictures for the event, and much to my surprise, (and everyone else’s!), Ryan Gosling showed up! He is in town shooting a movie, and was there to use some background scenes. Anyway, I snapped a picture of him before his handler told me “NO PICTURES!” Oops! 😉 There was literally 5 feet between me and Ryan! 🙂

Hey Girl…

James brought the kids up while I worked (taking pictures of the runners at the finish line!) The kids were excited to dress in their brand new costumes their grandma brought them earlier that day!

There was hair coloring!

Captain America!

Hot air balloon trick or treating! (Seriously, in Texas, we do it BIG!)

Face painting!

princess Ella

I love this shot of the full moon behind one of the hot air balloons as Ella and Asher go “trick or treating”. (Rilyn was in line for the “age 8 and up” Haunted House.)

Balloon Darts!

And glow-in-the-dark cotton candy! Seriously genius! Talk about a fundraiser money maker! I have to remember this idea!

Ella finished hers first so she could play with her new glow stick!

yummy!

May

Memorial Day weekend at the Octaranch

By Julie P. Leave a Comment

Categories: Family Fun and Summertime
Tags: bow and arrow, brazos river, memorial day weekend

We had a relaxful Memorial Day weekend with my family in College Station at my parent’s Octaranch!

the Octaranch

There was rides on grandpa’s riding mower

Grandpa taught Asher how to shoot a bow and arrow

Asher could swing for hours!

Learning how to shoot a bb gun!

Collecting rolly pollies (one of my favorite things to do as a child too!)

Rilyn

Going hiking on the land behind the house

grandpa and the kiddos

My parents land goes right up to the Brazos river!

James the mountain man?!?

Asher throwing rocks in the river (I was a little nervous watching this…James is on a slope!)

This is one of my favorite pictures from the weekend…grandpa leading Rilyn and Ella

through the forest

Walking back to the Octaranch (aka the tree house) with my sister and her dog

S’mores at dusk!

Rilyn and grandpa talking while the sun goes down. Questions included “What came first, dinosaurs, or Adam and Eve?” Rilyn could of talked to grandpa all night…

Rilyn

The kids had no trouble falling asleep Sunday night!

dreaming of their great day!

May

first camping trip!

By Julie P. 1 Comment

Categories: Family Fun
Tags: camping, Lake Miineral Wells State Park

James took the kids on Mother’s Day/my birthday weekend for their first camping trip! He met his family at Lake Mineral Wells State Park in Mineral Wells, Texas. It was a rainy weekend, so I was nervous, but because James’ mom is a professional camper, they had no problem with a little water! 🙂

Oma in her element!

The kids’ first time to set up a tent!

Asher doesn’t mind the rain!

Isn’t camping for getting dirty?!?

some creepy crawlies around their campsite!

watch Uncle Ben fish

learning how to roast the perfect marshmellow! Asher is a little nervous…

mmmmmmm

chillin’ on the cool camping “rocking” chair

rilyn and daddy

trying to look tough?!?

ella

can you see Asher’s head between the two big rocks (right in the middle of the picture)

climbing

at the top!

Ella using her muscles!

so proud that she climbed it! (with Allen)

James and his momma! What a special memory!

May

lately

By Julie P. Leave a Comment

Categories: Asher, Ella, Family Fun, James, Julie and Rilyn

May is the busiest month of the year for our family by far! With my birthday, mother’s day, both our moms’ birthdays, end of school activities, dance recitals, etc. we have our heads spinning! Here is a quick update of our May (so far) in pictures:

Asher and I went out on our first date together to Chick-fil-A’s Mother Son Date Knight. The restaurant went all out in the medieval theme, and they even had questions at every table for things to talk about with your son. One question I asked him was, “How can you protect me Asher?” Asher told me he will protect me from cars. 😉

first date

Asher being knighted by a 6’5″ cow

there were bounce houses in the parking lot!

For my birthday and Mother’s Day, James let me have a relaxful weekend, and took the kids for the weekend to Fort Worth/Dallas. They spent time with family, and the kids went on their first camping trip! More pictures to come later, but for now:

James, the kids, wtih their aunt, future uncle, and Oma

On Mother’s Day, we met back up in Temple at my parents house, and the kids went swimming and had a barbeque. The water was still a little cold I guess!