The Hilton Kids: Ft. Worth

So, I figured I should stop and take a break today to post about our trip to Ft. Worth, before I get way too far behind. This will be an abbreviated version, but you'll get the idea.

We left on Friday morning. driving to the train station about 40 minutes away (I think.). Parker was holding Monkey all the way there and telling him secrets. Finally, when we were almost there, Parker said, "We're going to ride the train, right?". (Monkey is his favorite friend. We got him at a church sale thing about a couple weeks after Parker started playing with his imaginary friend, "Monkey". It was perfect when we found a "real" monkey. He loves him.)

Anyway, the train was late. Parker was so excited when he saw it arrive and got to get on the train. He was so happy. It was great riding the train and not having to drive. It was relaxing, roomy, and neat to see another view of things from the train.

We stayed at the Hilton, Ft. Worth. It's really, really nice. It's where JFK stayed the night before he was shot. We just walked from the train station, because it was about 3 short blocks from there. We were waiting for my friend, Steph, and her husband and 2 kids to arrive, so we ordered room service. It was so good. Parker didn't eat anything the whole weekend, except for a couple crackers.

Anyway, I visited with Steph a while after they arrived. Then, we all took a nap. Later, we all walked down the street from the hotel (right in old downtown) and had a little birthday meal/dessert for Steph, since it was her birthday.

Parker wanted to sleep on the sofa in the room, instead of in the bed with us. He and Monkey looked so cute sleeping on the sofa.

The next morning, we had a great breakfast in the hotel (Parker didn't eat). Then, Steph, Billy, Parker, and I went out for a mini photo session for Steph along old downtown. By this time, we didn't have a lot of time to spend on the photos. We went back inside the hotel and did a few upstairs in a lobby area with a piano.

(When we were downtown, there was an awesome shot I was trying to get of Steph in the middle of the brick street with the big clock tower building behind her at the end of the rows of buildings. We just couldn't get it right, because of the traffic situation and trying to time it right and feeling kind of rushed.)

Then, it was time to say "goodbye" to Stephanie, Percy, and the kids. I took some photos of the kids as we were saying goodbye.

Billy, Parker, and I walked down to the water gardens after that. It was hot and a longer walk than we expected.

Then, we walked down and had some lunch (Parker didn't) and cooled off. Our train wasn't to leave until 5:25 that evening, so we had time to just relax. After we ate and cooled off, we walked down to an old fire station that houses a small museum of Ft. Worth. Then, we went to Barnes and Noble, and Parker got to pick out some books (and I got a couple for the girls), and we sat in there and read for a long time. Then , we sat in the eating area, and Parker got a giant cookie. He ate a few bites.

Our train arrived early, and we were able to board early. We had a good trip back, as well. However, when we were going down the stairs from the upper level to get off at our stop, Parker projectile vomited all over me, the stairs, and a conductor guy standing at the top of the stairs. Then, when we were sitting on the bench at the train station, trying to clean up, he did it again. Parker and I both got undressed, cleaned up, and changed in the parking lot, despite the teenagers hanging out in the parking lot. Parker didn't throw up again.

Anyway, here are a few more pics from Ft. Worth, besides the one I posted before (which is becoming one of my favorites of Parker, because he was so happy on his trip).