September was equally fun as it cools down and thoughts here turn to high school sports and the routine of Life. HS football games aside, Thomas has been everywhere with us; parks, pools road trips...some great, some disastrous(Challenger Park on Memorial Day weekend). But to be away from the heat of summer for several months and just be able to walk outside with the family without melting or a meltdown makes it worth the effort.

So one day I tried to be Superdad and surprise the Wife as well. Little did I know what it would take to get to this Park(near the Space Center on the way to Galveston)early on a Saturday morning of Memorial Day weekend...without letting Thomas nap. The park is a memorial to the spirit of the shuttle Challenger, with many exhibits and three well maintained recreation areas. It turned out to be nearly two hours getting there in traffic. Thomas loves slides so we hit the park and went for a walk on the paths.

This did not go as well as I had liked...it was very hot and humid, and the bugs also knew Memorial Day was coming and turned out to greet us. Lessons for this day..

1) Plan ahead, especially nap time.

2) Leave earlier so you aren't trying to accomplish lesson 1 in the car in traffic.

3) Give the Wife some heads up to the "surprise" so the day isn't a total shock when it is hot and muggy and equally buggy.

4) The right amount of hydration and snacks can go a long way to curb toddler travel stress and anxiety.