Honor the Texas Flag, and other important PTA matters

I love Texas history. Love it, love it, love it. Can't say that I'm actually a great history buff, but I love hearing it, learning it, seeing it. I loved visiting the Alamo when we were in San Antonio for spring break, even though I'd been there several times before. I could spend hours there just looking at all the buildings, the replicas, the artifacts. Oh wait.....we did spend hours there. :)

[By the way, "Honor the Texas Flag" is part of the pledge to the Texas Flag. I only know this from being in PTA. I'm curious how many other states have their own pledge? I could look it up on Google, but it would be more fun to hear from my bloggy friends! I know we have at least 5 other states represented here in my little corner of the blogosphere, so come on, do share!]

So, considering my great love of our great state, wrapping up our trip to the State PTA Convention in Austin last weekend with a stop at the state capitol was simply dreamy for me (weirdo). After we made it through security that was only slightly less rigorous than the airport, we saw a sign that said "Capitol tours. Next tour starts at 1:45." It was 1:25, so we did a little touring around by ourselves and got back to the front at about 1:43. Then, all the ladies I was with were ready to leave! What? What? We came all this way and waited all this time (all 20 minutes) and we're not going on the tour??

Sensing my hysteria disappointment, they were kind enough to offer me a compromise. Two from our group left to go pick up lunch for all of us, and I and my friend Jen stayed for the tour. And would you like to guess what happened?

I got kicked out of the tour! ME! The one who wanted to go on the tour in the first place! Me - the lover of Texas history. Me - the one who got teary-eyed just taking pictures of the capitol building!

(On a side note, I did have to look up the definition of capital vs. capitol. My English teacher would be horrified. Seems the "a" version refers to the city or town that is the seat of government. The "o" version refers to the actual building. Hmm, who knew? Well, you did, probably.)

Apparently there's some rule that you can't answer your cell phone inside the Senate chambers, or something ridiculous like that. Even when the rest of your party is calling to ask what you want them to order for you at Pizza Hut. Even when there are already dozens of people in the room talking, and it's nothing even close to resembling quiet or reverent like the Alamo would be. Rules schmules. whatever.

And besides, they didn't have to be so rude about kicking me out. Hmph.

I can't talk about it right now. Please enjoy these pictures knowing the sacrifice that was made to get them for you.





As for the rest of our trip....

I had my head stuffed with bucket loads of fabulous info that will be of great value to me both in the coming school year, and also in parenting my own kids.

Got to spend some time with these wonderful ladies - my fellow officers for this year - and get to know them each a little better.



Thoroughly enjoyed my first time eating at this wonderful place. Yummm!


{don't worry....just lemonade :) }

I also got to experience my very first time eating at The Melting Pot. (Forgot my camera though. Bummer.) It was so fun! And delicious, too. But oh my gracious, that place is expensive! That may have been my one and only time to ever eat there!

Got to see the site where some disgruntled man crashed his airplane into an IRS building last February. Really, aren't we all a little disgruntled at the IRS sometimes? And we don't go crashing planes into buildings about it.



We tried out some new fashions.



(Actually these are not my feet, but all of us bought these cute "sleeves" in our local high school's colors to wear to the football games this fall. They're supposed to be sleeves, not a comeback of leg warmers - although I hear those actually are coming back - but aren't they cute? And would you believe....I actually saw a display of these JUST LIKE THIS PHOTO, with flip-flops and all, in Dillard's this weekend! Aren't we just the PTA fashionistas?)

And, to wrap things up, I thought I'd share with you the view out our windows as we drove home.



What? You don't love the view? Not beautiful, you say? Boring, you say? Ahhh, but just look at that sky. We have such great sky here! Makes for enormous, breathtaking sunrises and sunsets. I love it. And see that green stuff in the photo? That's cotton. There are miles and miles and miles (and more miles) of cotton fields in this part of the country. So beautiful. I love that, too.

We had so much fun, learned so much great information, and ate so much wonderful food. And I was SO glad to get home!