My son just loves balloons. Last month, we attended a hot air balloon festival. That was really a lot of fun. We arrived around 6am and watched the sunrise. My husband is not really a morning person, but I absolutely love getting up early, especially when starting a day with a beautiful sunrise, blue skies, loved ones sitting beside you, the atmosphere of a balloon festival, and of course a nice hot cup of Joe.

We had no problem waking our son up at 5am. The night before, we explained the festival, and we let him preview the balloons via the computer. He spent nearly an hour scrolling through and viewing them on the computer. Waking him up, we told him to hurry before the sun got up and we were going to see the hot air balloons. Within minutes, he was out of bed, running around to get ready.

As some of the balloons had just started to inflate, and we were eating our breakfast, unknown to us, a bee had landed on our son’s shirt, made its way inside his shirt and stung him. Our poor son started wailing and screaming, and we immediately knew something was wrong. My husband pulled the bee off and the stinger out then he went to get something to put on the sting. As soon as he had left, I was trying to console our still screaming child. I started to point out the balloons being inflated, and this awesome distraction, despite his pain, quickly won over and not even one more cry came from our son. One tough boy! I might have still been crying.

After 15+ balloons were initially launched, everyone was allowed to walk around the launching site. Our son really enjoyed walking under the balloons, and you can see below, in the pictures, the crew even let him hold “the” string/cord that held the big ladybug balloon down on the ground. He really loved doing this and we could barely get the cord away from our son to give back to the crewman. Then at one of the baskets, they lifted my son up to meet the pilot and go into the basket. Our son kept saying that he wanted to go up. Great that our young toddler already has no fear, what will it be like for us in his teenage years, oh boy!

After we arrived back home, we printed out and did some activities together which supported the theme of balloons and the letter B. I also showed my son France, on his table mat which has countries on it, and explained how the Montgolfier brothers, from France, were the ones who invented the standard hot-air balloon.

Click here for some of the printable activities that we used:

1. Hot air balloon with shapes
2. Let B and words with the letter B
3. Clown with balloons

Are you looking for fun ways to celebrate Oktoberfest in the Forth Worth area this fall? Don't miss the 2nd Annual Lake Highlands Oktoberfest in Dallas! It takes place this Saturday, October 6th, 2012 from 11:00 am to 10:00 pm at the Lake Highlands Town Center. The Oktoberfest is presented by the Exchange Club of Lake Highlands and is packed with fun for kids and adults.

We already wrote about the 1st Annual Lake Highlands Oktoberfest, more here.

We had a lot of fun last year and can´t wait to visit the 2nd Annual Lake Highlands Oktoberfest.

German and American food will be provided by many local vendors, read here, and adults will appreciate the Biergarten keg tapping by Mayor Rawlings at 12:05 pm and running all day.

Entertainment options include live polka music from The Movarians and Matt Tolentino and the Royal Klobasneks.Traditional Bavarian folk dancing will be provided by STV Almrausch, and there will be cheer routines from numerous surrounding schools.

Be sure to check the full schedule of events so you don’t miss out on any of the great entertainment options at the Lake Highlands Oktoberfest. For more information visit http://www.lhoktoberfest.com/. This is one local event you don´t want to miss!

Zumba with Baby began, in Dallas, when our boys were toddlers. You can see in both pictures of us Wisemommies doing Zumba: one wisemommies has her toddler on her back, and the other wisemommies has her toddler doing Zumba infront of mama for the session. At just 18 months, my son loved dancing Zumba. We wisemommies loved attending workout classes where we could bring and incorporate our sons. 

They have a Zumba with baby (non walking) where children can still be watched while they socialize and play with other babies. Your baby can feel secure being able to watch mom dance and moms can observe their babies socializing while working out. Moms can also carry their children around, using them as an additional weight and or giving them the experience of dancing with the beat. Class begins with an interactive warm-up and ends with an interactive strength work out with your baby.

Now they also have a Zumba with Toddler class. Everyone learns basic dance movements, directions, and experience dancing to some culturally different rhythms.

For at home zumba workouts, click here for purchasing a a zumba rountine DVD.

You can find more info about BYOBaby Zumba at

1. Their meetup group, click here
2. Facebook page, click here
3. Move studio

Cost is a requested $10 per class but could be negotiated if need be.

Movement is a medicine for creating change in a person's physical, emotional, and mental states.  ~Carol Welch

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 1 Corinthians 6:19

Completely Free, Fun, Educational, and Day-long Event/Opportunity! This will be the second year for the annual Booksmart Festival. It's an incredible opportunity presented by the Dallas Museum of Art.  There will be many very well-known, award winning, and loved authors, illustrators, speeches, demonstrations, lessons, and activities.  Saturday, June 9 11:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

 Some Authors and illustrators include:

Taye Diggs and Shane Evans (Chocolate Me!)

2012 Newbery Medal winner Jack Gantos (Dead End in Norvelt, Rotten Ralph series)

Meg Wolitzer (The Fingertips of Duncan Dorfman)

Jennifer and Mathew Holm (Babymouse!, Squish series)

Deborah Hopkins (Titanic: Voices of the Disaster, Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt)

Eileen Christelow (Five Little Monkeys series, Desperate Dog Writes Again)

Clete Barrett Smith (Aliens on Vacation)

2010 Newbery Medal winner Rebecca Stead (When You Reach Me)

Daniel Kirk (Library Mouse series).

The day will include free autograph sessions by featured authors (books may be brought from home or purchased in the museum store), storytelling throughout the museum; studio creations; interactive workshops with paper engineer Bruce Foster (Wow! The Pop-up Book of Sports, Harry Potter: a Pop-Up) and Beatrice Coron (paper-cut stories), as well as with illustrators Jack Gantos, Shane Evans, and Mathew Holm; family tours; performances by Hugworks; and presentations by the Dallas Theater Center. Author Alejandrina Drew (Abra Cadabra, Patas de Cabra) will give presentations in both English and Spanish.

Essilor Vision Foundation will also provide free vision exams and glasses for children ages 4-12 who qualify.

Click here for more information

More FREE DMA events, monthly:

1. Free Tuesdays at the DallasMuseum of Art
2. Q & A for DMA