Flat Spencer Visits Sam Moon

Flat Spencer went with Ava to Sam Moon.  Sam Moon is a huge jewelry and handbag store located in Dallas, Texas.  He didn't seem too impressed with the merchandise, but Ava had fun showing him around and he helped her pick out a new wallet and some Valentine earrings.

Flat Spencer, the Actor

While visiting our friend Patrick, Ava and Patrick put on a production of "Jack and the Beanstalk." Flat Spencer had a leading role, and his lines were delivered flawlessly.  Bravo, Flat Spencer!

Flat Spencer Spends the Day at Park Crest Elementary School

Flat Spencer came with me to school, and enjoyed spending some time playing at recess with several of my first grade students. 

 

Summer and Flat Spencer on the slide.

Victor, Daniel, and Flat Spencer getting ready to play soccer.  Flat Spencer was ready for this, as he was already outfitted in his soccer uniform!

Paige, Charles, and Brianna take a break from playing to pose for a picture.

Record Snowfall!

Coming all the way from Michigan, I'm sure Flat Spencer did not anticipate seeing 12 inches of snow on the ground in Dallas!  This was the most snowfall North Texas has ever received in a 24-hour period.  Flat Spencer and Noah had a ball building Noah's first-ever snowman, and Noah made sure Flat Spencer stayed warm and dry!

 

 

Flat Spencer Helps Haiti

To mark the 100th day of school, the first graders at my school were asked to bring in 100 pennies.  We donated the money collected to the relief efforts in Haiti.   Flat Spencer was invaluable in helping us count how much money we raised - the grand total was $97.00.  He was really worn out after all of that counting and laid down to rest right in the middle of the money!

Bowling Night

Our family went bowling one night, and Flat Spencer tagged along.  Ava was happy to let him bowl a frame, and he knocked down 2 pins.  Not bad for someone who was throwing a ball 100 times his own body weight!

 

 

Flat Spencer at the Galleria Mall

Dallas is known for its shopping!  We have numerous, gigantic shopping malls, and the Galleria is one of them.  The Galleria Dallas is located in the North Dallas Shopping District.  Every Saturday, the Galleria hosts a playtime and story hour, so we decided to meet our friends Emma and Maggie there and took Flat Spencer along.  He really enjoyed the playground, and even got to pose with Monday and Tuesday, the clowns who performed the story hour.

 

 

The American Airlines Center

We took Flat Spencer downtown to see where some of our city's sports teams play.  This is the American Airlines Center, home of the NHL's Dallas Stars and the NBA's Dallas Mavericks.  The arena also hosts concerts, Monster Truck shows, and the Barnum and Bailey Circus.  

 

 

The W Hotel

The W Hotel is Dallas' newest and most modern hotel.  Many celebrities are said to stay here when they come to town.  We didn't see anyone famous people while visiting, but that certainly didn't keep us from enjoying the fountain outside the entrance to the hotel.

Visting Dallas' ABC Affiliate, WFAA

After visiting the American Airlines Center, we stopped outside the studio of Dallas' ABC Affiliate, WFAA.  This is where our local ABC news is filmed.

Cattle Drive Sculpture

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rv-Yb8e46ZA
In Pioneer Plaza in downtown Dallas, the world's largest bronze sculpture of its kind depicts a cattle drive of 3 cowboys and 50 steers. Each piece was created by artist Robert Summers of Glen Rose, TX.  The sculpture is on the site of the Shawnee Trail, which was a popular cattle drive trail in the 1850s.  

 

  

 

Dallas Pioneer Park Cemetery

http://freepages.history.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~pioneerparkcem/dalhist.html
We took Flat Spencer to Dallas Pioneer Park Cemetery.  This cemetery is really the remnants of four graveyards.  The graves, dating back to the 1850's, include many of Dallas' early settlers and civic leaders.

 

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

This picture and the one below are of the Confederate Monument.  The monument consists of a 60-foot obelisk with a confederate soldier on top, as well as four smaller statues:  Albert Sydney Johnston at one corner, General Robert E. Lee at another corner, General Stonewall Jackson at the third corner, and Confederate President Jefferson Davis at the fourth corner.

The Dallas Convention Center and Dallas City Hall

Next, we stopped outside the Dallas Convention Center.  The Convention Center is home to the Dallas Auto Show and is also used for numerous other conventions and trade shows.  We then walked to Dallas City Hall, the home of Dallas city government.  The city hall building was constructed in 1978 by world famous architect I.M. Pei.  Outside City Hall is the Park Plaza, which includes a 180-foot diameter reflecting pool, three 84-foot high flagpoles, and several Henry Moore sculptures.

 

  

Ava and Flat Spencer outside Dallas City Hall

 

Noah, Ava, and Flat Spencer in the Plaza outside Dallas City Hall

Reunion Tower

On our way back from City Hall, we took a picture of Flat Spencer with Reunion Tower in the background.  Reunion Tower is one of Dallas' most recognizable landmarks.  It stands 560 feet and is a prominent feature in the opening credits of the television show Dallas.  When the tower first opened, it included an FM broadcast station; today it is home to Five Sixty, a Wolfgang Puck restaurant.  The ball atop the tower rotates, completing a revolution every 55 minutes.

 

 

The West End and Dealy Plaza

Flat Spencer's final downtown destination was the West End.  The West End is home to many of Dallas' largest tourist attractions, including the Sixth Floor Museum, Founders Plaza, and Dealy Plaza.

 

Founder's Plaza, with Reunion Tower in the background

Flat Spencer, Noah, and Ava in front of the West End sign. 

Looking behind us from Founders Plaza.  The building in the background was covered with  a huge advertisement for the 2010 NBA All Star Game, which took place at the American Airlines Center.  The advertisement was being taken down while we were there (if you look very carefully, you can see a man on a window-washing platform removing it.)

The Deputy Sheriff's Memorial in Founder's Plaza

 

Outside the Sixth Floor Museum, formerly the Texas School Book Depository Building.  This is the building from which Lee Harvey Oswald shot President John F. Kennedy.

Ava and Flat Spencer inside Dealy Plaza

  

The X on the road behind Flat Spencer marks the exact spot of President Kennedy's car  when he was shot.