Tex Visits Santa

Santa visits St. Thomas More School on December 2, 2015.  Santa and Tex answered together the following questions:

1.  Where is Tex?  Tex is at St. Thomas More Parish School,  5927 Wigton Houston, TX 77096.  Santa and Mrs. Claus took time out of their busy day to visit St. Thomas More Parish School.

2. What is the geography like there? Houston lies in the southeastern part of Texas near the Gulf of Mexico.  Houston is considered to be in the coastal prairie of Texas.

3. What are typical foods that are eaten there?   What type of foods do you and family and friends like to eat?  Santa enjoys cookies and milk the most.  His favorite dinner is anything that Mrs. Claus will cook for him.  The only thing he does not eat is venison. 

4. What types of jobs do the Elves and Santa have at the North Pole? Santa enjoys delivering presents to all of the boys and girls in the world.  Though he does have two favorite hobbies: playing any type of game and trying out all the new toys.  The elves make toys, care for the reindeer, wrap presents, help in the kitchen, and they all together to make the North Pole a clean and comfortable place to live.

5. What are the popular sports or games played there?  What popular sports or games interest you, your family, and your friends? The elves at the North Pole like to have snow ball fights, snow skiing, sledding, and playing hide and seek in the reindeer stable.  Santa and Mrs. Claus enjoy all of the games that every child and elf play!

6. Where are you going next Tex? Give us a hint and see if we can figure it before you get there! Tex’s clue is at the end of this post.

7. Tex, can you include any pictures of yourself and surrounding area and/or landmarks?  Please see the pictures below Santa, Mrs. Claus, and Tex.

Here are a few pictures of Tex checking out the Christmas Tree, the poinsettias, the nutcrackers, and the snowman. 

Here are two pictures of Tex with Santa, Mrs. Claus, and the class. 

For more information on St. Thomas More Parish School please visit the website below:

www.stthomasmore-school.org

For more information on tracking Santa Claus, and the North Pole please visit the website below:

http://www.noradsanta.org/

http://www.northpole.com/

The Official Santa Tracker:

http://www.noradsanta.org/

Tex's clue for his next stop: Tex sends his friends, 2 penguins, to a city in Italy to celebrate Christmas.  This city is where the Pope lives.   If you think you know the answer to Tex’s clue please email Mrs. Normann-Petersen at:    cnormannpetersen@stmorenews.com

Tex, the Longhorn, spent the weekend of November 13, 2015 soaking in Texas History in San Antonio, Texas.  Tex answered the following questions:

1.  Where is Tex?  On Friday, November 13 Tex left Houston, Texas USA by truck and traveled to San Antonio, Texas.  He visited the San Jose Mission on Sunday, November 14, 2015.

2. What is the geography like there? San Antonio, the seventh most populous city in the United States of America and the second most populous city in the state of Texas, is located in the Hill Country.  It is situated in south central Texas between the Edwards Plateau to the northwest and the Gulf Coastal Plains to the southeast.  The terrain has oak trees, mesquite trees and cacti.

3. What are typical foods that are eaten there?   What type of foods do you and family and friends like to eat?  Residents and visitors of San Antonio enjoy eating many different types of food.  When Mr. and Mrs. Normann-Petersen visit San Antonio they like to eat at The Alamo Café, Mi Tierra Restaurant and Bakery, Bohanans Steakhouse, and Landry’s Seafood on the river walk.

4. What types of jobs are there? The most common jobs in San Antonio are nurses, teachers, ranchers, farmers, and tourism.

5. What are the popular sports or games played there?  What popular sports or games interest you, your family, and your friends? Many people enjoy watching the San Antonio Spurs, the basketball team, as well as University of Texas at San Antonio’s Football team, the Roadrunners!

6. Where are you going next Tex? Give us a hint and see if we can figure it before you get there! Tex’s clue is at the end of this post.

7. Tex, can you include any pictures of yourself and surrounding area and/or landmarks?  Please see the pictures below of Tex’s trip to San Antonio, Texas to visit the Alamo.

Here are a Tex and Mrs. Normann-Petersen in front of the San Jose Mission and a picture of the inside of the mission.  The San Jose was founded in 1720 by Father Antonio Margil de Jesus, an important Franciscan missionary in early Texas.  The San Jose Mission is known as the “Queen of Missions” because of it is the biggest of the missions in San Antonio and the elaborate sculptures that adorns it. 

 Here is Tex reading about the Church and the Mission.

The San Jose Mission housed and taught the Indians, the Coahuiltecans (kwa-weel-tay-kans) about Catholic religion and eventually converted them to the Catholic religion.  During the Alamo Battle the San Jose Mission also housed Spanish Soldiers.  The San Jose Mission’s grounds are beautiful to take a walk in or sit and prayer in the beautiful garden.  Here are a few pictures of the grounds, the gardens, the water well, and Mrs. Normann-Petersen’s favorite the Rose Window located. 

Here is Tex getting his picture taken in front of the San Jose Sign.

For more information on San Antonio, Texas, the Alamo, University of Texas at San Antonio, Mi Tierra Café, Alamo Café, Landry’s, and Bohanans please visit the websites below.

http://www.sanantonio.gov/

http://visitsanantonio.com/

http://www.nps.gov/saan/planyourvisit/index.htm

http://www.nps.gov/saan/planyourvisit/sanjose.htm

Interactive Map of the Alamo

 http://www.thealamo.org/plan-a-visit/interactive-map/index.html

http://www.goutsa.com/SportSelect.dbml?SPID=34919

http://www.mitierracafe.com/

http://www.bohanans.com/

http://www.thesanantonioriverwalk.com/directory/landrys-seafood

http://www.alamocafe.com/

Tex's clue for his next stop:  Tex gets to visit with a jolly old man who wears a red suit and a red hat, and has Rudolph the Reindeer to help him. If you think you know the answer to Tex’s clue please email Mrs. Normann-Petersen at:    cnormannpetersen@stmorenews.com

Tex Goes to the Alamo

Tex, the Longhorn, spent the weekend of November 13, 2015 soaking in Texas History in San Antonio, Texas.  Tex answered the following questions:

1.  Where is Tex?  On Friday, November 13 Tex left Houston, Texas USA by truck and traveled to San Antonio, Texas.  He visited the Alamo on Saturday, November 15, 2015.

2. What is the geography like there? San Antonio, the seventh most populous city in the United States of America and the second most populous city in the state of Texas, is located in the Hill Country.  It is situated in south central Texas between the Edwards Plateau to the northwest anted the Gulf Coastal Plains to the southeast.  The terrain has oak trees, mesquite trees and cacti.

3. What are typical foods that are eaten there?   What type of foods do you and family and friends like to eat?  Residents and visitors of San Antonio enjoy eating many different types of food.  When Mr. and Mrs. Normann-Petersen visit San Antonio they like to eat The Alamo Café, Mi Tierra Restaurant and Bakery, Bohanans Steakhouse, and Landry’s Seafood on the river walk.

4. What types of jobs are there? The most common job in San Antonio is nurses, teachers, ranches, farms, and tourism.

5. What are the popular sports or games played there?  What popular sports or games interest you, your family, and your friends? Many people enjoy watching the San Antonio Spurs, the basketball team, as well as University of Texas at San Antonio’s Football team, the Roadrunners!

6. Where are you going next Tex? Give us a hint and see if we can figure it before you get there! Tex’s clue is at the end of this post.

7. Tex, can you include any pictures of yourself and surrounding area and/or landmarks?  Please see the pictures below of Tex’s trip to San Antonio, Texas to visit the Alamo.

Here are a Tex and Mrs. Normann-Petersen looking for the Alamo.

Here is Tex, Mrs. Normann-Petersen, and Mr. Normann-Petersen admiring the Alamo.  Did you know that the Alamo was built in 1718 and it began as a Spanish Mission, the San Antonio de Valero Mission? 

 The Battle of the Alamo took place very early in the morning on March 6, 1836 between Texas and Mexico.  General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna led the Mexican Army in the Battle of the Alamo.  This battle helped Texans defeat the Mexican Army at San Jacinto.  It laid the frame work for Texas to gain its Independence from Mexico and helped Texas became the 28^th state in the United States of America.   Here is Tex helping Mrs. Normann-Petersen read the information board about the Alamo.

Here is Tex in one of the windows of the barracks of the Alamo.  The barrack was used originally used as the quarters and offices of the Spanish missionaries.  During the Battle of the Alamo in 1836, many defenders of the Alamo retreated into this building where they made a last stand against the Mexican Army and General Santa Anna.  

Here are Tex and Mrs. Normann-Petersen with two of the cannons that the Texas Soldiers used.  William B. Travis was the commander of the Alamo and a few of his defenders were Jim Bowie, renowned knife fighter, and David Crockett, famed frontiersman and former congressman from Tennessee.

Five countries and their army’s occupied the Alamo:  Spain (Alamo de Parras troops), Mexico (after Independence until 1836), the Republic of Texas, the Confederate States of America, and the United States of America.  Here is Mrs. Normann-Petersen and Tex at the Cenotaph, the monument in the Alamo Plaza Historic District of San Antonio.  It pays tribute to the heroic defenders that fell during the Battle of the Alamo. 

 After exploring the Alamo and the Centopah Mr. and Mrs. Normann-Petersen and Tex explored the Alamo’s gardens and found huge gold fish and a huge cactus plant.

Across the street from the Alamo is the Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum with a Lion outside of the Museum.  Mrs. Normann-Petersen could not resist taking a picture with the Lion.

 After eating a delicious dinner at Landry’s Seafood on the River Walk, Mrs. Normann-Petersen and Tex stopped to admire how beautiful the Alamo is at night.

For more information on San Antonio, Texas, the Alamo, University of Texas at San Antonio, Mi Tierra Café, Alamo Café, Landry’s, and Bohanans please visit the websites below.

http://www.sanantonio.gov/

http://visitsanantonio.com/

http://www.thealamo.org/

Interactive Map of the Alamo http://www.thealamo.org/plan-a-visit/interactive-map/index.html

http://www.goutsa.com/SportSelect.dbml?SPID=34919

http://www.mitierracafe.com/

http://www.bohanans.com/

http://www.thesanantonioriverwalk.com/directory/landrys-seafood

http://www.alamocafe.com/

Tex's clue for his next stop:  Tex goes to a historic Catholic Mission in San Antonio, Texas that was named in part for the Marquis de San Miguel de Aguayo, Jose de Azlor y Virto de Vera.  If you think you know the answer to Tex’s clue please email Mrs. Normann-Petersen at:    cnormannpetersen@stmorenews.com

Tex Goes to a Wedding

Tex, the Longhorn, spent the weekend of October 2, 2015 attending a wedding in Ixonia, Wisconsin.  Tex answered the following questions:

1.  Where is Tex?  On Friday, October 2 Tex left on Houston, Texas USA  by airplane and arrived in Madison, Wisconsin, USA.  He attended a wedding in Ixonia, Wisconsin, USA.

2. What is the geography like there? Wisconsin is in the plains and is also part of  the Great Lakes of USA. The Great Lakes form the largest freshwater system on earth and consist of the following 5 lakes: Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie, Lake Ontario. 

3. What are typical foods that are eaten there?   What type of foods do you and family and friends like to eat?  The guests of the wedding ate chicken, pork, scalloped potatoes, and apple pie! The day after the wedding they ate pasties (pronounced past-eez), which are ground beef and chopped potatoes wrapped in a pie crust and baked.

4. What types of jobs are there? The most common job in Wisconsin is manufacturing but there are a few agricultural jobs as well.

5. What are the popular sports or games played there?  What popular sports or games interest you, your family, and your friends? Football, Green Bay Packers; baseball, Milwaukee Brewers; Tex and the members of the wedding party watched college football the night of the wedding!

6. Where are you going next Tex? Give us a hint and see if we can figure it before

you get there! Tex’s clue is at the end of this post.

7. Tex, can you include any pictures of yourself and surrounding area and/or landmarks?  Please see the pictures below of Tex’s trip to Madison and Ixonia, Wisconsin to attend a wedding.

Here are a few pictures of Tex riding in the airplane to Madison, Wisconsin.

Tex enjoyed the hotel and resort where the wedding took place!

Here is Tex with the beautiful bride.

For more information on Madison, WI and Ixonia, WI, please visit their city websites.

https://www.cityofmadison.com/

http://www.townofixonia.com/

For more information on the Great Lakes, please visit the website below.

http://epa.gov/greatlakes/

Tex's clue for his next stop:  Tex goes to a town that is rich in Texas History and a famous battle took place here that once was a mission. This town is 200 miles west of Houston cnormannpetersen@stmorenews.com

Tex Goes Camping

Tex, the Longhorn, spent a Saturday and Sunday in October camping with Mr. and Mrs. Normann-Petersen and their dog Jake. They went camping at Mr. Normann-Petersen’s mother’s ranch in Matagorda, Texas.  Tex answered the following questions:

1.    Where is Tex?  Tex is with Mr. and Mrs. Normann-Petersen in Matagorda, TX.

2. What is the geography like there? Matagorda County lies in the southeastern part of Texas on the Gulf of Mexico.  Matagorda County is a small farming and fishing community.  Since it is on Gulf Coast the area is very flat with a few Mesquite trees and has had its fair share of hurricanes and tropical storms.

3. What are typical foods that are eaten there?   What type of foods do you and family and friends like to eat?  The most common types of food eaten while you are camping are steaks, hamburgers, hot dogs, and roasted marshmallows.

4. What types of jobs are there? Fishermen and farmers.

5. What are the popular sports or games played there?  What popular sports or games interest you, your family, and your friends? Sugar Land’s Baseball Team, the Skeeters and the Houston Texans Football Team.

7. Tex, can you include any pictures of yourself and surrounding area and/or landmarks?  Please see the pictures below of Tex’s camping trip with Mr. and Mrs. Normann-Petersen’s .

Here is Tex with Mrs. Normann-Petersen in front of their tent. 

                                                                                                                          

Here is Tex and Jake, the dog hanging out together on the “Gator” watching Mr. Normann-Petersen build a campfire.

 Tex and Mrs. Normann-Petersen before the fire was started.

Tex did not want to get to close to the campfire since it was so hot, but he asked me to take a picture of the campfire.

After Mr. and Mrs. Normann-Petersen built a fire, they made smore’s.  Tex was worried about getting his hair dirty and stayed on the “Gator” with Jake, the dog.

Tex Goes to Oktoberfest

Tex, the Longhorn, spent Sunday, October 18, 2015 attending Oktoberfest at St. Thomas More Parish School and Church.  Tex answered the following questions:

1.  Where is Tex?  Tex attended Oktoberfest at St. Thomas More Parish School and Church,  5927 Wigton Houston, TX 77096.

2. What is the geography like there? Houston lies in the southeastern part of Texas near the Gulf of Mexico.  Houston is considered to be in the coastal prairie of Texas.

3. What are typical foods that are eaten there?   What type of foods do you and family and friends like to eat?  The visitors of Oktoberfest eat a wide arrange of food from pizza, sausage on the stick, turkey legs, egg rolls, to cakes, cookies, and other sweets from the Sweet Shop!

4. What types of jobs are there? The people that attend Oktoberfest have many different jobs, but at St. Thomas More Parish School and Church the most common jobs are Priests, Deacons, Teachers, Administrators, Secretaries, and Maintenance Workers.

5. What are the popular sports or games played there?  What popular sports or games interest you, your family, and your friends? There are many types of games to play at Oktoberfest.  Some of these booths include: ring-a-litter, stuffed animal booth, baseball, soccer, inflatable jumping area, and an inflatable obstacle course.  Visitors of Oktoberfest enjoy watching the Houston Texans Football Team, Houston Astros Baseball Team, Houston Rockets Basketball Team, and the Houston Dynamo Soccer Team.

6. Where are you going next Tex? Give us a hint and see if we can figure it before

you get there! Tex’s clue is at the end of this post.

7. Tex, can you include any pictures of yourself and surrounding area and/or landmarks?  Please see the pictures below of Tex’s trip to Oktoberfest

Here are a few pictures of Tex having fun at Okotberfest!

Tex went through the bouncy obstacle course and found Mrs. Normann-Petersen’s niece and nephew, Riley and her big brother, Connor, enjoying the same inflatable.

After he jumped in the bouncys he took a break and helped Mrs. Normann-Petersen pick out some plants for her home.

Tex’s next two stops were the confetti egg booth and the raffle ticket booth.

Tex needed to take a break from the sun so he headed into the gym to pick out some good gently used books and STM spirit hats and bags from the Spirit booth.

All of this fun made Tex hungry for something sweet to eat and something warm to drink.  He went to the Sweet Shop.  There were so many choices he decided to eat a Peach Cobbler with a cup of coffee!

After he was finished his friend, Mrs. Moreno-Garza, surprised him with a yummy banana muffin!

Tex's clue for his next stop:  This is one of Mrs. Normann-Petersen’s favorite activities to do during the Fall and Spring Seasons when the weather is cooler.  The activity is an outdoor activity where you spend the night outside and roast marshmallow on a fire!  Can you guess where Tex went on this next visit?  Please email Mrs. Normann-Petersen if you think you have a guess!  cnormannpetersen@stmorenews.com