Tex Goes to Steps 4 Students

On February 20, 2016, Tex went with Mrs. Normann-Petersen and Mrs. Vodehnal to Steps for Students.  Steps for Students is an annual Archdiocesan-wide 5K event that raises awareness of the importance of Catholic Education and money for Catholic education.  Steps for Students is well attended every year.  This year 12,000 families and athletes gather to cheer on Tex, Mrs. Vodehnal, and Mrs. Normann-Petersen, Ms. Coltharp their families, friends, and students.  With the help of Mrs. Vodehnal and Mrs. Normann-Petersen, Tex answered the following questions:

1.    Where is Tex?  Tex is at the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in the heart of downtown Houston attending Steps for Students.  The Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart is located at 1111 St. Joseph Parkway, Houston 77002. 

2. What is the geography like there? There are many tall buildings and many noisy vehicles whizzing by the Co-Cathedral.  Inside the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart is a beautiful hand-crafted pipe organ and amazing stained glass windows and statues.

3. What are typical foods that are eaten there?   What type of foods do you and family and friends like to eat?  Everyone who attended this year’s Steps for Students like a variety of foods.  It is too hard to list all of the favorite foods here, but some of the favorites are seafood, Italian, cheeseburgers, and desserts.  All the participants received water, fruit and snacks after the race.

4. What types of jobs are there?  Since there were 12,000 people that attended the 5K there were many jobs represented but some of the common are found at the Co-Cathedral and the 5K are Students, Clergy, Teachers, Faculty, and Support Staff.

5. What are the popular sports or games played there?  What popular sports or games interest you, your family, and your friends?  Some of the participant’s favorite sports are running, swimming, football, soccer, track and baseball.

6. Tex, can you include any pictures of yourself and surrounding area and/or landmarks?  Please see the pictures below of Tex at Steps for Students.

Here is Tex with Mrs. Normann-Petersen Mrs. Vodehnal, Riley and Carylina

Here is Tex at the Start Line!  On your mark!  Get set!    Go!

Here is Tex at the end of the race with Mrs. Normann-Petersen.  They were looking for water and bananas since they were very thirsty for water and hungry for bananas.  Bananas are a source of Potassium which your muscles need after they work hard.

 After the Steps for Students 5K race, Mr. and Mrs. Normann-Petersen along with Tex drove to San Antonio.  Mrs. Normann-Petersen participated in the Alamo Run’s 5K on Sunday, February 21, 2016.  Here is Mrs. Normann-Petersen and Tex getting ready for the race.

  

Here is Tex with Mrs. and Mr.  Normann-Petersen after completing the Alamo Run’s 5K.

For more information on Steps for Students please visit the website below:

www.firstgiving.com/stepsforstudents/

For more information on the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, please visit the website below:

http://www.sacredhearthouston.org/

For more information on the Alamo Run, please visit the website below:

http://www.alamorunfest.com/

Tex Celebrated Mardi Gras

On Tuesday, February 9, 2016 Tex celebrated Mardi Gras with the 3K M-F Class.  Tex and Mrs. Normann-Petersen answered together the following questions:

1.    Where is Tex?  Tex is at St. Thomas More Parish School, 5927 Wigton Dr. in  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?  King Cake, Fried Alligator, Frog Legs, Jambalaya, and Shrimp and Chicken Gumbo.

4. What types of jobs are there?  Priests, Principal, Administrators, Nurses, and Teachers.

5. What are the popular sports or games played there?  What popular sports or games interest you, your family, and your friends?  Some of the teacher’s favorite sports are swimming, tennis, golf, basketball, football, soccer, and baseball.

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 having fun celebrating Mardi Gras!

Tex enjoyed watching the students make a Mardi Gras mask using glitter.  He also got to see Mardi Gras beads.  One bead was gold, another was purple, and the third was green.   

Tex  enjoyed sitting with Clifford, the Big Red dog, and enjoying the decorations.

For more information on Mardi Gras Celebrations, please visit the History Channel’s website below:

http://www.history.com/topics/holidays/mardi-gras

For more information on Galveston Mardi Gras and New Orleans Mardi Gras, please visit the websites below:

http://www.mardigrasgalveston.com/

http://www.mardigrasneworleans.com/

Tex's clue for the next stop:

Can you guess where Tex went on this next visit?  Tex goes with Mr. and Mrs. Normann-Petersen to the Co-Cathedral for a race that has a lot of athletes and that directly benefits Catholic Education.   Please email Mrs. Normann-Petersen if you think you have a guess! cnormannpetersen@stmorenews.com

Tex Goes Wild at Crocodile Encounter

On February 6, 2016 Tex went with Mr. and Mrs. Normann-Petersen to visit Houston’s only reptile zoo, the Crocodile Encounter.  Tex, Mr. and Mrs. Normann-Petersen had adventure learning about alligators, crocodiles, and capybara, and celebrating their nephew, Connor’s Birthday.  Tex and Mrs. Normann-Petersen answered together the following questions:

1.  Where is Tex?  Tex is on an adventure with Mr. and Mrs. Normann-Petersen learning about alligators, crocodiles, and capybaras at the Crocodile Encounter. 

2. What is the geography like there? Crocodile Encounter is located in Angleton, TX which is a city and the county seat of Brazoria County.  Brazoria County lies in the southeastern part of Texas near the Gulf of Mexico and is within the Woodlands, Houston, and Sugar Land metropolitan area.  Angleton is located at the intersection of State Highway 288, State Highway 25, and the Union Pacific Railroad.

3. What are typical foods that are eaten there?   What type of foods do you and family and friends like to eat?  Our tour guide told us that visitors should not eat food during the tour of Crocodile Encounter because you will be too busy learning about the reptiles.  But the tour guide did share with Tex and the other visitors that after they were finished then could enjoy cake with the Birthday Boy!  Alligators and crocodiles are carnivores and they typically will eat fish, insects, snails, crustaceans, worms, alligator gar, turtles, and various mammals, particularly nutria and muskrat, as well as birds, buffalo, wild boar, deer, and other reptiles.  The pigs are omnivores like people, but the  pigs eat bugs, vegetables, and fruit.  The tortoises eat a wide variety of plants including vegetables, flowers, berries, and grasses.

When Tex asked the tour guide what did the alligators and crocodiles eat at the Crocodile Encounter.  The tour guide said that they eat mainly raw chicken parts.

4. What types of jobs are there?  At the Crocodile Encounter the types of jobs are the owner, the tour guides, and the zoo-keepers who take care of the animals and reptiles that live there.

5. What are the popular sports or games played there?  What popular sports or games interest you, your family, and your friends?  The people that work at Crocodile Encounter and the visitors who come to learn about the reptiles enjoy participating in all types of sports from swimming to basketball, soccer, and football.  They also enjoy rooting the hometown favorites: the Houston Astros, and the Sugar Land Skeeters, the Houston Rockets, the Houston Texans, and the Houston Dynamo.

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 at the Crocodile Encounter.

Here is Tex at the start of the tour at Crocodile Encounter.

Here is Tex with the tortoises.

Here is Tex with the Farm Pigs and the Potbelly Pigs.  Tex liked the Potbelly Pigs the best!

After Tex watched the pigs he got see some elliptical waterbucks, which are mammals that are related to the deer.

Finally after the tortoises, the pigs, and the elliptical waterbucks, Tex and the other guests on the tour got to meet the Alligators and Crocodiles.  Here are a few pictures.  The first four pictures are of Sultan, an alligator.  The last pictures of a Nile Crocodile. 

The Nile Crocodile

After the tour everyone enjoyed cake and wished Connor a Happy Birthday and took pictures with each other.  Here is Connor and Riley with Mr. and Mrs. Normann-Petersen and Tex. 

 For more information on the Crocodile Encounter please contact the staff at the information below:

Crocodile Encounter

23231 CR 48

Angleton, TX  77515

281-595-2232

crocodileencounter@gmail.com

http://www.thecrocodileexperience.com/

Tex's clue for the next stop: Tex attends a celebration at St. Thomas More Parish School that always takes place the day before Ash Wednesday.  This celebration is usually includes parades, fun music, masks, and a yummy a dessert.  Can you guess where Tex went on this next visit?  

Tex Goes to the Dentist and to the Veterinarian

On February 2, 2016 Tex went to get his annual exam at the Dentist and at the Veterinarian.  Tex and Mrs. Normann-Petersen answered together the following questions:

1.  Where is Tex?  Tex is having his annual exams at Dentist Carmen Kamas and Veterinarian Zachary Clark’s office. 

2. What is the geography like there? Fort Bend County lies in the southeastern part of Texas near the Gulf of Mexico.  There are 17 cities that lie in Fort Bend County.

3. What are typical foods that are eaten there?   What type of foods do you and family and friends like to eat?  Dr. Kamas told us that no food is eaten at the dentist office because patients are getting their annual teeth exams or getting their teeth repaired.  But Dr. Kamas did share with Tex that her favorite food is any type of cupcakes.   Dr. Kamas reminded us that you should always brush your teeth twice a day.

When Tex asked Dr. Clark what his favorite food was, Dr. Clark replied with “unfortunately for Tex it is steaks!”  Mrs.  Normann-Petersen then wanted to know what kind of food longhorns eat.  Dr. Clark said that Longhorns and cows eat mainly grain, grass, and hay.

4. What types of jobs are there?  At the Dentist office there is the receptionist, dental hygienist who is similar to the assistant, and then of course the dentist.  The Veterinarian office has many of the same jobs as the Dentist office.  There is a receptionist, veterinarian technician who is an assistant to the Veterinarian and then of course the Veterinarian.

5. What are the popular sports or games played there?  What popular sports or games interest you, your family, and your friends?  Dentist Kamas enjoys many sports, but hiking mountains is her favorite.  Though Dr. Clark enjoys many sports, his favorite is Aggie Football!!!

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 at Dentist Kamas Office and Dr. Clark’s Office.

Here is Tex having his teeth examined by Dentist Kamas.  Tex’s teeth are in good shape and Dentist Kamas found no cavities.  Dentist Kamas informed us that Longhorns do not brush their teeth or floss teeth, but people need to floss once a day and brush their teeth at least twice a day.

Here is Tex waiting for Dr. Clark, the veterinarian, to do his annual checkup.

Dr. Clark listened to Tex’s heart rate.  Dr. Clark said Tex’s heart sounded good and his annual exam went well.  Tex is healthy!

After Dr. Clark Tex’s annual exam Tex needed to be weighed.  He weighed a total of 2 ½ oz.

For more information on good dental hygiene please visit the American Dental Association please visit the website below:

www.ada.org

To contact Dr. Carmen Kamas’ office to schedule an appointment please see the information below:

1123 Lehall Street

Houston, TX  77030

713-790-1314

For more information on keeping your pet healthy please visit the American Veterinary Medical Association please visit the website below:

www.avma.org

To schedule an appointment with Dr. Clark at Stafford Oaks Veterinary Clinic please see his contact information and visit his website below:

927 Dulles Avenue

Stafford, TX  77477

281-499-3538

www.staffordoaksvet.com

Tex's clue for the next stop: Tex is at Houston’s only reptile zoo where he is on an adventure looking to learn about alligators, crocodiles, and capybara. 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