When we were planning our trip, we decided on 5 days total: 1 day going down, 3 days within, and 1 day coming back. I chronicled our trip down, so this time I will discuss our first day.
Our first full day in San Antonio wasn't actually spent there; we headed to Austin since the Hubster has family there. It was a fun packed day while we were there with play time at a museum, good food, and family town.
Lesson 1: If you are heading up to Austin from San Antonio, avoid I-35 at all cost. Listen to the GPS when it tells you to take the around-about way. We left at 11:30, and we didn't get to the place until right about 2. It should have been only an hour to hour 15 minute!
First Stop: The Thinkery Children's Museum http://thinkeryaustin.org
-We had heard several times about this museum, and it was definitely worth the stop. Since we have a membership to the Perot, we got into free since they are part of the same association. While the Perot is geared more for children, it is really more for older children except for the lower level children's area, but the Thinkery had much more for Mr. G to do. We actually started with lunch from the Snap Kitchen outlet they have out front; I'll get back to that in a bit. Afterward, we head to their outside area to play. They have a water feature to play with, and of course, our little water baby headed straight to it. After a romp in the water, we went into the main downstairs area. Little Man loved the Painting on Glass area and Building Landscape to build a house. Upstairs, there was the Current room which was another water area. We were a little hesitant to let him play in here for another soaking, but they did have smock covers for this room. He loved playing with the different musical instruments. We then discovered the story nook and were just in time for storytime, and it was a perfect place to relax a minute since Gray had only had a short nap in the car on the way up. They also had a market/kitchen area to play in. Gray had fun in there motion room which had large soft pieces to build with and climb on. We headed back downstairs for a little play with the train. They had a camera set up for kiddos to take a pictures, and then there were screens to display the photos. Mr. G got a kick out of seeing his on the wall. They had a good size toddler area as well, but Mr. G was just barely too old for that.
Lesson 2: Make sure to bring an extra set of clothes and a towel for water play. The upstairs water room does provide crocs for the kiddos to wear if you don't mind them wearing someone else's shoes. They also have lockers you can rent which came in handy for us since we stashed our backpack there rather than carrying it around.
Lesson 3: Eating and drinking is restricted downstairs next to the outside area and the outside area.
Lesson 4: Either bring lunch or map out restaurants before going. The Snap Kitchen outlet had decent food, but it was on the expensive side with limited selection. Most of their food was gluten free or contain lettuce which was difficult to me since I am allergic to rice and lettuce. They didn't really have anything my sometimes pick toddler would eat, and the Hubster found the selection not so great. It cost a roughly $25 for lunch, and neither the Hubster or Little Man ate theirs. Mine was good and filling on the bright side, and they did have the green tea I am addicted to. If I had checked out their vending machine first, we could have gotten G's meal for half the cost since they had hummus and pita chips he does like, and mapping out the neighborhood (we drove through later since the Hubster's grandmother lives near) would have shown me better options for our needs.
Lesson 5: There is a park across the street that is fantastic. When Little Man got bored with the museum we headed over for some playtime there. There is also a pond with a walking path as well, but it does have a fairly step drop off so be mindful with children who run without watching and those learning to walk.
Second Stop: Julio's http://www.juliosaustin.com/
-The Hubster's grandmother recently moved to Austin, and his Uncle R has lived there for years. Uncle R actually runs a branch of a popular local chain that is yummy, but he suggested this place for a change of place. He has been going there for year, and the owner knew him by name. There is definitely a reason he keeps going there. The food was delicious. The salsa was had just the right kick, and the chips were crisp. I had the chicken quesadillas, and they were excellent. The Hubster was impressed with his fajita tacos as well. It would be somewhere we wouldn't mind returning to in the future. The only thing to remember is that they only accept cash as payment.
Third Stop: Quack's 43rd Street Bakery http://www.quacksbakery.com/home
Our last stop was this little bakery around the corner from Julio's. They had a wonderful selection of treats even at the point in the evening that we arrived. Little Man had pirate sword sugar cookie that was gone within an instance. My first selection was cinnamon roll. They were running a special of two for the price of one, so I got a banana nut muffin for the next day. I also got a coffee, and Brett got an ice coffee later. The cinnamon roll was a yummy treat, and the coffee had a good medium flavor. They had a good selection of both gluten free and vegan-not my fave as I am allergic to rice. Make sure to read the labels carefully though before purchasing. The banana nut muffin was actually gluten free, and I had issues after eating it.
Lucky for us, there was a patio area behind the center, and since the night was nice, we hung out with family for a bit before heading back to San Antonio. Going back, traffic was much better thank goodness. Next blog I'll talk about our adventures in Fredericksburg and the San Antonio Zoo.
Wednesday, July 15, 2015
Monday, July 13, 2015
Road Tripping with a Toddler Part 1-Getting There
We decided to take a family vacation this year since we didn't do one last year. Where to go on a small budget that was a fairly short travel in a non-plane sorta way? That was a duh answer for us-San Antonio. This was actually the Hubster's and my second trip down to SA for the year as we had gone down in January for the first PaxSouth convention, but we didn't really leave the convention area or see family while there. We didn't have to worry about the big expense of hotel since we had family to stay with.
Day 1
5 hours in a car with a 3 year old who has just started fighting being in a car seat sounds like a ton of fun right? Perhaps for those who love root canals and walking on shards of glass. Lucky for us, Little Man is normally a fantastic car napper normally, but I still wanted to come prepared. We had been debating a new iPad, so this gave us the excuse to go ahead and get one. Hubster loaded it up with a new "Jake and the Neverland Pirate" DVD and a selection of animated movies since the new iPad did not have access to data. Downside of that was it pretty much filled up the 16G of memory. I also got a collection of coloring items, books, and car friendly toys.
*Lesson 1: With the episodes of Jake, I could have just gone with one or two movies which would have freed up room to maybe put some of the apps I had found reviewed for toddlers. He really only got through one long episode of Jake and "Cinderella".
*Lesson 2: Less selection was better. We either read books, or he watched something. He played a little with his Bucky boat, but that was at his insistence over the difficulty of it. He liked on particular off-brand coloring book that he just flipped through and made-up stories for. It would have been better if I had could have gotten a more child-friendly app on iPad since it would take up less space.
-Stop 1: West Czech Stop-Normally, we stop on the way back to take kolaches home, but we stopped on the way there to get them as a surprise for my great aunt who we were staying with. This was a easy stop as always, and the kolaches were good as every. If you have never stopped here on the way, then I would suggest you make it a priority next time you go. A bonus was that I got to see an old school friend for a brief moment.
-Stop 2: Collins Street Bakery in Waco-While I have passed the pretty white building many times, I had never actually stopped. I read in a blog article (sorry but can't remember which) that it was a good stopping point for families, and it was definitely worth the stop. We got lunch for 3 adults and 1 toddler for about $20 including sandwiches, chips, and drinks. They had a decent selection of premade sandwiches as well as ones to be made to order. I was a bit limited with my abnormal food allergies since they were a little turkey heavy, and the soup had rice in it. However, the chicken salad sandwich I selected was good, and everyone else seemed to enjoy their picks. They also had a sweets part of the bakery. I picked zucchini bread since I hadn't had it in a long time, but it was a bit dry. The cherry cookie sample I tried was much better. However, the bake case was very inexpensively marked with most items less than $1.50
-Stop 3: Buc-ee's in Temple-Another win stop! This is one of the newest Buc-ee's in the area. My first experience with them was when we traveled to TRF for our first anniversary in 2009. That Buc-ee's was on a smaller scale; this is one of the megastories they have more recently been building. It is like you put Love's and Walmart together. They are a great stop because they have plenty to look at so you get a chance to walk around, and the rest room is large and very clean. Plus there are Buc-ee Nuggets! They are these yummy corn puff flavored with caramel. They are very addictive, too, so you have to watch it. They also supposedly have tasty beef jerky and a plethora of many other yummy treats.
Our last stop was really at some random gas station in the middle of no where since we were lost. We did take the tollway (130/45) around Austin, and unless you plan on stopping at Austin, I would highly suggest it. It cut down on some of the time we lost with the stops. Afterward, we went straight to San Antonio, but I did learn one last lesson.
*Lesson 3: NEVER EVER count on naps! I had planned for Little Man to go down after lunch when he normally does, and this was far from the truth. So having patients is extremely important!
Day 1
5 hours in a car with a 3 year old who has just started fighting being in a car seat sounds like a ton of fun right? Perhaps for those who love root canals and walking on shards of glass. Lucky for us, Little Man is normally a fantastic car napper normally, but I still wanted to come prepared. We had been debating a new iPad, so this gave us the excuse to go ahead and get one. Hubster loaded it up with a new "Jake and the Neverland Pirate" DVD and a selection of animated movies since the new iPad did not have access to data. Downside of that was it pretty much filled up the 16G of memory. I also got a collection of coloring items, books, and car friendly toys.
*Lesson 1: With the episodes of Jake, I could have just gone with one or two movies which would have freed up room to maybe put some of the apps I had found reviewed for toddlers. He really only got through one long episode of Jake and "Cinderella".
*Lesson 2: Less selection was better. We either read books, or he watched something. He played a little with his Bucky boat, but that was at his insistence over the difficulty of it. He liked on particular off-brand coloring book that he just flipped through and made-up stories for. It would have been better if I had could have gotten a more child-friendly app on iPad since it would take up less space.
-Stop 1: West Czech Stop-Normally, we stop on the way back to take kolaches home, but we stopped on the way there to get them as a surprise for my great aunt who we were staying with. This was a easy stop as always, and the kolaches were good as every. If you have never stopped here on the way, then I would suggest you make it a priority next time you go. A bonus was that I got to see an old school friend for a brief moment.
-Stop 2: Collins Street Bakery in Waco-While I have passed the pretty white building many times, I had never actually stopped. I read in a blog article (sorry but can't remember which) that it was a good stopping point for families, and it was definitely worth the stop. We got lunch for 3 adults and 1 toddler for about $20 including sandwiches, chips, and drinks. They had a decent selection of premade sandwiches as well as ones to be made to order. I was a bit limited with my abnormal food allergies since they were a little turkey heavy, and the soup had rice in it. However, the chicken salad sandwich I selected was good, and everyone else seemed to enjoy their picks. They also had a sweets part of the bakery. I picked zucchini bread since I hadn't had it in a long time, but it was a bit dry. The cherry cookie sample I tried was much better. However, the bake case was very inexpensively marked with most items less than $1.50
-Stop 3: Buc-ee's in Temple-Another win stop! This is one of the newest Buc-ee's in the area. My first experience with them was when we traveled to TRF for our first anniversary in 2009. That Buc-ee's was on a smaller scale; this is one of the megastories they have more recently been building. It is like you put Love's and Walmart together. They are a great stop because they have plenty to look at so you get a chance to walk around, and the rest room is large and very clean. Plus there are Buc-ee Nuggets! They are these yummy corn puff flavored with caramel. They are very addictive, too, so you have to watch it. They also supposedly have tasty beef jerky and a plethora of many other yummy treats.
Our last stop was really at some random gas station in the middle of no where since we were lost. We did take the tollway (130/45) around Austin, and unless you plan on stopping at Austin, I would highly suggest it. It cut down on some of the time we lost with the stops. Afterward, we went straight to San Antonio, but I did learn one last lesson.
*Lesson 3: NEVER EVER count on naps! I had planned for Little Man to go down after lunch when he normally does, and this was far from the truth. So having patients is extremely important!
Tuesday, June 23, 2015
So long Year 2, and hello to Year 3
Dear Little Man,
Tonight, I snuggled you for the last time as a wild and crazy two year old. I started this blog to keep track of your life, but unfortunately, I have been terrible at keeping it up! I have missed writing down so much, but it has been hard to take time when we are always watching your next adventure.
You are so full of life, and it has been fun to experience each new adventure through your eyes. You still love "Frozen," but you have expanded a bit. You are totally obsessed with "Jake and the Neverland Pirates," and you want to watch it all the time. You are also starting to like "Doc McStuffins" as well. We have moved on from "Let It Go," but we didn't go on too far since your new favorite song is "Open Door." You especially love to do the heart part of the song. You still love your stories each and every night, and we love watching you try to read books on your own and making up your cute little stories! You also love "Cinderella," and movies seem to be the best snuggled from time to time in the big bed.
You are definitely all boy! Everything is about cars, knights, dragons, and outside. If you could spend all day outside, you would. You want to go out and play with your ball or ride in your wagon. You finally got around to being able to run, and you remind me of Aunt Em when she first started running-you must run everywhere! Lucky for Daddy and me, you still want to be held and snuggled. However, I think the days of taking naps on Mommy are numbered because your little feet are almost to my shins now! I will be sad to see that day come; for now, I just enjoy the weekends when we snuggle down to watch "Fantasia" during nap time.
You are so full of personality. You love to talk all the time to Daddy and me, but sometimes you are still a bit shy around people. You seem to pick-up new words all the time, but your favorite word right now is nipples. You also are starting to discover the joys of nakedness since you have gotten around to learn how to take your clothes off. You moved to Miss Lauren's class late this spring, and you seem to be doing well. You love to do show and tell, and you are starting to pick it out rather than Daddy and me doing it. You love to get hugs and kisses and are so affectionate to us. You are quite a ladies man already, too, much to the chagrin of me. All the little girls at day care are in love with you, and you go around saying you have your girls. There is one particular little girl at school that you gallantly tried to protect, and she is now your princess. It is really very adorable. You also have definitely gotten my stubborn streak! Once you have your mind made up, you are set on this path. This year was the first year you told us what you wanted for your birthday-pirates all around! You were also obsessed with your first holiday, Christmas. You were into everything especially Santa; in fact, you saw him 5 times this year!
I am not sure what tomorrow will bring. You were a bit under the weather and had a fever when you went to bed. I hope that you feel good better tomorrow so we can have some fun going to the playhouse museum. We are also crossing our fingers about your birthday as it is supposed to rain when we are having an outdoor birthday party . We love you so much my bugga!
Mommy
Tonight, I snuggled you for the last time as a wild and crazy two year old. I started this blog to keep track of your life, but unfortunately, I have been terrible at keeping it up! I have missed writing down so much, but it has been hard to take time when we are always watching your next adventure.
You are so full of life, and it has been fun to experience each new adventure through your eyes. You still love "Frozen," but you have expanded a bit. You are totally obsessed with "Jake and the Neverland Pirates," and you want to watch it all the time. You are also starting to like "Doc McStuffins" as well. We have moved on from "Let It Go," but we didn't go on too far since your new favorite song is "Open Door." You especially love to do the heart part of the song. You still love your stories each and every night, and we love watching you try to read books on your own and making up your cute little stories! You also love "Cinderella," and movies seem to be the best snuggled from time to time in the big bed.
You are definitely all boy! Everything is about cars, knights, dragons, and outside. If you could spend all day outside, you would. You want to go out and play with your ball or ride in your wagon. You finally got around to being able to run, and you remind me of Aunt Em when she first started running-you must run everywhere! Lucky for Daddy and me, you still want to be held and snuggled. However, I think the days of taking naps on Mommy are numbered because your little feet are almost to my shins now! I will be sad to see that day come; for now, I just enjoy the weekends when we snuggle down to watch "Fantasia" during nap time.
You are so full of personality. You love to talk all the time to Daddy and me, but sometimes you are still a bit shy around people. You seem to pick-up new words all the time, but your favorite word right now is nipples. You also are starting to discover the joys of nakedness since you have gotten around to learn how to take your clothes off. You moved to Miss Lauren's class late this spring, and you seem to be doing well. You love to do show and tell, and you are starting to pick it out rather than Daddy and me doing it. You love to get hugs and kisses and are so affectionate to us. You are quite a ladies man already, too, much to the chagrin of me. All the little girls at day care are in love with you, and you go around saying you have your girls. There is one particular little girl at school that you gallantly tried to protect, and she is now your princess. It is really very adorable. You also have definitely gotten my stubborn streak! Once you have your mind made up, you are set on this path. This year was the first year you told us what you wanted for your birthday-pirates all around! You were also obsessed with your first holiday, Christmas. You were into everything especially Santa; in fact, you saw him 5 times this year!
I am not sure what tomorrow will bring. You were a bit under the weather and had a fever when you went to bed. I hope that you feel good better tomorrow so we can have some fun going to the playhouse museum. We are also crossing our fingers about your birthday as it is supposed to rain when we are having an outdoor birthday party . We love you so much my bugga!
Mommy
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