Austin. Mom. Blog.

We have been out a lot, but for the past few days I have been ill. As soon as I feel better I will post as much as I can. One thing to quickly mention is that we went to the Austin Children’s Museum. My boys always enjoy it and love when we take them. On Wednesdays from 5 to 8, it is entry by donation. The only downfall is parking. Once you finally find the parking space, it’s fun from that point on. It’s a nice family place that our family really enjoys.

In the past week our family has been to two Chuck-e-Cheese locations. We went to the one located in Round Rock and the one located on North Mopac in Austin. By far, we enjoyed the one on North Mopac a lot better. We visit the Chuck-e-Cheese in Round Rock a lot more since it is closer to our home. After visiting the location on North Mopac, we will try to visit their location more. Each time we have visited Round Rock, there are broken games. On North Mopac there was not one machine broken. Also, we have to continue to get staff to check out why the tickets aren’t dispensing or why a machine took our coins. That wasn’t the case at the North Mopac location. The whole time we were at North Mopac, we saw an employee checking the machines and walking around to make sure everything was in order. Overall, we had a pleasant and fun experience at the North Mopac location a whole lot more than the Round Rock location. We won’t stop going to the Round Rock Chuck-e-Cheese, but we definitely prefer the North Mopac Chuck-e-Cheese.

Today both my boys were invited to a party at Jungle Java in Round Rock, Texas. I need to start off with saying that my sons had a great time. However, if we weren’t invited to the party, there would be no way I would take my kids there on a Saturday. It was pure craziness. I’m the kind of parent that likes to be able to see my kids while they are playing. There were certain points I couldn’t even tell who my kid was. Overcrowded would be the best word to describe the place. In my opinion, Jungle Java is a huge playscape with different obstacles to overcome. They have several slides, a zip line, a small basketball area, and different levels to go up and explore. Jungle Java also has a menu with a variety of items. It’s not your typical chips and a coke. They have items from a muffin to coffee. We have been there before this party and had a much better experience. We went when it wasn’t crowded. I would recommend going there at least once to get your feel for it. I would just try to go during the week on an unbusy day.

Austin Nature & Science Center is one of Austin’s hidden treasures. I honestly didn’t know it existed until six months ago. We were looking for something different to do and came across Austin Nature & Science Center. To get there, you really need to have directions. It’s located on Stratford Drive and if you aren’t looking for it, you might pass it by. Once we finally found the Center it was worth the confusion. First, I must say it’s totally FREE. There are several animals to see. Our boys’ favorite was the raccoon. There’s also a cute little fox. Keep in mind this isn’t a zoo, so don’t expect to see a lot of animals. The next area we went to was the Dino Pit. The boys loved it. There’s four areas with sand, shovels, and buckets that the kids can play with and uncover bones. This is where we spent the majority of our time. To clean the sand off, there’s a small stream you can get your feet wet and rinse your hands. Our boys always seem to have fun when water is involved. You might want to pack extra clothes in case they get too wet. The center also has a naturalist workshop. Their motto is “please touch.” You can touch anything from snake’s skin to fossils. The boys enjoyed looking through a microscope at different slides. On certain days you are able to bring in one of your findings and trade it for something else. When the weather is nice and not so cold we plan to visit again.

Recently we ate at Tokyo Steakhouse in Round Rock. It was not only fun, but the food was also good. I can’t say it’s out of this world delicious, but it was good and the show was excellent. We went for dinner and the prices ranged anywhere between $20 to $30 a meal. It adds up for a family of four. I honestly would recommend everyone to try it at least once. It’s a fun dining experience. First you order your food. The soup comes out first and then the salad. After you finish those courses, the chef comes out to prepare your food. You have the option to sit at the grill or sit at a table to not see a show. I believe the best part is the show. There are eight seats surrounding the grill to see the chef cook your food. After the chef cooks your food, he then serves it and tries to shoot food in each of the guests mouths. I’m not sure if every chef does that, but each time they have with us. Our chef had us entertained the whole time. Our oldest son Andrew claims this is now his favorite restaurant. Lastly, we get served ice cream. That definitely puts icing on the cake for my boys. Tokyo Steakhouse has lunch specials so we might try that next time. With it being Andrew’s favorite restaurant, I know we will be back.

Today we asked our oldest son Andrew what he wanted to do for his last day of vacation since he goes back to school tomorrow. He told us he wanted to go to Dave & Buster’s. We enjoy going there as a family, so off we went. We arrived at 12:00 and stayed until 3:00. During that time we not only played a lot of games, we also ate lunch. In my opinion, the food is pretty good. I usually order the grilled chicken quesadillas and I haven’t been disappointed yet. I enjoy eating there because if my youngest son starts to get restless I take him over to a few games before the food arrives. I used to think Dave & Buster’s was focused more for adults, but now I see a lot more famililes there. They have a ton of games for my boys to play. I believe the selection is better than Chuck-e-Cheese. I guess I say that because my boys are getting bigger and have outgrown a lot of games at Chuck-e-Cheese. The only downfall is Dave & Buster’s games are a whole lot more expensive than Chuck-e-Cheese. Dave & Buster’s games aren’t one token games. The games are fun, the prizes are cool and different, and the food is good. My son, Andrew had the right idea.

We had the opportunity to enjoy San Gabriel Park twice this week. We went once and enjoyed it so much that we went again. San Gabriel Park is located in Georgetown. I believe the best part of the park was the exploring my boys got to do. There was a huge trail with natural springs, playscapes, a place to feed the ducks, restrooms, and even vending machines. For a park I didn’t think the restrooms were in bad condition. It was clean and actually stocked with toilet paper. On a more pleasant note; the boys loved picking up acorns, going around formations of rock, and throwing rocks and sticks in the river. Time passed so quickly that we didn’t realize we stayed two hours. Our appetites made us leave. We will definitely make the trip again.

We wanted to try something different today so we went to Mel’s Lone Star Lanes in Georgetown. From friends, I heard it was a nice family bowling alley. They were right. Usually my boys have to wear socks in order to bowl, but Mel’s had shoes for them. Also, the bumpers can be put up for each bowler. Every lane was full, but fortunately we got there at the right time and a lane opened up. They had a package that was called “mom and tot” or “dad and tot” that cost $13 which included one game for two to bowl, shoe rental for two and 10 tokens to play in their arcade. Mel’s let us buy this package for both boys to bowl. I thought the price was right. The whole time I was worried my youngest wouldn’t bowl, but he did great. Both boys did. They bowled the whole game and loved it. Afterwards, the 10 tokens we received were perfect to end the outing. They played 5 games each and got some prizes to take home. Fortunately, they actually had 1 game token machines. That’s pretty rare. The only place I know that has 1 game token machines is Chuck-e-Cheese. Mel’s had food to purchase, but we ate lunch before we got there. The menu looked inviting. We will definitely drive the miles again to enjoy Mel’s. Our family had a great time.

We went to Galveston on the 20th and 21st. We stayed at the Moody Gardens hotel and loved it. We have stayed at the hotel before so we weren’t surprised on how kid friendly the hotel was. The hotel had a room set up as “Santa’s Workshop” where the kids could do multiple Christmas crafts. We got to enjoy writing a letter to Santa, making gingerbread necklaces, Christmas door hangers, cookie decorating, and playing several board games. The hotel also had a heated pool. We enjoyed the buffet breakfast in the Terrace Restaurant (which did cost) in the morning. It was a little pricey, but for a kid friendly hotel and the walking distance from the hotel to the Moody Gardens resort, it was worth it. We paid approximately $150, which included taxes. We stayed at the hotel because we were aware of the activities it offered for kids. We knew we wanted to enjoy the Festival of Lights at Moody Gardens. The lights were really nice and we had plenty walking room through the trail. We weren’t inching our way through like we were at “The Trail of Lights” in Austin last year. Last year it was too crowded for us and instead of looking at lights we were just fighting our way to get through. At the Festival of Lights there is a fee of $5.95 a person, but I believe it was worth it. They had an ice skating rink you could have paid to use, but our boys are too little for that. Also, there was plenty of concession stands you could buy hot dogs, nachos, hot chocolate, kettle corn, drinks, and even smores. We got each of our boys a smore kit and they had sticks where you could roast the marshmallows over a large fire pit. The boys really enjoyed it. The cost was $2 per kit. After the lights we had the option to enjoy the aquarium($5 a person), enjoy the 4D theatre Polar Express film ($5 a person), or go sit on Santa’s lap, but we decided to call it a night. We used to have Moody Gardens season passes a few years ago and enjoyed it back then. I would recommend Moody Gardens to any family looking for a small vacation. The weather was so nice over the weekend that we also got to enjoy the beach both days. We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect small mini-vacation.

It is only a week away from Christmas and my boys keep insisting they want a puppy for Christmas. My husband came up with the idea of going to build-a-bear workshop for them to build their own puppy. I thought it was a great and cute idea. So, we headed over to Lakeline Mall today for them to pick out a puppy. They each picked out something that was not a puppy. As long as they were happy, it was fine with me. My oldest son picked out a longhorn. He put a Texas Longhorns shirt on it and named it Longy. My youngest son picked out Alvin the Chipmunk. Alvin was already dressed so we didn’t need to pick out any clothes for him. At Build-a-Bear workshop the concept behind the experience is to get your own little pet stuffed animal. First you pick out which animal you want. Next you pick out a heart to put in the animal while it’s being stuffed. I’m not sure if every employee does it the same way, but the lady who helped us told each of my sons to tap the heart on his head to make him smart, to tap the heart to his stomach to make sure he doesn’t go hungry, to close his eyes and make a wish, and finally give the heart a kiss. The heart then goes into the animal. I thought it was all so adorable. After this process you take your animal to the washing station to get it clean. There’s a scrub provided and the kids pretend to wash him or her. Then you pick out any clothes you might want. There are items that include shirts, shorts, pants, outfits, hats, shoes, and accessories. Finally you go over to a computer to name your animal and a birth certificate is printed. At the register you receive the birth certificate and it goes in a large box that holds your animal which is  supposed to represent the animal’s home. I really think the whole process is fun for the kids. We might be able to do this build-a-bear workshop once or twice a year, but not much more than that. The price can really add up. For each animal it was $22 and then we only added the one shirt. Our total ended up being $55. So, it was pricey, but for once a year I would do it again. Also, maybe, just maybe, this whole “puppy” thing might go away.

I won’t be able to say enough about amazon.com. I absolutely love this site. I was able to do almost all my Christmas shopping on amazon.com. I didn’t have to leave the house. I didn’t have to fight the crowds. I didn’t have to wait in the lines. I didn’t have to pay tax on the items I bought. I simply love the convenience of amazon.com. On this site there are numerous items for sale. I only purchase the items that are sold by amazon to get the free shipping. There are outside parties that are able to sell through amazon, but I haven’t went that route yet. I like the free shipping that you are able to get with a $25 purchase. So far the best deals have been on amazon. I always do the comparison shopping through pricegrabber.com and look to make sure I am getting the best price. So far I have. I totally recommend amazon.com for anyone who likes convenience, best prices, and the items being shipped directly to your door.

I thought it would be fun to make gingerbread items with the boys.  I picked out a house for my five year old and a train for my three year old.  The first part was pretty easy.  We just iced the sides together and let it dry.  The next part was the tricky part.  We had to decorate our creations with candy.  It was easy for my five year old to resist the candy, but not my three year old.  From every angle he was popping a candy in his mouth.  It was fun, but beware on the candy.

I got informed of an event on December 4th.  It’s a free family event. The event is called McDonald’s Lights of Love 5K.

It’s at Mueller Hangar at 5:00 p.m. The event is a 5K run, walk, or jog benefiting Ronald McDonald House. You do not have to participate in the run to enjoy the event.  First, it’s for a good cause.  Second, we won’t be cooped up inside.  Third, why not?  We will definitely be there.

December 4, at the open-air Mueller Hangar. It is a totally family friendly event.

We went to Sea World in San Antonio on Friday and had a blast.  I’m already in the Christmas spirit and going to Sea World enforced it more.  We first went to see the dolphins and fortunately it was feeding time.  We paid $5 for four fish.  It was worth it.  When feeding the dolphins you are able to pet them in the process.  The boys’ expressions were priceless.  Next we went to the show of “A Sesame Street Christmas.”  When the sesame street characters came onstage I got teary eyed.  I was overwhelmed on how much our little family was enjoying this.  The boys didn’t move once.  They were mesmerized.  Near the end, my oldest (he’s 5)  finally said he was too old for this, but he hung in there.  We then headed to a huge play area with sand and rope climbing.  My oldest did the rope climbing and my youngest played in the sand.  Fortunately both my husband and I were present so we could split up for this.  When going to theme parks,  I never venture out alone.  Next we went by alligator alley where we saw several alligators surrounding a pond.  They had a .25 cent machine to feed the fish which we took part in.   The boys were aiming for the alligators so they would move, but they had no luck.  We then went to the show “Deck the Halls with Clyde & Seamore.”  This was a show full of sea lions acting out a skit for Christmas.  Once again the boys were mesmerized and didn’t move once.  This time my oldest didn’t ask to leave.  Sea World had a 4D showing of Polar Express, but unfortunately we didn’t make it in time.  We stood in line, but the theater got full before it was our turn.  We got to see a 4D showing of Polar Express when we went to Moody Gardens in Galveston and from what I remember it was awesome.  On our way out we saw the world-famous Anheuser-Busch Clydesdales and the boys got to pet one.  We really had a lot of fun.  There was still so much we didn’t get to see because we were short on time so I’m hoping we will make another trip back.  If you have a chance to go to Sea World for the Christmas Celebration, I totally recommend it.

I searched and searched for the perfect Christmas tree. I found one, but it wasn’t perfect. We looked at Hobby Lobby, Wal-Mart, H-E-B, Garden Ridge, Lowe’s, and finally Home Depot.  Our choice ended up being at Home Depot. The price ended up being our final factor. There were other trees that were just as nice at Lowe’s and Hobby Lobby. I put up the tree yesterday and with the new technology in trees, I thought it would be easier this year. That wasn’t the case. It’s pre-lit and only has three pieces to hook together. Well, the time consuming part was spreading all the branches. It took me over two hours. Our old tree took just as long. It was the old fashioned kind where you put each branch on at a time. On the old one, I would spread the branch before I put it on the tree.  So, I was looking for an easier and less time consuming set up of a tree, but the easy part just ended up not having to put the lights on it.  Don’t get me wrong; it’s a beautiful tree and I’m happy we got a new one, but my expectations weren’t met on the time. Maybe we will get a fresh live tree next year. Then again, I wonder what my husband will say on that.

We have been to Champion Park several times, but I have finally decided to share it with everyone. This is one of my favorite parks. The key area for my boys is the huge sand pit. Toys are left for others to play with and it’s shaded. In the summer time there is a small area where water spouts will spray. This area is shaped as a whale. Huge boulders are available to climb on with a set of swings near by. Trails go through the park to walk, jog, or run on. The park also includes two grills to barbecue on. Fortunately, restrooms are near. For the majority of the time my boys stay in the sand pit, but when we visited over the weekend they utilized all the amenities. If you’re in the Cedar Park area, I would definitely recommend Champion Park!

I thought it wouldn’t happen, but it did. My son got gum in his hair. I immediately thought about the whole “ice” trick. Before I tried it, I searched the web to see what I could find out first. There were solutions like peanut butter, baby oil, and vegetable oil. I didn’t have baby oil so I tried the vegetable oil. It worked. I got a paper towel and dipped it in vegetable oil. Then I soaked his hair with it. Slowly I rubbed the hair with my fingers and the gum started to come out. I also got a comb and gently started to comb it out. I’m glad the vegetable oil worked out. I didn’t want to leave a bald spot in my son’s head. So, all you parents out there, vegetable oil will take out the gum. It worked for me.

It was a great family day. The boys were great, the weather was great, and the view was great. When I say the view, I mean the Zilker Botanical Garden. We originally hadn’t planned on going there, but on a whirlwind ended up there. We wanted to take advantage of the outdoors. The boys both were off school due to the holiday. They are at the perfect age to appreciate the beautiful gardens and scenery. It was like an adventure for them. In each corner was either a plant, flower, rock, or some sort of nature. It’s free to visit. If you haven’t already seen the Garden, I would definitely recommend it to anyone who lives in Austin or is visiting.

I am about to start looking into ski vacations. I am looking for a ski resort that has the ability to ski in and out the front door of your room. If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know. It will definitely help with my search. The criteria I am looking for is that it needs to be kid-friendly, not a long drive from Austin or long plane ride, and it can accomodate my entire family. This will include 8 adults, 2 teenagers, and 2 boys. I will be searching for the dates during spring break. It is from March 13th through March 21st. We all went to Ruidoso, New Mexico one year and had a great time. We drove and the drive itself was exhausting. It was worth it, but this time I am leaning towards a short plane ride. Any tips? Any great locations? Anything will help.

Christmas is my favorite time of the year. I am already in the holiday spirit. I already forced my husband to bring the decorations down from the attic. I am searching for a new tree. We have one that you need to put branch by branch on. I need a more simple one. I’m looking for a pre-lit seven foot tree that’s not going to cost me $300. I have looked at Michael’s and Hobby Lobby. Nothing caught my eye. If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know. Some people are already calling me crazy for putting up my Christmas decorations, but at least it’s later this year than last year. I put up my tree and decorations the day after Halloween last year. I really want the boys to enjoy it longer. Their faces light up with all the little musical globes, the lights being lit up, and the over-all presence of Christmas. We have already got out their Christmas trees. They each have a 3 foot tall tree in their room. We have put on ornaments and they are using them as night lights. We won’t put out the outside decorations until after Thanksgiving. I don’t want everyone to know how crazy we are. We will limit the craziness inside for now.