Austin. Mom. Blog. » austin

Fun Snow Day

Dianna — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 02:38:47 +0000

What a day! I must say I love Texas and I especially love Austin. It’s crazy how we can go from 72 to 35 in two days. We are really enjoying it. The boys were so happy to see the snow and play in it. My husband and I enjoyed it as much as they did. We spent several hours making snowmen. It was a fun snow day.

Inflatable Wonderland in Lakeline Mall

Dianna — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 21:51:46 +0000

Since I love to shop people usually think I’m heading to the Lakeline Mall to do that, but for the past year it’s either to visit Build-a-Bear or go to Inflatable Wonderland. We often go to Inflatable Wonderland on a Tuesday or Thursday. Their prices are half price. That makes the price $5.50. I think it’s totally worth it. Considering the boys ages I wouldn’t pay full price. I believe after a good two hours they are done. That’s what makes the half price days worth it. Inflatable Wonderland consists of several inflatables with age limits on each of them. Adults are not allowed to play on the inflatables with their children. That makes it a little hard for parents that have small children. Fortunately there is a small designated area for toddlers. They have some toys and large blocks laid out. For some reason my four year old loves the toddler section. He really isn’t allowed in this area because of his age, but likes to sneak over when he has the chance. I’m not sure exactly how many inflatables they have, but I know at the least they have eight. It definitely keeps the boys running to and from each one. They also have a snack bar with reasonable prices with a variety of snacks. It includes hot dogs, a variety of popsicles, chips, drinks, and slushes (my boys favorite). They probably offer more, but that’s all that comes to mind. One of my favorite things about Inflatable Wonderland is their washing station. I love the fact that they have several sinks, soap, and towels in an open area to get your hands clean. They even leave out step stools for the kids that can’t reach. I’m that mom that always carries hand sanitizer wherever we go. It’s nice to not have to carry it here. We always have fun here and try to go when we can.

Not Feeling Well

Dianna — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 19:05:08 +0000

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.

Chuck-e-Cheese vs Chuck-e-Cheese

Dianna — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 14:06:39 +0000

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.

Austin Nature & Science Center

Dianna — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 21:41:57 +0000

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.

Zilker Botanical Garden

Dianna — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 02:50:17 +0000

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.

Ski Time

Dianna — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 02:48:20 +0000

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.

Day out with Thomas

Dianna — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 02:18:13 +0000

The event “Day out with Thomas” was held in Rusk, Texas over the weekend and we missed out. Our three year old son is a big Thomas fan. We went to the event held in Burnet, Texas on October 9th, but would have loved to have gone to Rusk. Our family has gone to the “Day out with Thomas” three times through the years and have enjoyed Rusk the most. We have been to Austin, Rusk, and Burnet. In Rusk all the activities were held outside in a spacious atmosphere. Everything wasn’t crammed together. It wasn’t limited to space. Our sons have enjoyed each outing, but as a parent I preferred Rusk. It was quite a drive, but worth it. Each location had similar stations. They included storytelling, meeting Sir Topham Hatt, tatooes, several train tables with running trains, inflatables, and the main attraction of riding a train with Thomas in front. Some people are unaware that it isn’t necessary to purchase a ticket to enjoy the whole event. The ticket is only to ride the train. People can enjoy the activities for free. Also, each time we have gone, there have been tickets at the window for purchase on location. That has been our luck each time. Each time we have had to take our son home screaming from him not wanting to leave. On a weekly basis he asks me when are we going back to “Day out with Thomas.” We would have loved to take him this weekend, but maybe next time around. For parents that have children that love trains, I would definitely recommend this event.

Disney World vs Disney Cruise

Dianna — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 04:21:10 +0000

I am looking into a Disney World land vacation or Disney cruise. My boys are five and three so I’m leaning more towards the cruise. I would love any feedback on one versus the other. I am told there are certain height restrictions at Disney World. My sons are definitely under forty-four inches and people say that’s the magic number to ride several rides. This makes me think I should go on the Disney cruise. Is there anyone who could give me more information on this subject? Thanks in advance.