Austin. Mom. Blog. » kids

Hoppin Hippo in Hutto, Texas

Dianna — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 18:14:04 +0000

Wow! I am sorry it has been so… long since I have posted anything. I thought I would start off with Hoppin Hippo since it was a fun and clean place to visit. I was really impressed with the whole facility. The first thing to keep in mind is that both parent and child must have socks. I was not aware of that when I went. Hoppin Hippo has socks you are able to purchase for $2.oo. The whole wearing socks thing is a great idea. It sounds a little harsh, but I think it might prevent people from getting any fungus or nasty disease. Overall the facility was clean and inviting for kids to play. When my boys first walked in they immediately went to the wooden clubhouse, climbed the stairs, and put on a costume. There were buckets full of costumes the children were able to play with. After running freely like they were the actual character both boys went into an inflatable giraffe. It was the kind of inflatable that you enter through one side, crawl through, and then end up on the other end. The giraffe was their favorite. Next they jumped on a bouncy house and went down the slide attached. Hoppin Hippo also had a large playscape with a ball pit, another inflatable next to it, and a small plastic playscape in the middle of the facility. I’m hoping the pictures I post will give it more justice. Hoppin Hippo’s website states that it’s recommended for ages 0-7. I believe that’s the perfect age group for this place. A child over 7 would probably think it would be too kiddie. Since my two sons are 4 and 6, it was perfect. We’re trying to make some time to visit again, but our summer keeps getting shorter. We will definitely try one day.

The Clubhouse

The Inflatable Giraffe

Large Playscape

Bouncy House with Slide

San Antonio Zoo

Dianna — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 04:04:11 +0000

Zoos are definitely busy in the summer. I haven’t found one day out of the week to go when they aren’t busy. We visited the San Antonio Zoo on a Thursday. We arrived at 11:00 and the first parking lot was full so we had to park in a second lot. The walk was quite far, but we were about to take a long walk through the zoo, so we didn’t mind. Fortunately the parking is free. The zoo included animals like bears, elephants, tigers, giraffes, monkeys, and the newest exhibit included hippos. The zoo had a really cool kids section. Inside an air conditioned building there was a set-up of fishing poles with magnets to pick up fish. It also included a little playhouse for pretend play and small tunnels like caves the kids could go through. Not too far from the designated children’s area is a petting zoo. The boys got to feed and brush several goats. Any interaction with animals are fun for our boys. It took us three hours to walk the zoo. We were heading to the car, but Collin (my 4 year old) saw some train tracks. We couldn’t pass up the chance to let Collin ride the train. It’s going on two years that he loves trains. Andrew (my 6 year old) at first passed on riding with us, but decided to go at the last minute. It was $3.00 for adults and $2.50 for children. It was worth the money. The train ride was actually pretty long and enjoyable. There were several areas surrounding the zoo we had never seen before. So, the train ride concluded our trip and we all had a great time. When I asked the boys what they liked best Andrew said the hippo at the zoo and Collin said the train ride. Typical!

Andrew in front of Giraffe Exhibit

Boys Pretend to Fish

Petting Zoo

Riding the Train

Fiesta Texas in San Antonio

Dianna — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 16:19:34 +0000

We finally made our first trip of the summer to Fiesta Texas. By this time last year, we would have been three times already. Time is really getting away from us this summer. Our trip was made on a Wednesday. It was not crowded. We didn’t arrive until twelve so we went directly to the waterpark. That was the best decision to make since we were already sweating at that point. The water really helped keeping us cool. The areas throughout the waterpark included a wave pool, tube rides, a lazy river, slides, and two areas designed especially for kids. The kids’ areas were shallow and had multiple fun objects to play on. It included a small whale to slide through, a huge cowboy hat to stand under and get soaked, a boat to climb, and so much more.

It took hours to finally get the boys to want to go ride roller coasters. We timed it just right. When it was time to ride, it wasn’t so hot. There honestly are a lot of rides the boys can go on. It kept us busy for the rest of the day. There were bumper cars, roller coasters, a Scooby Doo ride to shoot ghosts and goblins, airplanes, diesel trucks, a train that travels the whole park, and swings. At the end of the night there is a firework show, but our family gets way too tired to make it. There is plenty of entertainment at Fiesta Texas and as soon as time allows, we will return.

Wiggles Roller Coaster

Andrew on the Swings

Vacation

Dianna — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 03:36:51 +0000

We have been on vacation and still are on vacation. I have been so exhausted that I usually just fall asleep instead of making time to write. My eyes are closing as I write this. As soon as I recuperate, I can’t wait to share all of our adventures.

Toy Story 3

Dianna — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 15:38:54 +0000

Finally, I was not disappointed in a movie. Toy Story 3 was incredible. From beginning to end, Toy Story 3 is definitely a movie worth seeing. There was even a part in the movie that I cried on. My two boys also loved it. There were a few scary parts for my four year old. He’s still talking about the scary monkey from the movie. Luckily, he hasn’t had any bad dreams, but the movie is a little intense on some parts. Overall, the movie was very entertaining. To be honest, if they wanted to go see it again, I would take them. Toy Story 3 was that good of a movie!

Interstate Lanes in Round Rock

Dianna — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 00:02:39 +0000

I’m not sure how we got the information about “free bowling,” but today we tried it out. Interstate Lanes in Round Rock is offering a free game of bowling for kids ranging from pre-k to 12th grade. The kids get one free game each day from May 15, 2010 until August 31,2010. The shoe rental is not included. The fee is $1.50. This offer was totally worth the drive for us since our two boys only last one game. On Interstate Lanes’ website there is a summer fun card that must be printed out to bring for the free game. We had no problem using the print out copy of the card. Mondays are discount days so this might be a routine on Mondays for the summer. We all had a delightful time and look forward to going again.

Free Family Summer Movies

Dianna — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 13:07:03 +0000

Last year I was informed of free family movies during the summer. Fortunately, Regal Entertainment Group is providing the same this summer. On specific dates Lakeline Cinemas, Westgate 11, and Arbor @ Great Hills are offering families to attend free movies at 10 a.m. It’s a great way to fill in the calendar with things to do. The movies are not new releases, but it’s a great way to try out the theater experience with the kids. That was my thought last year. I wanted to see if my boys would sit still through a movie. Collin (which was 3 at the time) had a hard time. I had to bring reinforcements. I brought a lollipop. We only went once last summer, but plan to try out more this year. So, if you’re like me and want to get out of the Texas heat every once in awhile, this whole “free movie” is worth it.

Spring Break is Over

Dianna — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 02:12:46 +0000

I know it’s been awhile since I have posted anything, but spring break was here and now it’s over. I’m sad to say it’s over. It was so nice to have the boys home all week. We had such a great time. Now I’m looking forward to summer. We had a fun filled packed week. We arrived at Fossil Rim in Glen Rose, Texas at ten a.m. Monday morning. It was starting to get busy, but it wasn’t too bad yet. We enjoyed feeding the animals, but our best part were the giraffes. Out of our sunroof, my husband fed two giraffes out of his hands. Our two sons were smiling ear to ear. It truly was an awesome experience. We toured the property within three hours. The weather outside was windy and cold so being in our vehicle was perfect. Unfortunately the weather kept us from going to our next adventure. We were going to visit Dinosaur Valley State Park, but the weather prevented us from doing so. We proceeded to the hotel and relaxed for the rest of the day. We stayed at Embassy Suites and loved it. We went with another family and had conjoining rooms. Andrew and Collin (our two sons) loved it. All the kids ran back and forth and we felt like one big family. The hotel also had an indoor pool, full breakfast, and complimentary drinks from 5:30 to 7:30. We couldn’t ask for anything more. We stayed two nights. Both Andrew and Collin continue to ask when are we going back to the hotel. Fortunately summer is not too far away. Well, Tuesday arrived and we went to the Dallas Zoo. Out of all the zoos we have visited, in my opinion, Dallas Zoo has the best kids area. The boys got to ride a horse for $2 each, pet a pig, pet a rabbit, crawled in a mongoose tunnel, fed birds, and so much more. We could have stayed at least two hours in the kids area. Everyone was getting hungry so we had to cut it short. Our favorite animals to see were the gorillas. They were some fascinating creatures. The zoo had a monorail you were able to ride for $3 each to observe the animals and get information from a tour guide. My youngest son, Collin loved riding the monorail because he thought of it as a train ride. I still have a lot of information to share about our spring break, but for now I will end this post.

Fossil Rim

Children's Zoo at Dallas Zoo

Creative Playscape in Georgetown, Texas

Dianna — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 03:42:57 +0000

Way cool! Those are the words that come to my mind when I start to explain where we went on Sunday. My friend and I brought our kids to San Gabriel Park in Georgetown and planned on staying, but she remembered years ago there was a play area she brought her family to. She couldn’t quite remember where it was so she called someone for directions. It actually was only five minutes from where we were. It was called Creative Playscape. It is a huge wooden playscape with swings, slides, a sand area, and so much more. In our group there were eight kids. They had the best time playing hide and seek. There were so many places you could hide throughout the playscape. We didn’t have time to explore the other areas around the playcape, but there were soccer fields, hike and bike trails, and a skate park. This playscape is number 1 on my list to take the boys to. It’s a drive, but totally worth it. I forgot to mention it’s on the same street as our favorite bowling alley, Mel’s Lone Star Lanes. I’m looking forward to planning a day of bowling and taking the boys back to the playscape. I know this sounds cheesy, but I get joy out of seeing my boys happy and I try my best to do so. I’m sure that’s not always the case, but I’m trying.

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.

Katherine Fleischer Park (In Wells Branch)

Dianna — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 02:49:42 +0000

Our family has been to the Katherine Fleischer Park several times, but we went again for a party last weekend and loved it. Out of all the parks we have been to, I personally believe it is the best park to have a party at. It was a little cold the day we went, but with my boys high energy it didn’t phase them. This park has many areas of interest. It includes soccer fields, a baseball field, a swimming pool, a volleyball court, tennis courts, a playscape area that includes a large wooden house the kids can climb up, swings, a sand area, a trail for either walking or biking, and a creek my boys love to jump over or throw rocks into. There is a lot of open space throughout the park to run your legs. It’s perfect for my energetic boys. The party we were invited to had a pavillion they rented. My friend told me she only paid twenty dollars to have it for the whole day. It included picnic tables and a large grill to barbecue on. I’m considering having my oldest son’s birthday there in April. My sons already want to visit the park again so if the weather is nice over the weekend I will take them. It’s a really nice park and I know why they want to visit again. I highly recommend Katherine Fleischer Park to anyone with or without kids.

Pump It Up

Dianna — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 03:30:14 +0000

This morning I had the opportunity to take my youngest son Collin to Pump It Up in Round Rock, Texas. It’s a place that has inflatables. I always thought this was a place that only parties were held, but I was wrong. They have a time frame that has open play time. The time frame was 9:30 to 11:00. The cost is $6.38. That includes the tax. I think it was worth it. During the open play time they have one room that is open to use and consists of four inflatables. That doesn’t sound like a lot, but for the amount of time you are there it’s plenty. I was impressed on how clean everything was and how I was able to keep a good eye on Collin. Since this was our first time there, I’m not sure on how busy it gets, but this morning there were only four of us parents there. It was nice to not have a crowd and have the kids fighting their way through. We will definitely like to go again.

Jungle Java

Dianna — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 02:58:17 +0000

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.

Gingerbread Houses

Dianna — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 03:40:58 +0000

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.

Free Kids Workshop at Home Depot

Dianna — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 03:23:49 +0000

It was a great Saturday. I felt like a productive mom today. I took the boys to the kids workshop at Home Depot (in which I will go into detail later), we went and ate at Chick-fil-a, went to the park, visited my mom, and ended the day playing with the neighborhood kids. It was a filled day.

The first Saturday of each month Home Depot has a free kids’ workshop at their locations from 9 to 12. My oldest son has ten pins on his home depot apron so I believe we have been participating for ten months now. It is a totally free workshop for the recommended ages of 5 to 12. Each month is a different project. Today we made a trivet. I usually only bring my oldest son, but decided to bring my youngest also. My youngest son doesn’t like to stay still for long. However; he did very well today. I believe it was because the project didn’t take as long. It was a simple project, but I still did not get it correct. The project consisted of four wooden pieces and I didn’t line them up right. The boys didn’t notice, but I did. When I got home, my husband noticed also. Oh well… The boys worked together on it, had smiles on their faces, and we got an end result. That’s all that truly matters. Home Depot’s goal on these projects is for families to have family time. I believe they have been successful. My oldest son looks forward to these projects and treasures the pin and certificate he receives after the completion of the project. Today my youngest son also seemed happy about the completion. My husband works weekends so he isn’t able to participate, but I really wish he could. I think it would be easier for him to follow the written instructions. I seem to end up having extra pieces at the end. I’m told that’s not supposed to happen. Fortunately, my brother is able to take my son sometimes. Before the event, home depot has a posting on what the project will be and I thought it looked easy enough for me to get. I guess not. The next project looks even harder, so I’m hoping my brother will be able to step in. I really think this is a cool event that home depot has for the kids and totally recommend it.

Halloween Clearance at Target

Dianna — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 02:56:38 +0000

I love a good sale. Target has their Halloween merchandise 75% off right now. I got a lot of cute items for the kids next year. I enjoy making treat bags for the boys’ classmates so I stocked up for next year. There was a lot of people grabbing the candy. I glanced over to see what was left, but passed it up. We already have so much candy and with more candy around I would be forced to eat it. The sale is focused on Halloween items, but there were a lot of items I bought that you could use any day. I bought a package of pencils and erasers that were Transformers. I could use these items for when we play bingo. I enjoy having company and sometimes we play bingo. I like to have little prizes for the kids to win. I also bought 16 packages of crayons for a dollar. They were the small packages that held 4 crayons in each bag. They had some good bargains. I want to check out another Target tomorrow to see if I passed anything up. Like I said, I love a good sale!

Fiesta Texas Fright Fest

Dianna — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 14:14:21 +0000

Our family went to the fright fest at Fiesta Texas in San Antonio on Friday, October 30th. Since our boys were only 3 and 5 the rides they had for them weren’t too long of a wait. Throughout the summer we went to Fiesta Texas several times and that seems to be the case each time. For kids under six, the lines aren’t bad. We have season passes so we go each chance we get. I really wouldn’t recommend the fright fest for our ages of boys. It was too scary for them. Luckily, they didn’t have any nightmares or screams through the night, but some of the props and costumes were a little much for them. If you have kids that aren’t too spooked from these kind of things, then it’s a place I would recommend to check out. The rides kept us busy for almost four hours. For the most part, we focused on riding the rides and avoiding the spooky stuff.

We really enjoyed a room set up for cookie decorating and pumpkin painting. You had the option to buy, keep, and paint a pumpkin or buy a large round cookie to decorate and eat. The price was five dollars to do both. We ended up buying both. I thought that was reasonable. The boys really enjoyed it and in the end that’s all that matters.

Also, they had Scooby and Shaggy passing out treat bags. We waited in line to go on a large stage to meet them, take pictures, and receive a treat bag. It was the perfect experience for the whole “trick or treating” concept. My youngest son was a little freaked out being near them so I held him the whole time. We saved this experience to the end so it would be a final ending to our day. It worked out perfect.

The theme park had a haunted house for an additional five dollars a person that looked pretty scary. I didn’t go in, but there was a huge line for it. For older children and adults who enjoy the whole Halloween experience and in the middle of it getting to ride roller coasters, I would recommend the fright fest for them. For our family and the ages of our boys, I would not. We had fun, but next time we will wait until our boys are a little older.

The Case of the Gimmies

Dianna — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 01:52:55 +0000

What a weird title, right? Well, the title fit my experience at Target today. Recently my boys and I read a book called, “The Case of the Gimmies” Berenstein Bears. It talked about how brother and sister bear wanted everything they saw at the store and eventually it go so bad, the parents had enough. Well, the outcome ends up being that they agree on one item to buy before going to the store and only one item. If they ask for anything else, they get nothing at all. Well, I have been reading the book to my boys at least once a week and decided to try it today at Target. I explained to my youngest son that he only gets to choose one item and if he decides to whine about it or ask for another item, he gets nothing at all. To my astonishment; it worked. I was pretty pleased with myself. I am hoping it will work the next time around. I believe he really took heart to the book and related it to our store outing. If there’s a parent out there who really is on the same page when it comes to “the case of the gimmies”, I would recommend this book. Now only if I could get him to listen the first time I say something; that would be a miracle. Does anyone know any good listening books?

Theater Movie For 75 Cents

Dianna — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 02:23:07 +0000

Our family went to see “G Force” today at the discount movie theatre in Round Rock. It was a cute movie and worth the seventy-five cents we each paid. On Mondays all movies are seventy-five cents for three or more. On other days it is a little higher. As an adult and as a kid I enjoyed going to the movies, so I’m hoping my boys like the experience too. We go on Mondays for the discount. I figure if my three year old doesn’t sit still through the whole movie it’s o.k. It’s not a huge loss. He’s been doing pretty well. The last fifteen to twenty minutes it gets a little disturbing. At this point my son and I usually head to the back of the theatre so others can watch. As a parent, I look for reasonable and fun things for my boys to do and hope this information might be helpful for another parent.

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.