Both of my kids long to live on a farm. Makena likes to sprinkle sand from the sandbox like she’s feeding the chickens. Keegan spends most days on his rocking horse yelling ‘yee-haw.’ So when the opportunity presented itself to spend a weekend on a farm, they couldn’t have been more excited.
There were animals to watch.
Tractors to ride.
Stars to gaze.
Croquet to be played.
And swimming. Lot’s of swimming.
Ahhh fleeting summertime.
Why is my son wearing an Easter bonnet and a tutu? Sorry. I got distracted. The life of being the younger brother. Ironic since this is a post about our Disney World Bippity Boppity Boutique, they slip you crack, experience.
So back in May when we took the family to Disney World we considered all of our ‘extra’ options. What character dining meals to purchase, what events to attend, what park to go to each day… What we didn’t consider was that no amount of pre-planning can prepare you for all that Disney throws at you.
We got there and were immediately immersed in the culture, wearing our mouse-ears and singing It’s a Small World. I even considered purchasing Mickey Mouse head shaped plates. Because, you know, you need a plate like that to separate all of the food. Crack. I guess I forgot to check my sanity at the entrance gates because upon entering the Magic Kingdom I immediately felt that Makena would be missing out on a major part of the ‘Disney experience’ if she did not get to do the Bippity Boppity Boutique. One quick phone call later, a last minute cancellation answered my prayers to the Disney Gods. We were booked for a Boutique experience.
Want to see what we got ourselves into?
A little bit of this.
And a little bit of that.
And even more of this.
Just add water and you too can have your very own princess.
To make matters worse when Makena met The Fairy Godmother, she said “why you look just like Cinderella in a Snow White dress.” Then I guess at Disney training the worker mice are instructed to address every little girl who had the boutique experience as ‘princess.’ So for the rest of the day, it was ‘well, hello princess.’ All. Day. Long.
I’m still picking the glitter out of her clothes from that day. And wondering how on earth they suck you in and spit you out.
Note: Please don’t let any of this Disney banter fool you or discourage you from the experience. Like a good addict, we will return to get another fix. Probably sooner rather than later. Peace out.
Thanks to Hurricane Dolly it feels a little bit like fall. We know the cool damp weather won’t last but we enjoy it while it’s here. A welcome relief from the stifling summer heat. I turned to Miles this morning and said ‘you know, if the weather was always like this I could live here.’ Ha. We do live here. All of the time. A woman can dream can’t she?!?
So we ventured out this week to the library. It was our first family trip and it was a hit! I gave Makena the option of swimming in our backyard or the library and she screamed ‘library’! That’s my girl! As we turned the corner and she could see the library she screamed. Serious. Who screams when they see the library?
When we walked into the library both kids made a mad dash to the kids section. Before I could catch up to them they had stripped the shelves of several books and had quite a mountainous pile on a little table. They were in library heaven. I even walked away with some cookbooks that I had been eyeing at the bookstore but didn’t want to shell out $35 for.
Another tiny step toward saving the planet. Now where’s my cape???
It’s Monday afternoon and I’m sitting here watching my to-do list grow and grow. There always seems like there is so much to do before a holiday. And then after all the guests have left and the dust has settled there still seems like a lot to do. Getting back into the normal routine of life. No guests to tend to. No big meals to fix. Just taking care of the family. Conquering that list.
Might as well knock one thing off of the list while I’m here. The blue farm with the self-serve sign, here is a link to the farm. Be sure to stop by if you are ever going that way, you won’t regret it. And since you asked for the goat pictures, here they are!
As I was procrastinating my list, I was thinking back on our trip to San Antonio about a week ago. There are honky tonks scattered around all over Texas. The places that you would think only reside in movies. They’ve been around forever and helped to start the careers of many country western musicians. There is such a place outside of San Antonio in Helotes called Floores Country Store. Careful though, there is music playing on their site so if you’re not into that type of thing turn down your volume before you click on the link!
They offer a dinner consisting of chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes and sweet tea. Oh, and did I mention gravy??? Country food at it’s finest. Not intended for the faint of heart!
There is memorabilia scattered on the walls and hung from the ceiling. Signs of a bygone era, still holding on for it’s life. There is a little old stage up front, where Willie Nelson and many others got their start. And for Texans, this is home. This is where you go on the weekends to unwind and cut a rug (dance). Out back, a brand new huge stage now caters to such legends.
On the weekends, the place comes alive with beer, food and live music. You can still even catch Willie playing in this very place. Young and old alike come together to celebrate a culture, a lifestyle. This is my type of place.
In a world of consumerism and mega shopping centers there is still evidence of a bygone era. You can witness it every day, if you look for it. There won’t be ads screaming “Hey, look at me!” But there will be a level of sincerity and true appreciation. For simply taking the time to notice. For going that extra mile to find it.
There is such a place at a little farm outside of Austin. We pass by on our way to and from San Antonio. There it is, tucked in the hills. With it’s bright blue barn and wildflowers growing abundantly. It’s not on a major highway. Rather, if you blink, or drive by too fast, you just might miss it.
On weekends, locals and travelers alike stop by. Some picking up flowers, others picking up fresh veggies. My little ones run straight to the flower bucket. They put together sweet bouquets to hand out to the kids. Then encourage the kids to go and pet the goats, who like to eat the flowers. It is quite comical.
If you stop by on a weekday, chances are that you’ll be the only ones there. Where a self serve sign greets you and a little money box inside the barn where the honesty system still reigns supreme.
The words aren’t flowing today. I’ve sat here for the past 10 minutes staring at this screen. I’m just having one of those days. I spent the first half of the day with Makena at her first dentist appointment. As wonderful as the dentist was, nothing could have prepared me for the horrific cries of a three year old. Come on now, it was only a teeth cleaning. She kept telling me “mommy, I’m a little bit shy.” She must have shy confused with scared to death. I’m sure she was petrified because of the finger incident. That had to have traumatized her. After 30 minutes of persuasion, she finally let me hold her in the chair while the dentist cleaned her teeth. I wonder if I can bring someone along to my next dental appointment to hold me.
The remainder of the day was spent in the closets. More closet cleaning out. But since that’s not very exciting I will show you some pictures from this weekends trip to San Antonio. Keegan came down with a double ear infection on Thursday so that really put a halt to the planned activities, which ended up being a wonderful thing… just to slow down. It’s hard for me. A continual work in progress. To just be. I would love some advice in this field because I struggle immensely with slowing down.
We spent Saturday afternoon at the river. Huge cypress trees line the river where the occasional tuber passes by. Tubing is a HUGE thing in the Hill Country. You rent a tube for yourself and one for your cooler. Sometimes, you might even rent a tube for your dog if you bring him along. While we didn’t tube, for the safety of everyone involved, we did slow down and relax by the river.
While the older kids explored.
The little one sat in his own pool. And I was able to just sit. And be. I need more of that.
Thank you all so much for your comments on the last post. It was great getting to know you all better. Sometimes I just feel like a little fish in this big ocean. Simply a screen name. Very nice to meet you all!
Summertime means vacation time! I know, I know we just got back from Disney World but it’s summer. It’s time to hit the road. If only gas prices weren’t over $4 a gallon. Maybe it’s the teacher in me. When school’s out, I’m ready to go. I spent about six years traveling overseas in the summertime with students and I feel that itch every summer. Each and every summer. I want to go. Anywhere.
We are blessed that we spent the early years of our marriage living in San Antonio. And even more blessed that most of Miles’ family still lives there. So, what’s a travelin’ minded girl to do when she feels the urge to go? Go home.
This summer you’ll see quite a few posts about San Antonio. It’s home.
The culture.
The food. The margaritas.
The Alamo.
Sea World.
We spent Saturday at El Mercado (the market) in downtown San Antonio. I was on a quest to find those Mexican dresses. I found several, just not at a rate I’m willing to pay. Looks like I’m going to have to head to the border to track some down. This will be a journey I’ll be sure to include you all on. Fingers crossed, we won’t have to go to the border.
El Mercado reminds you of being in a marketplace in Mexico. The music. The food. The margaritas. The shop owners selling their wares. Like these Mexican wrestling masks. Lovely eh?
We then made our way to the Alamo to have a walk around. Then down to the River Walk to hope and pray that one of our children would not fall in. Fortunately, we made it out okay.
Sunday was reserved for Sea World. This year since the kids are getting older we are able to do more. Last year, we spent a great deal of time watching shows. This year it was onto the water park. To experience the wave pool, lazy river and even a few fun slides. I think we might be spending a lot of time at the water park this summer. Crowds and all.
Send out a search party. I’m lost.
You might have noticed that I have gone missing and can’t seem to make my way back to my computer. I think I’ve been putting off this post because of the 500 plus photos from Disney World that I had to sort. Sorting that many pictures is daunting. Can anyone tell me why I felt it necessary to take pictures of every parade. Every character. Every time?
Why on earth did I take pictures of each and every fireworks show?
Why did I think I should take pictures every time we ate?
Because they slip you Disney crack when you arrive. That’s why!
Seriously, Disney World is a mecca of everything that Walt Disney could have never imagined.
I’m a planner. Before we left, I planned our meals, our itinerary and everything in between. I planned snacks, downtime and pool time. I planned. But when we arrived and breathed that Disney air. Every little plan, every detail went out the window. We were all kids again. Mouse ears and all.
I do have to admit that I came home with one too many Mickey Mouse souveniers. Don’t judge me when you see me walking down there street in my Minnie Mouse t-shirt. It seemed like a good idea at the time. It’s the crack.
Until tomorrow, I’m out. My brain hurts from sorting pictures. I do have more stories to share, especially about the Bippity Boppity Boutique, but those will have to wait for another day.
I’m heading West my friends, driving off into the sunset for a girls weekend away.
Miles will be holding down the fort with the kids for a three day weekend so I can get some much needed girl time. I still have a few loads of laundry to do and outfit selections, oh my. Should I wear this necklace with this skirt or these shoes with this shirt? Which handbag? Oh, it can all just be too much. And which color of flip flops should I take? Or should I just pack them all? They are light and compact. Always a dilemma with an Austinite. Never leave home without them.
I plan to do some sitting by the pool and ummm some sitting by the pool and then onto sitting by the pool. No floaties to inflate. No sippy cups to refill. No nap times to watch over. No laundry. No dishes. No strollers to push. No bickering amongst toddlers. No screaming. No little hands to hold. No babes to tuck in at night. No bedtime stories.
I think I’m going to miss them. Sniff.
In my pre-kids, pre-stay at home, pre-craft and sew days I had heard of this place called Round Top. I think mostly I would read about it in the Southern Living magazine that was nicely displayed in my in-laws house. It seemed like a nice outing… if you were into that type of thing.
Well, let me tell you that these days I am totally into that type of thing. We were on our way to Houston, taking some back roads for the scenery and wildflowers when I remembered that it was Round Top weekend. Thanks fellow bloggers. Having never visited Round Top before I had no idea where it was. Somewhere between here and Houston is all that I knew. So out came my trusty map and I found it. It is one of the smallest specks on the Texas map and if you were to blink, you’d definitely miss it, but not twice a year. We decided that we had time to kill before we needed to be in Houston so we veered off of the highway and began following the traffic. And boy were we not disappointed.
One weekend in the Spring and one in the Fall the countryside comes alive with vendors pedaling their wares. You name it, you can find it at Round Top and the surrounding antique shows. The only regret we walked away with was that we didn’t have more time to spend.
If there’s something on your list, you can find it at Round Top. We got a few things that were on our list, plus a few more that we just had to have. Sorry, the bike wasn’t one of them.
Makena had her way with some of the vendors. She walked away with the vintage necklace that she’s wearing and also a fairy sun catcher. Such sweet people at Round Top. I found some great vintage embroidered pillowcases for some more dresses. Maybe an ETSY shop is in the future.
Miles has been looking for a vintage water ski to convert to a rack to hold life jackets, his cowboy hat and other random items. Of course we found one. I’ll be sure to share the picture of the completed rack once he gets it all done. Keegan is gratiously allowing us to store our goods in his stroller. As long as he has his popcorn. We also found a really, really old life preserver from a ship. Though, can I be really candid here and tell you that walking around with a water ski and a life preserver makes you look like you are opening a very 1980’s inspired seafood house. Note to self: must be careful with placement of nautical themed decor.
Probably the most humorous aspect to the entire weekend was pulling up to the hotel in Houston. We smelled like dirt and barbeque. Our car was loaded with snacks dumped everywhere and the most hodge podge assortment of stuff you could imagine. Just the water ski and life preserver popping out the back was funny enough.
Since we’re talking about vintage items, here is my toy for Anne’s toy week. It’s actually Makena’s collection of Matryoshka dolls that we’ve picked up here and there, all thrifted. The globe was found at a goodwill a while back and I just fell in love with the dog piggy bank. For a girl whose love and room is pink, pink and more pink I thought throwing in a bit of funky style is exactly what she needed.
