The Courtyard

We did not have any wiggle room in our travel dates so when we discovered that we were visiting Austin during South by Southwest, we knew we would have to do a lot of driving.  The few hotel rooms still available in Austin were way out of our price range!  So we stayed in San Antonio and drove in to Austin every day--it really cut into our visiting time but we made it work and had some great visits.

One of the kids favorite visits was the day we took Grandpa to the courtyard--he is at a rehabilitation center so he can get various therapies and build his strength back up to be able to go home.  The center is built in a big square with a big courtyard in the middle.  There is a little garden plot and lots of trees and benches and it is a lovely little spot.  One day, we all went outside and the kids got to run around and play and work out some of those wiggles while the adults chatted and soaked up some sun.  My kiddos would zoom off and run around and then come back in to show off their treasures--leaves, acorns, sticks--and then zoom off again.  They were kind of shy during our visits so this was a great opportunity for everyone to see a bit of their personalities--they were so excited to show off their treasures that they often forgot to be shy :)

My little S was born in Austin and lived there his first year and a half or so.  He spent a great deal of time with his Texas Grandma and Grandpa but he doesn't really remember them.  When B was born, we went to visit but neither of them remember that visit, either.  This is Iz's first time meeting them and while the boys eventually relaxed and got attached, she was always a little bit wary of the whole thing.  She would give hugs and go to her grandparents or aunts and cousins but she always kept one eye on me and was quick to dart back to me if she thought she had gotten too far away.  So this day of sunshine and running and treasures was good to see because even Iz let down her guard and enjoyed herself :)