Mimi decided that the first thing we had to do was go to the Anthropology sale. I will never understand how she gets so excited about Anthropology when she practically has her own Anthro at the Children's Hour. She loves a good deal and everything was 50% off. We had a ton of fun just the two of us shopping downtown and at the Paper Source next door. Mom's a shopping machine. She could go all day!! I'll never forget the exhausting trips I would take with her to New York or L.A. for buying trips. She totally wore me out!!
Mimi also insisted that we get our nails done and invited Sadie to come along. A girl's day at the salon! Sadie was in heaven. I tried shellac for the first time and they lasted forever!! I finally had to peel them off because they weren't going anywhere.
Sadie didn't get shellac. She waited patiently with a book while Mimi and I were beautified. Her outfit kills me! She's all fancy with her headband, all comfy in her sweats, and ready to mount a horse in her boots. Such a silly fashionista!!
We couldn't leave the boys out entirely so we decided to go to Hamilton Pools. Little did we know the water was so toxic with ecoli they had a woman there telling everyone NOT to touch the water. This was very hard for the kiddos. Normally they would want to swim in it and couldn't even put their hands in there.
We still had fun throwing rocks.
I was a little bummed Austin couldn't offer my parents warmer weather than the lower 60s. They didn't mind the chilly weather and were just grateful to be out of the SLC smog that plagues the valley all winter long. We ventured out anyway hitting Sandra Bullock's bakery downtown before a quick visit to the state capitol.
We had heard a little bit about the new Austin Aquarium and thought we'd check it out. It ended up being a Petsmart on steroids. It was literally in an old Petsmart location. Kind of hilarious. I ran into some old friends from my Cedar Park days too which was great but reminded me how much more I like SouthWest Austin. Such a better fit for us down here.
Chase and I made the observation that most of the parents looked really bored, but the kids were all thrilled to be there. Maybe we need to be more like the kids and expect less from everything. My kiddos had a blast and that's all that really matters.
Petting stingrays!
George was particularly thrilled every time one swam by.
We all loved feeling the birds too. They REALLY liked Sadie. She was trying so hard to be brave even after all the birds in the cage swarmed around her like a fresh piece of meat. She stole the show and all the other kids wished that many birds were on their arms and back.
Poor Grandpa was a little sick while he was here. He still tried to be the best grandpa ever and be everything and more to our wonderful chiddlers. He was even kind enough to humor George and his tedious obsession with flags. He eventually got strep and after going home realized he had pneumonia. He also was limping the whole time because his knee was giving him grief. It kind of breaks my heart to see my strong dad all of a sudden feeble and sick. It reminded me of the time he broke his nose. He had tripped and in an effort to save his broken (and taped) glasses, he fell on his nose. Dad was always my hero (still is) but as a little girl, it was so strange to see him laying in bed with bandages all around his bloodied nose. It never occurred to me then that one day my dad would really get old.
This was the first year I really started to fear the day I will ever have to say goodbye to him. It was the "limping" that really got to me. That's what "old people" do. Not my dad. My dad could never be "old." Old people eventually die! I know there is much more beyond the grave but that doesn't make it any easier to live here on earth without him. He's always been here. Dad is and has always been everything to me. I know it's just a limp and it better just be a limp for a long time to come.
We have far too much fun when he and Mimi come around!
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