To Austin...

There are several reasons we have been itching to go to downtown Austin, but the reason on May eleventh was to visit the Children's Museum. This was the boys' first Children's Museum experience and our family's first time to the one in Austin. We arrived shortly after opening at ten and the place was already packed. We didn't really account for the end of the year field trip outings, but we managed quite well in between group invasions. 

The first room we went to had a bunch of simple machines that did neat things with golf balls, called "Ready, Set, Roll." Ramps, pulleys, scales, little gravity roller coasters. The boys love playing with golf balls in the yard, so they were excited. Thankfully, I never saw Adam attempt to throw one, which could have been complicated. Adam watched Aaron and quickly caught on. 

After that we just went to whatever room was not completely swamped with free-ranging obnoxious children. 

Aaron operating a little excavator.

There was a room devoted to building things and working with your hands. Given the gross lack of flashing lights, sounds, and the added need for self-motivation... the room was fairly quiet and somewhat empty. 

To show size comparisons, there were four chairs set out next to each other. No kid had to be told what to do... they just climbed. The sitting still for a photo part - was a little less natural.

Fish tank.

Adam found more golf balls.

A neat model train that drove around an elevated track and in through a mock train station. The boys were quite fond of it.

There was a little diner style restaurant complete with grill, sink, wok, and any sort of food you could think of in small, disproportional, plastic version. 

Aaron loves to play kitchen, so he would have stayed in there all day had time allowed. And Adam loves to do what Aaron does, so he followed right along, cooking vegetables and pasta for Daddy. Thankfully the large group of elementary school children had vacated by then, so it was a bit more relaxed and quiet. 

Alan ready for dinner service.

Aaron grilling what we thought were steaks, but turned out to be rye bread. Who knew?

Evidence of happy hands.

Adam combing through the food supply searching for something familiar.

 Back to the chairs... 

A precious photo moment happened and thankfully I was able to catch it before it passed... 

The only chair I've ever seen that makes Alan look small.

Second to the diner, the train track set in the lobby was another favorite. There was another little boy (in the yellow) who also took trains as serious as Aaron. 

After we made the rounds, we drug them out against their will in hopes to find sustenance. An old favorite Roppolo's Pizza came to mind. It was the first time that Aaron had walked through a big city. He pointed out everything and asked questions nonstop. Questions about the manhole covers, bus stops, odd shops we passed, and the Oxford building (what he names all dome shaped buildings, after [photos of ] the Radcliffe Camera, in Oxford - where Uncle Matt lives), which was of course, the capital building. It was such a nice day and we enjoyed the walk over a few blocks to Sixth Street and found a table in the courtyard at Roppolo's.