I want to title this “through San Antonio” but it seems unfitting. I’m sitting in Pleasanton, TX. San Antonio is a super beautiful city, but it’s SO big and all those lanes give me anxiety. It’s almost easier driving at night to be able to keep track of the headlights coming up from behind.
I looked at the maps and things to do and came up with SO many things I would want to take the kids to, like the hemisphere tower of America would be fun to go up into, or the beautiful zoo that costs $60, or the Museums of which the cheapest was $30 altogether, or the caverns a bit north of the city also a $20 per person…. So we went to the Japanese Tea Garden, video already produced but waiting to post it for a good timing. It was absolutely beautiful walking around the park and wandering the narrow pathways. We took Gizzi so that he’d get a bit of exercise and exposure, which was great until the kids ran down a hill ahead, Gizzi went after, and my slippery boots went “woosh!” I’m beyond surprised that my leggings didn’t rip on my knees. The fall was definitely recorded and shortly after Galixy also took a lovely fall we caught on camera.
After the Tea Garden we went to another park with playground, which was completely fenced off. So we unhooked the strider bikes and took a little stroll in the warm sunshine. We found a cool Caterpillar, too, that the kids really loved to observe.
San Antonio Walmarts don’t condone staying the night, as I mentioned in my last blog, so I scanned the maps for truck stops and grocery stores, Denny’s or Cracker barrels usually do too but I just don’t want to be awoken in the middle of the night… So I discussed with the kids and we headed south out of town. I don’t actually think that the kids really realize always what I’m discussing with them. They hardly even listen most of the time. But it helps me sort my head a bit and give me a crutch when they argue about going places we’ve gone away from. Like Atreyu really wanted to go to the expensive zoo and I kept teetering on whether it was worth that money (which education is for sure, but boy! That’s an expensive zoo trip) but then I asked if we should go south and out of San Antonio and both the kids agreed, so when Atreyu asked about the zoo again, we were a half hour drive outside the city.
We stayed at an Exxon next to the truck stop and had a lovely ravioli dinner that was nice and quiet. And the morning was also very nice and productive, though finding out the powersteering pump is leaking somehow and not from the hoses like it did this summer, wasn’t lovely. There was a big leak, so I moved the bus a bit and felt the hoses which are intact. I think maybe the bolts could use some tightening but I can’t find the right size wrench in my tool box. Yay! I also need more powersteering fluid or type F transmission fluid, but I should fix that leak before just pushing more puddles into the environment……
On happier notes, we had a beautiful day anyways going to a Park with opened playgrounds, an over zealous security guard who seemed afraid of Rhea, and along a calm river with pathway to walk along. I had a little picnic while the kids played, then we walked. OH! their trail of lights/christmas attraction is a conglomeration of decorated Christmas trees sponsored by different parts of town, Video coming to youtube some time…
After our wonderful walk, Atreyu wanted to go to the library, so we did that. I just uploaded a read along story on youtube called “Smile if you’re human” it’s a cute book. I have to point out that I was drawn to it for the word Smile in the title. It’s not quite what I expected, but it was still adorable and definitely worth sharing. I read quite a few books. Atreyu pulled out all kinds of dinosaur books after taking forever to locate them. Galixy is high energy and hard to contain in areas as such. It used to be helpful to put her infront of a kiddie computer, if the library had it available, but since Covid these have all become off limits even when present. So Galixy ran and jumped and stomped and drove me absolutely crazy. So much so that I was more than willing to leave after a seemingly short time. And as soon as we got to the bus, Atreyu demanded we go to a museum. I was like “Naw, ya gotta be kidding me…”
I won that one and drove us to Walmart. I colored and listened to music. Both kids decided they didn’t have enough toys or things to do. I decided to send them to bed until their attitudes were better. I should’ve left them in bed at that point. I’m tired. They’re wearing me out.
A lovely lady did decide to put some of her christmas bonus into our fuel tank and while she did that another wonderful woman stopped to give us $3. The kids had the left overs of burritos and a short movie. Now we’re haggling about the reading thing. I’m beyond ready for bed. I’m beyond ready for quiet and maybe a meditation.
I’m being played by a 6 year old about his reading game and I’m so not grateful for this right now. I’m going to take a break… I’m about to crack down on myself here.
We made it through the 8 pages of book. He does way better than a while ago, but I’m just at the end of this day and they kids are doing nothing to help themselves.
But we made it to the bed time and the day will be over. I’m grateful for that. I’m also grateful that my kids have found continuous joy in walking on my back which leads to semi irregular backmassages, but something is better than nothing. I’m grateful that I feel like all the colorables are colorful and I can move to the next step on those. I’m grateful for this journey and this life in general, to be able to share smiles and have that be something my kids see. They have a strange perspective of this world and I’m grateful for that too.
What are you grateful for?
I’ve been trying to change up the “Hello’s” and “goodbyes” in my Blog posts, but I’m almost wondering if I should keep one or the other the same. It’s not like it’s easy being different ALL the time…. What do you think?
Stay creative? Or robo-machine? Make it easier on myself? Wrack my brain about my entrance and exit like a show pony?
Please do check out more of our journey in previous posts
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I do so appreciate you! I hope you share some smiles.
Matilda the Bugus 