Austin - Playtime

After two days on the road (see The Getaway) Nancy and I spent a couple of days visiting son Ted and his issue Leili (5 going on 6) and Cyrus (3 going on 4). The weekend consisted of activities that, oddly, small children and seniors have in common - playing games, working puzzles, taking the fresh air and eating.

Here's an opening shot of Nancy and Leili getting reacquainted.

After an afternoon of keeping up with Olympic developments, Nancy and Leili spent a little time making up stories with one of Leili's favorite games,

while Ted and Cyrus engaged in more boy-like play.

Our little group then moved on to a round of Richard Scary's "Busytown - Eye Found It", a game we like so much, we sent it to the kids for Christmas two years in a row (we did that one time with a book for Leili, too; so much for keeping track of that sort of thing). 

We wrapped up the afternoon with a little outside time. In this pic Leili is basking in the joy of her stomp-rocket. This involves stomping on a sort of balloon pump as hard as she can (fun in itself) that shoots Styrofoam rockets up in the air, sometimes 30 or 40 feet. This of course, depending on the direction of the wind, requires Dad to retrieve the rockets from a variety of unintended landing sites, like the landscaping, the neighbors' yard and in one instance the neighbors' roof (see Ted rummaging in the background about ready to secure Leili's latest launch which he has just shaken out of a tree).

 

Here we have the grandparents enjoying the festivities in the way we know best - with a couple of Wisers Manhattans on the deck. Hey, playtime is playtime.

 

For dinner on Saturday night we went to Rudi's, a local Texas barbecue place. The kids love it not only for the food, but because everyone sort of eats like a one year old.

Note that no plates are involved. You just pile beef brisket, spicy sausage and other goodies on sheets of butcher paper and have at it. There are plastic utensils available, but they're optional. Here's a shot of Cyrus demonstrating his "shove it in your mouth and slowly chew it down" technique.

And as if to prove the point, here is Leili confirming that Cyrus is not making it up, much to Grandpa's chagrin (either that or I have a mouthful of dill pickles, can't remember which).

But a good meal (and time) was had by all, as indicated by this post-gluttony shot.

On Sunday, it was more of the same. Here's a shot from the morning "icebreaker" period. Leili is including Cyrus in a virtual baking game (I think cupcakes were the delicacy of choice this weekend).

 

Grandpa had sort of opened the issue by popping for donuts on Saturday (several topped with the ever popular multicolored sprinkles).  Note that Cyrus has brought one of his current best friends to the activity, whose name is, actually, "Bunny with Pants".

Sunday being a beautiful day, we started right in on the outside activities. Here is a shot of the "Texans" enjoying a classic backyard apparatus.

And one of Cyrus fully into an attempt to achieve escape velocity.

But, after awhile, it was time to take our game up a notch and head to the park (a couple of blocks away). Here's grandpa serving as cart mule.

 

Of course, the park visits always start with the same stop; something about swings and numerous parents/grandparents always willing to push.

With the preliminaries over, Cyrus moved on to practicing his foot dribble,

 

and Leili her hopscotch, first being coached by Grandma, 

 

then turning the tables, helping Grandma remember her groove.

 

Eventually, little feet get tired (let alone senior tootsies), and it's time to catch the wagon home, courtesy of Dad.

 

We wrapped up the weekend with dinner at a local Thai eatery called Mama Fu's, which in Leili's opinion, is the "best restaurant in Texas". As kids eat free on Sunday at Mama Fu's, Ted tends to agree. Here's Leili expressing her approval after her usual feast of "ninja noodles".

That night we tucked the kids in and packed up our bags for the third leg of our trip - New Road. Watch for the follow-up post in a day or two.