Road Trip 2018

This was the front of the invitation I made and sent to Clara for this year's Road Trip.

This past weekend was the weekend I anticipate all year long - the one when Clara and I take off on a Friday afternoon, stay a couple nights in hotel rooms, and visit the sights of someplace new. So far we've "done" Waco, San Antonio, and (this time) Austin! 

I came to Houston a day early, to go to Clara's volleyball game on Thursday evening. She has just started playing 7th grade volleyball. In fact, I think this was only her second game night. Clara's team, the Gators, have a little work to do in order to become stars, but they are winners in my eyes, anyway. And doesn't Clara look GREAT in her uniform?!

On Friday, by the time we made it to Austin and checked into our first hotel, Clara was hungry. This girl, who will be 13 in December and is a good deal taller than I now, can really put down the chow! I used to get by with kids' meals at Chick-Fil-A, but now she's into "real food." We went to Applebee's and started with her favorite appetizer - mozzarella sticks -after which she ate most of a broccoli/chicken Alfredo dinner.

That evening Clara completed her homework, so it wouldn't be hanging over our heads all weekend. 

We got up around 7:00 on Saturday, which was going to be our busiest day. While we were eating our complementary breakfast at the hotel, Clara asked if she could try a cup of coffee. In the absence of a parent, a grandma gets to make decisions - so I told her, "Go ahead!" She doctored it up so it was more milk and sugar than coffee. She said she liked it, but only took a few sips before giving up because it was "too hot."

After breakfast we drove to the Capitol complex. This was not only Clara's first time to visit the Capitol, but mine as well. We were both quite impressed. It's a spectacular building. We took a guided tour. Our guide, Georgia, knew how to keep us all interested, telling stories and making Texas history come alive.

We toured the senate and house chambers.

The Texas star at the top of the dome measures 8 feet across. The dome is 218 feet high - equivalent to a 20-story building! The public is allowed to go up the stairs or elevators to the fourth level, which is mighty high! 

Clara climbed the stairs to the 4th level of the rotunda. Can you see her, waving at me, way up there (below)? 

And then, we switched places. I rode the elevator to the 4th level, and took another picture of Clara standing (below) in the center of the star, with emblems representing the six flags that have flown over Texas.

What was amazing to me was that, as large as the above-ground Capitol is, the Extension, located below-ground, is larger. It is beautifully done, though, with lots of natural light because of sky lights and an open-air rotunda. In the photo below, the upper fence of the rotunda is at ground level, letting light into all the under-ground offices/suites/rooms.

The grounds of the Capitol, with its 25 species of trees, are spectacular too.

After completing our Capitol tour, we ate a quick lunch and then headed to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. I really have to go back there on a sunny, spring day. When we got there, rain was threatening. I had signed us up for an art class, and by the time we were dismissed from it, the rain was coming down heavily. So we didn't get to walk all the trails and see the fall foliage that was in bloom.

Our art class, at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center was a 3-hour alcohol-ink class with Houston instructor/artist, Andrea Patton. We each designed three tiles, using the alcohol-inks and the methods Andrea demonstrated for us.  It was a wonderful, artsy afternoon in a fantastic setting.

Here are a few of the tiles our class made.

We called it a day after dinner at Arby's Saturday evening. We watched America's Got Talent before bed, and Clara was inspired by a fantastic violinist. She, herself, is becoming quite the violinist in her school orchestra.

Sunday morning we got up, ate breakfast at our hotel, and drove to church. I had the address for the Southwest Church of Christ, and we found it without any trouble. People were friendly, and the worship service was uplifting. Take a look at the blue sky with fluffy white clouds. That's what the weather was like as we entered the church building.

Afterward, we ate a quick lunch and headed to the Lady Bird Lake dock area for a boat tour for which I had already purchased tickets. But by the time we were supposed to board, this was the weather we were getting. We sat in our car for a while, to see if it was just a passing shower, but it seemed it was going to stick around. Before long even the city streets were getting deep with water in places. So, reluctantly, we gave up and called the 2018 Road Trip over. It really was a success, despite the boat tour being rained out. We arrived back in Houston, at Clara's house, around 4:00.

When we got there, we found Robert and Chris deep in a game of Pokemon - Robert's newest interest.

I spent the night there, so got to visit with the entire family for a while, and left early this morning. I  arrived home, and to a big Dan-hug, a little before noon. I will sleep well tonight, thanking God for both of my amazing grandkids, and especially for the time Clara and I spent together on our 2018 Road Trip.

(I just realized I didn't get a single picture of Clara and I together on our trip 😔)

GRAND Is the Time Spent with Grandkids

I always look forward to having the grandkids come visit for a while in the summer. Sometimes we have them one-on-one, which I like since they are four years apart, and that way we can focus on one at a time. But this summer we brought both of them home with us, last Sunday, and it was a great success.

We drove to Houston on Saturday, and celebrated Grandpa (Dan's) birthday. The kids had baked him a delicious pound cake and gave him a present, the game Ticket to Ride - Europe.  Later that evening they lit off the last of their 4th of July sparklers.

We went to church with Chris, Kelsey and the kids on Sunday morning, had lunch together afterward, and drove home that afternoon. After dinner, an hour of Netflix, and a good night's sleep, we were ready for a Monday adventure. We drove down to Georgetown - less than an hour away - and went to the Inner Space Cavern. This cavern is one of the best preserved caves in Texas. It was discovered by a Texas Highway Department core drilling team in the Spring of 1963. They were drilling to find out whether the ground was stable enough to support a large I-35 highway overpass. Currently I-35 passes over the cavern, and the caves extend both east and west of the highway.

The kids really enjoyed the tour. Our tour guide, Rachel, was funny and full of facts and stories. At one point, as we were pausing to view one of the cavern rooms, I heard Robert carrying on a detailed scientific exchange with her, about some of the animal fossils that were found.

The path through the cavern is downhill all the way, but that means uphill all the way back out. It wasn't too bad except the last steep incline before exiting. There were places where you had to watch your head - and Dan missed one of those places and whacked his head a good one.

The rules at Grandma's house are a little bit relaxed, so each evening, before bed, we watched a couple of Netflix episodes and had a small bowl of ice cream. One series they like is "Who Was ..." and the other favorite was "Nailed It." I also let them play some games on my iPad each morning, before breakfast. I know this is not something they get to do much at home (and I approve of that home rule), but . . . it's Grandma's house and, therefore, Grandma's rules - at least for a few days in the summer.

On Tuesday we went to Summer Fun, a family-run water park in Belton, just 10 or 15 minutes from home. This was a big hit. Dan and I enjoyed relaxing in the shade and watching all of the fun. Clara and Robert stayed together the entire time, and got a little braver as time went on. Their favorite was the big inner tube slide.

Before dinner, Clara asked if she could make a card, using my Cricut Maker machine. She had watched me make one the day before, so I figured she could handle it. I sat beside her for most of the project, and she successfully made a beautiful card for friends who had recently lost a loved one. (How tender-hearted of her to think of them!)

Wednesday was an unscheduled day. We started off with a half-hour romp at the Whistle Stop Playground.

Then we went to McWha Used Books, in Belton, where they found some books to take home and read..

Mid-afternoon Clara reminded me that I had said they might be able to bake something, so we pulled out the bowls, cups, spoons and ingredients and baked a pan of brownies, which we had later in the evening while we watched the movie, Looney Toons: Back in Action. 

Finally, well past their bedtime, Grandpa Dan set up his telescope and showed Clara several planets and one star. Robert was not tall enough to see through the scope. We'll have to remedy that for the next time. 

They are in bed now, and in the morning we'll drive to Somerville, where Kelsey will meet us for a "kid-swap." It's been a blast. (And yes . . . I'm tired!)