Author: clairebooher

A Trip to Q2 Stadium

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The new Q2 stadium, home of Austin FC, has been an entertaining force to be reckoned with this summer!  While the team itself has had some bad luck in its first year, the experience of watching them play is something truly amazing!  Being in that stadium, listening to chants of “Alright, Alright, Alright, Austin FC” just feels so amazingly Austin!  Taking kids to sporting events comes with its own set of challenges.  Q2 Stadium is not immune to any of these, but with some planning, the whole family can enjoy the experience.

Getting There

There are multiple ways to get to the Q2 Stadium.  If money is no object, park at the stadium.  The parking lot is stupidly expensive, but easy to get your kids from point A to point B.  If you don’t want to spend an arm, but maybe just a leg, several businesses around the stadium offer parking.  The walk to the stadium is a bit longer, but you still have the luxury of bringing your own car.  The bus and the MetroRail are the cheapest of the options.  Both drop off and pick up only a few blocks from the stadium.  I didn’t mind taking the bus and it was nice not to worry about traffic.  However, it is a long ride at the end of the night to your station.  Once you get to your car, you still have to drive home.  This would be about the time kids start to have their emotional breakdowns.

Finding Food

The food might be my favorite part of visiting the stadium.  A lot of your local favorites like Taco Deli are there.  There is also a fabulous convenience store if you just want your standard chips and drinks.  When you get there, do a lap with the family and look at all the food options. And let’s not forget the Queso bar.  Let me repeat that.  The QUESO BAR!  It doesn’t get more Texas than being able plate your own nachos with your choice of queso! 

The Game

Y’all, it is just so much fun!  The fans make the experience.  Even if you have never played soccer a day in your life, you will get up and cheer with the fans.  Between the drums, the lights and the singing, you can’t help but get into the spirit of everything! 

Tips:

Guest Services

Q2 Stadium has a Guest Services station in the main concourse.  They offer stroller parking and also provide emergency wrist bands for children.  The wristbands contain contact information on them in case you get separated.  It should be the first place you stop once you get into the stadium.

Have a meeting spot

It’s easy to lose track of your kids in the massive amounts of people and action.  Make sure your kids know where your seats are.  Make sure they know who the stadium workers are and what they are wearing so they can ask for help.  You should also have a meeting place if you get separated.  Guest Services would be a good spot to take your kids to see.  The stadium itself is very easy to find your way around.  It is one big circle, so even if you get turned around, you will easily end up back where you started.

Headphones

For your littles, a pair of noise cancelling headphones will be a big help.  The stadium isn’t as loud as a rock concert, but loud enough for kids to feel overwhelmed.

Beat the Heat

Summer is winding down, and the soccer season goes well into the fall when temperatures are nicer.  But the Texas heat, mixed with Texans’ body heat, is very tough.  Make sure your kids are in their summer clothes.  Bring portable fans or cold towels to help cool you off.

So should to take the family out to visit Q2 Stadium?

0-3 years (proceed with caution)

Almost all the games start around 8 pm.  There are two afternoon games in October, but besides that, it is probably too late for the littles.  With a pair of noise cancelling headphones, they would definitely get a kick out of watching all the activity around them.  But the heat and the noise could very easily lead to a meltdown.  Some of the amazing things Q2 Stadium offers are nursing rooms, cooling off rooms, and changing tables in the women’s and men’s room!

3-6 years (proceed with caution)

Similar issues with this age group as with the babies.  The games start a bit too late for this crowd.  And once the game is over, there is the walk back to the car.  And unless you are parked in the stadium, it is a long trip home.  They will absolutely love the games and the food.  The afternoon games this October would definitely be better for this age group.

6 and up (Go now!)

Get your kids and their soccer teammates and go have some fun!  Still a late hour for these kids, but they won’t care enough to have a meltdown.  The fans are amazing, and they will love getting into the spirit of everything! 

Always Be Prepared

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School is back and with a new year, comes new injuries.  While I’ve always had my Mary Poppin’s bag filled with extra clothes, baby wipes, and snacks, I decided to tap into my inner boy scout and learn “what are the best things to have in your own first aid kit.” 

Kids are very determined to hurt themselves.  Having the right items stocked in your house, helps you prepare for even the craziest of accidents.  Once I looked at the recommendations for first aid kits, I immediately became overwhelmed and turned off my computer.  Warning!  It doesn’t take much to go from buying bandages on the Red Cross website, to building a bomb shelter.

We all know what our medicine cabinets really look like.  A scattering of random Band-Aids litters the bottom of the drawer, random medicines loosely stacked on top, and a perfectly put together travel kit someone gave you as a gift (but you’ve never used).  A good habit to get into is regularly going down the pharmacy aisle in the grocery store to check what needs to be restocked in your own home.

A dedicated first aid kit for your sitters and nannies is good to have on hand .  As much fun as it sounds, digging through someone else’s medicine cabinet looking for Band-Aids is always uncomfortable.  Below are some good items to have readily available for anyone in your home.

Butterfly Band-Aids:  Everyone has a story about busting open some part of their body that should remain closed.  These little dudes can take care of most cuts. 

Dermoplast Spray:  This antiseptic spray is also a pain reliever! A double whammy for keeping wounds clean!

Benadryl:  No one found out they were allergic to something in an easy way.  While it would be nice to be able to keep EpiPens in your first aid kit, they require a prescription. 

The Red Cross has an amazing website where you can shop for first aids items and premade kits.  Items like a breathing barrier or an aluminum finger splint aren’t things you will probably need, but they can’t hurt to have on hand (pun not intended).

The Red Cross recommends keeping a first aid kit in your car as well as your home.  I decided to head on over to Target to make myself a small, travel first aid kit.  It was a bit overwhelming walking through the pharmacy trying to decide what I would need, and if I was missing anything vital.  I decided to look back at my years of taking care of kids, and try and remember all the things I wish I had.

Tweezers:  “I’VE GOT A SPLINTER!!!”  Dear Lord have mercy on me when a kid gets a splinter.  We all know getting a splinter in the kid world is basically the equivalent to getting your arm chopped off.  Having a pair of tweezers on hand would have saved a couple of afternoons at the playground.

Gauze:  I have seen quite a few knocks to the head in my day.  If you’ve ever seen any wound to the face you know, it bleeds a LOT.  A small cut on the lip or a nose bleed, and suddenly you’re in the hallway of The Shining.  Wipes and Kleenex just don’t do the trick when it comes to stopping blood.  Gauze are the best solution to stop the blood and get back to fun.

Tylenol, Benadryl, Dramamine:  Seeing your kid sick is the worst.  Seeing your kid sick and being unable to help because you’re not home is miserable!  Keeping a few of these medications on hand for an emergency can help you make it home. I bought kids’ chewable of each medicine.  Putting liquid medicines in a car is not an experiment I’d like to try in the oppressive Texas heat.

There is a lot of information out there on how to be best prepare for an emergency.  It can get overwhelming very quickly. I found it very helpful to think about what I experienced as a child, and as a childcare worker.  It is always better to have these items and not need them, than need them and not have them.  I certainly never needed a snow shovel in Texas, but ask me about this past February.

Having a first aid kit and updating it regularly is a good habit for everyone to get into.  Go check out the Red Cross website and see what they have to offer!

The Splash Shack

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The summer of 2021 is coming to a close.  If you are looking for a last bit of summer fun before school starts, I recommend The Splash Shack!  An indoor water park in Cedar Park, the Splash Shack is specifically made for children 10 and under.  I am not a big fan of water parks.  Between the heat, the lines, and the warm bath water, it has never been my favorite place to take kids.  But this water park is indoors, always heated to 82 degrees, and limits the number of people allowed inside.  This was something I couldn’t pass up trying!

Pricing is dictated by height (at 5’2′ I was slightly concerned), and the park is perfectly made for little kids.  The Splash Shack is made of multiple water slides, and that’s about it.  The simplicity of the place is actually what makes it enjoyable.  Kids climb up the slides, go down the slides, rinse and repeat.  There is also a giant water bucket that hangs over the play area.  It fills with water and makes an absolutely epic splash! 

Tips

Prepare to get wet:  There is a lovely sitting area, where you can relax and keep an eye on your kids, but I see no way you could go to this water park and stay dry.  The building is pretty small and large splashes are inevitable.  Some productive parents came in their yoga pants and were working or reading.  One giant bucket splash later, the work was put away. 

No outside food or drink:  We could have stayed at the water park for longer, but they don’t allow outside food or drink.  There is a lovely snack bar with your standard chips and drinks.  The day we went, they were also offering pizza for sale.  But all-in-all, it would have been nicer if we could have packed a lunch.  We still got a solid two and half hours of play time.  But we definitely could’ve stayed longer!

Take breaks:  I appreciate that most pools these days clear the pool every hour for safety.  It gives you a chance to take kids to the bathroom, reapply sunscreen, etc.  Since you are inside, this is easily forgotten.  And with little kids and lots of space to pee, you can see why adding in your own break time would be a good idea!

So should you make the trip to The Splash Shack?

Baby-3 (Proceed with caution)

This water park is quite small which is nice.  There are changing tables in every bathroom.  There is space for babies to crawl and splash in the water.  However, children are not allowed to sit in your lap to go down water slides.  If you’ve got a braver toddler, this shouldn’t be a problem.  But the more cautious ones are going to have to get some courage.

3-6 (Go now!)

It is a great outing for this age group.  They climb up and slide down, climb up and slide down, over and over again until they need a snack!  The size of the place makes it perfect to keep an eye on everyone.  Lifeguards are set up all over the tiny area, making sure the kids are safe and taking turns.  

6-10 (Go now!)

While this park is great for little kids, it’s not like the big kids are going to be bored and think this place is for babies.  The same enjoyment the little kids have, the big kids will have too.  A lot of the slides are side by side and perfect for kids who want to race each other!  

Sweet Eats Fruit Farm

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I am madly in love with Sweet Eats Farm.  We all know the challenge of keeping kids entertained during Covid 19.  After exhausting every craft on Pinterest, cooking every single kid-friendly recipe, and watching more “Ryan’s Mystery Playdate” than should ever be legally allowed, we needed something to get us out of the house. Sweet Eats Farm swooped down from heaven, and saved us. It gave me a whole morning of hands-off fun, and an afternoon of exhausted children taking long naps.  If you’re looking for a good day trip, I have found your savior!

This large fruit farm was started in 2013, and has grown to an amazing utopia of kid fun.  Picking your own fruit is just one of the many attractions this farm has to offer.  At $15 per person (free for under 2), the price is well worth it.  This post would go on forever if I were to list all the things kids can do while at the farm.  I will simply give you our personal favorites, and you can see for yourself all there is to offer.

Jump Pads:  Two huge inflatable jump pads are located on the farm.  We all know the amazing euphoria of watching kids get all their energy out, while you sit and relax.  I consistently had to keep pulling the kids off the jump pads to go try other things.  The jump pads are by far their favorite activity.

Petting Zoo:  With bunnies, chicks, goats, and more, the petting zoo came in a close second for the kids’ favorite activity.  All the animals are very calm and happy to take some food out of your hand.  Be forewarned, you will be asked if you can take a random farm animal home.  “Why can’t we take the goat?  He would fit in the car.”

Duck Races:  While not the most famous races on the farm (pig races for the win), we spent a solid chunk of time racing rubber ducks down PVC pipes.  Kids love simple, fun repetitive behavior.  And the duck races check all the boxes. 

Tips:

Wear sunscreen:  I visited Sweet Eats in December and still got a little rosy on my cheeks and forehead.  There is a lot of shade, but it’s Texas’ sun, and it’s sneaky.

Pack snacks and maybe lunch:  There is a nice food truck on the farm.  But they only have hamburgers, hot dogs and chips.  Even drinks are a limited.  I can testify that the food is good.  But if you have picky eaters, definitely pack a lunch.

Wear tennis shoes:  When you first get to the farm, there is a small concession stand where you get your wristbands for the day.  Then you walk down a long, gravel path to all the fun activities.  This long walk is when you realize flip-flops were a bad choice. 

So, should you make the trip out the Sweet Eats Farm?

Baby-3 (stop)

Honestly, not the best day trip for the babes.  It is a far drive, no matter what side of Williamson county you’re on.  The only restrooms are port-a-potties.  Diaper changes and picky potty-trainees will be out of luck.  The property is not super stroller friendly.  I saw a well-intentioned family with a wagon, and they could barely wheel it out of the parking lot.  While there are fun animals to see, and a few safe places to crawl, it is too much for this age group.

3-6 (proceed with caution)

My trips to Sweet Eats farm included two four-year-old, a 6 year-old, and a 7 year-old.  One 4 year-old wanted nothing more than to pet and feed all the animals!  The other 4 year-old had to be picked up every time a chicken came by.  (Fun Fact: the chickens are everywhere).  The 6 and 7 year-old loved all the activities, but were still too small for a few of the things they wanted to do.  They had an amazing time, and everyone was exhausted and ready to leave by lunch.  I think for this particular age group, it depends on your child’s personality.  If you have a cautious kiddo, this might not be the place for you.  If you have child who looks at a wall and says “wonder what happens if I run into it head first”, they will be in heaven! 

6-10 (GO NOW)

For the elementary school kids, this place is perfect!  Plenty of space to run and jump.  There is enough stuff to keep them busy for the whole day. A fabulous day outside with no screen time! Get your tickets and go!