On the road....again!

This week is Coach's School. So, we're in Austin Texas this week while Dodi attends his classes at Coaching School. Little Critter and I are attending classes ourselves....sort of. We got here late Sunday afternoon, spent over an hour trying to get checked into our hotel and then spent another hour trying to find a restaurant to eat at. Whew! After all that, (not to mention a couple of 'scenic routes' which translate into Dodi read the map/directions and gave incorrect info to me the driver) we just watched a little TV and went to bed!!!

Monday, we got up, went to breakfast and then dropped Dodi off at his classes. Little Critter and I asked at the front desk which bus to catch and took off for the Capital building. We walked all over the place!!!! The Texas Capital Building is a HUGE building set in the middle of about 2 1/2 acres if ground. The Capital itself has 8.5 acres of office floor space (and we walked almost 8 of those 8.5 acres!!!!!). It's an impressive building with beautiful granite floors and more staircases than I ever want to see again, thank you! There's also a 650,000 sq ft extension that was added in 1995 that has 4 floors to it and several skylights. (the entire extension is underground!) We've been there before, but he was only 5 and we made that last tour a short one. This one, we looked in most every nook and crannie! He had a blast! We looked in the Agriculture museum inside the Capital building, the original Supreme Court and Court of Appeals for the State of Texas, the Senate and House of Representatives chambers and even the President of the Senate's reception/receiving room...complete with massive chandeliers (3) and it's own kitchen. We also saw the Governor's reception/receiving room and the basement offices. We walked underground and visited our Representative's office and then went back to the original Capital building to visit our Senator's office. Both secretaries were incredible!!! They took us into the men's offices and we got to sit in their chairs! (The Representative has the better seat....the Senator has a very clean, spare and fussless office, but his chair is not real comfortable.) They both asked Little Critter questions and if he had any questions, and then gave him goodies for his lapbook/scrapbook pages. He did a real good job answering questions and using his manners. He even signed both guest books himself, and told the Senator's secretary that last election he'd voted for our Senator. (He did....he filled out a voter registration card, marked he was NOT 18 and took it with us when Dodi and I voted. The registrar then gave Little Critter a practice ballot to vote on and had him place it in the box for counting later. Our county now uses the computers to vote so it's not like Little Critter's ballot ever really got counted, but she was sweet to not tell him that!) We spent about 5 hours going thru the Capital building and grounds. I got a great picture of him at the gates in front of the Capital, but can't load them up till we get home. I'll try to remember to post them later in the week.
Next week, he'll have to prepare his pages for lapbook/scrapbook and write up all the stuff he learned while at the Capital. I'm looking forward to seeing what he writes about. He learned lots of cool stuff. Then we'll start working on how a bill becomes a law....not too shabby for a 9yo heh?

Well, I'll try to post again in the next couple of days....we still have to go to the LBJ Museum, the Story of Texas Museum (Bob Bullock Museum), the LadyBird Johnson Wildfire park, the Treaty Oak, and hopefully the children;s museum. Whew! I think I'm tired just thinking about it all!!!! But he's learning lots, having fun and having a blast riding the buses downtown.

So I'm thanking Yah for public transportation, (so we don't have to walk eleventy million miles), for being able to visit these historic and wonderful places, for living in a great state in a great country, and for family and friends. I'm also grateful we homeschool so we can go with Dodi on his yearly trip to Coach's school! Hopefully next year will be in Ft Worth. (That's where I grew up and there's some incredible museums for kids...not to mention a working Log CabinVillage that Little Critter would have an absolute blast at!) Well, take care my friends, look for the love letters that Papa sends you everyday....Shalom, Spitfire
PS We're still trying to follow Dodi's diet, but boy is it tough down here!!!! So many restaurants and so little we can eat!!!! LOL!