It is clear that our annual river trip to New Braunfels with the Pikes has become the “Reed and Kate” show. Nobody that has ever taken a weekend trip with a toddler will ever argue otherwise. Last year was the first year with kids, but we could still dictate where to put the child down and count on them staying put for the most part. This year was the first sign of things to come… mobile children with a mind of their own!

But I digress, as frustrating as parenting is sometime, the rewards are ten-fold. We absolutely loved watching the interaction of Reed with Kate, and vice-versa.

After eating at the Gristmill on Firday night, we hung out in the picnic/waiting area and let the kids climb on the benches and chase each other around. Kate is 5 months older than Reed and it is still very apparent in her motor skills and physical ability. Kate was up and down on the benches, while Reed would still be struggling to swing a leg up and shift his weight. The ride home was even more entertaining!!

We made one more side trip during the weekend to Landa Park. We rode the train and then had a picnic next to one of the playgrounds. The kids were in heaven. Reed had a great time climbing up and around firetruck play-set that had a double slide. The best part is that he could do the whole thing all by himself! At one point during our picnic lunch, ran over to go climb and go down down the slide one more time… then came back to sit down and eat his sandwich. 🙂

The rest of the weekend, we hung around the condo and the river. The water was WAY too cold for the kids, but we did splash around on the steps where they could easily sit and stick their feet in. One of the best features of this condo is the large grassy area between the river and the condo. It is literally a mini park with sidewalks, numerous picnic tables and a half-dozen BBQ grills. We played out there a lot and even chose to eat our chicken fajita meal down by the water.

It is worth noting that the weather was AWESOME. After the week of rain that San Antonio had the week before, we were concerned about needing some indoor activities as backup. A cool front blew in Saturday night and it made Sunday and Monday mornings so crisp and cool.

Next year’s trip will be even more interesting. Both Julie and Sarah are due in January, so bigger toddlers plus infants should make for a bonafide three-ring circus.

-RB