Mom and I had a chance to get away last week and head to Austin, TX, where I had a work conference called SXSW. As you may recall, Mom and I went to Austin a couple of years ago for our wedding anniversary. Like with California, you get the heat there, and we were ready for a warm-up. This was our longest trip away from you and Matteo, totaling five nights. To cover the time, you kids got to have a sleepover with Austin (the kid, not the city) and Aliyah and then Grandma Vicki stayed with you at our house. We were thankful for the coverage!
When you get the chance to go to Austin, I bet you’ll love it. The food, especially Tex-Mex and BBQ, is world-class. The city is walkable with a great neighborhood pockets. It’s one of the few cities I would consider relocating to — it’s that good. Your Mom got the rest and relaxation she needed to catch up on sleep, read books, and explore the city without two lovely children who tend to say “Mom” every 10-15 waking seconds.
After we had our fun, we came back home to jet to the Barnacle Cabin for the weekend. Although it’s only March, temps reached 70 degrees and that made for an early “opening weekend” to spend time on the beaches and make s’mores at the spit after dinner. Because it was so early in the season, we practically had the island to ourselves.
We took advantage of the quiet island with few drivers on the road to get you and Matteo to practice bike riding. You were more nervous than Matteo but eventually took to it, and we could hardly get you to come back inside by the second day of practice. You took your first full ride around the community with Mom and I trying to keep up, running behind you. I have long imagined this phase where you are free and independent by bike. I can already see you and Matteo going back and forth from the pool, just a few short blocks away and a minute by bike.
Since we came back home, you’ve been taking advantage of the weather to ride your bikes to the bus stop, too. You leave your bikes behind some trees and ride them home in the afternoon. As it should be. Your Mom and I are starting to wonder how much longer we’ll have to escort you from place to place because you’re getting to be so independent. But then you ask if we can drive to the bus stop on a rainy day or just turn around on your bikes when you see you’re getting too far ahead to come back by us. We’ve got a little longer.
Love, Dad