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What Matters & What Doesn't to My Little Austinite

by Jonathon Morgan

January 06, 2009

This month's theme at Savvy Source is Resolutions and Reflections, and Tuesday is List Day. Today's list is about what really matters to preschoolers - and what doesn't. For a local spin, I've chosen to reflect on the Austin sights that my preschooler really digs (sometimes literally!) and what I've been surprised he hasn't taken to...at least not yet.

Top 5 Austin Institutions My Preschooler Hasn't Taken to (Yet):

The Austin Zoo. Despite being an animal lover, I ended up carrying my son (my exercise for the week!) most of our last visit. If you have been, you know it's not stroller friendly and more like hiking terrain. It's also a bit of a drive from our house, which also presented a challenge for our squirmy and "Are-we-almost-there-yet?" son. I'm thinking it was just an off day, so hopefully we can visit again before summer when I can imagine it could be too hot.
The Biscuit Brothers. Oh, how I wish my son would embrace the Biscuit Brothers as he has embraced perhaps the most annoying (in my humble opinion) made-for-kids band Hi-5. We got a Hi-5 CD as a gift and have had to listen to it WAYYY too much in the past month when our son was sick. It's catchy, I'll admit, but I would much prefer to support and become groupies of the Biscuit Brothers.
Zilker Zephyr. As much as my son enjoys the fire truck, the xylophones, and throwing rocks near "free Barton Springs", he is really not into the train. We have gone on it several times (when he was younger), and on occasion I will ask him if he wants to go, and he always says no.
Central Market live music. Like many parents of younger children in Austin, we are known to frequent Central Market on Fridays or Saturdays to get a bite to eat, pick up some yummy warm tortillas, and feed the ducks or climb on the award-winning oak tree. As interested as my son is in music, I'm always surprised he pays no attention to the bands - even the world music with cool instruments. I guess too many other distractions?!
You could argue it's not really an institution, but we are taking a hiatus from library storytimes for now. This was once a free and dependable weekday morning outing for us where we met many friends. Understandably, the Yarbrough Branch moved its storytime to Tuesdays, when we have co-op preschool, so we can no longer attend. We have yet to find another storytime my son won't walk out of in 5 minutes.

Top 5 Austin Institutions My Preschooler "Digs":

The Dino Pit at the Austin Science & Nature Center
Visiting the Austin Children's Museum (no matter what the exhibit, we seem to always spend at least 20 minutes driving or riding in the Capital Metro Bus right inside the door)
Dancing while munching at Stubb's Gospel Brunch when family and friends are in from out of town
Climbing on the cows at the Arboretum (with the obligatory visit to Amy's Ice Cream before or after)
Driving the fire truck at Zilker Park (I must admit this holds special meaning for me since I grew up here and used to ride the truck myself!)