Texas Book Festival

When Big Brother was Only Brother, we started going to the Texas Book Festival in Austin. He was 11 when I discovered it, so we went for the weekend and hung out at YA panels all day. My non-reader would actually read if he heard the author talk about the book. We went a couple of years, and then some life stuff happened, and then I had Middle Brother, and without realizing it, I subconsciously wrote off Book Fest until the littles were older.

With the birth of this blog, I realized I wanted to submerge myself in books more than I already am (it’s kind of a problem, y’all!). The sneaky spying internet browser supplied an as for Texas Book Festival, and I thought, “Why not?” While Big Brother had been too old for the children’s events by the time we started going, I knew they had them.

Yesterday morning, we all loaded up in the minivan and drove the two and a half hours to Austin. Big Brother went hunting Pokemon at the three billion Pokestops around the Capitol. Middle Brother, Little Brother, and I headed down to the children’s area. We arrived right in between events, so we stopped by the sales tent and did our part in supporting the festival by buying a couple of new books.

We did a couple of storytimes, took part in a couple of crafts, and listened to the Austin Children’s Choir. We also spent a lot of time chasing squirrels on the Capitol lawn. It was not the festival I remember, but it was so much better.

At the end of the day, I had three happy boys. I provided my children with a full day of outdoor activity and the opportunity, at least, to be exposed to books. I wore my boys out with love and adventure.

So, no, I didn’t get to sit in on panels and learn about the fascinating things going on in adult literature from a different perspective. I didn’t get any books signed, even the ones I bought for my boys. It was very different than when we first started going. But we will get there again someday, and I loved it this way at least as much.