You Might Be A San Antonio Mom If…

This summer will mark my fifth year of living in San Antonio. I honestly can’t believe we’ve been here this long! We have had two babies (in addition to an older brother born in Colorado) and lived in four different houses (apparently we really like moving). We’ve experienced Fiesta in all its pre-pandemic glory, found the best margarita spots, played at the Pearl, purchased a zoo membership, and quarantined at home for months. I feel like we’ve had a crazy few years here! 

Our team was talking about the myriad of experiences in our lives that have marked us as moms. Diaper blow-outs in the grocery store, reheating coffee multiple times before eventually throwing in some ice cubes and calling it iced coffee, bruising your shins on the van trying to wrangle a resisting toddler into his car seat… but we believe San Antonio moms are a different breed of moms altogether! 

You might be a San Antonio mom if…

1. You know how to strategically navigate the River Walk with a stroller.

Y’all, the River Walk is terrifying. I remember taking my 2.5-year-old on foot with infant twins in the double stroller when we were new here, and I was absolutely positive we were all going in. Between the foot traffic and the vendors, there is barely any room to squeeze a stroller through! One wrong move and you’re going for a swim. And let’s just say, I’m not positive it would be a very pleasant experience!

2. Your kids have early onset road rage.

I can’t say I’m proud of this, but I can frequently hear my kids from the back of the van saying, “Oh my gosh, GOOOO CAR!” If you’ve ever tried to drive down 1604 at a high traffic time, you know this exact frustration. Or how about that I-10 or 281 construction? No. Thank. You.

3. Instead of A-B-C, your toddler’s first recognized letters are H-E-B.

I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, H-E-B is the best grocery chain in the world. Bonus San Antonio mom points if you’ve ever bribed your kid with Buddy Bucks! Extra bonus points if you’ve ever lied and said the Buddy Bucks machine is broken because you are in a hurry and don’t have time to stop for the spinning wheel.

4. You judge a restaurant by its tacos, margaritas, and playground.

No lie, for awhile when I asked my kids where they wanted to go to dinner, they all yelled in unison, “The margarita place!” They liked it for the playground, I liked it for other obvious reasons.

5. You’ve ever stayed up way past your bedtime to finish your kid’s Fiesta float project.

…and all my fellow procrastinators said, “AMEN.” Why do I always forget there are projects until the very last minute? We once made a Fiesta float from a cascarones egg carton with decorated cascarones people, and I feel like I deserve some kind of San Antonio medal.

6. You’re the first ones in the gates at the zoo or botanical gardens in the summer to beat the heat.

San Antonio is so hot, I frequently ask myself why I live here. Even the animals don’t want to be outside! Has anyone ever stayed way too long in the hippo house because it’s air conditioned in there? Or put your own feet in the splash area by the turtles? Just me?

7. Your child has accidentally tasted your margarita.

Don’t worry, it has happened to the best of us! In their defense, it does look like a really enticing slushy, so I get the appeal! And I can’t even count the number of times I have nursed a baby while drinking a margarita. I’m sure I have gotten some looks!

8. Your kids request Tajín on their fruit.

Tajín is something I just did not grow up with in Southeast Texas. I had honestly never heard of it until I moved here and had my first mangonada. I agree that it’s completely delicious! And I love seeing little kids request it on their mango or watermelon or paletas.

9. Instead of “snug as a bug in a rug” you tuck your kid in “tight as a taquito.”

I’ve used this many times to get my kids to stop squirming in bed and just settle down for sleep! “Do you want me to tuck you in tight as a taquito?” almost always gets them to quit the bedtime shenanigans and actually go to sleep!

10. And last but not least: You might be a San Antonio mom if you’ve licked queso off your baby’s head without breaking stride or waking baby, because you leave no queso behind!

We’ve all done some iteration of this, right?

Tell us in the comments some ways you know you’re a San Antonio mom!

Megan
Born and raised in Southeast Texas, Megan is a small town girl, living in a big city world. Megan moved to San Antonio in 2016 with her husband and 2 year-old son. A few months later, they welcomed boy-girl twins and life became a fun, crazy blur. She has a degree in Psychology from Texas A&M University, and worked as a self-taught graphic designer until her twins were born. She is now the Owner of Rooted Birth , a San Antonio Doula Collective, where she is living her dream of serving and educating families as they transition to life with a new little one. She also enjoys reading, eating out, margaritas on patios, reality TV, and Jesus (but not in that order). You can find her on Instagram Favorite Restaurant: Cherrity Bar Favorite Landmark: Gustav's Geysers at The Historic Pearl Favorite San Antonio Tradition: King William Parade