Sea World!!

Gogo and grandpa came to visit us and I tricked them into a Sea World trip for the kids' birthday presents :) We hopped in the car and drove there Friday morning. My plan included getting there right at 10 when they opened the gates. You know what they say about best laid plans?? We got through the gate around noon and quickly planned the order of the shows we'd see. 

We headed straight to the dolphin show. When we got to the area they had some "stars of the show" on display. Skylar could not have been more afraid of these birds. Yes, you read that correctly, she was afraid of the birds. Goodness.

 Once the show started we were amazed. There were dolphins jumping and birds trained to fly in sync. There were amazing high divers and acrobats. Each dive they made was higher and higher.  Not only were they diving from RIDICULOUS heights, they were also doing it in total sycronization. Pretty awesome.
 It was magical to see Skylar's face during the show. Jimmy didn't "get" it but he loved all the excitement. I couldn't believe he sat still (or at least a 2-year old version of still) during the show. Next we hit the Shamu show. Jimmy was very tired by this point but once he saw the killer whales do their thing he was all smiles!

I wanted to catch the seal show next but the kids were hungry, tired, and cranky. We took a food break and I was bummed we'd miss the show so I may have pouted a little. Since it was nearing time to leave (yes, we got there at noon and it closed at 5) I wanted to do one last really special thing. We went to see the sea lions and it happened to be their feeding time! We bought fish and everyone got to feed the hungry seals! They were so funny, the bigger ones would push the little ones out of the way and beg for the fish much like Ginger begs for table food. So, of course, we had to try to get the fish to the little guys getting bullied! 

 Earlier in the day we had gone past the Bay of Play area and promised the kids we would go back before we went home. We headed over there and there was SO many cool things to do. There were lots of little rides, a carousel, two different splash pads, and several playground areas. They had a little area under the main structure that was entirely in the shade and it had small equipment for little kids, it also had really comfy adirondack chairs for the moms! 

The larger playground was an intricate web of ropes and slides. It was very high up but designed so kids couldn't fall off of it. Parents were welcome to climb across the ropes with the kids and I would think you pretty much had to because the kids could climb up one rope on one end of the area and come down a slide in a completely different area very far from where they started. Scary to think of how easily you could get separated. It is definitely an area that you have to assign one parent per child.... Skylar went through some tunnels and I didn't follow here becasue I thought she was going to go through the ones set up in a circle and come right back to me. I was wrong! She got out of the tunnel and turned to the right. She ended up going down to the ground level and though I could see her the entire time I was about 3 stories up and could not get to her. I had a moment of panic and considered my options. I screamed her name. She heard me but had no idea where I was. I kept telling her to look up, she was trying to follow my directions but couldn't quite spot me. I finally told her to "STOP, STAY STILLLLLLL. Now, Look up." Phew, she spotted me. I told her to climb back up the rope, climb back through the tunnel and get back to me. I have not been that scared in a long time. Of course since I love shows like Criminal Minds all I kept thinking was someone was going to pick her up and walk away with her while I was 20 feet above watching it happen, unable to stop it. (I know, I have a flare for the dramatic) At any rate, it was a TON of fun once I learned to follow her everywhere!!  

 After we played for a bit the kids wanted to go see the Characters. First we hugged Zoe. Skylar was cool with her because she was wearing a bracelet and a tutu.

Then she asked to go see Cookie Monster. Since we don't ever watch Sesame Street she knew their names but not anything about them. She was scared and ran away from Cookie Monster once she realized he was a boy :( 

Next up was Rosita Once she saw the hair bow, there was nothing but love. I swear, Skylar is a mess.

Next we got introduced to Telly? Again, Skylar was scared. At this point Jim brought Jimmy over and he was scared too. My kids will climb up anything, jump off of anything, ride any ride, etc. But when it comes to costumes, not so much!

 

Our last stop was the splash pad. We had left all our swim stuff in the car because we knew we wouldn't have enough time to do the water park. So, we let the kids get drenched and dried them off when we got back to the car. It was an awesome day and I am so glad we went. Hopefully it can be a yearly tradition! Next time, I would definitely want to get a 2-day pass. There is too much to see and do for just one day!!

Easter Eggs

With Gogo and Grandpa Carl's help we dyed some Easter Eggs! Skylar and Jimmy had lots of fun. After we colored the eggs we put them in a plastic bag to shake a coat of glitter onto them. Jimmy thought it was particularly funny when I would say, "shake, shake, shake" 

Ouch! An ostrich bit me!

After our day at Sea World we wanted to do something fun before heading back to Houston. We decided to try out the Wildlife park. It is billed as a Safari in Texas. It was a lot of fun... we got to see and feed many animals. We started feeding deer who would get really close but would not eat directly from our hands. Next we came across the ostriches. They came right up to our window and would stick their heads inside. Skylar held out some food and the next thing I know she was screaming. Turns out, the ostrich didn't want to let go of her finger. It was bleeding and a small piece of skin was missing. We washed it off best we could while in the car and then put a band aid on it. After I calmed her down (which was no easy task) we continued our tour. The whole rest of the ride Skylar kept saying, "I will never feed an ostrich again!" Poor thing, she is afraid of everything and that dang bird had to go and bite her! Next up were the zebras and they were SO pretty! One stuck his head right into the car when Jim wasn't looking. It was pretty funny to see Jim's reaction when he turned around and he was eye to eye with a zebra. That's something you can't say everyday! Next were the donkey's and Lamas?? the donkeys did eat out of our hand and after some convincing, Skylar even fed one!!


Jimmy loved the whole thing too! He sat on Grandpa Carl's lap for most of the trip and had lots of fun throwing handfuls of food on the ground (in the car too.)  At the very end there was a small petting zoo with goats. It was a very fun way to end our weekend!

Luck of the Irish

A leprechaun came to our house and messed everything up! He tipped over the chair, moved the couch cushions, put the trampoline in the kitchen, turned Ginger's water green, and left footprints and gold coins all over the house! He played other pranks too including putting green streamers all over the place. However,  he was nice enough to leave a small treat for Skylar and Jimmy! I would suggest he practice his penmanship though... it is terrible! 

Before bed, Skylar was giggling telling me all about the things sneaky leprechauns do. When she woke up to find he had visited us and played some tricks she thought it was hilarious. She kept picking up his gold coins and telling me, "look, he lost his pot of gold!" 

 I hope he decides to visit us again next year. Even though he made a mess of our house, he meant no harm, He is just a Super Silly Sneaky Leprechaun!

 

Rodeo Day

We had so much fun at the rodeo this year!! My parents are here for spring break so we are hitting all the hott spots. We had a plan! Wake up early and get there early, before the crowds! Our plan worked!! We got there by 9:30 after having a hearty Chick-Fil-A breakfast along the way. Went straight to the petting zoo where there was NO line. Walked over to the birthing center , where there was NO line.. Saw some chicks, some hens, a few roosters and then headed to the pony rides. We had about a 5 minute wait there but that is way, way better than it could have been. I had told Grandma to just buy one ticket for Skylar. Jimmy is going through a "timid" phase right now. When he saw the ponies though, he got really excited and grandma went to get him a ticket too. Patience is not Jimmy's strong suit. While we waited in line he kept kicking me and twisting around in my arms yelling, "my turn, my turn" We kept reminding him we had to wait our turn! Once on the ponies, both kids had lots of fun. 

After the pony rides we checked out some of the other livestock and then went out to the kids carnival. I went on the first ride with the kids and they LOVED it. The next ride, Jim was going to ride with them but he was not allowed. We strapped Jimmy in as tightly as we could and hoped he wouldn't fall out. They had the biggest smiles and laughed the whole ride! They are getting SO big :( 

After the canival we sat down to enjoy some PB & J sandwiches we had packed along with some fresh fruit and cheese! After we got all of that out of the way we had to have some good carnival grub. Cotton candy and a funnel cake hit the spot!! We enjoyed some country music while we ate and then Skylar got to go learn a line dance with some other kids. It was a fantastic day full of fun!

Aquarium Day

To wrap our our spring break we headed to the aquarium. Our plan was simple. Get there right as it opened and leave before we had to spend money on food! Our plan worked. No lines and lots of fun!! Skylar was, of course, unsure of the fish when we first got there. After a few "see, there is glass here and they can't touch us" she warmed up and had fun! Jimmy LOVED the fish and was really excited about the scuba diver in one of the tanks. Jimmy kept trying to touch him but when the scuba diver swam over and put his hand to the glass to play along, Jimmy ran away! What brave children I have!!! 

When we reached the touch pool, my mom and Skylar wanted no part of "petting" the stingrays.  I could tell Skylar wanted too but was just a little unsure. I got her up there and she even put her hand in the water but when the stingray swam by, she avoided actually touching it. My mom on the other hand put on her big girl panties and "pet" one. They did feel very cool and there was even one I would call domesticated. He kept coming back over and over and coming out of the water.. Jim swears he was scratching his chin like you would a puppy!


After we made it through the gift shop unscathed we headed for some rides. Jim and I did the "Lighthouse Dive" while grandma and grandma took the kids on the carousel. Next we lined up to ride the huge Ferris Wheel where grandma promptly chickened out. It was a good thing too. Our gondola swung back and forth the whole time which would have done her in! Next we rode the "Shark Voyage" train. The kids conned grandma into a carnival game where they each won an inflatable dolphin (because, who doesn't need 2 of those in their house??) and the we did the carousel one last time while Jim and grandpa did the Lighthouse Dive again. 

 By the time we were out of the parking garage both kids were asleep and it wasn't even 1:00. It was a great day and a great way to end our spring break!