Wild Animal Park

Safari Anyone?

Isn't he so cute in his safari hat?

The kids got safari hats as well.  Mostly because we didn't pack a hat for Xander and Elsha's was all wrinkly from the previous day.  I take that back; we packed a hat for Xander but it was WAY too small.

Another petting zoo.  This time they were able to pet deer.

Once again, Xander really liked it and Elsha didn't touch a single animal.

As a side note, those cute little hats made it very difficult to get a good candid picture of my kids for the rest of the day. grrrr

There was a cute Merry-Go-Round.  Both of the kids wanted to ride a zebra so it was a really good thing that there was more than one.

Elsha's not usually into rides but she enjoyed most of this one.  I was just starting to feel impressed when she decided she was done.  James held her for the last quarter of the ride. 

When I say she's "not usually into rides" I really mean she hates them. She didn't even like the elevator to our hotel room the first day. The first time we rode the elevator she had no clue what she was getting into. As soon as it moved (slowly, mind you) she FREAKED out. It was funny and sad all at the same time. It took some persuasion to get her to get back on the elevator for the rest of the day. Don't worry though, she overcame her fear of the elevator.

After a long day of walking around Xander found a spot to rest.

Elsha found a seat every chance she got.  Here are the few I got pictures of:

I was a party-pooper and didn't get a hat.  I just couldn't justify the money on a hat I'd wear for only one day.

(Sorry for the dark picture.  When I decided to blog again I also decided to not worry about editing pictures because it made it much, much harder and time-consuming.  Feeling like I needed to edit my pictures actually prevented me from posting stories because I didn't have the time to both edit and blog.)

After the first hour or so I felt like a broken record.  "Hold my hand"  "Hands"  "Please, hold my hand"  We learned pretty quickly if the kids weren't holding our hands they'd run off as soon as something in the distance caught their attention.  After a little bit the kids found a loophole in our constant requests to hold hands.  It was too cute to argue.

San Diego Zoo

While in California we went to the San Diego Zoo for one and a half days and the Wild Animal Park for another day.  We have season passes to the Hogle Zoo here in Utah so there wasn't the same excitement as at Sea World.  The kids were able to see quite a few animals that they had never seen before and really enjoyed the tram rides.

Here are some pictures from our time at the Zoo.

There was a cute little petting zoo where the kids could pet sheep and goats.  Really, I would've thought a zoo the size of San Diego Zoo could've had something other than farm animals to pet but the kids didn't seem to mind.

Xander was sure to pet just about every goat he could.  The sheep were hiding in their 'safe zone' or I'm sure we would've been there forever while he pet them all too.

Elsha didn't touch a single animal.  She just watched from a distance.  If an animal got too close to her she'd quietly find a new spot to observe from.

My cute little love bugs...

The kids pretended to be polar bears and climbed all through their play area.  Both Sea World & the Zoo had polar bears and we weren't able to see them in either exibit :(

By far the kid's favorite thing about the zoo was the Sky Tram.  They loved being moved from one end of the park to the other by going over the park instead of through it.  Mom and Dad loved it too because it meant getting to the exit that much faster after a day full of walking.

Tired, but happy Mom & Dad

I got the coolest souvenir ever!

Check this picture out:

That, my friends, is each of our hand prints turned into a family of Elephants.

Too Cute.

Xander's First Big Kid Ride

Xander rode his first big kid ride while at Sea World.

He's been on kid rides and enjoyed them but never one this big.

He was SO VERY excited.

He claims he wasn't scared but this picture taken while on the ride tells a different story.

Wait... can't tell?

Nope, not scared at all.

Sea World

Earlier this month we were lucky enough to be able to go to California.

I loved how warm it was compared to Utah and giggled every time I saw people wearing jackets because it was apparently a cold spell for them.  I loved it!

Our first day we went to SEA WORLD!

The kids absolutely loved it!  I don't know if they enjoyed all the animals or spending time with their Grandma & Grandpa D more.

We pet Sting Rays

The kids had a lot of fun with the Star Fish. 

"We want to touch the orange one." 

"We want to touch the pink one now." 

"No, not that one.  THAT one."

James did such a good job getting every star fish the kids wanted to see and touch.

We climbed in nets

There goes Xander...

And Mom trying to catch up, in heels...

Then Elsha & Grandma decided to join in the fun.

It was shortly after this that I lost Xander.  He was there one minute and just gone the next.  I went from angry that he ran off to panicked within a couple of minutes.  I have no clue how long we had to search for him - too long in my opinion.  I have never been so scared in all my life.  I was nearly to the point of grabbing every person I saw and asking if they had seen my son - cause you know, "Have you seen a little boy running around.  He's got a hat on if that helps differentiate him"  would've done me a lot of good.  Especially since we were in the kid's area where there were tons & tons of little boys running around.

Xander didn't leave my side after that.  At least for a little while.

I loved watching the kids watch the animals. They've seen fish, but never anything like this...



After my heart calmed down from the loosing Xander scare we went back to the kids area.

There was this bounce house that allowed only a handful of kids in for 2 minutes.  Xander ran and ran and ran.  When it was Elsha's turn she also ran and ran and ran.  When the lady said "Time's up" Elsha just kept on running and running and running.  So... Grandma had to go in after her.  Hilarious!

We had a blast!

Busted!

Xander has been caught!

Red Handed,

Hand in the Cookie Jar,

BUSTED!

We have started cleaning the kid's rooms before bedtime each night instead of in the mornings.  We all sing the "clean up" song and happily pick up all the toys that accumulate in there throughout the day.  For two kids that seem to be under my feet ALL day long they sure get their rooms messy.  They probably hold the world record for speed-messes... maybe.

The last couple of morning when Xander has woke up we've discovered this little scene:

What you are seeing here is evidence that Xander does NOT go to bed as well as we thought he did.

GRRRR

He is apparently pulling back the curtain to light his room with the overly bright street light and playing with his cars and construction equipment when he should be sleeping.  I can just picture him laying there playing with them.  It really makes me wonder if he's sleeping in his bed or on the floor!

I guess it's time to start checking in on him to be sure he's ASLEEP and in his BED!

sigh

Dinner Time Fun

We absolutely LOVE this place:

They have some of the yummiest pork I've ever had.  Mix that in a thick, handmade tortilla with rice, beans, cheese & sauce and I am in heaven!

Unfortunately, due to a lack of this

We haven't been able to enjoy the yummy goodness much lately.

What's a family to do without their favorite "fast" food???

FIND A RECIPE!

We've been using the recipe I found here for over 6 months now and it is wonderful.  Not quite exactly like Cafe Rio, but close enough to satisfy our cravings. 

The best part about eating our Cafe Rio at home is listening to James ask if we want "black or pinto beans?" as he puts together the burritos.  It's a good thing everyone likes pinto because we don't ever heat up any black beans.  :)  He also is sure to yell out "Extra Meat" when he makes his and even occasionally "Free Meal."  For those of you that haven't been blessed with a Cafe Rio meal ALL of the employees yell out both "free meal" and "extra meat" - it's a little crazy.

That little window makes it nearly impossible to get a good picture of someone in the kitchen after 4 pm!  It might be time to invest in some curtains :)

James continues to crack us up by placing a little bit of meat on the outside of the burrito, just like the restraunt.  He thinks he's so funny - and usually he is.

Xander loves the meal and often has most of his food gone before everyone can get sat down. 

He's a monster.

Elsha also enjoys the porky-goodness and devours hers as well.

I like it for so many reasons; the smiles my husband produces while assembling the burritos, the taste (of course) and the leftovers.  There's usually enough left over for 2 meals that we put in the freezer for a quick easy meal later on (we double the recipe).

Pictures from 5/16 - I'm trying to get caught up on my blogging/family journalling so you'll start seeing some old dates soon.

Elsha Turned Two!

Elsha turned 2 years old this week and we had a blast for her birthday.

Daddy started out his little girl's birthday right making muffins for breakfast.  According to Elsha and Xander they were cupcakes and they couldn't get enough! 

We painted fingernails - such a fun thing for a little girl.  I never would've guessed that she would instinctively know to hold out her fingers until they were dry but she did and my furniture will be eternally grateful to not have red smudges.

We enjoyed lunch with Grandma & Grandpa D at Red Robin.  It was the first time in months that we took the kids to anything more extravagant than drive through.  They did exceptionally well.  There's nothing like well behaved kids to make a mom proud :)

Elsha went down for a late nap and we got her presents ready.  After waiting to wake her for a little while Xander couldn't resist any longer.  She HATES getting woken up and was prepped and ready to be super ornery until.... she came out to this site:

She got a Tea Set and wasn't sure what to think of it at first...

But she figured it out and was SUPER excited.  Yes, that is a happy face.  I think she was saying "Yay" or something similar... but a happy face none-the-less.

I refinished a cabinet my grandfather made for me when I was a kid.

I'll post before & after pictures on my other blog when I finish up a few details I'm considering adding.  We'll see...

She also loved her boa & tiara (that Xander promptly sat on and broke within minutes after this picture, sigh)

Later, we had yummy cake (the real stuff this time, not muffins) and icecream with Grandma Laurie & Grandpa Tom. 

Elsha loved being the center of attention all day.

YAY FOR BIRTHDAYS!

Elsha's Big Day

Our sweet little girl is turning 2 today!

She is a true blessing in our lives in so many ways.