We spent most of last week out of town for family reasons. Before we left I'd decided that we'd see what kind of fun we could find in the area we'd be in. So each day we spent a few hours having some local adventures. I was really glad I'd planned some activities; my kids were obnoxious all week! Whenever we were at their grandparents house, they were bouncing off of walls, fighting, and getting into all sorts of mischief. We haven't had this much frustrating behavior in quite a while! I'll just blame it on the fact that Jim wasn't with us for half of it and that all of our routines/ diet were completely different. In addition, every time I turned around Abby had found something she shouldn't have (markers, paint, scissors, medications, etc.) and she was unloading things all over (I had no clue where most of it came from). So these outings preserved my sanity and we had a whole lot of fun.
Day 1: Zoo
We went to their small zoo the first day we were there. It was kind of cold out and we only had sweatshirts with us, but it was discount admission day! Thankfully, there were enough indoor spots scattered throughout the zoo that we were able to warm up when we really needed to.
My monkeys.
The boys fed this very friendly goat. Annie was scared to let it touch her.
Although it is a small zoo, most of their animals were the large variety, and the smaller ones were actually really neat. The exhibits were good as well. We were surprisingly pleased.
This is actually a black JAGUAR. As we approached we thought it would be a panther, but it wasn't. There was also a black leopard. Both the jaguar and the leopard had spots if you looked carefully; we thought that was pretty neat.
The female lions were in a fairly new exhibit, but because the male was so old they kept him in the old exhibit. They were calling to each other across the zoo the whole time we were there. That was fun to hear.
This is the jaguar again.
Logan was a little worried to turn his back to the camel for a picture because he said, "Camels spit." Funny guy.
We visited every bathroom in the zoo, and several multiple times. Alex had to go every 30 minutes and the others were almost as frequent! I finally started rationing drinks.
Because we saved on our admission, we went ahead and paid for the train ride. It was FREEZING, but the kids absolutely loved it. The man who drove the train said he was thrilled we came by; we were his first customers of the day (and it was nearly closing time). He let the kids climb into his seat afterwards and blow the whistle.
Day 2: Children's Museum
Our second outing was a children's museum. The kids had a blast. Me, not so much. I prefer the other children's museums we've been to. This one had some really great things to do, BUT it was all in one big room making it impossible to keep track of everyone. That big room also meant it was very loud; we could hardly hear each other.
Abby's favorite activity was this water table. I think she played there three times.
Logan made a building out of some large foam Legos.
Day 3: Ice cream, errands, botanical garden, and tractor museum.
We had the BEST ice cream when we headed out on the third day. I wish we had this place in our city!
Doesn't her face just say, "I'm cute and fun!"?
We ran some errands, and then found a botanical garden and conservatory. It was a fantastic little find. The conservatory was beautiful and smelled delicious. Logan had been complaining that he didn't want to look at flowers before we went, but then he was the one who wanted to go back into the conservatory over and over. He said it was because it smelled so good.
The botanic gardens weren't in bloom yet, but I bet they'll be beautiful as well. We found a pond with ducks, turtles, and geese, and we also found a neat fountain at the other end of the gardens. In addition, there was a playground, so the kids had a chance to climb around.
After that we made a quick stop at the John Deere Pavilion. When your dad and your grandpa work for John Deere, you just have to be loyal. :)
Alex has always been our ham, and lately he's decided that also means making silly faces whenever there is a camera nearby.
I promised him he could make a silly face if he would give me one nice smile.
Day 4: Jim, park, the circus, and an ice cream date.
In the middle of the night we woke to the dog barking and a man's voice. Jim decided to take Friday off of work and join us for our last three days! I was so glad he was there. The kids were much better behaved, and everything is more fun when Daddy is around! (Plus he helps me a LOT.)
We had tickets for the circus that evening, so we decided to find a playground for a little sunshine that afternoon. It felt really good to go to the park as a family!
We arrived at the circus to discover that it was outdoors and we were inadequately dressed for the cold wind that was blowing. I suppose it should have occurred to me to check that. Every other circus I've been to was indoors, so I guess I just assumed this would be the same. Alex forgot his sweatshirt (even though he was reminded to grab it) so he was quite cold. Thankfully, we keep two blankets in the van, so we survived with those. Unfortunately, Annie and Alex fought over the blankets for at least half the show, so I spent a significant portion of the time refereeing. I was really glad Jim was there to hang onto Abby (since we were sitting in bleachers and I was worried she'd fall). In addition, it wasn't adequately accessible for Elisa (even though I'd called ahead of time to find out if it was). We found out from the circus people that it was inadequate for their show as well; it sounds like the person in charge of the venue didn't give accurate information.
So the venue was a disappointment and that decreased our enjoyment, but this particular circus was pretty good we thought. It had fewer acts than the last one we'd been to (and really enjoyed), but we felt it was much more family friendly and tasteful (the music and costumes at the previous one having been inappropriate we felt). The acrobats were excellent and very talented. We were super impressed with their skill.
We went ahead and let the kids have an elephant ride before the show started (thanks to a generous grandma). When it was time to get on, Annie chickened out, so her brothers went without her. They loved it. They are the two in front.
After she saw how slow the elephant moved, Annie decided she wanted to ride after all, but didn't want to go alone. There was no one else in line, though. The guys in charge offered to let me ride with her so she wouldn't be scared. So I sat my pregnant self on that elephant and had a free ride! I definitely wasn't planning on that experience!
The high rope acrobats had to do their acts above the bleachers. These girls were fun to watch.
After we had the kids in bed that night, Elisa kept an ear open for them so Jim and I could have an ice cream date. Jim LOVES ice cream, so I just had to take him to that place we'd visited the day before. Mmm...
Day 5: County park and pioneer village.
The next day we took a couple of hours to check out a county park. We drove through and stopped at the pioneer village that was at the edge of it. There were quite a few buildings, including an old church.
Silly face time...because Alex is now requiring that. Funny kid.
Silly face while we waited during a bathroom break.
There were signs for Buffalo Bill's homestead so we went to check it out. It turns out he only lived there for a couple of years as a baby, but it was a neat house to walk through. The kids liked the well best.
Alex insisted we take a picture with the flagpole as well.
Day 6: Church and home.
On our last day we went to church together, said goodbye, and drove home arriving just before bedtime.
