Random PhotosI

I have been wanting to write about this for a while, but just haven't.  The Boston Children's Museum has had a "Wizard of Oz".  N has loved it.  We read the book to get ready for it, though it focused just on the movie.

N and Z's building that they created and destroyed shortly after.

 More Pictures after the jump

Sea World- Texas

When I was a little boy, all I wanted to be was a veterinarian/Zoo keeper (in my eyes at that time, they were the exact same thing). When I got a little older, I wanted to be a Marine Biologist. Needless to say, it did not ever happen. It does make me proud that the girls have taken up this plan...kind of. N has determined, along with several other jobs, that she wants to be a dolphin trainer. Z wants to, along with being a fireman, wants to work with penguins. Since I am living my life via them, I have to encourage this as much as possible. Part of it is sending the kids to Zoo Camp and the other part is taking them to Sea World.

San Antonio is great and worth a visit just for being San Antonio. We did stay on the river (the pool had a floater in it), went to the Mexican market (we needed a new picnic blanket) and we did see the Alamo (remember the Alamo?), but the real reason we went to San Antonio was Sea World.

When we got there, it took forever before we all finally got into the park. Stupidity on our part actually. I think that we ended up having to go back out to the car 4 or 5 times. We went over and feed the dolphins. This was the highlight for N. She was very happy with getting to feed them.

We then worked our way over to the Sesame Street area. Part of the reason we went was purely to get to meet Elmo and friends. I don't know who was more excited- me or Z? It was a hit and almost worth it just for that.

The girls are big enough to ride on several of the bigger rides. We went to a really pathetic dolphin show and we got to see the new Shamu show (N wanted to know why the trainers did not get into the water with Shamu. It was difficult to explain to her that a trainer was killed, so they do not go into the water anymore).

I just need to get N in the water with the dolphins and Z to "play" with a penguin and my job with be done!

Zoo Camp 2011

One of my best memories as a child was getting to go to Zoo Camp at the Minnesota Zoo. Mind you, this is where I got my first concussion, but that is a minor detail. So when we were planning the Texas trip, it was based on the idea that we would send the girls to Zoo Camp for the week.

(The reason we went to the Ft. Worth Zoo instead of the Boston Zoo is that Ft. Worth Zoo has a better camp program. Though Boston has a camp program, it is just a camp and not a Zoo Camp)


The theme for the week was "Animals that live in extreme environments." Everyday had a separate focus.

Monday- Sunscreen
Tuesday- Reptile Adaptations
Wednesday- Migration
Thursday- Penguins
Friday- Texas

Plus they got to roam around the zoo and see most of the animals (and dinosaurs).


The best way to determine if it was worth it is if we would go again next year. I think that the answer to that is yes. If we are able to go, we will do again next year. I think that I would actually like to send the girls to the Sea World camp as well, but maybe in a couple of years.

San Antonio och Sea World

Vi har varit på minisemester! I lördags förmiddag packade vi, Grandma och Grandpa in oss i Grandpas stora röda pickup och körde ner till San Antonio. På lördagen blev det middag på mexikansk restaurang, bad i hotellpool och vandring längs flodpromenaden (berömda "Riverwalk") till landmärket Alamo. På söndagen var vi på Sea World. Det har varit härligt varmt (kanske 35 C) och soligt hela helgen.

San Antonio är faktiskt en helt perfekt stad för en romantisk weekend. Darrin och jag tog en extra egen promenad och köpte glass på superglasstället Marble Slab när tjejerna hade somnat (vår första stund på tu man hand sedan vi såg Harry Potter-filmen i november). Att gå längs flodpromenaden i det varma mörkret känns som att ha hamnat i Pirates of the Caribbean-filmen.

Sea World blev en lyxig heldag med tjejerna. Vi började med att mata delfinerna och avslutade med stor späckhuggarshow (med Shamu), och hann däremellan med att träffa Elmo och de andra Sesame Street-karaktärerna, åka vatten-bergochdalbana och fejkforsränning, titta på hajar och gå på delfinshow. Med mera.

Zoey var överlycklig över att hon fick åka forsränning - hon var fortfarande för kort när vi var på Disneyworld för ett och ett halvt år sedan. Här på Sea World hade de en annan längdgräns, med den något tokiga effekten att Nova var på gränsen till för kort för att åka. Som tur var slutade det med att de mätte Zoey och vinkade in Nova, omätt. Tur. Det kunde ha blivit en aningen jobbig situation att förklara.

Novas bästa upplevelse för dagen var morgonens delfinmatning - hon berättade för Darrin att hennes bästa "hände redan tidigt på morgonen" och så fick han gissa vad det var. Zoeys favorit var att hon fick köpa ett plastpiratsvärd för egna pengar. Ett likadant svärd låg kvarglömt vid hotellpoolen kvällen innan, och hon föll pladask för "badpangaren" redan då. När hon fick syn på svärdet i första affären vi gick förbi på morgonen visste hon direkt att hon ville ha det. Hon var dagen till ära inte minsta intresserad av sina vanliga favoriter, gosedjuren. Vid fem, när vi började prata om att åka hem, var svärdet det första hon frågade efter. Hon blev överlycklig när vi äntligen lät henne köpa det. Min fyraåring kan definitivt fortfarande överraska!