Family Trip Day-2

On the second day of our family trip we checked out of our hotel early and headed to go and get breakfast at the best place to eat, we were told.  It was very good but I don't think they get a lot of little kids there, it was a little difficult keeping the kids entertained.  Breakfast was great, Blaiden got a chocolate chip pancake and Adilene got bacon, sausage, and ham, all her favorites.  Once were were done there we went right to the zoo.  Everyone was very excited about this because the Columbus Zoo is one of the largest in the country.

When we were home loading up the car we had a hard time deciding on which stroller to bring.  We wanted the double stroller but knew if we brought it we wouldn't have any room in the Jeep for our bags so we just brought our normal single stroller for Adilene.  When we got to the Zoo we decided that this was the wrong decision, thankfully there was a place to rent strollers so Blaiden was happy he didn't have to walk all day.  I was also very happy that I wouldn't have to hold Adilene while Blaiden rode in the stroller, she is getting big.

We spent the morning slowly walking through most of North America animals.  Blaiden loved the bears.  We took a train ride and looked at prairie dogs.  There was also a place that you could ride a small pony and Blaiden wanted to take a ride.  I was going to walk with him but while we were waiting in line he just kept saying "mom I can do by myself."  I guess he is starting that independence phase that last the rest of his life (so sad).  I let him do it and I think the smile on his face says it all, he was so proud of himself!

After that it was time to take a break eat a snack and let Adilene drink a bottle.  There was a lot going on so our break didn't last long.  Then we were off the the petting zoo with all the farm animals.  I think this was Adilene's favorite part of the day.  She could not get enough of petting the sheep and goats.  Blaiden also had a great time.  Fred and I had to keep the kids moving because we wanted to see as much of the Zoo as we could and didn't know how the rest of the day was going to go.

It was getting close to lunch time and there was also some very dark rain clouds coming so we thought it would be a good idea to find a spot to eat lunch.  We started looking a little late and it started to rain like crazy before we found a place to go inside.  We found a building that we could stand by and stay out of the rain.  It was a good thing that we ended up buying PB&J sandwich stuff the night before because that is what I had packed just in case we needed it, so we ate that for lunch.  I had to use an apple slice to spread the peanut butter but it all worked out and Blaiden thought it was a great time.  Once the rain calmed down a little we went into the closest building that we could find and it was where the elephants were.  I think these were my favorite animals to see because they were so active.

It was getting close to nap time for Adilene and so when the rain finally stopped we put the kids in the strollers and walked for a little while until she fell asleep.  While she was sleeping I stayed with her and Fred took Blaiden to go on a pirate boat ride.  They had so much fun and Blaiden loved that the pirates were shooting water at them.  Then it was time to go to see most of the African animals.  We got to see the cheetah run, where they demonstrate how fast they can run.

We ended our day with a fun little carousel ride, although I am not sure how much fun Adilene thought it was in the end.  We also got a few different treats to cool us down, Blaiden got an icey thing, Fred got ice cream, and I got dippin dots, Adilene got the best deal and shared with all of us.  By the time we got back to the car we realized that we had been at the zoo for 8 hours, that is a long day for the kids.

The original plan was to find another hotel to stay the night again but once we got to the car the only person that wanted to stay was Fred.  The kids were very tired and getting grouchy, we hadn't ate dinner yet so we were all hungry and we didn't have a specific plan so doing anything would take a while.  For me the thought of the kids sleeping in there own beds was much more appealing then everyone trying to get some good rest in a hotel. Fred conceded and we came home.  I was a little sad when we all woke up the next day but we had a good trip overall.