Vicotrian Gardens

So after my Sesame Place post, you probably would've thought we learned our lesson when it came to amusement parks and hot summer Saturdays... well, we didn't. On this particular Saturday we set out to go to the Central Park Zoo, and when we got there, it was a ZOO! There were just too many people . So we started wandering back through the park and passed by the Victorian Gardens amusement park. Everytime we passed by this place earlier in the summer, Noah would always beg to go in and I would always say, "let's come back on a Saturday when daddy is here." Well, that excuse didn't really work this time, and Noah totally knew it. So, we caved and soon enough there we were... on a hot Saturday in August at yet another amusement park. Luckily this wasn't terribly crowded so Noah got to go on every ride he wanted to. Gabey even joined in the fun when he was allowed. I, on the other hand, wandered around trying to find patches of shade whenever possible and stand in front of the cooling fans they had going -- yikes, it was hot. Just looking at these pictures makes me hot!

I seriously don't know where this kid came from! He has no fear when it comes to these rides... He definitely doesn't get that from my side of the family!

mom- you're gonna freak out about this one, I just know it! (maybe it's a good thing I'm posting this 3 months later.) I kinda couldn't watch either!

what was that about the pacifier again? oh yeah, the list should include boats at amusement parks!

I love this backdrop!

Gabey getting in on the action!

the fun slide was actually really fun!

The Great Pacifier "Pull": attempt #1

This was day 1 of our pacifier pull attempt back in August. He felt so deprived that he went through all his toys and found the toy baby that had it's own pacifier and quickly shoved it in his mouth!

He's doing a lot better now... only using it for naptime and bedtime... and the occasional church meeting! This kid is way more addicted than Noah ever was. I'm pretty sure Noah just naturally weaned himself from it before he was 1 and I figured Gabey would do the same. But it looks like it's gonna be a different story for him! I'm OK with it though, because he's still my baby :)

confession: he still uses a newborn pacifier because I refuse to buy those 'big kid' pacifiers - HA! who am I fooling?!?

Bike Derby

We headed up to gma's house one weekend in August for a little breath of country air and it turned out gma's ward was having their annual bike derby. I was pretty excited for Noah to have a nice open, flat space to ride his bike around on. He's used to dealing with lots of hills and stop lights in our neighborhood (and a baby brother in a stroller which complicates things!).

The kids got to decorate their bikes with streamers and name tags and then each age range raced each other. I was super nervous for Noah to race. The competition was pretty stiff with these other 4-year-old suburbanites... they have like cul-de-sacs and driveways to practice in! Needless to say, Noah came in last place - but he was none the wiser. He was just having fun riding around uninterrupted. Gabey high-jacked a baby bike from another little toddler and went joy-riding too. We had a great time.

practice lap with gma

the 4-year old line-up

Gabey: "bring on the 1-year-old race!"

post-race Capri-Sun

post-race tree climb

Sesame Place adventure

It's been a couple of months since we actually took this trip so I think I can finally say that it was actually an 'adventure'. The day after we went, I definitely said it was a 'disaster'. I got a little nauseous when I saw the pictures again, but I'm trying to keep this thing updated so I can eventually print it as a keepsake. And I think the kids actually had fun, so who am I to deprive them of their memories?!?

I think I'll just give a brief re-cap so I don't have to actually re-live the experience!

thumps-up: got discount tickets to Sesame Place with a group of friends

thumbs-down: it ended up being one of the hottest Saturdays of the summer with crazy crowds of people

thumbs-up: got to spend a day together with the fam and get out of the city

thumbs-down: 1 1/2 hour car trip turned into 4 hour car trip with traffic, faulty GPS, and puking children (yes, both of them!)

thumbs-up: Gabey got to see his all time favorite guy, Elmo and Noah got Batman face-paint

thumbs-down: every ride had huge lines to wait in and the boys hardly got to go on any rides because we got there so late

thumbs-up: we finished the day off with chocolate ice cream cones

thumbs-down: the food there was horrible! I have a super high threshold for food... and that was the first time I've ever actually spit food out of my mouth

I guess I never really went to these kinds of places as a kid -- never went to Disneyworld/land until I was in high school on a school trip and was never allowed to go to town carnivals/fairs --and now I think I know why! Those places are like ZERO fun for parents! It's meltdown city: having to wait in lines for every ride, trying to calm the meltdowns with some sort of bribe or treat, and trying to navigate the place to get to the rides your kid will like and is actually able to to go on, etc.

Needless to say, we probably won't be going back there next year -- maybe if we do, we'll go during the week right when it opens!

Even through the crazy day, I was able to snap some pics:

twisty water slide with daddy!

baby play space

(one of the only places Gabey could enjoy himself!)

merry-go-round

Batman face paint

ice cream break...

So, we finally got home around 10pm and crashed as soon as we got the kids to bed. I was hoping to wake up the next morning with very little memory of the day before, but unfortunately I had no chance to forget because this little face came wandering into our bedroom!

Batman