Spring Break Zoo Trip

We didn't make it to the zoo in the fall as much as we hoped so we were happy to get there during spring break.  Our plan was to get there early but so did a ton of other people.  The line for the tram was super long so the boys took advantage of the wait to check in on the prairie dogs and sit on top of the lion. 

We exited the tram around feeding time for the penguins.  We were on the lookout for one of the penguin chicks. Before we eventually found him (see below), this cute little buddy was walking the enclosure and available for pictures. 

One of our new baby chicks that we were happy to spot.  He's getting much bigger.  We will continue to be on the look out for the other 3 the next time. Super cute!!

It is always so much fun to try to find the situanga.  They camouflage themselves so well that we usually spend a good bit of time looking.  Also, always a good thing to see the babies that were born in the fall grow up. 

After the situangas and the african birds, we stopped for a picture of the flamingos. The flamingos are Michael's favorite so we made sure to send a picture to him with a special note as dictacted by Connor.  

The rhino was relaxing as usual but it was nice to catch up with her.  And, she came through by actually moving around and not just sitting. 

We reached the giraffes and turned back around. The crowds were way too much to say hello to all of our animal friends and the line for food was even longer.  

On our way out, we stopped by the penguin house to catch up with our friends.  Inside the educational center, you have a first hand look at all the goings on.  It is a great spot to see the penguins swimming and you can watch them maneuver back and forth.  I don't think the boys or I will ever tire of how close  you can get to the penguins.  They run back and forth when the penguins are putting on a show and they did not disappoint today. 

Family Fun in Havre de Grace

Looking for something different to do, we headed up 95 to Havre de Grace to explore the city and see what they were offering for Easter. The boys were being difficult about going and there were 3 disabled vehicles, including a fire truck in the median, which slowed the already slow moving traffic to a stand still at time. 

But, we arrived in Havre de Grace and apparently this town means business about their egg hunts. We may have been 5 to 10 minutes late and it was all over. However, the setting was beautiful.  There was a park, which included a playground, and beautiful views everywhere you could see.  Oh, and we had driven almost an hour and we were going to have fun!

Fortunately, for Connor, the Easter Bunny was still available for photos and last minute requests to be delivered. Luckily for us, we already knew that anything Star Wars would bring smiles. 

After lunch, we started our walk on the promenade.   The promenade was full of life. First, we s

And, the views, were spectacular from all sides.  We spent a good time following the geese and ducks move to the water via the air and walking the beach below the boardwalk. 

We took a little bit of a rocky walk to get to this point and view but it was definitely worth it. 

We finally made it to the lighthouse.  It was in our sights from when we started the walk but it was amazing to actually be that close to a light house. 

This is the view from just beyond the lighthouse.  We had an amazing time and found some more wildlife living in the wetlands on our way back to Tydings Park although it was much too difficult to get a picture of the moving animals. 

Easter Bunny Pics at Heavy Seas Alehouse

We didn't really have any plans to take the boys to get pictures but were invited to an event at Heavy Seas Alehouse and the bunny was going to be making an appearance.  We arrived and were directed to a room towards the back.   The boys waited their turn as the bunny had to stop for a potty break and checked out the room.

There was a nice set up and the boys were very happy to get their pictures taken and share some information on what they would like the bunny to deliver.  We couldn't hear what was said but we are fairly confident that it included Star Wars.

Connor was apparently on a roll and since there wasn't a line, the photographer just kept snapping photos of him.  We are fairly confident that he used the extra time to relay more things on his list. 

Even my iphone was able to capture the smiles.  We are super lucky to call them ours!! After the photos, we settled in for some lunch.  A good time was had.  Super happy that I pushed the boys to go and have fun. 

2016 St. Patrick's Day

The boys were ready to celebrate St. Patrick's Day and see all the silly stuff that the leprechaun had done at school.  We can report that there was no pinching. 

And, a flashback to their 1st St. Patrick's Day. We are so lucky to be able to celebrate this holiday with them year after year. 

James and the Giant Peach Jr. at the Children's Playhouse of MD

The boys had such a great time at Mary Poppins at the Children's Playhouse of Maryland that we were definitely ready to get the boys back to the theater.  We had never read or seen the movie so we borrowed the Disney version to get us up to date on the story.

We arrived and were treated to seats very close to the stage.  The kid actors were again very good and a lot of them had been in Mary Poppins so there were familiar faces.  The boys' favorite part of the play, like the movie, were the animals that help James get from the UK to New York. 

They again offered the ability to get autographs from the cast.  The boys made sure to secure all of the bugs, including the grasshopper, Miss Spider, ladybug and the centipede. Their favorites were the Miss Spider and centipede.  Several of the members of the cast remembered Jackson from all the waving at Mary Poppins.  He definitely makes an impression on others...

This was the narrator.  We all remember seeing him in Mary Poppins.  James Henry Trotter had a lot of people surrounding him.  The boys were able to get autographs but pictures were not that clear. James was also in Mary Poppins. 

Spiker and Sponge were fantastic.  The boys were unable to get pictures with them because they are James' evil aunts.  They did such a great job playing their roles.  We hope they didn't take it too personal that they couldn't do a picture!  

Celebrating Aidon

The boys were incredibly excited when they heard about Aidon's party at SkyZone.  They hadn't been in months and it is such a fun place. And, celebrating a friend's birthday made the idea of going back even more fun. It also gave the boys some time to spend with some of the boys from Ms. Guth's class. 

Aidon getting acknowledged by the Sky Zone staff. 

Sky Zone was super organized and had held the kids in a room prior to releasing them giving them rules about what could and could not be done along. They even offered a lounge room with a television and refreshments. 

Walking over to the jump area.  

Chase, Jackson, Conor and Chase 

Carson, Everett, Graham

Lisa inspecting the group and making plans for some dodge ball tournaments for the parents. 

It was such a fun time celebrating Aidon and we discovered the goodness that is Dominick's Pizza. Hopefully, they will deliver to the Forge.