Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Belly Buttons

Does anyone else have a child that refers to their belly button as a belly but?  All three of mine do/did.  Yesterday, when going down for a nap, Lila requested, "I sleep with my belly but."  It was her way of saying that she wanted to sleep naked.  I thought is was rather cute.

I guess the heat is getting to us all.

Baltimore - Inner Harbor

Aunt Amy and Morgan flew out to Maryland for the Sheep and Wool Festival this past weekend. We knew we had to see them since they were only a couple of hours away. What better way to do it than to spend the weekend on the Inner Harbor? We took the kids out of school on Friday and drove down to pick Aunt Amy and Morgan up, and soon we were on our way to Baltimore. The weather was perfect and the company was even better.

The first stop. . . A Coast Guard boat. The girls were fascinated by its size and wanted so desperately to go in. We opted for a trip into the National Aquarium instead.

Two of the three girls loved the aquarium. It is huge and very dark. Lila paired off with Aunt Amy and is still talking about seeing the octopus. Savannah loved the Sting Rays but Adeline was not a fan. She was definitely interested in the fish but couldn't get herself over the sensation that they were going to come right out of the glass and get her. Again, unpredictable and fast movements from animals seemed to get the best of her. She did enjoy watching the huge sea turtle so it wasn't a total loss. We are members now so Miss Belle better gear up fro a couple more trips.

Dragon paddle boats were our next stop. This something I would have never considered if Amy and Morgan didn't raise the question. The rules stated four to a boat so Savannah teamed up with Amy and Morgan while the twins road with us. All three girls were VERY excited. I couldn't believe that Adeline was willing put on her life preserver. Once on the boat, Mommy and Daddy were quickly reminded that paddle boats (especially large ones) always take more work than you think. Adeline was insistent on "driving" which kept us going around in circles. Lila, on the other hand, just enjoyed the ride. Funny how I thought she would jump head first in the water and she never even budged from her seat.



After more exploring and sight seeing, it was time to return Amy and Morgan to the fair grounds. Since the dinner hour was upon us and not a nap had been had, I opted to take the girls to the hotel and skip the car ride. Our belongings were still in the car which left us stuck in an empty hotel room while nothing appropriate was on TV. No need to worry, the girls found plenty of ways to stay entertained. Here is on of them. . .

Once Daddy returned, we headed out for dinner. On our way we came across a pretty fun fountain and outdoor steal drum band. Daddy and The Belle shared a dance.



After the sun set we found ourselves over looking the harbor from our deck seating at Uno's. We scarfed down the pizza and enjoyed some yummy milkshakes.


After taking in all of the lights in and around the harbor - the Hard Rock Guitar being the favorite, we were off to the hotel for some much needed sleep. The girls had been going for 14 hours without a nap. I was amazed at how well behaved they were.


We woke up to wonderful weather yet again. Here are some pictures that include our water taxi rides, dreams of being a sea captain, and just enjoying spending time together. If you ever have a chance to a family trip the Inner Harbor, it is fun and easy. I think it was our best family trip yet!