Spring Break 2012

Making the news

Since we have a new little one in our family we decided not to go to far from home this year. So we headed to Midway, UT. This is a small town in the Wasatch Mountains close to Park City. We have a condo there and so we spent the week there. It is close enough to Salt Lake City that we went to several places in Salt Lake while staying at Midway. On Monday, we stopped at Gateway Discovery in downtown Salt Lake. This is a hands-on interactive museum for kids. The boys got to learn about how bumblebees work together to get things done, make their own news show and even sit in a life-flight helicopter. The boys had a great time and enjoyed learning about different things. After Gateway Discovery we went to The Rodizio Grill in Trolley Square. This is an authentic Brazilian Grill where the bring the meat around and cut off a slice for you if you want some. They have a salad bar with some authentic Brazilian entrees. They tell you what the meat is in both Portuguese and English; although I never manage to hear the English and then have to ask Kyle what they are serving. They also have grilled pineapple which is wonderful.

Wesley and Catherine at Gateway Discovery

Wes, Jon and Catherine looking at the tiger

Wes and Jon on the train at the zoo.

On Tuesday we headed to Hogle Zoo. The boys always love going to the zoo. They got to see monkeys, tigers and elephants along with several other animals. They even got to go on the train ride with Kyle. The bears exhibit was still being constructed so they did not get to see any bears or penguins since they have the penguins with the polar bears. They enjoyed the day anyway. Jonathen fell down a lot at the zoo and came back with several scrapes on his right knee. He is a clutzy little boy who likes to run instead of walk. We had a stroller for him and Nate, but he did not want to sit in the stroller and would get upset when we made him ride. Grandma, Poppa, Aunt Jennifer, Aunt Caitlin and Catherine joined us at both Gateway Discovery and the zoo. At the zoo, Aunt Caitlin got dive bombed by a bird. They have an open aviary that you walk through and the birds can fly around you. Well, apparently, Caitlin does not do well in those situations since the last two aviaries she has been in the birds have flown at her. This one actually caught her on the back of the head.

Mom, Nate, Wes and Jon by a triceratops.

Wes and Jon at the erosion table

Nate and Mommy swimming

     On Wednesday, we headed to Thanksgiving Point and the Dinosaur Museum there. The museum was really interesting. They started at the beginning of the timeline and worked all the way up to modern day. They showed all the small trilobites and fish first and then worked up to the dinosaurs. They had several really neat fossilized skeletons. The museum also had interactive sections where the boys could make or do something to help them understand fossils. There was a create your own dinosaur where you got to decided what tell and head to give your dino. There was also a bone puzzle to let you put together your own dinosaur skeleton. There was an erosion table to show how water moves sand/dirt to uncover fossils. There was even an archeological dig set up to allow the kids to dig in the sand and uncover dinosaur bones. Wesley was scared pretty much the whole time we were there and did not want to get anywhere near the skeletons. Jonathen, on the other hand, thought it was amazing. Wesley was able to tell Grandma about the huge turtle that was sixteen feet long.  Jonathen's favorite part was the fossils that looked like crocodiles.  After the Dinosaurs we met Grandma and Aunt Jennifer at IKEA.  By the way, for those of you who have never been to IKEA, the store is a trap.  They make it impossible to get out of the store without looking at everything.  It is a maze that you have to go all the way through before finding the exit.  I had to leave to go feed Nathaniel and thought I was going to lose my mind trying to get outside to my car.  I then went through it again after getting what we came for and trying to go check out.  We did get some organizational furniture for the boys' toys so it was not a complete bust.
     On Thursday we mostly stayed around Midway and Park City.  We went to the outlet malls and got several things for the boys and then some clothes for me and Kyle.  We even got a swimsuit for Nathaniel that allowed him to get in the pool.  We had been swimmin every night we were there, but Nate had always sat out with someone since he didn't have a swimsuit and swim diapers do not fit him.  We got him this cute swim trunks and shirt combo and took him to the pool that night.  He was unimpressed.  In fact, when I got him wet he curled up into the smallest ball he could manage.  He pulled his little feet out of the water and snuggled into my chest.  He then promptly fell asleep on my chest.  If I got him wet after that he would shudder and pull tighter into himself, but would not wake up.  It was really cute.  Jonathen loved swimming.  He is a little daredevil too.  He loved to jump off the side of the pool to someone.  However, he did not always wait until that person was ready or even close before jumping.  He scared us a few times.  If you asked Jonathen his favorite part of the vacation he would say swimming.  Wesley does not like swimming all that much.  He is a bit of a scaredy-cat and would death grip whoever was helping him in the pool.  Overall it was a great vacation.