Summer Fun

     Nathaniel changes schedules at his job after this week, and will no longer be able to carpool in, so I've been trying to do as many "go somewhere and have fun" things as I can while I access to our van. So, this last week I took the kids up to the zoo again, and to the aquarium. Now, I had been planning/hoping to wait longer between zoo trips, but the weather was supposed to be in the 80s and overcast, so I didn't know when we'd get another chance at that 'cool' of a day (for the middle of summer in Utah at least).  So I invited Mom, and we headed up to the zoo. It was way more fun without the extreme heat. And yay! no heat exhaustion. Again, this is going to be a picture post, but it will be REALLY long, because I don't feel like doing a second post for the aquarium.

 

You'll probably have to enlarge this picture to see it, but the tiger's are asleep on the ground there. Right about at my Mom's shirt hemline.

 

Jessica and "Rizzo" (the polar bear)

 

Rizzo is a very playful bear. She kept coming jumping off a rock, swimming up to the glass, popping up (as in this pic) and then pushing off to do it all again. (We aren't in this pic, Jessica was too far off to the side to get a good one of her and of Rizzo doing this.)

 

The seals were in a playful mood this day too. I'm the one in the funny open-top hat.

 

Jessica wasn't as big a fan of this one, the seal statue was hot.

 

But she was very interested in going through the log.

 

Baby Elephant!

 

Yup, this is Jessica's "smile" face. 

 

Jacob with the peacock. (That black longer speck right in line with his face.)

 

And when we got back to the car, Jacob was out cold. Poor little guy, he's not getting the best naps when we do this type of thing.

Friday I packed up the kids and headed up to the aquarium. This time I was by myself, so I stopped by Target first so as to get one of the toddler leash backpacks. Some mom's may be able to wrangle their kids without, but I'm not one of them. I had to have some way of keeping her near me, and holding her hand wouldn't work while pushing a stroller. Luckily, Jessica likes the backpack. Jessica didn't seem quite as interested this time, I'm trying to think if there was even one exhibit that held her attention, and I don't think so. :( Maybe next time. I have a pass, so we get in free up through October. 

 

In the lobby, proving that Jacob does indeed come with us. ;). Also, apparently, when Jessica dresses herself, the shoes end up on the wrong feet.

 

Yes I know, the picture isn't that great, but the otters were out! That's rare for us, and so getting them and Jessica in the same shot was worth putting up.

 

SO COOL!!! The giant octopus. Unfortunately, I didn't see the sign saying "no flash photography" until after I'd taken the picture. It hurts the octopus's eyes. OOPS. 

 

I think my favorite part of the aquarium is the ocean/reefs area. So many cool/bright fish. Plus, the moon jellies that change color. AWESOME. (No pic, sorry).

 

Again, proving they were both there, and Jessica wanted a picture in the little cave.

 

Yeah, not sure what this is, it looks kinda like a ray of some sort, but it was in the Amazon section.

 

The HUGE fish in the Amazon section. But by this point, Jessica was basically trying to drag me to go home.

And a couple more pictures, just cause I like them. Jacob hit the 5 month mark about 10 days ago, but I'm having a rough time, so I don't remember them very often. However, he has hit another milestone.

 

He is getting really close to crawling. He'll get up on hands and knees and rock, and then launch himself forward.   He is basically mobile, because he rolls/scoots/launches himself after what he wants to get, but it is still a struggle for him, so not full mobility yet.

 

And this was just too cute. My sister's stake (church group) was doing a clothing exchange, so we went to pick up some clothes. They had this had in Jacob's size, and it was too cute to pass up. I LOVE it.