Fun family time

A week or two ago we got to go down to San Diego for a short trip that was less than 48 hours.  But we managed to pack in a lot of fun.  I was excited that John could be with us and experience some fun with Jack.

First we went to My Kids Clubhouse near my parents' house and I have to say that it was one of the neatest indoor playgrounds I've ever been too.  Mainly because there was this giant climbing structure with tunnels and slides and nets and a ball pit - that adults go on on!  It was so much fun to crawl all around with Jack.  He had a ball.

He, of course, enjoyed the other toys and even made a friend as he played make believe with the food.  Too cute.

The next morning Jack was very intrigued by the guest bathroom and the shower so he decided to jump in.  I think his favorite part was squeegee'ing the shower door.  What a fun activity!  And he did it with such gusto.

And then it was off to Sea World.  We had free passes so we didn't feel bad about only going for two hours.  We headed straight to the Sesame Street Toddler Town which is Jack's favorite part by far.  He and his daddy had fun climbing all over the nets and through the tunnel.

Then he played on the big bouncing floor with all the blocks.  So much fun!

We didn't see many animals... We stopped by the seals and the dolphins and took a slight detour to pet the bat rays.  

On the way home we stopped for a sandwich and Jack, of course, found the only fountain in the strip mall.  The kid loves water.

Knowing how much Jack would enjoy some water play, we decided to check out this "splash ground" we had heard about in Santee.  To say this place was a hit would be an understatement.  Jack squealed with delight the whole time.

The weekend was topped off by a date night for John and me.  Dinner and a Beach Boys concert.  Lots of fun!  And thanks to my parents for helping us make it happen!  

 

Week in Review - 6/14/12

 

 I love this picture of Jack because he looks just like his daddy here. It's really uncanny. What a cutie. Well, we had another great week. I can't believe what a good mood he's been in. Laughing and giggling all the time. It was nice he was so happy because we had a lot of guests this week and he put on a good show. My friend Leigh came over and, acting like the child-whisperer she is, Jack was in love with her. Maybe it's all the practice she gets teaching Kindergarteners.

   

 Then his Aunt Julie came over and he had so much fun with her, running through the sprinklers and going down the slide.

   

 And then later in the week our friends were in town from the Bay Area and brought their two kids over - a 5 year old boy and a 3 year old girl. I can not even tell you how excited Jack was to have these older kids in his house. He chased them around all afternoon. There was a particularly adorable couch jumping session that was awesome. It was like Jack was playing like a big kid. So cool.

 

 

 Then there was more playing with trains and eating snacks while sitting on a stool like a big kid.

 

This week he started trying to count on his fingers. It is so cute. When he gets to the top of his slide I usually count "1, 2, 3" on my fingers. So now he's trying to do it to. He has the "1" down...the "2" and "3", not so much.

 

 

 Okay, now more pics from the week!

 

Trying to climb up the slide

Hot and tired and dazed from a long day playing in 95 degree heat

This kid loves sitting on top of bushes

He loves piggy back rides!

Man, isn't water awesome?

Illustrating how Curious George's rocket ship blasts off.

Practicing his drawing skills

Still enjoying his 4th of July flag

Practicing his new "ready, set, go" position

Clap like a seal!

Getting dirty

There is no doubt that my son likes to get dirty.  And, for one reason or another, I seem to be the type of mom who lets her son enjoy dirt.  Lately though he's taken to throwing dirt and sand and wood chips all around.  Up in the air, at me, in his hair.  Every night in his bath, I find tons of sand embedded in his scalp.

He just is so passionate about the throwing...he throws with great force and gusto.  Even when he's sick.  I took this picture of him two days ago.  He refused to leave this dirt planter.  I caught him right after his threw a fistful of dirt in his face and as he was coughing with snot dripping down his nose.  John says it's the worst picture I've ever taken of him.  Which is obviously why I had to put it on the internet.  It cracks me up.

Playmates

Over the past couple weeks something cool has happened. Jack has started to get excited to see his friends and seem to enjoy his play dates. I mean, it's not all cuteness and rainbows. Some older kids still push him out of the way and then sometimes he steals things from younger kids. But, at his own play group with kids his age, he seems delighted to be around other kids. He answered the doorbell yesterday and when he say his little friend his face lit up with a giant smile. Then when his other friend played piano with him, he was so darn happy.

He shared his toys fairly well and loved showing them how everything worked.

They went outside and he was giggling with joy as he chased the kids around. We have a tunnel out on the lawn and they went through it one after another, chasing each other through it as fast as they could.

When the kids left, one little boy gave Jack a hug and it was adorable.

Jack even reciprocated and tried to hug one of his friends. Turns out that he's not as gentle though and it was more of a standing tackle that ended in tears on the ground. Oh well. It's the thought that counts!

There's something about a boy in a cape.

So girls get cute outfits and princess dresses with crowns, but boys get capes. And, I have to say, capes are pretty awesome. Last week we went with our friends to check out yet another indoor playground nearby. It actually wasn't the greatest place for a kid Jack's age but they did have CAPES. I just had to put one on him and I wasn't disappointed. I mean, this is a cute image.

They also had a ball pit which Jack was eager to jump in. He loves a good ball pit.

But this ball pit was for older kids so it was pretty deep. He keep sinking down under all the balls. He looks happy here but when he ducked all the way under he was not happy. I kept having to dig him out.

The other thing they had at this place with a light-up dance floor that played music. The big kids mainly ruled that thing and didn't want Jack anywhere near them. But at one point they cleared out and he and his friend could take over and do a little dancing.

One of the craziest things about this place were the moms. I'm sure I'll get to this point at some future date, but all the moms were completely oblivious to their kids. Most were reading magazines and books outside and had no idea where there kids were or what they were doing. I'm sure that's fine since most of the kids were like 3, 4, and 5, but still. Shouldn't you be at least a little aware? I don't know.

And here are a few more pictures from our visit...