Our Weekend in the City

On Friday, after work, and the van packed, I picked up Tuks from "Angie's school", what we call her daycare, and hit the road for a city 2 1/2 hours away. I had been prepping her all week that we were going to ..... and visit B, and going to a Fiesta party. She was excited. She traveled like a champ, a far side better than she did at 18 months. It's true it does get easier and easier every year.

I decided to make a Mama/daughter weekend of it so we checked into a hotel, ate out etc., the whole nine yards. Not a usual occurrence for me, but I felt this was our big splurge for the beginning of our Spring Break.

B came over Friday night, and then we met up Saturday morning and went to the Museum in which we viewed the; Body World, North American Animals, Rain forest and Butterfly Garden, and finally ate lunch. Then Saturday night we attended the LAAF Fiesta (the original purpose for the trip) for children adopted from Latin America.

Sunday we headed home, after a breakfast stop at IHOP halfway through the return trip. The only time she showed any annoyance in traveling was just before we arrived at our house. I think she was overly tired since I kept her up WAY past her bedtime on both nights on the trip.


After we checked in, she did a bit of this, and yes I let her jump on her bed at home too.


She also did a bit of this, I wonder where she gets the joy of running from. LOL


She also explored the camera quite a bit, and counted the extra batteries a few times over the weekend.


Now as for sleeping. All I can say is WOW. I initially thought I would be co-sleeping with her, but once I had her set up in the bed with pillow all around, and laid down with her, she was the fidget queen. So I asked her if she wanted me to sleep in the other bed, and she said "yes". So I moved, and she fell right to sleep in her own bed. She did this both nights, and her nap. I was impressed and I can safely assume that I could probably move her out of her crib and she will be just fine.
Here she is napping after the museum with her blanket and "bear bear". I always let her bring 1 blanket and her "bear bear" when we travel.


Butterfly Garden.


B & Tuks.

I told Tuks if she was afraid and she didn't want to see something, just tuck her head in and close her eyes. Needless to say, I held her like this in my arms for over an hour while in the Body World, but she did look at the display once she was comfortable.

I feel a person should understand their bodies instead of shy away from the whole thing. Granted Tuks is a little young right now, but as we all know the more exposure to something, and if the adult, parent reacts calmly, the child will too. The only thing she really didn't like to look at were the skeletons, but I think it reminded her of the scare of Halloween skeletons.


In the Butterfly Garden.


Looking at the North American Animal Display


Her reaction to photos most of the weekend. This is also why I don't have any great shots of her looking at the camera.


Dressed and ready for the Fiesta.


Dancing in the chair waiting for our dinner.


Once again dancing. I am amazed at our similarities. I also like to dance, and I would dance until I broke a sweat and this exactly what Tuks was doing. She'd get a really serious intense look on her face and just lose herself in the dance. Dancing mattered more to her than anything else going on.


The band played for 1 hour prior to dinner, and then again during the meal.


She danced the whole hour leading up to the meal, and then again she was dancing in her chair while waiting for the meal.

The Fiesta was really nice.We were able to meet new people and just relax, but also it was nice to see Tuks with hundreds of other kids sharing similar physical features. As she grows older I know she will notice it as well.