The kids and I joined Brian for an overnight in San Diego On Friday. In typical Carlson style we totally forgot that it was a holiday week-end, which explains why the trip down on Friday afternoon took a few minutes longer than FOREVER.
A taste of our mini-vacation, family style:
We started off with a trip to the Reuben Fleet Science Museum in Balboa Park, where we met up with Brian. The museum in general is fantastic, with lots of hands on stuff, but the best part was the Kids Space equipped with a mini-grocery store area, complete with a check-out stand equipped with a conveyor belt. Two large wheels at either end allow kids to move the belt either backwards or forwards; after sliding assorted fruits and vegetables down the belt into a waiting basket the kids realized that the belt could also be used as a ride!
Mommy!! Would you like a Cate sandwich? Coming right up! How about a Jack taco? Here you go! Daddy! You need a Ava burrito!
We headed back to the hotel and Brian went to a nearby Wendy's to grab some food for dinner. Did you know that they put mini-Frosties in their kids meals? And that if you have 3 kids, and you don't share this fact with them but instead pour them all into one cup and say it is Mommy's drink and you won't like it that you can basically get a free Frostie? You're welcome.
Night-time was an adventure all on its own.....the room had a smallish alcovyish walk-in-closet dressing area, so we put the kids in there in the hopes that they would fall asleep and we could watch a little t.v. or read or do something -anything- that didn't involve repeating the words "because I asked you to" 1,000 times (which obviously rules out sex, but whatever, we were tired). Why did we think this would be possible? Have we not been doing this for three years now? We settled the kids down with kisses and strict admonitions to BE QUIET. OR ELSE. That worked for about 1 minute, and then the giggles started.....quiet at first....then louder.....and louder......GO! TO! SLEEP!.......ooookkkaaaayyyy moooooommmmm.......giggle giggle giggle snort shhhhhh! giggle giggle giggle.......It was actually pretty funny. Listening to them trying to suppress their laughter I could just picture their little bodies shaking with trapped mirth until they could no longer contain it and it snorted out of them. Brian and I started giggling in our bed, also trying to be quiet so they would not hear us laughing.......I love knowing that my kids have experienced the deliciousness of forbidden laughter.......
The next morning we headed up to Chris and Dawn's house for some quality time with the cousins. We had planned on going to the park, but the weather was still cold and undecided, so instead we headed to a nearby Chik-Fil-A. While this would not have been my first choice, Dawn said it had a great play place, and......I'm sorry. Have you not read the zillions of articles about heroin needles and dead ferrets in fast-food restaurant play places? No, she assured me, this one was actually nice and the food was pretty good too. OK, fine, whatever, let's go. Well, dip me in batter and call me fried - it was great! Maybe it was because the place was brand-spanking-new, but it was clean (like, Disneyland clean), and the chicken nuggets? Made of actual cut-up chicken! Their kids meals were perfectly proportioned, with an option of fruit salad (with real strawberries!) instead of fries (which were fabulous). They have several grilled-chicken options, including the awesome wrap I eventually chose. The kids had so much fun playing in the play space that they slept the entire way home.
I am so Googleing Chik-Fil-A to find the closest one.
Mommy!! Would you like a Cate sandwich? Coming right up! How about a Jack taco? Here you go! Daddy! You need a Ava burrito!
We headed back to the hotel and Brian went to a nearby Wendy's to grab some food for dinner. Did you know that they put mini-Frosties in their kids meals? And that if you have 3 kids, and you don't share this fact with them but instead pour them all into one cup and say it is Mommy's drink and you won't like it that you can basically get a free Frostie? You're welcome.
Night-time was an adventure all on its own.....the room had a smallish alcovyish walk-in-closet dressing area, so we put the kids in there in the hopes that they would fall asleep and we could watch a little t.v. or read or do something -anything- that didn't involve repeating the words "because I asked you to" 1,000 times (which obviously rules out sex, but whatever, we were tired). Why did we think this would be possible? Have we not been doing this for three years now? We settled the kids down with kisses and strict admonitions to BE QUIET. OR ELSE. That worked for about 1 minute, and then the giggles started.....quiet at first....then louder.....and louder......GO! TO! SLEEP!.......ooookkkaaaayyyy moooooommmmm.......giggle giggle giggle snort shhhhhh! giggle giggle giggle.......It was actually pretty funny. Listening to them trying to suppress their laughter I could just picture their little bodies shaking with trapped mirth until they could no longer contain it and it snorted out of them. Brian and I started giggling in our bed, also trying to be quiet so they would not hear us laughing.......I love knowing that my kids have experienced the deliciousness of forbidden laughter.......
The next morning we headed up to Chris and Dawn's house for some quality time with the cousins. We had planned on going to the park, but the weather was still cold and undecided, so instead we headed to a nearby Chik-Fil-A. While this would not have been my first choice, Dawn said it had a great play place, and......I'm sorry. Have you not read the zillions of articles about heroin needles and dead ferrets in fast-food restaurant play places? No, she assured me, this one was actually nice and the food was pretty good too. OK, fine, whatever, let's go. Well, dip me in batter and call me fried - it was great! Maybe it was because the place was brand-spanking-new, but it was clean (like, Disneyland clean), and the chicken nuggets? Made of actual cut-up chicken! Their kids meals were perfectly proportioned, with an option of fruit salad (with real strawberries!) instead of fries (which were fabulous). They have several grilled-chicken options, including the awesome wrap I eventually chose. The kids had so much fun playing in the play space that they slept the entire way home.
I am so Googleing Chik-Fil-A to find the closest one.
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