B to the G Take #2

I just can't say enough about Busch Gardens, we absolutely love it.  It's only an hour & 15 minutes away, the FunPasses are affordable... and every time we go, it feels like a mini vacation.  As Madelyn & Mikayla's spring break was winding down a couple weeks ago, we figured a trip to BG would be the perfect way to end it.  The park is pretty big and we never have time to see everything in one day. So, since our March trip was so closely timed to our February trip, we made a point of seeing & doing things we skipped or missed before.

  

We went into the Myombi Reserve to see the chimps & gorillas.  This is Miss Mary, she's the most social of all the gorillas.

In Egypt we checked out King Tut's Tomb!

We also checked out some Egyptian artifacts!

Mike rode the Montu.

We checked out the snakes, reptiles & bats in Curiosity Caverns.

We also made friends with a sassy flamingo in Jungle Junction.

We rode the jeeps in Rhino Rally.

The girls rode the Bush Planes in Timbuktu.

The girls got reacquainted with a few creatures from TreeTop Trails.

We even bumped into Big Bird in Sesame Street's Safari of Fun.

We climbed through Elmo's Treehouse

We crossed the rope bridge & the girls climbed & bounced through the maze of tubes.

They rode the Sesame Street Cars....

And on our way out, we strolled through the Garden.  

** Ahhh... another beautiful day!  We'll be back again soon!**

A Day By The Bay

Bayfront Park in Sarasota is one of the prettiest parks around. It's home to beautiful Marina Jack, O'Leary's Tiki Bar, Sarasota Watersports, as well as a beautiful playground, children's fountain, sprawling sidewalks, tree swings & gorgeous views.  You can spend the whole day doing anything and everything you want at Bayfront Park. We absolutely love it!

Over spring break, my girlfriends & I made plans to keep our kiddos busy and one of our favorite places is Bayfront Park. We packed lunches, sunscreen & towels and met up early!

The girls & their friends love the shaded breezy playground...

And then there's the fountains... for a few minutes we had the whole place to ourselves.  Look at this view!

My girls are true Florida girls, they love the water & the sun!

So do Gavin & Colin...

And Collin & Conner, who will be welcoming a baby brother this Summer!

Colin, Caleb & Gavin had ball playing in the fountains too!

Conner, Ben, Collin, Mikayla & Madelyn drying off so they can eat lunch.

After lunch the kids played catch, Jackie's Mom Marata jumped right in their game.

Before we left, Sarah's boys Gavin & Colin showed us one of their favorite things to do, skip shells. Maddy & Mikayla will have to this every time we visit Bayfront Park now!

Siesta

A couple weeks ago Mike made a tee time with his buddy and I hit the beach with my gal pals & our kiddos. Siesta Key Beach is our favorite beach.  Traffic & parking are a challenge especially during snowbird season or spring break, but the beach itself is SO beautiful, it's worth all the effort to stake out a good spot.  

Powdered sugar quartz sand, clear shallow waters & blue skies as far as the eye can see.... breathtaking!

My girls...

And a couple of my favorite boys... Gavin & Colin (Sarah's boys) and Conner (one of Jackie's)

Maddy, Mikayla, Gavin & Collin braving the cool waters...

Digging in the softest most perfect sand...

Just gorgeous.... SO relaxing... it's rough living in paradise. 

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss

In my opinion Dr. Seuss (Theodor Seuss Geisel) is America's most iconic children's author.  He published 44 amazingly brilliant books that have been part of our culture for more than 60 years.  In clever ways, Dr. Seuss has been teaching children and their parents the values of life & society in a timeless way that will endure for generations to come.  Today he would have been 107 years old.  Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss.  I can't thank you enough for the joy you have brought me AND my children through your eloquent words & illustrations.

Technology is always moving forward, in the grand age of Apple & Android you can purchase Apps to share with your kids for your Android, iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad. They're on sale this week through www.oceanhousemedia.com & iTunes in honor of the birthday boy himself & National Read Across America Day which he inspired. 

We own at least a dozen of Dr. Seuss' classics, which are your favorites?

Before I wrap up this post I want to share two of my favorite quotes...

"Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened." 

& 

"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind."

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!