Play Place in Valley West Mall

Our extended stay hotel is serving its purpose, but we feel the need to get out of that small space daily! Andrew and I took the kids to the play area at Valley West Mall last weekend, which is right across the street from Monkey Joe's. For our little ones, the mall was actually a much better place to play (and free!). The play area is just outside the lower level of Younker's.

We walked through castle gates to the play area. The kids got so excited!

Jo climbed over the stone bridge and slid down the other side, over the water. Another kid told Oliver there were sharks in the water, so they enjoyed leaping over to avoid getting bit.

There was a wizard and a knight to climb on, and Jo enjoyed sitting in their laps.

Oliver loved leaping off of the pirate ship! In the background, you can see part of a dragon, which was a big hit, too.

Big brother is (usually) willing to help little sister navigate the play equipment.

More ecstatic jumps!

After the play area, we wandered the mall for a bit. Outside of JC Penney, we found a train! I think ticket prices were $2/person, but we bought a 3 pack for $5. I rode with the kiddos. They loved it, of course.

The mall really was a perfect place to take the kids on a cold day. I've since gone back with the kids on my own. It's a bit of a drive for us, since we're staying up in Urbandale now, but it's not like I have anywhere else to be! It takes us about 10 minutes to get there, the kids can play for an hour, and then I don't feel like we've just been cooped up in the hotel all day.

Santa's North Pole Adventure at the Georgetown Loop Railroad

Andrew and I took the kids up to Georgetown to meet my friends for a train ride with Santa Claus! Oliver went on their Pumpkin Fest train this year with Grandma Judy and last year with us and Grandma Colleen. This was his first time doing the Santa's North Pole Adventure. Tickets were pricey, but they included a nice, long visit with Santa (complete with photo op), a jingle bell ornament for the kids, hot cocoa, a cookie, and a candy cane. We had a great time, but Oliver decided the train didn't go fast enough. 

There were many light displays along the loop. I guess they run a nighttime Holiday Lights train and have all of the decorations lit up. That would be fun to do one year!

Oliver adores Baby Grace.

Family photo!

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire.

This past weekend was also the Georgetown Christmas Market. After the train ride, we went to town to enjoy the market. Georgetown is such a cute mountain town. It's a charming place for the Christmas season.

Kids' Day, The Colorado Railroad Museum, and Our Day Out with Thomas

Every year around this time, we pick a day and designate it to be kids' day. We try to pick things to do that we think our kids will especially love. Recently, Oliver has been all about Thomas the Train, so we got him tickets to "A Day Out with Thomas." We took them for Kids' Day this past Saturday. I didn't want to get him too excited ahead of time because it is really hard for little kids to wait. So, we carefully worked him up to it by saying things like, "I've heard Thomas might be coming into town from Sodor." The day before we went, we asked him, "Would you like to see Thomas?" He stared off in the distance and broke out in a big smile. "Yes, I do!" he exclaimed. That settled that!

When I'd called the museum to get tickets, the man who helped me let me know that there would be a lot of activities for kids. He also told me it's really busy and to get there at least an hour before our train departure time. Our tickets were for 1pm, so we needed to be there by noon. We arrived a little before 11am, and I am so glad we did! The place was packed. I had no idea it would be the event it was. There were large signs directing us to "Thomas the Train Parking." We had to drive about two miles past the museum to park, and then we caught the shuttle they provided back to the museum. As we drove past the museum, we saw Thomas. You have no idea how pumped Oliver got from seeing Thomas. Well, maybe you do.

We parked our car and took the shuttle over to the museum. It was the first bright, hot, and sunny day in a few weeks. I had no idea the event was all outside! Andrew laughed at me when I said that, but it's true. We didn't come prepared and didn't have hats or sunscreen. We spent a lot of the time trying to keep the kids shaded and cool. It was absolutely worth it, though. One of the first things we did was stand in line for photos with Thomas. We got to see Thomas drive around the park a few times (he did 3 loops for the riders). 

After Thomas stopped, we go to go stand and have our photo taken. They sold the photos for $18, but they also let us take our own. I snapped one of the family super quick. I didn't want to hold up the long line behind us, and, consequently, I ended up with a single, blurry photo. Oh, well!

Even Joanna got into the Thomas spirit! She kept yelling, "Thomas!" all day. A few times, she walked up to kids who were wearing Thomas the Train shirts and pointed at them and yelled, "THOMAS!" at them. It was kind of funny.

In the library at the museum, a woman read stories about Thomas.

There was a big tent full of train sets for the kids to play with. Our kids loved this tent, and we sat in there for probably a full half hour.

We got to go into an old train car, where they were giving out temporary tattoos.

Sir Topham Hatt was there, too! The line to see Sir Topham Hatt was a few blocks long. We didn't wait in line, and I just snapped a photo of him from the distance.

Rather than wait in line in the sun to get a spot on one of the front cars, we waited in the shade to get a shady car at the back of the train. The wait wasn't too bad, and the kids did great!

Here's our view of the museum as we went around on the train:

There's Thomas, pulling our train!

We were all exhausted after our day out with Thomas. The kids were amazing, though, and never got fussy or cranky the entire time. We really felt like we'd just spent the day at Disney World or something!

Everyone was too wiped out to do much after that. I ran to the store and picked up ingredients to cook with Oliver. We made smoothies and a pizza. After we ate, he helped me bake pumpkin bread for the first day of fall! In all, I think it was pretty much the best day he could have hoped for, and Jo had a good time, too.

Summer Bucket List Update: Taking the Train Downtown

I took the kids on the light rail. We went downtown to visit my dad for lunch! Oliver has recently developed a strong interest and love for trains, and he watches Thomas the Train almost every day when Jo takes her nap. I knew he would love taking the light rail, but I worried he would expect something a little more like Thomas the Train and be disappointed in the commuter train. So, the night before, I told him about our plans to ride the train. I also explained that it wouldn't be like Thomas. This would be a train that had lots of cars to hold people.

The next morning, Oliver chatted endlessly about the train. I reminded him a few times that it wouldn't be like Thomas. I was worried he was getting his hopes up. After what probably seemed like ages to Oliver, we finally left to catch the train and take it downtown. It cost me $8 to have a 6 hour ticket for the light rail. Thankfully, Oliver and Jo were both free because they're under 5! As we waited for the train, Oliver kept telling me what to expect. "Remember, Mom. This is a real train. It's not Thomas." 

This kid is going to totally flip out when he finds out we have tickets to ride Thomas the Train at the train museum in a few weeks. I'm pretty sure it will be the greatest day of his life. At any rate, he was so enthusiastic when the light rail train pulled up! It is as ordinary as can be, but Oliver was thrilled! He quickly learned about all the stops the train would make, and he'd announce to the other passengers when the train was stopping. He also explained, "We have to stop so people can get off, and other people have to get on the train." He memorized all the noises and dings and sound effects on the train. The half hour ride downtown flew by!

We caught my dad as he walked to meet us at the train. He took us on a little tour of his hotel, The Grand Hyatt. I've seen it many times and have stayed there a few times, but I haven't been there since its recent renovation. It's gorgeous! The whole lobby area has been redone in natural wood. Oliver was mostly interested in the elevators. We rode them all over the place! We checked out the pool and a couple of the ballrooms and meeting rooms. In one ballroom, all of these elegant glass decorations were hanging from the ceiling. There had to be 1,000+ of these things. I laughed as I imagined my dad hanging them. I love my dad, but he isn't the most patient person when it comes to repetitive, tedious work. I asked him if he'd broken any, and he answered, "A few. Then, a few days later, a bride threw her bouquet and broke a bunch more." Thankfully, he saved have back-ups ;-)

After touring the hotel and riding the elevators a number of times, we stopped for lunch at the Hyatt's Starbucks. That's one of Oliver and Jo's favorite places!

We loved our lunch downtown. It's something we'll have to be sure to do again soon. It also completed another item on our summer bucket list! We have less than two weeks to go, and there is still so much to do!

 Watch a fireworks display on the Fourth of July.
* Bake a berry stars & stripes cake with Oliver.
* Run through the sprinklers.
* Go to a splash park.
* Play in the "creek" at the Children's Mordecai Gardens at the Denver Botanic Gardens.
* Watch our first parade.
* Ride the outdoor train at Belleview Park.
* Visit a petting zoo.
* Take the kids for a swim.
* Have a real outdoor picnic on the grass with a picnic basket.
* Watch a sunrise.
* Go for a hike in the mountains.
* Go on a road trip.
* Go out for an ice cream cone, and eat it outside!
* Make our own ice cream, and let Oliver choose the flavor.
* Pick and eat vegetables out of the garden we're growing at Grandma Judy's house.
* Eat cherry tomatoes right off the vine at Aunt Bonnie & Uncle George's house.
* Throw water balloons.
* Go tent camping overnight.
* Look at stars in the sky.
* Visit Andrew at work for lunch.
* Take the train downtown to visit Grandpa Larry for lunch.
* Go to the Fireman's Museum.
* Use sidewalk chalk.
* Blow bubbles.
* Take Father's Day photos with the letters that spell out "DAD" again.

Belleview Park (Updated Summer Bucket List)

Belleview Park (north side of Belleview, east of Santa Fe) is almost always packed full of families! Kids play in the creek that winds through the park, and there is a playground, a train, and a petting zoo. We go here to ride the train semi-regularly. Oliver currently loves trains. I guess we'll have to go to the railroad museum sometime soon, huh?

Jo was thrilled to play in the creek! Truly, to Jo, there is nothing better than standing in water, throwing rocks. She spent over an hour in the creek.

Oliver wasn't interested in the creek this time. He told us he was too big for the creek and just wanted to ride the train.

Oliver was so excited to ride the train! Tickets now cost $1.75 each, but Jo rides free (because she's under 2 years).

We made it back to the petting zoo for the first time this year! It also costs $1.75/person. It was kind of a dud, to be honest. Jo was afraid to pet any of the animals. Oliver checked them out for about 5-10 minutes and then wanted to go. Oh, well!

Summer Bucket List 2013:

* Watch a fireworks display on the Fourth of July.
* Bake a berry stars & stripes cake with Oliver.
* Run through the sprinklers.
* Go to a splash park.
* Play in the "creek" at the Children's Mordecai Gardens at the Denver Botanic Gardens.
* Watch our first parade.
* Ride the outdoor train at Belleview Park.
* Visit a petting zoo.
* Take the kids for a swim.
* Have a real outdoor picnic on the grass with a picnic basket.
* Watch a sunrise.
* Go for a hike in the mountains.
* Go on a road trip.
* Go out for an ice cream cone, and eat it outside!
* Make our own ice cream, and let Oliver choose the flavor.
* Pick and eat vegetables out of the garden we're growing at Grandma Judy's house.
* Eat cherry tomatoes right off the vine at Aunt Bonnie & Uncle George's house.
* Throw water balloons.
* Go tent camping overnight.
* Look at stars in the sky.
* Visit Andrew at work for lunch.
* Take the train downtown to visit Grandpa Larry for lunch.
* Go to the Fireman's Museum.
* Use sidewalk chalk.
* Blow bubbles.
* Take Father's Day photos with the letters that spell out "DAD" again.

Bunny Breakfast and the Bunny Train

We drove through a blizzard to eat pancakes with the Easter Bunny.

That's the short version of this story.

I searched online to try to find an egg hunt to take the kids to. Most are this upcoming Saturday, the day before Easter. We have a birthday party to attend that conflicts with those egg hunts. I finally found one up in Arvada, a town about 10 miles north of us. It wasn't just an egg hunt, either. For $5/person, they have a "Bunny Breakfast," games, pictures with the Easter Bunny (which you take yourself), and a ride on the Bunny Express train. After that, they host an egg hunt at a nearby park. Andrew's great-aunt and -uncle live in Arvada, so we invited Andrew's parents and them to join us.

Well, last night, it started to snow. This morning, we woke up to about 10" of snow on the ground. And it was still coming down! Oliver was so excited to ride on the "bunny train," so we made what was probably a stupid choice and decided to still go. Everyone else cancelled due to weather. We bundled the kids up. Jo wore my favorite cold weather dress of hers instead of the cute, summery dress I'd planned on her wearing for Easter. Oliver wore his nice sweater from Uncle Andy and Aunt Erin. I'd already had it in a box to put up in the attic until next winter, but I dug it out. We put extra snacks and blankets in the car (just in case) and set out to the Bunny Breakfast.

We went to the wrong place! The address that printed on our ticket was the main rec center in Arvada. As it turns out, that's just the place that billed us. So, after driving 40 minutes in a snow storm, we were redirected a few blocks east at the Community Recreation Center. The kids were mad about getting into the car, which put them in a bit of a foul mood for Bunny Breakfast. But, finally, finally, we made it to the Bunny Breakfast.

For $5 a person, I was amazed at what all was included! It might not have been worth risking life and limb, but it was worth $5! We each got a plate of scrambled eggs and pancakes. There was sausage available, too. The kids had orange juice, and Andrew and I had coffee.

Jo and Oliver both loved the pancakes.

Each kid was given a little treat bag. They'd go around to a bunch of tables to play cute little games, like bunny ring toss and bowling. They were given a little prize from each game. Oliver wasn't interested in the games until he realized he got candy from participating.

Here is frog jump, where kids were supposed to get the plastic frogs to jump into the "pond."

Here are the kids bowling. Oliver rolled the first ball and knocked down most of the pins. When his second ball missed, he ran down the "lane" and knocked the last two over.

Joanna didn't want to give up her bowling ball.

Joanna also didn't want to give up her basketball at the basketball game. When we left the games, she kept repeating, "Ball. Ball. Ball. Ball. Ball? Ball."

His favorite part of the event was the Bunny Express train. Another woman there told me it's usually outside. Because of the weather, they set it up indoors this year. The train engineer pulled kids in the train through hallways. It was hilarious. Because there were so many kids and the train only held 4 kids at a time, each ride was just a single loop. The first two times Oliver rode the train, he cried when it stopped. The kid loves trains. Seriously, you can take Oliver on a tropical vacation to the beach, and his favorite part is the train ride at the airport.

Once he realized he could watch the other kids go by and then get back in line again, he stopped crying when the train stopped. He also stopped freaking out at the hand stamp the kids got when they boarded the train.

Before too long, a woman stepped up on a little stage and made two announcements. First, she said the egg hunt would have to be cancelled. I don't think anyone was surprised. Then, she let us know the Easter Bunny was coming! She asked everyone to sing "Here Comes Peter Cottontail." Imagine my surprise when Oliver didn't have a meltdown over the whole room erupting in song!

Here's Happy Jo waiting in line for the Easter Bunny!

I wasn't sure how the Easter Bunny would go over. To agree to sit on Santa's lap, Oliver had to visit Santa a handful of times first. The Easter Bunny was different. Oliver wanted to see him. We stood in line, and Oliver let the Easter Bunny pick him up and set him on the Bunny's lap. Jo was not so brave.

When we'd eaten, played games, visited the bunny, and ridden the train a handful of times, we decided to head back out into the snowy world. The Easter Bunny also left at that time, and Oliver cried and cried because he wanted to say goodbye to the Easter Bunny.

So, Bunny Breakfast included a lot of tears for us. I wouldn't say it was perfect, but, as a whole, I was really pleased with the event. It probably wasn't worth a drive in blizzard conditions, but it was absolutely worth $5!

Most of the kids at the event ranged in age from about 2-6, as you might expect. Kids under 2 were free, but they still had to be registered because they count as a person toward their maximum capacity. There were a few babies and a few very young toddlers like Jo. They couldn't do much in the way of activities, but they looked very cute in their Easter outfits. There were a few older kids there, too, who might have been about 8 or 9 or so. Many of the games seemed better for the older kids, like the very miniature putt-putt golf. The people who hosted the games were good with the little kids, though. One man let our kids set the rings on the bunny for ring toss. One young man who ran the basketball game let our kids walk up and "dunk" the balls in instead of throwing them. All the kids were obviously having fun. It was a good community event, and we left feeling happy. It's definitely something we'd make an effort to go to again!