From beginning to end, today was perfect, utterly and completely perfect. I got up around 7 (which was a nice treat to sleep in!) to find that John had already been up and showered so we cuddled in bed for about an hour and a half while the kids slept. What a treat alone time is and how extremely rare it will be once our sweet Georgie Ray is born.
Around 8:30 I got up and showered and proceeded to get everyone ready to head out for the day. It was gorgeous out, not too hot and not too windy (last weekend was nasty windy and very cold) so we decided to go to Seabreeze (a small amusement/water park in the city right next to Lake Ontario) We left at 10 and stopped by Dunken Doughnuts because I was craving a maple doughnut and I thought I'd try an Orange Colotta (sp?) that Shaun raved about (it was okay, nothing spectacular though, it was basically frozen slushy orange juice, yummy but not worth nearly 5 dollars LOL).
We arrived at Seabreeze just before opening so we got a great parking spot and headed up to the gates. We were there until just after 2 and had so much fun! Because it's only like the 3rd or 4th weekend it's been open and school isn't out yet it's not very busy so we let Reece "walk" and by walk I mean run like a wild man (thank goodness his short lil legs and flailing arms slow him way down). He so enjoys the freedom of Seabreeze (for now) and we let him chose where he wants to go and what he wants to ride. He's such a sweet amazing happy little boy!
This year is the first year that Andraya and Ben have both been tall enough to ride some of the bigger rides outside the kiddie area, such as the teacups, tilt-a-whirl and the small roller coaster. There were a few others but after we ate lunch I wouldn't let them ride anything that may upset their tummies. So sadly John and I split up and he took the kids on the rides they wanted to ride while I took Reece on the kiddie rides because it wasn't fair to either child(ren) to have to sit and wait...especially Reece, at 2 1/2 he has little patientce and understanding (not that a 4 and 6 year old have much more :0P). Around 12:30 we bought a pizza and ate that together and then rode a few more kiddie rides, got an ice cream treat, rode the train (or traditional "last ride") and headed out around 2:40(Reece as asleep before we left the parking lot!) We had to make a quick stop in Webster to buy some gumballs and then shoot out to Ontario to fill a candy machine at a farm and garden store, then we headed "home"...or so I thought.
Instead of the usual route home I found John driving in a direction I wasn't accustomed to, and I know how much he likes surprises so I didn't ask where we were going. Well soon enough he parked under the new bridge near Corn Hill and asked if I wanted to go to Dinosaur BBQ (omg they have the BEST pulled pork sandwhiches EVER) I was stunned. We've never actually been to their resteraunt because it's in a congested buysy area and parking is hard to come by in that area (especially with our huge van, it doesn't clear most parking garages) so we usually only get their sandwhiches at the Lilac festival once a year sad sad truth LOL. I was gung ho! So we took a short walk over the Genesee River (one of the few rivers that flows North in the world) and into the resteraunt. It was SO busy (as it always is I hear) and so full of character, it was amazing. We got a table in about 20-30 minutes and ate some amazing food, simple food because, well we're pretty simple and picky haha. The kids hated it. Ben for one hates any loud noise and this place was loud so he complained about that and Andraya complained about how much it stunk (the bbq smell) So the kids didn't eat there...at all. We also bought two more sandwhiches to go so we can eat them tomorrow :0) YUM!
Dinosaur BBQ is across the street from the Blue Cross Arena which was hosting 'Walk With The Dinosaurs' from the popular BBC series (we own the entire collection on dvd of course, with Ben living breathing eating dino anything) So we thought we'd go over and check out the "gift shop" and buy some things for the kids. So we walk in and there are ushers and gaurds there and you can't even go see the souvineirs unless you have a ticket. Aw bummer but we understand, honestly, and aren't too surprised, but it was worth a try! So then the woman is looking at the kids and looks at the other ushers/gaurds and was like "whatta ya think?" and so she agreed to walk us up to the gift area and let the kids buy some things. SO NICE! Ben and Andraya each bought a shirt and a stuffed dino.
Then just as we reached the exit doors the gentlemen was like "we've agreed that we'll let you sneak in and watch the last bit of the show, just promise not to eat the food you've brought" (we still had the bbq take out and were too far from the van to walk it back and then back again to the arena) I wanted to cry for how wonderful and sweet that was of them to do for us. We had thought about buying tickets to it but it was about 2 hours long and I knew the kids wouldn't be able to sit through it. So we reached the empty seats (omg what a HIKE) but we were still so close it felt like! It was amazing to say the least. I got goosebumps they looked so real! They were HUGE and so life like...I mean we were BLOWN away! It's the same motorized dinosaurs that they used IN the series. So we saw the pterodactyl that really flew and the raptors, triceratops, "spike tail", a baby t rex and the t rex itself. In that 1/2 hour we saw all we needed to see, all that our kids wanted to see and by the end Reece and Ben both were pretty done and had to pee LOL it was freaking AWESOME! Ben was in awe, he was convinced they were real and was so twitterpated to see a "real live sharp tooth" omg I wish I could have recorded his reactions! Even Reece got into it, they were all just scilenced and shocked LOL.
We left seconds before the crowd did so we weren't really crushed in with them but there were so many people I felt a little panicky and clung to my children lol, god forbid one get pushed ahead, behind etc... We got to the car and headed home. Because the kids were "starving" which I don't doubt they were they hadn't eaten in 7 hours LOL we stopped at McD's (I know horrible but we NEVER eat fast food and it was fast cheap and easy) and they got something to eat (no fries no pop) and we came home, they ate and we put away our daily travels and hit the sheets! They are whooped let me tell you!
As for the title of my post :0) Remember my one armed farmer tan I blogged about on Memorial day? Well today I wore a tank top (how else am I supposed to get rid of it!?) anyway my farmer tan is really on both arms but it's like 2 times darker on the left arm for I was sitting/facing the sen on that side most of the day on Memorial day and so today my luck walking around for 4 plus hours it was my right arm that got most of the sun...so now the top half of my arms are burnt crispy red and the bottom half are nice and brown (more so of course on the left and more red on the right...I suck at this whole suntan hoopla!) So yeah if you thought a one armed farmers tan was hot, well let me tell you the multicolored tan is very chic :0) Oh did I mention how badly I'm peeling too? yeah it's suuuuuuuuper sexy!
It was such a fantastic fun filled but more importantly LOVE filled family day. I couldn't have asked for anything better. There is nothing more enjoyable than to see the joy on your childs face when they're doing something fun, exciting, new, adventerous...I am so blessed and so very thankful for what I have. 4 (nearly 5) beautiful wonderful people who are mine and I am theirs.
