May. 15, 2007 - A Fun-Filled, Action-Packed Vacation
Whew, has it been hard to get back to *real life*!! Our vacation was so wonderful, and Ray just went back to work today, so trying to regain normalcy has definitely been challenging!
Now to share with you the highlights of our trip...
At the beginning and end of our vacation we were able to visit with Ray's parents, as they are the half way mark between us and Southern California. It was great to see them and so nice to break up our driving some. The kids were so well-behaved during our long driving periods... Our dvd player broke on our last trip, but they all brought books, toys and their Leapsters, so it wasn't so boring for them.
We were able to get settled into our condo for the week just before Ray's brother and his family, and our good friend Julia and her fiancee arrived. They stayed with us over night so we could get an early start to the San Diego Zoo on Tuesday. Yes, we decided to go to the Zoo, instead of the Wild Animal Park, simply because of the weather -- It was going to be 95 degrees in Escondido versus 83 degrees in San Diego... Big difference when kids and a pregnant me is involved!
We all had a blast at the Zoo, and the kids learned so much about the animals - The difference between a croc and a gator; why flamingos are so pink; that African elephants have big, floppy ears and Asian elephants have small ones. The highlight for the kids was probably the air tram ride from the front of the Zoo to the end and back again. Being so high in the air was thrilling, especially when you look down and see right into the animal exhibits!
 
Chuck, Lisa and the kids headed out after our fun-filled, crazy day at the zoo -- It was so great to be able to spend the day with them!
The Maritime Museum in San Diego Harbor was an exciting adventure! We toured through 6 ships and a submarine. One of the ships, the HMS Surprise, a magnificent replica of an 18th century Royal Navy frigate, was the ship used in the movie Master and Commander: Far Side of the World. The twins, having seen clips of the movie, were awed by the fact that we were in the actual ship!!
   During our venture through the ships we were able to learn how to tie several different types of knots, see what it would have been like to set sail and anchor down, and explore the small living quarters of the Captain and sailors. On the Submarine, we explored each station and crawled through the small openings to move from room to room. The question of the moment was, "Were all the crew members short?"
   Thursday was our day at Sea World. The dolphin show and the tidal pool were a big hit. At the tidal pool the kids were able to explore sea life up close. They held sea stars and touched sea cucumber, saw lobsters and crabs, and were just captivated! We were also able to feed the dolphins and pet the manta rays... While at the ray pool, viewing these creatures, one huge ray decided to say hello by splashing us all with his huge *wing*! The boys loved receiving the friendly greeting!! And then there was The Journey to Atlantis -- What trip to Sea World is truly complete without getting soaking wet?
 
 On Friday it was just the family, and we hung out at our condo to relax after such an action packed week. The kids went swimming and I tried to recover from so much activity... I couldn't believe how exhausted I was! I guess our week was full of more than my 6-month-pregnant-body is used to!!
On Saturday we left sunny and beautiful San Diego county, just after we spent 3 hours in the emergency room with Ben! Yes, this was the not-so-high-highlight of our trip, let me tell ya! As we were loading up the Yukon, Ben started choking. After sweeping his mouth, truning him upside down and pounding on his back (literally), he began to cough up a bit of blood. He seemed to be breathing well and he was crying and coughing (both good signs), but every few seconds he would begin to gag and choke again. We decided to take him in since the hospital was fairly close, and it's always better to be safe than sorry, you know? After x-rays confirmed there was nothing lodged in Ben's throat, the doctor let him go and he didn't choke or gag again! Firmly believing that everything happens for a reason, Ray made the comment that, "if nothing else, Ben was sent to the hospital to bring a smile to the nurses and technicians bleak day", as he was the center of attention and the recipient of many squeezes, hugs and smiley hellos!!
Well, as promised there you have it... A full report of our adventures! I hope you have enjoyed reading about the wonderful time that we had. I'll be back later with highlights from the kids, but for now, back to reality!!
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