Weekend Getaway

Last weekend, our family of three headed to Atlanta for a little R and R. Husband was excited to get to see his Falcons play in the NFC Championship; and C and I were excited to spend the weekend playing at the zoo and aquarium. He booked us at the Ritz Carlton downtown, close to most of our planned activities, and we arrived to find San Francisco fans lining the sidewalk with cameras and memorabilia in hand. We were at the host hotel of the 49ers!

We checked in and then decided to go for a little walk downtown before getting dinner. The weather was perfect and we strolled while C chatted about everything we passed. We looked at sculptures and tossed pennies in a fountain. We approached a beautiful, large church and C exclaimed, "wow, a castle!" We agreed. It was most certainly a princess castle.

We had an amazing (and surprisingly kid friendly) dinner at Alma Cocina, a Mexican restaurant conveniently located next door to our hotel. The food was amazing, but C was distracted by a mounted cow's head directly above our table. She kept saying, "A cow! Oh no! It's stuck!" Husband and I just told her he was okay and that he was resting, but every now and then she would catch a glimpse of him and worry all over again. It was adorable.

We thought she was getting tired, so we decided to head back to our room and order dessert by room service. As soon as she was back in the room, she was jumping on the bed, playing with the phone, and "reading" every magazine in the room. We enjoyed coffee and dessert with our little night owl before I gave her a bath and wrapped her in the complimentary robe. I just couldn't resist.

C and I settled into the fluffy bed to watch Winnie the Pooh, and Husband kissed us goodnight and headed downstairs to hang out for a little while - a football fan's dream (even if it was with the wrong team). The funny thing about Husband is, he's never met a stranger, and ended up chatting with another Falcons fan all night and walking to the game with him the next day! One of the many reasons I love him.

We woke up early the next morning and headed to the zoo! It was a beautiful day and most of the animals were out. 

We saw so many animals, but her favorite (no surprise here) was the petting zoo. She could not get enough of all the goats and sheep. She petted and brushed them and tried to snuggle them.

Her favorite was a white goat that was sleeping sitting up. 

She looked at him thoughtfully...

and decided to hop on!

It was such a fun morning!

We headed back downtown to drop off Husband for the game and then C and I were headed to the Georgia Aquarium. The traffic was terrible, so he decided to just get out while we were stopped in traffic and walk the rest of the way. There was no time for a long goodbye, so he just made it quick and got out of the car.

C lost it.

She could not figure out where he went. She started to cry scream for Daddy over and over again. It was honestly the hardest I have heard her cry...ever. I could not console her. I stroked her leg while I drove through traffic. We called Daddy so she could hear his voice, but that only made it worse when he hung up. We parked at the aquarium, got out, and still, she screamed for Daddy. It was heartbreaking. Finally, after at least twenty minutes of milk and snacks and rocking in the parking lot, she calmed down enough to go inside.

Luckily, once she saw where we were, she was excited. We were able to meet my friend, Betsi, there and spent the afternoon with some of our favorites - whales, penguins, dolphins, and "fishies." 

The aquarium closed at 5:00, so we killed time in the parking lot with a snack and an Elmo dvd until Husband was ready to meet us. As soon as he got in the car, C was thrilled! We were on our way home, but stopped at Cracker Barrel for a quick dinner. She clung to Daddy like a koala bear and was not letting go. We have quite the daddy's girl on our hands.

We packed a lot of fun into our weekend getaway and enjoyed some time with just the three of us. I'm so grateful for a husband who plans fun trips for us and for a little girl who is becoming quite the traveler (as long as she has Daddy within reach)!

Zoo Date

Last Friday, we met my friend Jessica and C's friends Ben and baby Abby for a fun day at the zoo. We set the toddlers free to run and jump and press their little faces up against the exhibits. We ran after them, snapping quick photos, hauling strollers, and providing snacks and sippy cups. I'm pretty sure that in toddler land, it was one of the best days ever.

We started with the monkeys. Of course, Catherine's favorite thing in their exhibit is the ball they have to play with. She got so excited and just pointed and squealed, "ball" over and over again. There was the tiniest little money that came up to the glass to visit. 

It was so adorable watching Ben and Catherine run from exhibit to exhibit. We noticed that C stands up on her toes while Ben squats down to look at the animals. What sweet kids!

We got to feed a giraffe! C loved it, but couldn't quite get the food on the giraffe's tongue, so Mommy had to help. That was one very long tongue!

All three kids were starting to melt down by then, so we headed to grab what we thought would be a quick lunch. Apparently, we chose the busiest time ever and were in line for at least 20 minutes (which in toddler time is an eternity). C downed some cheese and fell asleep in her stroller (which would prove to be her one and only nap of the day) while Ben shoved yogurt raisins in his mouth. We finally got food and C woke up from her tiny cat nap just in time to eat! 

Even though it was painfully obvious how tired they all were, we had to visit the petting zoo before leaving. Catherine LOVES farm animals, goats in particular. She reached her hands into the corrals to pet and feed them. Ben was a bit more reserved and preferred to view from a distance. 

One last shot before the melt downs began... on the tractor!

We had such a fun day with our friends! I love that Ben and C will grow up together. They will love us so much for all these photos one day.

C and Ben on their first date...