Relaxing Sunday by the Quantico Creek

Somedays it is hard to decide what to do. After a long, exhausting day yesterday we wanted to take it easy today while still getting outside and exploring nature.  We love going to parks and just hanging out as a family.  By the time we got all ready to go it was almost lunch time- dope.  I knew Katie would want to eat as soon as we got to our destination so we preempted hunger and picked up some Ricky's Chicken along the way.  Dan got this a few weeks ago when I was super sick, and although it smelled delicious, I didn't partake.  This time I wanted some of that yummy Peruvian food.  I need to check pinterest for some recipes- the chicken and the beans were amazing.  Dan thinks we should just go to Peru and get the real thing.  Okay.  Anyways, we brought our food over to the park to eat and Katie mostly played between bites..  

Katie enjoying a little exercise during lunch

Baby Blue Eyes

After chowing down we decided that it was a warm enough day that Katie could finally cross the river.  She wanted to so badly the last time we were here, but it was too late and cold.  For some reason we forgot her swimsuit so she had to wear her undies.  She's only allowed to do that a little longer so we figured we would go for it.

Levi put his feet in until he realized it was cold!

Katie wandered out alone- that water was freezing

She got so far away because neither of us wanted to get in.  It was my job to save her if she fell

Eventually Dan got in with her and helped her cross the river

 After the river time, Katie decided to put on Dan's shirt.  I thought she looked like a poor little river child.  Oh she also wanted to wear Levi's hat :)  

 

river bumpkin

hiking along

We walked a little further.  We came to a little stream and there were two logs to cross it.  I chose one and fell immediately into the stream.  Dan picked the other one and it snapped under his weight.  Luckily, he was able to fall carefully since he was carrying Levi. (He slept through the ordeal)  Katie walked straight through and fared the best of us all.

Katie finally got her Jr. Ranger badge from Prince William Forest Park.  We only come here like every chance we get :)  I also found out the have letterboxing so we might do that sometime during the week since we probably won't see Dan until Thursday night.

When we took Dan back to the barracks we heard Levi laughing in the back and assumed he was awake so we said something to him.  Katie told us he was sleeping.  He was giggling in his sleep.  Katie thought he was dreaming about her and Dan playing with the water bottle since he thought that was so funny earlier today :)

<3 Bonnie

Katie on the Obstacle Course

What's the best part of having a Daddy that's in the Marine Corps?  Well other than traveling all the time to super fun places and meeting all kinds of new people, it must be getting to play with Daddy's super cool toys.  On this trip, Katie got to experience the obstacle course right alongside the Marines who were practicing for their final O-Course on Monday.  She enjoyed trying out all of the obstacles with some help from Daddy.  Katie's gymnastics class was the inspiration for Dan teaching his Marines how to do a college boy roll.

chin up pull over

This one looked fun to me

running down the log

Daddy is being silly on the ropes

Katie's turn

Not on the O Course, but a fun one

Levi's turn to play Marine

Dan did the course in 60 seconds.  His best time.  He was quite happy with it.  Hopefully he can do the same thing tomorrow

The Metro-Richmond Zoo

Last night before bed I was supposed to figure something out to do today since it was a no school day for Katie and we knew Dan had Night Land Navigation.  We had all day to do something, but of course I went to bed and forgot to make plans.  In the morning at breakfast we met a family with twin 3 year old boys who said they had fun at the Richmond Zoo the day before.  Richmond, eh?  That's only like an hour and a half from here.  Okay- we'll do it.  We went upstairs to get ready and started on our drive.  I figured the GPS would lead us in the right direction if we started on 1-95 South. After an hour, the zoo still wasn't popping up.  I picked the closest one- 97 more miles away?  Panic.  I cant drive 2 1/2 hours for a zoo.  I tried to call my Dad but realized it was only 7:30 on the West Coast and quickly hung up.  Who would be awake at 7:30?  Information.  They pointed us in the right direction and after turning around and several toll roads we made it to the zoo.

I don't want to be a zoo snob, but San Diego has a spectacular zoo.  More like a botanical garden with animals in it.  This was more like a kid zoo, which was perfect for a three year old.  The exhibits was small so the animals were forced to be close to us..

Katie trying out her flamingo skills.

Making new friends

We even named the emus (Emu, Smemu, and Emette)

 Then we got to the giraffe feeding area!  fun.  Who doesn't love feeding giraffes?  We watched a guy feed one first and he had about 2 feet of giraffe slobber on his hand when he was done.  ewww.  Still fun though

ahhh! What a tongue!

He wanted more.  Katie put like one little pellet in her hands

Levi says, "Why is that giraffe eying me?"

The lady who took this said, "I got one where everyone was looking, even the giraffe"

She got smarter and fed him from the cup

After the giraffes we went to the budgee exhibit.  I knew more about the birds than the lady who worked there (it was her first time in that exhibit)  We bought the bird food stick and decided to feed the birds.  Katie was a little rough with the birds.  She really wanted to hold the birds- like cup them in her hands.  They were very friendly birds and didnt mind her flicking them off the stick, holding them upside down, trying to cup them, pulling their feathers a little.  I tried to contain her, but when holding Levi and trying to stop him from grabbing the birds too there was only so much I could do.  (no budgees were harmed, just extra loved)

The first bird she got

Another one joined in

She shook those ones off and got a green one

Well, 2 green ones and a blue one

Levi was thinking, How can I eat those birds?

Woah, Mommy caught one!

I think I like this thing (Thanks for taking pictures Katie)

There were a few more animals that we could feed, like camels, sheep, and goats.  Katie likes to name each animal before she feeds it and talk to them.  She expects them to listen and follow instructions.  Some were not good listeners :)

She also feeds them one piece at a time.  I still have food in the rental car....

Sweet goats

She likes sheep too

Now I tried to convince her to feed the camel but she looked at me like I was crazy. So I fed the camel and do you know what he did?  That bugger bite my ponytail - enough to spin my head around.  I think he wanted to drag me off.  punk camel!

See me nicely feeding the camel?

And then! WAPACHA!  He's got my hair!

 After being traumatized by the camel, we enjoyed some hotdogs and Katie played at a playground before we took their little tram around the safari.  It was fun and then time to head home so we could enjoy dinner with Dan before his nighttime land navigation tonight.  We ate at the obstacle course.  When he comes over this weekend I will pull the pictures off his phone to post.  So cute.  So while we are sleeping comfortably in our beds, Dan will be out there somewhere crossing streams by moonlight trying to find his boxes :)  Hopefully he passes so we can have a fun weekend.

<3 Bonnie

A Walk in the Woods

On a non-preschool day we've got to find things to do.  Seems like Prince William Forest Park is my go to place these days.  Last time we went to the playground it was teeming with kids.  This time it was empty :(  Katie said it was okay though, that she could play with me and Levi.  :)  We all climbed into the rocker bee and rocked away.  Levi held on and giggled his head off.  Then we went for swing rides and all went down the slide in a train.  It was good times (for about 40 minutes)  Then I was ready to do something else.  Katie had gotten wet first thing when she went down the gravy slide.  (It rained here again all day yesterday)  So we decided to go for a walk on the trail we attempted last week when I was sick.  I don't know what it is about this place, but the isolation creeps me out.  Not sure if I will be eaten by a bear or killed by some hick Virginian, but I don't like the empty woods so much.  I was happy that there were two other, non killer looking people on the loop trail.  It wasn't much of a trail, but we used it to practice looking for trail markers and we had a few hours to kill in the afternoon (in a non murdering sort of way)

A walk in the woods

LEVI!  Don't I feed you enough?

Pointing out trail markers

A big long bridge

The other, non killer looking people seemed to use the trail as an exercise loop.  For me, one loop was enough.  I don't think I had quite found my calm, relaxed mentality yet where I could just go around in switchback circles for hours at a time. I needed a new trail.  We were going to head over to the Tangled playground (the one on Quantico) but Katie suggested we drive around the park a little more.  Okay.  Levi was crying so we stopped at the next place that we saw other cars parked on the side of the road.  Certainly no bears or people would eat us with other people around, right?  To get to the trail, we had to walk down a big staircase so I ditched the stroller and carried Levi in the Ergo.  Poor dude hated it, even with milk involved.  Katie decided the place was lame for hiking, but the stairs were cool. She went up and down them a few times.  Kids!  Who goes up and down stairs for fun?

At the top of the stairs.

 Since Levi was crying so much we got back in the car and drove a little further.  At a choice in the road, I picked the way with a cool looking bridge.  Well, then I was stuck driving a ways on a two lane windy road with no where to turn around.  When I finally found a place to turn it was the start of another trail and an empty parking lot.  CREEPY!  Katie suggested we go on the hike.  Really?  Into the woods with no one else around and silence in the seat next to her, which meant that Levi had finally fallen asleep...  Okay, I guess.  It sort of looked like I could maybe bring the stroller down the dirt path filled with tree roots.  Whatever.  Let's do it.  Oh and it was the Algonquian Trail.  I made my kids learn about the Algonquian Indians in Japan so I felt that I owed it to the to follow the trail and imagine my life as an Algonquian Indian as the sign instructed.  I did text Dan to let him know where we were in case some rouge Virginian decided to eat us.

The sign that inspired it all

Katie found a walking stick

She was quite proud of it

I shortened it for her :)

Checking out a small stream

Had to abandon the stroller

We made it to the river

Enjoying some tranquility

So happy to be out exploring

Look who finally woke up!

We gave him a stick so he could enjoy the nature too

Katie took this picture of us

By the time we walked back to the car, uneaten, Dan was calling and was done for the day!  Yipee!  He borrowed his roommate's car and met us back at the hotel room for free dinner and wine.  Yum :)  Oh we also made Katie a tiara today from Princess School.