Summer Fun...goober style

So, we went on a real vacation two years ago.  The Chef was actually able to get off work and we hit Philly for a week for the Fourth of July.  We all had a great time.  The goobers have been bugging us to go back.  Unfortunately, the Chef's job often throws a wrench into our vacation plans, so we didn't get to go last year.  This year, knowing that Baby Goober was coming at the beginning of June, we decided we would do some staycations planned around weeks spent at the aunt's houses, and camp.

On our list of things to do this summer:

-Sesame Place-we went when we went to Philly and all 3 goobers loved it.  I know that Spawn will only tolerate Sesame Place for so long, so we wanted to go again this year.  Bonus is that we decided to invite the Chef's brother and the Princess...She's a Elmo-obsessed 2 year old.  The same age (give or take a few months) from how old Cute Boy was last time we went.  We can't wait to take her.

-Maritime Aquarium- When we went to Philly we hit Adventure Aquarium and the goober loved it.  We went to Mystic Aquarium last summer and same deal.  So we decided to hit this one this year.  We went yesterday and still a hit with the kids.  They have a robotic dinosaur display going on that the boys loved, as well as a clue hunt.  They had to visit certain exhibits to get the letter clues to find out what the oldest animal in the aquarium was (it was the shark).  They also had the usual aquarium displays, a dino dig, a meercat exhibit...the kids really enjoyed themselves.

-Museum of Natural History-  We went when Spawn was little with my parents...Sweet Nut was either a baby, or not born yet.  I can't remember.  But seeing as we have some dino loving boys right now, we figured this would be a good trip.

-Bronx Zoo-  This is a place we visited ALOT when Golden Boy and I were kids.  Having a dad that was born and raised in the Bronx, he liked to take us there alot.  We've been a few times since the kids have been born.  Last year was the first time the Chef and Cute Boy had been, but we left late and didn't get to see everything we wanted to see.  We're asking the Brother and the Princess if they want to go with us again.

-Stepping Stone Museum-This is a kids museum.  We've been to MidHudson Children's Museum and Please Touch Museum and the kids have had a ball, so we're going to give this one a shot too.  We've heard good things about it, so we're hoping it's as fun as people tell us it is.

-Beach-  We've hit the beach at the lake in the park...and we hit Calf Pasture Beach yesterday after the aquarium.  We really liked it with the exception it was a bit rocky...the water was nice and calm, no huge waves, but it made our feet sore after a bit.  The kids and the Chef had a blast in the water though, and Baby Goober and I chilled under the umbrella.  The beach it self was nice and sandy, but once you got to the water line the stones started.  Seems like most of the beaches we've been to in Connecticut are like that though. They had some picnic tables with umbrellas along the edge of the beach, which is where we parked ourselves.  We're going to buy a  beach umbrella though, we want to hit this and some other beaches this summer.

-Visiting the Aunties.-This is actually happening tomorrow. And I think it's the most looked forward too.  Seriously, Sweet Nut and Cute Boy can't wait to leave.  They've been bugging me all week...and we're ot leaving until lunch time.

And here's some pictures from this week:
from the petting zoo at a local store:

Sweet Nut decided that since Baby Goober wasn't sleeping in the crib, that he would.

Baby Goober chilling with Pa at our cousin's graduation party

Baby Goober rocking his first Adidas outfit.  Chef was very happy it finally fit (he loves adidas)

One of his first smiles...they are hard to catch!

Fooling around at the aquarium

Watching the seals (sea lions?  I can't remember which it was) get their lunch

Controlling the dinosaur

Hanging with T-Rex

Dino Dig!

Touching the rays

WE FOUND NEMO!  (They have to do this at every aquarium we go to)

Blue Lobster

On our way to the sharks...

SHARKS!

Goobers at the Beach

Baby goober and I spent most of our time on the towels under the umbrella...

My view:

Baby Goober's opinion of his first beach trip

The Chef and the Big Goobers had a blast in the water though

So what do you have planned for the rest of your summer?

One Month already?

Ok, so this is a bit late...at this point Baby Goober is *almost* 6 weeks old...I'm still not sure where the time has gone...

1 month stats:  10 pounds 8 ounces, 22 inches long.

He's starting to be awake more which we all love.  Ad he's getting more vocal, and it's funny to watch.

One Month Old!

He also celebrated his first federal holiday...

not so excited about it.

And he also went to his first fireworks display.

Spawn and Cute Boy were there too.

Spawn loved them, Cute Boy wasn't sure about them but said after that they were awesome and Baby Goober slept through most of them, but did watch them for a bit.  

Cute Boy also got his first big boy bike.

Gotta love mornings like these where they all go back to sleep after bringing the Chef to work.

Mostly because I can't usually sleep at night, and it means that I get at least an hour or so of sleep, but it's cute too.

This is what happens though when Mommy is sleeping...Spawn and Cute Boy have a photoshoot...with my cell phone.

It's A Iron Man Mystic Force Ranger.  Just in case you couldn't tell.

And this is sometimes the reason I'm up all night.  

But mostly, I'm up just because, and he's sleeping.  But this picture happened during our all nighter the other night...this was at 3:30am...he crashed not long after this.

And we also have explored the beach at the park while the Chef plays soccer.  It's nice because his weekly soccer game starts around dinner time, so we hit the park, and we get the beach almost to ourselves for about an hour until they close it.  Then we have a picnic dinner while he finishes his game.  And then we have exhausted boys who pass out just thinking about their pillows.

So that's what we've been up too.  We're also excited because Sweet Nut comes home from his vacation with his aunt and uncle on Monday...he's been gone for almost 2 weeks...the house hasn't been the same without him.  But he's been having a blast being spoiled by his aunts and hanging out with his cousins.  But he's been missed so we can't wait for him to be home.

We've got alot of doctor appointments this month...physicals for the goobers, plus my 6 week checkup.  Plus we've got some fun things planned.  No vacation this year, but we've got lots of fun stuff within a few hours drive so we're daytripping it this year.  Yay!