We Are a Travelin' Family

We just got back from a short trip to southwest Florida. We visited Grandma and Great-Grandma, and we spent a few days exploring Naples and the surrounding areas. We visited the Naples Zoo and Carribean Gardens, where there were several opportunities to take silly photos such as the one above. Also, the zoo offered a short boat trip around a lake with small islands that are home to all the zoo's primates. We saw a snake and reptile show, which Ayden loved. When the zookeeper asked if we wanted to see some scary snakes, Ayden yelled "YEAH!" louder than any other kid or adult at the show. The kids got to see the lion feeding too, though Zoe was a bit put off by the fact that the lions eat raw meat.

We also paid a visit to a Lionel Train museum; my kids went nuts over this place! There was a humongous exhibit of trains complete with a Lionel city and all the accompanying buildings. Many of the buildings had sound or visual effects that could be activated with the push of a button. Once my kids realized they could make lots of the features work, they squealed with delight. The museum also offered a train ride around the outside of the museum building. It was a mini train operated by this adorable older fellow (honestly, he was about ninety--but he would probably knock me out if he heard me call him old!). Flamenco Dad and I joined the kids on the train ride, and we loved it just as much as they did.

In other news, Zoe was "glutened" on this trip--at least, we're pretty sure she was. She was okay on the drive home, although she was oddly quiet. She had a horrendous night went we arrived home, and unfortunately threw up in our car the next morning. Yesterday she was a total wreck with stomach problems, shakiness, and lots of uncontrollable stimming. Thank God she is much better today, though she is quite exhausted from the lack of sleep.