Daycation.

David's first time in the Rocky Mountains!

The adventurous crew.

 

Too much fun for a girl and her penguin (on the ride home).

We've had family in town this week, visiting from Texas, and today, my hubby took off from work so we could have a "daycation" to Rocky Mountain National Park! I have wanted to get to the mountains for months and months (I can see their beautiful outline in the distance everyday, yet they seem so out of reach). I didn't want to go too high in elevation while being pregnant with David, then I didn't want to go on a trip with a newborn last summer, and I didn't want to go to the mountains when it was freezing with two kids over the fall/winter. SO, now that it is warming up and a trip was being planned anyways, I was excited for our family to hop on board.

However, even though the forecast predicted a high of about 50 degrees, once we got further into the park, it began to snow. And, as we got closer and closer to Bear Lake, the snow really started falling fast. In fact, I was getting quite nervous about the road conditions and doubting our judgment to keep going, rationing in my mind the Cheerios, bananas, and other remaining snack foods we had left in the car.

Thankfully, we didn't get stuck. The kids and adults big kids had a lot of fun in the snow, and David and I were quite happy eating Cheerios and bananas in the warm car (after posing for a couple pictures first). Once we got back down to the town, Estes Park, the snow had stopped and we enjoyed some shopping, fresh taffy, and of course, Starbucks (wherein we had an "all-eyes-on-me" toddler meltdown, but that is another story... see below).

Why Toddler Had Meltdown in Starbucks:
First, I successfully avoided an initial meltdown by returning the organic chocolate milk that I had bought for my daughter (which she had picked out) for a 30 cent refund onto my debit card for the apple juice that she decided she wanted instead. Toddler pacified. However, after a few minutes, toddler decides that she doesn't like chairs. In fact, she hates them. She decides instead to stand right in the middle of thru traffic. After I give toddler a few minutes of stern reminders to sit on a chair (or at least stand near one), I pick up toddler and place on chair. Meltdown mode ensues. Already holding the 8 month old in one arm, I pick up the flopping, screaming 3 year old in the other and replace on chair. Not working. I hand baby over to Jesse's very nice, childless, young and single cousin (the only other adult with me at that moment), and pick up toddler. Baby starts to cry now because he is hungry and I'm walking away from him. I realize EVERY eye is on me in the store. I smile gingerly and walk out the back door... I also had to reenter a few minutes later to reclaim hungry baby.

This also reminds me of the 46 Reasons My Three Year Old Might Be Freaking Out by Jason Good.