A Grand Day Out

 Over Spring Break, I had a few ideas that didn't come to fruition. One was a trip to the pony rides and Travel Town at Griffith Park; we haven't seen the ponies since Violet's third birthday party, and we haven't been to Travel Town since Cora was 2.

With Stace off to the Long Beach Grand Prix on Sunday, I thought I'd take advantage of a day off school with the girls and take them to Griffith Park.

Juliana, Maya and Natalia met us for the pony rides, and the girls had a great time together.

 Violet rode on the medium-paced smaller ponies, which trotted for one lap and then walked for a second lap.

 Cora and Maya were tall enough for the "big ponies," which also trotted one lap and walked a second time around.

 Natalia wasn't feeling her best, so Juliana took her girls back home after our pony-riding fun. My girls and I then drove around the hill, past the L.A. Zoo and Gene Autry museum, to Travel Town.

Here, numerous old trains are on display, and we rode on a small train around the perimeter.

A building displays some very old cars, like this circus train wagon.

We had a great time looking around; it was one of those lovely days out together that only could have been improved if Stace had been with us. But, we knew he was also having a grand time.

On our way back home, we stopped for an early dinner at IKEA, where we hadn't shopped in a few years. Upon entering the cafe, Cora and I both were flashing back to the many meals we shared there when meeting my friend Melanie, back before Cora was in school. She and I both felt nostalgic, and a little sad, that so much time goes by so quickly.

After dinner, the girls entered the free IKEA supervised play area, and I did a little quick solo shopping. Then we headed home, where we met up with Stace and exchanged our stories from our day.

Violet's Circus Party

 Violet Mae is 3!

We celebrated with a trip to "The Circus is Coming to Town," a children's theater show Auntie Mel is acting in.

As a birthday group, we got to sit in the first two rows, and most of the children in our group got to take part in the interactive story.

 Barbara Schwartz, the Storybook Theatre co-founder, brought Violet onstage so the whole audience could sing "Happy Birthday" to her.

During the show, Violet got to pretend to be a circus giraffe. When asked by the "ringmaster" what giraffes have, she said "tails" instead of the expected answer "long necks." All on stage were asked to wag their tails like giraffes.
Violet loved being on stage, smiling away.

 

 Here's most of children in our party with the actors.

After the show, we headed over to the pony rides/train ride area of Griffith Park.

We were fortunate to get a couple of empty picnic tables on a busy Saturday afternoon. Melanie set up a face-painting station, which the little girls loved.

 Violet picked out a clown cake (made of cupcakes), in honor of Mel's show.

 The pony rides were a hit, as well. Cora, Alexyss, Sophia and Lucas took a ride on the trotters, while Violet and the others went around the track at a more sedate pace.

The day ended with a train ride for Cora, Violet, Grandma, Morgan and her girls Sophie and Norah.

It was a long and fun day; Violet and Cora both had a brilliant time. Violet loved her birthday, after talking about it all week long.

Happy Birthday, our sweet Violet! We all love you and are so proud of the big girl you are becoming.

First Pony Ride!

Cora had her first-ever pony ride this week! And I finally had my first experience driving OUT of SClarita since the morning sickness hit!

Some friends called Monday night and invited us to come along Tuesday to Griffith Park, where just past the Zoo and Gene Autry museum, there are pony rides and this cute train ride.

When I first told Cora about the pony ride, she declined. But when we got there, she was gung-ho, and very excited.

There are two types of pony rides to choose from, the one with the ponies and horses going around the circle, and another one where they walk freely down a track and back. Obviously, with Cora being a novice, we chose the more-controlled ride.

She wasn't a bit scared, and when she was done, she pointed to the big-kid pony rides and said she wanted a turn on those ones! (Not yet, my dear!)

Cora also really enjoyed the train ride, which was to be expected. It was sweet, with a tunnel (see her excited face as we approached) and a little Western town around a part of the track.

While by no means a rollercoaster, the ride did pick up a bit of speed on the hills, at least more than I expected.

After our rides, we all had lunch at the cafe at the Gene Autry museum. It was a great morning out - and when we got home, I needed a nap just as much as Cora!

While I felt good Tuesday - thankfully, with the driving - Wednesday wasn't so good. I was so grateful when Elissa invited us over to play with her and Harvey; it was just what Cora and I needed.

And on Thursday, I was blessed to participate in a consumer testing/focus group down in Beverly Hills on strollers. I made some money (yay!) and even won the "lottery" for $50 for those who arrive at least 15 minutes early. I plan to spend some of my earnings on a housecleaning - my house could use some elbow grease since I haven't had much grease to give since the morning sickness hit.