Great Wolf Lodge and Springtime in Seattle

April has been such a jam-packed month. This is only a fraction of what our family's been up to this month. Over Spring Break we went to Great Wolf Lodge. Unfortunately, everyone else in the PNW was there at the same time so it was pretty crazy. Lining up just to check *in* to a hotel is LAME and puts you in a bad mood! The room we stayed in had a "kid cabin" which the boys loved. A got to sleep on the top bunk for the first time. The artwork is cute. The boys enjoyed the water area, especially the wave pool, and doing the treasure hunt. Hubby and I wished that they were braver and had gone on more slides. I kind of made my youngest go on River Canyon Run with me. Bad mommy! It was pretty fast but completely safe and I held him the whole time! I found a video of a family on it.

One of my favourite spots in the Seattle area, especially in the early Spring, is the Arboretum aka the UW Botanic Gardens. This place is huge! Such a great place to walk.My favourite trees - magnolias - weren't in full bloom when we went (April 17th) but it was still beautiful. My boys are a little bored there (no playground) but my hubby told them they could play spies and spy on me. Shaking the tree to make it snow is another fun activity.My son is such a sweetie. He "picked" this flower for me. :)Pin It

Boys of Summer? Make that Winter!

I'm officially a baseball mom! My oldest son is on a sports team for the first time ever. Practices started a few weeks ago. We haven't exactly had good baseball weather. Cold, rain, and even snow today! The first game was Saturday, April 2nd. All four members of our family went. My youngest son wasn't too enthused. He thought the game would be at a stadium with bleachers, popcorn, an announcer, and a scoreboard. This pretty much sums up his feelings: Poor guy! He was happier in the car. :) It was about 44 degrees, if I remember correctly.
The players "dugout":Here's my slugger at the bat. (I blurred out the name of the league for privacy.)
It was so cold that some players had a huddle to keep warm!My son made contact with the ball several times, played shortstop, and enjoyed himself despite the cold. I'm so proud of him!

Here's my hubby's report on the game:
The (my son's team name) managed to dig out of an early 5-0 deficit to the (other team) with a series of infield hits in the second and third innings. In the end the (other team's) greater experience paid off with an 11-10 win. The (my son's team name) still have some work to do on their ground game and especially in chasing down the ball.Pin It

A Victorian Birthday

For my birthday this year, I did something very different. I traveled by myself to Victoria. My parents live there and I hadn't seen them since Christmas. My brave hubby took on the boys for 3 days. It was a much needed break for me. No driving and no cooking!

Mom and I went to the Mecca for tea lovers - Afternoon Tea at the Fairmont Empress. The waitress said to us, "Welcome to Tea," which sounded to me like - there is no other! The food is wonderful and the tea is hot, black (if you prefer) and served up right! It is pretty spendy but once every 3 years or so is worth it.
I was finally able to see The King's Speech. Kind of strange to take my parents to an R rated movie. :)I enjoyed a long walk by the Strait of Juan De Fuca (aka the open ocean) with Mom followed by some shopping in Oak Bay and James Village.I stayed at Marketa's Bed and Breakfast. My hubby and I have been staying at this B&B for over 10 years! I recommend it to visitors to Victoria. The breakfast is fantastic and I love the character of the 1912 house which has been renovated to include hot tubs in many of the rooms. My sweet hubby surprised me by sending flowers to my room!Pin It