January Thaw

This past weekend Sarah had Friday and Monday off from school so we planned a little vacation to St. George to get away from the smog, work, basement, and just do fun things. Erica had fun exploring my parents' condo. More stuff to knock over.

We arrived Friday afternoon and went swimming at Sand Hollow Aquatic Center. I don't have any pictures so you'll just have to trust me that the kids had fun. Sarah went on the water slide on her own at least 12 times.  She's a little fish. Erica is too. Henry is still quite cautious in the water but is getting more brave and that's fun to see.

After swimming we ate dinner at the Black Bear Diner. It wasn't as totally awesome as the first time we went on our way home from Disneyland but it was still good and the kids ate up all their dinner. Why does swimming make you so hungry?

Saturday we went to the Children's Museum in St. George which is right next to the splash pad park and carousel. The kids also had a ton of fun there. It was pretty busy but we were able to do all the activities they wanted to do.

This is a mail truck.

Pretending to milk a cow. Or more accurately, earnestly milking a pretend cow.

Sarah dressed up as a mail carrier.....

And sorted the mail. Frustratingly, none of the fake addresses on these fake letters matched the fake addresses on the fake boxes.

Erica found a tomato.

Another big hit was the restaurant (or was it a kitchen?) with tons of fake food.

Henry dressed up! He never dresses up.

It didn't last. He's pulling it off right here.

Hand delivering my mail.

Sarah pretending to be a veterinarian (thank you spell check).

Erica being a farmer.

Someday this information may be useful. You're welcome.

I don't know why pretend airport security can be fun, but it is.

She makes a darn pretty firefighter.

In the pretend Smiths, Henry loaded up his grocery cart. Check out what he chose.

Aww....

We learned about fingerprints.

And tornadoes.

And shadows....

I need a play pen like this in my house.

I laughed at how serious Sarah and these other girls were taking this bucket and pulley system. They'd make great miners.

And then they pretended to be royal children.

We ate a picnic lunch outside at the park. Incredibly the splash pad was running. Sarah played in the water. Henry stuck his feet in for 0.4 seconds and put his shoes and socks back on.

Afterwards we got some ice cream at Nielsen's Frozen Custard. I've never tasted smoother ice cream in my life. Don't get a sundae though, it's a rip off. The cones are the best value.

Then we hiked around Pioneer Park.

Sarah climbs anything.

Henry leans off the edge of everything.

And I figured out why it was called Pioneer Park. We found a cabin built into the rocks. Or is it a stone home? Are cabins, by definition, made of logs?

Then we stopped at the St. George temple.

I love how the whiteness contrasts with the rest of the valley.


We hung around the visitors center forever and even had our private viewing of Meet the Mormons. Henry and Erica were pretty grumpy and bored by the movie so I spent most of the time out in the halls with them. Justin and Sarah enjoyed it. I liked what I was able to watch.

Is anyone besides my mom still with me? Good. Grab a snack and let's keep going.

Sunday we spent the day in Zion National Park. Justin says it's not called Zions and I don't like calling it just Zion because I think of the scriptural Zion so to make the distinction, I call it by it's full name. Or at least I will until Justin says I can call it Zions again. "What should we do in Zion National Park?" "Do you think the kids will like Zion National Park?" "Ah, here we are at Zion National Park."

First off, the tunnel. What kid doesn't love a long tunnel?

We did this hike that was so nerve-racking with over-confident wee ones. My nerves were shot trying to keep my kids from falling down the side of the cliffs that by the end I was so ornery. "Just sit down and don't move for one minute. Please!" It's the stuff of nightmares, I tell you. And I wasn't alone. Seems like all moms were a little on edge (ha! get it?) at the end.

Funny story: The couple that took these pictures for us were taking tons of pictures of this spot. "Gino, over here. Look at this lovely vista." They kept using that word, vista. Okay, I guess you had to be there or listen to me impersonate her nasal voice.

I reminded myself to look away from the path and look upwards every now and again.  There's a metaphor for life somewhere in that.

See Sarah hanging over the rail?

This is what was below. She got scolded. By me.

We made it to the end! Now I just had to go through it all again with the cliffs on the right side.

On the way back Justin made me go first holding Erica so I didn't have to watch my kids be careless. If Sarah would let anyone else lead, that would have worked.

Henry and Erica fell asleep on our way to our next stop so I stayed in the car and read while Justin and Sarah explored.

After naps and snacks we did a much easier, paved hike to some pools.

The kids were tired by the end and so was I. Sarah's getting to that much-dreaded age where she pouts when she doesn't want to do something and refuses to budge. Gone are the days of good sport young'uns. I was stuck in this phase until I was 20 so this should be fun for my mom to watch me deal with. (Although I did get out of the car at the Great Sequoias in California. Mom, stop telling the story that we all stayed in the car grumpy. I got out. Cove Fort, Utah, Victoria Gardens in Vancouver and most trips to the grocery store I passive aggressively protested.)

 Henry is always on the lookout for rocks to throw or sticks that serve as guns.

We headed home after that since it was getting dark anyway. Until next time, Zion National Park.

Monday we slept in, did puzzles, cleaned up, ate as much food as we could since we only had a small cooler to bring stuff home, then headed back.

And it was Erica's turn to go ballistic at Nephi but we made it home safe and sound. The kids are already asking when we're going back to the "little house".