Sea World Vacation

This is our second year to visit Sea World in San Antonio, and we had a blast yet again.  I love being with my favorite 3 people and having "no plans" but to have fun.  We designated the first day to the "Sesame Street Bay at Play".  The rain was pouring as we ran with the stroller to the Park entrance that morning.  We laughed about it saying, "I guess we are gonna get wet anyway!".  I was a little skeptical, but as it turned out, the weather was PERFECT!  It was overcast so no one got burned and due to the nasty looking clouds, the park was relatively empty.  We played, got wet, met new friends, ate lunch, and even made it to a few shows!  The kids liked the Sesame Street show the best when they all came out to dance.  Caelin made me laugh cause she was so excited, but would NOT sacrifice putting down her lunchable.  So, she watched the whole show while standing and eating.  My favorite part with Cade was how he was convinced he needed to ride a rollarcoaster.  So, thinking it would be sufficient, I rode the Shamu Kiddy Coaster with him.  Let's just say our man needed a little bit more adrenaline.  So, he chose the Atlantis log ride which not only has a backward drop, but a HUGE forward drop.  I was so nervous that I let Charles do it with him.  I just KNEW he would be crying with fear afterward.  Instead, he came running around the corner and made me do it again with him!  Ha!  I think we have a little daredevil folks!  On our way out, the kids had to get something from the gift shop, so Caelin of course picked a pink dolphin hat, and Cade picked an Ocean action figure set.  Before we were even out of the Park, Caelin was snoring in her seat!  She did not wake up until after we had gotten back to the hotel, unpacked and she had her 2 hour nap in.  Our little Princess needs her sleep like her Mommy.  :)  After naps and showers, we headed out to eat BBQ at Bill Millers and then back to the hotel for smores and an outdoor movie.  The weather was awesome and we had a blast hanging out by the fire and watching "Valiant".  Both Cade and Caelin watched the entire movie.  Finally everyone was in bed by 10:30 (late night for all of us)...but luckily we slept in till 9am!

Our second day at Sea World was dedicated to just seeing the shows and animals.  Since you can no longer feed the dolphins, we watched them interact with the trainers before heading over to feed the Sea Lions.  This was a big hit.  Cade gladly picked up the slimy fish and would toss it into the water.  Caelin took a little coaching and then with the TIPS of her fingers would reluctantly pick up the fish and drop it to the Sea Lions.  I think she was worried at first that the fish were alive, but once she knew they were dead, she was good to go.  We also visited the Penguins, Sharks, Coral Reef/Fish, and of course SHAMU!  Caelin was amazed at Shamu.  We sat about half way up and her eyes were pretty big the entire time.  When the whales would jump or pose, Caelin cheered them on with her clapping.  Cade was more quiet and just watched.  He would ask a few questions, but he seemed pretty intent with listening to all the facts and watching the show.  Even though Shamu was amazing, I think the kids both enjoyed the "Pets Ahoy" show best (show with all different kinds of animals doing tricks) and/or the "Elmo Rocks" concert.  During the concert, they both watched the stage lights, characters and danced up front.  It was funny to watch them, and Cade kept trying to hold Caelin's hand as if to protect her.  Such a great big brother.  Of course, no visit would be complete without cotton candy and a family ride.  So, we chose some spinning fish ride.  Cade loved it.  Cade screamed with laughter and had his hands up the whole time.  Caelin however, did not enjoy it one bit.  As we spun around, she had the most worried look on her face.  I know she was probably thinking, "What in the world are yall making me do!"  We laughed pretty hard when she wasn't looking!  As soon as we got into the car, both kids fell asleep which was the perfect opportunity for Mommy and Daddy to find a Starbucks and drive around a bit.  The house I grew up in as a child was quite a drive away, so we did not visit that, but enjoyed the hill country.  For dinner we stopped at a new Mexican Restaurant before turning back to the hotel for another smores/outdoor movie adventure.  The smores were loved by all, but the Outdoor movie was called "Flushed Away" and didn't really hold our attention.  So, we headed off to bed a little earlier than the night before.

It was such an awesome vacation and I loved spending time with my babies.  Seeing their facial expressions and excitement makes my heart smile bigger than I ever thought possible.  You just can't put a price on that!