This is how we celebrate turning 4! ~ San Diego

Luke decided he wanted to take a family vacation a few months ago.  I had mixed feelings on the idea. I mean the word "vacation" sounds very tempting...but we all know that traveling across country with 3 kids is NOT a vacation.  Ultimately, the word and Luke won me over.

Wyatt loves animals, going to the Omaha zoo, and safari park so the San Diego zoo seemed like the perfect trip for his 4th birthday!

...but I was very hesitant about traveling with 3 babies!!!!  On an airplane, in a rental car, around a HUGE zoo in strollers.  Staying a hotel for 4 nights.  No naps.  Hazel's tantrums!!!!????

Well, I am very glad to report that things went pretty smoothly.  Hazel had her fair share of tantrums, but no more than any other day and they were quickly diverted by a snack or a new attraction.  Dinner to bedtime usually consisted of at least 2 people crying, cereal dinners in our hotel kitchen because we didn't dare take them out in public, and wet-wipe baths....but we survived.

We tried to pack as light as possible for the airport and got through security and onto the plane with no worries.  Most of the looks we got from other people were either "Dear Lord, please don't let me be sitting next to those people!" or "Oh, that poor family must be traveling to a funeral.  No one else in their right mind would fly with 3 little ones."

Airport lunch

After landing in San Diego, getting our rental car was our first obstacle.  We had to take a shuttle to an off-site location and the pick-up for the shuttle was across from the airport - which meant taking 2 elevators and crossing 2 busy roads with 2 HEAVY suitcases, a stroller, 3 kids...and a car seat.  Lucky for me, Luke spotlights as a pack mule.

Waiting for Dad to get the rental van

Our hotel was awesome!  I am so glad because Luke left me in charge of picking out and booking the hotel.  I would have never heard the end of it if I failed at this task.  We stayed at Homewood Suites - Liberty Station.  It was close to the airport, the zoo, and Sea World.  It had 2 bedrooms and a full living room and kitchen.  They provided pack n plays for us and we were able to put Clay's pack n play inside the bathroom attached to Wyatt & Hazel's room - making it a 3 bedroom suite!  How is that for resourceful!?

The first night, we were tired from our travels and just explored near the hotel.  There was a boardwalk steps away with a park for the kids to play and a cute, little outdoor market with restaurants, a grocery store, and a Starbucks!!!  I enjoyed doing some family grocery shopping, by foot, with our stroller and a basket hanging from the handle bar.  One of my most favorite things about traveling is living a "new" life for a few days....and for me, grocery shopping with kids is my life!  It was different not driving to the store and loading my trunk full of groceries; it reminded me of my other life in NYC and what it would be like to have kids there!

Playing at the park near our hotel

Our first adventure was to the San Diego zoo and it WAS pretty amazing!  We were there from 9:30-3:30 and saw almost every animal they have.  If you are wondering which ones we missed, Wyatt will let you know next time you see him.  He reminds me almost daily.  

Wyatt has a thing for maps.  Papa Jim laminated some zoo maps for Wyatt in the fall and they quickly became his favorite toy.  When we planned our San Diego trip, I printed out a map for him to "study" - and study he did.  I would ask Wyatt, "Should we see the elephants, next?" and he would reply, "Sure!  Then we can go to the rhinos because they are next to the elephants and the hippos are after that."  He had memorized the map!  Hopefully this means he will not inherit my sense of direction.

Wyatt navigating the zoo

Legoland was a sweet surprise.  We had not planned on going but decided to check it out over the Safari Park.  It was a riot.  They had stuff to entertain all ages from young toddlers to adults.  Luke and I loved the city models created entirely from Legos.  They also had a factory were you could watch the massive Lego structures being assembled by hand.  The kids loved the Duplo play town, the rides, and the Fairy tale boat ride.  Apparently, a chilly Wednesday in February is the time to go because we had the place to ourselves - which definitely helped my stress level.

We left Legoland at 3ish, thinking we would beat the traffic rush - we were wrong.  We did make it there eventually but it was getting chilly and the sun was going down.  We got some great pictures, though!

Sea World was our last day and not quite as much fun as I had built up in my mind.  I thought Sea World would be our favorite day but it was actually our least favorite.  It wasn't bad, it just wasn't as great as the zoo or Legoland.  This could be because it was our 3rd day with no naps and everyone was getting cranky, or because the kids really didn't have the patience to sit through the shows, or because they have spent so much time at the Omaha aquarium that they weren't overly impressed???  Either way, we still had a good time.  Hazel loved feeding and petting the sting rays and Wyatt really liked the sea lion show.  They had a play area called "Sesame Street Place" where Hazel was told...twice...that she "wasn't big enough" to do the ride/activity she was wanting.  She still walks around the house, puffing up her chest, saying, "Me big girl.  Me ride roller-coaster", in very deep voice ;)  I think we will try Sea World again in a few years and I bet it will be a big hit.

This is how we all felt on the plane ride home.

A slideshow with MORE pictures!