Great Wolf Lodge

My cousin made a trip to Dallas and stayed at Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine. Since it was only her, her husband, and their little boy (who is just 2 months older than Olivia) they had a couple extra passes for the waterpark. We were the lucky ones that got to go with them!

We spent most of our time in the kiddie pool which was a blast for the girls.

Out of everything there I think these wave runners were their favorite.

We actually got to go TWICE! We went with them on Monday evening after they checked in. And since we had the wristbands we decided to go again on Tuesday morning. The first day I left my camera in the room but I decided to try extra hard to stay dry and take a few pictures on Tuesday. Staying dry is hard to do with all of the things that spray water everywhere!

They had a few water slides and both girls tried them out but they enjoyed swimming and splashing more than sliding.

Just look how big this place is! When we were leaving I realized we missed an entire section that the girls were big enough for. I guess we can check it out next time!

We did go through the not-so-lazy river. We did that with my cousins family and I was glad to have an extra adult to help with the girls. Since they only had 2 extra passes, Dustin stayed home to do some homework (Olivia was free).

And this is where we spent most of our time. Since it was a weekday, it wasn't very crowded which was great.

Just look how fun the fountain is!

They both had a blast! We are even considering going there for Grace's birthday this year. Wouldn't it be fun for a December birthday?

Let's Jump!

Last month I took the girls to Let's Jump in Keller, TX. It is an indoor bounce house facility.

I wasn't sure how much the girls would like it but they ended up loving it! Look at that BIG slide... that was Grace's favorite!

When we first went in, Grace took off and went right up to the top of the slide. I thought for sure she would get scared (it was the biggest bounce house slide I have ever seen!) and I would have to retrieve her. But she proved me wrong. She went up and down countless times and had a blast!

Doesn't it look fun??

Olivia liked climbing up and down the stairs. She didn't go down the big slide but she went down another one. She even had a great time!

We went to the Toddler Jump time which is for kids ages 5 and under. There were a couple of older kids in there playing with their younger siblings. After a while they opened it up to anyone but by that time we were getting tired and hungry so we left. 

Grace didn't slow down for a minute! She even made a friend and they followed each other around the entire time. I think they are going to want to go back sometime soon.

Chinese Lantern Festival at Fair Park

We visited the Chinese Lantern Festival at Fair Park in Dallas on the last weekend they would be opened.

We went on a Saturday and got there early. I am so glad we did because by the time we got in the gate the line was twice as long and when we got there (and it was long when we got there). Also, by going early we got to see everything before it got dark and then got to see it all lit up!

 

We took a few pictures of the girls before it got dark. 

Everything was very colorful and pretty!

They really liked the butterflies. Some of them had moving wings! 

There was a very long dragon made from dishes - bowls, spoons, and egg cups. It was pretty neat to see.

When it started getting dark the lights came on and all of the displays.

 

There was a pond with lots of floating displays. One of the lotus flowers opened and closed. We even saw a mermaid!

By the time we had walked through the entire park it was beginning to get really crowded and we were getting hungry so we decided to head home. When we left traffic was backed up for miles with people waiting to get in. 

We had a great time seeing all the beautiful lights!

Christmas Lights!

Before Christmas we went one evening to a drive thru light display. 

Half way through, there was an area to park and you could go into the light village.

We walked through the lighted forest! Both the girls really enjoyed seeing all of the pretty lights.

There was also a short musical that we watched. We ended up being some of the last people in line for the show so we got to sit in the VIP seats. Grace's favorite part was when it "snowed" during their last song.

There were also a few carnival rides. The girls wanted to ride the carousel and it went FAST!

It was hard to get a picture of them going by because it went so fast that by the time I saw them and clicked the button they were already gone most of the time.

We picked a great evening to go. It wasn't too crowded and the weather was really nice.

Grace wanted to pose in front of all the light displays for a picture.

Olivia didn't want to stay still long enough.

It was a little farther than I thought. Our GPS also took us the way we did not want to go. It was fun but I doubt we will go back next year. They charge admission but I found a good deal on Groupon.

Grace's Birthday Party

We had Grace's birthday party at WOGA (World Olympic Gymnastics Academy), where both girls take gymnastics. 

Olivia's favorite event is the bars. She loves the uneven bars the most I think!

Grace is in the 4-5 year old class which is held in the main gym. Upstairs they have their kids gym for kids 3 and under which is where Olivia's class is held. We decided to use this room so the younger kids could participate in all of the fun. Grace was excited to do gymnastics in Olivia's classroom since it was a new layout! 

So many of Grace's friends came to help her celebrate! Brilyn came all the way from Oklahoma. Grandma and Grandpa and Aunt Brandy were there too. And Grandma Phyllis and Grandpa Mike flew in from Missouri and spent a couple of days with us.

Olivia is so funny! If we mention gymnastics she starts talking about her flips and swinging on the bars.

The bars are one of Grace's favorite event too but she really loves it all.

After the kids all played it was time for cake! Grace picked out some really cute cupcake liners that were perfect for her Tinkerbell theme.

This was the easiest party we have ever done. I dropped off the paper products and decorations when we were there for their class a few days before the party. When we showed up everything was ready!

Grace REALLY wanted a Tinkerbell themed birthday party. Otherwise, they would have provided everything but the cake. I think we may have her party here next year too!

After eating cake there was still more time to play! 

After the party we came home and opened all of her presents.

She got a lot of stuff from her "wish list" and loved everything! 

On her actual birthday she told me she wanted to do gymnastics that day. Gymnastic days are one of her favorite days of the week!

Indoor Safari Park in Flower Mound

Over the summer I saw a Groupon deal for a new play place that looked really fun called Indoor Safari Park in Flower Mound, TX. They have a location in Plano that we plan to visit soon. There just so happened to be Groupon deal for that location the day we visited the Flower Mound one. If you haven't heard of Groupon before, what are you waiting for? They have some great deals - last week I got a $20 Toy's R Us coupon for only $10 and it could be used with other coupons! There is an app for iPhone so you don't even have to print out your coupon - just show your phone and they can scan the barcode. Super easy!

Anyways, yesterday we finally decided to check out this super fun play place. It was Safari themed and there were 3 different play grounds geared toward different ages. There was also a toddler area for kids 6 months - 2 years.

Olivia wanted to play in the big kid play area. This one was for ages 4+.

This was near the toddler area. It was geared towards older toddlers.There was a slide, ball pit, and trampoline in each of the play areas!

With your basic admission (normally $9.99 for kids and adults pay $1) you get a train ride and a robotic animal ride. There are also other packages available (they have things like miniature golf and pottery painting).

There was an area that had about a dozen train tables (they each had a different theme), doll houses, toy kitchens, etc. This was a big hit for my girls! 

Grace has a doll house similar to this (basically a bigger version) but she had so much fun playing with this one.

Grace wasn't too sure about riding a robotic animal but when she saw other kids ride them she could hardly wait for her turn. Anytime another kid rode on one she would run back there to watch. I think she was hoping she would get another turn!

We stayed for a couple of hours but I am sure they would have loved to play all day. I think next time we go we will eat at their little cafe and play all day! We went during the week and it wasn't busy at all. I would guess it would be pretty crowded on the weekends since you can have birthday parties there. 

It's a great place to take your kids when the weather is too yucky for the park!

Just see for yourself how much fun this place is!