Devils Tower

On Saturday we ventured into Wyoming.  About 2 hours from Rapid City is Devils Tower which is the first national monument.  Since it was a long drive and we know Owen wont last more than half and hour we left during his nap time.  He was such a good boy and slept the whole way which means I got to enjoy the drive instead of having the I pad, toys, and cheerios thrown at me. We did the small musuem first which told us about the legion of Devils Tower.  A couple of kids were running from a bear praying for help when the ground lifted them up.  The bear then tried to clime up the tower leaving his claw marks.  There is also the scientific approach that the tower is millions of years old and has changed over time.  After the museum there is a one mile loop around the base of the Tower which Owen made us push him through.  He got out and walked for a few minutes then made us push him again.  There are other trials which are longer we tried to do part of another one but after 10 feet Owen sat on the ground pouting cause he wanted to go back.  O well we went to the prairie dog fields after and watched them clime in and out of there holes. It was a fun hot trip here are my pictures. 

We stopped for a scenic pic and Owen woke up.

Owen kept saying Tower Tower as we got closer

Prairie Dogs

Owen checking out there holes or homes

Spearfish fish hatchery

Owen had such a fun day yesterday that he slept in an extra hour this morning.  I got to remember hiking tires him out.  It started though with going to clean the church.  Us and another family had small kids so we put them in the nursery while we went to work.  I was surprised that Owen stayed there as long as he did without coming to look for me.  Then we went home for lunch and a nap.  We were trying to find something fun to do as a family that afternoon most things close at 4 now that the tourist have gone home.  I found the fish hatchery.  We timed it perfect since it stoped raining when we got there.  We feed fish, went to a museum, and did a hike.  On the way home we stopped at a diner for dinner and Ryan got his fish and chips.  We also stopped off at target.  Ryan wanted to look at some electronics and tried to get Owen to go look at tvs but owen has moved on.  Instead of liking the tvs when we go to target he likes the toys.  He finds cars, trains, balls and of course the Jake and the neverland pirates boat.  We got  home just in time for a bath and to put Owen to bed.  Here are some pictures of the fish hatchery.

                                                        The entrance 

                                          I love all the trees and the bridge

        Owen feeding the fish balls.  They would jump up when we threw food to them.

 Our hike had lots of stairs Owen would sometimes let us help him and other times insist on doing it      himself. 

      

                                       Owen at the train to bad it's closed.

                              Quick stop to quack with the ducks.

Gymnastics

When I took Owen to see our new doctor she mentioned there was a gymnastics studio down by Ryan's work.  I thought a gymnastics class for Owen would be fun.  I have to do something to entertain this boy all day and get his energy out.  He loves it, today was our second class.  He's nervous when we first get there but then he realizes moms not leaving and has fun.  They play with the parachute , do an obstacle course, chase hula hoops, and then go upstairs for another obstacle course, and cool down. 

Owen is warming up with the parachute.  They Shake it, sit on it and stretch, and run underneath.  He doesn't like the stretching part but they are allowed to wander around anywhere and don't have to stay with the class. He also won't leave my side and run underneath but has fun shaking it while others run.  

In the obstacle course thy crawl through tunnels, walk on beams a little bigger than balance beams, jump on the trampoline, jump through hula hoops, clime, swing on bars, and hang on rings.  Here are some pictures.

Then they come back together and take turns chasing hula hoops.  The first time he went and got the hula hoop then realized I didn't go with him, so on his next turn he wouldn't chase it tell I start to go to. What a mamas boy. 

For the last 10 minutes they go upstairs to a different room and cool down.  There is rock climbing board that leads to a trampoline then a slide, places to practice somersaults and cartwheels among other things.    They also do ring a round the rosie and get a stamp on each foot before its time to go.  They start and end the class by ringing a bell.  Owen has never wanted to ring it he's to chicken but at the end of class he rang it.  He also told his teacher slide today he usually won't talk or look at her but he's getting better.  

Storybook island

I never blogged about storybook island, but since it closed Labor Day weekend I might as well add it to the list right now.  I love storybook island, when we were applying  for residences  this place made me like Rapid City.  It's a park that plays Disney music and has different statues and houses from different Disney movies or fairy tails you heard as a child. Here are the pictures I have but there is even more I don't have pictures of.  Can you name them all?

Pinocchio.

Yogi bear

Mary had a little lamb

The cat and the hat

Snow Whites house

Merry Christmas

sailing the boat to Never-land!

Caption hook!

3 little kittens lost there mittens

Tractor

Of course they have a train ride which every time we go here we have to ride.  Since this place is free I figure its my $3 donation every time I come.  

I'll miss storybook island and can't wait tell it opens for Christmas lights in December. 

Bedrock city

As I said in the last post bedrock city was closing this weekend so it was now or never.  Do you guys know what bedrock city is?  Yea Flintstones!  I thought it would be fun since it had a train ride, park, car ride and movie theater.  It also has all the houses and shops from the show.  We started out walking through there houses and stopped to watch an episode of the Flintstones.  Owen lasted about 2 sec and wanted to leave I guess it's not the same as Micky mouse.  He however loved the park and of course the train ride. 

There were lots of cars to sit in around the town.

         Fred 

                     Choo choo all aboard.

The train stopped at this rundown ghost town for pictures.

Then we headed to the park.  It started with a drive in the flint mobile.   I think that's what it's called I'm not sure I'm a little to young to remember.  It had swings, slides and we introduce Owen  to a teeter totter.  He had lots of fun on it.

         The car ride around the park.

                                            

          

Owen was to chicken to crawl through the tunnel it was to big so he walked across it.  Then we found another train.

It was a hot morning but we had fun.

Old McDonalds farm

We live in a tourist town did you know that?  Anyways we have lots of visitors from Memorial Day to Labor Day and then school starts back up, so a few places our only open in the summer.  That means we had to go to old McDonald's farm and bedrock city this weekend.  

We choose old McDonald's farm first.  They have pony rides, train rides, pig races, and times to feed all the animals.  

       Owen is obsessed with trains he loves them.

On a pony ride

   Babas.....aka sheep

I thought it might be fun for Owen to feed the sheep or the babas as he calls them since they are his favorite animal at the moment.  However I forgot how small he is and how much sheep like food.

                           Poor kid got smashed

                  Even if the food didn't work out giving the sheep some milk did.  

                        Farmer Ryan's new wife baby Owen.

                         Moooo...calfs

                                                   The bunny

                               These baby chicks are just a few days old.

Ryan was so excited when he found out there was a pig race.  It lasted about 10 sec.  The pigs were racing for koolaide.    I guess that's enough pictures for now I will do another post about bedrock city.