City Sleep Over!

The kids and I went to Calgary to spend some time with my dad for his birthday!  We had a lot of fun!  We spent a few hours at the zoo yesterday with both my mom and my dad, and even despite the heat it was a lovely day!  When we first got through the gates we saw the 45 minute line up to see the penguins and instantly I said we would pass on that exhibit!  But my dad said we would save them for our way out!  We made our way through the African Savannah, and then onto the Rainforest, the gorillas, and the monkeys, then to the playground, the elephants and the tigers.  We then had the yummy lunch I packed...egg salad sandwiches, carrot sticks, sugar snap peas, frozen juice boxes, peaches and super yummy carmelitas!

This turtle was roaming around all on its own, and was really quite fast! 

After lunch we decided we were all exhausted from the heat and made our way to the penguins.  I am so happy we decided to see them and even more happy that we decided to save them for last...the temperature in the Penguin home was a beautiful 7 degrees!  I could have stayed in there all day if it wasn't for the fishy poop smell!

I loved this statue, it was really quite sweet!

I find penguins quite fascinating, and so super cute!

Grandma Debbie and Armin

This picture truly is priceless!

The zoo was as fantastic as it usually has been, and I really enjoyed spending the day with my dad on his birthday!  After the zoo we headed back to his place where he made Emry and I a really yummy wasabi sesame crusted salmon, and for the boys he made Kraft Dinner!  We then all went out for ice cream at Dairy Queen, went back home, put the boys in the bath and then eventually got everyone to bed!  It took quite some time for them to fall asleep because of the foreign city noises, and once again the horrible heat!  Calum finally fell asleep around 9:30 while I was laying with him.  Armin around 10:30 after I rocked him for half an hour, and Emry probably around 11, after I laid with her too!  Dad and I watched the Stampeders play the Saskatchewan Roughriders, and I actually enjoyed the football game after Dad explained the rules to me.  Calgary even won in overtime!  Dad and I were still going strong visiting at 1 in the morning when little Armin woke up.  I rocked him while Dad and I moved out to the balcony and continued our visit, and then when we realized it was just keeping Armin awake I moved back inside and continued to rock him.  I had him asleep a few times until I would try and lay him down and then we had to start again right from the beginning.  I repositioned myself on the couch to laying down and cuddled Armin up into my side, he seemed so tired and so cuddly but only if he had  Dad's plastic screw driver, hammer and wrench cuddled into him, and the truck they all belong to secured tightly in his little hand!  It made it quite uncomfortable.  I finally got him to sleep on his little makeshift bed on the floor beside the couch where I was sleeping at 3:30am by crouching next to his bed and gently rocking him, almost as though I was still holding him, but having most of his weight actually on the bed!  And I thought sleeping on little plastic toys was uncomfortable!!

Trying so hard to fall asleep at Grandpa Glen's.

Dad told Armin that this basket would be his bed for the night, he looked perplexed for awhile and then climbed in! 

7:00am came way too early!  But it was still worth it...the kids had a blast at Grandpa Glen's and were beside themselves with excitement from the city sounds and bright lights!  The kids and I packed up and we headed downtown to pick up the boys passports!  It took no time at all to get to the Harry Hays Building, I even drove right to it without having to turn around because I actually went past it!  Leaving was a totally different story!  I wanted to go back the way I came and literally couldn't because it was a one way street!  We did eventually make it onto Macleod Trail ( a totally different way then I originally came but I knew where it would take me) and safely to the Shawnessy Walmart!  Driving in Calgary is a little unnerving, no matter how many times I do it, there are so many cars, so many signs and so many buildings!  I think I would actually be less distracted talking on my cell phone!!

I had a great time with my Dad and really enjoyed visiting with him, something we haven't had the chance to do for quite some time!

Oh, the best news of all this past week...Calum is officially potty trained!  On a whim we decided to start Monday afternoon.  He has done so well with very few accidents and I was brave and didn't even put him in a pull up while we travelled.  He is now even saying that he has to go instead of me making him go every so often!  I am so proud of him, and knew he would get it eventually, he is definitely one of those kids who has to decide on their own that they are going to do something and not be told what to do!  I am sure all the pee and poop prizes he has gotten has also contributed to his success, but either way I am so proud of him!