Last June, we loaded up the Marxmobile and headed out to Dinosaur World with my folks and Katelyn. Located about ninety minutes from our abode, Dinosaur World is more than true to it's name. Both of the kiddos have gone through phases where they adored all things prehistoric so they were quite amped up to get their visit started. Hayden posed at the entrance which is flanked by enormous dino-legs as Bailey made friends with a rather substantial Brontosaurus.
Poor little Bailey was so excited to get started she was incabable of standing still for a photo. Almost immediately she caught sight of a playground fit for a junior paleontologist and off they went.
Then it was off to check out the dinosaurs. We followed a path around the property that was lined with groups of dinorsaurs. The kids were so wired they practically raced through; the excitement of what might be around the bend was too much to bear. 
Initially, Hayden was opposed to taking any pictures with the dinosaurs. No way buddy! There are three cameras on this daytrip, good luck with that quirky choice. Eventually he acquiesced and announced that he was willing to pose with dinosaurs that he recognized. Thank goodness this rock star was without representation and his negotiations proved pointless!
Over the past few years, it is safe to say that we have read many a book about dinosaurs. No matter how much you read about the size of sauropods, it is pretty stunning to see life sized replicas tower above you. That's the place to go if you are looking to feel little again! 
It was such a delight to have KT around last summer. My little ones are much younger than their cousins on my side of the family and at times Katelyn is as much a bonus aunt as a cousin to them. Either way what is truly lovely is that they adore her and her siblings and just love to have time with their Michigan counterparts. This pic of them walking along the path is one of my favorites. And that tree lined path was a real life saver for us - things were all kinds of hot during our visit and the shade was quite a blessing to the adults! 
One of the Mini's favorite movies last summer was Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs. As a result, their encounter with the herd of Wooly Mammoths was the cause of sheer bliss. They gleefully ran all over and Bailey couldn't stop hugging the baby's trunk while cooing at this faux furry friend.
The path leads out to a ginormous dinosaur and billboard visible from the highway. This large carnivore was accessible from all angles and the little ones were over the moon at the chance to climb about the tail and claws. It also gave us the opportunity for a few groups shots. 
We took an insane number of photos with the kids exploring the dinosaur path. Here's a sampling of the fun:
Bailey was truly enamored with the triassic trash receptacles scattered about the park. It made me want to slather her with purell every two seconds but she just couldn't help herself.
KT has a thing for souveneir pennies so she just had to be sure that the Mini's had pennies from our grand adventure. As a bonus, it was great heavy muscle work for Sir Hayden which would have really pleased his OT at the time!
We had plans to participate in a fossil dig towards the end of our visit. These occured at set times and as a Mom to two tuckered out kiddos I was quite pleased to see this oversized puzzle to amuse them as we waited for our dig time to arrive. Sometimes it's the "not so little things" that make a difference!
Such happy little diggers, who wouldn't love an enourmous sandbox loaded with goodies?
On of our last stops on the way out was this fabulous creation into which the kids were able to wiggle. Such fierceness! I am a kiddo, hear me roar!!!
KT has a thing for souveneir pennies so she just had to be sure that the Mini's had pennies from our grand adventure. As a bonus, it was great heavy muscle work for Sir Hayden which would have really pleased his OT at the time!We had plans to participate in a fossil dig towards the end of our visit. These occured at set times and as a Mom to two tuckered out kiddos I was quite pleased to see this oversized puzzle to amuse them as we waited for our dig time to arrive. Sometimes it's the "not so little things" that make a difference!
Such happy little diggers, who wouldn't love an enourmous sandbox loaded with goodies?On of our last stops on the way out was this fabulous creation into which the kids were able to wiggle. Such fierceness! I am a kiddo, hear me roar!!!
After a whirlwind obligatory trip through the gift shop, we were ready to go. On both parts of the drive, Miss Bailey was feeling the need to be close with her peeps and just had to hold hands in order for all to be right in her "yittle" world. Poor Pa had to navigate the drive and lose feeling in his fingers to keep peace and the land. We also had to pull on over on Miss B since at other times she just had to hold Ma's hand. Ma was out of reach but Katelyn was not so she snuck her hand in onj Ma's behalf and Bailey fell for the switcheroo.
Hayden and Bailey were very willing to veg out in their seats once they had new loveys courtesy of the Grandparents. Hayden named his Manny in honor of the Ice Age movies which is what they watched that night!
We got home in time to wrap up the day with a picnic on the carpet. Poor H had to make nice with an ice pack to get some relief from a bug bite but at least he had Manny by his side for support! It was a very full but very enjoyable daytrip for all concerned!
We got home in time to wrap up the day with a picnic on the carpet. Poor H had to make nice with an ice pack to get some relief from a bug bite but at least he had Manny by his side for support! It was a very full but very enjoyable daytrip for all concerned!
In the strange little photo above, a still sleepy Bailey started her day as a pony. She would only whinie and neigh when I spoke to her. She still loves to take on an animal personality! Although ponies remain her number one favorite I can accurately state that she is pretty good at being a T-Rex, a kitten, a frog, and on occasion an elephant.
Hayden chose to start his day as a lego monster and attached his duplo blocks to the tips of his fingers. Note that he took time to be sure one hand was all green and one was all blue. Such an eye for detail with that one! It oddly reminded me of the times my sister and I used to jam candy corn on our fingernails and then proceed to eat the candy one color at a time while lamenting the demise of our glamorous nails. Clearly, odd behavior didn't skip a generation!