Jungle Adventures

While vacationing down in Florida, we usually schedule a few days to just hang out at the resort, swim, and recoup from our days at the parks. Since it was so cold this year, Chris and I decided to plan an excursion for our boys for one of those recoup days since swimming didn't go over so well with our boys earlier in the week. We decided on Jungle Adventures Nature Park and Zoo, in Christmas, Florida. Let me first interject that yes, the people of Christmas, FL are really trying to live up to the name of their town. Their streets have names like Cupid, Blitzen, and Antler and they have several Christmas craft stores just in the near vicinity of Jungle Adventures. I got a kick out of it and after I started calling off the names of the streets we were passing, Colin started singing Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. As for Jungle Adventures, it is a swampy nature park filled with alligators, crocidiles, snakes, turtles, tarantulas, birds, monkeys, wolves, foxes, lemurs, deer, panthers, and skunks, among other creatures. We got to walk around the park and check out the animals - it was kind of neat because even though there were fences between us and the animals, the park was built on a swamp so the animals were mostly living in their natural habitat (or as natural as you can get while still behind bars). I thought the alligators were super creepy, lining the river and hiding in the muck. It was pretty cold that day so they weren't very active, but it was still neat to get up close and personal to something so prehistoric. We also had a guide that presented a few of the animals to us and we got to hold a baby alligator, 2 snakes, and a tarantula. Colin was horrified and didn't even want to pet any of the animals, let alone hold them, but Eli was happy to grab them. I can't really fault Colin, I was pretty horrified myself, but I wanted to put on a brave face for the kids. We also got to walk through an "Indian Village" and listened to a presentation about the Floridian Native American culture and history. The presentation went over the kids' heads, but Colin really enjoyed the camp fire and they were both fairly quiet during the presentation. The park also offers a swamp boat tour, but we skipped that because the boys were starting to reach their limit and we wanted to get back to the resort for Eli's nap. Another fun aspect of the nature park was you have the opportunity to feed all the animals. We chose not to, but the animals are very used to humans and came right up to the fence, so we got a lot of up close encounters. It was fun and I think it will be even more fun to take the boys back when they're a little older and maybe a little more brave. :)

You can't miss this place.

Waiting for the first presentation.

Creepy gators

Baby gators

Todd tried really hard to get Colin to at least pet the animals.

Eli didn't mind them.

The tarantula used Chris' hand as a toilet - glad he held it first!

Posing with the gators.

Crocodile

Here kitty kitty!

Magic Kingdom - Day 1

This year we decided to hit Magic Kingdom twice while we were down in Florida. It really does make the day less stressful, when you don't feel pressured to do everything in one day (which I've decided would be impossible anyway with a baby and a potty-training 2 year old). Some highlights from our first day include shivering on the ferry ride to the island (I think it's hilarious that my boys are wearing winter hats and mittens in our Disney World pictures), the Buzz Lightyear ride (our traditional first stop and Eli's first ride), the Teacups, the Carousal, Mickey's PhilharMagic (which lulled Eli to sleep), It's a Small World (and the potty dance Colin learned when he realized he had to use the potty in the middle of the ride), the Peter Pan ride, the Dumbo ride, and a special popsicle treat from Nana after dinner (I think it's the first time Colin has eaten a popsicle). It was a busy and sometimes chaotic day (the crowds there are insane!) filled with lots of memories and fun experiences.

The ferry ride to Magic Kingdom

Buzz Lightyear

The Carousal

Mickey's PhilharMagic

It's a Small World

Snack Time

Dumbo

Mickey Ears

Happy Mickey

Tired Mickey

Popsicles - Yum!

The Whole Crew

Downtown Disney

We visited Downtown Disney a couple times on this vacation. Once we went with Nana and Papa so the boys could pick out a toy and a pin. Colin chose a Lego garbage truck and a Handy Manny pin. Eli chose (OK, I chose for him) a glow worm and a sassy baby Donald Duck pin. Another time we went, just the four of us, to explore and play. We checked out the cool Lego creations at the Lego store, posed with the characters in front of the toy store and the pin store, walked along the water, and took Colin for rides on the carousal and the train. We had lots of fun!

Chris feels like I am often underrepresented in family photos since I'm the one usually taking the pictures. Hence why I am overrepresented in these shots. :)

Swimming in 60 Degree Weather?

Usually when we vacation in Florida we bring shorts, t-shirts, and bathing suits. We knew it was going to be unseasonally chilly this year, but we still brought our swimsuits "just in case". Well, sure enough, the forecast didn't lie, and the highs have been in the 50's and 60's all week. But we still decided to brave the pool on the day when the high was supposed to be 67. Hey, at least the pool was heated. Colin's lips turned purple and poor Eli just cried (normally he loves the water), so we didn't stay long. Oh well, at least it's warmer than Ohio and there's no snow on the ground.

Breakfast with Chef Mickey

This morning, we went to breakfast at Chef Mickey's with Nana, Papa, Aunt Kara, Aunt Ellen, Uncle Robbie, and all the cousins. Despite waking up at 5:30 this morning, the boys did well. We had a delcious breakfast, complete with Mickey Mouse waffles, but the hit of the morning was the characters. The boys got to meet Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Minnie, and Pluto. The kids also enjoyed dancing and putting on their own show. It was definitely a great start to our vacation!

Eli's First Haircut

As much as I wanted to wait until he was at least a year old, I couldn't ignore Eli's long, stringy bangs any more. Chris had been waiting for awhile for the go-ahead and gladly grabbed the sciccors and went to work. I think the results are adorable, but can't help to feel a little sad since he looks more grown-up.

Before

During

After