Josie somewhat liked the water, but also liked to torture us by walking around the outside of the pool while we were in it and refusing to get it. This pool also had a really steep dropoff past the 8 ft wide shallow end. She got more familiar with it as time went by but her favorite activities remained throwing the beach ball animals into the pool and washing the lizard inflatable with a sponge. She also liked the outdoor shower where we’d hose her down afterwords with some warm water.

One day our friends and neighbors Christina and her two boys came down to visit us from home and spent the morning in the pool with us. Ethan (age 4.5) had a blast, Zach was a bit more cautious but got into it by the end.

Jordi somehow didn’t hear the ‘no pictures while I’m wearing a swimsuit rule’ and did take a few. I think they are determined to make only two kinds of maternity swim suits, ugly, and uglier. I went with ugly, although some people seem to like it, it just gets the job done so I can enjoy some time in the pool. I can still wear my regular tankini but it’s getting less comfortable now at 30 weeks along.

We saw a goat get milked and Josie enjoyed petting the then trapped goat.

The next day I happened to go to playtime, the local arts and crafts store, and they had some wooden eggs so I got one for Josie’s cooking set. She knew just what it was and proceeded to boil it.

For the first time we got a tremendous look at the snow leopard. It was like it was waiting for us in the morning, sitting directly at the bottom in front of the fence. We’ve been lucky to catch a glimpse of the cat’s tail before if anything. If you’re headed there, make sure to go there first. Here’s a little video, the cat was pacing and playing.

Nolan was very interested in the nature, the rocks and dirt. For the first time we also got to pet the goats and sheep in the petting area, they’d never been open before. They all loved the old rusted train cart, at least compared to the lazy sleeping cats. Guess we can see that at home.

Last year at the Feast Of The East here in Arlington (which is this upcoming weekend this year) we tried to get Josie to ride on a pony but she insisted otherwise. This time she was itching to get on and have a ride. Jordi walked around with her and she did well.

We spent sometime just playing in the sand, looking at the people playing golf and the big hot air balloon.

Finally, we got ice cream the size of our head. They have a crazy ’special’ ice cream with three flavors, all the sauces and toppings in one giant mess of a heap for only about $6. Much cheaper than buying even two small ice creams! Strawberry for Josie, vanilla for Jordi and mint cookie for me. We dug in and made it almost halfway through with three of us. Had to make sure Josie wasn’t looking when I tossed that in the trash! Not the healthiest day ever given lunch was mostly french fries, but we made up for it at dinner.

Josie had a good time. She was a little intimidated by all the people to start with though. She spent a bit of time in the house watching before she was ready to come out and join the party. She bounced, she rolled, she climbed, she swung and she said hi to her friends as she ran by. Here’s some photos and videos of the chaos.

We also got these big huge beach balls (42″) which were a big hit with kids and adults alike. They were a blast to throw around and catch because they moved so slowly.

The beach balls combined with the bounce house were another big hit.

Some of the kids had to be dragged away from the bouncing practically kicking and screaming, but thankfully it’s our bounce house so we’ll be able to bounce again another day. Also with much thanks, everyone kept their food down while bouncing!

We had a few peaceful moments but otherwise just food and fun for an afternoon. Josie liked her (second) caterpillar cake, this one courtesy of costco. She was able to blow out her candles this year, one at a time!

It was great having some more adults and kids around to be able to switch up who was watching who and who was around to talk to. It was a beautiful day and a real nice break from the norm, at least for those under 4 ft tall.

Later in the day, the tide came in and the beach was very narrow. There was a small amount of beach left between the open ocean and a tide pool, by the time we left, crossing it was a little dicey.

Exploring the dirt, and then the rocks.

Josie and Lucy also love to share snacks. Josie is good at sharing but equally good at begging and Lucy often has some good things to share! Lucy is almost six months younger than Josie and likes to follow her and watch a lot, which makes Josie’s day to have a companion.

Finally, as with most group outings, we end by stacking the kids in a pile for a big picture!

Jordi, Josie and I drove up early Friday afternoon and Jordi crashed for some much needed sleep after burning the midnight oil several days in a row. I took Josie to the wave pool which she loved just like last year. Each time we went she was more and more ready to get into the pool immediately. She liked to kick and hit the waves.

Later in the afternoon Christina and family joined us. Our two families had connecting rooms and the kids were crazy just running back and forth and all around. It worked out really well to have the extra space to move and playmates to have fun with.

Our rooms were also really well located just upstairs from the wave pool, as demonstrated by the photo from our room!

We had cupcakes, which made me Ethan and Zach’s best friend for a few minutes. It was tough keeping their hands out of the cup cakes while trying to light them on fire though! I slightly surprised Christina by getting her name on a cup cake too since her birthday was only the weekend before!

We did a tiny bit of sight seeing around Hyannis, but mostly everything is closed this time of year except for restaurants. Jordi was especially disappointed in all the closed ice cream shops. Looking at this picture of the beach I took you almost can’t even tell it’s winter, it looks downright inviting if I couldn’t still imagine the freezing winter beach breeze while I took it!