M does San Diego...with Kids

Today was a LONG day.  Got to work at 5am and S was already awake, and had been since 3am.  His mom handed him off to me and I had him asleep before she finished her breakfast and left for work.  So frustrating...just have to remind myself not to judge their parenting style.

Once we dropped his sister off at school we went down to the San Diego Zoo in Balboa Park.  It was so great.  Minus the traffic getting there.  Rush hour doesn't end at 10am, that's for sure.  Today was a little chilly and foggy, so it was a great day to be at the zoo.  Minimal crowds and no sweating.  Win.  S ran around the entire time.  But S didn't actually nap...I needed coffee again by 1.

PS, click on the pictures to make them bigger...they look slightly less ghetto that way.

THEY HAVE PANDAS!!!  Two of them!

A lion in her den

After the zoo we drove across the park to the Air and Space Museum.  I assumed it would be like the one in Pensacola, which has TONS of static aircraft that you can climb in and play on.  Not so here in San Diego.  Admission was 24.00, but with the military dependent discount it cost 17.00.  Also unlike in Pensacola, where the A&S Museum is free).  I'd go back with B, but it's not a place for little kids.  Too much reading and slow walking.

Last week we went to the Antique Gas and Steam Engine Museum, located right in Vista.  Don't bother.

It is pretty much a junkyard, organized in rows.   I can see how it would be a good field trip if you were homeschooling, but just for taking the kiddos to, not so much.

And it's supposed to be free, but good little me decided to go in the gift shop/office and "just make sure", and the lady charged me 5 bucks.  And I had my husband's Marines tshirt on...like, come on!  S enjoyed trying to climb on everything, but his 4 year old sister would have thought the whole thing was super lame.

Then my favorite trip last week was to the San Diego Botanical Garden (8.00 military admission, and 2.00 for parking).  They have THE BEST kids area I've ever seen.  It a whole huge fenced off area set in to a hill side with a (fake) treehouse that lets you access the three-tiered hill.  They have stroller access too, of course  And bathrooms with changing tables.  There is SO much to do, it was great.  Not a ton of shade when we went (about 9-11am), so just bring a hat and sunblock.

Highlights: A very shallow (chlorinated) stream with little toy boats and benches for parents, the tree house, sand pit with shovels, trucks, and buckets, a coloring area (I guess normally they provide paper and markers?), a musical area with built in drums, xylophones, wind chimes...all destruction-proof so the kids can go nuts, and a ton of foam blocks to build with.  I told B I was going to borrow S one weekend just so we could go play in the kids area without being creepy.

So there ya go.  Fun places for us 20-somethings to take our husband's, or to take the kids and still have fun!