Xmas in the Pearl

Madelyn and I met up with Sarah's family in the Pearl District of Portland today.

The kids enjoyed climbing on giant presents.

Gary and I had engagement photos taken at and around this park but I had forgotten where it was, so thanks for bringing us back here Sarah!

Flying Home

Our trip to Las Vegas was very short: arriving Monday, flying home Thursday, but it felt like just the right length for this particular vacation.

It was tons of fun spending the time with our good friends.

Once again, the crazy amount of luggage, strollers, and carseats.

I found this gossip mag on my seat--did you know that Katie is leaving Tom?!? Ha ha.

Madelyn was perfect flying home: she took her nap on my leg while I indulged in that silly brain-waster above.  She was actually an excellent traveling companion during most of our trip.  The minor issues we had were completely within the realm of what you would expect at her age.  For the most part she was happy, she listened and cooperated, she ate her food, and she entertained us.  That's why we like taking trips with her rather than always wanting to escape from her! (Not that we don't appreciate a little time away here and there.) :)

Happy Thanksgiving!  (We spent ours mainly packing and flying.)

Phone Chat

I'ts nice to catch Madelyn being adorable before she notices the camera.  
My favorite part is when she says, "I don't know. Axe your mama!"
HA!

Time for a Swim

We were on the go most of the time in Vegas, so our last evening Wiyaka and I took all three girls down to the pool while Gary made dinner.

Swimsuits + Jackets = Cute!

We were a little nervous how it would work, but Kylah fell asleep in her carseat after only a few minutes, so both moms were able to play in the water and help the kids swim.  And these nice shallow steps were helpful too.  The pool was pretty warm, but...

The hot tub was wonderful!

Gondola

Here is the one and only photograph we have of all five members of our travel party:

Not that great, but probably a very accurate portrayal of the experience. :)


Our little family in front of The Venetian, waiting for our Gondola ride.  Gary and I were treated to an indoor Gondola ride by Dale when we came to Vegas for his wedding to Gary's mother.  So this time we tried the outdoor version.

All buckled in like a big girl.

We had to split up since state regulations limit the boats to four passengers, regardless of age or size (so even baby Kylah counted as a body).  We took pictures of each other taking pictures of each other.

We were serenaded by our Italian gondolier under the bridge.

This was another great family activity.

Look who got to sit by me when Madelyn went to Daddy's side of the boat!

Climbing and Running

After the aquarium we had lunch at Margaritaville (in case you didn't catch it, that means we dined consecutively at two Jimmy Buffet themed restaurants--not on purpose).

Madelyn and Lilly got to play outside while we waited for our reservation on the gondolas.

Daddy is so much fun!

I love these two pictures, in sequence. It's just so true to life.

Don't worry, Lilly was totally fine and carried on playing in an instant--she's a tough girl!

Shark Reef

After making delicious almond pancakes and scrambled eggs in our hotel kitchen, we set off for the Shark Reef aquarium at Mandalay Bay.

While Gary bought tickets, Wiyaka and I helped the girls expend some of their energy by doing somersaults and running around the carpet border to keep away from the sharks.  There was a huge open area just perfect for letting little ones run around in circles for a while.

Madelyn was a little wary of the glass floor.  It was a beautiful aquarium, and one of few attractions in Vegas truly ideally suited for families.

Dinner and a Show

The Popovich Comedy Pet Theater was one of the best things we did in Las Vegas, in my opinion. The trained animals were cute of course, but Gregory Popovich's juggling was UN-believable. Check out the video I posted on Beyond Mommy for just a little taste.  Through our Hilton membership we got show tickets with dinner for only $30 each, so it was a good deal too (the girls split a ticket and one sat in my lap).

Madelyn got to watch the show with wet sleeves because she enjoyed this fountain while we waited in line.

The show was in the Miracle Mile shops at Planet Hollywood hotel (formerly the Aladdin--I wonder if all this Middle-East business played a part in the decision to rebrand a casino that was less than 10 years old).

After the show we weren't hungry for our dinner yet, so we went back to Bellagio to visit the gardens (next post), then came back here to Cheeseburger in Paradise to eat.

Bellagio Conservatory

After the amazing pet circus show, we walked back across the street (if you've been to Vegas, you'll know that is NOT as simple or quick as it sounds!) to go inside Bellagio.

Lilly fell asleep, so she missed all this.

Madelyn loves escalators, and wants to get on and off all by herself.

Those are some SHINY and HUGE presents. Don't get your hopes up, Madelyn.

I was really hoping that the Botanical Gardens would be decorated for Christmas (after all, the Gaylord was already doing that in early November).  I've already seen the Harvest theme, although there were some additions this year. Still beautiful, of course, but I bet their Holiday display is stunning.

Smelling some flowers outside the conservatory.

Happy girl!

Bellagio Water

Wiyaka is pretty good at the self-portrait!

Daddy and Madelyn waiting for the Bellagio Fountains show to begin.

I absolutely love this attraction, no matter how many times I see it. We happened to catch one of my two favorite songs on the playlist: "Con Te Partiro (Time to Say Goodbye)" performed by Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman (my other fave is "Singin' in the Rain" by Gene Kelly).

Going Across the Street

Chillin' in our sweet ride (Dodge minivan).

As proof of my concluding statement in the last post, "Going Across the Street" gets its very own post.

I think this escalator ramp was Madelyn's favorite part of the whole trip.  We rode it several times.

This is our attempt at taking a picture on the bridge over The Strip, but as you can see it wasn't very successful.  Our daughters didn't like being with the wrong mom, but we were hurrying not to miss the fountain show beginning momentarily.

Fun in the Hall

There are endless opportunities for entertainment in The City of Lights, but for some, hopping on the carpet circles is plenty fun.

What a strong daddy! (And cute plumber's crack Lilly!)

Much of our entertainment occurred between planned activities, partly because it took so much dang time to get from one place to the next (between potty breaks, diaper changes, stroller in-and-out privileges, carseat bucklings, toy escapes, tantrums, driving and parking, and long walks everywhere, it was never just a straight shot from point A to point B).