Sunday we loaded up our van and checked out of the hotel after breakfast, so we could make the trip home after the day’s activity – the St Louis Zoo!
This is one of the many free attractions in St Louis, making it a wonderful, affordable city to visit for a vacation. They do nickel-and-dime you a bit on parking (but we could have parked on the street and walk a little further) and getting into a few of the smaller attractions within the zoo, but it’s so much fun! I think the parking plus the one show we saw (Sea Lion show) was still only about half of what we would have paid for admission to our tiny local zoo – and the St Louis zoo is about 6 times the size!
It was another hot day, but not near as hot or humid as the previous two days, so that was nice. The zoo is beautiful and has many trees to shade the hilly walk, so that was really nice also. The kids had a lot of fun seeing the animals. We didn’t have enough time to see everything at the zoo before we had to leave for home, but we did get to see LOTS of our favorite animals. We had a late lunch with our group of 4 families, before they continued their zoo adventure and we started our 5 1/2 hour trip back home. The kids all loved the orangutans - a couple were hiding under a sheet right up next to the glass, so the kids were inches from them!St Louis Zoo, Circa 1919 - starring Josephine & Elijah, Kaylen & Jock!Tigers and Zebras and Giraffes, Oh My!Sea Lion Show!Now this is the way to do the zoo! Wish I had a comfy ride like this!Josephine didn't like the elephant-stink! :)
Saturday, we met up with the group after breakfast, to head to Soulard Market. It is an open-air farmer’s market near downtown St Louis. Some of the older kids from the orphanage say it reminded them of Haiti’s markets, and I can understand why they think so. There were all sorts of vendors – selling everything from meat to fruits/veggies to craft items, to toys, etc… The oddest thing I saw was “whole rabbit”. I’ve eaten rabbit meat before (tastes a lot like chicken, just a little more gamey), but it was odd to see it in the market. Anyway, we wandered around, bought some fruit, then some flavored shaved ice drinks on our way out.
We then headed to City Museum, where we had a picnic lunch before heading inside to explore. City Museum is quite the adventure. I’m not even sure how to describe the place, but it’s kind of a whimsical maze of tunnels and caves and stairways and slides. I was a little confused and lost in there – wish I’d found a map or had a tour guide. The kids had fun, but Josephine was scared to participate in several things. Elijah was a little scared but would follow Kaylen through some of the things. Maybe when they’re bigger and not so frightened of new places and things, that’ll be more fun. Some of those tunnels and things were too small for adults to go through, but the kids were too scared to do themselves. I did get some fun pictures of the kids playing though. I think we missed several sections of the place (e.g. the roof), but we were very hot and tired, so that played into some too. We drove around downtown a bit after City Museum, and caught a beautiful glimpse of the Gateway Arch. We thought about getting out to see it a little better, but we were too hot and tired so we decided against it.
We also drove past the new Busch Stadium on the way back to the hotel. I think between Soulard Market and City Museum, we also were about a block or two from the dome where the Rams play football, but we weren’t 100% sure, because we were a little far to see the signage. Neat drive thru downtown though.
Back at the hotel late afternoon, we rested for a bit, then went out for supper with the group. The kids were a little wild and unmannerly (unusual for them in a restaurant), but they were so tired. We might have been better off to nap, eat a quick dinner on our own, then play at the pool a bit, but the dinner was so good. We hadn't been to O'Charley's for a while since the one near us closed.
I'm finally getting around to posting more about what we did on our trip to St Louis, and some photos to go along with it...
Friday we hung around the hotel most of the day. We had arrived late Thursday night (around 11:30 pm), so we met up with two other families at breakfast. NBC Nightly News had a crew there, so they did a couple on-camera interviews and we all chatted most of the morning before heading out to the pool. It was soooo hot, and the pool was quite refreshing. We ordered pizza for lunch. A couple other families arrived mid-afternoon after we’d had our pizza, but I didn’t get a chance to chat with them much, as Elijah and Josephine were pretty much falling asleep standing up! So we headed for a nap around 2. Jock & Kaylen came up a little later and we all rested until it was time to meet for the evening activity.
Sorry - no photos of Elijah & Josephine actually in the pool because we were in the pool with them when they were.
Kaylen had a lot of fun playing with Patricia on the trip - one of our Haitian-Minnesotan friends.
before heading downtown for a picnic and an outdoor concert. The kids had fun playing in the water spray, courtesy of the St Louis Fire Department, and the adults chatted (and some played in the water as well), while we listened to the Sara Bareilles.
There was supposed to be fireworks that night too, but because of the Mississippi River flooding, they’d moved the concert from the levee to further “inland”, and they cancelled the fireworks. We were all kind of sad, because they would have been gorgeous over the river, in the National Park surrounding the Gateway Arch. Oh well, probably just as well, because Josephine is afraid of fireworks.
The kids were so tired - they slept good that night!
Elijah thoroughly enjoyed his birthday - every part of it was fun for him. We talked about it the day before, and he knew all about birthdays. The night before his birthday, I let him pick out his cake and frosting, plates, napkins. He kept going over to the counter, pointing at it, and saying, "My Birthday!" Josephine & Kaylen even started getting a little mad at his rubbing it in, but too bad - it's his day and we weren't going to let their jealousy ruin his day. They get their days too.
Also the night before his birthday, we talked at supper about how tomorrow was his birthday and he was going to be 4. It took him a couple days, but now if you ask him how old he is, he no longer says, "tee", he says, "Powa" (he can't say his 'F's), without being reminded. (and Josephine promptly says, "I'm fwee!") Elijah is also getting better at holding up all four of his fingers too, instead of holding his pinky down with his thumb.
The day of the party, I took the afternoon off work to clean up the house, wrap his present, and blow up balloons. I picked up the kids from daycare, did speed-baths for Elijah & Josephine, and then they had a few minutes to play with balloons before everyone arrived. Jock picked up pizza from Casey's on his way home from work, so we all enjoyed pizza, pop, cake and ice cream, before Elijah opened his presents and we chatted and watched the kids play. And by some miracle, the kids were even in bed very close to their bedtime - which was good, because his birthday fell on a daycare/work night.
Pre-party: The balloons are always a hit! Elijah had seen this before a couple times, and knew to blow out the candles - one at a time. (My video of it is rather blurry, so you'll have to settle for the post-blown-out candles photo.) Mmmmmmmm! Let's get these presents opened! He LOVED the bike!!! And the other presents... The girls were a little jealous of him getting all the presents and the attention. And him not wanting them to touch his presents - he kept saying, "My ___!" All the gear is on, and he's ready to go!No more riding big sister's old princess bike!
Oh yeah - pedaling is easier with shoes...It took him a bit to get the hang of the pedaling, because he's used to tricycles at daycare, where you can pedal backwards to make the trike go backwards. He's figuring out how brakes work - always so curious about everything!
And around... and around... and around...
The next morning, the bike was still sitting in the entry way, and he wanted to ride it again after breakfast. We didn't have time, but we took the bike outside that evening. (So sweet that he turned his bike and crashed instead of running into his sister!)
He got another present on Sunday. I think Elijah & Daddy got equal enjoyment out of it. Yes, Duke, it is still in tact. He's even controlling it himself fairly well - although hasn't figured out the left/right knob yet.
What a fun birthday it was for Elijah. I'm blessed beyond believe that he was home so we could help him celebrate his birthday, probably for the first time ever!
It's so special to be able to finally help Elijah celebrate a birthday. We've did something small for Elijah and Josephine on their birthdays while they were in Haiti, but what a wonderful feeling to be able to have him celebrate it. They did monthly group birthday celebrations at the orphanage for the older kids, but I don't think they did anything for the babies/toddlers.
I took Elijah to the store to pick out his cupcakes for daycare treats, and the cake, frosting/decorations, and plates/napkins for his family party. Josephine and Kaylen were both a little put out that it wasn't about them, but that's to be expected I suppose. I really want to make this a special day for him, and he's been home long enough - and celebrated enough other birthdays - to know what it's all about. He was so proud of everything. It was sitting on the counter, and he kept coming over to look at it and tell us all, "Elijah Birthday", and I'd remind him that it was for tomorrow. We also worked a bit on putting up 4 fingers and saying the number 4 when people ask how old he is. That'll be interesting, because he can't say the "f" sound, and it comes out as "Powa". He's also having a hard time holding his thumb down without the pinky to hold down. He'll get it though.
We love you Elijah, and wish you a WONDERFUL 4th birthday! And we thank God for bringing you home to us, and that we can celebrate this day with you!
The kids all loved the orangutans - a couple were hiding under a sheet right up next to the glass, so the kids were inches from them!
St Louis Zoo, Circa 1919 - starring Josephine & Elijah, Kaylen & Jock!
Tigers and Zebras and Giraffes, Oh My!
Sea Lion Show!
Now this is the way to do the zoo! Wish I had a comfy ride like this!
Josephine didn't like the elephant-stink! :)
