We took a family trip to Yellowstone and phew! Vacations are hard work! lots and lots of preparation and STUFF! Lots of stuff. I was in a cabin with Jill and her kids and Michael, Megan and Owen. After our last cabin experience, we bannished Dylan and Matthew to their own little two person cabin. That was better accommodations than last time when they were in the car all night right?
It actually ended up with Ian in with Matthew because the first night he pitched a fit when it was time to go in the pack and play... Yet, in bed, Matthew said it was time to go to bed and Ian just rolled over and snuggled in to sleep.
Duncan was in with me and Asher went to bed in the pack and play even though I pulled him in bed with me at the start of day light. Having spend several nights with Duncan I have decided that all four years olds have RLS, restless leg syndrome. There is nothing like sharing a bed with a four year old. I finally had to say, "STOP MOVING". Maybe a few times, and after he really did, he fell right asleep. I could always tell rght when he went to sleep!
Going in to the park there is a traffic jam, every day. Conveniently it is where a bunch of Buffalo tend to hang out. I said "drive people, sheesh! You act like you have never seen a buffalo before!" After about 10 minutes I said to Matthew, "I guess maybe they haven't seen a buffalo before have they?" and he told me he was just going to let that comment slide. I guess when you see buffalo all the time, seeing them isn't that big of a deal? Have I been spoiled?
There was a huge mess coming in another day and I looked to see what the fuss was, it was two moose. Really? Moose? Causing a traffic jam bad enough for the ranger to come manage traffic? Have you not seen a moose either people?
I am not all blasé about the animals, we did come up on two black bears right by the side of the road one day. The rangers were it to keep things moving since the bears were RIGHT there and there wasn't a pull over location. This Is the first time we saw black bears there. When we went on the motorcycle ride to Yellowstone we saw a brown one pretty far away. Alas, the boys couldn't see them because they were close enough in the drop off on the side of the road they couldn't see. I told Duncan I would show him a
picture. Not that he cares that much about animals, but I will still show him a picture.
We also saw a few elk (not worth a traffic jam) and the herd of antelope (or are those elk too?) that hang out in Mammoth, a coyote staring down a hole, and lot and lots (and LOTS) of mosquitos.
Duncan got a few bites on his noggin, always the forehead with my kids! The morning after his bug bite was bad on his forehead he woke up and couldn't open his eye. He said "mom, my eye keeps sticking like this." and points to his closed eye. I told him I would take a picture of it and show him what it looked like and I did, mainly because I wanted a picture, but you know... And he said "my eye looks pretty funny." which doesn't read as adorable as it sounded. I send him in to Michael and Megan's room and told him to tell them it was time to ring the bell. He was dubbed "Quasimodo" the rest of the day.
It didn't seem to bother him that he couldn't see out of the one eye. He told Jill "I can see you if I do this, or this" holding his eye open with one finger. Sweet boy. How nutty would it drive you to have to only see out of one eye?? What a good sport.
The next day it was a puffy other eye! But it wasn't completely closed so that's good. Poor kid.
We told Duncan one day we wanted to find a place where he could get out and run and he said "uhm, maybe not run, my legs are heavy" this is most likely because of the Benadryl that we gave him for his bug bites. It knocked him out. Over and over. Heavy legs, yes exactly, we all know how that feels.
On Thursday the big boys went on a float down the river and LouAnn, Elijah, Dylan, Asher and I went to see the bears and wolves at the rescue. We got very close up to the bears, it was really neat. They only have a couple of bears out for a limited times throughout the day, not sure why, but it makes for a fun experience watching them run, play and explore the area like they hadn't seen it in a while! Very different from a zoo where they just sleep in the same spot when it's hot outside.
During one of the rides my very mechanically inclined boy asked, out of nowhere "Dad? ... Are there gears in my head?" This is a perfectly logical question to a four year old who understands that gears make things work!
The drive home was long, long long, we drove back through Jackson and didn't get on the road until later than people expected (we didn't know the plan, and why wake sleeping kids?). We didn't get home until after 11:30 and the kids were running around the house like mad. It was crazy! They were happy to be home!
Somehow we seemed to change our kids in for other ones while there because we had kids that got up at 6 and 6:30 and now we have ones that get up at 8:30 and 9! Who are these kids?? Best kids ever! Let's see how long this lasts!
Looks like he is posing doesn't it? He is really in motion though! Kid doesn't stop! There were several potguts, chip munks and other creatures hanging out at this picnic site. At one point a chipmunk even crawled across the toe of my shoe!
Asher clearly thinks Owen and his glasses stealing is hilarious. Owen is enjoying the audience too!
Drool and all, cute picture of cousin Eden!
I wanted to get a picture of my little Quasi!
So he started making faces!
It was unexpected and pretty darn cute!
If we can't put baby in the corner... can we put him in the trunk?
Happily passing time, NOT in the car!
Dylie and a cool pot. Obviously she is enjoying the scenery. I think on this day she slept all day, in and out of the car a few times! I also have a picture of her taking in Old Faithful in the same way.
At Yellowstone Falls. See, she didn't sleep the WHOLE time. Just almost...
Quasi getting some snuggles from Uncle Gary by the Falls. Looks fake doesn't it?
Asher, Grandma and a gyser.
This cute little gal was at the grizzly and wolf rescue at West Yellowstone. She was just sitting there, like this, for a long time. She would look around though and she stared us down a bit. LouAnn remarked that she didn't look very majestic just sitting there like that. That's when we read her sign. She has neurological damage from a fall or from poisening, so we decided she was our Dylie bald eagle and she was as regal as Dylan is!
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