Breakfast with the Easter Bunny!

Well, my resolution to update more has NOT panned out well! I am sorry for any of you faithful readers who have been itching for a Charlotte update. 


For Easter we did something extra special.  We went to the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore for Breakfast with the Easter Bunny! Boy was it fun! This was my first time going to one of the Zoo's breakfast events, even though we have been zoo members for over a year.  I chose this event because I love breakfast and animals and Easter. We were fortunate enough to have people come with us on this adventure! Charlotte and I were joined by GG, Aunt Jenna, Cousin Holden and Holdens Grandmother Mary. 


I should start by saying how impressed I was with the organization of the event.  While standing in line, they told us what table we would be seated at.  It was nice to have assigned seats.  It was a sold out event, so I imagine it would have been sucky to fight for a table with enough sits for the six of us.  The best part of this event is that Holden and Charlotte were free because they are under two.  A lot of times places who have kids free under two, require the kids to sit on laps, so I was pleased to see they had seats for the kiddos too!


When we walked into the mansion house, it was decorated for Easter and all the kids got a free small stuffed animal.  Charlotte chose a duck.  Then we found our table, and boy did we luck out, we were right near the food and where there was a set up for Easter bunny pics!


We went to eat first, and the food was great. I should mention they had Hershey kisses decorating the table, so of course Charlotte ate one of those pre-breakfast.  They had mini muffins, apples, bananas, French toast sticks, scrambled eggs, bacon and hashbrowns. YUM! I had about an entire plate of bacon, one of my favorite foods, that I don't buy or cook, so I gotta stock up.  The hashbrowns kinda sucked but everything else was great.  Charlotte ate a lot of mini muffins, eggs, and a French toast stick. 


While we were eating the Easter bunny came around to meet everyone, he stopped at every table.  Charlotte LOVED the Easter bunny, she cried when he left and spent the rest of the breakfast looking for him.  She met up with him several times.  In our family photo she wouldn't turn around for the camera because she was hugging him.  She found him to show him the craft she made too.  It was too cute! I liked how accessible the Easter bunny was, much better than the mall. 


They also had a craft table set up, it looked like two different crafts, however Charlotte only did one.  She got to color a bag to collect Easter eggs in.  She had a great time coloring and it was nice they had activities to keep the kids busy. 


The description of the event said to look out for the zoo's animal ambassadors and their handlers for pictures and things.  This was the only disappointing part of the event (although didn't make a different to Charlotte) The animals were two rabbits, which were super cute, but it was in a pen, and you couldn't pet it or really get your picture with it.  Charlotte had fun looking at the rabbits and waving to them (if you ask her what a rabbit says, she says HOP HOP HOP, so she spent time shouting HOP HOP HOP at them) but it was disappointing you couldn't pet them, when we saw the Flemish Giant in the zoo, we were as close as we were during that breakfast, so it wasn't anything extra special, so a little disappointing, but didn't ruin the event in the least.


After the breakfast we got to tour the zoo, which was a lot of fun! We did the Easter Egg Hunt at the Bunnybonanzoo event they had and went around to look at all the animals!


It was a great day! Charlotte laughed and ran and had so much fun! She is so grown up and engaged in activities now.  It is impossible to have a bad time when you hang out with her.  All in all, the Breakfast with Easter Bunny Event is recommended.  I hope we are fortunate enough to go next year :)

Oregon Ridge Nature Center

Sorry that it's been so long that I've blogged, but boy have we been busy! I will def be overloading you all with a ton of posts the next few days! 

In the earlier winter we went to Oregon Ridge nature Center! It was my first time there, but it was very fun! 

ORNC has an indoor nature area and it looks like a lot of walking trails, there was snow all over the ground (and falling from the sky) so we didn't get to explore the outside as much as I would have liked. 

Inside they had lots of animals and tanks to look at as well as some exploratory things, when we went there was a free animal encounter program and they brought out their opossum for the kids to get an up close look at. They talked about the opossum and there was a free craft to do. Charlotte did not sit through the informational part, so we walked around the nature center, everyone else was inside the meeting room looking at the animal, and listening, so we had the place to ourselves, and one of the employees was kind enough to take one of the turtles out for the kiddo to touch and see! 

It was a fun way to spend the afternoon, and I very much look forward to going back when it gets warm outside. The best bonus is that this place is free. I love a deal!!

Charlotte things of note: she wore her snow boots and was very excited about that, she loves walking on her own up to the nature center, the road/sidewalk was all salted bc of the snow, and she shuffled her feet and laughed the whole time (it was a whole new sensation for her), she said turtle at lot, which was one of her new favorite words at the time, she giggled when she got to pet the turtle and loved his "hands", she loved walking in the snow, and tried to jump in it, but it was a little hard for her, she had a ball! 

The Aquarium!

Charlotte and I went to the Aquarium on September 14th.  It was her first time since February, and then she was so little I had her in her baby carrier.  She loved it then, lots of things to look at so I was very much looking forward to this trip. 

The Aquarium does not allow strollers, we took ours for walking to and from the garage and to and from dinner (at Chipotle of course, she LOVES it there!) It was also a beautiful day outside so we got to walk around the harbor too.  She loves all the sights and sounds down there. 

The aquarium did not disappoint.  We had so much fun together. She has really been getting good at walking so we braved it.  No baby carrier.  Overall it was a good decision, but she did get pissed a few times I did not let her walk and held her.  She really likes to be as independent as possible, however it is definitely unsafe to let a one year old ride the escalator and moving walkways hahaha. The good news is that the aquarium has a ton of stuff to distract her with. 

She loved the rainforest part, there were things to look at everywhere, and she particularly loved the waterfall.  She loved the sharks too, because they constantly swim by.  Also, I think every kid loves the bubble tubes haha! She is so curious and likes to look at and touch everything.  We had so much fun, and I can't wait to go back!

Science Center

Charlotte and I decided to hit up the science center for their Fridays after five discount admission and their cool patio party! 

It was my first time taking her to the science center and my first time going there in years! It is way cooler than I remember and the free patio party was an added bonus! 

The science center has a really cool kids room to play in with lots of things to touch and do! There was lots of room for her to run around and play as well which was nice. 

There was a lot to look at and a lot to see, she loved the water table and looking at the stars in the space exhibit. She also really enjoyed the dinosaur exhibit and digging in the sand for fossils. 

The patio party is something the science center offered for free, food and drinks and live music outside. The best part was the fun stuff try had for kids outside. Lots of bubbles and blocks and hula hoops and fun!

Charlotte had a blast and since she's started walking she's all over the place so it was extra fun! The science center on discount admission day is something I highly recommend! It's easy to get to, parking is plentiful, affordable, and lots to do! Any place that encourages touching and running around is for Charlotte!

Port Discovery!

Well Charlotte went to port discovery for the first time! We met some friends there on Friday night for $2 family fun night!

It is still a challenge traveling places by myself with her but I must admit I'm getting good at it. It's always nice to have an extra set of hands but I am happy I am awesome enough to be able to get out and about by myself with some success hahahha! Now moms or dads of more than one little child?!? They are super heros! I have no idea how someone with two or three little ones can manage, I feel like grocery shopping would be the worst thing ever.

Anyway. Port Discovery. It was def awesome and I can't wait to go back when Charlotte is older, but if you have a little one save your money on regular priced days. Regular admission is $14 for ages 2 and over. Charlotte had fun in the tot trails section, but quite honestly it was a lesser version of Storyville ...which is FREE!

The older kid stuff is amazing though' and for two bucks we had a great time!! I love going downtown and pushing her around, she loves all the noise and colors! The one thing we loved that Storyville doesn't have was the sand tables and water tableS! Charlotte had a blast playing with them, which makes me excited for the summer! I put a sand/water table on her amazon registry! I'm also looking at tot swaps and yard sales for one! Fingers crossed!

All in all I had a great time, but I'm glad I didn't pay $14! And I think $14 for a two year old is ridiculous, Charlotte and I will stick to the AMAZING Storyville until she is old enough for the jungle gym at port discovery!