We had a hard time deciding on a location for our family vacation this summer. Initially we were going to meet some friends in Chicago but when that didn't work out, we decided to pick a place a little closer to home so we decided on Minneapolis. While we were there we visited the Build-a-Bear store, Nickelodeon Universe, Lego Land and Underwater World at the Mall of America as well as the MN Zoo and Dave & Busters. Ironically, one of the best parts of the weekend (for the boys) was the fact that they had their own room, complete with bunk beds, a television and video games (and of course, a pool to swim in at the hotel). The best part for us was seeing all the smiles and excitement on their little faces!
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| At Build-a-Bear, they got to each pick out a bear. Then they brought it over to get the stuffing put in and picked out a special heart for their bear. After that, they gave their bears an air bath, dressed them in their clothes and decided on a name. Joey picked a Karate Bear and named him Buddy. Sam picked a Basketball Bear and named him Basketball Bear. I was not a bit surprised with either of their choices. |
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| Underwater World was very cool. There were sharks and other fish swimming in the tunnel all around us. |
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| Sam was SO excited to see Nemo. He could've cared less about the sharks, stingrays and sea turtles. To him, it was all about Nemo. |
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| Crocodile |
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| Look who we ran into on the way out! |
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| Next we were off to Nickelodeon Land. Sam gave Dora a high-five and a big hug. |
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| Joey loved Lego Land! |
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| Sam introducing Basketball Bear to his taggie. |
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| Joey snuggled up with Buddy, ready to take a snooze on the way back to our hotel. |
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| At Dave & Busters, Joey hit the jackpot on the first game he played. |
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| Playing games with Daddy. |
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| Swimming!! |
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| Fun in the water! |
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| Playing their race car game before bed. |
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| Joey was SO excited about the Dinosaurs. This picture makes me laugh because the whole way there he kept stopping, looking around and saying "Did you hear that?". |
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| Sam was a little nervous about the dinosaurs. He stayed in his stroller (holding onto his blankie tight) the whole time until the very end of the exhibit. When he was safely past the animated dinosaurs, he decided to get out so I could snap a few pictures. |
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| Cooling off at the splash pad. |
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| My silly boy. |
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| Anyone who knows Joey, knows how much he loves monkeys. Well, on our way out, he spotted a baby monkey and he and I spent a good 10 minutes watching the baby monkey interacting with the other monkeys. So cute! |
