The Wheeler Family

So, we’ve been fairly busy lately… the week before last the kids and I spent a week at the Thraps house and had lots of fun as you can see on their blog. We returned Friday morning and then Saturday spent time with my nieces and nephew at my parents house… just lotsssssssss of stuff going on. Monday and Tuesday were our “vacation” days. Sweet Cousin (or as the kids call her, Aunt Sue) Sue had invited us to come visit so that she could take the kids to the zoo and the children’s museum! Before we headed up there though we stopped to see Kurt and Missy and play some Guitar Hero!

Then we headed up to Aunt Sue’s (and Pat of course ). Sue’s main goal for the short time we were there was to spoil my children rotten to the core! Audrey and Michael were LOVING the special attention. First, she gave Audrey the spare bedroom and deemed it the “Princess Room”

It was a cute room with a daybed and a TV (complete with a stack of children’s movies)! After rooms were handed out, Audrey, Michael, and Aunt Sue poured over their scrapbooks during which Aunt Sue exclaimed at almost every page how the children got cuter and cuter! After the scrapbooks were looked at (and MORE than adequately swooned over) Aunt Sue picked up on Chris’s subtle desire/obsession for Harris Pizza and decided to order in for dinner… and, as though it could get better… THEN Sue and Pat revealed that they love EUCHRE! The children were put to bed (don’t worry, not REALLY to bed, Aunt Sue would have none of that… the only rule at Aunt Sue’s house is that there is no rules, which of course takes care of bedtime) and the adults played EUCHRE! The girls kicked butt on the first game, but sadly the last two games the guys took it… but we had fun anyway!

The next day we got ready for a full day of fun! First stop was Naibi Zoo in Coal Valley, IL

The kids enjoyed the Koi pond where Aunt Sue supplied them with lots of quarters to buy the fish/duck food

Then we prepared for the train ride around the Zoo it was Audrey’s big hope that she and Aunt Sue would snag a back seat on the train, but sadly they were beat by another couple! They still found a good spot! I sat by Chris and Michael rode with Grandpa Wheeler

We enjoyed a leisurely ride around the zoo until the scary tunnel… everyone kept it together except for Chris luckily he survived and moved on! Next up was the petting zoo which everyone loved…

Aunt Sue had to run a quick errand so Grandpa Wheeler led the way into the Australian Walkabout where we saw Kangaroos and Dingos! Then we made our way into the Aviary where someone handed Michael a cup of nectar to feed to the birds… this enticed a bird to LAND on Chris and enjoy the snack. This is Chris’s pirate face don’t worry, he won’t give up his day job!

Then it was on to Africa where we saw a Giraffe trying to do the SPLITS so he could reach the yummy grass!

Near the lions, poor Audrey got tired and hungry so we stopped at the Desert Oasis for a quick snack and break! On the way back to the front of the zoo we spotted a misting fan and the kids (and Chris) enjoyed a quick jaunt in front of the fan to cool off. As we made our way to the front of the zoo to leave, Chris decided his tootsies needed some pampering so he had a seat and let the foot massaging chair do its $0.25 job but to his horror it TICKLED! He could NOT stop giggling the entire time and EVERYONE around us was staring at him! Luckily, we were ready to leave the zoo and rejoin Aunt Sue back at the house for lunch! After lunch Aunt Sue, the kids, and I set off for the Children’s Museum! Once we got there, we realized we only had one hour to play because we had to get back for Grandpa Staley’s birthday dinner (Happy Birthday DAD!!!). We checked in
and then set out to discover all the fun stuff! There was SO much to do including the centrifugal ride and the kids’ favorite the Magic Mirrors Room! Sadly, my camera’s battery had given out on me after a loooooooooooooong day of picture taking at the zoo!

After the museum, we headed back to Sue and Pat’s house to pick up Chris to head home. Audrey was beside herself with sadness, she just did not want to LEAVE! I had to PROMISE that I would let her and Michael come back again sometime WITHOUT me and Chris so that she and Michael could have Aunt Sue all to themselves! We were sad to leave too, but we sure had a fun time!