Sesame Place (Another Late One!)

The last weekend in August, Nanny and Poppy treated us to a weekend away at Sesame Place. For a soon to be four year old boy (and his parents) this was an amazing treat. Owen was a week away from turning four. He had been speaking of his birthday for months on end, but when word came that we were going to visit all his favorite characters, spend alone time with nanny and poppy and ride amusement park rides, the birthday talk stopped. When we got to the hotel, there was a cardboard cut-out of Elmo. Owen unabashedly ran up to it and gave it a giant hug. We knew we were in for a memorable weekend.

The first ride was the teacups. I can't even do Ring-Around- the-Rosie without getting dizzy. Daddy and Poppy volunteered to join Owen. I have about 15 pictures of Poppy working hard at keeping his eyes closed and his breakfast in. In what will surely be revisited upon Eric when we are the grandparents treating our kids to an amusement park trip, Eric made sure to spin the cups extra fast as a means of torturing his dad. 

Cookie Monster brought Owen a birthday balloon and stayed with owen while everyone sang "Happy Birthday." The Count came over too to share in the festivities.  No other birthday kid got that level of royal treatment. Owen looked so proud and humbled. It was wonderfully heart breaking. 

Elmo was much bigger in person that any of us expected. Ellis was less than impressed.

Owen was so brave. He went on almost every ride without fear. The one ride that he greatly hesitated over where these giant, unbelievably slow slides. He watched the 3 kids ahead of him go down slower than molasses and worried that he, and he alone, would go down at lightning speed and injure himself.  Crazy swings, however, no problem. 

Synchronizing waving!

Ellis may not have been old enough to go on any rides or appreciate life size Sesame Street characters (not that he even has a point of reference), but he was just the right age to engage in a rousing debate with a honker. 

As always, Ellis was a delight. He took in everything with a smile and enjoyed lots of love and cuddles. in lieu of exciting rides 

Nanny and Owen took a spin around in the angel Elmo. 

This was MY bravest moment. It is a ride called "Elmo's Blast Off." It is basically "Tower of Terror" for the toddler crowd. Owen talked about it for days afterwards and was remiss that he only rode it once. Once was more than enough for me.  

Hooper's store was deserted. They didn't even have it stocked with fake food. Owen enjoyed the cash register despite having nothing to ring up. I still remember the Sesame Episode where Hooper dies. Maybe thats why his store was so run down. Nobody took over after he went to the big Muppet party in the sky. 

Our quest for a family pictures where everyone is looking at the camera and nobody is crying continues.  

Almost there-- if only everyone was looking at the SAME camera and Ellis wasn't schelepping so much junk under his stroller. Bert's handler (they all have handlers with them) informed us that Ernie was under the weather. 

So close....yet so far away. Eric's grip on Owen is less than framable. 

Thankfully, we got several beautiful pics of Owen with Nanny and Poppy. This was such a wonderful trip and we will remember and talk about it for years to come!

This little bunny showed up towards the end of our second day in the park and kept asking for food. 

We ended our mini-vacation the same way we started it. Another ride on the teacups trying to make Poppy sick. Good times.