Our Staycation

We took a week vacation in August, but decided to stay home to enjoy the fun right here in Cleveland. There are so many things to do around here, and our schedule was packed. It's amazing how much fun you can have in your own backyard.

We started our week at the zoo. 

Looking for elephants

Watching kangaroos - hop, hop, hop!

We got to feed a giraffe! Ainsley wanted to do it, but chickened out
at the last second, handed me the big lettuce leaf, and said,
"Mommy do it!"

Mommy & Ainsley, in front of the lion
(he's back there, you'll have to trust me)

We drove up to Lakeside for a day, with a quick stop at Marblehead. Ainsley loved the park and the water. We even had time for a little shopping and picked up Ainsley's very first Lakeside t-shirts.

Marblehead lighthouse

We spent a lot of time at the park.

Waiting for pizza

Ice cream for dessert. Wouldn't be a trip
to Lakeside without ice cream!

Ainsley is SO big!

Also wouldn't be Lakeside without boats

Daddy taught Ainsley how to get her shuffle on.

She had her very own stick, just her size.

She's a natural!

Just hanging around

Playing peek-a-boo behind a tree

Peek-a-doo!  (as Ainsley says)

Who could resist this sweet face?

Another day found us at Lake Farmpark, or as Ainsley calls it, the Animal Park. We saw horses, cows, pigs (a mommy & babies), sheep, goats, alpacas, and more.  Ainsley gets a little afraid of the animals, but she still loves to come here! There's also a great educational center where the kids can play and learn about how ice cream is made. 

Taking a rest by the goats

That's a big cow!

Riding the tractor

We heard good things about the Memphis Kiddie Park from several different people, so we thought we'd try it. Ainsley loved it!  It is just right for kids her age.

The merry-go-round was her absolute favorite
today. I think she asked to ride the horsies
at least 10 times.

On the boat

Our little peanut all by herself in the yellow cage.
She asked to ride, and she loved it!  Another little
boy didn't want to ride alone, but she wouldn't ride with him!
Poor little guy!

Ainsley & Daddy on the train
I love how you can see Ainsley's fancy jewelry here.

She also wanted to ride the roller coaster -
here they are, in motion!

And we finished the day on, you guessed it,
the horsies. This was her favorite horse,
because the elephant on the saddle looked
like Dumbo.

We spent another day close to home at Preston's Hope, a local park. It is huge, with a lot of buildings to run through and activities to do.

There is a sandbox near the place
where you learn about construction.

Ainsley's favorite building was the hair salon.
Grandma would be proud!

Driving outside the fire station

Playing at home in the pool

We enjoyed our fun family vacation, even though we didn't go very far. Seeing so much joy in Ainsley's face this week reminded us that the simple things in life truly are what bring the most happiness. And being happy and having fun together is what's most important, no matter where you are!