Swimming at the Y & Oxbow Park/Zollman Zoo

So, these 2 events didn't happen on the same day, or really even close together at all, but for picture quantity control and also to benefit my laziness in trying to rush through the rest of the "Bradbeer Family Visit" posts I am lumping them together.

 

Our YMCA has 3 different pool areas + a resistance whirlpool area + a big waterslide + a large hot tub.  Which makes it a really fun place to go.  Since it's Minnesota the whole get up is indoors and heated year round.  Not having to lather kids up in sunscreen is a win for me!

 

One of the pool areas in a wade in/beach sloped area that very gradually deepens to about 4 feet-ish (I think).  In the shallows there are a few different fun water spraying fountains and a ducky slide.  Kate is obsessed with the ducky slide.  It's in a shallow enough area that she can go down all by herself and she will literally do this over and over again for hours if we let her.  She LOVES it.

 Below is Kenz emerging from the waterslide (the tubing snakes around on the outside of the building).

 The below picture is a perfect representation of every time we take Izzie swimming.  We always make them practice floating on their back, holding their breath underwater, and kicking to the side.  However, Izzie hates this.  LOATHES it in fact.  It is awful.  She likes to be in the water, but does NOT want to be splashed, feel out of control, and especially doesn't like to get her head wet.  It's no fun.  But we always tell her that if she isn't willing to learn to be safe and to try and learn to swim, then she can't get in the water.  She always commits to doing the exercises.  However, when the time comes, it is DRAMA.

 Kate on the other hand, loves the water.  To the point that it makes me nervous.  She doesn't hesitate to stick her head under, splash water on herself, or try anything new.  One day, I'm sure it'll be to her advantage.  Until she learns to be a great swimmer, her fearlessness will always make me apprehensive.

Later the next week Heather and the kids and I (minus Langley, she was having a rough day and so she missed out on the outing) went off to a free park/zoo area about 15 minutes from my house.  It's a much smaller zoo then the Como Zoo (the free zoo we went to in Minneapolis), but it is a great little zoo and we all had fun! 

 The kids all especially loved feeding goats

 Some of the animals pictured below are: cow, wolf, coyote, fox, prairie dog, badger, pony, donkey, 2 different types of eagles, a couple types of owls, hawk, chickens, beaver, owl, bob cat.  Those aren't the order of the pictures in the collage, but you get the idea of some of the fun animals that are there.

After we finished at the zoo, we went to the park area and had a picnic lunch and played for a while.

Both outings to the Y and to the Zoo/Park, were great little half day outings that enjoyed us to spend some time at home, but also get out and do something fun each day.