The city of Miami has made an old tropical destination into a fun park and splat pad. Pinecrest Gardens are free to visit and the splat pad is inexpensive to play at. As we walked the gardens we found colorful fish to watch and a lot of turtles including one who was taking a walk on the path. The splat pad had a lot of fun water features to play in. Julia was a little tired so she was slower to want to play, but after she got her bearing she was off enjoying herself. Emily loved walking in and out of the sprays, under towers, and even made some friends with the other kids.

It was a great way to wear off some energy and cool off on a hot day. When it was time to go neither of the girls were ready to leave. I think this place is on a short list of places we will visit when we are in town. Lots of fun!

Uncle Doug and Aunt Sabah took us all to the Miami Zoo for a couple of hours of fun play. We rented a bicycle to ride around the park and I decided that it was the best way to see it. The girls were up high so they could see the animals over fences and bushes without having to get out at each stop. The bicycle also offered wonderful shade for us all.

We rode to the ‘kids’ section and Emily got to ride a Camel with Uncle Doug. She was so excited and loved it. The girls rode the carousel and Julia demanded that both Grandma and I ride our own animals next to hers. Emily got to press her first penny into a souvenir coin. We saw tigers, crocodiles, otters, elephants, rhinos, a bear, flamingos, and a few more unusual animals that I don’t remember the names of.  By the time we needed to return our bike rental we were all hot and ready to go. It will be fun to go back and explore some sections that we didn’t get to see this trip. Both girls had a blast!

We spent a few hours at the beach. The girls loved playing in the sand. They liked covering their bodies with sand and Julia enjoyed throwing clumps of sand around. She was coated with it because each throw splattered a little back on her. It was pretty funny. Emily, Julia, and Sabah built castles. The girls enjoyed destroying them in search of hidden animals. Emily tried to fill a pool in the castle, but learned about the sand absorbing the water.

The water was so warm and nice to be in. Emily discovered that the water had salt in it. The only problem she had was when she got salt water in her eye, but we taught her to wipe her eyes and they were better. She enjoyed bouncing around in the surf. We took a walk out to a sandbar. The time went by quickly and soon it was time to get out of the sun and have some naps. Looking forward to our next trip.

Emily loves to be in the water. She swam with floaties, an intertube, a noodle, on her own, and with family members. When we arrived she was very tentative about jumping in the pool. Her jump resembled a step more than a jump, but after playing with Grandma she was doing so well at jumping in and away from the pool edge. Her building confidence was so amazing and I was so proud of her. She prefers to swim with her floaties to swimming on her own, but when she is ready to give them up she is going to do fine.

Emily enjoyed throwing diving toys for everyone else to fetch for her, she liked jumping from step to step, and enjoyed passing a ball to other people. Our swim times were fun active times. She was happy to swim with anyone, but her favorites were Grandma and Natalie. I credit Grandma with helping Emily learn technically how to jump safely into the pool and Natalie with teaching Emily how to jump with complete confidence. Emily had fun jumping to Grandma, but what happened in less than a hour of play with Natalie was amazing.

Emily has continued to ask to swim since we got home. I look forward to our next opportunity to play in the water.

Julia loves being in the pool and water. She expresses such excitement when she knows she is going to play. Several times on the trip she would ask directly to go swimming in the pool by saying ‘wa’ and pointing at the pool. She would also find her swim diaper and take it to everyone trying to get someone to take her out. We worked hard to keep the swim diapers hidden because she was so insistent.

Julia enjoyed being held in the pool. She liked playing on the steps of the pool. She tolerated floating on her own in the baby float. She disliked holding on to the noodle and intertube. When she started to walk off the steps and enjoying the dunking she got, we put Emily’s floaties on her. With floaties she just bobbed around kicking enough to move a little. Julia is lacking fear of the water. It might still come, but she doesn’t have it yet. Julia puts her face into the water willingly and when her head goes under water she does a pretty good job of not swallowing water.

One of my favorite things she did around the pool was to wipe her face on the towel. She listened and watched our instruction to Emily about wiping your face to get sunscreen or water out of her eyes. On her own she started to wipe little spots on her face with the towel and then heading back to get more of the water. She just wants to be like her big sister. This is probably why she has been so quick to try so many things in the pool.

Sun, Sand, Water, and lots of Fun!