We Loved Clowning Around at The Circus!

 

My family loves the circus.  It has become a tradition to "get our clown on" every October, and my kids start asking about it in the summertime.  The dig out their clown noses and start adding cotton candy to the grocery list.  And we all get excited when the weather starts to change, because we know that it is almost circus time.

This year, the Ringling Bros Barnum & Bailey show did not disappoint!  There were new acts (we LOVED the trampoline guys!) and old favorites.  My three year old literally danced in the aisles to the catchy tunes, and my trumpet player was fascinated with the band. 

            

We were all on the edge of our seats when the tightrope walkers rode bikes across the wire, and when the dudes jumproped on the twirling Steel Vortex (itt freaks me out EVERY time). 

And the clowns...THE CLOWNS!!!  New Ringmaster sidekicks, Alex and Irina Emelin, stole the show!

There is still time to get tickets and see the show at The Pepsi Center...it runs from Oct. 9th to the 13th.  Do not miss out on The Greatest Show on Earth!!!

Bugs, Butterflies & Boo! (aka...Getting Over My Fear of Butterflies)

Butterfly Pavilion - Bug-a-Boo

Saturday & Sunday, October 19th - October 20th

9AM - 5PM 

I am afraid of butterflies.

 

My kids (and the hubs) think this is HILARIOUS.

 

It all started with the Miller Moth Invasion of 1992.  We couldn't even leave the porch light on or 20 of those little buggers would come in the house with us.  They were in my truck, outside, and in my house...constantly banging into my face and head.

 

Despite the fact that my hubs will take more than one picture of me with my mouth agape, silently screaming, I am REALLY looking forward to bringing the fam to the Butterfly Pavilion for the Bug-A-Boo this year.  My three year old has actually been asking to go, since the Middle is headed there on a field trip next week.  The hubs WILL be holding Rosie (because he is afraid of her, and let's be honest...I GOTTA get a picture of THAT).  AND we get to go trick or treating and hang with a giant praying mantis.  I mean, seriously, what could be better than that?

 

"Experience Metro Denver's favorite Halloween event - Bug-A-Boo at Butterfly Pavilion! Celebrate the fall season dressed in your Halloween best while enjoying indoor trick-or-treating, creepy crawly activities, a parade led by Pete the Mantis, and lots more fun for the whole family to enjoy! Kick off the holiday a week early!"

 

http://www.butterflies.org/calendar/bug-boo

 

 

You can visit The Butterfly Pavilion year round, and you will want to bring this coupon!

$2 off admission for up to 4 people!

http://www.coloradokids.com/coupon.php?id=10010200&referralcode=true

Safety + Spookiness = FUN! at The Chrildren's Museum!

Children's Museum of Denver - Trick or Treat Street

Oct 25th - 27th

9am - 7:30 pm

 

Break out the costumes and get ready for some safe Halloween fun!  I am taking my family to the Children's Museum Trick or Treat Street, and we are ALREADY excited.  My 3 year old has been donning his dino costume for several days now...not sure it's going to make it to October!

 

From the museum:

 

"We're bringing in pumpkins, hay bales and heaps of spooktacular fun to make the Children's Museum a playful wonderland for children and adults alike! For three days, the Museum will host fairies, goblins, superheroes and all sorts of costumed characters. Families can parade from one Treat House to the next collecting goodies, create classic Halloween crafts like "Noodle-Boned Skeletons" and "Dirty Desserts," play carnival games on the plaza, stroll through Pumpkin Hill, take a spin on Vern's Mini Train* and much more. It's the ultimate Halloween adventure, bursting with fun for everyone. Visit mychildsmuseum.org for a complete schedule of events. Activities included with Museum admission. *Vern's Mini Train is $2 per ride."

 

 

http://www.mychildsmuseum.org/events/trick-or-treat-street.aspx

 

 

The Children's Museum is not just for Halloween, and now you can get a GREAT BOGO deal on Wednesdays!

Coupon offer: 2 for 1 Wednesday Nights

http://www.coloradokids.com/coupon.php?id=10010204&referralcode=true

 

Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/events/354925147971828/

Casa Bonita...the Magic of Mexico Right Here in Denver!

Second in our "Where to Take ALL of Your Kids to Have Fun" Series...

 

It's hard to find anyone in the Denver area who hasn't heard of Casa Bonita...but we managed to find one!  Our neighbor got the run down from my kids after we visited to celebrate the end of summer.  I think their words do a better job of confirming that ALL of your kids will have fun at this

magical place, than mine ever could.  Check out what they said:

• They have a mariachi band and the trumpets are amazing! (12yo)
• We saw a puppet show and the rock talked!  (2yo)
• The gorilla chased the guy, but he won't get US.  (2yo)
• I got the unlimited chicken plate, and I could get refills of whatever I wanted.  I just had to raise a little flag!  (OK...so that was me.  I didn't have to cook and someone brought food whenever I asked.  SCORE!)
• People dove into the water from like a hundred feet...I totally got soaked.  (8yo)

• I won a fake mustache and glasses in the arcade so I wore them with my sombrero.  (12yo)
• We got to eat sopapillas with honey, and my mom and dad got them with whipped cream for their birthdays.  (8yo)
• I got to hit the pinata!  (8yo)
• I want to be in that show! (12yo)
• I brought my money so I could buy something at the gift shop.  (8yo)
• We all threw pennies in the wishing well, and then the well talked! (2yo)
• My favorite part was Black Bart's Cave...I was scared, but it was okay!  (2yo)
• I rode on a donkey!  (2yo)
• I won 19 bouncy balls!  (12yo)
• I drove Batman's car!  (2yo)
• It looked like Mexico in there...I felt like I was there.  Can I say that I went to Mexico this summer?  (12yo)

I think it's pretty obvious that all of my kids had a fantastic time, and so did we.  If you are in the Denver area, you MUST go to Casa Bonita at least once...and your kids will convince you to go again and again.  I mean, the place is so famous that it was featured on an episode of South Park!

MOMMY HINTS:

• Plan to arrive around 5pm for dinner...this will get you there early enough to avoid the massive lines, get a great table, and give you plenty of time to enjoy the activities after dinner.
• Take advantage of the ingoing token deal!
• All guests over 2 years old must purchase a dinner to enter the building.  
• Find great deals and coupons here: http://www.casabonitadenver.com/deals
• Bring your camera!

http://www.casabonitadenver.com/

Two Times the Fun at Elitch Gardens!

First up in our "Where to Take ALL of Your Kids to Have Fun" Series...

Denver, CO

I have to admit, we had not been to Elitch Gardens for years...

and our main reason was because we have multiple aged kids.

Too hard, we said.

The little one will have nothing to do, we said.

Too long of a day, we said.

Two parks...yikes, we said.

Sooooo, yeah, we were wrong.

We ALL had a blast at Elitch Gardens!  There was literally something for everyone!  I was surprised to find that my youngest could go on a lot of rides in the regular park, not to mention all the awesome, geared-toward-the-younger-crowd Kiddie Land.  I took him on the Spider, and we spun around like maniacs...and he LOVED it.  My 12 year old had all of the thrill rides at his beck and call, and he even managed to drag me on a few...I had forgotten how fun the Sidewinder is!  My 8 year enjoyed everything, once we managed to convince her to go on the rides!  She was so excited to have bragging rights when she started school this year ("Mom, I have the best stories for when they make us write about our summer!").

And this was just the morning.

After we ate lunch, we hit the water park.  We were all grateful for the break from the heat!  We rode the family rides together and then made our way to the Commotion Ocean and Hook's Lagoon.  (I think my kiddos could have stayed there all day.)  The bigger kids were excited to ride the slides while my youngest rode the slides in Hook's lagoon...over and over and over again!

I thought we might stay for a few hours.

We ended up shutting the park down!

Needless to say, Elitch Gardens passed my test.  My kids were exhausted by the time we got home, but they could not stop talking about their day and went to sleep with smiles on their faces.

If you have one kid, or 2, or 6, take them...you will not regret it!

My Mommy Hints:

Thanks to Jessie's advice, we went on a Monday.  I ranted over the lack of crowds

and lines.  I would DEFINITELY try to go that day.

Invest in water shoes for everyone in your family.

The ground gets hot and sensitive soles will thank you for it!

Lockers are available, and worth it!

Take advantage of season passes...it is almost impossible to fit everything in,

and your kids WILL want to go back.

Get there as soon as it opens....you will want to make the most of your time!

http://www.elitchgardens.com/

Can't We ALL Just Have Fun???

You may have heard me say that I have three kids.  They are almost 3, 8 and 12...you know, impossible to please all at the same time???  (Moms of multiple age groups, you KNOW what I'm talking about!)

My goal for the next several posts is to highlight places in the Denver area that you can take your multiple aged family...and they will ALL love it.  Think I'm reaching too high?  I promise...they will all LOVE it!

Dive into Adventure at the Adventure Aquarium!

Part 4 of my Mini-Series, Fun Family Things to do in the Bucks County Area!

Camden, New Jersey

WOW!  Just.....WOW.

My almost three year old touched a shark, stingray, starfish (oops...sea star), and a sea cucumber today.  And, he didn't get in trouble for ANY of it!!!

If you want a hands-on experience with ocean animals, you can't do better than the Adventure Aquarium in Camden, New Jersey.  First of all, the aquarium is right on the waterfront and...it...is...BEAUTIFUL!  You must take a picture with Philly in the background before your visit (you know there will be major meltdowns after...not the best pictures!)!!

 

The entire Aquarium is fantastic, but if you are headed there with your family, you will definitely want to hit all four of the Touch Tanks.  I think our favorite was Chompy, a little shark that bobbed out of the water on his way around the tank to greet all of his visitors!

There are four adventure zones at the Adventure Aquarium...and you'll want to make sure you have enough time to hit all of them.

Adventure Zone A is the temporary home of Mighty Mike, the largest American Alligator living outside of Florida...he is a doozy of an animal at 14 feet long and 800 pounds!  I would not want to run into him outside of the aquarium, but to be able to get so close to such a massive creative was pretty awesome.  (He's there until September 2nd.)  We also saw some incredible sharks, including a hammerhead!  The tanks were immense, and it was so cool to get right up to these amazing creatures.

Adventure Zone B brought us to the penguins...the comedians of the Aquarium!  We could have watched them all day long.  Everything these little guys do is hilarious, and we were laughing at their antics long after we left the Aquarium!  The stingrays were not to miss...they are so graceful as they are swimming around, but they are not above splashing you or nibbling on your fingers.  Perfect for the kids!

The turtles are very friendly in the KidZone!

Adventure Zone C was full of hands-on fun for the kiddos!  Whoever came up with the concept of creating a "break space" full of things that the kids can do on their own...climbing, touching, exploring...ought to be rewarded!  It was a fun, yet educational, part of the adventure!

Adventure Zone D was pretty darn amazing!  We were mesmerized by the jellyfish, and amused by the hippos.  Then, we entered the Shark Tunnel and my kids went berserk with delight!!!  Sharks and other fish were literally swimming all around us!  Those dudes are rockstars.

Bring your lunch or enjoy a meal in the Feeding Frenzy Cafe so you can spend the day at the Adventure Aquarium.  There is so much to see and do, and you will not want to be rushed!  The staff is knowledgeable and friendly, and we learned a lot just by striking up conversations with them...it was like our own private tour!  There are many extra adventures you can take at the Aquarium, like a 4D movie experience or swimming with the sharks, so be sure to check out their website before diving in!

http://www.adventureaquarium.com/

Learn through play at the PLEASE TOUCH MUSEUM!!!!

 Part 3 of my Mini-Series, Fun Family Things to do in the Bucks County Area

Hey Parents....

This is seriously your "Dream-Come-True" museum.  They WANT your kid to touch everything.  EVERYTHING!!!!!!

Run, don't walk, to the Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia, PA!!!

My sister and I took our kids (ages 1, almost 3, almost 3 and 8) to the Please Touch Museum on Eagles Day.  We prepared for some serious wrangling (where did we put those leashes???), "hired" the 8 year old to be our helper, and steadied ourselves as we walked through the front doors of the historic building.  I mean, preschoolers in a museum?  The thought is EXHAUSTING, right?

Oh.  My.  Word.
Best. Museum. EVER.

I'm not sure I can adequately describe the Please Touch Museum.  The really want the kiddos to touch.  In fact, everything in the joint encourages them to touch.  And everything in there is AMAZING!

Our kids...

• drove a bus
• rode on a subway, a trolley, a train, a motorcycle
• worked in a grocery store, hospital, construction site, train station, McDonald's, a shoe store, Rita's Water Ice, and a food cart
• exercised at the gym (with mini equipment!!!)
• climbed a rock wall
• ran around a mini track
• visited Alice in Wonderland
• hung out in City Park
• launched rockets
• went to the moon
• banged on drums in the rainforest
• played with a giant snake
• ran a household
• made things go
• completed a maze
• fixed a car
• walked on the gigantic piano that was featured in the movie "Big"

Blast off!

Grocery Shopping

Let's go for a ride on the City Bus!

Go ask Alice...

  
And sooooooooo much more!  They even participated in an Eagles Pep Rally, which was adorable, by the way. 

The Eagles Mascot Swoop visited the museum for Eagles Day!

You and your kids could literally spend all day at this place, and you will want to, so get there early!  We brought our lunch and ate near the (really cool) carousel, but there was also a great restaurant (Please Taste Cafe) right inside the museum.  The bathrooms were nicely placed all over the museum (and they were clean!), which was super helpful to us moms of the potty training crowd.  One of my favorite things about the museum was the very helpful staff members that were stationed in each of the exhibits.

The Please Touch Museum has events all summer long, so you will want to check the calendar before you plan your trip.  They are even hosting each of the area sports teams to support their newest exhibit, The Grow Games, which is part of First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! program!

http://www.pleasetouchmuseum.org/visit/events-calendar/

If you are looking for an awesome place to have a birthday party, look no further...your kiddo's friends will be talking about it for weeks!

Honestly, I couldn't give the Please Touch Museum a higher recommendation.  If you have kids up to age 8, you NEED to go!  Check out their website for more info:

http://www.pleasetouchmuseum.org/

Adventure on The Delaware!

Part 2 of my Mini-Series, Fun Family Things to do in the Bucks County Area

Who doesn't love tubing down the river???  Not this family!!!  We had a blast on the Delaware, thanks to Rick and the gang down at Bucks County River Country, who is in their 48th year in Bucks County!

Thanks to all of the rain we got, the river was running high, so the Littlest stayed with Nana while the rest of us hit the water...it was safety first so the under 18 crowd wore life jackets.  (As a mom, I appreciated the fact that the website has a scrolling update to water conditions, and that safety was of the utmost concern.)

After parking the car, we picked out tubes based on weight (there was a range for each size, so don't worry, ladies!).  We loaded onto a repurposed school bus for a quick jaunt upstream, which was fun in and of itself!  (Depending on the length of tubing time chosen, the bus drops you off at different spots.) 

HINT:  Be sure to bring rope to tie the tubes together if you plan on staying as a group.  Especially when the river is running high, it moves fast, and it's easy to get separated!  Bucks County River Country does have rope for sale if you forget.

Once we got in the water, all bets were off!  Splashing ensued, kids fell out of their tubes (on purpose) and laughing echoed off of the beautiful trees, rocks and houses that line the river.  It really is a gorgeous place to relax and float...I think the best that PA and NJ has to offer.  Dragonflies showed up for the party, landing on knees, toes and fingers...I wish I had a waterproof camera to capture the adventure!

 

(I also decided that I would love to chill and read a book whilst floating down the river...I'm guessing I'll have to wait a few years for that dream!  LOL!)

The trip lasted about two hours, and we floated right into the place where we left the car.  It was super well laid out and pretty darn convenient for families!

HINT: Fill your belly on site at The Riverside Cafe...there is a cute little beachy place to enjoy your food before or after your ride.  Or...visit the snack and supply cart for all of your tubing needs.

You know I love a discount, and you will not be disappointed in the coupons and discounts that the Bucks County River Country offers...just check their website before you go, and then tell them that Christen from Go Go Family sent ya!  (OK, so that MIGHT not get you a discount, but it's pretty fun to imagine people saying it!)

Thanks, Rick & the entire Bucks County River Country family...we had a blast and will DEFINITELY be back next summer (the hubs says without the kids for a date...lol!)!!!

http://www.rivercountry.net/

I'm Baaaaack! :)

I hope you all had a wonderful summer!  After a little warm weather hiatus, Go Go Family is back and raring to go!

  

I am looking forward to my new partnerships with www.coloradokids.com and the US Family Guide, which will open up a whole new world of field trip tips!  

Want to know what's going on at the local rec center?  I'm your girl!

Click on my Go Go Family Facebook page (you'll find it below) to get quick blips in your newsfeed.  Be sure to "Join This Page" (<-----) to get all of the latest news on family field trips on a budget, reviews of cool places to take your kiddos, and my very own tales of Mommyhood. 

See you soon!