Mission Accomplished

We decided to leave the burrow today. That's right; we all left for a trip, except for poor Henry. Dad and the kids have the week off, so it seemed like a good time to do something educational and fun and hopefully something not too expensive (not going to happen). We opted for a visit to the San Juan Capistrano Mission to soak ourselves in some California history. Grace and I had been there before on her class field trip, but we wanted to go back, and we knew the others would enjoy seeing the grounds and learning about life at the mission. Our goal for the day: Mission, tacos, petting zoo, Farrell's Ice Cream and then home.

The Mission was a huge hit. The audio tour was great. Each kid took turns listening to certain parts on the headset, and the hub walked through many areas uninterrupted while Sean was using the restroom (for some reason, this took a really, really long time. Don't ask.). Each child left with an archery practice set, and Grace got the book she had been wanting on ghosts of the mission. It was such a lovely time.

The petting zoo, on the other hand, was a bit crazy. There were lots of people there, and the cost was a little high for the five of us plus vegetable trays for the animals. The goats were VERY happy to see us and almost knocked Sean over trying to get his carrot tray. The llamas were cool with strange, almost googly eyes, as were the baby bunnies and guinea pigs. Our kids really don't get to pet things other than Henry, so this was fun for everyone. (Just so you know, emus like carrots, but they have really sharp beaks, and cows eat lettuce. Who knew?)

Farrell's Ice Cream Parlor was exactly how I remembered it: loud and fun and tasty. I probably didn't need the banana split, but it was really yummy.

All in all it was good to be out and enjoy the hot, sunny weather. We had no time frame (other than to get back for the wookie dog), and we were content to look at the sky or watch people hurrying to their destinations. It was a relaxing, lazy day with fun things to do and see and learn about.