Kemah Boardwalk

To celebrate Nanny D's birthday, we traveled to Kemah Boardwalk for the day to enjoy a nice lunch and some sea life.  Kate has been on a few roadtrips to Houston before, but never without stopping at someone's house, which has a since of home for her.  I was nervous about her nap schedule and how she would do being gone all day, but she did wonderful!  She didn't take a nap on the way to Kemah because Nanna, Nanny D, and myself were all in the back of the car with her.  She was too busy trying to get our attention to sleep.  We ate at Landry's for lunch, and Kate held a crayon for the first time and scribbled a little on the marine life picture (and tablecloth, oops!).  She even held the crayon the correct way for a short period of time.  Smart girl!

Kate thinking hard about which item she wants Mommy to color next.

"Okay, now can I eat this?"  I see buying crayons far down the road in our future.  Certainly, not right now!

After eating at Landry's, we shopped around a bit, and Kate FINALLY fell asleep in the Christmas store.  I think it was the soft carols and the mood lighting that did it. She took a good hour nap in her stroller (not long enough for Mom), but it seemed to sustain her for the rest of the afternoon.

 Zonked out

Next stop was the Aquarium Restaurant.  Inside the restaurant, you can pay to take a self-guided tour through the aquarium and can find the stingrays.  Kate is obsessed with "ish" and couldn't stop pointing and saying "ish" over and over.  She loved it.  It was well worth the $4.60 per person fee.

Shopping in the gift shop...doesn't she look like she's questioning whether or not she should just take that stuffed stingray.  It's like she got caught!

Outside the Aquarium.  Kate has been doing this face now for about 2 months, and it never seems to get old.  I'm afraid we're going to look back at this time period and this is the only face we will see in pictures!

Kate and Pop enjoying the fish tanks.

She was a little uneasy at first, but she warmed up quickly!

The stingray tank!  Okay, if the Crocodile Hunter can die from a stingray, my 13 month old daughter is not going to touch one.  However, she LOVED splashing in the water.  

Pure joy!

Here's Kate doing her elephant impression.  She raises one arm and says, "Wheeeeeee!"

Our next top was the pier to just be outside and enjoy the boats.  Kate was getting antsy in her stroller, so we let her toddle around the boardwalk pier.  She waved to all the boats and said hi, she stood tall on her tiptoes to look out, and really enjoyed herself.

What a wonderful way to spend a Saturday!