10 hours is a long time to be in a car, for anyone, but when you have an almost-one-year-old, it's impossible. Alexis pretty much hates being in the car. Always has. She's gotten better at it, because we drives to extracurricular activities a lot. But if the drive is longer than 30 minutes, all hell breaks loose. So we decided to break up the drive and stop in Las Vegas. And since we were going to be in Vegas, we decided to make it a little family vacation and stay 3 nights. I wanna say... this might be the last time we do this. It was fun, for the most part, and the day activities were really enjoyable. But the night life isn't... family-friendly. And I knew that. I've been in Vegas many times. But as the boys, especially, get older, there are things I just don't want them to be exposed to. And even for Kendall, I don't want her to see things and think they are acceptable. Because they're not. And as much as we told them to ignore these things and look away, it was hard. They were so shockingly exposed and "in your face." Some girls even tried talking to my kids. I was like, "Don't talk to them!"
It wasn't all bad, though. We stayed at the Mandalay Bay Hotel on the way to Utah. The buffet was delicious, the pool was really fun (especially the lazy river), and The Variety Show was hilarious. The Shark Aquarium was breathtaking, Gordon Ramsay's sticky toffee and chocolate pudding was to die for, and Circus Circus was really fun. And the Bellagio fountains and The Mirage fire show, of course, never get old. We only stayed one night on the way back from Utah and William took the kids to The Blue Man Show while Alexis and I enjoyed an early and quiet evening together.
At Mandalay Bay:
Chicken and waffles:
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| William's fav: chicken and waffles |
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| Taylor enjoyed the syrup |
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| Every drop counts |
Back at Mandalay Bay, in the pools and hot tubs:
The Shark Reefs:
At Paris for some Gordon Ramsay's deliciousness:
The Variety Show:
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| I love Alexis' war cry in this picture, as she pulls Kendall's hair. Good thing Kendall loves her. |
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| My fav: the roller skating couple. It was especially amazing because we were sitting in the front row, and we thought the dude was going to drop his partner on us. |
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| Kendall's fav: the gymnast with the hula hoops. She was super bendy. |
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| All 3 boys' fav: we actually saw them a few weeks later on America's Got Talent, and although they didn't win, it looks like they got a show in Vegas anyhow. |
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| This girl flew over our heads on a high swing and we really thought she would knock us out with her flying legs or something. |
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| These guys were super strong. We also thought they were going to fall on us. The front row is dangerous, man! |
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| This guy was the host and he was funny and talented. He played songs on a keyboard using tennis balls! He also juggled ping pong balls... with his mouth! |
Walking through The Venetian:
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| The art at The Venetian never ceases to amaze me. |
The Bellagio Fountains:
Monte Carlo's super random shark art. I had to be a little dramatic...
Inside Mandalay Bay. Kendall was pouting and didn't want to be in the picture, so she took it instead.
The Fun Dome at Circus Circus was probably the highlight of the trip for the kids. And because Logan eats well, he was tall enough to go on almost every ride.
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| Alexis loved the Carousel. |
The Mirage Fire Show. We almost missed it, but I'm glad we made it. Phew!
The Blue Man Show:
Until never again, Vegas. You are filthy. That is all. Next time, we'll be staying off the strip. Or in the next town over.
