They are just too cute! She took a nap after this, so they didn't last long. I've tried again this week with no luck. But I found this jem on my camera....
four pigtails!!! Natalie must have put their hair up. Too cute! Now if I could only get her to hold still so that I can do her hair for church. I think that may be asking too much.
This picture was taken by Andrew later in the afternoon, hence the odd angle.
Elaina took to the activities really fast. Meanwhile, Claire spent the first hour clinging for life to me. Once she saw how fun the activities were she was willing to try them out. They had great fun throwing the balls in this funnel. They thought that it was really fun to throw them in and then get them out of the bottom and do it all over again.
The the Curious George exhibit, Elaina and Andrew were off exploring the activities while Claire became obsessed with this cash register. She sorted the money and put it in and out for 15 minutes.
The three kids all served me a nice lunch with the plastic food. They even gave me plates and cups.
We saved the best for last - the water area. Andrew and Elaina ran right in while Claire was cautious. They love all of the balls and shooting water, and even though they wore smocks most of the time, they still got wet. Andrew would gladly spend the whole time in this area. We ended up staying 4 hours! Sara suggested that we put the money we paid for admission towards a season pass, so we did. Now we can go back for a whole year, which will be great since it isn't too far from our house.
Here we are in front of the covered bridge entrance to the park.
We left plenty early just in case there was a lot of traffic, which there was, so we had some time to get a treat before the train ride. Andrew really liked the shaved ice and he was able to finish almost the whole thing.
To start off, Claire DID NOT like the train whistle. It was a bit loud and they seem to blow it a lot. Then Andrew didn't like the whistle either and they were both asking to get off. We told them it was too late and we covered their ears for a while. They soon got used to the train as we ventured off into the forest. Along the way, the conductor gave us a history of the railroad and we learned about the giant sequoia trees.
At the summit, you can get off the train for about 10 minutes to walk around and take pictures. Andrew thought that this tree was really cool because it was taller than he is. 
Once again, it is difficult to photograph Claire. She liked being able to walk around in the woods. 
I think I took 10 pictures of the both of them together, and believe it or not, this is the best one!
Here is Andrew in front of the engine. He was definitely more interested on the way back, probably because he knew it wasn't scary. The ride was an hour and 15 minutes which was perfect for the kids. It was really beautiful riding in an open top train car through the redwoods. Unfortunately, the moment we arrived home Andrew threw up. I think he got car sick, which is a first for him. The kids still had fun, and next time we'd like to try the train ride all the way over to the beach.
First stop, giraffes. There was a baby giraffe that was running around wild in cage. He was running from one end of the grass to the other. The kids really enjoyed seeing that.
The stroller didn't last long with Claire or Elaina. Andrew made sure to watch out for them as we walked.
Of course no zoo visit is complete without climbing on the animal statues. We finally had to tear them away from this after about 10 minutes. We had a similar issue when they saw the playground later on.
We really tried to get a good picture of all of the kids, but it wasn't going to happen. We finally convinced Claire to ride in the stroller next to Chris (one of her favorite people) for a while. She either wanted me to hold her or to push the stroller.
Claire and Elaina looking at the penguins. They were mesmerized by a small group of them that was swimming laps in the pool.
This picture does not do justice to the situation at hand. Somehow Claire got sap all over her hands. And by all over I mean she may have put her hands in a bucket of sap! I think she picked up a pine cone or a branch with sap on it. All of her fingers were stuck together! Aggghhh! Baby wipes did not work and neither did soap in the bathroom. Unfortunately, she had to wait until we got home to get it off. Thanks to the wonders of the Internet I found that vegetable oil would do the trick - and it did. By the way, Pete suggested either paint thinner or gasoline. Natalie and I both thought that that would probably not only remove the sap, but also her skin.
Another stop to pose on a turtle statue.
And finally....peace and quiet on the way home. All four kids slept all the way home. It was a really fun day and the kids may have loved running around more than seeing the animals. 
This is Claire's collection of pink blankets. They usually all stay in her crib. The one on the bottom left is the all time favorite. For some reason this day, they were all out. 
Here is Andrew at his swim lessons. He is not drowning in this picture! He is floating like a starfish (I know they don't float, but that is what the teacher said!). He hasn't quite mastered the coordinate required to move his arms and legs at the same time to move himself forward. He's working on it though.
Andrew and Claire reading "Where's Waldo" books on the patio. Natalie got a set of these books that are mini sized. If you thought that finding Waldo was hard in the larger version you should try these! It seriously makes your eyes hurt.
We got a blow up pool for the backyard that the kids love. Claire wouldn't go in it the first few times that Natalie tried. Then suddenly, last week she decided that it would be fun. We didn't have the right foot pump attachment to blow this up so Natalie blew it up with her mouth!!! I would have passed out. There is also some controversy over how the top ring got popped. Andrew is adamant that Elaine bit a hole in it.
Awww so sweet. In reality this is how the wrestling matches start. Then all of a sudden Claire will hit Andrew and it is down hill from there.
Yummy, yummy ice cream.
This shot was taken after church. Claire loves to wear sunglasses and these are hilarious. My mom made her and Elaine matching purses out of their favorite pajamas (we bought and extra pair). They have lady bugs on them and are so cute.