hot dogs with mustard and some catch up

so a lot of you know i may go overboard on the healthy eating train but it's important to me.
and one of the best thing about having kids is you get to make the rules.
all of them.
for a mild control freak this is an amazing thing.

however, i have probably lost some credibility.
but really, can you blame me?

we were heading to busch gardens to meet sweet emma for her birthday and it was pouring rain.
we weren't just going to sit in the parking lot and wait for it to let up.
especially when mel's is right down the street.
and it's a rule in my fam, when you go to busch gardens, you go to mel's.

my kids are official tampa kids now.
they've had a hot dog from mel's.

my brother, sister and i love mel's and it was a staple in our childhood.
so being the freak of carrying on traditions that i am, i had no choice but to let them indulge.

and yes, i know how disgusting hot dogs are and it will probably be another year before they have another one. so pipe down fellow health freaks. and news flash........hot dogs from mel's don't count.

so there.

after mel's we made it to busch gardens fat, happy and the rain had stopped.

we met up with the birthday girl and headed for the train.

have i told you guys how much chlo loves animals?

it is so flippin precious.

she loves, loves, loves them.

she starts laughing when she sees them.

she kisses them.

she won't kiss me but pass her a stuffed horse and she is making out within seconds.

she loves books with animals, plastic animals, stuffed animals.

she is just straight up in love.

so obvi we took a train ride to see the animals. i thought she would die.

but.

nahhh so much.

she had more fun playing on the train with her cousin and bubba.



bubba spent the day gator rolling out of whoever's (whomever's? lora, help me out here) arms were holding him and trying to get off the train.

not happenin'.

we did see some pretty animals and made it off the train just in time for the torrential downpour.



we ran through the hurricane to to the exit to meet uncle nick at first aid where he was told he would need staples.

in his head.

ew.

he slashed his head open on elmo's tree house.

so all in all it was an insane day but really, what else would you expect around here.