Five happening things for kids to do in Las Vegas

Not everything that happens in Vegas has to stay in Vegas. We spent a week in Las Vegas last November and I wasn't sure what to expect. Vegas has a reputation, after all. The only thing I knew about Vegas was the Strip. So I did some research, spoke to some locals, and came up with some fun, family friendly activities.

Here are five happening things for you and the kids to do in Las Vegas that you can tell the world about!

1. Go on a horseback ride in Red Rock Canyon. We went to Bonnie Springs Ranch and rode through the desert for one hour. We saw a coyote, two jackrabbits and lots of birds and got to feel like genuine cowboys and cowgirls. If you go in the winter dress warmly. It was windy and in the upper thirties the day we went!

On the way out of the ranch we met this wild baby burro and its mom up close!

2. Go to Siegfried and Roy's the Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat at The Mirage. Seeing the dolphins so close and watching a five month-old white tiger cub sucking on his caregiver's fingers will mesmerize both you and the kids.

3. Go to The Springs Preserve. This is an amazing, 180 acre cultural space filled with museums, hands-on activities, a living desert exhibit, a bird show, and a lot more. Katie was picked to go on stage during the bird show!

4. Wide, monotonous, strip-mall lined streets and bland, suburban homes make up most of Las Vegas beyond the strip. But once you get outside the city itself there's an incredible desert  to explore. An easy way to do this with kids - especially kids from Los Angeles who don't like to walk more than 25 ft at a time - is to walk the boardwalk in Red Rock Canyon. You'll see many different birds, deciduous trees (a rarity in the desert), a desert spring, petroglyphs, photos and write-ups about ranchers who lived in the area and you'll learn that Las Vegas means the meadows in Spanish. And even the kids will be the impressed with the cool, red sandstone rocks. It's a true oasis from the city.

5. Get serenaded in a Gondola on The Grand Canal at The Venetian. Cheesy? Sure. But the kids will love it. This is well organized so your wait times are minimal. While we waited Tim wandered through the shops with Katie who discovered her saved $6 in allowance wouldn't buy her that $900 bracelet she really liked.

Have you ever been to Las Vegas with your kids? What did you do for fun with them?

Ten days with no TV

Girls can do a lot in ten days with no TV. And they did. And it wasn't that TV wasn't available. It was. But they didn't once ask to watch it during our visit to their grandmother. No iPhone games either. Electronics free. And it's not that they watch so much TV at home. They don't. But if they were allowed to watch more they would.

That's not to say there weren't a few epic breakdowns and tantrums from both girls during the ten days. There were. But they had a good visit and got to spend some serious time just being kids. Because that's what they are. Kids. I'll try to remember that when we get home tomorrow and have to tell them we have no TV at home because the TV is broken. Or maybe I'll be lucky and they'll remember some of the fun projects they did here and want to start one right away....I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Highlights from ten days without TV:

They visited their grandfather who recently made a difficult transition to a retirement home and made him laugh.

They spent 5 days at a great camp at the Royal Ontario Museum where Katherine learned about Pharaohs, made amulets, practiced her hieroglyphics and made various pieces of jewelry, including this ring for me.

Caroline explored mummies and the Terra Cotta Warriors and experimented with mummified apples and the eco-system in "Backyard Biology."

Their Auntie Jane arranged for them to ride horses.

Katherine on Magic

Katherine leading Gambler who is nearly 40 years old!

Caroline leading Magic who is much younger than Gambler

We made slime.

Warning: Slime made with cornstarch and food dye is a total mess and not that slimy

Katherine's hands will be blue forever

They went to the park by themselves three times. The park is two blocks away and three streets had to be crossed so it was a true adventure. I overheard Caroline telling her sister that "Mommy trusts us enough to go alone!"

Today, as we rode the subway back from The Bata Shoe Museum, Caroline told me she was going to move to Toronto after college. "I really like it here." I'll check back in with her on that when we return in December and the weather is a little different.

Mother VACATION

Travelling with the girls is not a VACATION. It's exhausting. Our trip to San Diego a few weeks ago was fun. Not relaxing. A family TRIP. Not a VACATION. But last week the girls and I had a VACATION. We didn't go to Hawaii or the Carribean or anywhere near a beach. No, we flew to Toronto:

A Pillow Pet, Trader Joes Pomegranite seeds and a Pringles pack helped make the plane ride enjoyable for all!

The girls were surprisingly patient when we had to wait in a very long Customs line:

The complaints about the heavy backpacks - "why do I have to carry the DVD player???" - didn't start until we'd made our way through the line and dealt with a very rude woman Customs agent. Thanks Canada. Nice welcome.


We stayed with my good friend S in the GTA (Greater Toronto Area for those of who aren't Torontonians) and the only times we left the house in the five days was to walk ten minutes to Z's riding lesson. It was a true VACATION. Restful, relaxing, fun and filled with girlfriend talk. The girls didn't have to get up, get dressed, eat breakfast, hurry, hurry, use the bathroom, don't forget... to get somewhere.


They swam in the pool twice a day.

Katherine jumped in the deep end 100 times

Caroline jumped in 101 times

They went with Z to her riding lesson:

Monty  - "the most cutest pony ever!"

Girls and pony = Happiness

The girls played with Z and J's toys, went to the playground next door (by themselves!) and watched Cinderella on Movie night:

Two-year-old J fell in love with Caroline. The first thing he said every morning: "Caroline sleeping?" or "Where Caroline?"


Only one major temper tantrum from Katherine and a couple I'm-being-a-rude-and-bossy-eight-year-old moments from Caroline made for a smooth Vacation.


And me? I swam, lounged and caught up with girlfriends.


Thanks S!  See you next year (:

Two amazing things

We got back from our family trip to San Diego this week. I could post about all our cool animal encounters.

Or about the clichéd power of this image.

Or some sappy drivel about quality family time.

Or about all the treats we ate.

But No. I'm not going to post about any of these because two amazing things happened on our family trip to San Diego.  

1. Caroline learned to ride a bike. 

2. Katherine got through the entire trip without a single breakdown or tantrum when she wasn't allowed to buy a new stuffed animal (aka loveys). Considering that we passed, on average, half a dozen booths overflowing with gorgeous loveys Every Single Day this was truly an Amazing feat. 

When she left her favorite lovey, Puffball (a white baby seal) in old town and we drove back together to look for her she said: "Anyways, I am prepared for disappointment, Mommy. Puffball may not be there." Puffball was there. Right where Katherine had left her. 

On our final night when Katherine was told Mommy and Daddy were not going to bonk the monkey on the head at the amusement park to win her a lovey she said: "I know. I'm obsessed with loveys." Wow. No temper tantrum AND self awareness. 

Those two amazing things made the last hour of the car ride home replete with screaming, shrieking, hitting, throwing, crying - am I missing anything? - almost worth it. Almost.