A dip in the hotel pool was fun after dinner Tuesday. 
Papaw joined us. He was great entertainment for kids while they swam.
A little swimming after a trip to the zoo made these two kiddos super-tired.
It was a nice way to end a great day!
The Cincy Zoo is a really nice zoo. There were many animals there that I had never heard of before, much less seen. It was a perfect day for a trip to the zoo. Though it was hot in the sun, it was cool in shade and there were often nice breezes. Here is Grace inspecting an alligator pen at the reptile house.
Outside the reptile house, she pet an albino California King Snake.
At Monkey Island
This mommy gorilla was nursing her baby gorilla. After a few minutes of nursing, the baby let go and nodded off to sleep while the mommy cuddled it. Boy, if only I'd still had that power this week!
A peacock shared Gabriel's lunch.
At the Children's Zoo, Gabriel had a chance to pet this turtle. He (the turtle) was in a hurry to get out of there!
Grace played in a giant spider web with lots of other girls.
In the bird house
There was a little park right across the street from our hotel. It was a clean and quiet little park, so after naps Monday, we headed over there for some play time.
Gabriel wanted to sit in the baby swing so I could push him and Grace at the same time. He looks like a giant in that swing! Haha!
Of course, if there is a place to dig, Grace will find it. She was building a "house" out of mulch.
I really wanted a picture of the kids and me in front of the river at Newport on the Levee.
Grandma tried her best to get a good picture.
But when you're working with a two-year-old and a four-year-old, sometimes you just have to settle for good enough. Haha!
We went to the Newport Aquarium Monday morning. One of our first stops in the aquarium was the "petting" area. Gabriel got to touch a starfish.
My clingy girl and me. . . she insisted on being carried much of the way through the aquarium.
These little fish were so pretty.
When Grace saw them she said, "Nemos! Like on t.v. at Mrs. Staci's house!"
Grandma, aka The Bird Whisperer, tried to coax a lorikeet down off of its perch.
Gabriel thought the sharks swimming all around him were pretty cool. Grace was kind of freaked out by it though.
This was the silliest thing, but SO entertaining to the kids. It was a wall with jellyfish projected on it. The kids were hitting the jellyfish as they swam past. 
The jellyfish room was so cool. They looked so majestic that it seems unreal that they are dangerous.
Before we left the aquarium Gabriel got to pet a nurse shark. Grace wanted no part of that either.
Our final stop was seeing the penguins. What a cool morning of sightseeing!
Sunday afternoon we arrived in Cincinnati. Dan had a conference for work in Covington, Kentucky, so Grandma, Papaw, the kids, and I tagged along to do some sightseeing while Dan worked.
The Children's Museum in Cincinnati is not much compared to the Indianapolis Children's Museum. But the kids still had a great time exploring and playing. 
There was a construction area where the kids had to move the rocks.
In another part of that area, kids could use some toy hammers and nails to build.
Papaw helped Grace with her building.
Next a Lego area called Gabriel's name. He informed me the other day that he wants little Legos, not the big ones like we have. Haha!
Another area had all kinds of little machines that kids could exploring using balls.
This was a really cool little area.
Oh! Here she is . . . playing at the water tables. Sheesh!
If you can't beat her, join her. Gabriel joined Grace at the water tables since she was obviously finished with the ball area.
In the life sciences area, the kids made rubbings of insects.
At 4 o'clock there was a pioneer activity in the theater. Grace used some glue and fabric pieces to make a quilt piece.
Gabriel drove Daddy and Grace on the bus.
On the way out of the museum, we stopped and got ice cream cones. I think this was Grace's first ice cream cone.
Gabriel did a good job with his, but it was so hot in the sun that there was NO WAY to eat it before it melted.
Yes, playing in the hose is one of our cheapest and one of our most fun entertainments of summer. I love to take pictures of the kids as they play because I get the funniest action shots.
Like this one! I thought I would get a picture of Grace swinging, but just as I snapped the picture, she toppled off backwards. Don't worry --- she didn't get hurt.
