Zoo Day

We just needed to get out of the house. I made the kids leave all their electronics at home and could only bring books in the car for the trip to the Zoo. Thomas wanted to see the snakes. So the first stop we made was to the reptile house. Zachary didn't want to go. He said he would just stay outside. When I explained to him that he couldn't and that he had to come in with us, he asked if he had to touch the snakes. Luckily we didn't touch any snakes, because as Thomas kept pointing out most of the snakes in there were venomous. Zachary ended up having a good time and liked trying to spot the reptiles, it was a kind of I Spy game.

We had tried to come to the Zoo on Monday. But being Spring Break and all it was way to crowded. We could not find a parking spot anywhere. So today we got here a bit earlier 9:45 and found a parking spot in the overflow lot. Thomas had a great time reading all the facts about the animals. We even watched a Condor eating a rabbit, actually several rabbits.

We made it to the petting zoo. Cassidy and Thomas went right in. Cassidy walked around just to see what was there, then waited outside the fence. Thomas went right in, found a brush and started following the animals. Zachary on the other hand did not want to go in. This is his face, pleading with me to let him stay outside. Then as he was walking toward the exit, he found a brush and I guess changed his mind.

 It seems brushing the pig is less intimidating than petting it. Zachary finally got up the nerve to actually brush the pig.













 





Zachary got braver and went over to the pig whose head can be seen. The other pig has his head buried near the fence. Zachary talked to this pig asking if the brushing felt good. A few times the pig grunted when Zachary was brushing it, so Zachary was wondering if it was its happy sound.
























 
 For all his talk about not wanting to go in, when it was time to leave, he didn't want to go. So we walked around a little more to see the animals that were actually standing and interacting with the children. He laughed when this goat tried to eat my sweater.

Thomas got very brave at the end, and started pulling softly on the goats horns. He is overcoming his fear of dogs too. He will not approach dogs and pet them. Before he would avoid all dogs and run to my side. (That is what Zachary does now.)

  

We ended our day with the Hippos. The kids really wished I had brought their sunglasses. I think summer is around the corner.

Concrete Frames

Finally, after a very long wait. Our house is started. They put up these concrete frames yesterday and we will be meeting with the builder supervisor next week to finalize details before they pour the concrete. 

San Antonio Stock Show

 It was dollar day at the San Antonio Stock Show and the kids were out of school, so we went. We walked through the pig pen, with hundreds of pigs. Stewart and I couldn't believe how big the pigs were. Their thighs were so big they could barely walk. They looked very different then the pigs we raised as kids. It did bring back good memories of FFA in High School. I raised two pigs, showed and sold them at the Utah County Fair. I remember mucking out their pen, and attending early morning driver's education class smelling like pigs. 

We watched some donkeys pulling buggies, but no horse shows. We were all fascinated by the dog show. The dogs had to herd sheep around a course. It was pretty cool to watch those dogs work the sheep.

 This is "Elsie" Blue Bell Ice Cream's calf, or so they said. It was soft and it licked Zachary's hand. We started watching a demonstration on milking cow's but it was too boring. So we moved on. But at least we were able to get a few samples of cheese before we left. 

 They had several tents where the kids could learn about animals, produce and dairy. We were able to get a sample of some ice cream. We got celery, bandanas and gathered produce from the HEB tent. Thomas and Zachary played a produce matching game. Thomas was fascinated by the chicks. He loves baby animals. He asked me if he could try to pet them. I said he could, but they might bite you. Well one did, I think that was the highlight of his trip. He said it didn't hurt and the chick was so cute.

We found the perfect horse for all the kids to ride. Shorty, only Zachary needed a hand up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cassidy even took a turn on Shorty. We had a fun day. Zachary was especially excited to come back next week on a school field trip. He wanted to show all his friends around.

She's not done yet

She just can't seem to stop. Cassidy now has her own folder on my computer that is just for her pictures. I pull a few of the best ones and add them to mine, but only a small few. It is hard to choose though.

4th of July Parade

I attended the Cub Scout's June Round Table meeting, along with two others from our pack. We talked about holding our Super Saturday event and I had also mentioned that as a pack we could go watch the Castroville 4th of July Parade. Well, one of other leaders wondered what it would take to actually be in the parade. So I looked into it and the registration was free. The other leader suggested we could walk in the parade, not a good idea for 1st-5th graders in Texas in July. But luckily Stewart had just purchased a 16foot trailer. So I roped him into driving our trailer in the parade. And I started planning the decorations. I had a few ideas and suggestions after helping to decorate two floats for our Little League parade. the principal of Thomas' elementary school donated some butcher paper, which I cut out the letters and stars to make the banners. The boys wrote their names on the stars and decorated them with glitter. The parents all pitched in and blew up balloons. The parade theme this year was "Broad Stripes and Bright Stars", I didn't know how to incorporate the broad stripes part, but I was able to pull the bright stars into it. It turned our pretty nice I have to say. Although we didn't win. The Cub Scout pack two floats ahead of us won. The scouts themselves had spent a lot of time making 1000+ small tissue paper flowers for their float. But this is our first year and we are already thinking about next year, we are going to win.

It was a lot of waiting this morning. All the parents arrived on time and pitched in to decorate the float. It went pretty fast, so after we had finished we walked up and down the street looking at all the other floats and tractors that were in the parade. Stewart drove, while Cassidy sat in the air conditioned front passenger seat ready to throw out her candy.

 

  We have our buckets of candy ready to go, we are just waiting on the signal. I gave the boys instructions not to throw candy to grown ups, but just to the kids. And don't throw out handfuls, only a piece or two at a time. Well, they listened. They through out pieces of candy to very small children, infants I would call them. And each scout only threw out a few pieces each. So our first few customers, mostly infants or small toddlers in strollers received two pieces of candy from 10 Cub Scouts. So I had to give them a few more instructions. Only throw to the kids on your side of the trailer and don't throw to kids that can't run out and get it themselves. I had no idea how long the parade route was, so I kept reminding the scouts that we still had a ways to go and we don't want to give all the candy out in the first few blocks. And of course we did run out. The parade was longer than I had thought. But we will know for next year.

This is what I get for asking the boys to smile for the camera. Zachary is such a little dear. Thomas is well, he is just Thomas, and has been hanging around his Cub Scout friends all morning.

 After awhile the sugar high wore off. Along with the regular 4th of July well wishes, we got a few Go Cardinals! shouts. Zachary was very pleased with these, since they were directed at him and his Cardinal's hat.

This was a really fun experience. The kids all had fun waving, playing around with each other and eating the candy. I think we will have to do it again next year. The float planning is already underway.

We got to enjoy free watermelon, popsicles, and hot dogs in the town square after the parade.

Our 11 year old photographer

 Now that I have my camera to play around with, Cassidy has been begging me to use my old camera. She thinks she should get it.

I think it is a great idea. Especially when she take pictures like these.

 

She received a camera for her birthday a few years ago and she loved it.  But she had to hold a little too still for the pictures to really turn out good. These are our Zinna's that Stewart and Cassidy planted from seed in our backyard.

She totally reminds me of myself. I loved taking pictures and still do. I think it even more fun now that we don't have to wait until they get developed to see if they are any good. And if you take a bad one, who cares just delete it. Or you can still keep it, just in case ( Cassidy's idea, not mine).

Cub Scout Super Saturday

 I put together our June Scouting event. In order for our pack to get the National Summer Time Achievement award we have to hold a pack event in June, July and August. Nobody else volunteered to put one together so I did. But once I got the ball rolling everyone pitched in. Here our pack trainer is giving the boys some know how about fishing. He teaches special education at our elementary school. So he knows how to get the boys attention.

We separated the boys into two groups. One group set out to fish while the other group stayed in the shade for some crafts and other activities. Cassidy and I taught the boys some German. There are several German communities around San Antonio. In fact the area just north of San Antonio is filled with German. Schlitterbahn is an incredible water park that the boys all know, even if they have never been there, they have heard about it. Cassidy also told them what is was like to attend school in Germany. They all liked that she got out of school at 12:30 and that we was able to use saws, hammers and nails. We also took our Kugelbahns and mini-Fussball table. The boys took turns playing each other. But I don't have any pictures, because I was busy teaching. 

 After about 35 minutes the boys switched. My boys went fishing and Cassidy and I taught another group of boys about German.

Thomas soon learned that fishing is all about the waiting. At least this type of fishing is. 

 Today wasn't just for the scouts. We all had a good time. Zachary finally got to use the fishing pole that has been sitting in our garage for a very long time. It was Cassidy's, but I don't think she ever used it. It is a Barbie pole and for some reason the other boys did not want to use it, even Cassidy didn't want to use it. So Zachary had the pole all to himself. And who is the only one that caught a fish. That would be Zachary and his Barbie pole.

 After our fishing and German classes a few adults took the boys out to the field for some soccer. It was hot and the boys were tired and hungry.

Nothing better than eating hot dogs, grilled to perfection by our Cubmaster, and chips on a hot summer day. It was a great way to end our great day. It was a fun day and each boy earned three belt loops, Fishing, Soccer, and Language and Culture. 

Swimming Lessons

Well I took my new present to swim lessons today. You would think we spent the whole week at the pool with all the pictures I took. But it was just two hours. We have a friend in the ward that used to be a swim instructor. She was looking for a way to earn a little extra money this summer so she rounded up about 6 families with kids all different ages and gave lessons every Friday at a community pool. We go a little early so they can play a little before lessons. Zachary's class is the second of the day, starting at 9:30.

Something I probably should have never shown Zachary is my camera's ability to take sequential shots.

 

But at least he was cooperative and let me play with my camera.

Cassidy didn't know what I was doing....

Then she asked me to delete them. Sorry I don't think so.

Cassidy earned her Girl Scout Swimming badge.

Zachary gave up his arm floaties.

 

 

Thomas earned his Cub Scout Swimming Belt Loop and Pin.

 This is the start of a great summer.