the gator farm

While on our mini-vacation during Spring Break, we stopped at a gator farm. I was worried that it would be one of those places you go, pay lots of money and there isn't much to do. But it turned out to be three hours of good fun and it was super cheap.


The kids played with lots of odd animals in their gift shop.


Pocket was a HUGE fan of the ferrets. That made me a little sad, I can't lie. Ferrets are perverse little creatures. But kids seem to like them. Ugh.


Sunshine and Buddy were more into the snakes. They kept saying, "Can we call Grampa P and tell him we're holding snakes?" So gross.



Check out Pocket looking at the horned dragon thingie. LOL. That look is priceless.


They also had a little petting zoo, which is where Pocket attacked the poor deer I posted about yesterday. The girls were big fans of the baby pig.


I had to include this photo of me talking to the goat. I don't remember talking to him, but I do know that stance. It's my "You're being a naughty little child" stance. So the goat must have been misbehaving LOL I love that I'm bossy, even to animals...animals that don't belong to me at that!


While Sunshine played on the rope swing, The Little Master and Polly Pocket jumped in a bounce house.



There were tons and tons and alligators.


In the photo below, you should be able to count ten of the medium sized ones.


They were on their winter hiatus, so they don't eat or move very much. Sunshine kept saying, "These are so boring" and we kept offering to lift her into their lair to see just how boring they were, but she wouldn't agree. We kept pestering her, so finally she played with a baby one.


Buddy was brave enough to pet a big one.


Just joking, Mom. Those are fake.

Good times were had by all.

ohhhhhhhh Christine

My good friend, Christine came into town to spoil my children this month. I love and adore Christine. My dad always says that the Marine Corps knocked him down as far as he could go, then knocked him down further to show him that he always could do more. Christine and I were routinely knocked down during our 2 year TFA bootcamp. We're bonded for life now. Really, I can't explain how much Christine means to me. Anything I can think of saying seems trite compared to how I feel about her. Let's just say that I love her tons. Besides all of those things, her mom is one of my favorite adults. I want to be her in my next life. =)


While Christine was in town, she played, played, and played with the kids, and then she read, read, read to them. In between those activities, she listened to every crazy story they wanted to tell her. But the most exciting thing she did for them was to bring them each a chocolate chip cookie from her hotel buffet and let us take her to the airport. LOL It's all they talk about when they mention her visit. I love kids.

Before returning to the Big Apple, she went home to New Mexico to celebrate her niece's 4th birthday. This is the little pillowcase dollhouse I made for Miss Charlotte. It's perfectly sized for a Polly Pocket or Strawberry Shortcake doll.

the bully

We have a little bully
and her name is Polly Sue.


Whenever someone comes to play,
she knows just what to do.


She likes to pull on their hair
or jump on their backs,


She'll scream at them, too,
you can be sure of that.


So we try to keep her clear
of friends who come this way.
Unfortunately for this little deer
it was his unlucky day.


I had to put down the camera at this point, because Don just kept laughing and I was worried for the poor deer's safety.

more spring break crafts

Hannah Montana came over for some crafty fun during Spring Break.


Because Pocket is OBSESSED with the all of the "popcorn" on the trees around town, we made our own little popcorn trees.


The kiddles blew ink to make the tree and then pasted popcorn on the branches.



You'll notice that TLM isn't in any of these photos. He went as fast as he could and then made off with his bowl of popcorn. Sunshine took her time - "One kernel for the tree and one kernel for me."


I think they turned out really nicely.

little wayne

I don't think Wayne Gretsky's first time on the ice looked like this. But maybe it did. Regardless, he couldn't have had as much fun as our Buddy.


Initially, when they realized that TLM was really, really not adept at being on the ice, they gave him a little lesson off the ice on how to skate. Then, they sent him off onto the ice. That failed miserably.


Then, they gave up and gave him the walker. He was in HEAVEN! I love that little guy. For real, he cracks me up to no end. Completely unoffended by this crutch that only one other child got, he hobbled about, laughing and falling, until the mean assistant coach took it away and made him skate without it.


This week during his second lesson, they wouldn't even let him use the walker. He fell every 6 inches or so, laughed, and got right back up.


The kid is as tough as dirt. I love that falling so much and being the worst skater in his class doesn't get him down. It's all about what HE wants to do and accomplish, not the teacher or anyone else.


I really do love that little guy. He's got a strength of spirit and commitment to following plans. They're usually not my plans that he's following, but that strength and determination will serve him well in life.


And finally, a shot of Pocket while the older kids were laced up.



Most of these photos are from my sister's camera.

just so you know...

I have high maintenance children. I get annoyed when people tell me, "Oh you don't know what it's like. My __ is so cranky all of the time."

Trust me, I know what it's like to raise high-maintenance children. I just don't broadcast it as often as you do, but I've had at least one since 2005. Do you remember The Dark Days of 2005? Ah, but that's another story.

Every day after quiet time/nap time is over, we go through this exercise when I ask The Little Master to clean up his room. The following routine takes around 5 minutes every day. Not too long, but just long enough.

First, the laughter that always comes when he tries to escape a chore.


Then, the anger. (Even in anger, he's so incredibly adorable though.)


(There is a pause here as he starts to hit me, so I put down the camera.)


Then, the fake crying.


Then, the real crying. (My mom is mad at me by this point for posting these photos.)


Then, the inevitable coughing fit. (My sister is calling CPS to report me right now.)


Then, the dawning that the work is almost done.



Then it ends and he shows me his project he worked on that day. This day it was hockey players.


We do this every day.

It makes me more sad than you can imagine.

the cottage

Don wasn't able to take off a whole week for Spring Break, so we had to cancel our big road trip. Instead, we spent the weekend at a cottage resort about 90 minutes away from us. It was really nice. Really, really nice. The kids had a great time and we were happy that the activities were all inclusive.


We went fishing,




checked games out of the lodge that we had never played as a family before



learned that Don doesn't let children win, just because they are children




went swimming at one of the pools




piddled around on paddle boats docked in front of our cottage


looked at stars on the back porch


partook of the free hot cocoa and snacks in the lodge


and prayed that none of the children would fall out/down the loft during the night or throw something valuable out of the loft during the day



We had a really, really nice weekend.