Tumbleweed

Last Christmas a close family friend made a donation to a horse rescue rather than getting the boys presents.  It was perfect.  They got a little certificate and a card all about the horse that the donation was going to help.  This cute little stuffed horse was also included.

Since Brian was off on Friday we decided to make the trek so the boys could meet Tumbleweed.  First we met this cute guy.  His name is Twister.  There is actually a book about him.  His mother was pregnant with him when her trailer was involved in an awful accident on the highway.  Volunteers from Longmeadow came to help out.  While many of the animals didn't make it Twister did.  He was born and raised at the ranch.  There is even a picture book about hte story that I read to the boys.

It was pretty neat for them to meet the star of the story in person. He was so sweet and loved the attention that the boys showered upon him.

 There were a few rescued donkeys too.  The boys were pretty funny trying to feed them some hay.

 Then we found him,  Meet Tumbleweed.  This sweet horse was rescued from a rural part of the state and he was so undernourished that he couldn't even stand and was 200 pounds underweight.  Today he is a healthy happy horse all because of the ranch.

 I explained to the boys that because they didn't get one more toy at Christmas time this horse, and a couple others, were able to be live a happy healthy life.  I'm not sure the got it, but I hope maybe it sunk in at least a little bit.   I want them to appreciate what they have and recognize just how fortunate they are.  I want them to see how rewarding helping others can be.  Seeing how excited they were to pet Tumbleweed gave me hope.

Our Little Scientists

Yesterday we planned a visit to the zoo with a friend.  Unfortunately the weather didn't cooperate with our plans, so we ended up at the Science Center.  I was amazing!  There were so many fun things for the kids to explore together.

We explored the discovery room for the first time and it was perfect for our family.  The best part of all is that the room is contained so I could feel comfortable knowing that no one could escape.

This water table was a huge hit with all three boys.  They enjoyed working to control the flow of the water with different dam arrangements.  Jack just loved watching the toys float in the current.

 Jack loved bugs.  He made a bee line for the hissing roaches and didn't want to leave.  He kept saying 'hi bug' and blowing them kisses before he left. 

 We met a friends little boy there too and these three were too cute.  James is just a week older than Will and all three of the big boys enjoyed playing together.  This rocket ship was super entertaining for them because it had a microphone.  They must have announced the blastoff thirty times. 

Our Baseball Player

Max played on our church's baseball team this spring.  Brian helped out as an assistant coach and they had lots of fun together.  It was fun to watch that the boys are really learning to play the game.  They get actually outs, rather than just getting five runs every inning.  I was so proud of Max for giving it his all and really growing as a player.  Little by little our oldest man is learning to persevere, even when things don't come easily.

 I love these two to death, but I have to admit it was really tough enjoying Max's games while trying to keep them contained.  They were just wild men and were all over the place.  I think that's the reason I only made it to a couple of his games this season.

I don't have pictures to document just how busy our June has been, but take my word for it.  Max did two weeks of swim camp at the same place he went last year.  They really know what they are doing over there and he made great progress again this year.

Last week all four of us spent our mornings over at church for Vacation Bible School.  It was so much fun!  The big boys were able to participate in everything and Jack went to the nursery.  He loved it!  I was one of hte games coordinators so I was able to watch the boys enjoy there week.  It was so fun to see how they interacted with the other kids and how independent they are becoming.  Thursday night they had a show and tell for parents and it was the most entertaining hour of our week.  Max had all the moves down perfectly to his songs and he took his job very seriously.  Will was his usual passionate little self.  He put his whole heart and soul into his moves - even if they weren't exactly what everyone else was doing.

I'm excited about having a few quite days this week.  We are meeting a friend at the zoo on Thursday and Brian is off Friday so we are trying to come up with a fun outing then as well.  Can't wait to see what we do!

The Beach

 My babies on the beach.  It doesn't get any sweeter - unless you can magially make everyone sandfree after and get everything to the car.  All three boys had a great time.  Jack and Max loved digging and playing in the sand.  It was too cute to watch Jack's excitement every time he found something.  Look - seaweed!  Look - sand!  He just couldn't contain himself and there was a whole lot of happy screaming. 

 He did eventually learn to love the water too.  His favorite thing was when someone would pick him up every time a wave hit.  He just giggle and giggled. 

 Max put his building skills to use and with Daddy's help build the best fort the beach had ever seen.  He was so proud of his efforts and he thought it was pretty amazing that he dug deep enough that there was water coming up from the bottom of his whole.

 Will wasn't too into the building.  He was all about the ocean.  In the ocean, out of the ocean, in the ocean, out of the ocean.  Over and over and over again.  He loved the feeling of the sand being pulled out from under him by the water.  He just couldn't get over it.  Will quickly got over any fear he had and wanted to venture out farther into the water.  It was so fun to watch him explore this new terrain for the first time.

 

 It was a quick trip, but I'm so glad we went!  When I look these four guys my heart just melts.  It was a great experience for all of us and it was made even better with the extra company of Nonna and Great Aunt Carm.  Every day I want to pinch myself and ask how did I get so incredibly lucky. 

Florida

What a whirlwind week!  Brian had a conference for work in Orlando so we decided to make a trip out of it.  He flew down and the boys and I made the long, long drive with the help of Nonna and Great Aunt Carmelina.  I have to admit I was really dreading the drive.  It went better than I could have imagined and after many, many hours in the van we arrived in Florida.  Unfortunately we still had a few more hours to go to get to our destination.  The orange juice samples perked everyone up and we survived all 1,000+ miles of the drive.

 When I was little I went to Florida several times with my mom and Aunt.  I remember visiting and alligator farm and getting a plastic gator that I slept with until my mom ran over him with the lawnmower.  I was all excited when I found Gatorland so my boys could have a similar memory.  Despite the giant gator mouth at the entrance it really wasn't so cheesy. 

 It was actually pretty fantastic.  It's not everyday you get to be up close with a gator!

 Will wasn't a fan of getting his picture taken.  In fact he was a  bit cranky - I don't think he likes the heat.  It was pretty hot. 

 Jack had a great time.  He kept hopping out of the stroller to point out fun things.  I think he liked all the birds just as much as the gators.

 All three boys were pretty thrilled that Gatorland had a train.  It was a nice little tour around the grounds. 

 I think their favorite part of the whole thing was the splash pad.  We weren't very well prepared so they just took off their shirts and ran around like wild men in their shorts.  They loved every second of it!

We knew Disney wasn't in the cards this trip but we couldn't go down without at least a little Disney time, so we visited downtown Disney.

 Day two was spent at Legoland.  Wow, it was amazing, such a perfect fit for our family right now.  All three kids had the time of their lives and it was pretty fun for the gown ups too. 

The big boys both got to display some independence by doing to driving school in Lego City.  Max even had to watch a safety movie and obey the traffic signs.  They were so proud of their new drivers licenses'!

We finished our Legoland visit with some time at the water park.  It was so fun!  The tubes on the lazy river had Lego platforms attached and there were giant Legos floating in the water for the kids to build with!  They had a blast!  It was a great but exhausting day.  We were all ready for some relaxation.  So up next. . . the beach!

The Zoo

Our first week of summer vacation is coming to an end - and we have all survived!  I really hope that is a sign that things are going to go well this summer.

Today was so fun!  We picked up Aunt Anna and headed to the zoo!  This is one of our very favorite places and it's always a good time.  Max was signed up for a class so Aunt Anna took him to class while the little boys and I explored.  Max's class was all about elephants and so he is now an expert!

 The boys and I had fun in the red rocks area of the zoo.  This isn't an area we visit often, so it was a whole new world to them.  Their favorite part, by far, was the giraffe's.  Will even listened as this sweet decent showed him a giraffe vertebrae.  Amazing to know that they have seven, just like we do!

 Jack thought it was pretty fun to get out of the stroller and hang on the fences.  He did this every time I got him out.  He was so proud of himself :)


Will got up close and personal with this bird.  In fact it was almost a little too close for mama's comfort.  I kept imagining the bird pecking Will in the eye.  Luckily it was a sweet little bird because Will thought it was just the greatest thing ever.

Jack though the pengins were the funniest things ever.  They were pretty active outside and he would have clmibed int he water with them if he could have.

We couldn't possibly go to the zoo without riding the train.  After we picked Max and Aunt Anna up from class that is what we did.  We had perfect timing becuae it started to drizzle just as we reached our last station.  

 After the train we got a snack before heading home for the day.  I love that Anna is back home since she is done with school.  The boys just adore her and it makes outings so much more fun when she joins us.  I'll have to make lots of plans with her this month because she just got her first full time job!  We are so incredibly proud of the boys' Aunt Anna.  She will do great things!

Butterfly House

Our local library has a reading club every summer and this year they have taken it to a whole new level.  The kids earn points for their reading as in years past. They can also earn points by attending library events and visiting community attractions.  This morning we were on a mission to find our very first secret code. . . at the Butterfly House!

Luckily some extra hands came along to help in the form of Nonna and Nonno.  It made the visit all the more fun.  It was a beautiful morning for it too!

 Outside the Butterfly House are these two giant sculptures.  The kids had a great time climbing in and crawling through the caterpillar.  Jack thought the mouth was a slide and yelled "weeee" as he entered.  Max said he was going to turn into caterpillar poop.  Boys. . . .

 Before we entered Will was content to climb through the sculpture but he wasn't willing to climb on top like Max.  As we left he was feeling a bit braver and he climbed on top with help.  Before we knew it he was walking across the caterpillar's back like it was no big deal.  It is so fun to see the boys accomplish a new feat, no matter how small.

 Everyone had fun looking at all the bugs on display.  Of the three boys I think Jack was the most excited.  He just kept squealing with delight at everything he saw.  It was pretty adorable. 

The big boys found the special library activity - making a bug rubbing.  I love the way Max bites his lip when he concentrates.  Will took a few tries until he could press quite hard enough, but he got it.

 We explored the outdoor butterfly garden and the boys loved it.  The water was the main attraction, and I'm just glad that no one fell it.  Jack was so cute yelling hi and bye to the water.  It was almost like he thought it would reply if he yelled loud enough.

 Once we entered the Butterfly House the kids were all in awe.  It really is amazing to have thousands of butterflies fluttering about as you wander through the paths.  The big boys wanted to see if a butterfly would land on them if they sat really still.  That lasted about five seconds :)

Even though none landed on them they still got to see them up close and it really was beautiful.  Now I need to look at the library website to see what other outings we can try because this one was fabulous!