Reptile World

Again at the local park they had a terrific exhibit. REPTILE WORLD! This had Diego's name all over it. So we braved the heat and we were off. The guy who puts the show on is good. I think he had his speech memorized and it was interesting for both kids and adults. His reptiles...awesome!

Above is the assistant who is holding a snapping turtle and he was trying to take a snip at the assistant a lot...much to the pleasure of the kids! Below is a lizard that you can't really tell from the picture but was neat to look at. He was covered in spots.

Another crowd pleaser...this alligator kept giving the assistant a spanking with his tail.

I was soooo proud of Diego. This day was extremely hot and we sat under the shade at first but as time went on we ended up in the sun. I kept telling Diego he could move to a shaded area but he didn't want to leave his spot. He was so excited about what animal would come next. He was a trooper, never complaining about how hot it was...even when there were beads of sweat pouring down his face!! A proud moment for me and a true testament of how much he loves animals.

Here is one of the many snakes they brought. This was a boa...pretty big. They also had rattlesnakes and cobras that were very exciting. When they lifted the lid to the basket of the cobras their heads jumped up and they hissed loud and were going crazy. It was so fun for the kids to see.

Then it was time for the main attraction...an albino python. It was huge!! As you can see it took 3 people to get it out of the box.

What made it even better was that this is the snake that the kids got to go pet.

The kids were so good especially since it was so hot that I thought they deserved a Slurpee! It was a perfect way to cool-off.

Crazy Busy!

Since school got out we have been going full steam ahead. These 3 boys keep me on my toes. Below they found out how fun it can be to shoot the nerf guns outside where there are trees and bushes to hide behind. Make sure you keep scrolling down...I've posted quite a few entries today (sorry...somehow they got out of order).

Jungle Animals at the Park

At a nearby park they were offering a show about "Jungle Animals." With my animal loving Diego, I thought this would be a great treat for him. Here are some of the animals:

A Macaw This bird made the all the kids very happy when she decided to go to the bathroom on stage.

A giant Iguana

She also had a centipede and tarantula. The final animal and one that she let the kids touch at the end was a boa constrictor. The boys happily waited in the crowd for their chance to touch it...twice!

The BEACH!!!!

Spending a whole week at the beach is heaven for my boys. Being able to play (what seems like 24/7) with their cousins is the ultimate week in their book. Here are some highlights from our week:

THE ANIMALS Never fails that we find some kind of creature at the beach. This year a man found this dead sting ray floating near shore. He kindly brought it in so everyone could take a closer look. Diego was very excited!

It wouldn't be a beach trip without catching the sand crab!

Diego was very happy to "hold" new cousin Luke. Now that I see the picture, Luke doesn't look like he's in a comfy position but he never fussed. Diego loves being around babies.

The kids love to play baseball at the pool. This year though it always seemed to be ALL the kids vs one adult. Hmm? Anthony got in on the action and was fun to watch.

Me with two of my burned beach bums.

Anthony loved the ocean this year. He always wanted to be out in the water. We did this most of the time we were at the ocean. What happened to him wanting to build in the sand?!

A much needed break...

This year Aunt Monique thought the kids would like making ice cream so we busted out the ziploc bags and the kids got-a-shaking! Some found a partner to throw back and forth with or the shook their bags on their own. The kids had fun.

Anthony learned to swim without floaties this week. He did really well and it was good-bye floaties.

Got a kick out of this as did Anthony. He and Uncle Jason were having a contest of who could reach me first. Thanks Uncle Jason for being such a good sport! This video is after the third or fourth time they had jumping. You'll notice Anthony gets a little head start...

Christian Turns 6!

Here is the birthday boy! Christian has had a good year. He started Kindergarten and liked it. He was an excellent student and learned a lot. It is fun to watch him get excited about the stuff he has learned. He continues to have a love for Star Wars. He could spend a good amount of time playing with all his figures. He likes to be organized and precise with whatever he does. He has a kind heart and can make a friend easily. I'm glad this boy is mine!

End of Spring Sports

Our sports adventures finally came to an end mid June. Notice how there is always a smile on their face when juice-boxes and some kind of treat are involved?!

The team

Here is Christian scoring a goal. He is a quick little guy. I think he has a bright future in soccer.

Diego's baseball season concluded a week later than soccer and his team ended the season with a pool party at the coaches house. Their house was a perfect setup for a party. There was a little bit of excitement at this party. First we had to wait for a passing thunderstorm and then there was the saving of a teammate in the pool. We think he thought the pool was the same depth all throughout. When he jumped in the deep end he began to struggle. His dad ended up jumping in the pool, fully clothed with blackberry clipped to belt, to help him. Not sure why but they looked like they were both struggling so another dad jumped in the pool to help out...and he was fully clothed as well. An exciting way to end the baseball season! Here is a highlight of Diego at bat. He was always excited after getting a hit and would do a little jumping around and giving hi-5's to the base coach at first base...and he'd give us a thumb's up!

Anthony was in heaven

Fourth of July

For the Fourth of July we decided to head to the local park at the last minute. While we were waiting for it to get dark Diego and Christian decided to play volleyball over the fence at the baseball field.

When volleyball lost its appeal, they headed inside the field to play baseball but instead played kickball when another family wanted to join in.

Anthony had a harder time with the rules. He didn't quite understand being "out." Once he was hit he just kept on running. He didn't care. It was too funny. Thankfully these nice people didn't care. (Yes, we didn't know this family. The parents were nice enough to be the outfielders the whole time)

The dad of this family had me laughing. Christian had been stealing bases and the dad was determined to get him out. The video doesn't do it justice but the dad tries to peg Christian as he goes to third base. Thankfully it was a soft ball!

It was now time for the fireworks. Anthony was probably the most excited of the three boys.

Diego's camera work of the fireworks.