Potter Park Zoo

We have a small zoo in Lansing that we try to take the kids to once in a while.  We keep saying that we are going to plan a trip to a bigger zoo soon (Binder Park or the Detroit Zoo), but I want to try and go when Jimmy is just a bit older -- probably next summer.  In another year, everyone will be able to walk on their own and we can plan on spending more time there without it bordering on "nap time."

We made a spontaneous plan to go one Saturday morning and I'm glad that we did.  The weather was threatening rain (geeeezzz ... we haven't had rain in a long time and desperately need it), so the zoo wasn't very crowded.  I packed a picnic lunch and we ate there after walking around and seeing most of the exhibits.  Jimmy fell asleep on the way home (of course!), so we stopped at the grocery store and I ran in while he was napping.  It kind of worked out well.  He didn't have as long of a nap as he needed, but it took the edge off and saved me the trouble of running to the store later.  Win, win.

Jack was intrigued with the bald eagle in the background:

Inside the barnyard area on top of a stone turtle.  They barely all fit, but I did a happy dance after I was able to capture a group picture of everyone looking at the camera.  That is no small feat.  Trust me.

The goat almost ate Jack's map. 

Jimmy was hesitant, but managed to pet the goat with no major incident.

Sophia loved the peacock.

Samantha spent most of her time with this beauty and her baby calf.

These giraffe statues evoke so many memories for me.  Each time that we go to this zoo, I always take a picture with the kid(s) on them.  Next year, we'll have to settle for just standing next to them because the kids are growing so much.

Inside the tiger house ... and just look at Sophia's hand on Jimmy's back.  Both of the girls are like little mothers to him.

There was a glare off of the glass window, but doesn't the tiger almost look fake?!  I assure you that he was as real as can be ... and we were lucky to be able to see him outside, as well.

Yup, he was pretty incredible.

Sophia spied this white peacock and ran back to ask me to take a picture with her in it. 

The rhino was one of my favorites.

So huge.  And so powerful looking.

One of the last exhibits that we saw was the penguins.  It was made clear from the beginning that Sophia wanted to be sure to see them.  She LOVES penguins!  The exhibit was nice, but it was hard to capture them (see them in the background) because they kept ducking into the water.

The girls both wanted to try this jumping apparatus and we obliged.

They were lifted high up into the air and then they could jump or flip.

Sam did a lot of back-flips.

And managed to jump pretty high.  Sam loved it more than Sophia, but they both had quite a bit of fun.

A happy momma and her brood.

The camels.

The flowers were gorgeous in the pots all around the zoo, so I snagged the girls and had Steve take a quick picture of us.  You can see that the sky was a bit overcast (there were even a few sprinkles in the air), but it made for a nice morning -- not so hot!

4th of July - 2018

Steve and I were commenting earlier that we have been celebrating eight years' worth of 4th of July holidays in our subdivision (and the neighborhood does it up BIG!) ... and never once has it rained.  It is always scorching hot and everyone is a sweaty mess before the day is over.  But that is what summer at the lake is about -- the beach, bikes, food, fireworks and lots of RED, WHITE and BLUE!

Our American flag was flying waving proudly in the faint morning breeze.  I wanted to be sure to capture that in the background because Steve was able to install our new one just in time for the holiday.  The aluminum pole on our previous one bent right over onto the ground (just missing our vehicles in the driveway) during a windstorm earlier this Spring.  Such a weird thing to see.

The bike parade started at 10:00 am and the kids were all ready to go.  We opted to join in once the parade made it past our driveway.  This is something that we learned after years of doing this -- if we try to walk or bike the WHOLE parade, the kids become too tired only partway through.

This boy is a bike-riding champ.  He never used any training wheels and was successfully riding this bike before he even turned four last year.

Sam opted to decorate her scooter and Sophia's bike was still fully adorned with decorations from last year's parade. 

I wasn't sure if Jimmy would choose to ride his balance bike (he, too, is getting the hang of biking already) or if he would want to ride in the wagon.  I was prepared either way.

Waiting at the end of the driveway for the parade to come by ...

At the park, there was juice and donuts for everyone.  And lots of games.

There were volleyball and corn hole tournaments and lots of cupcakes.

Yes, we celebrate this holiday in a big way with our neighbors and friends.

After lots of time in the sun and a nap for Jimmy, we did some fireworks of our own in the driveway.  It's been a while since we used sparklers and the kids really had a great time.

Even as the sun started to set, we were still decked out in our festive holiday wear.

This *might* just have been the highlight of Jack's day.  He takes sparklers and fireworks seriously.

And then, around 10 pm, we settled in at the end of our driveway with more neighbors to watch the magnificent fireworks over the lake.  It was truly spectacular!

The Beach

We are about one month into Summer now and I have made an extra effort to do something "special" with the kids each and every day.  It might be as simple as picking up a 'lunchable' from the store for lunch (why do they love those so much?), stopping for a slushie or a donut, visiting a new park, having a picnic lunch, going to the library or heading down to the beach.

The beach ... one of the (many) nice things about our neighborhood.  It is just a small jaunt down from our house and the kids LOVE going down there.  I've been known to even take them down there twice in one day.  There is just something about being near the water -- the cooler temperature for one thing -- that makes it an easy thing to say "yes" to.

The kids have been using floats a lot this season.  They're kind of a pain to take down there, but I have found that it gives them something additional to play with and they generally take turns with them, thus spreading out the fun.

The inflatable turtle that Jack got for his birthday last year is still going strong.

It's even large enough for both of the girls to ride it at the same time -- double the pleasure, double the fun!

Most of our beach toys got thrown away after last season, and I knew that I needed to purchase new for this year.  I spent a mere $20 at Walmart one morning and walked away with several buckets, shovels, squirt guns and various other beach toys.  Such a cheap investment for the loads of fun that the kids have in the sand.

Jimmy doesn't venture out too far into the water yet; he knows his boundaries when he doesn't have a life-jacket on.  Rather, he spends his time filling bucket after bucket of water ...

... and making lots of small ponds. 

Occasionally, I will find him trying to "swim like a fish" on his belly, much like he does in the bathtub!

And Jack?  He never stops.  Sometimes he builds castles, sometimes he makes ponds, sometimes he swims and sometimes he floats.

The best part about the beach though ...?  It's the nice long naps that everyone takes afterwards!

Mid-Week Randoms

On the morning of Jack's birthday, we started the day off right with cinnamon rolls (our usual tradition) before the girls headed off to school.  We sang happy birthday, lit a candle and Jack made a wish! 

I made sure to spend the day focusing on him as much as possible (a strawberry smoothie from McDonald's -- his favorite), a picnic lunch at the park, followed by playing.  And then when he got up from his rest, he discovered that the dining room table was covered with presents and a small cake that I made just for him.  We went to Old Chicago for pizza (his request) and our neighbor dropped off cupcakes for everyone.

A new flashlight from Dad:

A spiderman watch:

He loved it:

More candles to blow out:

As I tucked my five-year-old into bed that night, he hugged me and told me that it was the "bestest day ever."  And it was.

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I planted several pots outside and James found this one.  He can never resist smelling flowers.

Side note: He's sitting in the rocking chair that my grandpa made for me many years ago.  James was named after my dad (James), who was named after his dad, my grandpa (Albert James).

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Sophia was asked to dance downtown for the Laingsburg Lions Festival -- an annual celebration with carnival rides and entertainment.  She danced in her ballet costume on a small stage and did great.  We are SO proud of her!

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Jack's last day of preschool ... This Fall, he is headed off to kindergarten for five full days a week.  This boy is more than ready and would probably go TODAY if he could.

I am so thankful for his excitement and enthusiasm.  He's ready to meet his teacher and "ride the bus everyday."

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Aunt Deb got Jack a set of four superhero capes and masks as part of his birthday present this year and they have been an absolute hit in our household.  The kids all love wearing them -- inside, outside, with friends, etc.  (I am keeping this in mind for any upcoming birthday parties that Jack is invited to for his friends; they are a great gift).

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For end-of-the-school-year Teacher Gifts, I opted to put together a nice, tall drinking glass for summer with nail polishes, a file and a gift card to Target inside.  The kids chose their own cups and nail polishes and then completed the cards for the outside.  Jack simply signed his name on the back of the cards for his two teachers, but the girls filled out a special questionnaire about their teacher and their school year that I attached.  They turned out pretty cute and the teachers really seemed to like them.

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At the end of the 4th grade school year, the student do a "Genius Hour Project."  They choose a topic that they are interested in (it can be anything!), research it and then put together a presentation.  After presenting to the class, their projects are set up in the hallway as a gallery for the other 4th grade classrooms to see and ask questions about.

Samantha chose to build a robotic arm.  I know.  Wow.

Steve purchased her a book about robots and the arm kit online and then they spent over six hours together working on it.

I helped her put together her poster and display of pictures and then made sure that she made it safely to school with everything.

Later, both Samantha and her teacher told me that her project drew the biggest interest of the students -- so many questions and so much wonder over everything.

The arm uses water (hydraulics) and levers to be able to pick up and object, like this dinosaur.  Pretty amazing work and Samantha did most of it herself with the aid of a manual and Steve explaining the details as she went along.

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This Fall, it will just be Jimmy and me together all day.  The three older kids will be in school full-time, so we will spend our days running errands, playing, reading books and doing puzzles.  He is fully potty-trained now during the day (only wearing a diaper for naps and bedtime) and the truth is that he hates wearing diapers.  He begs to have "udder-wear" on when I lay him down to put a diaper on before getting him ready for bed.  By this Fall, I suspect that all diapers will be gone and that phase of my life will be over.

He's growing so tall and has the biggest personality.  He is grouping more words together and there isn't a single word that he won't attempt to say.  He smiles more than he cries and those smiles just light up his blue-eyed face.  He keeps asking about a haircut (he knows that Jack gets one from his dad on a regular basis) and I laugh and tell him that it will still be a while.  He's independent and takes directives like a champ.  He gets his own milk out of the fridge (he drinks almost a gallon and a half a week) and puts his own boots on.

And I have to remind myself that he isn't even 2.5 yet.

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