Meanest Parents in the World

We are so mean.

Isn't this the most pitiful thing you've ever seen?

off to the school to sled

hope he doesn't land on his head!

What goes down 

must come up

somebody I know would never give up.

Stubborn as can be

clearly traumatized at three.

Sliding

Surfing

Belly-flopping fun.

Butt in the air, fit over, tantrum done.

Cardboard Fort

Look what graced our front yard this week!

 

I wonder what our neighbors thought!

I got the boxes from my friend Shelby.

They've been sitting in the garage for a few weeks.

Finally, Tuesday, we made our fort!

Kate was a big help.  The first to see the possibilities.

Then the kids set to work decorating their new hide out.

We pulled it out into the yard for some breeze.

It was in the 80s Tuesday.

I have no idea how Zane is standing to be covered by his crochet blanket!

Evie just giggles and giggles.  

She loves it!

Zane's drawings:  a hill, a hole, a tree, and a blue sky.

Kate in the annex.

The kids had plans to sleep in the fort.  But it rained Tuesday night so they decided to sleep in the fort IN the garage.

However, it was a lot hotter than they thought and one by one they gave up and opted for their beds.

We had some friends over Wednesday to play—in the garage—during the rain.

Plans for more friends today and tomorrow!

Lots of fun in the "Kid's Fort".

Liam deemed this week a "Friends Frenzy"!

 

The kids were in the fort before breakfast today. 

Liam has been working hard at rigging up ways to hang flashlights in the fort.

His best invention:  taping a washer to the wall so the magnetic flashlight will hang on the wall!  Pretty cleaver!

Off to play!

Thank you, Curious George. Making snow shoes out of cardboard this morning was an unexpected bit of fun hard work.

Zoo Trip #2 in verse

On zoo trip #2

there wasn't much we didn't do

A long hike to Africa, we did take

the hyena was even awake.

Bill the lion, not so much

see how easy it is to get a good pic of this bunch?

Checking out the eggs in their new place

I was informed this is Kate's "hatching face"

Evie thinks she is as big as the rest

I was asked to tell which drummer was the best

 I have my own monkey, named Kate, as you can see

Evie is the cutest little wambat, don't you agree?

my two little joeys, not so little any more

this boy loves learning for sure

Potter versions 1 to 5, all lined up
couldn't get enough of those active dingo pups

Owen checks the map while Liam and Kate run ahead

on a special mission to research those famous pandas of red

Our trip to the zoo was oh so much fun

We made one last stop before we had to run

Driving Little Poof is Zane and Owen's fave

My, my, my, Evie's getting brave

I used to hate it when parents let their big kids do this on the train

I was so worried they'd kick my baby in the brain

I made them get down like a good mommy

then took one last pic of this little sweet pea.

First Zoo Trip of the year

Although short, it was a success.

We were only there about an hour.

Only got to see Indonesia.

Got out just in the knick of time before the rain came!

But we accomplished my goal of zoo-training and the kids' goal of seeing the beloved red panda.

Zoo-training? What is that?

Every year I make sure I take the kids to the zoo sans friends for the first trip.

That way we can do a little "how we behave at the zoo" refresher course.

Because when we go with friends I am usually talking and otherwise distracted and the children are more prone to run amuck. At minimum, embarrassing.  At worst, dangerous.

We practice holding the stroller when I say "Stroller!"  Who can get there the fastest?!  A necessary skill for those times when it gets crowded or the kids are in the way of others.

We practice them saying "Yes Mom!  Yes Mom!"  and look for me when they hear me call their name.  That way I can quickly find a child who slipped out of sight.  Once again, a necessity when taking 5 small children to the zoo.

I remind them of the rules.  To stay close to mom.  Not to get too far ahead.  Not to climb on things everything [ahem, Kate!].  What to do if they can't find me.  ie. Stay still and listen for their name and look for a zoo worker or another mom with kids.

I also make sure Evie understands when she's aloud out of the stroller and that she has to get back in.  So she knows she can expect both when we're at the zoo.

Mostly though, that first visit is about talking about how much fun we will have visiting the zoo this year.  I don't think the kids even realize my sneaky zoo-training intentions.   Yet it is very intentional.  For example I let Kate climb on something or get too far ahead just to avail the chance to talk about why we don't do those things.  

It's all about practice and gentle reminders upfront.  Explaining the Why.  Me having the time to focus. They know what is expected of them and the rest of the season usually hopefully goes smoothly and enjoyably as we explore the zoo together.

So there you go.  Why the crazy insight into my crazy parenting ways?  Well, a couple of people had asked me what I meant by "zoo-training" the other day when I said I couldn't go with them to the zoo until after our practice visit.  So there you go.  Not that you were ALL curious, but for those that were.

Now we're up for invites, friends! 

Now here are some more pics of the kids by the new zoo sign!

I have so much fun with these guys!

Science with Daddy

Growing an alligator by soaking it in water.

 Kate traced it and Liam measured and recorded it each day.

They also made a solid out of the same stuff that's in diapers, then turned it back into a liquid with salt.

Pretty cool.

And once again we had a diet coke/mentos geyser in our back yard.

I think Daddy likes it more than the kids!