Aloha Zoo

We are enjoying our last few days of summer while we can before the school year starts. We took the kids to a local zoo today. It's actually a family-owned rescue zoo and the kids loved it even though it was hotter and muggier than Hades out there;) I completed an item on my bucket list: feed a giraffe. I really don't have a bucket list, but I probably should make one. The giraffe's name is Stretch and he will only grow to be 14ft tall because his previous mean and nasty owner kept him in a garage for 2 years, stunting his growth. I barely have room for a car in my garage no less a giraffe. Some people...

We treated the kids to a giant snowball at the end of the visit and tons of hand sanitizer. 

 You can walk around the zoo and feed the wandering animals with your bag of bread and popcorn. 

 What in the hell is this giant rodent?

 A friendly bear...

 Some lady was feeding him her snow cone. From a spoon. He loved it.

 Stretch!

Giant snowball station!

A Day at the Museum

Whew! Taking three kids, by yourself, to an enormous children's museum is a lot of work. But a lot of fun! We spent the day at Marbles Museum in Raleigh, and the kids LOVED it. It is the best children's museum I have ever been to. We probably could have stayed from open until close, but unfortunately Sam just can't hang that long. We did spend over four hours exploring every exhibit though. I loved watching Sam just weasel his little behind into everything. He didn't care if that 8 year old boy just built the Lego house. Sam knocked it down. (and I grabbed Sam, apologized and left...giggling.) He squeezed his way into the crowded helicopter because he was determined to get a seat.  Whatever he saw the bigger kids doing, he tried to do...climbing ladders, milking the fake cow, hula hooping (don't tell Tom), shooting hoops...that museum was his oyster.

My absolute favorite part of the day was watching Ella take care of both Madeline and Sam. Sometimes I really can't believe she's my daughter. She is so careful and kind and aware. She watched Sam like a hawk, and helped him with everything, always keeping an eye on Madeline, too. They were all little buddies working together, and it made me realize how dang lucky we are to have them as our babies. There are certainly days when I swear they all hate each other, but then days like this prove that is far from the truth. 

And they all took long naps on the ride home while I sipped on iced coffee to keep me awake from that exhaustingly fun day:)

Love that when Madeline saw this board she yelled "CHESS!"

 Thanks to Uncle Bud, these kids know this game;)

 Giant Connect 4!

 Sports Center

 Ella teaching Sam to slam dunk!

Yeah, those boys behind them are cleaning up the aftermath of Hurricane Sam.

 Small and determined.

 Picnic lunch outside the museum:)

 Love his PBJ face!

 Ain't nobody giving this girl her license any time soon.

 Ella was in heaven with this room!

 Sam made himself very comfortable in the news helicopter.

Ella finding NC

 Veterinarian's office!

 I see a train table in his future;)

 Farmland!

 Clearly I am raising city kids! Who rides a cow??