Reptile Man

The kids and I went to see the Reptile Man at the library today. No, Reptile Man is not a man who looks like a reptile, like Isaiah thought when I told him we were going to see the Reptile Man. He is actually just a regular guy who owns a reptile zoo and does some traveling shows with some of his animals. We actually tried to go this morning, but it was full by the time we got there and they were turning people away. Luckily, there was another showing tonight and we decided to go back for it. Reptile man started out by bringing out some of the animals. As he brought each animal out, he told us a little about it. He had a tortoise, an iguana, a blue-tongued skink, and an alligator named Lucy. Reptile man even showed us how he could put Lucy to sleep. Apparently, alligators have some kind of reflex where if you rub their eyelids, they just pass out. Hmmm...if only that would work on my Lucy.

Next, he brought out the snakes. There was a rattle snake, a cobra, and some other deadly snakes. I'm not sure which one it was, but one of these snakes can kill a human within 15 minutes of a bite. Yikes! I hope to never meet one of those. Of course, all of Reptile Man's snakes have been de-venomed, so we didn't have to worry.

Lucy the Alligator.

And then, there was this big guy. He is an albino boa constrictor. I guess boa constrictors are actually pretty gentle and don't really squeeze people to death like you see in the movies. Whew!

Afterwards, the kids all got a chance to pet and hold some of the animals. Micah was a little unsure of the big snake, at first.

But, after a while, he started warming up to it.

The girls got in on some of the action, too.

They thought this blue-tongued skink was pretty cool, too, and each got a chance to hold it. Micah look so serious in this picture. Maybe he will be the next "Reptile Man".

Lily thought it was just like a little pet and would have carried it around like a little puppy dog all night if we let her.

Lucy was most impressed by the tortoise. She spent most of the time following it around and feeding it leaves off a tree. I think she would like to have a pet tortoise if she could.

These animals must be pretty patient because there were a lot of kids there grabbing at them and trying to pet them or sit on them (poor tortoise). Overall, it was a pretty neat experience and definitely worth the trip back. How many kids can say they have held a boa constrictor? Thanks, Reptile Man!

Lily

At 7 years old, Lily her own little person. She is definitely a daydreamer and we sometimes joke that she is in her own world. She has a big imagination and an even bigger heart. Lily is very compassionate and will do anything to help others. Lily also loves to be the center of attention. Give this girl a microphone and she is unstoppable! She is not afraid to be herself. At school, her teacher says that she is friends with everyone and just kind of flitters around to different groups, but all the kids love her. She makes friends easily and is a great friend to everyone. Lily also loves nature and is curious about all the little wonders of the world. She loves all kinds of animals and has even been known to try to make pets out of worms or bugs. I just love this girl and can't wait to see what the coming year has in store for her.

Lucy

At 4 years old, Lucy: -is a little firecracker. She has a mind of her own and is not afraid to tell you what she thinks. -is very loving and generous with her hugs and kisses. She is always telling me how much she loves me (I have also heard plenty of times how mean I am). -loves to wear dresses and would wear one every day if I let her. -adores her big brother and sister and wants to do everything just like them. -is a master at tormenting her big brother and sister. In the true spirit of the youngest child, she knows just how to push each their buttons. -loves preschool and is so excited to go to school like the big kids. -is so much fun to have around. I am going to miss her soooo much next year when she goes to kindergarten :( Happy 4th Birthday, our little Lucy bug! You are one special 4-year-old.

Spring Break 2012

This Spring Break, we took our annual family trip to the Oregon Coast. My mom even came up and met us there this time, so the kids got to spend some extra time with Grandma Neen. We stayed at "Eileen's Cottage", which is a cute little house in Lincoln City. This is the 4th time we have stayed at Eileen's Cottage" and we love it. It is located on an ocean inlet, and there is a little path off the backyard that leads right to the beach. The kids were so excited to be at the beach house.

I LOVE this big fireplace in the house...perfect for staying cozy. I also had to make the girls "beach pajamas" and stayed up way too late the night before we left, just so they could have their new jammies to wear at the coast. They looked so cute in them, though, that it was all worth it.

Here is the beach right outside our backyard.

We had a couple of days of good weather, and got to play on the beach. Of course, the kids would be down playing in the water, even if it was below freezing.

There's nothing like taking your shoes off in the sand.

These little footprints in the sand get bigger each year...sigh.

We even got to snap some fun family pics.

The kids with Ma and Pa

...and with Aunt D.

...and with Grandma Neen.

Another highlight of our trip was the Aquarium. No matter how many times we visit, the kids never get tired of it. The jellyfish are always fascinating.

You can't tell from the picture, but there are actually sharks behind the glass here...Micah's favorite exhibit. We even got to see the sharks during feeding time.

Micah and Lily brought their cameras and took tons of pictures.

The touch pool is always a hit. Hooray for the Oregon Coast!

Stella

Meet the newest member of our family...she is an 8-month old Chihuahua puppy, who we named Stella. Isaiah brought her home one night and surprised us all (especially me). Of course, the kids went wild and she needed a home, so how could I say no?

Porter also loves having a new "little sister" to play with.

"Eyes in the Hair of My Back"

Lucy- "I'm watching you...I have eyes in the hair of my back, you know." Me- "Don't you mean you have eyes in the back of your head?" Lucy- "Oh, yeah."

Quotes of the Day

This morning, Lucy and I were out shopping at Joann's when a lady smiled at Lucy and asked her, "Are you helping Mommy?" Lucy told her "Yes", and then looked at me with a surprised look on her face and said, "Mommy, that lady knows your name!" Later this evening, when we were getting ready to leave for Micah's baseball game, Lily came out with her sunglasses on. I told her that she probably wouldn't need them since it was cloudy and would be getting dark soon. She then informed me that, "They are just for looks. I have to look my best, you know". Of course, what was I thinking.