Dancing in the Street

'Cause summer's here and the time is right for dancing in the street...

Not really though. I live on a main street "in town." So that wouldn't be very safe... or sane.
We have, however, been ticking lots of fun off the Summer To-Do List.

We visited the local library for the Summer Reading Program Kick-Off. There is a punch card for the kids to use each week when they attend the program and check out ten(!!!) books. Those who get all the punches will be entered in drawings for prizes, including an I-Pad Mini. We will not be able to check off every week due to some other plans this summer but plan on joining the weekly program often.

 

The theme for the summer program is "Paws to Read" so for the Kick-Off they made "dog tags." Unfortunately these summer programs fall at 10 a.m. or 2 p.m., and with the Summer School Schedule, it is only feasible to go at 2 p.m., which falls dead-center of nap time. So, having selected to skip naps for this day... and Benjamin being far more interested in the turned-off computers than books, this started out as a frustrated adventure. We persevered though (although there may have been some ineffective threats to "just leave" thrown in there), and once he had acclimated to the chaos of all that was happening we picked some (10!) books, crafted, and had a good time.

 

 

Cameron is volunteering with the library... for his third summer, I think? So, I was even able to park Benjamin in the Snowcones & Popcorn room for a while and check out some books for myself. After the library visit, the boys got much-needed (at least for Benjamin: see Pointdexter-parted hairstyle above) Summer haircuts. I have always been about cutting the boys' hair short-short in the summer and not dealing with "styles" until it was time for school again. Lots of times this even meant me pulling out the clippers. Benjamin may have inherited my unfortunately large head though, and I just couldn't bring myself to do that to his cuteness.

 

 

In addition to a Library Day, the boys and I have also made a trip to Busch Gardens. I really took a gamble heading on the 90-minute trek when there was 70% chance of thunderstorms. I just told myself that if I go and it's miserable, I will get over it... but if I don't go, I will spend days wishing I had... so we did!

It literally started raining just as we entered the park. It was near 3 p.m. and most visitors had already left for the day due to the pending weather. We were waved on to the preferred parking (for free versus the $15 normal cost) and parked right by the entry gate. After waiting a while in the car, I made the proclamation that were just going to take the umbrella and go for it! As fates would have it, the rain stopped before we even made it from the car to the gate.

Now the "Good" of going to the amusement park on a stormy day is that there were absolutely no lines to any rides. The boys rode ride after ride, with Benjamin often just staying on for three or more turns. The place was so uncrowded at dinner that we could look around and see so many "familiar" faces because we had seen them already in the park. The "Bad" of the day was although it did not rain, following the storm, in 95-plus degree weather, it was muggy shirt-clinging yuck weather (which was still highly worth it in trade).

 

We even got in a Beach Day. (I keep emphasizing the "even did" this & thats because I still teaching summer school every morning, but not letting that dominate my whole day, as in the past.) Kelby joined us and it was her first time being in Virginia Beach.

 



I was determined to get in a beach trip this week, even though I knew the holiday weekend would make it busier than it's busy summer-time normal. I even deluded myself into thinking that the impending Tropical Storm/Hurricane Arthur may stir some folks away from the beach... apparently not. It was definitely crowded. I keep going back and forth on whether I still prefer the crowded touristy spots. I like the anonymity of it... but am a little more irritated by the crowds as I grow closer to my crotchety old-woman stage.

 
At first, Benjamin was determined to spend our entire visit clinging to the umbrella pole avoiding the sand and the water. I think it may have been with sea shells that I lured him out? I spent the greater part of the afternoon hunched over, waiting for the waves to recede, and checking out any sea shells (or more often fragments of them). This entertained Benjamin for quite while too. So long in fact that the next day, I felt the way the Spring athletes complain after doing squats and squat-walks the first week of practice. I could even feel it in my upper back from having my arms perched ready to grab any gems I saw. Seriously, you would think I was culling rubies or diamonds. There was this old lady near me, who only after watching me, started to collect shells too (in a Ziplock bag shoved between the breasts of her bathing suit). Then, she got family involved. I started using a sand sifter... so did they. Then, she sent the young girl over to directly where I was to get shells. I was like "Bring it on Grandma!" Sea Shell Wars 2014. I can get ridiculously a bit competitive.

I also spent a morning yard saling last weekend. It was not a particularly fruitful quest. (I will avoid the details of a certain toddler clothes battle to not make my competitiveness border pathological.) Other than a few odds & ends, the big haul was 16 cookbooks... although I said I would stop buying cookbooks since you get sooo many recipes (any recipe) on The Internets for free... and since I don't cook.

So, Summer is rolling. We are getting out, staying busy, making the most of our 100 days.
(I would have never known Summer had 100 days if it weren't for the currently abused trending hashtag.)

Zoo Day!

Only rainbows after rain. The sun will always come again.
Its a circle, circling. Around again, it comes around.

This was our backyard surprise last night.

Rumor has it that it has been unbearably hot lately. I could neither confirm or deny those rumors since I have barely made it outdoors the past few days. One thing I can definitely confirm though is that it has rained a lot this summer. A lot. Torrential downpours. There were several afternoons during Summer School when it poured so hard that you could not see out the windows. Flash Flood Warnings became a normal icon on the corner of the television screen. I told the kids that it was good that we were getting pass the rain while still in school so there would be nothing but sunny days when we were out. It still rained. It's still raining. A lot. Once upon a time you watched the weather report to see what day it was going to rain that week. Now, we watch the weather report to see which day has the best chances of not raining.

Well, today was that day this week. It was also the one, the only day, that Benjamin realized he's a kid, it's summer, and he could actually sleep in. Until 9:30 a.m.! So, it took a real effort to peel myself out of bed and carry the boys to the zoo. But I am so glad I did. It was an absolutely perfect day for a zoo trip. Per-fect! The weather was mild and breezy. Every single visit to the zoo until today has been a game of strategically making it from one temporarily cooler spot to the next because it was so blazing hot.

It all worked out well because our zoo annual passes end tomorrow and we wanted to squeeze in just one more visit. I don't plan on renewing the passes for at least a couple of years. I waiver back and forth between enjoying the zoo... and feeling guilty for finding entertainment in the animals being trapped outside of their natural habitat for human display. It does help some to realize that with deforestation, industrialization, and poaching that it is quite possible zoo exhibits will be the only remnants of some species.

I liken the whole conflict to feeling guilty for eating animals and wanting to be vegetarian, or at least Pescetarian (shrimp are lot less guilt-inducing than cows)... until I just need a big hunk of steak from The Outback.

Following  the pleasant trip to the zoo, we stopped by the playground for a short while... until it began to rain... again.

 

 

 

 

Elephant Paintings!

 

 

 

Holly Daze

I will avoid the trite and repetitive post about how the long days of Christmas Break stretched ahead of me... until it was the final days of break, and then the days all tumbled upon one another... until the holidays had passed and I was left with a list of undone tasks.

Even though that is what happened.

Again.

And I didn't make a list.

But I should have.

Mike and Diane came down for Thanksgiving, which was really nice because we get to do very little with extended family because of busy schedules and long miles. As is tradition, Justin & Cameron ran the Turkey Trot Thanksgiving morning, while I made some (Pinterest-inspired) finger foods for the day.

Benjamin joined the fun at the Y collecting pockets full of acorns while he waited for the boys to return to the finishing line. When he came home to see a big bowl of nuts on the table, he was adamant to add his collection to the bulk.

Jason cooked a big meal and then Thanksgiving night Diane, Justin and I went to Wal-Mart. That place was INSANE... never again, never again... I whimper as I huddle in a corner flinching at the memory. We went out Black Friday shopping the next day too. We went later in the day and kept a pretty casual attitude about it though, so that wasn't stressful at all. The crew went bowling while they were here and we had a Fred's breakfast before they head back out of town.

We missed the Christmas Parade because Benjamin was sick. I cannot pretend to be too sad about missing a night time parade of over 100 entries, mostly, walking... sorry, Grinch that I am.

The month raced by and then it was time for Break. The Key Club, of course, stayed busy and did a lot over the holidays. The holiday season kicked off with the school-wide food collection, bringing in over 1,500 canned and boxed gods to help feed families in our community over the holidays. Then, the kids volunteered 2 days at both the local toy distribution programs- one with the police department and the other with Social Services. There was, of course, bingo at the Nursing Home, and the kids went to a different nursing home to Christmas Carol too. We created a donation basket to help with a holiday raffle. Then there was the Christmas Party and Cookie Exchange, and surely other events I am forgetting, because there is so much. Always, so much.



Cameron passing time during a slow flow in the evening with the police volunteers for the event.

I had hoped to fit in three Hampton Roads holiday events- Lights at Norfolk Botanical Gardens, ice skating at MacArthur, and Christmastowne at Busch Gardens. Time whittled down though and I had to choose just one, so we went to Christmastowne. It is only the second time we have ever gone, but the crowds were just as busy as the first time two years ago.

Overflow parking; a long tram ride to gate. Over 90 minutes in line waiting to see the penguins. About an hour in line waiting to see Santa before a cranky & soggy kid made us abandon that line. Grabbed dinner and Benjamin fell asleep before we could do the train ride or Sesame Street show. And although so much time was spent just... waiting... it was still worth the whole adventure because "pen goons" were Benjamin's new fascination before going and that was just fueled all the more after seeing them, which he distinctly remembers and gets excited to talk about.

Virginia Zoo in Norfolk

Today was THE day not forecasted for rain this week, so the boys and I went to the Zoo.

When Jason and I took Benjamin to the zoo a couple of weeks ago, we bought an annual pass for the family, so I am determined to feel like it was money well spent. The cost of admission is $11 for adults ($10 for military) and $9 for children ages 2-11. So, the cost of admission for one family visit would be $49. That is i-n-s-a-n-e. The cost of the annual family pass with $75 (with military discount), so with more than two visits over the next year, it will feel well paid-for. It also includes a reciprocity agreement for free admission to other zoos and aquariums that we can hopefully take advantage of.

The Norfolk Zoo has undergone several renovations over the past few years and is continuing in those improvements. Still, I would say this is a 2-hour zoo. You could push it to a 3-hour adventure if you breaked for a snack or to let the kids play in the splash fountains. The lay-out of the zoo is divided into continents with landscaping inspired by the natural habitat of the animals housed there.

"Africa" was the first animal community built under the new park design. A design so authentic that the encaged animals fought one another as if trying to survive in the wild- Rhino killed rhino, Zebra killed rhino, Zebra fought lion, Lion killed lion. No, none of these exhibitions were included in the admission price justifying the $49 price tag. Actually, thankfully, the greater minds of the zoo staff seem to have figured out how to resolve these issues because they haven't made the news in a long time.

The "Australia" exhibit is just one big cage with a couple of kangaroos and emus. They are really cheated in the whole park theme. Hopefully, some focus of the renovations will go there soon because I have never seen the kangaroos hopping about as if they were happy to be there. (Yes, the animal-lover in me really battles the right vs. wrong of caging animals in zoos.)

"Asia" is the newest addition to the zoo mega-exhibits and structurally, it is beautiful.

 

There is a lot of open area throughout the zoo, filled with gardens and waterways. There is also a "farm" area that is currently closed for renovations. That's about it. The kids certainly enjoyed themselves, and we will enjoy our year-long pass, but then probably take advantage of the many other museums and attractions in Hampton Roads before coming back to visit or renew the membership.

Just a few tips if you plan on making a visit.

1. The bathrooms by the snack shack in Africa are FAR more larger than the ones at the newly remodeled entrance. It makes no sense. For a kid-focused venue, the new bathrooms have one changing station and you have to go into a REGULAR-sized stall and pull it down over the toilet to us it. Don't even bother, go to the other bathroom.

2. Check the big map at the entrance. It will tell you the feeding times for different animals- something fun to add to your agenda for the day.

3. Planning to buy lunch at the zoo is going to cost you about $7 a person. Not bad, but will add up quickly for a family. There are various different ice cream options stationed around the park- Dip'n Dots (butterfly gardens), Flavored Soft Serve (farm), and sandwiches/ other freezer-bought types (snack shops). These average $3 each. Bottled sodas and water are $2. (They do not do a bag check at the gate... just saying.) If you buy a fountain soda at the snack shack, they are refillable in the restaurant, but there are no lids and straws (animal hazard), so be sure to have a sip cup for the kids needing that.

4. There is a small splash area with spurting fountains at the park's entrance for kids to play in. It's not a very adventurous area but it will give the older folks a chance to rest... especially if you are embarking on a long ride home and want a sleeping kid! Outside of the zoo entrance is a park area with lots of new playground equipment also. I personally did not venture there, but the boys took Benjamin and said that it was very littered. Since the area probably gets some questionable visitors at night given it's location in Norfolk, you may want to just be mindful.

5. The snack shack and the reptile house are two places to get cool on a hot day.

Today was the first time I saw the armadillos active. Their water dish was empty, and one of the two would climb up and look in the dish, then go over to a faucet on the wall and try to turn it. It was rather amazing how smart and agile these guys were.

6. Lastly, there is a train ride around the park for $2 per person. Unless you have a young train enthusiast like I do, it's really not worth it. The ride is a 10-15 minute circle of the park. The conductor is pointing out different exhibits and sharing facts about them, but the view is from the back of the exhibits and there is nothing interesting to see.

So, overall, it is a good place to visit, but you need to take your time and see everything it has to offer (unless you will be returning with an annual pass), but plan it wisely or it could turn into a $100 venture.

The Children's Museum of Virginia

Today, the boys and I went to The Children's Museum of Virginia in Portsmouth. I would not consider is a large museum, but every square foot of the two-story building is jam-packed with adventures for children of all ages to enjoy. Seriously, all ages- see photos of my 19, 15, and 2 year olds below! Yes, I thought the older bros were going to help and play with Benjamin, but they had to be given play time limits and pulled away from many activities themselves.

The day began with bubbles- big bubbles and little bubbles, lots and lots of bubbles.

Then there was a "ride" on the HRT Transit bus. I have seen several poems on Pinterest lately about being a "Mom of Boys." However, this picture sums it up for me much more than rhyming prose on bugs and muddy footprints on the kitchen floor.

It is easy to spend three hours in this museum and still not see everything, because it is such a hands-on environment. We found several new adventures this trip that we didn't see last visit. Benjamin discovered the chickens. And he discovered that chickens laid eggs.

And more eggs. And more eggs. Thirty minutes with the chicken and the eggs!

Oh, and did you know, chickens lay EGGS!

Curious George is the summer exhibit at the museum. George was Benjamin's first friend, although he is probably feeling neglected in the days since the boy discovered shoo-shoos.

See previous comment about being the Mom of Boys... at least they waited until Benjamin couldn't see them.

Justin wanted to do a little "Improv Theatre," which would warm this mom's heart... had he not kept announcing "Show starting in five minutes" and parents actually try to bring their kids in for the show!

Should there be be any doubt that Benjamin can't hang with his teen bros, this should dispel that notion. He watched the Pirate... and his rebelling First Mate... and the arrival of his Fair Damsel... before Benjamin threw on a tiger mask and chased them all around the stage to add a little more action and danger to the plot.

And, of course, there were shoo-shoos- two visits to the massive train room with tunnels leading to observation bubbles in the middle of all the intersecting tracks.

In the Veterinarian Clinic, Benjamin made my PETA-loving heart proud as he took each DOG(!) from their crate checked them with the stethoscope and threw them out the doggie door to set them free. (Is this not the.most.adorable.picture.ever?)

Mom of Boys... 'nuff said.

It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt... or CPS is called. Ha! Wouldn't this be so much easier than dealing with a car seat? Kiddding! Actually, Benjamin did not want to come out of the crate and I had to bribe him with shoo-shoos to let me open the door... crazy kid.

And finally, from the rear view mirror driving home, I saw the universal image of a day well spent with fun being had by all.

The End