Reptile Man

Reptile Man came to the library today. We are soooo lucky to have a small library that is part of a BIG library system, so we get all of the big shows that the big libraries get too. It is so much easier to get front row seats in a crowd of 80 than in a crowd of 500. The summer reading program is here, and Reptile Man came with it. Reptile Man has his own reptile zoo in Monroe, Washington. It would definitely be worth a visit. From boa constrictors, to pythons, to rattlesnakes, to alligators, to tortoises, we got to touch a lot of reptiles today.

There are my four boys in the front.

My brave little girl was trying to get her hands on all of the reptiles, even the python!

Thankful

THANKS......to all of my friends, family, everyone. I don't know how I would survive life without all of you. You are the best. I am so blessed.

Online Learning: A Terrific Alternative for Parents

We just finished our first year with WAVA--Washington Virtual Academy......and we loved it. They use the k12 curriculum featured in the clip below. I have three enrolled for next year. Obviously, it isn't for everyone, but it is awesome! I couldn't believe how much Matthew excelled this year, especially in History, Art, and Science........subjects getting left behind in some schools (not to mention his Math and Reading). Why do I keep my kids at home for school? I guess because I like people to think we are weird : ) Just kidding...........

Watch the movie, it is worth seeing.

Eating a bug--in living color!

This is my last group of the day, 8 hours of eating bugs!

We survived all of the fun!

Cub Scout Day Camp---four full days of fun, sun, wind, classes, projects, kids to babysitters, bugs, and more. Matthew, Nathan, and I went to four days of Day Camp this week. We are home, and alive. The other four kids were troopers going to babysitters (and grandma's) for all four days, 8 hours each day. I have really nice friends : )

I am the cubmaster of my Cub Scout pack. I love those boys, and I really do love going to Day Camp. I went for two days rotating around with the boys, and I was teaching a "Fear Factor" class the other two days to the 170 boys attending. It was all great fun for sure. One day I wore three shirts, one an underarmor shirt for polar weather, and today I wore a t-shirt and should have worn shorts!

In my Fear Factor class, we ate all sorts of fun foods--15 in fact, the last few being insects. I ate more dehydrated meal worms than I would like to admit. I ate 1 dehydrated cricket, three live crickets, and probably 8 live meal worms. bleeeeahhhhh...........I am about bugged out. But if you are expecting the boys to do it, how can you not? And I had to be excited about it too, for each of the 12 classes! The hardest eat for me was the anchovy with its little sunken eye, and VERY strong smell, but I ate it. I made buttons for the boys that said "I ate a bug." I gave away 140 buttons. I couldn't believe that almost all of the boys did it. They were awesome. They even tried onions, jalapenos, artichokes, anchovies, spinach, dates, gorgonzola cheese, and more. The funny part is that we had more gagging on the dates than on the live insects! The funniest part was that we had ketchup, chocolate, and BBQ sauce to dip the live insects in. So it wasn't really that bad--apparently anything can go down with chocolate!

Heading off to Day Camp

Here is our pack doing the opening flag ceremony on the first day.

The boys got to attend 24 different classes at Day Camp. It is the awesomest experience. For so many boys it is the first time they have shot BB Guns, cooked in a dutch oven, caught a fish, planted a tree, played flag football, shot bows and arrows, built more than 8 projects, ate bugs, and more, more, more. The ladies that put this together are amazing!

Here is the button I made for the kids that ate a bug in my class! What a boys will do for a button or a patch!

Can you see the hiding aquarium full of crickets?

Here is my first cricket going down with chocolate.

And Matthew popping a last cricket for the day......

Sharing the work load!

This is Tiger, and her kittens.

Apparently, having seven kittens is a lot of work.

She hired a nanny, our other cat, Pumpkin.

Here is Pumpkin, Tiger, and the kittens all sleeping together.

Pumpkin has been doing all of the sleeping with, cleaning the bums of, and moving around of the kittens.

Tiger does nurse them.

I guess Pumpkin just really loves babies, and wanted some of her own. I understand that. I love to hold other people's new little babies too!

And in case you are wanting a new kitten,

they are almost ready for their new homes,

and they have been HANDLED a lot!

but the little girls don't come with!

Uncle Shayne is Home!

Uncle Shayne came home from his mission. Since Ryan and I have been married, we have sent off six little brothers on missions. Our little boys have grown up loving and looking up to so many uncles. The last uncle is home from his mission. Shayne was Matthew's age when we got married, and now he is home from a mission. How did that happen? And in the same amount of time, my Matthew will be his age......whoaa.

It is sad to close this chapter of life, but another opens. Ryan and I will be sending off our own missionaries soon enough. I can't believe that.

On another note, we have had a great week due to Shayne coming home.......

time at Grandma and Grandpa's......

time with cousins........

and time with Aunts and Uncles, and snakes..........