It's Not a Regular Zoo

Last weekend, we spent our Saturday at Sharkarosa Wildlife Ranch in Pilot Point, TX. It was...interesting. First, I applaud their efforts to provide a safe-haven for abused, neglected, or displaced animals. They promote conservation and run off of private donations. Yes, it's small. Yes, I would have been perturbed having driven all that way for what we were able to see. BUT, we did get a Groupon deal and about 10 miles up the road was a Babe's Chicken Dinner House (Lunch!). The great thing about this whole trip was getting to touch a zorse (half zebra/half horse) and a zonkey (half zebra/half donkey), getting up close to the most beautiful draft horse I've ever seen, watching a newborn zebra learn to eat, and observing the interaction between my boys and a baby capuchin monkey. There were a few things to do, but not much. The main focus was on the two new black bears (who were ironically mostly brown- Did you know that a black bear can be brown??!) who were rescued from a company that used them for photography/film/entertainment purposes, but neglected and possibly abused them. They were recently rescued at least 100 lbs underweight and placed in a new enclosure that Sharkarosa hurriedly raised money to build. The story itself is amazing. Yes, I would recommend going, but only if you are looking for something interesting to do and don't mind the drive.

http://www.sharkarosa.com/

He's the best dad!

Caden thought the camels smelled terrible. So, he grabbed my hand sanitizer and used it the way one might use smelling salts.

We stopped at the park across from Babe's after lunch so the boys could play and exhaust some more energy before the drive home.

I can hardly wait to see you come of age, but I guess we'll both just have to be patient...

Ethan is officially a 3rd grader.

You know, I had difficulty arranging someone to take over my class so I could attend Ethan's awards ceremony. I thought that would be the hardest part of the whole ceremony. I mean, I obviously cannot leave 26 fifth graders alone for an hour. That was the easy part in actuality. I had a really great friend of mine, Roberta, who offered to take over for me. If she hadn't stepped in, I was totally prepared to take the day off, for what it's worth.

My point is, that was the easy part. The hard part was watching my not-so-little-boy go from being recognized as a second grader for Excellence in Art, A Honor Roll, and Citizenship, to this big kid shaking the principal's hand and gliding from one stage of his life right into the next right before my eyes. I had to blink to bring myself back to reality. (and also, plus, too, I had to blink back tears).

I'm not the type of mom who boo-hoos at every little change in my children's lives. I get that they're supposed to do these things. In fact, I'm keeping little tic marks in my Book o' Success as a Parent. Every time they begin a new stage, I think, "Oh okay. Good. They're still breathing."

But this? This was different. I teach fifth graders, taught fourth grade, and even third grade for a year. He's getting into the territory of the age group I've been teaching for almost 10 years now. Astounds me if I think too much about it.

Brian and I couldn't be prouder of the person he is becoming. Ethan is kind and compassionate. He adores working with students with special needs and will give the world if you asked him to do so. But, more than that- he's intuitive, intelligent, and polite.

I want to give all thanks and glory to God- who put this wonderful little creature into our lives. Blessed doesn't even begin to cover it. It's more than that. He chose Brian and me to guide and love this beautiful boy and his little brother. Thank you, God.

(You'll have to excuse my hair etc. I had just come in from taking my students outside. ACK!)

Overload on Complete Cuteness

Things I love

1. Nike Free Run +2- the LIGHTEST running shoes I have ever owned! Love them!!

2. La Duni Latin Kitchen- the one in Highland Park is the best. It's small and would be a great date place. The Viennese Iced Chocolate Milk is the bomb. It's all good though. There are other locations (North Park is one), but this one was my favorite.

3. Kids' Sanuk Flip Flops with yoga mat footbed. I love Sanuk products. These have been great for the boys' feet. I want a pair for myself now.

4. Large Utility Tote from 31- Love. I use this to separate the boys' things in the car while we're traveling.

5. Chevron print personalized iPad cover from KariOn Designs on Etsy.com- I know the seller personally and will tell you (as will she) that she strives for perfection. She has everything from iPad covers, phone covers, and Kindle covers. I believe she is venturing into jewelry here soon, as well. Simply gorgeous! One of my favorite things.

I'm going to create one of these collages of stuff I hate. Stay tuned... ;)

Family Lotto

I hit the in-law lotto. For real, y'all. I have the best extended family in the world. I could not have prayed for a more loving, fun, welcoming family to be a part of. Today, we had the privilege of celebrating Brian's grandmother's 95th birthday. It was an amazing feeling to watch my boys build, grow, and nurture relationships with their extended family. They have cousins who are all around their ages and to watch them interact with each other, was a precious thing.
A huge thank you to Chris, Diane, Heather, and Kailey who opened up their house to host. They literally have a lake in their backyard which provided Ethan with just the environment he so desires; wet, marshy, and full of creatures. Caden enjoyed having the freedom to jump from the floating dock into the water. Yeah, they did that on their own. The coolest experience happened as I was walking closer to the edge of the shoreline, seeing a ton of these tiny, little dark spots jumping around with every step I took. I assumed they were crickets or something. Nope. They were baby frogs!! We had the best time catching and releasing them. They were precious!!
Caden and Ethan took the paddle boats out with their cousins which was also pure entertainment. I love that they were comfortable enough to explore and create an adventure with nothing more than their environment, a few of their cousins, and their imaginations.
Thank you, God, for blessing us with an amazing extended family. They mean the world to us.

They're lucky they're cute (and smart, and funny, and creative, etc. etc.)

I can't think of anything super clever to say here. Mostly because I feel this swelling of pride over my kids and the other is because my brain hasn't checked in via Four Square just yet. I'm tired, y'all. (you can say that in Paula Deen's voice if you want to.)
My kids can be the most infuriating creatures on this planet. They don't often keep their clothes stain free and I have to remind them constantly to pick up after themselves. They're loud, they scream and yell, and well, I feel like I'm living Lord of the Flies in my own house sometimes. (Remember, the fat kid dies in LotF)
But, they're also sweet, sensitive, protective, empathetic, have a dry/great sense of humor, and are often polite to others while maintaining a respect for their dad and me. But, what continually amazes me are their talents. Where did they get this?!
Ethan is so intuitive and loves to dig deeper into his learning. He abhors math (that used to be me before I started teaching it) because he can't do it quickly and mentally. He devours every non-fiction book, documentary, or random fact. He's also artistic, creative, and sees beyond the dimensions of his vision. He is a deep thinker.
Caden is my logical thinker, my fiction story fanatic, my musician. He can remember song lyrics, keep rhythm, and makes up his own stories in his head. He can count to 20 in Spanish, higher in English, and is able to add and subtract already. He writes, draws, reads, and calls himself an "artist".
Ethan created a piece of art that was placed into the RISD All-District Art Show. The story behind his art made my jaw drop. He takes a piece of knowledge and runs with it. I wish I had time and space to write down everything he does, creatively speaking, that astounds me both as a mother and as a teacher.
Caden had his spring show for pre-school. His class had tons of artwork displayed along the walls and in the classrooms. He has such a creative group of kids in his class. Their artwork was amazing! After parents continued with the gallery walk, they were then led to the gym where the students serenaded them with songs such as, "Zip-a-dee doo-dah!" I wasn't able to attend because of state testing, but Brian was. He recorded it for me. It was so cute I wanted to vomit. For real. Caden was so into it. He did the motions to the songs and sang unto the Lord with all his might!
Man, I love these people...even if I do think about drop-kicking them every now and again.