Read Right and Run

This was the second year that the boys did Read Right Run with their school.

Last year it started storming the morning of the race so we didn't get to finish the 26 miles

at Forest Park as planned, but they did finish it at school because they have an awesome

PE teacher.

This year was the exact opposite weather.

It was absolutely beautiful.

Plenty of sunshine.

Not too hot.

Not too cold.

We were spoiled for sure.

They had such a good time.

I'm proud of them for doing all 26 books, good deeds and miles.

The good deeds were the hardest to keep up with.

Not the hardest to do - we would just forget to track them.

But they did it and are ready to do it again next year.

They even saw signs for a 5K Halloween run and were all over doing that

in October in our costumes.  Sounds fun!

We spent the rest of the afternoon at the zoo.

Along with almost every other St. Louisan I believe.

If you live here you know what it's like on those first nice Saturdays in spring and know what I'm talking about :)

Saw the new sea lion show for the first time and just walked around enjoying the day.

stingrays

More time with Grandma and Grandpa.

This time at the Zoo.

We were lucky this time to be there during the stingray feeding.

{Helping the boys get the food just right}

{Getting more instruction from the stingray experts}

{Ready to feed them}

{By the look on Ethan's face, I believe he was

successful.  The stingrays suck the food up from between

the kids' fingers, so it apparently feels really weird

when the rays eat.  I say apparently, cause I'm 

always chicken to do it myself.  More of

a spectator}

wrapping up the school year

They've been out for a few weeks now.

The last few days and weeks were fun, but I'm so

glad we're on summer flex time now!

Elliott and some of his friends at the Zoo during their field trip.

Meet Aluminum Guy

One last project for the year.

He had to use at least 8 (I think) different shapes

to construct a creature.

I thought he was pretty cool!

The supplies began returning home.

I always put what we need in the homework cabinet,

and then the rest get put away for next year.

My absolute favorite part of the end of the year!

JOURNALS.

Each year I have been given this gift of a 

window into what is important to them in the form

of a written journal from September until May.

I LOVE what I find in there.

FIELD DAY

It was wacky olympics themed.

This was my station.

Japan's Chopstick Chicken Relay Race.

The kids had to pick up this rubber chicken

with chopsticks only.

Run with it to the frying pan.

Drop it in.

And the next person would go and get it.

Fun times, I tell you!

Autograph Party

Our PTO hosts an autograph party every year where the kids can get together with

other classes in their grade level and sign yearbooks or autograph papers.

I remember doing this in middle and high school, but not elementary school.

Good thing since I was always frantic about saying just the right thing in each person's book.

Didn't want to say the same thing as everyone else, wanted it to be fun or nice, and didn't want to say the same thing in each book.  

Whew!  Lots of pressure.

I will say that I have some very long paragraphs in my yearbooks, and I bet my classmates do too :)

The boys......pretty much just sign their name and they are done.  Hmmmm.

zoo faves

First trip of the season.

First week out of school.

We think this is the baby hippo that was born last summer.

The hippos are my favorite exhibit.

I just think it's cool to watch them.

This is the baby elephant that was born last summer.

Kenzie.

How adorable is she?

I was so excited that we caught both babies on the same day!

And the sting rays are open!

zoo trip

The boys and I headed to the Zoo last Monday while they were out of school for Presidents' Day.  They have had so many days out of school lately, due to illness, holidays, work days, etc.  I knew that for all of us to be sane by the end of the day that we had to get out of the house.  For some reason they didn't really want to go at first,  but we went anyway with the agreement that we would eat lunch, see the 3D movie and a few animals and go home.

So we ate lunch (FYI, the Lakeside Cafe is closed for renovations so the Painted Giraffe is the only place to eat right now and it is incredibly busy!) and came up with a game plan.  We would head to the monkeys' winter house since we rarely see that and then back to the movie.

On the way to see the monkeys, we stopped to watch the prairie dogs.

They were really fun to watch.  I don't remember them being so active before - either I don't remember right or they really inactive during the warmer months when we usually go.  It's most likely that I just don't remember.  They would jump in holes, out of holes, wrestle with each other, chatter.  The whole time we were watching I was wondering what they were saying to each other, because during our trip to San Fran a marine animal expert was talking to us about the sea lions out there and how they aren't sure exactly how they communicate with each other but that there is a guy who has been studying prairie dogs for over 20 years and can tell that they are communicating things like "the coyote is coming back", etc.  I found it fascinating, but I'm not sure my trip-mates did.  But they will appreciate that that's what I was thinking about while watching this!

We saw the monkeys (and I will add that I enjoyed watching them in their winter house much more than in their summer outdoor environment because they were so much more active and interactive) and then it was off to the 3D movie.

Yeah.....what to say about that?  Let's just say that we've now learned to always ask to make sure that the 3D machine is actually working before we buy tickets now.  Elliott was about to drive me crazy asking where the 3D glasses were.  I don't know what I was thinking - maybe you didn't need them for this particular movie?  I finally let him go ask the lady but he didn't make it to her before she closed the doors.  So I notice that no one else has theirs on so we must be ok.  But just to make sure I asked the girl behind me if they got any.  "No, she said something about the 3D machine being broken".  Hmmm.....would have been good info before we bought the tickets.  Oh well.

Then we hurried through the penguins' habitat - you have to hurry cause it smells so bad in there!  And then were on our way home.  Not without some complaints about not getting any Dippin' Dots, though.  I said it was too cold and they didn't need it.  So we stopped and got FroYo on the way home instead.  Because it was cold and they didn't need it :)

We had never been there before, but will definitely be going back!  We tried a few different flavors and decided that the Thin Mint was our favorite and really didn't care for the Strawberry Banana much.  As you can see, the boys prefer gummy worms with theirs.  I do not.  

Such a fun day with them.  Reminded me of summer when we can usually just pick up and do things like this.  Already collecting ideas of things to do this summer - can't wait!

Wild Lights

Well, huge flakes are actually coming down outside my window tonight.  Second time it has snowed already this season, yet thankfully not enough to stick and accumulate (much to the boys' dismay!).

Last night we went to the Wild Lights at the Zoo.  We always seem to choose the coldest days to do these things, but this was the only night we could do it - can you believe that?  Already every weekend night is filled with plans until January!

Anyway, it was fun and we even got to meet up with a friend and her family and also a neighbor.  Of course, the only animals we saw were the penguins and puffins (and they still have no sense of smell - whew!!)  Fun night though.