Spring Break Field Trip

Several weeks ago (I know, sorry...), we had Spring Break. One of our fun "adventures" - as Caleb calls them - was going to the Houston Livestock Show with Nana. Caleb was so very excited that he sat down and prepared a checklist the night before. He did this ALL BY HIMSELF - spelling and all. And, yes, we took the list with us and he checked them off at the conclusion of the day. Too cute.

For those of you that have problems reading phonetically, here's the translation:
What I am going to
do with Nana.
I am going to the rodeo.
Ride horse.
Have a war.
Pet a chicken.
Milk a cow.
Drink lemonade.

For the record, we did it all. Okay, so it wasn't a REAL cow that he milked, but it worked for check-list purposes. And, yes, he DID pet a chicken...with one finger through the fencing on the coop. Oh, and the war??? Yeah, Nana obliged and had a pretend one back at our house...ah, life with boys. Enjoy the pics.

Camp Nana - Downtown Aquarium

Yes, Cole's 2nd birthday WAS this past Saturday, but I need to finish up Camp Nana before I show you pictures from that circus!

Friday concluded Session One of Camp Nana. We met up at the Downtown Aquarium for fish, felines (the giant white tiger variety), food and fun. Chris even came along for the adventure!

Camp Nana - Houston Fire Museum

Camp Nana (Session One) also included a trip to the Houston Fire Museum.

Caleb liked it because:
A) He got to try on a fireman's uniform.
B) There was a fire-truck "cab" where he could push buttons, turn on lights and talk on a radio.

Cole liked it because:
A) There was an old fire-truck to sit in and he could buckle, unbuckle, and re-buckle the seatbelt with Nana.

Camp Counselor Nana and Mommy liked it because:
A) It was cheap.
B) It was not crowded.
C) It was air-conditioned.
D) Caleb and Cole had fun.






There was also a very touching display of pictures from the members of HFD that went to help in NYC after 9/11 along with an actual beam from one of the WTC buildings.

Camp Nana - Ellen Trout Zoo

On Monday, Camp Nana took us on a field trip to the Ellen Trout Zoo in Lufkin. Caleb, the honorary schedule-maker, was quick to inform us that we would be riding the train first. We then had a picnic lunch (complete with a stalker goose) and then a tour of the zoo facilities. Ellen Trout Zoo is FANTASTIC for the younger age crowd. It was almost unbearably hot, but since there is a lot of shade and the zoo is on the smaller side, we still got to see it all before we melted. The highlight of the day was when the hippo swam right up the the plexi-glass where we were seated and getting to see the million baby peacocks.

Camp Nana - Water Fun

My mom is super busy this summer...conferences, trainings, various teacher-ly duties and a few trips to New Mexico to visit Ben. However, she is free most of this week and has so graciously decided that "Camp Nana" is in session (also known as "Camp NONNA" if your name is Cole). We spent the past few days at her house during Chris' "ON" shift.

You should know that Camp Nana is highly exclusive...only the truly priveledged are allowed to attend. The children are exposed to various intergenerational play experiences as well as ample spoiling. There is a seemingly endless supply of chocolate milk and various other "treats". The Camp Nana counselor is also known to read multiple bedtime stories and/or rock children on the front porch until vomiting is induced. (Yes, this did happen, although certainly not on purpose!) Parents attending Camp Nana are truly pampered - diaper changing duties are greatly reduced, meals are generally planned (and cleaned up) by others and, on most nights, you can sleep by yourself (oh, the luxury!). You should be jealous.

One of the many activities so far was what Caleb called "Summertime Fun" - meaning turn on the water 'cause we're playing outside. After many different approaches to water-play, the hands-down winners were jumping into the lop-sided plastic swimming pool (Caleb's pick) and the yellow water-sprayer (Cole's pick).