Live...laugh...love Life with 4 kids 6 and under. Our trip to pick up Tonito in China is: mid-March 2008 through April 12. Our trips to pick up Ricky in Ethiopia are in June and August of 2010.

Monday, September 1, 2008

Animals and Jumpy-slides

Our wonderful neighbors (we will miss them in Houston!) had 2 birthday parties this weekend! On Saturday we celebrated their youngest son's birthday with some animals, and on Sunday we celebrating their oldest son's birthday at "Pump-It-Up."

The animal show (see http://www.naturescreatures.net/) is run by this woman Erin who rescues animals who people originally thought would be good pets (like the 25 ft snake we pet!) and educates kids at schools and other events about the animals and how to respect them. We sat in a circle and listened to her talk about each of the animals and then she would walk around and let the kids each pet them. Then at the end of the party she set up a little pen and put the bunnies and ducks inside, and let the kids go in and hold and pet them- this was a HUGE success and the kids were thrilled!!! The gigantic turtle and snakes she had outside the pen (to avoid snacking) and then the cockatoo sat on people's shoulders saying "hi" and "Maya" (his name). It was so much fun!! Vivi even volunteered to put the boa constrictor around her waist like a belt- I guess if you don't teach them to be afraid they won't be!




Keeping a safe distance from the tarantula:
They asked who wanted to help with the boa constrictor and Vivi was VERY enthusiastic!:)
Petting the baby alligator that someone had released into a forest preserve:


The next day we went to this place the houses huge inflatable playthings- slides, walls to climb up, tunnels, moonjumps, etc. The kids LOVED it and jumped-climbed-ran around for 2 hours, and then gorged on chocolately birthday cake. It was so cool to see Tonito interact with other kids in a big group- I had imagined him to be socially behind, but he held his own in these big jumpy things and was not intimidated by anything. He loved singing happy birthday because he really knows that song well (he and Vivi sing it a million times a day for some reason), and I could tell he relished being "part of the group." It was so cute!!!

After the birthday party we went to my parents house for dinner and then visited a night carnival. Tonito rode on a fast car ride and Vivi chose the merry-go-round. She told us the cars were too fast but "when I a boy and I 5 I go on the coches." They were SO tired and sweaty from all the exercise and excitement- and slept so well on Sunday night!

2 comments:

Heather BT said...

What a fun and busy week, two birthdays - and each celebrated so differently and so well.
Love that Tonito's jumping right in to the activities.
Heather BT

Anonymous said...

Oooorale, tienen unos hijos sin miedo, que tal Vivi con una serpiente y Toñito con el cocodrilo... abusados, van a cambiar a Mingo y Boudicca, jaja. Un abrazo.