Feeding the ducks

We drop Joshua off at GOAL camp by around 7:45am. I had been putting cheap pull-ups on Daniel at night, but he's been wetting right through them. So this morning we went to Target for some heavier duty night time pull-ups. Then we grabbed a cheap loaf of bread and went to the park to feed the ducks.

We parked across the water near the white tented stage area. The kids walked all the way around looking for ducks. The fat duck with the orange head was getting ready to chase Daniel. Daniel is a little slow tearing and balling up his bread for the ducks.
We attracted quite a crowd!
Megan tried reasoning with the loud, rowdy bunch. She was trying to tell them to settle down, she doesn't have anymore bread.
Daniel held onto his last little bread for quite some time before finally letting it go to a large group of ducks.

After walking back around the park, we checked out the fountain.


The water was cool on our hands. It was a beautiful morning!

How lucky I am...

Often times when Keith calls, I wish I could remember some of the funny things the kids say. So, here are a few giggles from the past couple of days...

* Daniel, Megan and I were at the bank the other day. We seldom actually walk into the bank, but the drivethru was crazy busy, so in we went. In line behind us was a dirty (as in covered with dirt, maybe he's a landscaper?) 40-ish looking guy wearing a vintage Superman t-shirt that had a few holes in it. When the bank teller called, "next", Daniel said, "you go mom, I need to talk to Superman". Then he asked Superman why his shirt had a hole in it. For the rest of the day, he was telling people that he met Superman at the bank.

*Joshua went on a field trip to Chuck E. Cheese yesterday with GOAL camp. They road a school bus for the trip. Joshua's teenage group leader things he is absolutely hilarious. He raised his hand on the bus and asked where the seatbelts are. He was genuinely concerned about it and wanted to know if his mom knew he wasn't buckled in.

*Another funny from the field trip - relayed to me from the teen workers. The pizza and drinks were just served at Chuck E. Cheese.
Joshua: Excuse me, what is this drink?
Worker: Fruit Punch.
Joshua: What kind of fruit?
Worker: I'm not sure it's any kind of fruit that's just what they call the drink.
Joshua: Then it doesn't have fruit? I'm not sure that's healthy, is there something else I can have?
(He ended up with half water/half lemonade.)

Maybe you just have to know my kids to see their humor, but they crack me up every day. They are such little reflections of Keith and I it is a constant reminder to watch my actions/words/thoughts.

Our favorite place - Orlando Science Center

Joshua is now in GOAL day camp for the months of June and July. This gives him a chance to make some friends (that hopefully he'll be in school with), and gives me a chance to do some things with the littler two kids. Megan, Daniel and I talked Grandpa in to coming to the Science Center with us yesterday. Daniel was pretty excited to touch a snake, again. He wanted to touch it's tongue, but the snake handler told him that he could only touch the snake's back. Whew!
Then we found a snake that we could touch all over. The kids had a blast climbing all over the play snake.
A trip to the OSC isn't complete without a visit to the dinosaur room.
There was a rocket scheduled to launch from the Kennedy Space Center yesterday. The OSC workers were congregating on the observation deck of the museum to watch the rocket launch. They invited us to join them, but it was pretty bright outside. The launch ended up being delayed a few times and we went back inside to watch the Cinedome movie, Roar. Daniel slept through the entire movie, which amazes me because it was so loud in there with the animals roaring.
Daniel's favorite part of the museum is the Kids' Town area. He claims the red plane as his own and makes flying noises.

Grandpa helping Daniel to look over the railing at the Florida wildlife exhibit.
We got a chance to feed the alligators.
And to touch one, too.
Then we checked out the bee exhibit to see the honey on the honeycomb.
We all had a great time. We only stayed for about 2 hours (including the hour long movie), but we looked at lots of wildlife.

GOAL

Joshua started GOAL day camp this week. It has only been two days, but he seems to be loving it. They play soccer everyday, as well as other sports. He also swims twice a day (he's not a strong swimmer right now, but he's working on it.). GOAL takes weekly field trips. This week he is going to Chuck E. Cheese. He is so excited, because he's been begging me to go since we got here last month. Next week, he'll be going to Disney's Blizzard Beach.

It's been a busy week. I met with the real estate lady and toured a home that Keith and I both like and we will be hopefully writing an offer soon. I was offered a position at the Public Health Department. It is a fabulous position that I am very qualified for. However, I'm not really interested in full-time work for about another month while we are trying to get our lives transistioned from Alaska to Florida. I think for now I'm just anxious to take on something as serious as a full-time job while I am still in the throws of moving into a new house. I have a day or two to figure out what I want to do and present it to the Public Health Department.

As if that isn't exciting enough, I saw my first bear today. Funny how I lived in Alaska for 5 years and never once saw a bear. Yet, this morning at about 10 minutes til 5AM, I heard something shaking the magnolia tree in the yard. Of course, it didn't register to me until I was already out of the house and halfway between the house and the minivan. Then a car came up out of the cul-de-sac, and just plain as day, there was a bear standing up on it's hind legs batting at the magnolia leaves. I was probably about 15 feet away from it. I hit the unlock (for lights to come on) then the lock (to sound the horn once) button on the minivan key chain. The bear took off down the road and I ran into the minivan. I'm pretty sure the bear is from the Ocala National Forest.

Backyard pool

In our house-search, we have definately ruled out any houses that do not come with a pool. We've decided that it is just too hot in Florida to not have a nice pool. Grandma and Grandpa do not have a pool at their house. However, Grandma picked up a really cute inflatable pool with an attached slide. The kids had a blast! Even Daniel got in on the action this weekend.


Megan and Daniel are howling quietly pretending to be dogs.

Bible Adventure Night

The big kids had a blast last night at the church's family activity. Daniel was slightly grumpy and needing some extra cuddles, so he stayed in my arms or on my lap the entire 2 hours. It was pretty warm in the youth center last night. Daniel was so hot, he was sweating down the front of my shirt. Poor guy passed out in his carseat before I drove out of the church parkinglot. The kids loved their snacks. Fruit and animal crackers are a definate crowd-pleaser here.
Songs, snacks, games and crafts. Seriously, what more fun can you ask for? Joshua is one crafty fellow and was enjoying making his picture frame.
I had to get a shot of his name tag, he worked so hard at perfecting it.

Joshua and Daniel together working on the scratch-off book marks. Daniel was not happy with the scratch-off bookmarks. When he would scratch off the black coating to reveal the rainbow part, the black coating would leave little speckles on his hand and the table and he thought they were bugs. Hopefully we'll get over this bug-phobia soon.
Joshua's completed picture frame. He did such a nice job.

Megan loves the scratch off craft. She was trying to scratch her name into it.
The evening ended with another adorable visit from the puppet King and Queen.
Overall, the kids had a really good time.

Another camp meeting lunch

This weekend is the Spanish Camp Meeting at Forest Lake. Grandma and Grandpa were in charge of providing lunch for some folks involved with the camp meeting. We got to enjoy another delicious lunch on campus at FLA. Daniel has been feeling rather blue lately. He's probably pretty tired from his late-night partying.
Joshua showed Mr. Garcia where Kodiak is located. Then Mr. Garcia showed us where his other home in Barcelona, Spain is located.