First we went on a big Easter Egg hunt.  We started by taking a picture with the big guy…

Andrew got into it right away!

The 7 year-old’s hunt was downright scary:

We got quite a haul.

Later, we made our own ice cream in the ice cream ball.  I guess Andrew liked it!

We went for a hike out to the marsh with some friends.  The marsh is very large.

Because of the drought, the marsh is very dry – you can walk right out into it and the dirt is not wet like it normally would be.  And the plants are mostly dry and dead. We did find a cool clearing a ways in to walk around in.  Here, we found that a little ways below the nice soft dirt is a layer of clay.

We had a good time playing in the dirt, playing with the cattails, and running all over the place!

I don’t even know why they call it “Train Town”.
I mean, there’s a train and all, but did you know? They have airplanes??!

The first time through, Ben showed me the controls, otherwise known as the “ropes”.

After that, I was ready.  I had my OWN ticket.

I practiced my takeoff noises!  Vrrrrrrrooooommmm!

They even trusted me with my own passenger! Welcome aboard, Ollie!

Ready for takeoff!

After that, it was a ride on the Ferris Wheel.

Can we go back on the planes, Daddy?

It rained the other day, and I got to get some official umbrella training.

There was also official rain boot training, though I didn’t need much teaching!

Just jump right in!

First, I had to practice at home with my sleeping bag for a few nights.  After that, I was ready!

Then it was over to Avery’s on the appointed evening.  After dinner, we pitched the tent…

…and moved in!

We stayed up late and read stories by flashlight!  Awesome!

Daddy took me to the Exploritorium museum for a visit.  They had all kinds of fun things to see and play with there, like this machine that would change a sound depending on how you set the sliders.  It was trying to show how people can make different sounds by moving their tongues and throats – a question I’d asked Daddy about just the week before!

Here they had some termites to look at. There was a microscope so you could look inside the termite’s tummy and see the germs that help them digest the wood they eat.

We had lunch outside.  I’m posing with my seagull friend.  He was happy to get some bread from me!

There was a giant mirror that made it look like you were floating upside-down in mid air.  Weird.  (See daddy on far left in mirror image.)

We had a great time, but I was so tired out after all that that I fell asleep on the way home!

Daddy said I’m finally a good enough bike rider that I could ride with him down to the ice cream shop for a treat!

I was a bit scared of the big hill at first, but by the time we got back, I wasn’t scared anymore.  It was really fun!  And I got some cookies and cream!

Photo Credit: Mom

Daddy took me to the air show again this year for pancakes and airplanes.  This time I sat in a lot more airplanes, like this Albatross:

I could turn the wheel and watch the wings move out the window.  Neat!

There was also a Harrier:

Harriers are neat because they can take off vertically!

There was also this A-26 Invader. I sat in the pilot’s seat AND got to go up where the bomber guy sits.

And then there was this biplane painted with Jelly Bellies parked all by itself.

Maybe the pilot really likes Jelly Bellies.

And just like I predicted last year, this year I did get to seem some airplanes flying.  There was one that was a biplane like the Jelly Belly one but not the Jelly Belly one that flew up and down right over the runway and smoke came out of it and he did lots of loops and turns and stuff.  I’m glad I brought my ear covers.

There were also model airplanes and helicopters.  And there were some loud planes that Daddy called P-51s that flew over right when the music ended at the start of the show.

The best part, though, was the ice cream cookie sandwich that Daddy and I shared.  It was very yummy.

Maybe next year we can take Andrew with us and we can show him around!

Last week we went to the zoo to see all the animals.   And when I say “all”, I mean we made a list of what we wanted to see and we went to see them.  The zoo had everything but hippos.  Oh well, maybe next time!

First, the giraffes!

Then the gorillas.

and flamingos…

Then we went to see the monkeys.

Can you see the monkeys in this picture?

There was a real steam train that you could ride in the zoo.  And we did!

We saw the bears – and this one was good for taking pictures.  Can you spot the bald eagle?

Next up, sea lions.

We also saw lemurs, penguins (not the ice kind), tigers, a rhino, kangaroos, wallabies, wallaroos, emus, ostriches, zebras, wart hogs, polar bears, pelicans, and koala bears.  Wow!

I think we’ll have to go back, though, since Andrew slept through most of it.

It was hot dog Thursday at the air museum, so we met the Thomassons there.

There were two airplanes to go in.  The first one w went to was this T-37.

Then we went to visit a one seater airplane that Daddy says is called an F-106.

Look at me flying the F-106!

Then we took a ride over to where the flying airplanes are like the Alaska Airlines planes.  There we got to go on a visiting B-17G!