Reptiles and parakeets!

This year I am trying to maximize the benefits of our PBS membership that I obtained in December. Thus far we used it to go skiing for free and to see a show about dinosaurs at the Community Arts Center. We could have used it at the Everhart Museum that we were at on Saturday in Scranton, but we went on a day when it was free for everyone to get in because I thought the special activities would make it more interesting for the kids. Today we got our third usage of it by going to Reptiland. The three kids could get in free as long as I paid for my admission, which was $16. I also bought two feed sticks in the parakeet area, which cost $2 each. At least three other people gave their partially used sticks to the kids as they left the exhibit, which means we spent a LOT of time with the parakeets. We were at Reptiland for three hours altogether. Our first stop was to see a show with a zoo keeper introducing us to various reptiles. We spent the vast majority of our time with the parakeets. They were landing all over us even without feed sticks. Oliver was still scared in the

dinosaur area, although he was braver than last year. He did much better with the parakeets this year. Nadia and Ian still love to assign names to every single reptile (snake, turtle, komodo dragon, tortoise, iguana, etc.) throughout the zoo. They didn't attempt to name the approximately 300 parakeets.

Oliver was supposed to have soccer practice this evening. I took him there, but despite repeated attempts to get him to join with his coach and team, he just kept running off the field crying. He fought me a little bit last week, but I thought (the next day) it was because he was coming down with the tummy bug. He asked to play soccer in the fall, and I asked him again in January if he wanted to play again this spring, and he said "yes." I am not one to force my kids to play a sport, but I do think if they sign up for something they should complete that one season. Oliver definitely has a tendency to be defiant and always only wants to do what HE wants to do. So I am not planning to give in on this. He can have a say in the future as to whether he plays

soccer or not, but I do expect him to play for the next seven weeks. Hopefully he'll do a better job at the next practice. He never gave me any grief about going to his practices in the fall, and he has the same coach. I really wasn't expecting this.

The zoo naturally had a gift shop. Paul's mom had given the kids some money for Easter, and I had given them so money for finishing their AWANA books last Wednesday. Nadia had already spent all but 50 cents of her money on some American girl paper dolls (that we ordered but haven't arrived yet). Ian had been saving for a Lego set, but then today he decided he wanted a couple of stuffed animals at the Reptiland gift shop. He picked out two, and Nadia picked out one. I told her that she didn't have the money for one, and Ian immediately put back one of the two he had picked out and offered to buy the one she wanted (a white tiger) in addition to the panda bear he had selected. What a generous boy he can be (except when it comes to Legos)! He gave me $18, and Nadia gave me $1, and she still owes me $1 as including tax they were $10 each.