Latin jazz and salsa festival

For my new college class this semester, we had an assignment to visit someplace where we were different from other people.  (The class is called Diverse Learners.) I thought it would be fun to go to the Latin Jazz and Salsa festival at Dogwood Dell.  I'm not really a jazz person, but I used to like salsa dancing a lot.

Again I dragged the whole family along.  I thought it would be good for the kids to see an outdoor concert as well.   They pretty much complained the entire time, but that's nothing new.  I had brought along Spot It! for them to play and some snacks to tide them over.

Juan Pablo and I danced a little with the crowd down in front of the stage, but it was Carmen that couldn't stop.  There were lots of kids and families there, so she saw some little girls dancing and wanted to join in.

Now in the car, when a certain song comes on with the same instruments that were at the concert, she remembers it and says she wants to go dancing again!

Here's a little video where salsa arms turn wildly into a flapping bird:

library learning

Our local public libraries have so many neat programs for children of all ages.  Over the summer, I dragged three of the kids (usually they don't want to go, but love it after they've been) to a program on creatures in our back yards.  

We learned about a corn snake that rustles in the leaves to sound like a rattler and some other neat animals.

Here is a turkey buzzard that showed off its large wing span.

They had a cute little tree trunk prop that they would pull the animals out of.  Of course, they warned all the kids not to go reaching into holes in the woods.

There was a pretty barred owl...

...and a screech owl.  Look at those big eyes!!

Here's a close up of that cute opossum.  Interesting fact #1: No, they do not hang by their tails.  She said that only happens in cartoons.  They are too heavy to do that, but they may wrap their tail around a branch to balance themselves.  Interesting fact #2:  Their lifespan is only three years!

On our way to the car, we came across this amazing, but dead, beetle.  You never know what you'll find at the local library!

Today, Isabela's off to learn how to use a 3D printer.

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