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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putt-putt

Diego was invited to a birthday party at Putt-Putt.  Because weekends are so precious to me since I work full-time (I'm coming up on one year soon--betcha' thought I wouldn't make it!), I thought it would be fun if the whole family went. 

We've gotten over the trauma of Carmen's stitches when she got whacked in the face with a golf club.

I also happened to have some coupons which sealed the deal for JP.

Diego broke away from the party when it was time to hit the course and sped through, hitting the ball as many times as he could.

I looked over at one point, and there was the family playing!  After they played their round of golf, they went inside to the video arcade.  You should have seen all the prizes they came away with!  Best time ever!

Selfie with Diego and I.  I've stopped carrying my good camera around as much, but forget to pull out my phone to remember to take pictures.  Is it me, or do selfies always make you look like your eyes are crossed?

Watch out for that hippo!

And that gator doesn't look too happy in that murky water.

Coming up to the finish line.  No holes-in-one this time around, but he may have gotten the high score!

Who's that big guy in that tiny car?

According to the kids, we've done nothing all summer.  I find that hard to believe.

just girls

Somehow I lucked out one day this summer to be able to hang with just the girls.  The plan was fishing (Carmen's idea) and the Science Museum (Isabela's idea).

All Carmen really wanted to do was use this net, so we went to our nearby lake to see what was there.  It was so hot that day, that even the fish were hiding.

Carmen was happy to simply slap it on the water.

At one point, Isabela caught one, but it was so small, it just escaped through the holes in the net.  We didn't last long at the lake.  

Since we haven't been members of the SMV for several years, we splurged on seeing an IMAX movie about National Parks.  -Amazing!-

We felt like we had just visited some amazing places, and it made us want to get out there and do it all for real.  Isabela was ready to go mountain biking, ice climbing, and hiking as soon as we left the theater!

Here's a link to the trailer if you're interested.

We really enjoyed their new exhibit called Speed.  It's always fun to go as soon as a new exhibit opens because all the stuff still works!

Here is Isabela in a hurricane simulator.   I think it went up to 85 mph winds--not fun!

An amazing slice of a very old tree with rings marked to dates in history.

Carmen was strong enough to lift this very light-weight bicycle.

The best exhibit was a short track where you could race against a pulse of light across the floor that simulated the speed of different animals.  The crocodile is mighty fast!

It was so nice to be able to go out with just the girls!  No soccer talk, no bickering, no competition.  I think this needs to become a monthly event.

where's waldo?

In the long, hot days of July, many of the shops in Carytown draw families down there by playing Where's Waldo?  Our entire family loves to do this, which is rare when the kids range from three to thirteen. 

  Would you believe that Carmen found Waldo in the first store?!  She was sitting in a stroller, and I said, "OK, Carmen, we need to look for Waldo."  And she said, "OK, Mommy. There he is."  I thought she was joking, but he was hiding on a lower shelf in a bookstore, right at her eyesight!

Do you see Waldo in this picture?  It's pretty obvious here, but in a large store, it can take a little bit to find.

I came across these awesome paper placemats that I fell in love with.  I didn't buy them, but I still think about them.  Maybe I'll go back one day.

This was the first time JP was able to come along with us, and he really enjoyed this store full of the first video games we all grew up with.

After finding Waldo in 18 different stores, we decided to eat at the Mellow Mushroom pizza place we'd heard so much about.  Best pizza we've ever eaten.

It's family friendly and full of interesting stuff to look at, just like the rest of Carytown.

After you find Waldo in 18 stores, you can enter a drawing to win Waldo books.  We win something every year!

july fourth?

I know.  School is getting ready to start.  But, since I've neglected the blog the entire summer, I thought I'd start where we left off.

We began our fourth of July with some shrinky-dinks.  A blue ninja with some fireworks--Diego's 

go-to drawing at any time.

Then I dragged the kids to Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens in the pouring down rain.  It's free on July 4th, and I was so happy for the rain.  I knew it would keep the crowds away and the temperatures down.  The kids, of course were not as enthusiastic about it.  I don't get it.  What kid wouldn't want to play in the rain all morning?

We brought as many umbrellas as we could find. and the gardens lent us a big one.  

But it was just easier for me to walk around without one.  And it turns out what I thought was a rain jacket was really a wind breaker.  (Not waterproof.)  Oh, well.

But look at these amazing lego structures.  A buffalo and its baby.  The birds up above were also made out of legos.  There were lego animals throughout the grounds so we had to hunt for them.

 We ended up inside at a table where the kids could make their own lego squares to display.  Carmen and I made a little house.

Diego's plan was to fill up the whole square, but he compromised with a letter D.

And Joaquin pretended that he had made this amazing picture of dandelion seeds blowing in the wind.  That must have taken more patience than any of us have. 

We decided not to see any fireworks this year.  Too many people, too late, too loud.  But I'm pretty sure this will still be a memorable fourth. 

the river party

Uncle Shep invites us to a river party every year.  He plays in the band, there's tons of food, a pool, and the most amazing views.

The only caveat is we have to cross this bridge to get there.  It may not look scary in this picture, but this is the most terrifying bridge I have ever been on.  I start to physically sweat and wonder if we'll make it over every single time.

But once we're there, I can relax.  And this year, we discovered a tree swing in the house next door.  Best.  Invention.  Ever.

Let's just enjoy the pictures this time.