On Saturday, we went to Lowe's Build and Grow Clinic to make flower frame flower planters. Sam and Anna really have fun when we go to these, so it doesn't even matter to me anymore if what they build is something we actually use once we get home. It's free and they love helping to hammer in the nails. Sam won't wear the goggles anymore, but Anna will, and both don the Lowes aprons happily.
Before heading home, we made an impromptu trip to feed the ducks and geese by the river. Some hissing mama geese didn't like us getting anywhere near their babies which made me a little nervous, but other than that, Sam and Anna had a ball throwing bread to feed them.
As we were leaving the park by the river, we saw a sign for the local (also free) cultural festival that I had forgotten was also that day. We had a little time left before lunch, so we made a detour to head there before home. While I didn't take any pictures, Sam and Anna had a good time there as well. They liked hearing the music and seeing the colorful ethnic outfits. In the kid area, we helped them make Olympic torches, medals and olive wreath crowns in honor of the Olympic games this summer. I'll have to add a picture of them modeling their creations later! All that was free and before lunch on Saturday. We tried to eat lunch there, but Sam and Anna wouldn't eat much so we had a quick meal at home before naptime.
Sunday, I had my choice of what to do for Mother's Day- and I decided to forgo sleeping in and breakfast in bed to be able to head to a zoo we've never gone to before. It happened to have no admission fee, so I guess this was a weekend of (mostly)free fun for our family! We made a big mistake in forgetting to put a stroller in the car, but that was easily fixed with renting push cars once we were there.
Sam's biggest positive reactions were to the swimming seals and giraffes, although afterwards he declared his favorite animals were the monkeys. The animal Sam liked the least? The giant tortoise- it actually scared him the most, we think because it didn't move at first so it looked like a rock to him. Then when a foot stuck out, he clung to Daddy and wouldn't let go for awhile afterwards.
Anna really liked the rhinos, seals and giraffes as well, but her favorite was the grizzly bear. I'll tell you why: When we arrived, the grizzly bear was lounging in a pool of water with its head sticking up. Anna ordered it to "Get up!" and the bear actually did shortly after she said so. She was pretty pleased with herself for getting the big bear to do what she wanted!
I also read Mockingjay (the third book in the Hunger Games trilogy) from start to finish, among the usual 7 loads of laundry, grocery shopping and grass mowing by my husband. It was a busy, but fun weekend, and I even have the sunburn to prove it.
