I will definitely be doing these again next year! The boys had a blast & it was more of a process which made every egg look different. Much more fun than simply dunking them in a color & plopping them back in the egg crate.
Now, what shall we make with a dozen boiled eggs? Egg Salad, anyone!?
And there was a fun fossil dig area that got Jackson into the spirit of the day! Mostly, because he found a sharks tooth right off the bat!
Eli found some little shells that he was thrilled with!
Hi, Mema!!
I personally loved all the beautiful flowers I was able to snap pictures of! These tulips were the first to catch my eye, just before getting on the train ride!
The train ride was fun too & there were mirrors down the trail which provided me the opportunity to snap a picture of us zooming by!
But there were beautiful flowers everywhere!
When we went to the butterfly house (aka "the bug house" as Mema calls it!) and I have to admit it was probably my favorite spot of the day. At first, I was caught between being horrified at some things....
But I tried to get over my cringe instinct & just be mezmerized by the uniqueness of so many of the insects. 
Once inside the actual butterfly sanctuary, the real fun began! They were everywhere! And the boys & I were in heaven! Eli enjoyed identifying the ones that Jackson & I would spot!
After the butterfly house (or was it before? I truly can't remember), but either way- the boys got to steer some boats using the sails and the wind... They patiently waited for 2 boats to free up & I was so proud of their patience. When it was their turn... they got right to business....
I think they would've stayed here the rest of the day! But there was so much more fun stuff to squeeze in! They got to experience learning about how seed pods spread with a cool conveyor belt that used a magnetic "pod" & would pull them to the top before they would drift off the top & travel across the area...
And we got to spot a bear, wolves, lemur, owl, and many farm animals while we were there too! Mema even taught the boys about animal skat... (aka "dookie"- her words, not mine! And I thought the boys were going to die laughing to hear Mema use that word to tell them what skat was!)
And Grandad gave me a mini photo lesson. I kept getting this shot when I would take a picture of the waterfall. I was stopping the action of the waterfall... losing the beauty of the fall...
I wasn't thinking, because when he told me to drop my shutter speed to slow down the action & blur it, it made total sense! And here is the new & improved shot! Perfect!
We ran out of time at the end of the day so we had to whiz through the indoor stuff which was disappointing. But we did get to see a space module (that Jackson was freaked out would leave the building if Eli pushed any buttons & made it clear he was NOT to touch any of them!)
Eli was able to find Earth after a LOT of spinning of this nifty gadget...
And Jackson was SO impressed with this tornado! He really thought his Daddy would love it too (& he is right... he would have!)
Thanks Mema & Grandad for a great day together! It isn't often that we get some one on one time with you all & it was great! We love you! Don't the smiles say it all?
Yes, my quiet, sweet, little Jackson is turning EIGHT today.
This seriously seems too soon. The age of 8 is old. Too old to be a kid of mine, right? Hmmm. I guess it will take some getting used to. Seems like just yesterday we were rushing BACK to the hospital for him to come barreling out (well, not quite) within 45 minutes of arrival!
What a sweet little thing he was but as we were discussing in the last day or so... He came out with a foreshadowing of what was to come. He was immediately tenacious, stubborn, & predictable (well maybe the walking at 8 months old wasn't so predictable!) And he was also the cutest, chubbiest, thing I have ever laid eyes on. I had no idea how much my heart could really hold until that day 8 years ago!
In honor of his big day, I have compiled a list of his top 10 favorite things right now. (And that might also be because I am going on a scrap retreat in a few weeks & want to do a page about that! Planning ahead!)
These are in no specific order... just whenever they came to mind!
1-Harry Potter - anything & everything HP is a big deal around here these days!
2- chewing gum - he chews 2-3 pieces at a time if we don't stop him first!
3- football - he will kick/throw a football for hours at a time & right by himself
4- paper airplanes- oh, the paper & the staples, & the tape he uses to get them just right!
5- legos- these are still among the most played with toys around our house.
6- reading nonfiction- Jackson always checks out books from the school library that are on real subjects - like the army & wildlife & weapons. One of his favorite things to do at night is read a Children's Dictionary Nanny got him last year!
7-computers- Jackson has become a computer whiz lately & knows how to maneuver around to the sites he is allowed to go to! And he is teaching his little brother, too! He specifically loves Google Maps! :)
8-Popcorn- he asks for it everyday for an afternoon snack, pops it in the microwave & "cooks" it all by himself. (And makes a huge mess while eating it!)
9- Camouflage- these days anything camo is cool to him.
10-Bow & arrow- He got a bow & arrow after Christmas so he could shoot with his Daddy & yeah, he pretty much thinks he's the coolest kid in town, now! He loves to shoot it!
Jackson,
We are so proud of the strong-willed, smart, creative & kind hearted kid that you are. I love our little chats (when you finally decide to open up!) and love hearing all about the things you love to read about... from insects & civil war weapons, to the capitol of Paris (which is France, you told me one random day!). You are so bright & I can't wait to see what this next year has in store for us while we watch you grow even more. Happy Birthday!!
Love,
Mama
