G-Force is in the House!

So Jake and Evan are doing most of what we set out to do this summer, except the golf. I am not going to obsess over it, especially since they haven't really asked about it. However, the one thing Jake did ask for at the end of the school year he finally received.
Jake has been asking for a dog for a while now. I also really want a dog but since we lost our dog, Beezer, John and I have just not been ready for that step. We still do also have a cat who is 13. Plus, I would only want to add a dog to the family when the kids are ready to help care for it since my plate is already full. It's a big responsibility. So I met Jake somewhat halfway and told him that if he finished out the year with all A's and B's on his report card, I would get him a hamster or a guinea pig, just like the ones in the movie G-Force. How bad could that be?
The way I always pictured it was that you get a fairly small cage that sits on a dresser and your child can feed it and watch it run around and play in the cage. I would probably never have to see it...I was way off base.

So as it turned out, Jake came home with almost straight A's and one B. I reiterated my promise but never heard anything about it- up until three weeks ago. Jake reminded me about it, so I told him "a promise is a promise." I researched it and John checked too. Then he called me to meet him at the pet store with the kids, almost immediately after I read internet research that suggested that guinea pigs get along well in pairs. So of course, we met John at the pet store and I insisted on getting two. Evan decided one will be his. How great! They were inexpensive and John decided to supply these two new darling boys with a three tier Barbie dream house of guinea pig cages (forget the idea of sitting the cage on the dresser). Oh and plenty of food. The boys had trouble naming them, but eventually settled on two names of the guinea pigs from the movie, "Blaster," and "Darwin."
Darwin is cute, brown and white and very feisty. Blaster is little, dark brown and relatively passive. We got them home and we let them be for the first day. By the second day we took them out of the cage and sat them on the floor near us to pet them. Fairly soon, I could see that Darwin was a bit on the nervous side because he pooped even when we were petting him. The bottom of the tray of their cage was filled up with Darwin's pellets almost as soon as we would clean it. They were messy and poop and pee was escaping the cage almost every time we turned around. I was making Jake clean it most of the time but I was too and it was ridiculous. I couldn't believe there would be this much maintenance. I couldn't even imagine how I would eventually move this cage into Jake's carpeted room if this was going to be the scenario. Then I was up late on a Saturday evening, about three or four nights after we got the guys, and I noticed that Darwin was just not acting right. He was jumping up the tiers of the cage, something neither of them had done or even tried. He was pecking at Blaster and hopping back and forth to his food and water. He was like a guinea pig on speed. Oh and pooping like crazy. Something was defintitely not right. We knew Darwin's ears were ragged and we were told one of the bigger pigs had attacked another one in the cages and had to be seperated. We realized Darwin may have been really effected by this. So the next day we discussed this with Jake and Evan. I anguished over making this decision, but we were going to return Darwin. We anticpated Evan might be upset but all he said was, "get better Darwin, we'll miss you," and then went back to playing his DS. We offered him a fish that he named "Darwin." Then we gave Jake a choice: either return Blaster too and get another fish, a pet we are used to and know the care is easy, but cannot pet, only look at; or keep the guinea pig with all the upkeep, but reap the reward of cuddling and petting him. It was a day of negotiations, but Jake made a choice to keep Blaster and that has made him and everyone happy, so far.

Mommy Camp Kicked Mommy's Butt

What a week it's been. A fantastic week with my boys. Every waking minute has been very rewarding, but obviously very exhausting for me since I now have a cold. I am pleased with the mixture of fun and education we experienced, all within a budget. I am also very proud that the money we did spend was spent right here in our own backyard... so we stimulated the south Florida economy a little.
Here is the breakdown of where we went:
Sunday- Toy Story 3 was a good time had by all. We brought out own snacks and sat in air-conditioned comfort to a wonderful family movie. The kids were mesmerized and my mom and I were very entertained. The end brough may tears to mine and mom's eyes. The kids asked me why I was crying and I told them that I will be crushed when they leave for college as does the boy in the movie. That's when they gave me some words of comfort. The little one said not to worry because maybe I will get him a cell phone by then and he will call me everyday. "I'll call you when I'm on the playground and doing fun stuff like that," he said. Then we went home and I copied the aliens from the movie into cupcakes and we devoured them.

Momday- we took the train to the Fishing Hall of Fame in Dania to meet Aunt Elsie. We went there last summer but this time the train added extra excitement. Jake was a little apprehensive at first but once we were on, he said, "Mommy, this is so much more relaxing than driving." I couldn't agree more. This was their first time on a train and I think it may have been the highlight of the week. At 5 bucks.. it's a bargain. The Fishing Hall of Fame is a great day because not only is there a museum and a nature preserve with lots of animals to greet you, but next door is a restaurant and then Bass Pro Shop. There are giant fish tanks in all three and lots to see and do. This is a great place especially for boys. When John arrived we took off to Jaxson's ice cream parlor... a glimpse into a simpler time for the adults but a refreshing treat for all.

Tuesday- We were bound for Peanut Island. I had never been there before and decided it might be fun. After researching which would be the best way to get there, we headed to Riviera Beach to catch the water taxi. The water taxi rid eis only 5 for kids and 10 for adults round-trip. This was a lot of fun but my mom was a little pensive about it. She was a trooper. When we got to the island we were met with a beautiful breeze and sunshine. The kids did some snorkeling and we ate our packed lunches. We ventured to walk to the museum, but it was closed and then we proceeded to walk the rest of the island - 1.25 miles. On the other side, the breeze was not blowing so we could not wait to get back to our starting point. There we saw a family snorkeling and their son was holding a giant seastar. It was amazing. We also saw a manatee swim by. We caught the water taxi back and stopped at the Tiki Bar for a snack. That's where the boys picked up handmade straw hats.

Wednesday- We got a little later start since we made dinner plans with some friends at the Rainforest Cafe ( on Wed. the kids eat for 2 bucks!) We spent the morning doing some "summer cleaning." We empited out and organized their closets. What an accomplishment. Then we ate lunch and headed out to Flamingo Gardens in Davie. This is a great way to spend an afternoon because there are lots of animal exhibits and lots of shade, especially if you take the tram tour. The tour guide told us about a lot of trees and plants and uses for them. There is an old house from the 1930's that sits on the grounds that has a lot of charm and is a museum. The kids got a kick out of how small the beds were. Then we were off to meet our friends at the RC. They all played in the gym area outside the cafe afterward. It is about a 40 minute car ride home...Evan was asleep within 5 minutes of the ride.

Thursday- We got out early to a local farm as I wanted to gather some fresh fruits and veggies for a 4th of July get together I was planning. We got an added treat of taking a tractor ride out to a sunflower patch. It was an awesome sight to stand in the middle of the field with such beauty surrounding us. Then we waited until the afternoon to head out to the Toy Exhibit at the Palm Beach Science Museum, this is so we could avoid the camps and morning crowds. I highly recommend waiting until the afternoon to do some of the more popular attractions since most camps clear out by then. The cost can sometimes be less also. If you go see Toy Story 3, save your tix cause that gets you a discount at the Palm Beach Science Museum.

Friday- I had promised Jake we would check out the shark feedings at Gumbo Limbo. This is an old standby. The shark feedings are always happening, every Friday at 2:30. Cost is free, they accept donations or a trip into the gift shop. They now have an added attraction of loggerhead turtle tanks. They rehab them and then set them out into their habitat. We took the scenic beach route home and I even took them for a ride over a "secret bridge." The boys were exhausted but full of curiosity and questions all week and I loved trying to answer all of them. This was my week vacation from work and although it was not "relaxing," it was fun and a great bonding experience. I hope the boys will look back fondly that I do this with them every year.