Snake Farm & Playmates

I had intended to post some pictures, which is why it has taken me so long to post an update. But, I don't have the camera handy now and I'm just plain too lazy to go get it. So, use your imagination, or do a google search, or whatever :-)

Mike had his last 3 day weekend of the summer a couple of weeks ago. We decided to do something fun for his last Friday off and ended up at this Snake Farm in New Braunfels. That's about an hour south of here, just on the outskirts of San Antonio. We had driven by the place dozens of times and I actually had a friend who said it was pretty fun. Now, the place looks like a total dive. It's right off the highway, you exit and have to stop pretty darn quick so you don't drive right on by. We paid our little entrance fees, bought a bag of feed for the petting zoo and set out for the mini adventure that was the Snake Farm. It was actually pretty cool with an impressive display of reptiles, lots of snakes, some alligators, turtles, etc. There was even a smattering of scorpions and tarantulas. We got to get up close and personal (with a glass wall between us) with a king cobra, pythons, rattlesnakes, and every other kind of snake you can imagine.

Out back was the other part of the Snake Farm - a petting zoo and some "exotic" animals. The petting zoo was quite fun although Alex got his finger nipped by a goat - no harm done, not even any tears actually. Alex was trying to reach into the bag of food to get some for the animals but he is shorter than they are and the goats were in a hurry. One of the goats started eating the bag with Alex's hand and the food still in it! Anyway, in addition to the goats there were pot bellied pigs and ducks and a llama, and I don't remember what else. As for the exotic animals, well there were some monkeys, a breed of really itty bitty tiny deer, a zebra, some parrots, and a few other things. Anyway, it was a fun day and another reminder that things aren't always as they seem on the outside!

Part 2 of this post is playmates! We've had a lot of tot company the past couple of weeks. A friend of mine had a baby 4 weeks early. The long and the short of it is we ended up helping take care of her older daughter (she is nearly 3) while mom & new baby sister were still in the hospital. It was our first experience with a sleepover and everyone had a blast. I'm happy to say that the 4 week preemie baby is doing great. We have also had that same little girl over to play a couple times since the new arrival, just to give her some non-baby play time. It's great because it keeps A & B from fighting. Not so great, because it runs me ragged. Earlier this week I had the little girl and another child plus my 2 ALL DAY LONG! Crazy day, and I don't think I've yet gotten enough sleep to make up for it. I have another friend who has recently bought a house. While they are having some work done prior to moving their belongings in we have been hanging out in the big empty house to keep them company. They also have a little girl who is almost 3. It's fun seeing Alex & Ben play so well with other kids. And, they actually all play together. Gone are the days when the kids sit and play side by side with their own toys. They build things together with blocks, race cars together, and generally have a good ol' time.

Well, preseason football is on, Alex & Ben are sleeping, and I'm done wasting my time up here :-)