Tara Wildlife Weekend Retreat

This weekend, Pop coordinated a family weekend getaway at Tara Wildlife Reserve in the Mississippi Delta.  It was fabulous! There were open air bus tours along the Mississippi River, guided birding tours, nature seminars, a hot air balloon glow, food and fellowship, evening happy hours,  ("storkin and corkin") and more.

Saturday morning, Simms, Greg, Chris, Michelle, Mariane and Mia went on a canoe trip on the Mississippi River.
 

 Jasper was a little too young for canoeing, so Pop, Jasper and I went on an open air bus tour through the woodlands instead. We saw white-tailed deer, alligators, hummingbirds, Anhingas, a Least tern (?),  Ibises, Great Blue Herons, Wood storks, Egrets, and a Roseated Spoonbill.   We also learned a great deal about the Pawpaw, "America's Forgotten Fruit" from Paul Hartfield (wildlife biologist at US Fish and Wildlife). The Pawpaw reminds me of a tropical fruit in the Philippines. It's custardy and delicious.  We brought some seeds home to plant in our backyard.  Here are some photos of our weekend at Tara:

Japser, Greg and Chris

Friday evening - watching the sunset  on the levee

Japser wants to learn how to use binoculars

Golden Orb Weaver Spider (aka Banana Spider)

Mariane shows Japser how to plant American Beauty seeds

"I can carry the snakey. My daddy showed me how."

MS Dept of Fish and Wildlife brought a live baby alligator

Jasper holding a pretend rattle snake

Baby alligator was so well behaved and patient with all the kiddos

Hey Mia!

Pop, Greg and Jasper on a birding bus tour

Mia checking out the waterfowl

Simms and Greg birdwatching on the levee
(yes, Simms is looking through the wrong end of the binoculars - or "knocklers" as he calls them)

Mia and Michelle on the open air bus tour along QauPaw River

The Lodge

Simms caught 2 Fowler Toads and several Green Tree Frogs

Chris and Greg captured a big Black Racer Snake

Black Racer Snake

Woodstorks in the sky

At the Saturday night reception, a live band played on the patio. Simms, Jasper, Mia and Mariane were the LIFE of the party. Check out these dance party videos...

Happy 3rd Birthday, Simms! Happy 4th Birthday, Roscoe!

Last month, our little Simms turned 3! THREE!  We had a week-long celebration. Here's the recap:


Celebration 1:
On the day of Simms's actual birthday, he stayed home from school, and Greg took him to the Natural Science Museum and then to the zoo.  I met the boys at the zoo for lunch and we sat at picnic tables eating corndogs and french fries.  Later that day, we had a celebratory dinner at Sal and Mookie's with the grandparents (except Grandma Barbara - she was out of town visiting family in Oklahoma).

 Birthday dinner at Sal and Mookies

Celebration #2:

Simms kept saying that he wanted a "caterpillar cake" for his birthday (referencing Eric Carle's book, "The Hungry Little Caterpillar").  So, we assembled cupcakes into the shape of a caterpillar and brought them to his school for his school birthday party.  Even Jasper got to come!

Look at little Jasper sitting with all the big kids!

Japser and Emory wearing their green icing

Some of Simms's classmates

All gone!

Jasper loved being one of the big kids

Simms's wonderful teacher, Mrs. Theresa

Celebration #3:  Simms and Roscoe's Joint Birthday Party

On Saturday, we had a "Bob the Builder" themed birthday party for Simms and Roscoe (their birthdays are 1 year + 1 week apart).  The Very Brave Nina and Jerel hosted the party at their house.  (There were over 35 kids in their house at one time!!)  Chris, Michelle, Mariane and Mia came down for the celebration. And Roscoe's cousin, Chandler, came down from Memphis.  It was great having the cousins there! 

The birthday party gave me and Nina a perfect excuse to do some crafting. (I may have gone slightly overboard, but I just can't help it....) 

My dining room table - making crafts and signs for the party!

I'll be listing these in my etsy shop soon

Hand dipped chocolate covered marshmallows - mmm!

Hardhats for "Simm's Crew" and "Roscoe's Crew"

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As one activity, the kids decorated their hard hats with stickers and letters

As another activity, Jerel taught the kids how to make catapults from popsicle sticks

Lola Nora baked 3 birthday cakes! Roscoe requested an Iceman cake.
Simms requested a butterfly cake. And she also baked a Vietnamese fruit cake

Grandma Barbara let us borrow some construction toys to fit the party theme

Roscoe is FOUR!

Roscoe's best buds from his school

Simms's buds from school

Simms was a little overwhelmed by all the activity, so he an Mia went outside for a breather

"Work Complete! Thank you for Being Part of Our Crew!"

Thanks everyone for making Simms and Roscoe's birthday so special!