what we do for fun...

We have a few rituals here, some that sort of "appeared" due to our circumstances at the moment. One of those "circumstances" was finding things to do while Camryn attended speech. For 2 hours 2 times a week our foursome turns into a threesome. It's weird how in more ways than one that dynamic affects me. VERY VERY weird missing a child even if it's just for 2 hours twice a week! I almost have to re train my brain into believing they are triplets for the day. One of our new activities has been visiting our local zoo. Let me tell all those people out there that may think that they cannot afford it, buy a family pass! It is such a great deal for anyone, especially for families like ours PLUS it helps support the zoo! It's such a GREAT, GREAT deal! My how our tribe LOVE going to the Zoo!


Each child has their favorite animal that they have to visit while there. The child that is the most vocal about that would have to be Brendan. He has to see Mardi the White Alligator & the Malayan Tiger exhibit EVERY time we go there. In fact he makes a point of telling me that about 10 times each time we walk in their entrance. {Like he would even think I would not already know that! LOL!} One cool think about the Tiger exhibit is that for the 1st time in zoo history the mama tiger gave birth in captivity! Yes she recently became a mama to triplets! COOL huh?! Too bad she didn't have quads! =] They have a video monitor set up so we can see the cubs being cared for by their mama. Such a wonderful thing to witness!

Avery has taken to the Black Bear & Otter exhibit. On our most recent trip we happened upon the Black Bear talk at just the right time. The trainer told us how the bears are actually brothers, Lewis & Clark, whose Mama died when they were mere little cubs. That is why they can co exist here. I have to say that those Black Bears are pretty darn cute! I could not get over their massive size! One even stood up & scratched his back on the fence. It was funny to watch. Just down from the Black Bears is the River Otters & boy do they remind me of the tribe! They are cute, have a TON of energy & most of all are quite mischievous! Maybe that's why Avery LOVES them! hahah!

Then there's Lindsey, she LOVES the Koala Bears. The zoo has two koalas on exhibit who almost always are sleeping when we visit. It's weird how that happens! Each time I hope for them to be awake but nope they are fast asleep. One of these days I hope to see them awake! =] Either way she still loves them! Heck I love them too! In fact I wish they would let me snuggle one! They look SO cuddly & cute! Interestingly enough their "home" is on the way to where the Tigers live so we slip in for a visit each time we are there.

Want to know another one of the exhibits they absolutely LOVE?! The Python!! Yes they LOVE LOVE LOVE peeking in on the massive snake! It looks to be like 10 feet long! YIKES! While they check out the snake I check out the snakes living quarters. About 3 feet from this HUGE python are several turtles. I wonder if they could be his dinner at any point? If I were them I think I'd be scared! VERY SCARED! =] I really do not think there is an animal at the zoo that freaks them out! =] What can I say they are their father's children! LOL!

Besides all of these cool exhibits they also have a BIG fountain that the tribe can play in. Yes it's recycled water, yes they chlorinate it but most of all it is fun! Being that we live in S Florida that fountain sure does comes in handy on those extra HOT days! Some days we even make a return visit after picking up Camryn just so she can play too! This is just some of...

what we do for fun...

the five finger discount...

I have been having a really difficult time with Camryn telling the truth or just plain being BAD! I say I because I'm the one that is with her during her awake hours. I deal with stuff that never seems to happen when Daddy is around. She beats to her own drum & does NOT listen to anything I try to tell her. Some days I just wish Calgon would take me away because my head hurts from beating it up against the brick wall we shall name Camryn! I pray for the day that she will listen to me the first time I tell her something. =]

Let me set the stage. While Cam attends speech I usually take the rest of them to the zoo for an afternoon adventure. They LOVE visiting the animals & we make good use of our annual pass. Some days we will even return with Camryn so she can partake in our adventure too.



This one particular day Camryn was with us as we ventured throughout the zoo. Daddy cut our visit short by asking me to get the 'burb to the garage for some new tires. So there I was rounding them up & hurrying them out the exit. Camryn walked out first, then Lindsey, followed by Avery & then Brendan was just front of me. If you have ever been to the Palm Beach Zoo you would know that they have a gift store just before the exit. Don't all attractions do that?! They want you to spend even more money at their store before leaving to go home. Well to make matters worse this gift shop places a table full of clearance items outside the gift store entrance just before the zoo exit to lure people in. I do not pay that much attention to it because I do not need any more STUFF in our house so I just walk past it & out the exit.

Well apparently my children are NOT like me because on this particular day one of them, OK it was Camryn, decided to "visit" this table on the way out. Before I even realized it & after we cleared  the exit Brendan says Mommy she has something from that table. I turn to see what he meant only to find a rather TALL man dressed sort of professional, black shirt & khaki's, coming out of the gift store & looking in front of me. That is when I saw Camryn hiding something in her hands. It all happened so fast, my first reaction was to say "What do you have?" & then "Bring it to me". She walks up to me coyly & hands me THREE packages of WebKinz trading cards. She stole them off that table! You guessed it, the man dressed professionally was security & saw the entire thing. He says "I'll take them". I felt absolutely horrible! My child just stole something right under my nose without me even realizing & was caught red handed!! What kind of mother am I?! UGH!

I started to walk out to the car & then said to myself  "No, she is going in there to apologize". I walked the entire tribe back into the gift store while I stood Camryn by the cashier telling her to apologize. She flat out refused. I tried everything, told her she would not come back to the zoo which she was fine with. I did not know what I was going to do. Finally I used the one thing that works, Pete. Pete is a deputy that works with me & someone the tribe does NOT like. Not because he is a bad person but because he was stern with them when they needed it & they did not like it. SO there I was threatening her with calling Pete. Then & only then did she apologize. It's sad when threatening to call a police officer is the only thing that works! I really do not know what I am going to do with her. She can be so darn stubborn! I felt like such a bad mother, like none of the things I have taught her about right & wrong sunk in. I even cried on my way to see Daddy. I know every kid does this at least once in their life but even that does not make me feel better. I even sent the Palm Beach Zoo a message in Facebook to express my sincere apology over her actions. Here's what I sent them.

          Subject: Sorry
          I want to express my sincere apologies for my 4 year old daughter Camryn's moment of thievery at the
          zoo gift store today. She grabbed 3 WebKinz card packs as we exited. Luckily her brother saw her do
          it & told me. I returned them & after much coaxing she apologized. Sorry for her lapse in judgement!
          I'm still trying to think of ways she can redeem herself the next time she visits.
          Cathy Fulton


I really wanted them to know just how sorry I was. I just wish she would have kept her hands to herself & never even attempted...

the five finger discount...

I am never going to use a Q-tip again!...

I have been sort of out of the blogging loop these past few weeks. After all of the stuff with the "B man" I really thought I was going to finally catch a break. 2011 has not been that good to us in the medical bill dept. It seems like when we have one medical issue along comes another. Let's just say that I am NOT a happy camper. First Brendan had his ASD closure on his heart, then he contracts Salmonella from God knows what (I thank my lucky stars that the rest of the tribe did not get it!) Lastly last week while doing our nightly routine ie: bath, trimming of all the nails & cleaning of the ears with a Q-tip. Yes I use Q-tip's. Trust me after what I tell you next I will not be using them EVER again! You see Linz moved her head away from me & the next thing I saw was blood by her ear. I really do think the Q-tip went into her ear. Amazingly I did not panic. I just flushed her ear out & made sure her ear was dry. I asked her if her ear hurt & as usual she said no. (These children have a VERY high pain tolerance!) so off to bed they went. The next morning she had dried blood on the side of her head so I decided I better take her in to the Dr just to make sure. To make a LONG story as short as possible, she was diagnosed with a busted ear drum. She had to take antibiotics & ear drops for 10 days & then get re checked. sigh... Only me! That brings us to today when I took her in to the Dr for her check up. The ear drum is healing but now the Dr thinks it may have injured the middle ear so she now needs to get her hearing tested & then see an ENT to possibly get tubes. Isn't life grand?! UGH! They say things come along in sets of threes so I am hoping we are good till at least the rest of the year! I swear...

I am never going to use a Q-tip again!...