Splashdown in the Deep South

 Yes, I know Florida is, culturally, not The South. I'm talking climate-wise. It's amazing how much difference a day and a half's driving can make in the look and feel of the outdoors.

On Sunday, June 1 we began to drive. Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and most of Georgia slid by before we pulled into our hotel in Brunswick.

We went to bed in the land of Spanish Moss and Palm Trees, to the kids' (& our) great delight!

Our friends were planning to meet up with us in Kissimmee on Monday night, but before that time we had a promise to keep in St. Augustine.

The St. Augustine sight-seeing would have to wait, too. What we promised the kids was here: 

The St. Augustine Alligator Farm!

Adele has been talking about how we're going to go to Florida "to see alligators" for months. This was her big agenda. The SAAF delivered!

Baby alligator at the entrance

Fake alligator (obvs) at front, while waiting for our tickets to go through:

Time for the fun to begin!

 We got to visit a lot of critters at the Alligator Farm. The kids got a kick out of the Komodo Dragon. We wondered if he was preparing to breathe fire.

A real-size model of the enormous croc that lives at the Farm. We saw him; he's 21 feet long!

We were not prepared for the awesomeness of the aviary island. All the Florida Waterbirds you could want!

They look serene, but they were all shouting nasally at once. Still.. exciting!

There were LOADS of nests with babies.

 Walking through the aviary, the kids got to feed the gators:

These must be the most well-fed gators around. 

 Adele's longing for alligators was thoroughly satisfied.

There was a playground & kid area and we lingered there a while.

It was gorgeously decorated. If you're ever in FL, man... I recommend a stop here. 

Rainbow toucan!

 Gators in the swimmin' hole!

We tamed this one & brought it home!
...kidding.

Is this picture of a brave turtle hitching a ride atop an albino alligator not awesome?

more baby gators. those were my favorites. 

The warning sign on the way out. 

Bit of a weird sculpture outside the farm...

We made it to Kissimmee in time for a rather late dinner with the Hatchers! & settled into our rental shared 3BR CONDO which was heaven. All the comforts of home, and considerably cleaner and better decorated :-P

Before bed, we just had time for Miles to give us a break & read to the toddlers, Adele & August. We were pleased for a break, he was pleased to show his skills... it was mutually a beneficial arrangement.

We stayed up and caught up and forced ourselves to bed, because the next day, Tuesday, June 3, contained a long-awaited adventure! To be continued...

Wheels and Wagons 2014

We watched and waited for months for Wheels and Wagons 2014, an event we have attended faithfully since 2011. Every year it reminds me how much there is to love about having kids in this town. W&W 2014, occurring Saturday, May 31 this year, did not disappoint.

I mean how could it? It has trucks!

We usually have to wrestle Adele out of the car if we ever let her get to the steering wheel. Here she could pretend to drive to her tiny heart's content.

Finally, the long-awaited helicopter landing:

This always thrills the kids.

His turn to sit in the 'copter. Contemplating acts of heroism, I'm sure. 

There was a wandering princess! Adele admired her from afar but would not approach; Miles walked right up and asked for a picture. She kept picking him out in the crowds later & sharing a wink and a wave. He admired her greatly.

Each year, they have a coloring "contest" where kids illustrate transportation vehicles and they get as many as possible of them onto the side of a bus the next year. All year long we've been chasing down this bus with Adele's & Miles' 2013 work.

Adele proudly points to A-d-e-l-e

Miles' 2013 pic included a bus, a bicycle, and a polar bear. Don't ask; none of us know why. 

It is necessary at a fair to have a large inflated jumpable object, right? 

We finally connected with Miles' best friend from daycare, Aaliyah, whom we'd invited along and who brought her grandma and brother to enjoy the festivities.

Aaliyah smiled biggest on the jump house. 

She's sturdy enough to really enjoy this and not just get knocked about, now. 

They let the kids paint the snowplows. Isn't this brilliant??

What a gorgeous sight, all these littles with their oversized smocks making brilliant colors on utilitarian machinery.

Wasn't too easy to get them away, I can tell you. 

A couple of goodbye shots. Miles & Aaliyah were playground and daycare buddies all year and they'll miss each other. A sweet person at their daycare took photos of them, laminated them and labeled them and each kid got a copy of their "best friend" photo. Miles' is above his bed. He has wandered with not a lot of awareness into a new phase of life: no more daycare and no more preschool for this kid.

Kindergarten begins August 12.

Here we go!