This week has been absolutely heavenly!

We received a very generous donation over the weekend that allowed us to buy a yearly pass to the maricopa county parks. They offer several classes a week about various desert topics. For those of you who learned about scorpions from Jayke, this is where he learned his information. He just LOVES those classes! All of the park rangers are so impressed that Jayke knows so much about the desert already. (We studied the desert in homeschool last year and he still remembers most of it.) They all joke that Jayke will grow up to be a park ranger someday b/c he can spout off so much info about most desert topics.

So far during the week, we have been to one class about desert trees and how they adapt to the harsh desert environment, one nature walk looking for signs of animals and one toddler cruise where they learned about different desert animals and how to stay safe when you encounter them. They have a few shaded playgrounds throughout the park and the kids love to play in the perfect weather after we finish our daily classes. It has been so relaxing and the kids are so excited about learning information about the desert. I am even justifying all of it by using it as our science curriculum. They are learning information that is very similar to what I learned in elem school.

This morning we woke up and went on a hike on wind cave trail. We got about halfway up and everyone needed to use the bathroom, so we turned around. We still had incredible views at that point. 

(at our turn-around point, halfway up the mountain)

After we finished, Ryan and the older kids went to a model-size jet airshow (which was also in Usery Park). The kids had so much fun. They spent most of the day there.

(at the air show)

After they came home from the airshow, Ryan went to the demolition derby with his brother. Not just to watch, might I add, his brother is in it and Ryan was part of the crew. So while Ryan did that, I got the kids all ready for bed and we had a pajama party. They watched a movie and had root beer floats. They were in heaven!

After such a long and busy day, not a single one of the kids had a hard time falling asleep tonight!

Earlier this week, I have found the kids sneaking oreos out of the pantry. Kate only eats the filling and leaves the cookie part alone. She was trying to hide the fact that she had been sneaking them, so she left the cookie portion on the floor in the family room. Aimee found them and gobbled them up. When I found her, she looked up at me with a huge grin. I think she likes oreos. At least they could have waited until we introduced solids to her and ruled out any allergies!

(no one can eat an oreo and stay clean!)