Who needs a zoo?

I realized today as I was sitting in the park with Megan and Noah, that this is the first time in our city-filled lives that we have seen a lot of wild animals. And we haven't had to go search them out, many of them are right out in the open. It's amazing what happens when you have wide-open spaces!

The first picture is of a wild rabbit that is one of MANY that occupy a local park that we have fallen in love with. There were so many of them the other day, hopping around and lounging on the green grass of the play field.

The second is of a chipmunk that also resides at said park. Today, Noah put down some crumbled tortilla chips, and watch as 10 or so of them came out to gather up the food. We saw chipmunks fighting, sharing, and eating. They are really rather cute.

The third is of a less adorable creature. We were at a park nearby a few weeks ago with friends, and the kids found this in the creek that runs through the park. They had been playing in it, and Megan jumped out and came running with "Mama!! There's a ALLIGATOR in the water! HELP!". When I walked over to see what she was talking about, I chuckled when I came across a crawdad. She had never seen one before, but I guess the pinchers and tail threw her for a loop. Hahaha.

The last picture is blurry ( my camera was acting up, and I was losing light ), but those are my raccoon friends that live right here in our neighborhood. Well, technically they live in the ravine behind our development, but are often seen throughout our neighborhood. When we go down to the pool at about sunset, it's easy to catch them coming out for the night. One rainy night, after coming home late, Jeramy and I stood on our driveway and watched them play on our street. Climbing up into a peach tree just 2 houses down, and run up and down the street. Their chatter is adorable. I've decided, despite being called crazy, that I would eventually love to own one. I've read about how much work they are, how mischievous they are, and how incredibly smart they are. Rarely when they are raised from itty bitty, are they mean and aggressive. Not much more than a cat being annoyed with someone, from what I have read.

All in all, just living here has been a totally different experience for us. We can see the clear blue sky without any smog, we can see a TON of stars at night without city lights getting in the way, and we see wildlife almost anywhere we go. The kids have really enjoyed seeing all of this, and being outdoors more.

There's been a Homicide ...

Two days ago, the kids came screeching in with a *huge* caterpillar. I agreed that we could keep him, if they found enough sticks and leaves and some rocks to put in a box for him. They did. Megan was the most enthralled, and kept showing me how brave she was by picking him up.

I wish I had gotten a picture of their little "pet", because we had a homicide today. I suppose it would be considered "caterpillar slaughter", because it wasn't an intentional murder. Megan was holding him, and went to put him back, so she pinched him. Well, she squished him. She's heartbroken, and sitting outside with him, telling him to come back to life. It's actually quite sad.

She's mourning, and Noah's seething, saying that she shouldn't have killed him. Oh, such a sad day.

Firsts

Kaitlyn had her first day of school in Utah, on August 13th. ( Yes, I know I'm REALLY behind! ) She is in third grade...and it seems impossible! My mom and her husband were here to see her off as well, so the day was extra special. Kaitlyn just so happened to be assigned to her first male teacher, who is from Huntington Beach, CA! After speaking with him, I found out that his wife's family lives just down the street from where we lived. Such a small world. :) Kaitlyn really likes her class and her teacher, and has had some discussions with him about home in California, and I think that helped her to feel more accepted off the bat.

The next day, we all went to the county fair here. The kids had a GREAT time in the animal section. There were horses, pigs, goats, sheep, cows, and baby chicks that they got to pet...and they got their first horse ride. They had a blast going on a few rides, and just being at the fair in general. They really enjoyed their grandma being here, and had a great time showing them around.

We had another first, two weeks ago. We sent Kaitlyn off to school, and within 30 minutes we got a phone call that she had fallen off of the monkey bars, and fell onto her left arm. We were told she wouldn't move it, and would cry if it was moved at all. I took her to the ER where it was confirmed that she had broken her arm. We've NEVER had a broken bone in our family - the most Jeramy and I have "broken" was our pinky toe as kids, and we both agreed it didn't count. We thought for sure Noah would be the one to have the first broken bone, not really taking into account how much of a little daredevil that Kaitlyn can be. Haha. She got a softer cast on until the swelling went down, and then was very happy to get her hot pink hard cast on one week later. She's been horribly unhappy about not being able to swim, but she's been a trooper. She does call the monkey bars "evil" now, and swears that she will never go on them again. LOL I don't have a picture of her in her cast on this computer, but I will upload them today, and hopefully remember to get them up.

The younger two are adapting well to having Kaitlyn gone during the day, and I must admit that I am a horrible mother, and am enjoying having a bit more quiet during the day with one out of the equation.

Here are some pictures of the first day of school, and our trip to the fair. Enjoy! :)