Stevie's Video Project

Stevie has been taking a video class and this is the first project! Enjoy...bad acting and all *grin*

Cue the Death March Music...

R.I.P poor computer...your end came WAY too soon...but just AFTER the warranty ran out I see! Unfortunately the "take-it-apart-put-it-back-together" master surgeon failed this time...I guess the laptop was just beyond even his magic!

Sadly, our laptop did not believe in resurrection...even after it's lifesaving part was transplanted...the damage was just too great! We thought we might have been able to revive it when the power flashed on and it started to boot up, but the matrix-looking screen of symbols and numbers--plus the louds sirens gave us the firm belief that it was not working!

So...if you have to have a computer die, I guess right as the Black Friday sales come out is a good time to have it happen! A new computer has been ordered and should be here sometime this week!! (Much to the happy yelling and screaming of the two younger hoodlums who are forced to share a computer for school until it arrives--oh wait--the yelling and screaming is BECAUSE THEY ARE FORCED to share the computer for school until it arrives--that's right--they don't know how to share because they are teenagers *grin*) I will be a MUCH happier mom when it gets here! (At least until the next thing breaks!)

Should I Worry?

Steven has this uncanny ability to take a broken something apart and when he puts it back together...it works! It has been a great help many times...a fixed toy or fan...but this time he may have met his match! Last week his laptop quit working!!! We need it for homeschool--well, I guess NEED is not the word--it makes homeschool MUCH easier having 3 computers. One for each kid and then the desktop for me to use makes a MUCH happier mom!

Anyways...he decided to take it apart and look at it. I was over working at my desk with my back to him...when I turned around...THIS is what I found:

Now...being the good wife...I should have complete confidence right? I have never seen so many parts and screws in one place...it's a giant jigsaw without the picture to go by! I have to admit...I am a little nervous about whether it will work when the part gets here this week...and maybe even a little more nervous if he can even get it back together the way it started! We'll have to see...maybe it will go together easy...or maybe it will have parts left over {grin} More news to follow on the saga of the broken computer!

PS...I know I have been totally remiss in writing about the antics of the Zoo Crew...I will try to be better! We are just having so much MAKING the memories lately, there is not much time to WRITE about them!

Another day...another geocache to find!

Once again the geocaching crew of "litefoot13", "camflash", "lilpiglet", "joecool" and "mugglemom" (otherwise known as "weatherstonzoocrew") decided to spend ANOTHER night geocaching (YES...we are addicted!) As soon as Steven got home from work and changed clothes...we were OFF! (Only to then get stuck in traffic for 30 minutes--silly us--we left at rush hour!)


One of the things I love about geocaching is finding all the historical sites and little places you would never explore on your own! Our first cache led us to a historical marker about Elkridge and in reading the description of the cache, it gave the story of why it was called Elkridge. Little things you never knew! The OLD tractor was cool to look at too!

There were a couple "muggles" (non-geocachers) sitting on a bench right behind the tractor--so here we are--trying to look inconspicuous searching all over this tractor for a small "something". I kept taking pictures and commenting on "how interesting" it was. As I was looking at how old the tractor was, I noticed the light switch and wondered what they used it for...when the "light went off" and I realized it was our cache! The box was magnetic and inside was our log to sign! Very creative!

We found the cutest little old historic town while driving to our next cache! I can't wait to go back and explore it--there were little stores and restaurants and SO MUCH HISTORY!! Cool! Which makes up for ANOTHER guard rail cache! I guess we are getting to be old pros at the caching--because we laugh about how many guard rails and light posts caches there are--C'mon people...use some creativity! But we made the quick cache-and-dash so that was fun!

Another cache...another piece of history! This cabin was built in 1790! The cache was a small pill bottle under the front steps. One of the things we love about caching is that people walk past these every day and don't notice them! A cache could be hidden anywhere!

STARVATION...we FINALLY found supper and drinks for everyone...after a couple of wrong turns while following the GPS (we can find a film canister in the woods...but not a pizza place in a shopping plaza???) and then more problems finding a place to picnic...we got to EAT! Yummy! Pizza, sodas and for dessert...sugar cookies with patriotic sprinkles (which we then ended having a sprinkle fight with after dinner...*sigh*...will the mother ever grow up and not start these things??)

After supper...we decided to hit a couple more caches even though darkness was looming. We follow the GPS directions through a housing area and start going around the traffic circle...again...and again...and again. We are laughing that the guy on the bike probably is wondering by this time...until we see him start looking behind reflectors and in the trees. What? Another geocacher! We work together for a bit until he starts laughing and offers to trade the location of the cache for a wet wipe so his sticky hands don't stick to his bike levers. The cache is hidden down a hole concealed as a grate on the ground--you lift the grate up and there is the big container! Clever!

Off to one more cache...that's how it always goes...one more...then one more...then one more! This one is behind a bunch of businesses...we search under the picnic table, the electrical boxes (all those suspicious looking things that the security guard on the camera is probably laughing at us for) and finally UNDER the stairs, steven comes up with the cache! Another find for ZooCrew!

We have decided it is easier to cache at night with a real flashlight, however, instead of the lights on our cellphones! Kimmy is trying to convince me to buy the big floodlight at walmart--but she is going to have to be happy with the flashlight I bought for the kids to take to camp *grin* (The big flashlight would REALLY call attention to ourselves afterall! Explain that one when the cops come!)

On the way home, the kids were playing with the fireworks glasses. Stevie had picked up a cool spinning flashlight thingy as swag (stuff-we-all-get) at one of the caches (you can pick up an item if you leave an item) and wanted to see how it looked with the glasses. Of course the kids were oooohing and aaaaahing over the car lights and street lights...so dad had to try it out. (now kids...don't try this at home *grin*) I think next time we will ask the driver to please refrain from all vision-impairing activities!

On the way home, we made one last stop to drop a travel bug we had picked up at a cache called a "travel bug hotel". A travel bug is a trackable item that you log the number listed on it on a website and can see where all it goes. It's an honor system--but geocachers are pretty cool people! We have picked up several bugs...and sent them on their way elsewhere. Right now our own family travel bug has left Maryland and is in Ohio! It is a lot of fun to watch where it goes! As soon as I get some more ordered, we'll have to send some more out...who knows where they will end up!

Newsflash...Newseum is Newsworthy!

Steven had a day off Monday (we usually only get to play on weekends when all the other tourists are out and about) so we decided it was time for ANOTHER trip to DC to check out some of the fun stuff there is to do there! (I will never get tired of going to DC I think!!) A friend of mine suggested we check out the "Newseum"..a whole museum devoted to the news! Since they were offering free children's admissions...I decided that sounded like a great field trip plan!

The kids' favorite part of ANY trip to DC is the metro ride! They LOVE to get the all day pass and then just ride and ride and ride! Stevie loves to make us do multiple train switches to get to a location...just so he can switch trains!

This is the Unabomber's cabin. There was a cool FBI exhibit that had lots of displays and this was one of the items. I can't believe he could live in this TINY cabin for so many years!

The picture cut most of it off--but check out Stevie's t-shirt gun...doesn't he look like the BAD GUY??

I walked through most of the FBI exhibt with Missy...explaining what each case was. The Oklahoma bombing was very sad to both of us--as I explained about the Ryder truck and the daycare in the building. We had just seen a daycare in an office building last week and she could visualize the children easily. The yellow metal in the picture is actually part of the Ryder truck that the bomb was in. It's hard to try to describe such awfulness in the world to your children.

We really enjoyed this part of the museum. Each day they print off about 100 front pages of newspapers from all over the world and the 50 states. (What a LOT of ink and paper! Hope they recycle!!) There was also a computer where you could view LOTS more that weren't printed! It was fun especially on the 5th of July when we went--we could see how everyone celebrated the holiday on the 4th!

Just a view of the museum from one of the upper levels.

All over the museum there were interactive computers. There were games, movies and other things to do. There was no way to do everything in one day...but the kids had fun trying. The nice thing about the tickets is that they are good for two days. We weren't able to make it back down--but if you were coming for a visit, that's a nice option!

Some days you have to wonder! Stevie had just shown me his favorite photo of Einstein sticking his tongue out and I should have expected it when I handed him the Abe Lincoln hat to try on for the photo (Lincoln is his favorite president) I just didn't think I would end up with Abe Einstein for my photo!

There was a huge Elvis exhibit. The kids laughed about Elvis being censored for shaking his hips--but then this generation grows up in an MTV and reality TV world where kids see it all. I was only 7 when Elvis died but it was still pretty exciting seeing all his stage costumes and stuff!

My favorite part of the newspaper...the COMICS!!

The view off the balcony of the museum was amazing!

They had four BIG sections of the Berlin wall and one of the checkpoints. Stevie is BIG into history and really thought this was cool. You could actually go inside the tower and look up into it. I can't imagine being separated from your family and not being able to see them--like so many of these people were. How very sad!

This was the broadcasting tower off the World Trade Center and all the framed pictures behind it are front page newspapers from 9-11. It was a very sobering exhibit also. The video that was playing nearby brought us to tears. The video shot by the newsmen was so powerful! They had another exhibit close also that was a cameraman's last pictures he took on his camera before he was killed when the 2nd tower fell. Wow!

After a busy day at the museum...we even skipped lunch because we "had to see it all", we were SO HAPPY to make it to "Pita Pit" and EAT!! It's one of our favorite restaurants from Idaho and Stevie was very excited to find one in DC last week. We had to go back to it even though it was SUPER HOT and we had to walk a few blocks from the metro to get to it! He has his best "Guy Fieri" arms out pose to eat his double meat Dagwood pita {grin} And the best thing about the DC Pita Pit? There's a "Potbelly" upstairs so we can get our favorite caramel and chocolate bars for dessert! Yummy!

I think we wore the poor boy out! He crashed on the metro! He woke up to drool trails all over his shirt {grin}

On the way home my phone gave us the notification "ding" of a new geocache hidden! When Kimmy read the description she groaned...knowing it would be "just another lightpost cache" (they are a common cache--not very exciting to experienced geocachers LOL! We like the challenge of hunting through tick infested woods NOT!!) We pulled into the Taco Bell on the way home (the name of the cache was "Yo Quiero Caching") and WITHOUT using a GPS...got the cache on the 2nd lightpole we looked at {grin} She didn't seem to excited about it...but I thought it was pretty funny! Way to be predictable people! We have decided we're going to get a little lampost from a model store and glue it to a regular cache--and call the cache "Just another lightpole cache" I think that would be awesome!

So it was another busy day...with lots of fun...that's life at the Weatherston Zoo! Gotta love it!

Food...Fun...and FIREWORKS!!

Barbecue...what could be more Fourth of July-ish than that?? I think it is a tradition in our house to ALWAYS barbecue on the fourth! It's a MAN THING! This year I was kinda "blech" for the fourth. I really thought seriously about loading the family up and heading down to DC to watch the fireworks on the mall...but decided against it finally {sigh} Stevie and Steven had been at Boy Scout camp all week, then we played in DC all Saturday...and I knew if we did the fireworks too...tempers would flare! So...after a nice Sunday afternoon nap (that was MY contribution), the "Grill Sergeant" gave us a great barbecue meal of hot dogs, crab salad, cold watermelon and root beer floats! Yummy!!

We took the kids over to the local fireworks on base...which definately weren't the DC fireworks, but they were pretty good! I guess I had envisioned the activities prior to have more to do...but for some reason bounce houses and climbing walls just didn't appeal to them {grin} I thought there was supposed to be craft booths and other vendors--but mostly it was just food and a few carnival games. Oh well! We sat on the grass, people watching, until the fireworks FINALLY started!

A loooooooong time ago when we lived at Ft. Lewis, they handed out firework glasses. We LOVED them! They make total rainbows of the fireworks and really spoiled us for normal fireworks now. I have kept them all these years and keep pulling them out every year! (We also used to get really weird stares when we'd take them to laser shows in Texas!) They make for the COOLEST fireworks shows though! Everyone else is missing out!! This year I tried putting my glasses in front of the camera lens and came up with some fun photos!

Last Day of School Play Time!

One of the problems with homeschool is "When is the last day of school?" At least in our house! We actually school year-round since we take so many play days off to trip and tour...so we don't have an "official" last day...BUT...I decided today would make a great "last day" *grin* (Either that, or mom was just in a sluffing mood--which MAY have been the case!) Whatever the reason, today was a beautiful day outside and a "mom mis-adventure" was just calling our names!

We have been doing a family service project the past few months. Teaching budgeting and how to save money with coupons, we helped the kids collect several bags of pet food for our local shelter. Since I was tired of not having my spare room accessible, it seemed like a good idea to deliver it *smile* We were able to collect 100 items for the SPCA in Annapolis!

I haven't written about our new family obsession--I keep meaning to...but that would take away time from going out and DOING it! *grin* We have caught the geocaching bug! BOY HAVE WE CAUGHT THE GEOCACHING BUG!! It's basically a hide-and-seek game. Someone hides a "cache" (which can be smaller than a penny to as big as an ammo can--or larger) Using GPS, you find this cache, sign the log, swap out "swag" (stuff we all get) and then brag about it on the website! (Well, that's the basic idea anyways...check out geocaching.com for more)

I took the kids on a few hunts today. A couple of them were our typical finds...a pill bottle under a light pole skirt, a magnetic nano under a park bench, a plastic box under a stump in the woods...till the crab pot hunt!

First we had to wait for the "muggles" in the parking lot to leave. "Muggles" are non-geocaching people who might try to take or destroy the cache. My nickname is "muggle mom" since I wasn't into geocaching like the kids (except I take the photos) but I am quickly becoming addicted too! To not look too obvious...I decided it was a good time to take some photos of the kids. I thought this one was gorgeous of my sweet Missy! I cannot believe she turns 12 next week! *sigh*

After the muggles finally pulled out of the parking lot, we got to go "crabbing" (That is what the cache was called) After looking in trees, light pole skirts and other places, Kimmy starts laughing and pulls the cache up out of the storm drain--it has been attached by wire and is hanging down the drain! Clever people these cachers! We signed the log and then hit a few more caches before lunch.

I love Chuck E. Cheese...well, let me rephrase that...I love Chuck E. Cheese IF all other kids are in school! Otherwise it is a madhouse and miserable! Today all we had to fight off the games were toddlers and their parents *grin* Geesh...those vicious 2-year-olds can leave bruises! LOL! The kids were thrilled! We haven't been to Chuck E. Cheese since Texas! You know your kids are getting old when they no longer stamp your hands at the door...guess they figure if they walk out with not-their-parents, they know better!

Kimmy was a scoring demon...she may be short, but she can slam dunk (okay...well on the kiddie game anyways!)

Missy however was ADDICTED to skee-ball! Everytime I looked over she was playing it AGAIN!! Like mother, like daughter I guess!

Stevie had his own favorite game..."Deal or No Deal"! He was a big winner on it though a couple times...maybe I need to get him on the real one *grin* Oh well, I was happy with all the tickets!

And the best part about playing all those games? Using the ticket muncher machine to munch all the tickets! We won almost 1000 tickets! Enough to buy a couple giant suckers for Stevie and Missy and a playground ball! I think the worker was seriously wondering about the teenagers who were thrilled over the prizes though *smile* We're all kids at heart!

After lunch, it was time to deliver all our pet food to the shelter! They seemed very thrilled with all the food. They had to take pictures of the family, so we decided we should take pictures of our own too *smile*

A few more geocaches on the way home...this was the "Don Quixote Cache" I even did it without the GPS! The kids were still getting out of the car when I jumped out, grabbed the cache and brought it back to them! Bragging rights for mom! After a quick fill-up (since I realized I was running on fumes) we decided to call it a day. A "mom mis-adventure" wouldn't be complete though...without the mis-adventure. LOL!! The car started a shimmy on the way home--and we found out our rear tire decided to have a "hernia" and start to bulge (I don't quite understand it all myself--but Steven is grateful I didn't have a blow-out)...so now I get to have new tires on my car for all the summer fun travels and geocaching we will do this summer! Oh well, it's only money right?