Summer field trips

This summer, I had the privalege to be a teacher/chaperone for the sonshine school field trips. I usually teach a younger age class, but thought I would switch things up for the summer! Boy am I glad I did, I don't think I can go back now! :) Rielyn got to be in the group with me this summer and she LOVED it. Since she is in school all day during the year this was a perfect opportunity for us to spend some more time together! I think we were only at the building 2 or 3 of the days. We got to go do all kinds of fun things...the Science Museum, the zoo, the movies twice, swimming twice, the Sam Noble Museum of natural history, bowling, and more that I can't think of right now! :)

This is at the Tiger Safari place in Tuttle. I highly recommend going there in the fall/spring...we went on the hottest day this summer. A lot of the animals were in their shady places and too hot to be active, but we still got to see/hold a lot!

I can't believe how brave most of the kids were!!

And Rielyn scaring me to death coming face to face with a Python!! I took a picture then told her to back up! :)

And yes, I know I'm crazy...but I can now say that I have held a 6 ft long Python. It would not have been so scary if the safari guide wasn't acting so squeemish herself. She said that the normal one they use was out at a party or something, so she wasn't as familiar with this one. She was pretty jumpy holding it, so I held it out, took a picture and then I was done!!

The black panther with the pretty eyes enjoying his shady spot!

We got to feed the "baby" white tigers! She would put a raw piece of chicken on a pole and the kids would guide the pole to their mouths!

They were actually very gentle in receiving the meat! I guess they're pretty used to it!

A baby camel, I can't remember how hold they said she was...I want to say 2 months old? Anyways...it was hilarious! It was talking to her and it was the funniest thing!

Aww...sweet baby kangaroo!

And a little fox (I think that's what it was). It was very squeemish though.

Our group in front of the traveling Tiger Safari van. I guess it goes places and takes exotic animals for birthday parties and such.

Rielyn...I think you have a monkey on your head! :)

Petting the huge tortoise.

One of the other places we went was the Oklahoma Science Museum (or as we all still call it, the Omniplex). They were setting up an course for the Segways and letting people try it! I guess they now have an obstacle course that they built for 2 to race on...I wonder if you have to previously know how to work them before they let you do it though? They didn't let go when I or any of the kids were on it...it's a little fast and wobbly if you don't know what you're doing!

Rielyn on the segway... I think she did better than I did! I think we'll get her one of those for her 16th birthday instead of a car! :)

They have a "science live" presentation where this goofy, funny guy gets up and does some really cool experiments/presentations. A lot of them are gaseous explosions and such...very cool! Rielyn was chosen to be an assistant in trying to explode nitrogen gas. First they tried to just put the liquid nitrogen in a bottle and light it, but no explosion. Then they turned on some disco shaking music and they shook up the bottle to turn the liquid nitrogen into gas....

Then he pulled off the cap and had Rielyn hold a lighted stick up to the cap and BAM...a huge flame shot out and made a very loud pop! I can't believe she was so brave to do that! GO RIELYN!! That's one way to impress the boys! :)

One of the most exciting parts for all the kids for the field trips is getting to ride on a "bus" for all the trips! It's really the OC athletic bus, but it's big enough for them and it has movies to watch! :) Rielyn most always wanted to sit next to me and sometimes we had to triple up! Luckily I got to sit with Rielyn and Chandler on days like that! :)

2 of the days we went to a local neighborhood pool that we reserved just for our group. That was probably one of the easiest trips to do! The kids all had a blast! I love that our kids have such close friends that go to church with us and they get to do all these fun things together over the summer! The syncronized swimmers, or should I say jumpers, line up...

The jump wasn't as syncronized, but it was sure cute to watch!