Whoo Hoo, Going to the Zoo!

Over our first week of vacation, we had many adventures, including a visit to the Burnet Park Zoo with Booba and Pa. There was a new octopus exhibit, lots of construction to watch, lots of boardwalk and trails to explore, and many animals to "ride". However, the penguins seemed to continue their reign as the Luton Family favorite!

Day-Tripping

Our family took a day trip last weekend to the Ithaca area. We strolled through the Farmer's Market, where we ate some very delicious Vietnamese and Cuban food. Here Reed and Willa took delight exploring the tree-house that was made out of a genuine tree. Then it was off to Stewart Park to play on the playground and to take a ride on the carousel. Finally, we headed up the side of Cayuga Lake, where we visited Sheldrake Point, the winery and vineyard where Reed and Willa's parents got married, and finally to Cayuga Creamery for scoops of their very tasty ice cream!

The Graduate

Early last week, the Koala Kids participated in a year-end celebration of their time at Jowonio. They gave an encore performance of "Driving My Car" (performed first at the Jowonio Follies this spring) and each child was individually recognized by the teachers for what makes him or her special. The teachers said that when they think of Reed, they think of "his upbeat personality and his wonderful farming stories". Us, too! We are so very, very proud of our very, very special Koala Kid.

Take a Hike!

That's what we did on a rainy afternoon. We explored the trails around Tinker Falls, and Reed and Dada even climbed behind the falls. If you look closely behind the left side of the waterfall in the final photo of this post, you may even catch a glimpse of them!

From Hopper to Jackrabbit

Saturday morning was Reed's last day as a player on the Hopper team. He has been moved up to the Jackrabbits for the next soccer session. While he is excited to learn new skills, he will miss his beloved Coach Bree and his teammates. Willa will also miss her Saturday morning adventures on the sidelines, where she participates in warm-ups (see picture of "touch your toes"), practices her dribbling skills, and (occasionally) explores the equipment. Next week we will start on the Jackrabbits on Thursday evenings! We are so proud of our favorite Lil' Kicker!

The Butterfly Man

After the serendipitous discovery of a very trusting Swallowtail butterfly on a rainy Friday afternoon, Reed has declared that his new aspiration is to be the Butterfly Man. Similar to the Snake Man (reptile expert) and the Bubble Man (children's entertainer), Reed plans to learn about butterflies, take care of them, collect specimens, and speak to groups at our local library about them. We also have found a book and a Nova special on butterflies, and we visited the MOST yesterday to see the butterfly exhibit. Whether this is just a passing fancy or a lasting interest, it is very sweet to see our rough-and-tumble little boy to take such delight in such a gentle, delicate, fleeting creature.