Reptiland

Our last stop was the best. I think this is the one stop my children will be talking about for a LONG time! They LOVED this stop. We didn't plan to visit Reptiland We just drove up to it on our way home. For a quick stop on the way home we got a lot more than we expected. Admission was very affordable adults $10 children $8 and children under 3 are free so this last minute idea cost us around $28. This place also has a free teacher's packet

We got to walk around seeing reptiles. One large building had 2 HUGE alligators! We got to see a lady tell us about them when she was standing inside with them. We had an open view because they are a little below us like a sunk in room. I hope you can see by the pictures we did stand VERY close to them. This is a picture I took when I first walked in the room. This picture I took when I stood at the wall that shows in the back of the above picture. He was right below me (OK, a 1/2 wall separated us).



We walked around looking at animals in outside habitats.


We got to feed an Emu. I don't know why they had Emus at the reptile park. My children liked feeding them. LOL! I guess that is why they have them at the park.


We went inside another building and saw lots of turtles, tortoises, frogs, lizards,snakes, and such. D liked to walk up and say to each of the animals.... Hi, A see me! Hi, Demi.

She was trying to say Hi, they see me! My name is Demi! LOL! She did this OVER and over to all of the animals. It was so cute. I wonder why she felt she should give them her name? I have never known her to tell adults or other children her name.

After that we went into another building (program building) we got to watch a movie that gave us lots of info on reptiles. It was followed by a lady showing us some reptiles. She explained more about them and answered questions. Then we got to touch them.

We went inside for her to give us more info on some of the reptiles. After that we got to see her feed some of them mice.

WARNING!!!

Pictures show reptiles eating large mice and baby mice below!!!!!!

After that we made a stop in the gift shop.... T had to get a large snake so he could pretend to be a snake handler. We tried to talk him into a book, shirt, hat, and other things but he had his heart set on a fake blue snake. LOL! D got a book on the rain forest (cat in the hat book) and we even got a cute baby shirt for the baby (due in Sept).

I have to say that Rob and I are so proud of our children! When we went into the building to see the movie and touch the reptiles other children yelled, ran around, played with noisy toys and didn't listen at all. Our son sat still in his seat listening and watching the movie and paying attention to the speaker. He knew all the answers to the questions she asked about the movie. He asked a few questions about the reptiles. Even our youngest touched the reptiles the way the lady said needed to be done so the animals didn't get hurt. The lady had a hard time getting the other children to listen to her. If our children didn't listen we would have taken them back to the car to go home. I am so happy that they showed so much respect at this unplanned stop we made. We always expect them to listen, behave, and pay attention but we rarely stop someplace without telling them HOW we expect them to act first. This was so unplanned we didn't think to say anything about how they needed to act at all. Many other times on this trip we saw our children being respectful and kind. I am so happy because I sometimes feel that people often don't feel they need to show respect to not only to other people but with places and other people's possessions. My children seem to understand that we (Daddy and Mommy) want them to do this always. I am so happy they understand how we need to behave when we are guest places. I have wondered for sometime if they understood what is often expected from a guest. I talk to them all the time about this but most of the time I hear so and so does this or that. I NEVER want them to think I am saying so and so parents are doing things wrong because I believe that all parents are lead to raise children in different ways so I often say that so and so is learning other things that you will learn soon and when you are learning what they already know maybe they will be learning what you already know. I try to tell them that all parents try to teach the same things we just choose different times to teach it. I never want my child to say to another you are a bad person because you do this or that. Of course I have to say my son has embarrassed me in public a few times when he says look that child's mommy hasn't taught him not to do this or that yet! I hope my children try to set an example at all times for others. I am glad to see that they do understand this (most of the time). I hope to never leave a place and have someone say.... I am so glad they left or I hope they don't come back anytime soon. I have such wonderful children!

That is all of our trip. We hope to take a bunch more trips soon. I made a list of places we might want to see and hubby has picked out the ones he thinks are fun and he is planning them out for us. He is working out his schedule and vacation time to go on more of trips right now.