4th Birthday Party!!!

Pics by Kat
Her big bird birthday cake.

I think the 'helpfulness' of the other kids with the presents is a riot! They are so funny.

Marineland

Yesterday we went to Marineland and had a great time! Here are the kids on a ride, I think they just dropped, which it looks like Kat enjoyed.




And, for reasons I can't begin to fathom, they have huge numbers of animals- there must have been at least 20 black bears in the water pit. And you can feed the animals!! They sell feed, but there are no signs, no restrictions and no one who gives a crap what you're feeding the animals. Mom brought carrots & celery & dogfood, which they seemed to like. The bears made me think of a John Irving book....now I have no idea which one, but one about a retired and pathetic circus bear. I guess it's time to re-read some of those. Despite the animal issue, it was really, really cool for the kids to feed the bears. How often does one get to intentionally feed them. they were practically performing for the food.
They also have an enormous herd of elk.....most were piled up in teh shade, but some were hungry. Kat also enjoyed feeding them. At one point, I looked over and one of these guys had her forearm in its mouth. Apparently it wasn't what they wanted and they let go. She had no idea how she should feel about this....stood there looking at her arm for a while, then almost cried, until I pointed out that yet another one looked hungry.
And bison.....tons of those too! And it's quite nervewracking to see the big guys right there and have to assume that that steel bar there is well constructed. They can't get their humps under it. I think if they really stretch, they can reach under for some food. But the babies can fit underneath and come over for some food.
And there are also deer, some of which apparently needed food STAT!!!



Gummed by an elk and nosed by a baby bison within minutes of one another- who else can say that?
This apparently is the only rule about feeding the animals....
Watching the dolphin show. One of the 3 of them is quite tired.

In addition to being fed, the deer must also be petted!