Jack's Birthday at the Funarium

Dan took off Tuesday for Jack's birthday and we went to the Funarium as a family! The kids and I went in December with Ken and Amy, but it was fun having Dan there to play! A good day of climbing, playing, sliding and jumping!

Presents from Mom Mom and Pappy

Lots of Legos (from us and Grammy and Grandad)

Pancake breakfast made by Mommy

Posing for pictures with Daddy

Flanked by sisters who dressed alike

Having a ball at the Funarium!

Daddy had fun pelting kids with the balls because they didn't hurt...much

Megan

Kylie kind of grumpy and kicking the balls

The Fam

Daddy and kiddos at lunch

Fun slides

The Ball Pit

Cutie girls

Kiddos watched Kylie from a bridge overhead as she rode bikes under it!

Kylie riding the bikes

Moo spinning Jack around and around...

until he was sooo dizzy he fell off and scraped his face! But other than that, and some other rug burns, it was a blast!

Snake Farm Adventures

Yup, you read the title right. We went to the Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute in downtown Bangkok. They are 1 of 2 snake farms in the world that extract venom from snakes on a daily basis to make anti-venom for snake bites. The Snake Farm at the Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute was set up in 1923 as there was a need for Thailand to develop its own vaccine for snake bites. The center also helps to educate the general public about snakes. Thailand is home to more than 180 varieties of snakes of which 56 are deadly. They milk the venom daily and it is then sent to a special horse farm in Hua Hin where small amounts of the venom are injected into the horse. Over a period of time more and more of the venom is injected into the horse until it builds up an immunity. Blood is then drawn from the horse. The blood plasma is then sent back to Bangkok where it is purified and tested before being sent out to hospitals around the country and world.

We parked at Dan's work and took the BTS down 1 stop, then Dan miraculously let us take a Tuk Tuk! He has a fear that we will wake up in some room somewhere in Bangkok missing a kidney if we ride one. Thankfully, that didn't happen, but we did get there safely and for only 40B! We didn't get to see the milking of the venom, as it was a holiday here in Bangkok, but we did get to see the "Snake Show".

I'll be honest. I saw the amphitheater and wrongly assumed it was like the Croc Farm's one - with seats on 2 sides and the guys handling snakes in the middle. Instead it was a museum in the middle with caged snakes and the walkway in front of the seats was where the snake show was! The walkway was maybe 5ft wide. And we were about 4ft. up from the snakes...with no protective glass or anything...totally freaky!

A man, who spoke both Thai and English, spoke the whole time, telling us about the various snakes while another 2 guys handled the snakes. And when I say "handled" I really mean "handled". In their hands. They brought out a king cobra and let him loose. And kept kicking his foot in the snake's direction so the snake would "hood up"! They let him stay out for approximately 5 minutes while they talked...the announcer at one point stood next to the King Cobra...then backed away slowly. Apparently King Cobra's do not have good peripheral vision, so if you ever face one, back away slowly. Then the guy showed how to "catch" a Cobra. He kicked his foot at it, to make it strike, then when it bobbed it's head back up, he caught the back of it's head! Totally crazy!!!

Next they brought out a Siamese Cobra, a Green Pit Viper, a Malayan Pit Viper, a Banded Krait and a couple of others! At the end, the kids and Dan got to hold a Burmese Python and get their pictures taken!

Kiddos waiting for BTS

The Family squished in a PINK Tuk Tuk!

The King Cobra

Green Pit Viper

Announcer and Snake Handler

Megan with the Burmese Python

Jack with the Burmese Python

Dan and a freaked out Kylie

Dan holding the Burmese Python

Jack's 7th Birthday Party

Jack had a Wii Mario Kart Party for his birthday this year! We borrowed the Wii from Ken and Amy, invited his 3 closest friends and had it on a Wednesday night, because this week is October Break and most people flee town for vacations! One of the boys couldn't come because he was sick, but Jack had a blast with his 2 friends...and weirdly Dan and I both felt that the 1 1/2 hours was way too short for the party (but all we had to work with, given it was a school night)! We used to do 2 hour parties, but they have been crazy the past couple of years with young boys running around the house, jumping off furniture, etc. This time, the 2 boys were boys who we knew decently well and they just had fun being together!

We colored Mario Kart pictures, played Pass the Parcel, ate pizza and chicken wings for dinner, the boys and Dan played Mario Kart and then we had cake and ice cream and a bit more Mario Kart! It was a blast! And Jack got a present from each of them that was specifically what he likes to do with each boy - a soccer ball, a nerf 2 gun set and a cool lego set! It was a great night!

Fun Decorations

Balloons everywhere!

Jack made his goodie bags :) I told him we needed to figure out favors to give out. He said, "You're going to make my friends do chores at my birthday party???" Clearly he thought favors were what I ask him to do often...i.e. "Hey Jack, can you do me a favor?"

The Boys

The Boys with Mustaches

Playing Pass the Parcel

The cake which would not turn sideways

Playing Mario Kart

A little too close to the TV

Racing

Cake!

The Family

Hi, My Name is Jack vol. 3

...And I'm the Birthday Boy because today I turn 7!!! Here's a little bit about me:

Job: I am in the First Grade. I am getting better and better at reading. I'm great in Math and I love Science. Thai is fine and PE, Music and Art are fun. I have a hard time thinking up things to write about for "Small Moments" in school, but when I have ideas, writing them down isn't hard - but I am working on "writing for readers". Mommy thinks I'm like my Uncle Brian because I rush through my work and it's pretty messy. She has informed me that if I don't take my time and write neatly, I'll have to rewrite it.

Interests: I like Legos, the xBox, the DS, soccer, basketball, swimming, riding my bike to school, wrestling Daddy and still snuggling Mommy's hair.

Favorite Foods: Macaroni and cheese; hot dogs; pancakes and sausage; noodle soup and fishballs and mashed potatoes for lunch as school; fried chicken, rice and japanese curry at CoCo Curry's; Pad see ew gai at Sudathai; pizza and chicken wings from Pizza Company; waffles, eggs and bacon from Que Pasa. I don't love vegetables, but I'm working on it; gum.

Favorite Sayings: Incoming! (before running and jumping on you), Fire in the Hole! (before anything getting thrown), Can I play the xBox? Can I have a playdate? Can I do a lap with Megan (riding a lap around our neighborhood on their bikes)? Mommy, Kylie needs you! What are we having for (breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack, dessert)? Is tomorrow school?

Things I learned to do while I was 6: Read. Play Soccer. Put together intricate Legos. Loose a tooth. Maneuver the 5 gallon water bottle into the house. Get cereal and pour milk out for breakfast. Take clothes out of the dryer. Play Ticket to Ride. Shower fully unsupervised by myself. Ride my bike to school with my sister. Play dvd's on the xBox.

What my teacher said about me at Parent/Teacher conferences: That I'm a really nice boy. That I get along well with other kids, am a good friend and am well liked by other kids. That I'm progressing in reading. That she didn't even know that I needed Speech before this year! That she was concerned that I sometimes make random sounds/noises/songs when I should be working quietly...Mommy explained that I come by it honestly and that it is "hereditary" - that my Daddy does SMO's (sudden musical outbursts) just like his Daddy and my Uncle Chuck. She also said that the other day I did a cartwheel on the carpet when everyone was supposed to be sitting down. Mommy and Daddy laughed because I get that from my Daddy. Daddy said, "While I didn't grow out of the random noises, I have learned to control that impulse." Mommy just said to keep reminding me that I need to work quietly.

Closest Friends: David, Ethan, Ethan, John (even though he moved away), my sisters, Daddy, Mommy, God and Jesus.

Favorite shows: Star Wars Clone Wars, Little House on the Prairie, Tom and Jerry, Meet me in St. Louis, Sound of Music, Spectacular Spiderman and Iron Man Armored Adventures.

Books I like to check out from the Library: Books about Dogs. Books about Dinosaurs. Books about Superheros. Comic books. D&K Marvel books. More books about dogs and more books about Superheros.

Why Mommy loves me: Because I have impeccable timing. While over at Ms. Amy's house, she was asking the big girls if they wanted to get pedicures that afternoon as I was walking by - without missing a beat I replied, "No thanks!" and kept walking! I still love snuggling my Mommy and told her today that when I turn 7, I'll still want to play with her hair. I'm generally a good boy. I know what's right and wrong. I love to get as close to the TV as I can, jumping up and down, as I play the xBox. I like sleeping in the same room as my little sister and have done so since February. I bring humor into the daily things of life. I would have playdates every single day if I could. I love my family, both here and in the United States!

We love you Jackey Boy!!! We can't believe you are 7 years old already!!! Have a great birthday!!!