To make the last walking play date with Melissa & Jack extra special, we ended up meeting at one of the local State Parks where in addition to fresh air and good company, we could all enjoy the beautiful scenery. It was awesome! Mother Nature was especially good to us with sunshine and temps in the 70's.
Not wanting the fun to end, after our walk, we delayed our farewell a bit longer by heading across the street to the Alligator Farm. The boys were so excited to visit their animal friends. Baylor channeled his inner Steve Irwin & bravely touched the gator's tongue. Let's hope he's not quite as trusting of gator's that aren't made of concrete!
Thanks to some nice thick glass and well-constructed fencing & guard rails, I didn't have to find out that particular day whether Baylor is a future alligator-whisperer.
I'm not sure whether you can see it, but the boys are admiring a bird exhibit in this photo. While very beautiful, that particular bird lacks manners and pecks at little boys' faces when they approach to admire his bright feathers. Again, thank goodness for thick glass! The boys seemed to enjoy the bird's sour attitude. Evidently, face-pecking is very funny to toddlers.
As we wandered along the boardwalk through the swamp exhibit, we were trailed by alligators that were essentially begging for food. It wasn't quite as eery as our last visit because I knew what to expect. The gators could care less about whether we humans taste like chicken. They just want you to spend a quarter & toss them some dog food pellets. Although, I'm sure they'd settle for just about anything that fell into the water. It's not like they paused to inspect what they were chomping at when they saw something hit the water's surface. I kept a tight grip on Baylor during that portion of the adventure.
What I did find alarming was the sight of a vulture eating what appeared to be the rotting carcass of a zebra! I mean, come on! Is that sort of exhibit really necessary? Can't we leave that sort of educational lesson to the imagination or random road trip sightings. I don't remember seeing something this gross at the zoo when growing up, and yet somehow, I know what role vultures play in the world.
As needless as I found that display to be, this sign really speaks volumes. Thank you for the politically correct explanation of the grotesque sight!
During this visit, I also learned that like alligators, tortoises much prefer a huge pile of dog food to natural produce like lettuce. Go figure!
Oh, and monkeys really aren't amused by a toddler's impersonation of them!
Before calling it a day and saying the final farewells, we made a stop by the playground. The boys were tettering on the thin line between pleasant and tantrums fueled by exhaustion. We decided to push our luck and time together just a bit more.
Eventually, we ran out of stall tactics and were forced to hug our friends & part ways for what will likely be a lengthy period of time. The boys are lucky to be little & completely unaware of what that day's farewells really meant. At least we as the moms have Facebook & blogs to help keep in touch!
Jax immediately took on the role of driver. Shocking! The only disappointment was that he couldn't sound the siren. The fire fighters were thisclose to giving Jax the go-ahead, but I insisted they pass on the experience out of fear that my drunken neighbors might not realize it was merely a little fun, not a true emergency. No need to create panic in the streets!
While big brother explored the controls up front, Baylor was quite content in the rear of the truck with all the gear. He seemed especially interested in the ax. Good thing it was securely locked down. We might have had a situation on our hands.
The Jaguar cheerleaders were on also participating in the evening fun with their Quarterback Challenge booth. The reward for a successful pass?
The opportunity to get up close & personal for a photo opp! Jax was shy at first, but eventually warmed up to the girls.
Baylor didn't seem all that impressed.
He was more excited to meet the Jaguars' mascot, Jaxson! Something tells me it's his age, and in a few short years, I'll be wishing he still lacked an interest in cheerleaders.
The rest of the evening was spent in the bounce houses provided by Radio Disney. It wasn't that Anh & I wanted to spend the entire evening watching the boys turn into big, sweaty messes. We just weren't very successful at luring them out of the inflatable fun. Oh well, it was their version of dancing, and it certainly wore them out which made for a relaxing evening at home once they were tucked in their beds for the night. A happy ending for all!
I can say with certainty that for Jax the highlight of the day was...
driving the golf cart without assistance from dad! Ummm...he did what???? So that's the sort of thing that happens when the moms aren't around to be the voice of reason!
Seems to me the only thing Anh will be driving in the foreseeable future is his new driver. Jax certainly won't let him back behind the wheel!
Eventually, all 3 of the Davoren kids threw caution to the wind and followed suit. That's when things got interesting. Their expressions were stern as all four jockeyed for the lead with fierce determination. In the end, we called it a tie. There really was no way to tell which child emerged victorious when some may have crossed the line first, but were actually a lap down.
Mini-golf was equally confusing because the kids were using two different strategies to determine a winner. Some, like Jax, were traditional and scored by the stroke. Others, like Jack, played with the mindset that the first to finish (regardless of the stroke count) would be deemed the winner. Under that train of thought, Jack played what pretty much can only be described as a combination of mini-golf and street hockey. Basically, you guide your ball into the hole with the putter as you would a hockey puck, never allowing it to come to complete stop. It was interesting to say the least!
Baylor, however, was less than impressed with the whole event. He would have much preferred if we had just skipped the whole golfing session and headed inside to the arcade. He wasn't his usual, happy self that afternoon. I blame the windy, chilly weather. He is a born & bred Floridian, afterall!
Once inside, Baylor was thrilled to finally have a chance to drive. He didn't appreciate being left out of the fun at the racetrack. Maybe that was the reason for his sour attitude on the golf course!
At first, Baylor resisted Mommy's help, but as soon as he realized that my longer legs were essential to reach the gas pedal, he didn't mind my participation. 
Big brother Jax divided his time between virtual racing and games that earned him tickets that could be redeemed for what moms consider tacky, cheap, little trinkets. However, to children, these prizes are considered precious and highly sought after. What a difference a few years make?! Okay, more than I few!
