This little piggie...

... sat on Tate's lap!  And Tate giggled all the way home....

The guinea pig belongs to our friends, Sienna and Oren.  We went to their home for dinner and had a fantastic evening!

Thelma and Louise

For Tate's birthday I got to spend a little bit of time with him and his friends at Drumlin.  The highlight of the hour?  Hanging out with Thelma and Louise, the new cluckin' duo housed outside of the farm house.  Here's Tate showing off his barnyard skills:

This one is Thelma.

Looking for eggs.

Found two of them!  And the kids get to touch one.

Adding food to the feeder.  Fun!

Turtleback Zoo Redux

Baba and Dyede took A+A to the Turtleback Zoo years ago, but Tate was too young to go.  This time around he was a full fledged participant.

First we went on the trolley:

And then we met the bear:

Next we went on the carousel:

And then we attempted to feed the goats.  I'll note for the record that Sammy was a pro at this activity!

Ribbit! Ribbit!

Our house was overtaken by frogs one evening:

Sheep-ish

Mr. T loves his class at Drumlin.  Amanda snapped these photos of Tate getting up close and personal with some of Drumlin's wooliest residents:

This is almost as soft as Nanee!

Look at them in there!  All of the straw!

Hey buddy.  What are you doing?

Hah!  Eating!

Being nice and gentle.

Whoa!  I'm almost as tall as the sheep!

Tee hee hee!  You are funny!

Here sheepy sheepy... here sheepy sheepy.... come to me....

You came to me!  How nice!

Can I bring him home?

Topsfield Is Tops, Part #1

Karla and I took the citizens to see the Topsfield Fair, the oldest agricultural fair in the States.  There was so much to see, learn and eat, that I'm going to separate our visit into 3 posts:  Education, Entertainment, and Eating (because I always work food into this blog).

Today's spotlight:  Education

We waited patiently in line to pet bunny rabbits:

Feed the ducks:

And stand next to the winner of this year's Big Pumpkin Contest:

And if you're wondering, yes, the pumpkin is displayed in a temperature controlled environment, with better air quality than we experienced in other areas of the farm (I'm referring to the Cow Barn and Sheep Area in particular, ha!).

Tomorrow's post?  Entertainment!

Sheep-ish Massage

It's been a very busy start to spring, which means it's been harder to find the time to blog as often as I'd like.  Without further delay, I'd like to share a video clip that I've been meaning to post for quite some time.  Look closely at the end and you'll see how this post earned its name.  Enjoy!

Camera Shy

Poor Lambie.  She's camera shy.  Last time she visited Boston, Adam and Ashley tried to play with her.  It was very adorable and definitely video-worthy, so I tried to capture the moment digitally.  This is one smaht dog, as we'd say in Boston.

So I used my super stealth skills and tried again.  Look closely!

Veterinarian for a Day

Today we learned about horses.  Thanks to Rody for being so patient with Adam and Ashley.

First we start by examining Rody's eyes.

Adam, I'll look at his hoof while you complete the optometry exam.

Cardiology exam?  Check!

Yup!  A clean bill of health.

At the Zoo

Our cousins came for a brief visit this weekend.  

Unseasonably warm weather lured us outdoors to the Stone Zoo.  Adam and Ashley aren't quite old enough to appreciate the exhibits, but their cousins did.

Not cool Daddy.  This hat is huge on me!

Do you see the flamingos in the background?

I can almost reach Brian's hair!

Farewell photo before our cousins hit the road.

Lambchop

Adam met Lambchop, aka "Lambie".  My furry sister performed at the pinnacle of patience, allowing Adam to tug away at her coat.  Trust me, I know what it's like when he grabs a handful of hair.  Ashley slept through the photo shoot, still recovering from her cold.  We'll catch her next time.

Homeschool, Lesson #1

Today we learned about animals and farms.

Don't ask your sister for the answers!

I just saw the answer... right here...

Lessons are over when the students eat the books.