Between habitat destruction, pesticides and pollution these little amphibians and fighting a tough battle. Frogs play an important role in the food chain and their numbers are declining at extremely rapid rates. Do your part to keep the waters clean and for heaven sake, do not support restaurants that serve frog legs!
Find out more about what you can do to help at SavetheFrogs.com
Photo taken at Aquarium of the Pacific.
As I mentioned the other day, there will be some changes happening here on the blog. You’ve probably already noticed a slight design change – including the color scheme and a new header. Don’t worry, you are in the right place.
Life with Dylan (my son, not the blog) brings a smile to my face every day. The way this kid teaches me about animals, shows me the world through his eyes, and inspires me to see the world a little differently than I did before will never cease to amaze me. I’m excited to be sharing more of these inspirations with you and hope that you will continue to follow Life with Dylan as we transition to the new blog design.
A few more subtle changes will occur over the next few days and I hope you will like the new blog as much as I do.
A few of my favorite pictures from our trip to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park earlier this month.
 |
| I love the reflection in the water |
 |
| The view from Condor Ridge is breathtaking |
 |
| Just look at the wingspan! |
 |
| Staying cool in the shade |
 |
| Happiness is touching a gorillas hand |
 |
| Bats – Cute or creepy? I haven’t decided yet. |
 |
| Under the watchful eye of Mom |
 |
| I think it’s nap time |
 |
| Sleeping cheetah |
This has got to be one of my favorite Dylan shots – Hamming it up for the camera.
 |
| I must save the jeep so I can protect the animals! |
Sometimes pictures say more than words and these beautiful animals make wonderful subjects.
The pictures may speak volumes, but the animals can’t speak and they need your help. Get involved with wildlife conservancy and help bring species back from the brink of extinction.
There is nothing quite like spending a little time with yourself. Turning off the television. Unplugging from the laptop and cell phone. Dare I say, going to bed at 9 p.m. and just letting your mind go blank. No thinking of what needs to be done tomorrow or what you might be missing out on because you turned all connections to the outside world off.
After four days of tuning out and tuning in to myself, I came to a realization – an epiphany of the big picture. Of what matters to me and what my purpose is on this planet. There are things that I am passionate about and I want to share these things, write about them, and hopefully inspire others to be passionate too.
My blog is my blog and I’m tired of people telling me what I should or shouldn’t do. What I can or can’t write about. I don’t need a swag bag or free admission to someplace for me to write about something I like. If I like something, then I will write a post about it. If I believe strongly about a cause, then I will write about it.
I share what I want and I am honest in what I say. I will not say something is great if it is not. I will not promote a brand or place that I don’t personally use and support myself. Sure, I’ve written a few sponsored post, but I was honest in my opinions and tried to write from a viewpoint of the average person. When I see blogs filled with sponsored posts, it doesn’t tell me anything except that the writer was compensated in some way to tell you how wonderful something is.
When I see 20 different people all writing about how wonderful a place is it makes me wonder – could it really be that great? I don’t need to see a movie a week before it opens to tell you how good the movie is. I have no problem paying to see a movie, and if I really like it I will let you know. Even worse, when I see people writing about a place that I know for a fact has long lines or isn’t as “perfect” as the writer makes it out to be, my blood begins to boil. Call it ethics, call it morals, call it loyalty, call it whatever you like. Whatever you choose to call it, that’s how I write.
I have been a member of the Zoological Society of San Diego for almost 8 years – nobody is paying me, giving me free things, or special treatment to write about our experiences at the San Diego Zoo or San Diego Zoo Safari Park. The same goes for LEGOLAND California – we have an annual membership and have never been treated differently because of the posts I write about LEGO’s or LEGOLAND. We have a family membership to Aquarium of the Pacific, so I will share our experiences there.
Dylan and I are huge animals lovers. Land animals, ocean animals – between the two of us, we are ready to save them all! We believe in conservation, preservation, protection, and educating people about these beautiful animals that are disappearing from our planet. I want to share more about this with those who choose to read my blog. Not because it’s the “topic of the moment” or because I am getting something in return, but because it’s who I am. What I get in return is the satisfaction of inspiring someone else to see the world a little differently than they did before. I get the pure joy of being true to myself.
That being said, there will be some changes happening here over the next few weeks. I may lose some readers and some followers on twitter, but that’s OK with me. If someone doesn’t like me for being me and writing about what I believe in, then that is there choice. My success is not measured by twitter followers, page views, or Facebook “likes” – my purpose in life is to be the best I can be for me and for my son. To be true to myself and in doing that find joy in the simple things.
As frequent visitors to LEGOLAND California, I can tell you that a day filled with LEGO is wonderful. However, when you combine LEGO and the ocean together you get SEALIFE Aquarium – even more fun for the family!
On a recent visit to LEGOLAND California, we took some time to see the SEALIFE Aquarium too. After the fascinating Octopuses Garden exhibit, we were excited to see what the new Claws exhibit had to offer.
Wow! I have never seen such huge lobsters and crabs. These animals are simply beautiful, especially the spider crab – and I learned so much about crabs. Like did you know that the Coconut Crab can exert five times the amount of pressure required to break a human bone? That’s one strong crab claw!
Of course the rest of the aquarium is pretty cool too. Jellies, seahorses, eels, and LEGO sculptures.
SEALIFE Aquarium is a fun afternoon for the whole family, but why not make a day of it and visit LEGOLAND California too? You can buy a park hopper ticket to visit both, or if you are a member like we are, it only cost $15 to visit the SEALIFE Aquarium.
If you have children, then you probably know about the little seedling that comes home from school in 3rd grade in honor of Arbor Day. Well, 34 years ago I brought home one of those little seedlings and cared for it until it grew big enough to put in a real pot. Then my Dad transplanted it into a larger pot – a big wooden crate one if I remember correctly. With a little water, sunlight, and love my tree continued to grow.
My tree grew so big that when I was in the 8th grade it was time to transplant it again. This time we planted it in the earth – where it would grow and thrive.
My tree has provided oxygen to the planet. A home for squirrels and birds. Shade for the plants growing beneath it. Even more than the wonderful things my tree did for the environment, my tree was something that I could watch grow year after year. My tree provided a great story for people who came to the house.
My parents recently decided to sell their home. No reason to have a huge 5 bedroom house when all the kids have moved out, so they are downsizing. Aside from the memories of my childhood home, I can’t help but wonder, what will happen to my tree? Will the new owners keep the tree or will they, it hurts to even say it, cut it down? It’s way to big now to transplant.
I cannot control what happens to my tree anymore, but I can start a new tree with the seedling my son brought home a few weeks ago. I can start making new memories. Start nurturing a new home for animals.
If your child didn’t bring home a tree, that’s all right. Go to your local nursery or nature center and buy a seedling of your own. Nurture it, water it, and love it. Plant your seedling and watch it grow.
Who knows, maybe one day your tree will grow to be as big as my tree – or maybe even bigger.
 |
| This picture was taken from the street to show the size of the tree in comparison to the 2-story house. |
Tomorrow is Earth Day and I urge you to plant a tree.
Cookies, cake, ice cream, candy … sure these all make wonderful treats for a birthday party, but are they ordinary? Dylan’s birthday is coming up in July and once again, I have the daunting task pleasure of planning a party. Something that will wow my child and make him feel like the most special kid in the world. That’s what we do right? As parents we tend to spend obscene amounts of time and money to make a child’s birthday party better than the one we threw the year before. Right? You know this sounds familiar to you.
I love how the rays from the sun seem to form a flower in the sky – very appropriate considering I took this picture in a garden.
Well, Spring Break is over. I have gone back to work. Dylan has gone back to school. No more staying up late and sleeping in. It’s back to the daily grind of packing lunches and homework.
Sounds sad right?
It all depends on how you look at the situation. We both had so much fun over the break on our mini-vacation in San Diego (yes, I will be posting pictures and sharing soon) that we have decided to adapt to the vacation mode lifestyle. At least as much as we can and still manage to go to work and school.
Over the break we led a simple life. No real schedules, no hectic going from one place to another. We talked more – real conversations. We laughed more and I believe our bond as mother and son strengthened because my attention was focused on us. On our family. Not on what had to be done around the house or checking emails.
He said please and thank you more. He actually put things away without me asking him to. This went on the whole week of Spring Break and has continued. Was this my son? Why the sudden change?
Well, as with any change, it is best to look at what was done different in your daily routine. Knowing that I couldn’t really count going to the San Diego Zoo, or the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, or staying at a hotel for two nights, I had to think. What had we done different.
Ah yes, that was it. We were talking, not arguing. We were smiling, not pouting. We laughed instead of crying over hurt feelings. We treated each other with love and respect.
Something happened in San Diego, and I can’t quite put my finger on it – but I’m not complaining.
I like adapting to a simpler life. Enjoying what each day brings and planning new things to do together – as a family. Because when all is said and done, the strength of a family can move mountains. Me and Dylan – we’re moving some mountains.
As a parent, I believe it is my job to help my son be the best he can be. To inspire him to follow his passions. To support him in his choices. To love him for having the drive and aspiration to learn more about the world around us.
 |
| Meeting Zookeeper Rick – April 12, 2012 |
We just spent three days in San Diego on a mini-vacation for Spring Break and aside from being exhausted from all the walking, I came to a realization. Not really a big surprise, but one that I know now I must support.
My son has a deep love and compassion for animals. He thrives on learning more about them and sharing his knowledge with others.
He respects the animals and their environments. Sometimes, to my embarrassment, he actually corrects tourists at the zoo.
The other day there was a group of kids screaming inside the panda exhibit and he said, “Mom, can’t they read the signs? It says to be quiet in here.”
He started to get really upset and proceeded to tell the kids to be quiet. During another instance, some people referred to the meerkats as prairie dogs – big mistake. Yep, he corrected them … while I looked the other way.
This got me thinking. When did his love for animals start?
Life with Dylan 