Don't think for a second that the Fourth of July was the only thing that kept us busy in Caliente. The boys had a blast and loved every second of being there. Our first night back home D was sobbing for half an hour because he missed Nana and Papa so much and wanted to go back right then. True story.
I think visiting Kershaw Ryan State Park was one of our favorite things. The kids had a blast climbing rocks, playing catch, and "swimming" in the pool. We even enjoyed a picnic there one afternoon. The park also has a small playground, horseshoe pits, hikes, and rattlesnakes. We didn't actually see any rattlesnakes, just a small lizard.
Lt's favorite part of the trip by far was catching little (and sometimes not-so-little) toads in Nana and Papa's backyard. Upon capture he would put them in the fountain for a swim and then release them back into the wilds of Papa's garden. He was in toad heaven. He still checks in with Papa from time to time to make sure his toads are doing okay (each one became not only a pet but a best friend). And Papa still texts him pictures of his toads from time to time.
Quite a few hours were passed snuggled up with Uncle Jeff and their new Snoopy pillowcases from Nana while watching shows about animal attacks, venomous creatures, dinosaurs, and other great shows from National Geographic.
All the boys loved the cats. Lt loved them the most, but Nono really liked them too. They wanted to help feed the cats morning, noon, and night; and they followed them around the yard relentlessly. The cats were surprisingly tolerant. For a few minutes.
You'd be tired if you made a big ol' mess too.
Another highlight of the trip was when D lost a tooth while he was eating a cinnamon roll. The tooth fairy pays like three times the normal amount in Caliente. Best place to lose a tooth ever.
And it wouldn't be a trip to Caliente without a trip to the shooting range...
Not pictured, but also contributors to our epic Caliente adventures were our fabulous accommodations at Nana and Papa's (food, entertainment, nice rooms - five stars for sure); numerous trips to numerous parks; a walk to the depot/trainspotting; late night card games; and a walk around the city's new linear park (well, some of it anyway). See you next summer, Caliente!
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