A New Fruity Experience

Emmanuel is not really a fan of grapefruits.

He is a fan of funny faces.

It was pretty sour.

I must say they are adventurous kids.

Athena is always aware of the camera, even mid-bite.

All it needs is a bit of sugar.

Even Avi gave it a shot.

Even with all the sugar, it is still too sour for him.

Still willing to try it.

Sugar seems to fix everything for Avi.

I grew up in Utah, where citrus trees are nowhere to be found. I have always had issues with various citrus fruits and their texture. So, it comes as little surprise that I never liked grapefruits. I was willing to try them as a young child, with mixed results. I was put off of grapefruits in my later childhood. My parents often bought grapefruit juice in large metal tins. I will never forget the time when Tia took a long swallow of grapefruit juice straight from the can, only to realize the juice was rusty. I can still see the nasty, dark brown tinge in my mind. Hence, my aversion to all things grapefruit. We are a fruit-loving family. My kids often eat frozen grapes in the summer and cry with delight whenever fresh strawberries are on sale. So, it seems odd that they have never tried a grapefruit. It is simply because I refuse to eat them, and therefore refuse to buy them. Last week Emmanuel's friend, Gabby, gave our family a bag of my childhood nemesis. Since I knew I would never try them, I talked the kids into giving it a shot. Our time in Ghana had prepared the kids for adventurous eating. They were actually excited to try something new. The excitement only lasted until the sour juice exploded in their mouths. It was fun to see them experience something new. That is one of the greatest joys of being a parent. Seeing something I have long despised as exhilarating and fun was quite an event. I was inspired to try a bite myself. In the end, it was decided that with a lot of sugar and an open mind, grapefruits were something everyone could enjoy.

Wildlife World Zoo

It has been much too long since I last blogged. I have let other things get in the way of keeping people updated with our everyday lives. When I am not at school, Fred is not working, and the kids are on spring break, we manage to have some fun. Just this past weekend, we made it to the Wildlife World Zoo. I was extremely diligent in getting directions and using mapquest, and somehow we still ended up lost in Litchfiled Park. After Tom guided us back on the right track with his Iphone, I am feeling bad about dissing said Iphone only a day before. Our extended family met us at the gate. Tia's family, mom, and even the newlyweds came out for some fun. What I liked most about this zoo is that it is hands on. We were all able to get so close to the animals. I have seen most of these animals before, just never so close. Athena took some amazing pictures of the birds. She seems to have some real talent with the camera. Emmanuel had a good time being a big brother and checking out the awesome aquarium. Avi mostly enjoyed running everywhere with his cousin, Jonah. Some of my favorite moments were when Athena and Avi were chasing the turtle in the petting zoo. Watching them create memories with their cousins is so nice to see. I am so glad that my mom invited us all to go. She is a wonderful grandma. After all the sun and walking, we did what we Brewsters do best. We ate. We ate a lot. We enjoyed visiting with Grandma Lewis over burgers and fries. It was a fun day with only a few meltdowns. All in all, it was a perfect way to get back to my blog. It has been to long, and I seriously need the outlet!