Blackforest Fall Hike

Blackforest Fall Hike

November 20, 2011

Thankful for fall to have arrived bringing with it cooler weather, we wanted to get outdoors as much as we could, so we find ourselves once again at Blackforest. As soon as we got out of the Tahoe I spot some loons floating on the water, some diving for their dinner.

I hear Stewart shout, “Hey, y’all check out this big bird, I think it is an eagle!”

Veteran’s Day Outing 2011

Veteran’s Day Outing 2011

November 12, 2011
Stewart was off work for a federal holiday we decided to go hiking and sight seeing over in Louisiana for something different. I looked up “Fort Jesup” and thought… Veteran’s Day…Fort… cool! We planned to stop by North Toledo Bend State Park on the way. As we were driving, we stumbled upon a Veterans Memorial Park which seemed out in the middle of no where, of course we stopped.

Stewart and I read the names on the monument while the kids checked out the tank and chopper.

Three Way Birthday Party

Three Way Birthday Party

October 29, 2011

 

I learned that with having all my children in the fall within two weeks of each other it is just easier to have the family birthday party all together. We don’t go “all out” like we used to on their party, just a simple cake and gifts with family. We do take them and do something special for them on their actual birthday but for the family to come over we one have one simple party. We usually just serve hotdogs and nachos so that it is quick and easy and a homemade cake. My cakes may not be as pretty as the store bought ones, but I promise they taste better!

 

 

Adam has been so excited all week about the party!

 

Austin turned 16 October 12th. So we start out with 16 candles. So Aust gets to blow them out first. He takes the slow steady approach.

 

Anna turns 11 November 14th. We remove five candles and relight them for Anna. One quick swoop she blew them out.

 

 

Adam turned 9 October 30th. We take away two more candles and relight for the last time. Adam blew them out just as fast as Anna.

 

Now their favorite part, GIFTS!

 

We bought them Nerf Dart Tag guns and shirts. It has the little bullets that have Velcro tips that sticks to the shirts so you know when you are hit. They love playing outside with the Nerf guns but usually get into an argument about who shot who and someone (the teenager) refusing to be shot! So we decided this was the best way to solve that problem.



After gifts were open and cake was eaten I sent them outside with glow bracelets to play while the adults sat around and visited. I don’t allow them to take their toys out of the package until the guests have left because I feel like they should have the right to be the first ones to play with their toys. So once everyone went home, the kids got to really check out all their stuff and since it was our “weekend” they had two whole days to play with it all without having to do school! Good Times!

THE END

Silly Times in Science

Silly Times in Science
October 20, 2011

Sometimes when I read lessons to the kids I make up funny voices... today I was a drill sergeant...

We are studying the bones in our Health/Science book “The Young Explorers Series Exploring Creation with the Human Body and Physiology”.

I shouted the question, " What is the difference between the first seven ribs and the last five ribs, RODENTS!"

(I was calling them maggots but “Corporal”Austin reminded me that the maggot is an invertebrate so the lesson would not apply, so I changed it to rodents)...

Austin’s “bar Mitzvah”

Austin’s “Bar Mitzvah”
October 15, 2011

Turning 16 is a pretty big deal. I wanted to do something for Austin to honor this “rite of passage.” We had all heard of a Bar Mitzvah from TV and so I looked into it a bit more. The word “Bar” means “son of” and “Mitzvah” means “commandments”. Now I am not big on following rituals and traditions from any culture but I kind of just took the idea and went my own way with it. In a nut shell, for Jews this is the celebration of a Jewish boy becoming a man and therefore responsible to keep God’s law and he is no longer under the covering of his parents spiritually. This usually happens around 12-13 years old. I would not have thought of my child as a man at 12-13 but at 16, I do. Austin is a very wise and responsible young man. I am extremely proud of who he has become and I do consider him mature enough to start making decisions for himself. What better way to tell him that… throw him a party!

I wanted him to be clueless to the fact that the party had anything to do with him. Just so happens this year Feast of Tabernacles fell on his birthday week.  I just had him thinking everyone was coming over to join in the feast day with us. His birthday is the 12th but Saturday worked out better for everyone to be able to make it.

 

We barbequed and all ate our fill outside by our “Sukkot”, then while I had Austin taking in some of the leftovers, I snuck his gifts out.

Gators! Martin Dies Jr. State Park

 

“Gators!” Martin Dies Jr. State Park

October 1, 2011

It was a packed house for the “Gators” class at Martin Dies Jr. State Park. A boy scout troop was there which is not the “norm.”

I had Austin sit by Anna to guard her from being bumped with her broke arm and Adam sat beside him. The place was so pack Stewart and I decided to stand at the back of the room to take pictures.

Once everyone got situated in the now “to small” building, Ms. Katherine began.

She asked for volunteers to help out with a skit. My kids being as shy as they are did not volunteer but Ms. Katherine called Adam, so he timidly went up, looking at me for reassurance. I give him a nod and a smile and he was fine.

 

Astronomy

Astronomy

September 25-27, 2011

We were studying about astronomy in science and so that took us out to the “Long Bridge” with our telescope in tow to see what we could see!

 

We set up the telescope and started to look around at the brightest stars.

End of Summer Hike

End of Summer Hike

September 24, 2011

This has been such a hot summer that with the 107* weather we have been cooped up inside under the air for too long. It was time to “GET OUT!” It is almost the end of summer and the weather cooled a bit so I was anxious to get on a hiking trail. The easiest one to go on was the little one at Boykin Springs. We have been here several times but it never seems to get old. Always something new to see. The wonderful thing about nature is it changes constantly.

 

 

The rocked spillway is mostly dry from the drought, we walk across the stone bridge without fear of getting wet .