More Zoo Photos Continued....

But here are the true wild things at the zoo!!

Quiz!

This one is funny! I had to post this one.

What type of Mother Hen Are You?
by Montessorimom.com: Educational Resource

No Child Left Inside

I love it!! To culminate a beautiful week in the Pacific Northwest, the kids and I decided to take the Outdoor Hour Challenge.

Barb at The Heart of Harmony has challenged the homeschool community to add nature study to their school week. To achieve and encourage homeschool bloggers she has decided to post a weekly challenge every Friday. That gives you all week to plan. Smart lady!

Well, the kids and I have met the challenge. Everyone who knows me knows I am not an outdoorsy mom. I don't enjoy hiking, and I don't enjoy camping. I do like the beach and can spend hours and hours sitting in the sun reading. I can bring a blanket to the park and lay in the sun with a good book. I will willingly sit by the pool as long as a book is in my hand. You get the idea. To accept this challenge I had to put down a book or stop cooking and get outside. I think Barb made an agreement with the weather to give me a whole week of sun so that the motivation would be there.

Nothing is really growing around our neighborhood. It is a new development and it is still winter in our neck of the woods. So we spent our time outdoors watching the clouds.We do have a very interesting tree we want to photograph but I left my camera behind on our walks. Perhaps next week....

The clouds are so cool here. You can have so many at one time. Here are the pictures we did manage to get today.

Oldest Peep took all of those as I was driving into downtown today.

We read about clouds here and here.


We also read Little Cloud by Eric Carle and then I found The Book of Clouds by John A. Day. I am going to look for it at the library.

In the challenge we were asked to research two things in nature that called our attention. Well, we looked and we looked but could not find what sort of pine tree this pinecone belongs to, so we are posting our pictures here in hopes that someone out there knows. We found it interesting because of the spikes or leaves sprouting from it. Please leave a comment if you know what kind they are and we will be forever in your debt.

Barb, thanks for letting us join in the fun.

Spanish Lessons!

My hard work has paid off!

We have started a Spanish Club. 2 moms from our new homeschool group are coming over weekly to enjoy a few hours of my beautiful Spanish language. We have planned activities for the kids and are trying really hard to only speak Spanish while they are here. Today we had a great day! With the beginners we played a matching game, we read a book, and we ate tostones. When the more advanced students arrived we played Monopoly, Dibujonario (my Spanish version of Pictionary), read some pictures books, and Oldest Peep gave us an oral presentation on a book she read. The assignment was to pick a picture book in Spanish and then tell us about it; the story line, what she liked about it, etc.

This is the book she read.

Empanadas que hacia Abuela

Here is her report (just as she wrote it).

• La familia de abuela vienen para una fiesta. La abuela hace empanadas para la fiesta. Ella pone calabaza en la empanadas. Los ninos llevan la calabaza a la casa. La calabaza en vuele la masa. El rodillo extiende la masa. Los nietos empujan el rodillo. El abuelo viene a la fiesta, y los primos da muchos abrazos. El perro de abuelo sige el todos partes. Son empujan el rodillo. Los primos arrive a la fiesta. Son persigen el perro! Los primos da abrazos a la abuelo. Ahora todos familia vienen a la casa de abuela. It is time para la fiesta! Abuela alimenta la familia. La familia loved la empanadas. La familia quiren leche. So abuela sirve la leche para la familia. La familia content est. Finally la fiesta was over. Abuela suena con las caras content. Este libro es bueno. Yo quiero que mi abuela hace empanadas todo dias.

English words Latin words

I was very impressed. I handed her the book, told her the assignment and then left it to her to do completely on her own. Afterwards I asked how she felt having done a great job? She said she was proud of herself. Once she started writing she said the words just came to her and she was able to do most of it without having to look things up. WOW!!!! Thank you SO YOU REALLY WANT TO LEARN SPANISH!!!!! Mr. Oulton (publisher) and Mr. Bolger (author) you are my heros!!!!

More Zoo photos

We had such a great time at the zoo with our new friends that i just had to post more photos. In the next post I will feature more of the hands and feet pictures of the gorillas.

I have to share the story of this poor turtle. Meet Princess!!!! According to the zookeeper, years ago she had some eggs that got stuck inside her. They operated and removed the eggs but as a consequence of the surgery she could no longer dive under water. She basically bobs up and down and floats her merry way. So how did she get upside down? There was a tree truck just above where she fell so our best guess is that she fells of the log and because of her surgery she could not right herself. She was struggling and fighting to flip backover but just could not. The kids were anguised until the zoo keep came along to right her. Once fliped she swim right over to her favorite spot. Poor Princess!!!! They gave her that name because she must be hand feed and must be tended to more closely than the other turtles. Since she can not dive the food they scatter in the pool is impossible for her to reach. The zookeeper did tell us she would have drowned had we not called for him and that it had been many many years since she had fallen upside down.

Wordless Wednesday

Obama Rally

I know I am super behind on blogging but with the upcoming trip and a few other things I am juggling, blogging is lowon the priority list. Here is what I typed up for those interested in the Obama Rally. I promise to finish it......


We attended the Obama Rally today in Seattle. I woke the kids up at 7:30. We gulped breakfast and ran out the door. We got in line just before 9am. It was cold. It was super windy. It was cloudy and rain threatened. The line behind us began to stretch out of sight. We eventaully saw where it was wrapping around the building and reports of a line on the other side of the arena reached us. The crowds were unbelieveable. Just before 11am Baby Peep could stand the cold no longer. I thought I would have to find a warm place for the peeps to huddle in when the line suddenly started moving. The doors were opened and the promise of warmth was within reach.

I will back up a bit and share with you all that yesterday we went to a phone center and we volunteered making calls to remind folks to causus. In this state, for the Democrats, you must causus for your vote to count. The delegates get choosen at the causcus. It is very important to attend it. Also anyone can go to the caucus and register that day. So Papa Peep and I are caucusing tomorrow! We thought we were not eligible since we just moved here, but we can. Did I tell you all I love this state! Back to the story...

So we went to this phone center and volunteered. I made the calls, the peeps made posters and helped staple things, and generally entertained the other volunteers with their antics. Turns out alot of them were students from Canada who had come down to volunteer and help us get Barack elected. Our Canadian neighbors volunteering to help Barack Obama get elected.....some had even been to Iowa so they have been with the campaign for a long time. THEY DO NOT GET TO VOTE, but they are helping us get him elected. It blew my mind. It still blows my mind and at the same time it shames me. They are interested in our politics and they are investing their time and energy in our politics. Truly global!!! Amazing.

Ok back to today.....

We got pretty good seats, almost center. We were not in the nose bleed but we were not ground level "mosh pit" either. Behind us, in front of us, to the left and to the right of us were students...some college...some high schoolers (If they turn 18 before the general election, they can caucus!!), but clearly an abundance of young people. There was at least 2 rows behind us og high schooler students who cheered and roared as if they were there to see their favorite rock star. They were anxious. They were eager. They were completely engaged. They watched the big screen and cheered and boo'ed apropriately.

more to follow..................