Week 29 Tigers and Ponies

The tiger liked the pony

He REALLY liked the pony

First of all, we have a fabulous zoo.   LB takes riding lessons at the zoo, and she gets unique opportunities like riding the pony up to visit the tigers.  This week she learned that tigers like ponies much more than ponies like tigers.    CC and I had terrific fun following them because the big cats were all extremely excited to see the pony.  The leopard even came out of her camouflaged spot to stare at the pony, pace and taste the air.

Next: CC GOT THE JOB!!!!  She will volunteer for 20 hours a week at our fabulous zoo.   She'll have fun, work with some terrific people and learn a lot.

Also of note, CC had her last concert of the season.  She was fabulous.  Here is a sample of her group.  They started the year with no experience and now make music.  It is just amazing to hear how much they've learned.

It is choppy so listen instead of watch

CC was sick most of the week and did no school other than reading until her concert Thursday.  LB had school Monday and Tuesday then succumbed to the virus too which put her in bed for a couple of days.   At this rate, we may not be finished with school until July.

On Thursday night, I spent a couple of hours at the parent orientation for the school CC will attend next year.  The more time I spend there, the more I love the place.  However, I learned some disturbing information about the local schools.  Thirty per cent of the sixth graders that enter the school are more than two years behind in math.  These are sixth graders that cannot do double digit multiplication or long division. It really reinforces my feelings about continuing to home school LB.

On Friday, CC took a grammar test at her future school and was sized for her school cello.   (The new school diagrams sentences and has an orchestra program; isn't that awesome?!) 

This week was good, but I hope we get more work done next week.

Spring Break - Recap Part 1

The week started off with CC still sick but quickly recovering. The new nephew was born healthy to very tired and busy parents. We've been to the zoo and the pool. Today it is a museum, the pool and a soccer game. Family is the best part of the vacation.

Merry Mountain Morning

Merry, Merry White Christmas. Hurry. The lift are about to open.



Mmm - blue sky and fresh snow.

My Family isn't From around Here

On the way to the BIG dinner, we stopped by Roswell, New Mexico. I think it was a very educational trip. We had the opportunity to examine photos and eyewitness accounts of the UFO crash landing. I've always heard about it, but have never really critically thought about it.

It was a great chance to talk to CC about history, science, and popular accounts of things. I'm not sure what she has decided about the incident, but I think the ability to think about it herself and make up her own mind is more important. I was very impressed with how she was trying to determine the facts from the evidence that was presented.

The road trip here was also a great contrast to our normal life and helped to set the scene for a week with the family. We are having fun in Texas, be we aren't from around here at all.

Exploring State History - or The BIG RV Trip

As part of our state requirement for homeschooling, we have to study state history. Wow. I love this requirement. This year, we loaded up the RV and drove to discover some of the oldest architecture in our state. Along the way, we watched a meteor shower, made s'mores, collected rocks, listened to a waterfall, played in a river, watched the sun rise and set, climbed up a mountain and into a canyon, breathed the freshest air in the world, marveled at the biggest sky in the world and enjoyed the best company in the world.
































It was probably the best trip ever - and we've had some really great trips. I love being able to add experiences like this for my own enrichment (and the kids too of course). There is nothing like watching the sunrise over a mesa to etch the picture of "Mesa" into your mind forever. The same is true for hiking into a canyon because now "canyon" is linked to a place in time in our lives. It is amazing to feel sandstone under your feet in a desert place then to realize that there are smooth river rocks embedded into it and to hike on a rocky hilltop only to realize that the rocks under your feet are pumice from a volcano. Did you ever see barnacles embedded in sandstone? How about wondering how that elk leg got into that tree, then realizing you are not at the top of your nearest food chain? I don't know that there is anything better in the world than waking up in the night and seeing shooting stars from the open part of your tent only to realize that your hubby or your child is awake and silently watching them next to you.

We have some great touch points for our studies for the coming year and some wonderful memories that will last us forever.

I Spy Something Green

We played I Spy while drove the 20+ miles through a national forest to find the Lost Campground. Here is a sample of I Spy in a national forest.

"I spy something green."
"A tree"
"Right!"
"I Spy something tall and green."
"A Tree"
"Right!"
"I spy something tall and green with needles."
"A tree."


It turned into a game of who can describe a ponderosa pine in a new way. The campground had much more to see than could be seen from a car including: trees, flowers, boulders, a stream, rocks of every color, animals, birds, and millions of trees. One of the things I love even more than a national forest is a national wilderness area.

By the way - When you find the Lost Creek are you lost or are you found?

Learning New Ways to Play

After being a mom for more than 19 years, you would think that I have played every variation of Hide-n-Seek that there is. Guess what? Apparently there is still a lot for me to learn. LB taught me a new way to play hide-n-seek tonight. It was sweet and fun.


The "finder" puts on a buff ( like one of those round stretchy bandannas they use in Survivor,  but much cooler), while the "hider" goes to another room and hides in an easy place to walk past. Once hidden, the hider calls "READY", and the finder goes to find her using her other senses. If the finder is having trouble, she asks "Are you here?" and the hider makes a noise. This continues until the finder finds the hider. I've played lots of hide-n-seek in my days, but it is a treat to be taught a new way to play.

I love playing games like this with kids. They end with everyone giggling and help us to enjoy the simple joys of life.