tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30268444550040418612024-03-14T12:14:06.432-06:00A Brief GlanceWhat more can I offer but a brief glance into our life of homeschooling? Maybe a funny story, a neat idea, or an adventure we've had...maybe just enough to reach from my heart to yours...Tiffanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08404526214432291442noreply@blogger.comBlogger59125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3026844455004041861.post-3890123921745665742010-01-09T10:48:00.000-06:002010-01-09T10:48:18.026-06:00Playing Chicken Dominoes<div style="MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCuC_t5_MGTkuPp9NMG2W5E7o-10QpQJOzu24bAJoZ3uldrrL5C7SM35L4ovK1pZxMXlwkummqtibb4-TrPVAaWtRDdxsGz2jMxW_2c0rZLu-07FStshFCpoPqlTznWdKTL38bP9-H32g/s1600-h/IMG_7231.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCuC_t5_MGTkuPp9NMG2W5E7o-10QpQJOzu24bAJoZ3uldrrL5C7SM35L4ovK1pZxMXlwkummqtibb4-TrPVAaWtRDdxsGz2jMxW_2c0rZLu-07FStshFCpoPqlTznWdKTL38bP9-H32g/s400/IMG_7231.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div>This is a great domino game- and my boys can play it as young as 5! <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Yeay</span> for games everyone can play!!! We use double 12 <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">dominoes</span> and the little barn hub. Everyone draws {8 or 10, I can't remember right now..} and the one with the highest double places it in the barn {officially, you are supposed to play each double once to complete a game, but we are done after 3 or 4 rounds!}. As you take turns playing, you put the same number on the barn hub to "get into" the game. You cannot play until you are "in" but someone else can use their turn to put you in if they have the domino and they want to... ;). If you can't play, you draw one domino and the next person goes.<br /><div style="MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ITrjML-AkRRs8OEZC47TG1yMpUKa1Segynxk9JBwlpdQEOj39cpQjgocAzbH59UoHdAAxuBTj7xiz8AyX4Eoshh1qyvcwPD9Qi2zQFReoihqh_aZ7SlTwTdl_PFEwZ83YMjm7WU5D0Q/s1600-h/IMG_7233.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ITrjML-AkRRs8OEZC47TG1yMpUKa1Segynxk9JBwlpdQEOj39cpQjgocAzbH59UoHdAAxuBTj7xiz8AyX4Eoshh1qyvcwPD9Qi2zQFReoihqh_aZ7SlTwTdl_PFEwZ83YMjm7WU5D0Q/s400/IMG_7233.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div>You proceed to play your <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">dominoes</span> until someone places a double out- then you have to make a "chicken foot" placing 3 toes on the double. You cannot play anywhere else until the foot is complete. If you cannot place a toe, you have to draw and sometimes you get stuck drawing a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">looooong</span> time- especially if you are playing with only 2 or 3 players. The game continues until someone runs out of <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">dominoes</span> and they win! This is a favorite at our house!!<div style='clear:both; text-align:CENTER'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>Tiffanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08404526214432291442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3026844455004041861.post-60614052609786222852010-01-09T10:15:00.000-06:002010-01-09T10:15:31.979-06:00Organic farm tour<div style="MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Y5mog5r8vwF9-J3G9Z3O9yYwIOdz0vV7RfaZ5IxiT5A7h1Kk-yIgmsi5xtCTu0Wv9gTWw96L7FSmkMiiSJrXqPBoD6P-qVlFo6rlNPlyFR1DbtKUVfk5W4fy7CYi8b23UkPLviKXnQw/s1600-h/IMG_6952.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Y5mog5r8vwF9-J3G9Z3O9yYwIOdz0vV7RfaZ5IxiT5A7h1Kk-yIgmsi5xtCTu0Wv9gTWw96L7FSmkMiiSJrXqPBoD6P-qVlFo6rlNPlyFR1DbtKUVfk5W4fy7CYi8b23UkPLviKXnQw/s400/IMG_6952.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div>We went on this tour of a local organic farm in October. They did a fantastic job keeping the kids interested and busy! The boys loved the tour and the information and of course, all the moms were soaking it in! We moved from station to station- learning about things like bee keeping, square foot gardening, square dancing (!), chick hatching, and making your own flour for bread and baking.<br /><div style="MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnzcpgeQeDaxzErbtQ35wYZeqPUm1t97qv8fWqWM2GS7TjR_BbGeZTNJynTIv0qHYhrRMUSRsIITZLwjquUJfsTS_qXuZyDNQws8bFelQohAaidKMCT-fiv-ccrSHS3OCbI5KeJf9aaK0/s1600-h/IMG_6954.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnzcpgeQeDaxzErbtQ35wYZeqPUm1t97qv8fWqWM2GS7TjR_BbGeZTNJynTIv0qHYhrRMUSRsIITZLwjquUJfsTS_qXuZyDNQws8bFelQohAaidKMCT-fiv-ccrSHS3OCbI5KeJf9aaK0/s400/IMG_6954.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><br /><div style="MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2z7UsQce8kjBkKH06c2lCGTx0G0WY8r6WfpeJIInW1WkXW3x3SGArhspZPrmYC3eA8W_TBJWf0j2Hfj5j9IWdaisGseKSOoyn3Kz4svGnYfz9pByQWCFCRvhY_Vc74pw48jzscJcoylo/s1600-h/IMG_6976.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2z7UsQce8kjBkKH06c2lCGTx0G0WY8r6WfpeJIInW1WkXW3x3SGArhspZPrmYC3eA8W_TBJWf0j2Hfj5j9IWdaisGseKSOoyn3Kz4svGnYfz9pByQWCFCRvhY_Vc74pw48jzscJcoylo/s400/IMG_6976.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div>The boys planted lettuce in the square foot gardens and learned ways of naturally keeping the pests away. At the chicken coop they learned about the realities of coyote invasion and how quickly and completely they can destroy a flock of chickens.<br /><div style="MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB_-O-XlQ_j5TELJRt3iv20MUa2Hwg3by256D_xRCIs6BrAlpDVApjNkRpXmFPmvL5VmeqIWMBN4XFdRIZpeADGViBpQtmgK2CZoci9OvceHXwWQBCsenaNOaJ2D9-5-C1e6FlSNpUsqU/s1600-h/IMG_7039.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB_-O-XlQ_j5TELJRt3iv20MUa2Hwg3by256D_xRCIs6BrAlpDVApjNkRpXmFPmvL5VmeqIWMBN4XFdRIZpeADGViBpQtmgK2CZoci9OvceHXwWQBCsenaNOaJ2D9-5-C1e6FlSNpUsqU/s400/IMG_7039.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div>The earth oven was very new to the farm and they had only begun using it earlier that month. They were having some trouble cooking in it because of all the moisture {it had been raining a lot in Texas} but they were getting the hang of it and baking their own breads now. Kids were able to take raw grains and try their hands at grinding it with 2 different grinders. One very old fashioned hand crank {highly difficult} and a new motorized grinder {simple!}- but I love that it really gave them the idea that food has not always been so easy to obtain. AND that using nature's ingredients as intended is a completely different process than what it has become in our processed world. This was a morning well spent and very enjoyable for all ages!<div style='clear:both; text-align:CENTER'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>Tiffanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08404526214432291442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3026844455004041861.post-37201437782281147862010-01-09T09:58:00.000-06:002010-01-09T09:59:01.368-06:00Landform maps<div style="MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheqs9ybc4rBT2QfvQBP_kAIcJ_D844toMWi0Mu_QSNVrZlRmoy-C_HO4kWkUGXrrGf8Xt0kjrwioP-DUqlJThQL7S8TIdxhZs1YV0KBYL7Z8rVoJt2I7V9g6EXkUyQcYnAvpemmkwntMQ/s1600-h/IMG_6949.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheqs9ybc4rBT2QfvQBP_kAIcJ_D844toMWi0Mu_QSNVrZlRmoy-C_HO4kWkUGXrrGf8Xt0kjrwioP-DUqlJThQL7S8TIdxhZs1YV0KBYL7Z8rVoJt2I7V9g6EXkUyQcYnAvpemmkwntMQ/s400/IMG_6949.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div>The boys needed to make <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">land form</span> maps using topography so we used <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">play dough</span>. I didn't have the best colors, but we went with it anyway!! They were able to make several different forms- mountain ranges, hills, lakes, rivers, plains, etc.- and we used the different colors to <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">differentiate</span> between structures. This was actually for a scouting requirement and my little one joined in just for fun! All the boys enjoyed doing this little project and it was super easy.<br /><div style="MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKN01GW5VobEQGq9HkhyphenhyphenKldsTRC5SgI-IiW8eFnHIpazXhfIcLdxG-7KMiI9881eQlP1DxGSuE2tPOovqPQ7nGt-GA-M-dryS0WkRNtasO5PNkCfTaIgcgFMnjHNW1JBeaGSIBeX4RVas/s1600-h/IMG_6948.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKN01GW5VobEQGq9HkhyphenhyphenKldsTRC5SgI-IiW8eFnHIpazXhfIcLdxG-7KMiI9881eQlP1DxGSuE2tPOovqPQ7nGt-GA-M-dryS0WkRNtasO5PNkCfTaIgcgFMnjHNW1JBeaGSIBeX4RVas/s400/IMG_6948.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><br /><div style="MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCQT1FNZLkvEjbKCCZe7S_C3bzNqc-zZUSdxmIMww5wuipJIoaCtWmMiOrv7hd3zNNmKuha-SuNz8yB89pbOLn_zpL7ywJwHiDiPtkkjl8ihZPEj9XSBWDQGPT7lIoH21pKRwfEvDmUf8/s1600-h/IMG_6950.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCQT1FNZLkvEjbKCCZe7S_C3bzNqc-zZUSdxmIMww5wuipJIoaCtWmMiOrv7hd3zNNmKuha-SuNz8yB89pbOLn_zpL7ywJwHiDiPtkkjl8ihZPEj9XSBWDQGPT7lIoH21pKRwfEvDmUf8/s400/IMG_6950.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><div style='clear:both; text-align:CENTER'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>Tiffanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08404526214432291442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3026844455004041861.post-74163683230668559742009-05-28T21:03:00.002-06:002009-05-28T21:23:21.128-06:00A Fresh StartNext week is the start of a new year for us. Fresh start! Boy, do we need it!<br /><br />The past two years have been complicated...difficult...frustrating. Finally, we feel like we are getting back into focus. Family, schooling, fun. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Yeay</span>! Now, if I don't mess it up. Why do I put so much pressure on the "homeschooling" part of life? It's a huge responsibility, granted, but I'm normally a mostly laid back and easy going person. Where's all the pressure coming from? <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">hmmm</span>.. anyone else feel it?<br /><br />I'm trying (maybe desperately) to find the balance- between achieving goals (those lesson plans and great ideas!) and letting go of the pressure. It will be a daily battle. I don't even know if I will win or quite what that will look like. But I'm ready to fight for it. I'm ready to try it again. I'm ready to let God work on me so He can work through me and reach my children.<br /><br />A week ago I wasn't sure if I had done the right thing in keeping my boys home through my year of treatment. I was being tormented with doubt. It hurt. Big hurt! I questioned everything...had I been selfish? foolish? Did I damage our relationships? Would they hate this time when they looked back on it? It took some free therapy- you know, friends- to help me see the boys from a fresh perspective. They are happy, healthy, smart, friendly and GODLY children. In other words, they're fine. I haven't ruined them...<br /><br />So I'm up for the next year! I will strive hard to encourage them. We will try to learn, laugh and have adventures together. And pressure- go knock on someone <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">else's</span> door for a change- we're too busy being a homeschooling family!Tiffanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08404526214432291442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3026844455004041861.post-90953255819693939892008-11-08T09:28:00.003-06:002008-11-08T09:36:01.649-06:00Cy's Storybook Bible part 3Hello everyone. I'm here to tell you of me (a 9 year <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">old's</span> experience, from the end of 2007 to the beginning of 2008). This is a sad story what happened to my mom. One day I got up to a sad morning. At first, me and my brothers didn't know what was going on. Because mom and dad were crying and me and my brothers didn't know what to do. So we just wrote cards for them. Later they told us the bad news. MY MOM HAD CANCER. And you know what? I still didn't lose faith with God. So I'm trying to tell you guys that if we have hard times, God is still there. I want you to give me a comment if you read this about when you felt that God is not there. I've gone through a lot of hard times but I still have not lost faith in God.<br /><br />If you do not know this I am going to tell you right now: everybody has sinned. Nobody is ever perfect. I can tell you that. Not even me, no way, I have sinned too. If you do not think He will forgive our sins...well, He came to earth, died for us, and we are free from sins.Tiffanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08404526214432291442noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3026844455004041861.post-57188686897981986862008-10-31T11:51:00.002-06:002008-10-31T11:56:41.671-06:00Cy's Story book Bible part 2CH: 4 Verses cont.<br /><br />Work at everything you do with all your heart. Work as if you were working for the Lord not for human masters. Colossians 3:23<br /><br />Truthful words last forever. But lies last only for a moment. Proverbs 12:19<br /><br />Doing right guards those who are honest. Proverbs 13:6<br /><br />Commit to the Lord everything you do. Then your plans will succeed. Proverbs 16:3<br /><br />The path of honest people takes them away from evil. Those who guard their ways guard their lives. Proverbs 16:17<br /><br />Her husband is respected at the city gate. He takes his seat among the elders of the land. Proverbs 31:23Tiffanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08404526214432291442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3026844455004041861.post-78707771658537996452008-10-30T18:35:00.002-06:002008-10-30T18:42:29.201-06:00Notes on Cy's Bible story postPLEASE NOTE: The following entry is from my oldest son (almost 10 years old) who worked all morning on his Bible journal and I asked him if I could share it here because I felt it was very heartfelt and meaningful. He proudly presents it here for the public so please enjoy and know that I had NO INVOLVEMENT whatsoever! (And this from my reluctant writer....)Tiffanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08404526214432291442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3026844455004041861.post-42392037836104215722008-10-30T11:06:00.005-06:002008-10-30T18:29:53.565-06:00Cy's Storybook BibleCH:1 be yourself .<br /><br />God has a plan for every one who sets his or <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">her's</span> foot on this earth. We shouldn't give our lives to ourselves, but if you are wise... you would give your lives to God. And anybody can do that, you don't have to be famous or rich. No, you can do it no matter what kind of person you are, just be yourself.<br /><br />CH :2 After our life<br /><br />After our life it will be more beautiful than our earth....yes, yes it will be. You know what, right now I feel that I am so in touch with God right now I am going to bless His name right now. Holy, Holy, Holy, you are my God and I bless your name forever, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Hosanna</span> in the highest.<br /><br />CH: 3 Instructions to Heaven<br /><br />To get to heaven you have to tell your soul this: love God more than anything and believe that Jesus died on the cross for us, and that He sacrificed Himself for our sins. And that you can pray to God anytime you want to. So believe in the things that I say. So here are some more important instructions for life. I can tell you what- if you aren't a Christian yet, follow these instructions and I can tell you that you will completely change your life forever: follow God and have a little Bible study time because it's verse time.<br /><br />CH: 4 Verses<br /><br />Memory Work: He has made everything beautiful in it's time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. Ecclesiastes 3:11<br /><br />Look I am coming soon! Blessed are those who obey the words of the prophecy in this book. Revelation 22:7Tiffanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08404526214432291442noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3026844455004041861.post-27275002265912582652008-08-10T15:12:00.000-06:002008-08-10T15:12:35.249-06:00Phonics Flip Chart<div style="MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUb98rLQ8yUQ9eSnF5RN0DfxbnXaA0vWVXuneGww8mjrgiuKHr1oJw3wfOB__Jw3uwVswxIXZPrVx9w-Z447ALplXV3FB9gWXdHpEMMA85ncNMesBKh7xnEGXCryDwTZn9_Cfa2ijOD-A/s1600-h/IMG_0569.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUb98rLQ8yUQ9eSnF5RN0DfxbnXaA0vWVXuneGww8mjrgiuKHr1oJw3wfOB__Jw3uwVswxIXZPrVx9w-Z447ALplXV3FB9gWXdHpEMMA85ncNMesBKh7xnEGXCryDwTZn9_Cfa2ijOD-A/s400/IMG_0569.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div>Here's my little one displaying his beloved flip chart! He has learned so many words and is getting really fast at sounding them out. The flip chart is wonderful because we can take it anywhere and he feels like such a big boy being able to read something on his own. I guess years of watching his older brother carry books around where ever we go has made an impression on him! Anyway, he found this at Mardel's and I'm going back to get the other ones soon!<div style='clear:both; text-align:CENTER'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>Tiffanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08404526214432291442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3026844455004041861.post-59882263919921128952008-07-08T18:02:00.004-06:002008-11-12T19:21:56.201-06:00Shakespeare Resource<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMeRP8mI5HMAWHhTyzib-0W4Hla69Bd2ejlhYYbIm7RHLicGmXocZiIC0Pp9772rXCezudwvyJjRyBniyyZDDxvhoymSuUFuMYSPEyuVQEKg4ZDxJaqNEa1Gr3uKXmv643_Gxk9xcNJL4/s1600-h/51WXAAKVGQL__SL160_PIsitb-dp-arrow,TopRight,21,-23_SH30_OU01_AA115_.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220799250423545954" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMeRP8mI5HMAWHhTyzib-0W4Hla69Bd2ejlhYYbIm7RHLicGmXocZiIC0Pp9772rXCezudwvyJjRyBniyyZDDxvhoymSuUFuMYSPEyuVQEKg4ZDxJaqNEa1Gr3uKXmv643_Gxk9xcNJL4/s320/51WXAAKVGQL__SL160_PIsitb-dp-arrow,TopRight,21,-23_SH30_OU01_AA115_.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPw2k712SiEEwnMnenZZfTuGd5al8Ek6E7CbARriWWViJiiD7ePLdMcuxyl_NcLolwd1xehOSoCZNFq_QLWVTF4X612kWGRoKvLNfyP3jl8Og_4UqM-uS4OxCHaZ-lcj_sKjChnwWJcqA/s1600-h/51V8NTEFYYL__SL160_PIsitb-dp-arrow,TopRight,21,-23_SH30_OU01_AA115_.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220799247082296050" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPw2k712SiEEwnMnenZZfTuGd5al8Ek6E7CbARriWWViJiiD7ePLdMcuxyl_NcLolwd1xehOSoCZNFq_QLWVTF4X612kWGRoKvLNfyP3jl8Og_4UqM-uS4OxCHaZ-lcj_sKjChnwWJcqA/s320/51V8NTEFYYL__SL160_PIsitb-dp-arrow,TopRight,21,-23_SH30_OU01_AA115_.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>I've checked out several different versions of Shakespeare retellings and the Leon Garfield books are the ones that capture my boys' attention and tell enough of the play not to lose the storyline. They also love the pictures, which aren't necessarily my favorite, but it helps them "see" the story.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br />I've tried the versions that Ambleside Online recommends, but they are much more difficult for the boys to follow, so we'll stick to Shakespeare Stories for now.Tiffanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08404526214432291442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3026844455004041861.post-44066746660655197282008-07-08T17:52:00.003-06:002008-11-12T19:21:56.359-06:00Copy Work books<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj93tDSspVyHgAKL4mF9-tNnBUssktDHkfPLfpcZ6EBiz_RDpVgfZ0P8RLE7ZAA5wZG7zzt15afy0Q91DtHDMWMzGiv3JNsBFTNsgaaEuPZWoh8l-JNnj2_xGLnmvKhCTnkzrx4JYb4M5k/s1600-h/CopyBookSet.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220797122992154434" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj93tDSspVyHgAKL4mF9-tNnBUssktDHkfPLfpcZ6EBiz_RDpVgfZ0P8RLE7ZAA5wZG7zzt15afy0Q91DtHDMWMzGiv3JNsBFTNsgaaEuPZWoh8l-JNnj2_xGLnmvKhCTnkzrx4JYb4M5k/s320/CopyBookSet.gif" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I love these copy work books by Memoria Press! I was printing out and picking out my son's copy work for each day-- and it was fun but time consuming! Unfortunately, I had to look for some short cuts while undergoing cancer treatment the last 8 months and I came upon one of these copy books. It was a life saver and a blessing and well worth the money. My oldest son was able to pull the book out and work on a page every day without needing me to do anything and I could look it over once a month or so to see how he was doing.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Now with 2 children actively doing lessons every day, the copy books save me time and they are very convenient. I have not seen the cursive book as of yet and it probably won't work for my oldest who being a sloppy lefty is struggling to do cursive at all.<br /><p><a href="http://www.memoriapress.com/descriptions/Copy-Books.html">http://www.memoriapress.com/descriptions/Copy-Books.html</a></p><p> </p><p> </p>Tiffanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08404526214432291442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3026844455004041861.post-9222318175239467752008-07-08T16:45:00.003-06:002008-11-12T19:21:56.714-06:00Science Program<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTn4TbojsDGDR9mHg2pQyHEfPhEhjvxI4rZNywqjkB0b0a8BiXw6xgiPYlmuC8B9OtBmlIMjvf8SbT7vhx_QVrTrWihPgCe6tOP_04lSZIY0poCSVxtxM6PExU-1cdAbSwBMMPOzwRbU0/s1600-h/rs60_sm.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220791665907318354" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTn4TbojsDGDR9mHg2pQyHEfPhEhjvxI4rZNywqjkB0b0a8BiXw6xgiPYlmuC8B9OtBmlIMjvf8SbT7vhx_QVrTrWihPgCe6tOP_04lSZIY0poCSVxtxM6PExU-1cdAbSwBMMPOzwRbU0/s320/rs60_sm.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTcp5-sECHVVrz51bGlSfP2YuxgwnGRjLp6yChdOu6V91VCCk2c5zRyCZo3rzkgjoKGtIzRfKLO-yLMEKfuOVlHPJQdzd7QmaN_WVzbd1-YSVcjJpOlmBN4_0pvdJNosi58ncaayHykSs/s1600-h/rs70_sm.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220791665565738866" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTcp5-sECHVVrz51bGlSfP2YuxgwnGRjLp6yChdOu6V91VCCk2c5zRyCZo3rzkgjoKGtIzRfKLO-yLMEKfuOVlHPJQdzd7QmaN_WVzbd1-YSVcjJpOlmBN4_0pvdJNosi58ncaayHykSs/s320/rs70_sm.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>We have also begun a new science curriculum that we are doing in a Co-op with another family (we're also doing art together).</div><div> </div><div>These are really enjoyable science books and experiments. Very kid & non-scientist mom friendly!! They are written by a homeschool mom who also happens to be a scientist and she knows KIDS & SCIENCE and how to best put them together!</div><div> </div><div>We are using the Pre-Level 1 books this year because of the age range we are teaching- 5, 7 & 9 year olds. The Level 1 books are geared for 3rd- 5th graders so we will move into those next year and they will have a great foundation in science concepts. </div><div> </div><div>In addition, we still read many great nature stories, go for nature walks, keep nature journals and so on. To learn more go to:</div><br /><p><a href="http://www.arn.org/realscience/realscience_morabout.html">http://www.arn.org/realscience/realscience_morabout.html</a></p>Tiffanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08404526214432291442noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3026844455004041861.post-18808342275851832052008-07-08T16:34:00.006-06:002008-11-12T19:21:56.884-06:00Art Program<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieGeLN5XciyjiaqckC2eVAt-ktoF9_8uuYv6AZ0a5plHCmFTv1YYLBRL4PpoPs8FnsvvEsFV7W2qiPzLB7WBq3WEYr7X6yq8BivWkj8nC29JFieSh_zcm9GCv0zFFzDtszwuRH5e0uAeo/s1600-h/08cover%2520K-3%25201.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220776740215708018" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieGeLN5XciyjiaqckC2eVAt-ktoF9_8uuYv6AZ0a5plHCmFTv1YYLBRL4PpoPs8FnsvvEsFV7W2qiPzLB7WBq3WEYr7X6yq8BivWkj8nC29JFieSh_zcm9GCv0zFFzDtszwuRH5e0uAeo/s320/08cover%2520K-3%25201.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>We are using a new art program this year and loving it!! It's called Artistic Pursuits and has levels from beginning elementary through high school. We are starting at the beginning with book A & the lessons are simple but fun and the boys (age 9, 7, and almost 5) are getting to try many different techniques.</div><div> </div><div>Each lesson includes a close look at a painting for art appreciation and practice in noticing detail! The questions really get the kids talking and observing. I'll try to post some completed projects when I can.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><a href="http://www.artisticpursuits.com/index.html">http://www.artisticpursuits.com/index.html</a></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div>Tiffanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08404526214432291442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3026844455004041861.post-62171615072073522472008-05-06T18:05:00.002-06:002008-05-06T18:41:28.922-06:00Coming back to life after chemoIt's been a long, sometimes ugly road of cancer treatment over these past eight months, but I feel that life is finally moving beyond treatment and more and more back into the realm of normalcy... which is what, really??<br /><br />Well, for me, part of my 'normal' world is reading to my boys at night before bed. I LOVE to do this!! I've always LOVED to do this. It has always been our routine to cuddle up with great books, whether picture books when they are very small or chapter books as they get older. They snuggle into their beds and get very quiet and it has always been the most peaceful time of the day for us. And I get a captive audience! I also get to send them off to sleep while fun and whimsical characters dance through their heads. We all reap the joy of togetherness as we explore different countries and times through stories they'll remember forever. I am so deeply grateful to have the energy once again to have bedtime stories!<br /><br />Normal is being able to fix a complete meal, serve it AND be able to clean up afterwards! That takes <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">soooo</span> much energy! I never even realized how much work one meal can seem when you are wiped out, but I hope to appreciate how much energy God supplies us with from now on, because it really is awesome.<br /><br />Normal is choosing to have a lazy day off with the boys and relax in the sun! Imagine the panic that sets in after not actively doing <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">homeschool</span> lessons every day for almost an entire school year! Yikes! I knew the boys were fine & progressing even without my involvement daily, but it wasn't what I had planned for them! (And I have such terrific plans, don't you know???) That made for a mom becoming very stressed about getting good habits back in place and feeling confident that the boys would once again listen to mom- not just as mom, but also as their instructor. I feel the worries melting away and God is replacing it with a glorious peace. No more panic, lots less stress! More play time in the sun!<br /><br />I'm not completely myself yet- but I am getting there! (And it feels good!) I'm also not (completely) done with treatment, since I have to take a drug for the next 5 years and have checkups every 3 months, oh, and another surgery this summer... but with what I have finished and gone through already- the road ahead seems straight and ***hopefully*** rutless!!!! I'm just going to enjoy being normal for now....Tiffanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08404526214432291442noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3026844455004041861.post-41115103050540441692008-04-26T22:02:00.000-06:002008-11-12T19:21:57.189-06:00Earth Day fun!<div style="MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBHVAYxSsGg_gPXnhP3RQS2nQA6CUO5Q4kGE1B23h5dnf_2MdQdz4ORBU8wCXAOOkaLwtOlRlUIoEewq_AG2AdJf2tLF1DqMWSUf6GqnNPZtrG-tzRUZ7HxHJjT3NoTtAl8SythHTgzEU/s1600-h/IMG_8685.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBHVAYxSsGg_gPXnhP3RQS2nQA6CUO5Q4kGE1B23h5dnf_2MdQdz4ORBU8wCXAOOkaLwtOlRlUIoEewq_AG2AdJf2tLF1DqMWSUf6GqnNPZtrG-tzRUZ7HxHJjT3NoTtAl8SythHTgzEU/s400/IMG_8685.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div>We got our act together and planted some flowers around the house on Earth Day! Seemed like a great way to celebrate our terrific planet and the boys will do anything to play in the dirt! My little loves to water the flowers for me... even after a rain... ;) !<br /><div style="MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjabgatiEHx5qonpvX0JNB3yM2hU3ELvqbYSZ926KLQgNiaqNpSU-ZbZA33tdy-EybF-iUs02MGdlXZ84tXgIT1YCfiU_m7rcGLW8ve6KEbtlu7hApNZgxXrzw9Obj91ZRUzVt6znWg0iw/s1600-h/IMG_8692.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjabgatiEHx5qonpvX0JNB3yM2hU3ELvqbYSZ926KLQgNiaqNpSU-ZbZA33tdy-EybF-iUs02MGdlXZ84tXgIT1YCfiU_m7rcGLW8ve6KEbtlu7hApNZgxXrzw9Obj91ZRUzVt6znWg0iw/s400/IMG_8692.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><div style='clear:both; text-align:CENTER'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>Tiffanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08404526214432291442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3026844455004041861.post-42686936060900182832008-04-16T22:00:00.000-06:002008-11-12T19:21:57.334-06:00Some mating actions...<div style="MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs2dFK6pwXcUiFjUfu-glPtDT99qcOZS8iz9iOwPtJxAXgvDy88OpiAc3YnTwF59l6735OH6Jy3K82KekPYNS4MsPEWp7_7ZmqcETjhCHZWOGzMHrwqFwmEqndd1ggFFz5uwxtdCeNwqM/s1600-h/IMG_8627.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs2dFK6pwXcUiFjUfu-glPtDT99qcOZS8iz9iOwPtJxAXgvDy88OpiAc3YnTwF59l6735OH6Jy3K82KekPYNS4MsPEWp7_7ZmqcETjhCHZWOGzMHrwqFwmEqndd1ggFFz5uwxtdCeNwqM/s400/IMG_8627.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><br />During a visit to the FW Zoo this week we had a great encounter at the Flamingo habitat! The males were very vocal and aggressive- clicking their beaks and snapping at one another for mating rights. It was very interesting to watch. My 6 yo son points to this group of loud & crazy acting birds and declares them to be the "Boys" and points to another group that was peacefully resting and says "and those are the GIRLS!" It really is that simple, isn't it? LOL! He always thinks it is so amusing that the boys have to try to impress the girls- who are trying their hardest to ignore them... and so life goes....<div style='clear:both; text-align:CENTER'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>Tiffanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08404526214432291442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3026844455004041861.post-62592633280726254622007-10-01T16:23:00.000-06:002007-10-01T17:20:27.896-06:00What's This???!!! I didn't plan for this!Oh, how life takes such interesting twists and turns! Of course, if we could chose they would all be pleasant and fun- but life rarely works that way! God knows, we won't grow if we are secluded from pain, embarrassment, humility, and many other negative traits we'd rather not have to deal with in life.<br /><br />When I was diagnosed with breast cancer last month, it was literally like stepping out on a street and being runover by a semi truck that you never saw or heard. And we've been through every possible emotion since then! From fear, terror, and anxiety all the way to joy, gladness and yes! praise!<br /><br />The huge shock came from not expecting it at all! I had no idea! How could that be? How could I be young (34), healthy, energetic (well, somewhat!), feel great and have CANCER??? The reality of it all just knocked us over. And then we had to get up... or let me say- we were helped up, because even amongst the worst of the news, there was joy or reason to celebrate- God just keeps showing Himself to us again and again and we are truly thankful.<br /><br />Two of the hardest things to do in all of this: 1) Tell my little beautiful boys....2) Answer those questions that little boys will ask! OK- it's also been extremely hard to see my husband in so much agony over something he can't do anything about! Mr. Fix-it can't fix this and it about killed him! But he is growing in his faith- and that is no small thing! Again I say- I am Thankful!<br /><br />God is good to us, even in this. I want my children to know and understand that and carry that with them in their life experiences. <br /><br />I have felt so surrounded by prayer since being diagnosed and it is a wonderous feeling- and undeserving feeling even. My wish is to tell others that may not be aware that breast cancer can strike even young women and we need to be more diligent in our health care. I've always been busy enough just trying to keep the boys healthy and then nursing them to health with their bouts of colds, flu and bronchitis. The time for myself always seemed to be the last thing on my mind. We can be busy moms- whether schooling from home or working or whatever the situation- but we have to realize our importance and start taking care of ourselves! <br /><br />Please take time to get your check ups! Please encourage those busy moms around you- offer to take their children, make them accountable to you for setting an appointment, or make it a mom's out day! Whatever you have to do, do it!Tiffanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08404526214432291442noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3026844455004041861.post-88278989958415343492007-08-05T12:21:00.000-06:002008-11-12T19:21:57.576-06:00NOT a friend!!<div style="MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgOsstCbV1rXlbO11TmMs6rxqmvjLlwIPbzKAa9ktgiNcsNWC_xqECyQZWBTdW4VUfM03Sb-g9bZk08DZ2NsfvTD8-j8O-9EEDwLOj_50_Fhs7gPOm9YFpB7WuexF5GsSSfgba59mHPsE/s1600-h/IMG_5848.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgOsstCbV1rXlbO11TmMs6rxqmvjLlwIPbzKAa9ktgiNcsNWC_xqECyQZWBTdW4VUfM03Sb-g9bZk08DZ2NsfvTD8-j8O-9EEDwLOj_50_Fhs7gPOm9YFpB7WuexF5GsSSfgba59mHPsE/s400/IMG_5848.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><br />This is the Black Widow we found last night while watering our plants on the porch. My son was pouring the water in and as it hit the web- the BW went crazy!!! She was in a frenzie! The boys watched her running all over her web trying to attack whatever had caused the disturbance and it was really something to see! I'd never seen one trying to attack yet. (And we've seen many, many Black Widows since being in Texas!) I went and grabbed my camera, took about two shots of her and she went nuts again after seeing my shadow. That was enough observation for us!<div style='clear:both; text-align:CENTER'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>Tiffanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08404526214432291442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3026844455004041861.post-650696676617930282007-08-05T12:15:00.000-06:002008-11-12T19:21:57.722-06:00Eeeewwww!!!<div style="MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrr6J_ROmubh9iWIQQzIXHuBL-KisRbXw8QQsSi_PVELtsXtHZDuM_VqZ7zOqB1yioubOVKzG7kzsGO_nkOUJqWi3tmLVrRxz9PfKRXOxQpxMI8aN6-ZCNChN5LtgvIeh6DvB1fqCUbBw/s1600-h/IMG_5847.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrr6J_ROmubh9iWIQQzIXHuBL-KisRbXw8QQsSi_PVELtsXtHZDuM_VqZ7zOqB1yioubOVKzG7kzsGO_nkOUJqWi3tmLVrRxz9PfKRXOxQpxMI8aN6-ZCNChN5LtgvIeh6DvB1fqCUbBw/s400/IMG_5847.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />OK!! This was fascinating- but kind of gross at the same time!!!<br />This is a mass of web worms we found on our neighbor's Pecan tree.<br />We hadn't even noticed them- we were actually looking at the webs high in the branches of<br />the tree and checking the destruction of the leaves- when one my littles<br />said he had a discovery! This group of worms was near the bottom of the<br />tree and the caterpillars were then climbing and making their way<br />all over the tree!!!<br /></div><div style='clear:both; text-align:CENTER'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>Tiffanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08404526214432291442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3026844455004041861.post-36341613615351148902007-08-05T12:11:00.000-06:002008-11-12T19:21:58.012-06:00Our Butterfly!!<div style="MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5r5sYQHpAhFV8WkISZWKCYyuP-s-nOB4dmcftCV6zfS_u9g1HyEZe-bTpQ7qAvx79g5pZbW3jwnD6XTcM_cwXywCxpg2oK78BjdkVDOGLLVnTWoWU4adV4ep3X9hGjF5nTqxqCNZI8-s/s1600-h/IMG_5835.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5r5sYQHpAhFV8WkISZWKCYyuP-s-nOB4dmcftCV6zfS_u9g1HyEZe-bTpQ7qAvx79g5pZbW3jwnD6XTcM_cwXywCxpg2oK78BjdkVDOGLLVnTWoWU4adV4ep3X9hGjF5nTqxqCNZI8-s/s400/IMG_5835.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div>Our Swallowtail emerged after 2 weeks in the chrysalis. The boys were so happy to it and it was truly a very beautiful butterfly. We took a few minutes to sketch it in our Nature Notebooks and then it was time to let it go. They are so good about wanting to "free" any creatures we have. <br /><div style="MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsMWWp3qOUm14D_twnkNDCTBdMU83NQehzuOg061Hd5eyJ6To4Ugok1mqq3GsSx41giGjRPXilWz6snvAThDzGLXwOWmNrqw4YgiO1EyEbFM-RuCAtXLZC4TnwNyF30cdC_t9w12J-LD0/s1600-h/IMG_5836.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsMWWp3qOUm14D_twnkNDCTBdMU83NQehzuOg061Hd5eyJ6To4Ugok1mqq3GsSx41giGjRPXilWz6snvAThDzGLXwOWmNrqw4YgiO1EyEbFM-RuCAtXLZC4TnwNyF30cdC_t9w12J-LD0/s400/IMG_5836.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><div style='clear:both; text-align:CENTER'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>Tiffanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08404526214432291442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3026844455004041861.post-10132150772074141702007-08-05T12:07:00.000-06:002008-11-12T19:21:58.472-06:00release<div style="MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsV1SnVyZDoJY3MwjshyphenhyphenoEauZUE94Lsj682y_5lxUDwSqe_OSQv4YFhHIgDyF22PjJ_H1LONU16PyHF5JBXqdVm7FTieNe0TLYzHegv2njGplcA40XIuzBL0-ceHwdELW29AzVc1jD4m0/s1600-h/IMG_5840.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsV1SnVyZDoJY3MwjshyphenhyphenoEauZUE94Lsj682y_5lxUDwSqe_OSQv4YFhHIgDyF22PjJ_H1LONU16PyHF5JBXqdVm7FTieNe0TLYzHegv2njGplcA40XIuzBL0-ceHwdELW29AzVc1jD4m0/s400/IMG_5840.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div>My boys gathered our back yard neighbors around to release our Swallowtail butterfly. It was so large and beautiful!! They all said their "goodbyes" and after holding the lid open for about a minute, the butterfly finally took off as they all cheered her on. What a wonderful experience and a beautiful sight!<br /><div style="MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXO0uQOkRM4lgdXuDG9Ssxy3l2knydemJBwvBeg0GybOg3pLfmMP1B6vPjKYLwv8l7Xt6zea61Z5l6MXkSdm8BU_rKdtJm_ERko6o3VMfLe07lMiFe3kb-JHmICpK9BRHLoGNrva7swrU/s1600-h/IMG_5843.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXO0uQOkRM4lgdXuDG9Ssxy3l2knydemJBwvBeg0GybOg3pLfmMP1B6vPjKYLwv8l7Xt6zea61Z5l6MXkSdm8BU_rKdtJm_ERko6o3VMfLe07lMiFe3kb-JHmICpK9BRHLoGNrva7swrU/s400/IMG_5843.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><div style='clear:both; text-align:CENTER'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>Tiffanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08404526214432291442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3026844455004041861.post-40697041753931387282007-08-05T12:03:00.000-06:002008-11-12T19:21:58.788-06:00Tree Frog!<div style="MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOzhaW9HN2Y0P6LI37PaMIgTGCQPLveosas-z24e0IrhQZHq9iD3IhmXU03My2hZppNV15kMfkqgCSBqNfAj1-djYKxeOLq63fB9p2f4DjNkthASV8NYKchd0yUkQiA-rp_k8YItc8AYk/s1600-h/IMG_5829.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOzhaW9HN2Y0P6LI37PaMIgTGCQPLveosas-z24e0IrhQZHq9iD3IhmXU03My2hZppNV15kMfkqgCSBqNfAj1-djYKxeOLq63fB9p2f4DjNkthASV8NYKchd0yUkQiA-rp_k8YItc8AYk/s400/IMG_5829.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div> We found this little green tree frog right outside our door in a potted tree!! He was so cool! The boys loved watching him and after a few hours we released him. I'm glad the boys are so observant!! They make the most incredible finds- lots of them in our back yard!<br /><div style="MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6_kIkcgZSi3AcVG2UubuG2Lm8faykeDEXCi5W-9X6VXc_ctT4LzcdC0FcE96Mdz5LwyK-7pZYDYr4y-T1Pz4LIiPMsTwq3h0vP7xfXG9gr8x4jizKLxIxHbS3W2PcTS2t88I-UxYL8wI/s1600-h/IMG_5832.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6_kIkcgZSi3AcVG2UubuG2Lm8faykeDEXCi5W-9X6VXc_ctT4LzcdC0FcE96Mdz5LwyK-7pZYDYr4y-T1Pz4LIiPMsTwq3h0vP7xfXG9gr8x4jizKLxIxHbS3W2PcTS2t88I-UxYL8wI/s400/IMG_5832.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><div style='clear:both; text-align:CENTER'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>Tiffanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08404526214432291442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3026844455004041861.post-28129952467106669032007-07-28T14:42:00.000-06:002008-11-12T19:21:59.055-06:00Latest critter<div style="MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb8vgCEMGP2_xSp0KPv5LTkDS8L7b-g89TSvUONCQ3NPB8K5bajnOK3F06pWUYFa8PmF7_20Lsb7kKNHpv4K8UVQky8a_GKi8GOUIZ6LKH-IPn2eNO2o6YXER_k9ofSb2cCJPDcooT1TQ/s1600-h/IMG_5765.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb8vgCEMGP2_xSp0KPv5LTkDS8L7b-g89TSvUONCQ3NPB8K5bajnOK3F06pWUYFa8PmF7_20Lsb7kKNHpv4K8UVQky8a_GKi8GOUIZ6LKH-IPn2eNO2o6YXER_k9ofSb2cCJPDcooT1TQ/s400/IMG_5765.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><br />This is the swallowtail caterpillar. He had just attached to the container and soon after was hanging. It's been about a week now and he hasn't emerged yet...but should be out very soon!<div style='clear:both; text-align:CENTER'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>Tiffanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08404526214432291442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3026844455004041861.post-8230662785986902212007-07-28T14:33:00.000-06:002008-11-12T19:21:59.187-06:00Detective hat...<div style="MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOkxw7VYn0wl1lLajBKZIPuGwWt03Cq6D8hC7Eo42w_s0S9PCZU1ZH46zku5L0L5_l6H0g69PVzmTXfq-dXnvipHe7YVayq-8oU7cjyTA8PQgQBnDTPUMCuwZlSXSA7_65eaErBNd9Ur8/s1600-h/IMG_5804.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOkxw7VYn0wl1lLajBKZIPuGwWt03Cq6D8hC7Eo42w_s0S9PCZU1ZH46zku5L0L5_l6H0g69PVzmTXfq-dXnvipHe7YVayq-8oU7cjyTA8PQgQBnDTPUMCuwZlSXSA7_65eaErBNd9Ur8/s400/IMG_5804.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><div style='clear:both; text-align:CENTER'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>Tiffanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08404526214432291442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3026844455004041861.post-35352764798434198722007-07-10T18:34:00.000-06:002008-11-12T19:21:59.301-06:00looking for the positive...<div style="MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUtUClsm-7N4QsIm4WrVjpw9vxxhwKzFc8eo-ov7d1Gi2hVTWGLhBXjMmZDaf8hbQhKtChCpRz7mLRZkswM28gI-pNt9DYfZex6HJczOdzjS0crXOF6W58qpqzKPExRJQUpAmz3KyujmE/s1600-h/IMG_5552.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUtUClsm-7N4QsIm4WrVjpw9vxxhwKzFc8eo-ov7d1Gi2hVTWGLhBXjMmZDaf8hbQhKtChCpRz7mLRZkswM28gI-pNt9DYfZex6HJczOdzjS0crXOF6W58qpqzKPExRJQUpAmz3KyujmE/s400/IMG_5552.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div>One of the *good* things about the drenching Texas rains we've been getting... What an awesome sight in the middle of the day!<div style='clear:both; text-align:CENTER'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>Tiffanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08404526214432291442noreply@blogger.com0