Random Home Sweet Home Stuff

Mastering the trampoline flip

Maya indulging an ongoing dream of hers -- to raise Alpacas

ISpy puzzle

Play fossil excavation set

Reading Twilight

A pill bug/roly poly in the bug habitat.

Sunday Hike

On Sunday, we brought our neighbor friends with us on a hike at the Boone County Cliffs nature preserve.

The twisted trees


View of our destination from the trail










Arriving at the overlook

Pausing to tend to the Tamagotchi

Big Bone Lick State Park program

Wednesday we went to Big Bone Lick state park with our friends from Georgetown, KY, who had organized a program that included learning about the Ice Age, some basic survival skills, and atlatl throwing. In addition, there was time to take a walk to see the bison, lunch at the playground, and; after the last activity of the program, an epic stick-sword battle in a big open field and through the river cane.

Checking out the outdoor exhibit -- an ice age salt bog diorama

Back indoors -- the line of kids move forward to re-create the movement of a glacier across the landscape. The pile of kids in the floor is the landscape, being, well, flattened by the moving glacier. Riley is stansing in the middle wearing red. I think those are Seth's feet & blue jeans sticking out toward the left at the instructor's legs.

Our instructor was excellent --fun, knowledgeable, engaging, and really flowed with the energy of this group of moms & kids from toddlers to early teens.

My camera battery died early into the program. Thank you, Shannon, for the additional pics of my kiddos!!!!

Watching the bison along the trail

There's me -- between Riley and Maya. Is Riley really that tall????

Hayes, Jacob, and Maya playing in the shelter

Riley throwing an atlatl

Maya throwing an atlatl

Shannon had to leave before the end of the program, so I don't have pictures of that epic sword battle I mentioned. I will never forget it though. We've been homeschooling long enough now that I can see how full life without school can be, but one of the memories I think about in those exceedingly rare moments of worry that my kids might miss out on something by not going to school is from a field trip I took when I was in school to Fort Harrod state park. Some of us were playing in the little one-room school house when a bunch of other kids invaded with tomahawks and various other gift shop purchases. We had a blast running all over the place, hiding, laughing, battling, and chasing each other. Watching my kids and their friends have this huge, fun battle reminded me so much of that experience. They aren't missing out at all.

Morning Joy

Dinosaurs

A few weeks ago I had the chance to take Seth to the Cincinnati Museum Center's animatronic dinosaur exhibit, Dinosaurs Alive. We had been to a similar exhibit at the Cincinnati Zoo several years ago, but he was probably around a year old and doesn't remember. He had a blast and has been all about Dinos since.

Our regular stop before leaving the Museum Center -- the ice cream shop

Playing around the (dry for the winter) fountain outside

Welcome, Spring!

I missed most of the fun on this first, beautiful, Spring-like weekend of the year because I was lying on the couch with some nasty flu-like funk. I did manage some Spring-welcoming activities and sites around our yard before and after the worst of the funk hit, including finding these little sprouting March Flower/Jonquil/Daffodil leaves.

Some of these pictures are from last Thursday and then a few more from yesterday.

Trampoline Joy!

Swinging Joy!

Dirt & Truck Joy!

Seth's dirt digging partner

Imitating bird calls -- and trying to imitate a tree branch in hopes of a close encounter

More bird watching!

Checking out field guides


Shirt and shoes ready & waiting just in case my shirtless & shoeless Seth from the picture above, so excited to feel the warm sunshine on his back and the earth beneath his feet, decides he wants them.