Teaching the Goslings to Swim

Follow mama!

That's right.  Come along little ones.

Now you've got the hang of it.

Hey guys, that was fun.  Let's do it again.

What Is Pink by Christina Rossetti



What is pink?  A rose is pink,
By the fountain's brink.

What is red?  A poppy's red,

In its barley bed.







What is blue?  The sky is blue,
Where the clouds float through.





What is white?  A swan is white,
Sailing in the light.









What is yellow?  Pears are yellow,
Rich and ripe and mellow.



What is green?  The grass is green,
With small flower between.





What is violet?  Clouds are violet,
In the summer twilight.

What is orange?  Why, an orange,
Just an orange!

When the Frost Is On the Punkin/ James Whitcomb Riley

We studied two poets this term: Eugene Field and James Whicomb Riley.  We spent most of the term on Eugene Field poetry and the selection that Claire chose to memorize was very long.  Therefore, we only spent three weeks on James Whitcomb Riley.  With such limited time, we decided to only memorize the first stanza of this poem.  The coloquial pronunciation makes this poet much more difficult to recite than other poets--almost like memorizing in a foreign language.  We had fun with it, though.

We actually grew these "punkins."
What great jack-o-lanterns they made!

When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock,

And you hear the kyouck and gobble of the struttin' turkey-cock,

And the clackin' of the guineys, and the cluckin' of the hens,
And the rooster's hallylooyer as he tiptoes to the fence;
O, it's then's the times a feller is a-feelin' at his best,
With the risin' sun to greet him from a night of peaceful rest,
As he leaves the house, bare-headed, and goes to feed the stock,
When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock.

Goslings

We were going to order some white embdens from Meyer Hatchery, but Atwoods had these for $8 each so we couldn't resist.  The sales associate did not know the breed, but I'm guessing these are white embdens.  The children, especially Claire who picked them out, are just bursting with love for these newest additions to our family.

They are set up in our downstairs bathroom for now.  We'll start putting them in the barn on warm days in a few weeks.

Constantly eating and drinking.

Night, night!

I'm amazed at how much they eat and drink.  They are certain to grow very quickly.

Museum of Natural History

No you overgrown mammoth!  I won't
 let you crush him.

Finally, we made the trip we had been planning for Cody's birthday surprise to the Sam Noble Museum of Natural History on the OU campus in Norman.  We were all overwhelmed by all there was to see.  I'm interested to see whether the trip quenches his thirst for dino knowledge, or merely whets his appetite for more.

Wow, wook at that!

Posing in front of the biggest
land animal skull ever found.

I knew before arriving that Clay and I would not be able to read the information on the exhibits, or look for as long as we wanted.  We're okay with that.  I actually can remember what it is like to be 5 years old in a place like that.  It is torture to have to sit and wait for someone to read something when there are so many more interesting things to see!

Learning the rules of the dig.

Several years ago when I first began seriously learning about home schooling, I ran across numerous opinions that warned against going to museums like this one due to the ungodly influence that the theory of evolution, fully presented, would have on children.  I'll admit that I actually bought into this belief for a short time, but no more.  I've reconciled my own beliefs and found there to be no contradiction between evolutionary theory and my own faith in Christ Jesus.  Luckily, I'm not alone.  Numerous authors offer comfort and support for evolutionist Christians.

mini archaeologist

I love dinos!

However, since we are certain to encounter and interact with other Christians who are staunchly opposed to particulars in the theory of evolution, my plan for now is to present both to the children-- To explain not only WHAT many Christians believe regarding our earliest origins, but WHY they believe this including the perceived threats such teachings have.  There are indeed some slippery slopes in this field.

Cody's 5th Birthday





Kingfisher pool party



Cody's birthday celebrations were strung out.  He had the fortune of numerous chances to celebrate.  His first party was at Kingfisher pool on January 23.  Then, we had our annual four for one pary for Claire, Cody, Nana and Papa on February 4 at our house.  THEN, he had a Grandma and Granddad party the following Monday, February 7.  THEN, we celebrated by eating out (Mexican) on his actual birthday (the 10th) and opening presents, (see photos).  THEN, he had his Talina party at Chick-Fil-A on Tuesday, February 15!  My goodness.  AND  It hasn't been that long since Christmas so I'm afraid that someone has grown quite used to receiving presents on a routine basis.  Ought Oh!





Kingfisher pool party.



Trucks from Nana and Papa



Lickerish dressed for the party.




 

Zhu-Zhu hamster track!  Cool!

More trucks, and a giant crane!



Thanks Talina and Levi!



Claire's 8th Birthday

Heated pool?  Maybe if you
are a polar bear.
Brrrr!

We invited the children from our church, ALL OF THEM, to the indoor pool at Kingfisher for a double-drencher party.  I thought I would be clever and do a combo party for both Claire and Cody.  I thought I was prepared for everything! 

I'm not cold.  This is fun!

I think we deserve the "cool" parent award.

Cake anyone?

Well, I did not prepare for so many presents.  It looked like we had robbed a ToysRUs by the time we left.  Where am I going to put all of this stuff?



Oh my!  Too many presents!