Back to the zoo! There’s so much to see and explore here that we got a membership this time. We spent most of our time in the Texas area checking out the native wildlife, current issues, conservation, etc. As you can see, the kids spent some time on the the ‘phones’ listening to stories and learning about marshes, swamps, and coastal regions of Texas.
Sadie helps with almost every meal these days. She loves to pour, mix, and measure. She also feeds the dogs and sets the table! Here she is making banana pancakes:
| BANANA PANCAKES | |
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1/2 c. unsifted flour
1/2 c. whole wheat flour 1/2 c. regular wheat germ 1 tbsp. sugar 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder 1/4 tsp. salt 1/8 tsp. nutmeg 1 1/4 c. milk 1/2 c. mashed ripe banana (1 med.) 2 eggs 2 tbsp. cooking oil 1/8 c. mini chocolate chips Preheat griddle. Combine dry ingredients in bowl. Stir well to blend. Add remaining ingredients (except chips). Beat with rotary beater until well blended. Stir in chips.
Grease hot griddle for first pancakes. Pour about 1/4 cupful of batter for each pancake. Bake until top is bubbly and edges are dry. Turn and bake other side. Serve hot with syrup. Makes about 1 dozen pancakes. Store leftovers between wax paper. Reheat at 350 degrees. |
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OK- not quite ready. But I now know that Elijah and I can set up the circus tent ourselves. He doesn’t want to do it again because it was hot (and “retiring”) and Mama was pretty frustrated around the middle portion. They are very excited to sleep in it on our camping jaunt to San Antonio. 
I had to take it down tonight so the sprinklers didn’t pop through the bottom and water the inside… Nostalgia crept in as I remembered my brothers tenting in the backyard when we were kids (apparently I was not so much a tenter at that time- how things change…).
Though also in Keller, this family has shade! Bamboo trees everywhere create a forest in their backyard that is navigated by trails to sand piles, forts, swingset, etc. A fantastic time was had by all.
From left: Sadie, Nash, Ethan, and Elijah dig in the dirt. They were soon joined by Reese (dog) who decided they had a good start to China and she was just the dog to finish it!
Sadie, Nash, Marley, G, E, H, and L ride the train through lands of dinosaurs and candy shops- narrated by M (far right). What fun they had imagining the dinosaurs were trying to steal their candy! Now and then a stow away would jump on without a ticket.
Camp Tonkawa- 35 acres of unspoiled land in Collinsville, TX borrowed from the Earth by its residents who have unschooled children & teens from all over the metroplex one day a month to learn about appreciation and conservation of the Earth as well as primitive survival. This camp was started by an unschooling mom whose son wanted only to be outside. To find him a group of like-minded children, she started this camp. Today, he is a guide/facilitator here as well as a wild animal rescuer (aka pest control) who, with his knowledge of animals native to these areas, can remove/deter them from people’s homes without ever removing them from their current habitat (lifetime guarantee!). How’s that for turning passion into a fulfilling career? This place is amazing and we can’t wait to go back! Mostly the kids just explored and I learned to sit back and let it happen. How can they learn when I’m making them focus on sitting still for a lesson? They can’t- they can only focus then on sitting still. Like the older children and teens here, they will some day want to sit and hear what April and Elliot have to say- until then they’ll be roaming trails, catching bugs, and asking questions along the way.
Speaking of primitive survival, Elijah did learn to watch out for fire ant mounds (which are the size of cars and can’t be missed). He was standing in one outside the rabbit hutch and his screams could be heard for miles when he realized they were all over his legs. Thank goodness for his habit of pulling his socks up as far as they’ll go but even with Mama whipping off socks and shoes and sweeping them off, he was still covered in welts. They’re mean little suckers. I can still hear him, “Make it stop hurting!” Those bites are awful- a trucker would’ve cried longer and louder…
Sadie and Elijah make jungle animals out of wooden spoons at Michael’s . Craft projects can be touchy as perfectionists like Elijah attempt (and then get frustrated trying) to make theirs look exactly like the demo. Thank heaven for Sadie who, when her perfect pink elephant spoon was ‘complete,’ decided that it need a big smear of yellow paint right down the center. “Now it’s done,” sh
e said.
Elijah is very proud of his giraffe but commissioned me to do some of the dot painting. I did think that this was part of his perfectionist nature trying to make it more perfect. Turns out- he just didn’t want to get his hands ‘all painty.’ That’ll teach me to jump to conclusions (and assume that he thinks my dot painting is any more superior than his…)!
“Michael is the name of the man who maked the craft shop and so he decided to call it Michael’s.” ~Sadie
Our first look at new Baby Girl Parent (Chris’ brother (Scott) and sister-in-law’s (Kim) daughter) due 1/23/07. Click here (on text) to see the first glimpses…
Yes, we’re still swimming (check out this video clip)! Though the nights seem to be cooling off considerably, the days are still heating up. It’s the perfect combination of great sleep and beautiful days. Though we have been busy, we’re still finding time to splash.
The Leapsters check out Dove Park in Grapevine. What a fun place! There was some play on the playground before lunch (see left).
But the big draw was the squirting dolphins. The kids had a blast splashing and playing.
Oddly enough, as the kids were drying off, the Grapevine Fire and Rescue Squad showed up to do drills in the community pool. The chief stayed behind to let all the kids hop up in the ladder truck. Elijah asked him why firetrucks have a bell and a siren (turns out the bell’s just for looks/tradition). Don’t act like you knew that…
What’s a day without a little digging in the dirt.
Here we are checking out the Butterfly Festival to benefit Cooks Children’s Hospital. Elijah remembers everything about the differences between butterflies and moths! The last time we talked about that had to be a year ago. He’s like a steel trap (he also always remembers where stuff is- which is of great use to me).
We stayed inside the butterfly tent for a loooong time with butterflies landing all over us.
Check out the new home of Humans Being for show archives and updates on Sarah's endeavors.
