Where the wild things are

Our latest fieldtrip was to Dade City to Wild Things. It is a reserve for rescued animals. We were quite surprised to fine so many different and exotic animals. Everyone loved seeing them upclose, at times a little too upclose. As you can see in the pics we are mere inches away from wild big animals with just chain-link fence separating us.

The monkeys were funny because they were misbehaving instead of our kids. One of the most amazing sights was the black jaguar. We could see his spots as he laid out in the sun. The black panther seemed to be staring right into the camera, challenging us. Olivia was convinced that the little black potbellied pig was talking to her in a snorting language. We kept our eyes on the two bengal tiger brothers who were feeling invaded on and needed to mark their territory.

Riding on the trolley through downtown was fun too ! Go if you get a chance.

celebrating love

This picture
makes me
smile and
feel loved!
Maddie needed
rescuing. She
was only 2 at
the time.
What a memory!

What makes me feel loved?
Kids offering a kiss or hug for no reason.
Snuggling up close to watch a good movie.
Friends giving up their time to listen about my life.
Dishes getting done without asking.
Clean sheets.
A full gas tank, not pumped by me.
A kind word said about my husband or kids.
A good foot rub.
Big brown eyes.
A toothless smile.
Hearing my student read a book aloud.
Being trusted.

Guess that means I am SO loved.
Happy Valentines Day !

Friends

Hanging out with friends at Olivia's pre-school co-op is always fun. This month we were at Abbie's house and had a circle time of sharing, songs and rhymes. Crafts, snacks and outside time was the best. The girls told me they had "herd-ed" the cows in the field...YIKES! To help get the fabulous superbowl weekend off to a great start, we had a bonfire at the Light's with loads of friends, and ended it at the Striker's on Sunday night with a house full of more friends and food. We are so blessed.

School Days

Have you ever wondered about a floating iceberg? How much of it stays above the water and how much sinks below the water? Well, our Co-op group of friends gathered together on Friday and watched a homemade iceberg float, and now we all know. You will have to make your own to find out the answer... or just ask one of the kids. Stephanie had a great time learning about Antarctica this month, she even pretended to be Ann Bancroft who survived walking across the continent in 2001. We are sure enjoying second grade, now we are off to study the area of Australia and the Pacific Islands. Be looking forward to seeing all of our work at the annual Geography Fair in May.

Disney days

What a great girls day out. We headed out on a day of Disney and the Magic Kingdom, and to our surprise found Alice and the Mad Hatter. It was a fun day with Stephanie seeming more grown up and a big help since we went without Dad. Olivia said, "Dreams really do come true!" many times during the day, it will be fun making memories this year with our passes.


We did get to go back again to take Dad, since he had missed out, and one of his wishes came true by getting to take the girls to the Haunted Mansion. We also ran into Buzz Lightyear right before the rains began.

We are sure you will be seeing more pictures throughout the year of our great times at Disney World. We would love for any of you to come and go with us. The more the merrier.

Cowgirls at Mar-Lee Farm in Bell FL

Happy COLD New Year

We had a wonderful and chilly time camping with the Symonds family over the holiday. We spent a few days at Hillsborough River State Park just outside of Tampa. The girls biked around the park and we went on a beautiful hike along the river. They all went down and hopped along the rocks and no one even fell in. One of the days we were able to go and visit the Clearwater Marine Aquarium and learn about the animal hospital and rescue of wild marine life.

It was very interesting but oh so cold. A smokey fire, hot cocoa, a visit or two to MOSI and eating out at restaurants with christmas gift cards made the trip even more fun. Steve made the short trip back and forth from work, so he could join in the fun. The girls were eager to get home, they have a little"Dorothy" in them and already know "there is no place like home," and back to some home cooking.