Zoo Atlanta

We spent our Labor Day at Zoo Atlanta. I had read on one of my favorite sites about Swaptember - where if you have a membership to a participating organization—Atlanta Ballet, Atlanta Botanical Garden, Atlanta History Center/Margaret Mitchell House, Fernbank Museum of Natural History, Georgia Aquarium, High Museum of Art, Imagine It! The Children’s Museum of Atlanta, Michael C. Carlos Museum, or Zoo Atlanta—you can use your membership to save at any of those organizations.

So - today we headed out to use our Children's Museum membership to get a discount on a zoo membership.

Just in time - in one week, Mikaela and I will begin our 20 week animal unit study in Science.

We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day!

my favorite animal - the giraffe.....I miss those tall thin days.....

Pink flamingos - we started our zoo scavenger hunt (part of our homeschool science lesson) with the pink flamingos - we're still wondering why they stand on one leg?

my little Meerkats

check out the meerkats

climbing on termite structures - did you know they build skyscrapers in the ground?

daddy and Xman saw the Superhero show (at $10 per person - we just sent the boys!)

Xman on an earthworm dig

Mikaela at the dance party

monkeying around

monkeying around

hanging out

silly kids

sweet smiles

crazy super hero mask

Yep - that's it

Do you ever have those days where you wake up and you think "yep - that's it - this is the life I always wanted to live"?

Well - yesterday was NOT one of those days for us.

HUGE to do list ......LOTS of chores.......2 very wild rambunctious on each others nerves (and mine) children.....

one daddy who wanted to watch the Georgia game.........we'll leave that one alone.

one mommy who wanted to finish homeschoolin one, catch up on laundry, contain the other one's messes to HIS room, find the floors - maybe clean them, make a nice football feast for dinner.

Anyhoo - yesterday was a big ZIP.

So - today, we started new - fresh - after church, came home for lunch (which we ate while watching the end of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang), and then headed outdoors - in search of a little family fun.

Yep - that's it.

We found it.









I'm almost inspired to read this book that I have been pondering for oh.....about a year now.

We laughed, we played, we experienced nature at its best.

We even used some of that science stuff about plants we are studying (I know scary.....could be called a field trip?).

Pure Bliss is a Chocolate Ice Cream Cone

Homeschoolin Here

For those not aware, we are now homeschooling Mikaela.

To read about our decision and our journey, just click here as that is a WHOLE 'nother blog!

Freeze!

riding his motorcycle of course

Once a week we take a little trip to Athens (the details of that are for another post.....when I have time to ramble).

On said trip last week, we ate at the Varsity (go Mikaela for having excellent choice in Athens stops).

Also eating at the Varsity on this Monday, was much of the GBI force in full uniform.

Xman asks loudly "I wonder if he puts his handcuffs in the freezer?"

To which the GBI agent in front of me turns around, looks at me, and gives me that "what kind of mother are you?" look.

To which I smiled.

Because I am that secure in my parenting.

And after said trip to Athens too dang tired to explain to a stranger why my kid thinks handcuffs go in the freezer.

But, because I love all of you - here we go.

A few months ago Xman started putting his handcuffs in the freezer.

I found them once and inquired......cauticiously as to why this was a new practice.

To which he replied (like I was an IDIOT):

"Mommy - the handcuffs have to be frozen so when I tell the bad guys freeze."

Frozen handcuffs for frozen bad guys.

Yes, 5 year old logic is that linear.

Wildlife Festival

We had a great time at the Big Haynes Creek Wildlife Festival.

a little crafting

a little archery

a little more archery

Xman is a serious crafter

held some bugs

rode a train (isn't it darling?)

made animal tracks - very cool

laughed and loved each other

pretended to be camping

watched LOTS of snake shows, and some clogging, and some animals, and some more snakes

Mikaela's First Sleepover

ready for bed? I think not.

and now a silly one.

making some Panther spirit cheer bottles

I got an email that read "the Panther Cheerleaders are having a sleepover."

A sleepover?

Are we old enough for a sleepover?

This is the point where I confess my over protective mother tendencies. I'm the mom that likes to really know a grown up before leaving my kid with them (I've met the Panther cheer mom twoish times.......). I'm the mom who asks the questions about loaded guns and house rules. I'm the mom that expects my kid to follow my house rules and YOUR house rules in your house.

I'm the mom whose kid has never been on a sleepover (aside from with the Nana, and one recent weekend to her very cool Aunt Ashleigh's house).

So - I ask said kid "do you want to go to the cheerleading sleepover?"

To which said kid says "Cool."

Over the course of the week the cheerleading sleepover ranged from very cool to a definite "I'm not going."

So - I planned to attend the sleepover up to the sleeping part......figuring most likely when I announced that I was heading home to my own bed, that she would want to come to.

Not so much how that one went.

At 10:45, I helped spread out the sleeping bags, took a few cute photos, cheer mom made some popcorn, I held a vote on the movie choice......and then announced that I was leaving.

To which my child responded "Hey guys.......my mom's leaving...YES!!!!!!"

No goodbye.

No goodnight kiss.

Definitely not coming home with me.

as an aside, when I picked that sweet angel who celebrated me leaving up the next morning at 10:00 AM......she had not slept all night. Cheer mom shared that she woke her at 1:30, 2:15, and 4:15 crying to let her know that she couldn't sleep.

Perhaps she would have slept better if she had kissed her dear mother goodnight.

and cheerleading!

Everywhere we go
People want to know
Who we are
So we tell them
We are the Panthers

the mighty mighty Panthers!

Mikaela is cheering for the 7 - 8 Panthers.

The Panthers.....we'll let's just say that they are good.

Very good.

Football

The new favorite song in my house - "better than a diamond ring - FOOTBALL."

It was inevitable that football would take over our life.

I married "the coach"

I knew it was coming.

Xman is playing football.

My baby - the almost 10 lb one that I carried until the day he was DUE. The baby that I delivered without an epidural. The one whose head was so big that he broke his collarbone during delivery - and his mother. The baby who nursed from the moment he was born until he was two.

That baby.

Shoulder pads. Hip pads, thigh pads, shin pads, tail pads..........and then there is the helmet.

Which all mean nothing to a mother who has learned that the boys with red stickers on their helmets weigh MORE than 65 pounds.

My baby - weighed 48 with his shoes on.

So - this fall, I am loosing my voice cheering for the 5 - 6 Falcons.

and praying.