A Fish for my Mom

I asked Cole to draw a picture for my birthday.

He is submitting it to the State Fish Art Contest.

It is a Guadalupe Bass, the state fish of Texas. 

It's titled "A fish for my mom". 

Farm Girl Wanna Be

I love Spring and all the babies everywhere!

Sometimes too much!

Each chick only cost $2.00.  Light, feed, bowls, lamp, etc. = $40.00

But I'm just a Farm Girl Wanna Be!

She is too!

I don't know which one is cuter!

Or messier!

Our New Pet Bugs

We adopted 9 new pets today!

Unfortunantly, one was eaten by the others. 

So now we have 8 Praying Mantises!

We only have one Leo.  Glad his siblings didn't eat him!
Can you see my walls in the background? 
I still haven't finished removing the wallpaper.  I just look at it and shrug my shoulders. 

We fed the mantises fruit flies.  I hope none escape, fruit fly or mantis.  

My lousy camera can't focus that closely on such a little bug, but this is what they look like...

Sorry, wrong picture.

I am taking 3 to my preschool classroom for my little guys to watch.

We are keeping 3 at home in a terrarium.

And we are letting 3, um 2, go in our garden!

Can You Come Outside to Play Challenge

I just love the Can You Outside to Play Challenge, http://canyoucomeoutsidetoplay.blogspot.com/.

We are definitely going to take on the challenge!

Their blog offers some of their favorite ways to get outside in the spring.  I asked my kids to make their own list, as well.  Can you guess which ones my 3 year old chose? 

1.  Ride bikes

2. Play in sand, at the beach or otherwise

3. Fly kites

4. Throw rocks in the water

5. Watch butterflies

6. Skunk safari's late at night (if you aren't quiet, this can be an interesting cause and effect lesson!)
7. collect rocks
8. play in a small stream and chase little minnows
9. go on a monster hunt
10.  go fishing
11. play in the water hose (Spring can be very warm in Texas)
12. lay out at night and just watch the stars
13. feed the ducks (and turtles) at the park pond
14. go on a hike
15. catch tadpoles
16. collect wildflowers for art projects
17. watch for migratory birds, keeping track in our nature journals
18. sail little boats along the curb in or right after a rain
19. play frisbee
20. planting sunflowers and beans

21. finding (and eating) wild strawberries
22. laying on a blanket and reading
23. looking for animal tracks
24. campfires (telling stories and making hot dogs and smores!)
25. having a picnic
26. arrowhead hunting
27. skating
28. painting outside
29. catching and/or releasing ladybugs

30.  taking our dog(s) for a walk

That's our favorites... but there are so many more!!!