A Livestock Walk

Lately I've been feeling like we do the same activities day after day, so I decided to mix things up this afternoon.

We drove to a street whose residents keep a lot of livestock, and the kids had fun checking out a bunch of goats, ducks, and geese.  The animals checked us out too, possibly because they thought we had brought them something to eat.  Sorry guys--I don't know what goats eat.  Maybe I should Google that before we come back next time.

It was kind of chilly out, but Todd insisted that he didn't need a coat.  Of course, thirty seconds after he got out of the van, he started feeling cold.  His kind big sister shared her coat with him, and I'm not sure which looked stranger: the sight of Todd in an oversized coat, or the sight of Joy without the coat she wears nearly every minute that she's awake.

Up the road from the goats, we paid a visit to a couple of horses.  I had cut up some apples for the kids to feed them, so the horses came right over to us.

It was a win for everybody.  The horses got a treat, and we got to pet them. :)

Cuckoo and Goats

Joy's piano teacher holds "play parties" once a month during the school year.  They are casual recitals hosted at students' homes.

Joy's teacher, Mrs. Manners, introduced each student . . .

. . . then the student performed a number they had chosen and prepared beforehand.  Joy selected "Cuckoo," and did a good job with it.  After all the students had played, we adjourned to the kitchen for refreshments.

Occasionally the goats got into the house, which always livened things up.

A Car Wash and a New Mower

I was all set to start ELA this morning when Daddy asked who wanted to help him wash the cars.  As all the kids hustled outside, I weighed my options: should I be a stickler about having four lessons a week, or foster Daddy-child bonding, reinforce the value of work, and get my grimy van cleaned?

Sorry, homeschooling.  Bonding, character building, and grimy van scrubbing won out today.  See you on Monday.

With school cancelled for the rest of the day, Anna and Todd decided to work on their biking skills.  When I asked why they were walking instead of riding, Anna explained that she's helping Todd get the hang of balance-waddling . . .

. . . which is much easier to do when you're going downhill.

In other news, we bought a new mower, which arrived today.  We could barely start the old, used mower we bought two years ago, and it was definitely time for a replacement.  Although, in retrospect, maybe we should have followed my sister's suggestion and just bought a pair of pygmy goats to mow our lawn.  The goats would have been cheaper, more environmentally friendly, and a whole lot cuter.  Maybe next time.

The Word Nerd Is Delayed

I was supposed to fly home today, but I made the mistake of booking a connecting flight through Dallas, which can have flight-cancelling weather any time of year.  Flash flood warnings in Texas stranded me in California this morning, so instead of spending the day riding airplanes, I got to spend more time with my mom and sister. No complaints from this quarter!

Mom drove me to Heather's place so I could see her new house and meet her horses . . .

. . . and goats. :)

Then Mom and I spent the evening working on what quickly became my favorite puzzle ever.  It's a circle with 100 cool words in a fun variety of colors and fonts.  Every time one of us completed a word, we would call it out.  "Flummox!  Hodgepodge!  Curmudgeon!"  It was word nerd heaven, I tell you!

Seeing Bunnies at the Library

The kids and I went to a local library today . . .

. . . to see a petting zoo they were hosting.  We got to pet goats, sheep . . .

. . . and some chickens.

One of the hens laid an egg while we were there, which the kids thought was pretty cool.  But everybody's favorite part, hands down . . . 

. . . was the bunnies.  Those Mini Rex Velveteen rabbits were so incredibly soft.  Everyone who touched them (including yours truly) couldn't help exclaiming about how soft they were, even though we'd heard a dozen people say the very same thing already.  The girls are both asking that we get a bunny after we move into our house.  That happens every time we go to a petting zoo.

As we were getting ready to leave, Joy noticed a local television station interviewing kids about their petting zoo experience.  When they finished, she asked them to interview her too.  You can watch part of her interview on the station's Facebook page.

There's a Bird on Your Head

Our family went on a Southern California safari today.

We started out at Omar's Exotic Birds.

Some of the birds there were really tame, 

and would happily sit on the kids' hands . . .

. . . or their heads.

Our next stop was Heather's homestead,

so Phillip could spend his birthday with some horses,

which are his favorite animal.

Heather took the kids for a little ride on Hurricane . . .

. . . and we got to pet her goats, dogs, and pig (Peppa).

Did you know that goat eyes have long, horizontal pupils?

I'm told it's so they can spot predators more easily, which makes sense,

but it still freaks me out every time I look at them up close.

Anna thought the farm animals were fun,

but her favorite activity at Heather's house

was reading to little Cousin Jojo.

Pickles Gap Village

This morning the kids and I visited . . .

. . . a local tourist trap called Pickles Gap (nice rhyme, eh?).  According to legend, the place got its name because a German immigrant accidentally spilled a wagonload of pickles in the nearby creek. 

The kids sampled half the fudge flavors in the store before Joy bought some Cinnabon fudge to share.

We also bought some taffy for Daddy and a jar of their delicious Double Berry Jam . . . 

. . . then we fed the goats . . .

. . . and the kids rode a little merry-go-round.

Shortly before we left, Daniel and Anna found a little wall to walk back and forth on.  Every time they met up and blocked each other's way, they played Rock-Paper-Scissors to see who would step aside and let the other pass.

Stake Fair

I love the annual fair our stake puts on. There are bounce rooms, pony rides, water slides, and lots of snacks, and it's all free! Last year Joy was old enough to enjoy a snowcone (her first solid food) but that was about it. This year . . .

. . . she fed some goats . . .

. . . went down the big slide a bunch of times with Daddy (it's hard to say which of them enjoyed it more) . . .

. . . and gave the bounce house a go with Mommy. Phillip was stoked to take her on the pony ride, too, but we found out she has to be at least two years old. Ah well--something to look forward to next year.

Seeing Bunnies at Toad Suck Daze

The girls had such a great time at Toad Suck Daze yesterday that they asked to come back again this afternoon (Daniel opted to stay home with Daddy).

Anna and I really enjoyed watching Joy race a toad yesterday, so we both wanted to race one today.  Joy raced one toad while Anna and I teamed up to race another (which Anna christened "Hoppy" because it sounds like "happy").  Hoppy actually won the race, and Anna got a blue ribbon.

Joy was still bummed that she missed out on the Ferris Wheel yesterday, so she offered to pay for her own ticket if I would buy a Kona Ice for us all to share.  Done deal.  Anna offered to pay for her own ticket, too, and the sisters shared a fun ride.

Our last stop was a petting zoo on the way back to our van.  The girls got to feed and hold chickens, bunnies, sheep, and goats.  One child tried to pick up one of the pot-bellied pigs, but it squealed so loudly that she put it right back down.  Note to self: Bunnies are for snuggling, pigs are for petting.

Speaking of bunnies, all the animals at the petting zoo were for sale, and when it was time to leave the girls begged me to buy a rabbit.  Don't get me wrong, I'd actually like to have a pet rabbit.  They're cute, cuddly, and they would do a much more effective job of "composting" veggie kitchen scraps than I've ever managed.  Timing is everything though, and I explained to the girls that three weeks before we move out of state to a possibly yardless rental isn't the best time to buy a pet.  Maybe in a couple of years.

Chickens and Bunnies and Goats--Oh My!

Todd and I went to the county fair earlier this week to see what there was to see.

We both thought the livestock area was pretty interesting.

I was surprised that they kept cows and even bulls in open pens where you could walk right up and touch them (if you're foolhardy enough).

Many of the goat and sheep pens were lovingly decorated by their young 4-H owners.  The name of this farm made me smile.

So did this chicken, which looked like it had a giant pom pom for a head.

And in case you've ever wondered, this is what a grand champion bunny rabbit looks like.

Our Budding Pianist

Joy and I attended one of her teacher's monthly "play parties" today (no goats this time).

Joy played "Cuckoo," the same piece she played at her first party about a year ago, but this time she did it with both hands and it sounded like a lovely, complex song instead of just a simple tune for a beginning student to play with one hand.  I'm impressed with the progress Joy has made in her first year of lessons.  

I'm also glad that she often sits down to play something just for the fun of it.  She plays Suzuki songs she's learned, her own minor-key "variations" of them, and other familiar tunes that she figures out on her own.  I hope she will continue to enjoy music and creativity as she gets older.