Not For the Faint of Heart

We've been reading Charlotte's Web.

Since we wanted to learn about the different animals in the book,

we decided to start at our favorite animal place: The Bean Museum!

We walked in and asked who could tell us about SPIDERS!

One of the guides jumped on the opportunity and took us to the 'Bug' Section.

Did you know that spiders are in the same family as millipedes and scorpions?

(That last one wasn't comforting.)

Family name: Arthropod/Arachnid

Spiders have 2 body sections (bugs have 3).

Spiders can't see very well,

but have hair on them that act as sensors to things around them.

(Like if you breath on them, they can feel that.)

Spiders have 8 legs.

Meet Rosie -- the trantula!

We have some brave kids!

The Museum handler assured us that she's sweet!

(I'm thinking, 'Sweet, my foot!')

How can you tell she's sweet?

Well, the museum gets different kinds of animals in and they quarantine them for at least 3 weeks (probably more like months). Then, they handle them and see how they react to different situations. If at any moment they show a sign of aggression, they are sent out.

Rosie has been dropped, bumped, squished and so on and has never shown any sign of aggression.

So, yes, I guess she is 'sweet'.

A couple of weeks previous to our venture, Dane saw the museum workers with Rosie out. They were letting the adults hold her. He passed it up because he thought might kill her if she touched him. (He is a pest control technician after all!)

I guess I took advantage of 'one-upping' Dane on this one. It felt really cool actually! It kind of tickled at first. She was really hairy on her legs, but the pads on the ends were really soft like the pads of a cat or dog.

(Tip: Don't think that a real tarantula is actually walking on your hand!)

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"By the way, we caught a snake...

What can you tell us about snakes?!"

Well, this is Bandit!

He's a Honduras milk snake -- the friskiest of all the snakes they have,

but still no sign of aggression.

Way COOL!

Feeling all their muscles move while you hold a snake is just neat.

They like to get close -- Bandit likes body heat.

Here, he's gone over my should and is starting to go around my back.

(Did I mention that he's a 'constrictor'?)

Next stop:

Thanksgiving Point's Farm Museum.

(Debany is EAGER to milk a cow!)

Cutie Portutie

What a cheesy, cutie patootie!

Giggly Girls

Amazing what silly faces can do...

... behind the camera!!

Tired Myanna

... in the linen closet

...in the hall at the top of the stairs

... and in her sister's arms

(one of my favorites)

When It Rains...

There's puddles!

Cars would thankfully pass by slowly...

but the kids tried to get the cars to splash them with the puddle!

Puddles don't last forever...

enjoy them while they last!

Porter's Puddle

Bike Ride Turned Expedition

From our house in Provo, we decided to take the trail up to Bridal Veil Falls...

We stopped for lunch and had a little excursion along our way.

A nice shady spot to stretch our legs.

We loaded up and got back on our way.

What started out a 5-8 mile bike ride, turned out to be 16 miles!

16 Miles! And we didn't even make it to the Falls.

(That's the saddest part!)

We made it to the base of the trail at the camping grounds and saw the hill.

After 8 miles, we said, 'No Way.'

So we turned around and went back the same 8 miles we had just travelled.

Luckily, mostly downhill.

Debany gave us a massage when Jenn pit-stopped on a grassy area close to home.

And Dane won the 'home stretch' race (**barely**).

Best part -- we are finally ready to head back out.

But I think we'll stick to a shorter trail goal for a little while.

Good experience for a Triathlon though!

(where's our medal?!)

Daddy's Battering Ram

Have you ever been in need of a battering ram?

Here's our solution...

Pick up one of your kids like this:

And begin to apply pressure to the door with a thrust in a forward movement.

Here is a video demonstration for your convenience:

And, if all else fails, put the keys in their hands and see which opens the door first.

Our 'Pet' Snake -- 'Tiger'

Jenn (of all people) caught a snake in the grass in our backyard.

---I think the Bean Museum is being a bad influence :)---

(This video is kind of fuzzy.

But, be sure to listen to what cute stuff is said.)

It's cuteness... yessss, cuteness...

kinda grows on you after a little bit...

So we decided to keep it.

You know, 'once you name it, you get attached to it.'

---Monster's, Inc.

This is Tiger's Home...

And here is our Tiger...

I hear that you can find out if it's a boy or a girl by it's (uh-hem) 'vent.'

We'll leave that to a professional.

I think we'll name it 'Tyger Lilly' if it's a girl.

Thanks to my sister, we learned a ton about snakes and how to take care of our own little snake! She's awesome -- my sister! She snake-sat a snake from her school and had tons of fun.

It seems like our backyard crickets and hoppers just are too big for Tiger... so we went and bought some crickets (a whole $.50). Everything else was free: tank (freecycle), dirt, rocks, leaves, branches... snake! And it eats something like only once a week to once a month. (I like those kinds of pets.)

It's amazing all the things you can learn about snakes.

minor MINUTE Problem....

With the help of my 'assistants',

we would like to present a point-in-case...

Cameras come with a hand strap...

Instead of leaving them dangling, put it on your wrist like this...

This little strap could save a life...

It could prevent a careless death of a camera...

...like ours.

May you learn from our costly mistake.

(Thank you iMac computer cameras...

too bad you're not as portable.)

Wisdom:

"Good judgement comes from experience; experience comes from poor judgement."

"A great man is not one who has never made a mistake, but one who has never made the same mistake twice."

"A man was never wise by chance."

"I wise man learns from the mistakes of others. A fool, his own."

Technical Difficulties...

We appreciate your patience as we work out some minor technical difficulties...

1. Uploading pictures up to the iPhoto connection didn't work.

2. New Quicktime isn't recognizing movies.

These technicalities can delay a 'snazzy' blog, so bide with us.

Many posts to come your way.

Thank you.

Ring of Friends

Ring around the Rosie,

Teddy Bear, teddy bear...

...and dizzy with fun!

Daddy's Kiddos

File Folder Frenzy

So, what has Jenn been up to?!

She was often found in this position...

Working on File Folders for the kiddos...

It was very time-consuming...

---Copying and Coloring---

---Cutting and Gluing---

---and Laminating---

Was it worth it??

My fingers have numb spots on the tips from coloring.

But, I now have 25 folders done that the kids can play and learn with...

and that includes how to put them away when done!

(Credit & copyright goes to my sis-in-law who gave me the three books of

'The Little Latter-day Saint File Folder Fun Book'

-- volumes 2, 3, and 4 --)

Conversations with Debany:

Debany: "Mom, why is that lady getting married at the library?!"

Jenn: "Honey, that's called a reception."

Debany: "What's a reception?"

Jenn: "It's after they get married when people that know who got married say congratulations and give them presents."

Debany: "Is Grandma Debi going to be dead by then?"

Jenn: "By when?"

Debany: "When I get married."

Jenn: "No, I don't think so."

Debany: "Okay, so can you invite her to my temple party?"

Jenn: "Sure"

Ever feel like your kids are pets?!

Sit!

Stay!

Eat!

Go to your bed!

Go outside!

Good boy/girl!

No begging!

Come!

(whistling to your call your kids)

Where's Jenn???

Okay, so I've been busy. And my blogging has... suffered. :)

I might come out of hiding. Maybe.