~Random Kiddie Stuff~

Let me start by introducing you to one of our elementary schools yearly traditions. Every November, all students are sent home with a brown construction paper with a "turkey" outline traced. It's a family project to "dress" the turkey to help disguise it to get out of town before Thanksgiving. EVERY grade participates in this and it is so neat to see the creative results. As the turkeys are finished at home and start to trickle in, teachers post them outside their classrooms and pretty soon the entire school hallways are filled to the brim with fully dressed turkeys!

Kyle has done two turkeys so far and Joshua has always helped with the projects. Since Joshua started a new Pre-K program at the elementary school this year, he gets to participate with his own creation!

Joshua chose to do a Christmas Tree Turkey. We used green Floam.....ick!!! That stuff is so gross! Even Joshua said, "Eeeeww, mommy this stuff is gross!" and promptly went to the sink to wash his hands. So yes.....I had to finish spreading the "gross" floam myself! He decorated his "tree" with beads from our craft bin. And strung jingle bells on pipe cleaners for "garland". The presents I cut out of construction paper and he made "ribbons" using markers all by himself. He made the hat to top the turkey all by himself! I cut a star to put on the hat as a "tree topper" out of some decorative foil. He was so proud of his Turkey!

Joshua & Mrs. Blood hanging up his Turkey


Kyle's idea was much more "involved". He came home with the idea that his turkey was going to be "Elvis"!!! So I got a white scrap of fabric from the bin at Wal-Mart and cut out his outfit. Yes, I know I forgot the bell bottoms! Gene cut out the guitar and drew the "chest feathers". He also made the hair with sideburns from construction paper. Kyle decorated the outfit, belt & all with gold glitter glue. It was a hit for sure at school! His teacher got a kick out of the "chest feathers". And all the kids wanted to "play" the guitar. I only got a picture of his turkey laying on his desk, because his class was out when I delivered the turkeys.


I also wanted to share some handwriting samples. Joshua is in Pre-K and I'm amazed at how well he writes. I promised my mom I would share these. He has a little write-on & wipe-off book and he loves to sit and write. I use this when Kyle has homework and Joshua wants to "help" Kyle with it! Kyle gets so frustrated, so this helps to distract Joshua.




Last, I want to share some Turkey cooking instructions. Kyle's teacher had all the students write instructions on how to cook a turkey and photocopied all the students pictures and directions and sent them home in a little laminated book for us! It was so cute looking through all the kids writings and instructions. Here is Kyle's entry:
Front Page

Back Page

Sorry about the show through on the picture. The pages are very thin. But you get the idea. Notice on the second page that one of his directions is to say "gras" and eat the turkey? He was the only student who mentioned praying before eating. That sure makes this mommy proud!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!! I hope your day is blessed with love, family, and happy memories!

{Want Beautiful Eyes?}

Then you need to head straight over to the FPD Blog!!!! Jaime has added a new photo tip that is absolutely stunning and will make your eyes in photos POP! It was so easy to do too!

I tried the technique on my 'lil Joshua's photo. He has such beautiful eyes, but rarely do you see it in photographs because they always appear too dark and do not show the light that's really in there. He has hazel, bits of brown, green and even blue flecks at times and they are gorgeous but my photos never were able to capture them. I was disappointed until I read the FPD blog and tried this:

Very rough makeover at this point....I'm still playing with the settings, but was awed by the results and it only took seconds to do!!!

BEFORE


AFTER


My oldest has beautiful blue eyes and I cannot wait to try this technique on some of his closeup photos!!!!

Thanks Jaime for helping me ROCK my photos!!!!

{Bird Kingdom}

It was such a beautiful Fall day! We wore light jackets but decided to leave those in the car at the parking lot of Bird Kingdom. The ads say come early to experience the quiet rainforest setting before the waterfall starts. It was neat to be in the rooms with all the birds flying around. We moved to the nocturnal reptile area next.

My boys are daredevils....so when they seen this sign....it wasn't enough to stop them from looking down!

And here's what we saw down inside!

Within minutes of being in the atrium, this horrible (Harry Potter) large beaked bird flew down and smacked the side of my head. {see above pic} I read on this page that they are training some birds to swoop down and take food right from your hand or what's thrown up in the air. Maybe that is why I was nearly attacked 5 times by the birds in the free flying aviary??? I must have smelled good or something, 'cause 5 different birds swooshed past my head!!!

Wicked Parrots!!!

These parrots were so wicked! I understand now why they have such high perches. There is even a sign that says do not get too close to the parrots. The boys were trying to talk to them and apparently one took offense at Kyle, squaking and flapping his wings. Kyle ducked and ran behind Gene! LOL! So I guess there are still some things that will scare them after all!

Here are a few more random pics. The Java House is made completely of tongue and groove wood pieces. It was very intricate design on the inside as well as the outside. Very beautiful....the pic just doesn't do it justice! Inside we purchased some drinks and two cups of nectar to feed the lorakeets. There's a pic of us in the walkway behind the waterfall, hence the raindrops falling in front of us. And that toucan was AWESOME!!! The boys both spent a great deal of time "talking" to him. He made noises back to the boys. He perched on a tree branch right below where the sidewalk path the boys were on.

And then we were off to feed the lorakeets....

Kyle loved all the birds around him and he didn't even seem to mind that two had pooped down the back of both shoulders before we were done!

They allowed me to take my camera in and I was so glad that I captured these shots of Josh and Gene!

Yup, that one left a little "present" on the back shoulder of Gene's shirt too! I believe I was the only one who got out of the area without being "marked" by those birds. Unless you count being head swooshed, being marked by them! LOL!

Josh was laughing and giggling....all smiles! He LOVED the experience! Unfortunately, we were one of the first customers to fee the birds that day and they were a bit more hungry than we thought.

Once Joshua's cup of nectar was empty, one of the lorakeets scooped down and bit Joshua on the fleshy part of his skin between his thumb and forefinger. We didn't realize it had broken skin and had him rub the Hand Sanitizer they provide as you are leaving the lorakeet feeding station into his hands. He cried and fussed and once we got to the gift area it was bleeding in two spots! We picked out a frog stuffed animal for him to help comfort him. He didn't want anything to do with the stuffed birds at that point. The lady at the counter doctored up his boo-boo with some neosporin and a band-aid. He kept saying, "That wasn't nice of that bird, Mommy!"

After leaving the Bird Aviary, we strolled down to the falls. I captured some beautiful fall foliage and yes....the animals were not done with Joshua yet. But I'm gonna have to leave those pics and stories for tomorrow!

Credits: (In order of appearance in this post) Cocktail Hour Frame by Christina Renee, Wood Frame & Layered Polaroid from Signature Collection by Christina Renee, Aged Frame from Cocktail Hour by Christina Renee & Tag from Signature Collection by Christina Renee, French Knots by Amy Hutchinson, Piled High Cluster by Christina Renee, Vintage Frames by Jessica Bolton