Happy Birthday

I had a happy birthday today!  :D

First of all, my husband took a half-day vacation in order to have two new tires put on my van...and that wasn't even my birthday present!  ;o)  (I had a flat tire the day before.)

Then, he actually made a birthday plan...to take me out for supper!  And (knowing how I like my options), he gave me a choice of four great places to eat:
Copper River Grill (steak, seafood), Fatz (endless ribs!), Mythos (Greek, Italian), or Portofino's (Italian).  I chose Portofino's.  I love that restaurant, and I love their manicotti.  (Guess what I ordered for supper?!)

Afterward, I opened a card from my husband, a card from T, and a gift from T.

set of two flour sack towels...
for my apple-themed kitchen

My husband told me that he had shopped for my gift last weekend, but ended up having to order it...consequently, it won't be available for "gift-giving" until tomorrow or Friday when it arrives in the mail.  No problem; I can wait!  :D

I also received so many other nice expressions of love and friendship.  I received four birthday cards in the mail, an e-card, four e-mail messages, four telephone calls, and 25 facebook posts!  Yes — a happy birthday, indeed!  :)

Birthday Card

I hope this isn't in poor taste to post; I received this birthday card today from my brother.

I laughed so hard I cried.  I thought it was so funny!  For one thing, that could be my backside (minus the tattoo!).  I gradually have put on weight (a lot of weight) over the past ten years...and right now, I own only one pair of jeans I can fit into.  I bought them at Wal-Mart...when I was in a hurry...and they're actually a size too big.  Also, they're not the style I wear typically; they're low-cut, hip-hugger type jeans.  Alas, they tend to be a little droopy...and sometimes (try hard as I might not to), I show a little too much (oops!)...which is not a fun sight, I'm sure, for anyone who happens to catch a glimpse!  I guess my brother has seen that side of me??!  hahaha.  Yep, that could be me on the front of that greeting card!

On a "happier" note, my brother wrote some sweet words to me on the inside of the card.  We were born a year and four days apart.  Yes, I'm older...and we have fun with that every year.  ;o)

So...do I have a warped sense of humor, or is that funny?  Anyway, I just wanted to share...the good, the bad, and the ugly.  I hope you don't mind?

Great Horned Owl

We took a field trip to the zoo this afternoon...to see a Great Horned Owl!

(It was difficult to get photos without the cage visible in front of the owl!)

Check out those talons!

We learned....

We saw many other birds.

Most of the animals were very "social" for a change!  As soon as we walked up to the glass, this alligator entered the water and swam over to us.

He "visited" with us for quite a while!

This orangutan was sitting at the glass, waiting for us!

We took a break from looking at the animals for some photo opportunities.  :)

Then, back to watching the animals.

Next, into the reptile house.

The small petting area had some farm animals.

We cooled off in the gift shop while we browsed.  We purchased this stuffed Great Horned Owl for T.  When squeezed in the middle, it says "Who-whoo, whoo-whoo.  Who-whoo, whoo-whoo."

This little booklet of information was attached to it.

Great Horned Owl

Great Horned Owls are the heaviest owls in North America and are found throughout much of the United States, even living near people.  They live in forest or field edges and are generally nocturnal.  Weighing an average of three pounds, they are strong for their size and capable of hunting prey larger than themselves.  Skunks, rabbits, snakes, and even cats are preyed upon by Great Horned Owls.

After leaving the zoo, T wanted to play at the nearby park...so we obliged!

Linked to:
   Field Trip Friday

Owl Sandwich

I prepared another owl-themed lunch for T today.

The owl is a snack idea that I found in this unit and lapbook....I just made a couple of changes.  It's made from a piece of bologna, a piece of cheddar cheese (a square, cut in half diagonally), two Ritz crackers, two slices of black olive, and pretzel sticks (broken into pieces).

I cut two slices of bread with a circle cutter and placed one bread circle under the bologna.  Right before T was ready to eat, we said "Bye-bye, owl!" and put the second bread circle on top to make a sandwich.

I also gave T some tortilla chips in a green bowl with an owl pick.  For the pick, I used a foam owl and embellished it with two tiny wiggle eyes...and glued a toothpick to the back.

Linked to:
   I Heart Lunch
   What's for Lunch Wednesday
   Fancy Sandwich Friday

Baby Owls

Today, we began a unit study about owls.

This was T's lunch today...which went along with a book we read, Owl Babies by Martin Waddell.

     Once there were three baby owls:  Sarah and Percy and Bill....
     The baby owls came out of their house, and they sat on the tree and waited.
          ~from Owl Babies by Martin Waddell

• three baby owls > three owl-shaped sandwiches (white bread with sprinkles for eyes)
• tree > pretzel sticks
• foliage > romaine lettuce
• full moon > ranch dressing
• dark of night > black placemat

Linked to:
   I Heart Lunch
   Family Fun Friday

First Day

We had a terrific first day of homeschool today.  T was very eager to get started this morning!  He kept signing the word, school.

He was attentive throughout the lessons and seemed so ready to learn.  :)  When we started, he even gave up his rope at my first request...and without hesitation! —My family and Miss Bekah will understand the magnitude of that!!  ;o)

Linked to:
   iHomeschoolNetwork