A "Run Into Town" Turns Into ...

A Turtle Hunt!

The "big" city next to us has Mice on Main and it was thought at a local public school  to have bronze turtles.  Zan Wells, made the mice and our turtles.  Then they were placed at 12 areas (&/or landmarks) around town and were made to help promote clean water.   After all, the Leatherback Sea turtle is SC's reptile.

So at the parts store, Pumpkin spots the flier, the lady behind the counter says one is right outside the store,  and "We're off!"

(Someone's camera has the wrong date ... sigh.)

Starting in front of the parts store is # 8 a Chicken Turtle, named Turbo.
(Note the smiles!!!)

Now we'll start at the beginning with #1, at the fountain in town.
Still "under raps" is Red-Eared Sliders: Colonel, Amelia, Abraham, & Amber.

Down the road is a historical house, Hagood-Mauldin House.
Here we found, after a long look around, Joab, the Snapping Turtle.

3rd is Brick, the Bog Turtle.

The smallest turtle in our state is the Musk Turtle.
We found Swimmy, under a water tower in town.

Down near Pumpkins foot is Ernest, the Mud Turtle resting in a shady spot.
(Resting at #5, hummmm.)

At the Chamber of Commerce is #6.
This one had a Cherokee name, Skyagunsta, a Diamondback Terrapin.

Learning map skills were in full force with Pumpkin.

At a local church is where we found Hollingsworth, the Gopher Tortoise. -
(#7 looking tired here,) 

We passed by Turbo again at the parts store on or way to ...

Pokey, the Painted turtle.

Two blocks down hill to the old jail turned County Museum was a Spotted Turtle,
Sequoyah - a Cherokee name.

Fireball Coyote read a few clues for us.

After trekking back up two blocks, we find Henry, the Leatherback Sea Turtle.
(#11 hummmm We look REALLY beat here!)

Sadly, Sparky, an Eastern Box turtle, is last and we need to wait for him.
Our clue is "I live where people learn."  Well,  the middle school is being rebuilt
at the high school's old location.

Not sure why they allowed the flier to be out without all the turtles for us to see.  Oh well.  We still had fun and will sleep well tonight! ;-)

 Before the turtle hunt ... 

Fireball Coyote was robin watching. 

And both boys started blogging on Kidblog.org

 I LOVE this site because it ISN'T public :-)  They can type, make mistakes, we can correct them, and I get to approve posting!!!  I told them when I feel they are ready to go public I'd let them.

 Robin's Head
by,
Fireball Coyote

Now to recharge and get ready for a baseball game.  Go Bats!

Rest, Pretzels, and a Surprise

Monday was a relaxing day for all.  I was down and out with a bad cold and wasn't up for much. So ...

Fireball Coyote set up a picnic lunch for us.  

Both did Lego.com games after they cleaned their room ;-)
Fireball Coyote also worked with PS2 and watched PBS Kid Shows.

On Tuesday: 

Fireball Coyote has been dying to make pretzels, so we finally did.

While Fireball Coyote mixed the dough, Pumpkin was having his Lego men run, do push-ups and sit-ups.

After the dough had risen, Pumpkin said he'd help make the pretzels.

Yesterday there was an odd quiet in the house.  I found this!

A turtle.  A "late" Mother's Day gift from Fireball Coyote.

We had also watched a movie called Grizzly Falls.  It was about a boy who's dad is a big game hunter and winds up getting captured by a mother bear.  Earlier they both worked on Lego.com again.

Schoolopoly, Table Rock & Gardening

On Thursday, over at Rakis Rad Resources, I found her version of a Monopoly board.  I had found a much larger one to be used on a bulletin board, but I found this one easier for what we need.  Pumpkin even decided to make his own game and calls it "Fameopoly."  He wrote what he wanted as prices and how may floors a house has, came up with his own rules - ex.- no one can buy their own property - found, printed & cut out money.  

Playing the game before cards & money were cut.

               

Fireball Coyote gives it thumbs up :-)

As they were doing this I made one for us to use with more school and practical life skills.

      
 I put on there things such as: play a spelling game (Scrabble, Boggle, Bananagrams), do 3 chores (which they get paid extra for in their "checks"), be calm & quiet all day (no "fit" throwing), play a card math game, go for a walk for 15 min., research the year _????__ , find 5 facts about a new country, etc.



The Chance cards have things like: feed the cats, feed the dogs, do a research project & present it, cook dinner for everyone one day this week, move ahead one space, and more.   The Community Chest cards have things like: bake something for someone and give it away, clean the living room floor and dining room table, smile all day long, do something kind and unexpected for someone, and so on.

holder by, Pumpkin

For each tally mark, when they do one, they get paid an extra dollar in their checks.

Happily they rolled and landed on the 15 min. walk, then were excited to do more.  Fireball Coyote landed on "Free Afternoon" (& stayed),  Pumpkin rolled several more times and had the cats, cook dinner and clean the living room & table.  I joined in too and had make a card and mail it, then be calm and quite - woohoo! :-)

Pumpkin also landed on play a word game & chose Scrabble Jr.  till he left for Kids Club and Fireball Coyote had a baseball game.

      

On Friday, we had a homeschoolers field trip, that I set up.  (I'm happy to say it was attended very nicely. And we a huge hit.  (Go me!)

Table Rock State Park

We hiked around a lake at the bottom of the mountain, about 2 miles.

Our fearless leader Ranger Scott.

Off we go.

At the half way mark, about.

A question after wards.  

Group photo.

 The boys interviewed Ranger Scott about his job and the park afterwards.  

This also goes to their JR. Ranger work.  

We all had a picnic lunch after at the park and then headed to a local ice cream place, Aunt Sue's.  YUM!!!

 After ice cream we stopped by the headquarters for Table Rock State Park to get their stamps and turned in their work so far.

The purple beads, at the top,  is the way the trail use to be before they finished around the lake.

Getting their certificates and flashlight for part one out of three. 

Posing for the headquarters pictures.

Interviewing Ranger Calvin.

A walk on the dock at the headquarters.

Look at what we found!

All the black "dots" are tadpoles!!!

The Cherokee Indians called this Table Rock, because they thought their God sat on the little mountain on the right and called it Stool Mountain.  He ate off the larger mountain on the left, the table.

On Saturday

 Planting, watering & 

Football