The Last Week of May

We were able to get a few "extra" days in "just in case".

Like I said in the last post, on Saturday we went to see The Muppets movie at the library.  We did go in a bit before it started and stayed a bit after it and played on the computer.  Then we went grocery shopping.

After they worked on their friends birthday gifts.

Fireball Coyote took a break and finished a chore of stacking wood, discovering ...

(yep) a BIG Black Widow!
Luckily it didn't get him when he took to tarp off the wood.
His lesson from this was to do things when dad says.
Seeing he was asked to stack it when it was colder and she wasn't there.

 Sunday the boys went in different directions.  Pumpkin went to their friends house for a birthday party sleep over and Fireball Coyote went to his grandmother's.  Then mom and dad went to see The Phantom of the Opera.  :-)

(no idea who he is, but too cute to pass up!)
It was our 18th anniversary.
 Hubby's friends came to town to see it
and got us tickets too.

We went to Toronto for our honeymoon and saw it at the Pantages in '96.
This time it was at the Peace Center.

Monday, I ran around picking up the boys and we headed to Fireball Coyote's swim lessons.  Then they had Xbox and computer time.  Later they worked with dad in the garden and watched a show on PBS about WWII.

Tuesday after the lesson we stopped in town to drop L.J. off
and a swallow tail was spotted.  After fluttering around a bit it landed on F.C.

He was afraid to lift his head.

 Wednesday, I remembered to take the camera, plus there wasn't a threat of rain.

Free time.

Fireball's class.

"That" wasn't as good as he thought.  She made him do it again.  ;-)

It looks like he's diving over the boy, but the boy was farther way than he looks.

Pumpkin with the yo-yo.

Thursday we had a field trip to Lake Conestee with a homeschool group.  There was a beaver lesson and a river lesson.

They learned to identify poison ivy.

Spotted a Dung Beetle. 

There were Learning Loop signs along the way.

Fireball Coyote was amazed at how the river has changed.

Three minute of silent observation.

During which Fireball Coyote spied a baby turtle.

March foliage.

The "lump" of sticks near the bottom middle of the photo is a beaver dam.

A "road-kill" beaver used in the lesson.

Three families of Blue Herons in the tree.

A Beautiful blue Dragonfly.

A beaver skull.

Our actual beaver siting!

A friend of ours volunteered.
What a cute beaver! 

A gnawed on beaver tree.

Some cocoon or growth Fireball Coyote discovered.

Walking back across the bridge, I spied where they'd be after lunch.

Animal tracking.

That's what Pumpkin started off with.

Fireball Coyote was in a different area.

I walked down to Fireball Coyote and he was doing water temperature.

Then they swapped areas.  Pumpkin moved to currents and Fireball Coyote to Animal Tracking.

Which duck will get there first? And why.
(current flow)

I discovered a rollerskate or skateboard wheel.
Sadly, the city's trash just washes to this area when BIG rains come.

 The boys swapped areas one more time and then it was on to more swim lessons.

On Friday, we hung out at the house till swim test time.  I didn't take the camera since it was ready to pour at any moment.  Fireball Coyote was sad I didn't get the groups picture. I told him I did have one, when everyone was there.  (on test day 2 were out).
On the way back home dad called and wanted to go for Chinese.  When we arrived the one in town was closed, so I talked him into going to Easley.  There new tastes were discovered.  Pumpkin and I tried Fried Bananas.  Fireball Coyote tried Egg Drop Soup and fell in Love!  He couldn't stop grinning from ear to ear.  He just said he's in the mood for some now.


Saturday, was hanging out, groceries, and in the evening we did a Lighting Bug count for Clemson.

Now it's time for a new school year.  June is already booked for us.  Between summer movies, Chautauqua, volunteering, VBS, a BIG park playdate, martial arts, teen library events for Pumpkin, Shakespeare in the park, and a few field trips, I have 4 "open" days.