Texas Travels :: The Grapevine Botanical Garden

Tucked away on a quiet street in the bustling city of Grapevine, Texas, shoppers and visitors alike can escape to a serene plot of green space frothed with flora and fauna. Our family recently visited this boutique botanical garden and thoroughly enjoyed our time away from the normalcy of Dallas.

  
Upon entry, we were promptly greeted by migrating monarchs in the butterfly sanctuary. Gathering in bunches, they performed varied acrobatics on their way to each new flower. Quite a few of these charming beauties were tagged with tracking stickers for the great migration count at Monarch Watch.

Beyond the butterflies, the Grapevine Botanical Garden offers streams, woodland bridges, ponds and learning alcoves. In one such alcove, vertical gardening was prominently featured and reminded me of the lovely vertical displays in Parkland Gardens I visited in Brisbane, Australia.

As we crossed one water garden, a flicker of orange and gold caught my eye. The discovery of a gorgeous koi pond put a smile on my lips. I watched each fish delicately glide through the water skirting the lily pads as they went. I could have stayed for hours caught in their mesmerizing movements.

The garden also offers visitors a lovely stroll in an open park-lawn setting with a picturesque water feature, as well as a gazebo and stage. Weary legs can find ample sitting areas throughout the gardens, too.

The next time you're in the Grapevine area visiting Lego Discovery Center or shopping at Grapevine Mills, be sure to take time out of your day and enjoy the serenity of the gardens at Heritage Park.

The Homeschooling Life :: Changing Gears - A Mini Semester

My youngest son has already finished his first term of 5th grade. Boy, that went fast! We have about 6 weeks before our Christmas break and since we homeschool the next six weeks will consist of a mini semester of learning. While we will still complete his daily work, (math, language arts, etc.), I'm changing the normal school routine by providing a few major differences to keep him engaged before the holidays. 

While change is not always a good thing for him, we've thoroughly discussed the upcoming differences to lessen any surprises and I've asked him about a few topics he might like to cover in addition to his regulars. He was very eager to help me make plans and he is really looking forward
to our new lessons.

Here's a peek at some of his additional educational experience and life lessons:

National Novel Writing Month (nanowrimo.org)

November heralds this yearly festivity of writing daily to produce a novel within a single month. While my
5th grader isn't quite ready for this heavy writing load, I'm planning on adapting this wonderful concept to
meet his needs and my writing requirements. Each week, he will write mini books and 
learn how to develop the plot, conflict, characters, and even provide illustrations for each of those. 

A great book to kick off this writing lesson is The Library Mouse written by Daniel Kirk. The story focuses
on a mouse who writes a variety of stories that he shares with the children who visit the library and they, 
in turn, create their own little books to share with others. This is one of his favorites to read.

Art & Drawing

In addition to our artist study, we will begin taking a look at the works of naturalist John Audubon in 
preparation for our avian studies beginning next term. 

We will also work on creative arts via mixed media using several ideas and techniques presented by 
one of my favorite online art bloggers, The Artful Parent. She currently has several posts using 
natural fall elements with art techniques. Zentangling leaves in silver and gold is first on the list of fun
art projects.

Science

Beyond nature study, I've got a plethora of great science experiments and activities planned to accompany 
our recent readings on Issac Newton and the adventures of Lewis & Clark. In regards to Newton, we will
be investigating matter, mass, friction, prisms, density, momentum, forces and more. Lewis & Clark's 
exploration has my guy interested in animal tracks, creating his own sextant, learning how to map
with the stars, and making his own candles. Check out some of my pins on Pinterest! 

History

My son is also very eager to delve deeper into the Native American tribes encountered by Lewis & Clark
during their travels. We'll spend more time reading up on the individual tribes and create a map depicting
tribal boundaries during Lewis & Clark's time. 

In addition, we will review the history we just completed in our first term and create an interactive timeline 
of events and people. I'm really looking forward to seeing what aspects of history he finds important 
to include on his timeline and why. 

Christmas & Winter Holidays Around the World

This was one of the topics requested to be covered during our mini semester and I am happy to oblige. 
I think cultural studies is always a plus and what better way to do it then through holidays and customs! 
We will start with Christmas and then work our way through the others - Hanukkah, Las Posadas, 
Saturnalia, Boxing Day, Festivus (just kidding!), and a few others. I'm hoping to find books in our library 
about all of these different holidays and allow him to find activities relating to them. Our children's 
museum is also hosting a program in early December about different Christmas traditions, so we
will be sure to attend. 

We will also read Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol over the next six weeks. My youngest has performed 
in the theatrical production of the story, but I would really love for us to sit by the fire each day and 
enjoy reading it together. I can just see him now, curled up with his cat and drinking hot cocoa. 

Handicrafts & Community Service 

My youngest is planning to work on several handicrafts before winter break, mostly making Christmas 
gifts, but he also wants to learn how to weave his own fishing nets like Lewis & Clark and create a solar
oven to cook smores. 

He and I have a special project we will be attempting, too. It's called Kokedama and it is the Japanese art
of enclosing a plant's roots in a ball of moss and then suspending the plant to create a small hanging 
garden. It resembles the art of bonsai, but it is much simpler and less time consuming. 

Throughout the year, we work on various community service projects. This six weeks, he will be 
collecting canned foods for the Thanksgiving Food Drive, as well as working on several other smaller
projects. We will also be filling 2 bags for the homeless.
I'm hoping he also chooses a random act of kindness he can bestow upon someone.


We have a lot to accomplish in six weeks, but it will be fun and interactive. I know we will both enjoy it! 
As we move through our lessons, I'll share some pictures, our activities, and how it all ended up. Hope
your school year is moving right along and don't be afraid to change things up a bit to keep you fresh an 
an educator and your learner engaged in their lessons.

A Christmas Tradition :: Moscow Ballet's Great Russian Nutcracker

I love the Moscow ballet! One of my most favorite memories from college happened to be my front row seat to the Moscow ballet's performance of Swan Lake! I oohed and ahhed over the gorgeous dances and their costumes; especially every single hand sewn sequin and feather. Marvelous! 

Now's your opportunity to see them preform the Nutcracker in Shreveport on November 21st! My readers can save on tickets with this exclusive offer from US Family Guide. 

The Nutcracker Ballet is the ultimate holiday tradition and will create memories for a lifetime. The production includes over 200 romantic costumes and 10' tall playful animal puppets; shimmering colorful, backdrops splashed with 3-D effects; life-sized Matrushka (Nesting) Dolls and a puppet show for shadowing the Nutcracker Story at the opening Christmas Party. 



During the battle with Nutcracker Prince and the 3-headed Rat King, a golden cannon shoots roses! In the Magical Snow Forest an authentic Russian style Troika Sleigh, known as the fastest sleigh in the world, is escorted by Father Christmas (Ded Moroz) and Snow Maiden (Snegurochka) on their way to Act II. 

The Great Russian Nutcracker is known for its dedication to world peace with Act II named the "Land of Peace and Harmony." The first scene of Act II features a stunning "Dove of Peace" with a 20' wingspan and danced by 2 dancers each with one feathered wing. 

Be sure to get your tickets soon as they will sell out! All ages feel the spirit of the season at Moscow Ballet's Great Russian Nutcracker! Use the code JOY to get the biggest discount of the season for your family. Save up to $30 off ticket price!


For a Full Schedule of Event Dates/Venues and Times please visit: 
http://www.nutcracker.com/buy-tickets

In the Garden :: Pumpkins, Gourds, and Squash, Oh My!

October is synonymous with pumpkins, gourds and squash. Throughout the month, they are used for décor, the main ingredient of seasonal dishes and as children’s whimsical canvas for spooky designs. However, did you know pumpkins and gourds, as well as squash, come in more shades of color than orange or yellow?

1. Red Warty Hubbard 2. Jack-O-Lantern 3. Jack-Be-Little 4. Apple 5. Sweet Pie 

6. Cheddar 7. Turk’s Cap

With over 300 varieties of pumpkins, gourds, and squash grown annually, it is amazing to discern the color palette of nature: oranges, greens, yellows, blues, whites, striped, splotched, and spotted. Textures also vary greatly. Due to the close familial orientation of the three, it can often be difficult to tell them apart. All are members of the Cucurbita family, with each variety belonging to a different sub-category. It seems the stem is the primary way to distinguish a pumpkin from the group. If the stem appears woody and hard, it can be deemed a pumpkin. A common adage for determining differences often insists, “A gourd is generally something you look at; a squash is something you eat; and you carve a pumpkin.” However, I personally admit to eating more pumpkins than I have ever carved; therefore, I recommend taking the above advice with a grain of salt.

When visiting your local garden center this season, stop by the pumpkin patch and see what types of pumpkins, squash, and gourds you can discover. Children enjoy seeing the many varieties available (to be honest, adults do too), especially the Fairy-tale and Cinderella pumpkins.

 If you plan on creating your own pumpkin patch for next year, start planting seeds by mid-June to ensure harvesting by October as most varieties take between 80 to 125 days to mature. I would recommend creating dirt mounds about 10” to 12” in height to plant seeds. These mounds will allow for proper drainage and keep your seedlings from drowning. Pumpkins don’t require excess watering like watermelons; be sure to keep to normal watering requirements of most vegetables.

How does your family incorporate the natural beauty and deliciousness of autumn’s bounty into your household?

In the Garden :: Get Ready to Plant Wildflowers

One of my dear friend's graciously reminded me about Texas wildflower planting season. Every year and with good intention, I purchase wildflower seeds and forget to sow them in early November. By the time April and May come around, I find myself sorely disappointed in my wildflower bloom count on our property.

Planting wildflower seeds is one of the easiest garden tasks you can attempt:

1. First, choose a spot on your property that receives six or more hours of sunlight a day (unless you are planting a partial shade mix).

2. Then, prepare the soil by clearing the area of all existing growth. Sometimes, the soil may need to be turned and raked flat or if it is an area that hasn't be planted before, it may need to be lightly tilled.

3. You can mix the seeds with sand for better visibility and either sow by hand or a seed spreader, depending on your plot size.

4.Lightly compress sown seeds into the soil, but be careful not to bury them.

5. Water occasionally, but do not soak the seeds.

So, with her reminder this morning, I promptly purchased my seeds from Wildseed Farms located in Fredericksburg, Texas. I ended up ordering the Texas/Oklahoma blend in a quart pound bag for $9.95 plus shipping and handling. I truly love visiting Wildseed Farms in person whenever I am in the hill country, but I'm also thankful they have an online store available to the rest of Texas. They even have a mail-order catalog if you prefer that route.

I've marked SOW WILDFLOWER SEEDS on my calendar for November 1st, which happens to be the day we set our clocks back and change the batteries in our smoke detectors. Here's hoping I sow seeds, too!

Family Fun :: BrickUniverse in Dallas!

Look what's coming to the Dallas Area - BrickUniverse!!!

Don't miss this great opportunity to spend a fun-filled weekend up to your elbows in LEGO bricks at BrickUniverse! Join LEGO fans of all ages at the Irving Convention Center in Dallas November 14th - 15th. 

Choose from Saturday or Sunday admission, and experience hands-on LEGO attractions and activities built to inspire, educate, and entertain. This fun, family-friendly event will have tons of amazing LEGO creations to gawk at, building zones to unleash your creative energy, guest speakers and more in the LEGO theatre, and vendors selling the latest LEGO sets, minifigs, and accessories. 

Click to save $15 off admission!

Texas Monsoon Season :: Rainy Day Activities

Monsoon: a seasonal prevailing wind in the region of South and Southeast Asia, blowing from the southwest between May and September and bringing rain (the wet monsoon), or from the northeast between October and April (the dry monsoon).

I think I'd like to apply to Merriam-Webster for a new definition.

Monsoon: a hold on to your boots because it's still raining in Texas and it's nearly June occurrence wherein nearly every river in our great state is out of its banks, yards in East Texas quiver into mush at the slightest chance of precipitation, and Natural Bridge Caverns near San Antonio develops a new cave tour called Discovery Aquifer.

This is not normal, folks.

I do, however, appreciate this wonderful rain and its ability to bring us out of a drought that began in 2011. I don't think I have ever been as hot as I had that summer with 40 consecutive days of at least 100 degrees. I just wish we could find a happy weather medium and stick to it.

Needless to say, it has been a wild Spring; we've had tornadoes, flash floods, an over population of mosquitoes, and an abundance of pollen. Since January, Longview has experienced 30.5 inches of precipitation, not including today's deluge or the copious amounts predicted for the remainder of the weekend. Our average yearly total is 47.55 inches. I think we may hit that mark a little early this year!

So, what's a girl to do with 2 boys who didn't get to play out their soccer season and end up with cancelled park days?

Rainy Day Activities:

1. Get creative - Make duck tape anything, paint with rain water, or even 3D print your heart out. The sky is the limit when it comes to creating, and Pinterest can help get you started.

2. Have a bake-a-thon - Bake cookies or breads, try out that newest recipe, or even prep meals for the coming weeks. Kids love helping in the kitchen.

3. Visit the gym - If you've got a membership to your local gym or YMCA now is the perfect time to dust it off and go for some exercise!

4. Talk a walk - As long as the rain is light and there's no thunder, head to the closest trail head and take a walk. Nature will surprise you in the rain. Don't forget your umbrella and rain boots!

5. Clean it out - This is the perfect time to clean out closets, go through junk drawers, and organize the garage before summer and sunshine hit, because once it's here, I won't be cleaning!

6. Catch up on your reading - Summer reading programs across the country are beginning. Why not visit your public library and check out some great spring and summer reads!

7.  Go Bowling - If you aren't signed up yet, you should be! Kids Bowl Free is a great program and it is already underway.

Giveaway :: Big Tractors with Casey & Friends and a CASE IH Toy Tractor

Now is your chance to win your very own copy of Big Tractors with Casey & Friends by Holly Dufek and a CASE IH Magnum 370 CVT toy tractor!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Contest is open to US residents only. Winner will be drawn randomly. Closes May 28th.

The Review is In :: Big Tractors with Casey & Friends by Holly Dufek

 

When my boys were younger, squeals would erupt from the backseat of our car as we passed by working farms. The machinery on site would captivate them, and they would diligently watch tractors or combines march up and down a field. I’ve often wondered if it was the sheer size of these machines, their bright colors, or even their noise that caught their attention. I think all little children are at one time drawn to these mechanical beasts.

If you’ve got a son or daughter eager to learn more about farm implements, then Big Tractors with Casey& Friends by Holly Dufek, a seasoned educator and national curriculum writer, and illustrated by Pixar “Cars” artist Paul E. Nunn may be right up their ally. Published by Octane Press, Casey & Friends is a newly created series of books designed to not only entertain, but also educate children on how tractors, combines, and other farm equipment operate. By using photographs of CASE IH equipment in real farming situations with cartoon characters, children make the connection of from farm to table.

Readers follow Casey the farmer, Tillus the worm, Big Red the Tractor, and a whole cast of cartoon equipment characters who teach important life lessons gleaned from the farm, like thinking ahead and working as a team. Each title is licensed by CASE IH and highlights a different aspect of farm equipment and technology with educational sidebars, picture glossaries, and fun farming facts for added learning possibilities.

As a parent, I find this a great resource for all the burning questions regarding farms and tractors I received from my little ones! The story is well conceived and reminds me of the Thomas the Tank Engine series of books, but for farming. This style of writing is a wonderful resource for any household, especially if your children have an interest in large machinery.

One of my favorite parts in Big Tractors is the Red Tractor Timeline and the farming flashback section. Many children do not know how farming occurred before 1910 and to understand how tractors evolved is quite an interesting story. If you happen to live in the East Texas area, I highly encourage you to visit Parrott Park & Agricultural Museum in Lindale, Texas, where you can see the timeline of tractors in person.

 

 

Another feature of the Casey & Friends series is that the educational material is not “dumbed down” for children. While written with young children in mind, the books still effectively and briefly explain complex ideas to children, such as hydraulics, the advanced farming system (AFS), and power takeoff.

Currently, there are 4 books in the Casey & Friends series: A Year on the Farm (released in January 2015), Big Tractors (released in April 2015), Combines (scheduled to be released in June 2015), and Planters & Cultivators (scheduled to be released in September 2015). They books are geared for children ages 4-8 and are printed in the USA.
 

Be sure to visit this link for a chance to win your very own copy of Big Tractors and a CASE IH tractor toy.

 

 

Holly Dufek has spent nearly 15 years writing and working with educational curriculum for publishers such as Holt McDougal, National Geographic Education and Riverside Publishing. She holds a master’s degree in Education and lived in Kenosha, WI, with her husband, Matt, and their three children.

Paul E. Nunn is a full range artist who has worked for Disney, Nickelodeon and Sesame Street. He lives in Racine, WI, with his wife, Amy, and their two sons.
 

 {Please note, I was provided a copy of this novel to review by PR by the Book and Octane Press.}

Get Organized :: A Daily Planner Sheet for All Your Organizing Needs

Happy Tuesday!

Today, I'm sharing a simple organizing sheet I created to help keep my day, well, a bit more organized! You'll find a spot to help you check-off your To-Do list, manage your daily tasks and cleaning, as well as make notes for items you need to purchase and track your goals. In addition, this sheet will help plan your daily meals (BLD = breakfast, lunch, and dinner), lay out the events of the day and even keep you focused on fitness!

Now, if only it could run your errands for you! Hope you can use it to keep you organized this Spring!