Bird Banding

Michael took the older boys to the state park to learn how to band birds.  They really enjoyed themselves!  I stayed home with the younger munchkins.  It was fun hearing about their adventures upon their return.  I was surprised to hear about all the birds they found, as well as how much of a hands-on event it turned out to be.

The birds were caught in mist nets in the morning, and then banded within a couple of hours.  The boys were not allowed to band the birds, as one must have a special permit to do this.  Of course, now all the boys want to find out how to get a permit so they can band birds!  I love their enthusiasm!

Here are a few of their pictures from the experience:

Our friendly Ranger Craig

Banding a female cardinal

Sean was able to release the first bird of the season...the cardinal from above!

Measuring a female lesser goldfinch

Edward was allowed to pet a male lesser goldfinch 

Henry released a female cardinal

The ranger told us this was the first White-eyed Vireo he has ever banded at the park!

This is an Inca dove banded and released by the ranger!

The Rest of Our Summer

A few things I thought I should mention!

Many days of August (and the last of our summer) was spent exploring the local area looking for geo-caches.  If you have never enjoyed this hobby, I would just like to say that it is a lot of fun!  It can also be very addictive!  Imagine driving up to a spot to go grocery shopping or go to a doctor's appointment...and the first thing you do is check to see if there are any hidden boxes in the vicinity!  Well, that is what I find myself doing!

Geocaching is an inexpensive way to spend your extra time.   All that is needed is a GPS unit (we use our smart phone) and a little time.  We have an app on our phone that shows us where a cache is located within a mile of our current location.  If you go to the website, you can see the MANY caches that are hidden around the world!

The caches can be as large as a gallon tub (or possibly larger) and as small as a pencil eraser!  The only requirement in a cache is to have a way to log the find; however, most caches of any size have other surprises.

The best part of the caching is going to places that we might not know about otherwise.  We also learn the history of the locations as the caching community are big about history, nature, and having fun....just like us!  They even have special CITO (Cache IN Trash OUT) events to help pick up litter.  They also leave messages in caches to leave no trace, which is a message we share often.  We need to leave things like we find them as much as possible to protect the environment!

The month of August we were given a special challenge.  It was a way to show the variety of caches that can be hidden and found.  We found puzzler caches that have riddles to help discover the cache.  We found earth caches that relate facts about the geological features of an area. These caches usually have a question to answer about the area to "earn" the find.  Then we found a multi-cache that has 3 or more locations to discover before the final cache is recorded.  The best cache was the social cache that took us to a pizzeria to meet other cachers!

We even took the time to hide our own multi-cache!  It was so much time researching the area and placing the caches in just the right place so the mugglers (Those who do not cache.) will not find the caches.  We also had to determine the GPS coordinates for the locations.  It was a great way to learn about coordinates.

We have also attended to caching events that were fun for the family.  We went to a local state park for an intro class in caching.  Then we went to a caching event that had a Pippi Longstocking theme...we became "Thing Finders!"

So...it keeps us busy...and there are enough caches to keep us that way for many years to come.  I am so glad we were able to do this.  And maybe by writing this blog post, I will add others to our addictive hobby!  If you want to follow our adventure, check out our Facebook page!

Birthday Blast

What do you get the girl who has everything?  Well, Zaira might not have everything, but she does seem to have what she needs.  So, when her birthday came around this weekend, we had to find a way to make it special.  We thought long and hard about not wanting to bring any more toys into the house.  In spite of the fact that we have all these boys in the house, we also have a lot of girly things left over from Amanda (and also my old dolls and toys).

Then I had a brain storm... for those of you who have read the blog or seen our pics on Facebook, you know that we had a very special butterfly bench at a park for Zaira to take pictures throughout her first year.  We have really missed that bench since we moved away.  SO...I looked into buying her a butterfly bench.  We could never afford the one like the park, but we found a nice one (on a much smaller scale) for a price we could afford.  Michael put it together and set it out for Zaira to find.  We were so pleased when we saw how much she loves it!  We hope to have many happy butterfly pictures for a long time to come!

It happened that her birthday was also the last day for the summer reading program at our local library.  The boys had been telling Zaira all week taht the library was going to help celebrate her birthday with an ice cream party.  The librarian heard and made a big show of her arrival.  We have such an awesome librarian!  The boys were almost as excited as Zaira as they walked through a spray of bubbles to start out the fun afternoon...all for Zaira they insisted! (more on the library event in my blog later this week).

Michael had his military weekend so we did not have a lot of time to celebrate, but we did make an amazing FOUR layer CHOCOLATE cake with CHOCOLATE icing...emphasized because it was really that extreme!  We also had Amanda come for a visit.  She had made Zaira a special gift...her very own tail!  It is so cute and Zaira loved wearing it and rubbing it on her cheek!  I thought she would sleep with it but we distracted her with the chocolate cake.  However, the tail will be a cherished play thing I am sure!  She also opened her card from Gramma.  Zaira was very excited to learn she was going to go shopping (Lord, help us when she is a teenager!) with her cash gift!

On Sunday, after a Family Fun Day at the park with Michael battalion, we added to the fun weekend with a trip to Corpus Christi.  It is a short drive down that way (as we discovered when we took Henry to camp) and we thought Zaira would enjoy a special memory.  Of course, we all would be able to enjoy the memory with her so I guess it ended up being a family gift for Zaira.  We had a restful evening at a hotel and went to bed early, so we could go to the beach before the break of day to see the newly hatched Kemp Ridley sea turtles released into the ocean!

All I can say about the experience...if you have never had this opportunity and are able to get to the Padre Island National Seashore, you need to find a way to do this.  While we waited for the release, we also had a chance to photo the large full moon of the season (known as the Sturgeon Moon).  We got a few pictures before listening to the ranger talk.


It was a great visit to the beach and the sea turtles are adorable.  They are highly protected from being endangered.  We were able to stay gathered around the release area in order to clear the way for their successful trip into the water.  It was a wonderful experience.  This makes you remember that all life is important...no matter how small...and that is certainly true for these little turtles as they are only the size of an Oreo cookie..."a bite size morsel" as the park ranger told us.

The picture I missed...found on line.

To continue our nature theme, we headed to a nature preserve in Port Aransas in search of the Roseate Spoonbill and other coastal birds.  We traveled down the Salt Water Trail and saw various species.  However, we had almost returned from the trail with no sign of our "Rosie-bird."  Henry and Edward had run ahead while the rest of us lingered on the trail to look.  When we were almost back to the trail head, Henry and Edward ran up and told us that they had seen it!  Did we see it fly overhead?  NO!!!!  So we dejectedly headed back to the van.  However, as we were walking through a pavilion, we saw it!!!  I tried to take a photo but it was amazing how fast this big bird could soar through the sky!  But, it was a beautiful sight to see.  It makes me want to return in the fall when the population increases.

We also stopped at the beach here to let the children enjoy a salt water swim.  Zaira did not think much of the waves and clasped on to Michael the entire time.  The boys had a blast jumping through the waves and watching the surfer camp next to us.  Brendan splashed in the lower waves close to shore.  I got to take pictures and enjoy the breeze.  It did not take long for the sun to warm things up.  The sand got hot and we decided to stop and look for a cache with our GPS.  We found it under a bus stop bench near the pier.

After that excitement, the plan was to cross over on the ferry and find a place to have an early lunch and head home.  The ferry ride here is not very exciting as it only lasts about 3 minutes, but we were out on the water along with the larger ships for a little while.  We were not doing well at locating a restaurant, so we continued the path home.

We were heading back into Corpus Christi and there she was...the USS Lexington!  Brendan saw her first and hollered out..."There's an aircraft carrier!"  I was surprised he knew what it was, so I asked him how he knew..."I am a genius, Mom.  I can think!"  Oh my!  So, our nature study then became a history lesson.  We postponed our hunger for food to sustain our hunger for knowledge.

My favorite part of the tour was speaking to a Korean War veteran who was refurbishing a large scale replica of the USS South Dakota.  He had been working on it for over three years and had at least  two years before completion.  We talked about the replica we viewed at Pearl Harbor, which got us talking about his father in World War II.  He told me how he was too young, so his father had to go in his place.  It was another chance to hear about history from someone who lived it.  I love those kind of opportunities!

Of course, the boys loved going through the ship and pretending to LIVE the history through their imagination.  They loved walking through the hull of the ship to see the daily routine on an aircraft carrier.  There were also several historical airplanes on the flight deck.  The children all enjoyed exploring the area and taking pictures with all of the fighter planes as these are highly decorated and bright colors.  Zaira even inspected areas that most would have ignored.  I think she would make a good inspector!

We did finally enjoy a seafood dinner (instead of lunch).  It was great to talk about the day with the children, while we sat out on the open patio.  It was especially nice to re-hydrate after a full day of being outside.  The waitress was kind and always kept our glasses full!  I wrote on several postcards to send home...as I love to do this when ever we go on an adventure.  There was even a live show and Zaira insisted that Michael dance with her.  She is such a Daddy's girl!  A great way to end her birthday weekend!

Well, we also got home to half a birthday cake!  So, we enjoyed our dessert before crashing in bed!  Michael especially enjoyed his sleep as he had only had about 8 hours of sleep over a four day period!  However, I think we all enjoyed a good sound sleep after the adventure at the coast!

Catch Up Post

When I got on the site this evening to post about our adventure of this last week, I was shocked to see the lapse in time since my last post!  I guess it has just been a busy summer with little energy to post at the end of the day.

July was spent with camps, VBS, and family visits.  But mainly lots of time on the road.  This summer has also been unusually cool with temperatures in the 80s and lower 90s...which meant a lot of time enjoyed outside, especially at the pool.

The boys were able to get back into altar serving at our new church.  They even had the joy of heading to the annual summer party at a parishioner's home on the river.  They grilled hot dogs and played throughout the evening.  I am glad to see them getting involved in church now that we are getting settled.

I also got involved at the church with VBS...all of those years of running the program, I enjoyed just teaching a short class each day with the oldest group of youth.  The focus was on David and the Psalms, so I was able to share the importance of praising God through the Divine Office...one of my favorite methods of prayer.  On the last day we had a fun water game day.  I guess God wanted to join in the fun as He had us playing in the rain...just a sprinkle!

We also had fun with my nephew, Karson, that week.  He does not get away from home often and we do not have opportunity to see him as they live south of Houston.  He seemed to like his visit and the VBS, which I am glad to know.

We dropped Karson off with my brother, just in time to run to the resale stores near our house to throw together some costumes.  Our library was having a Doctor Who party....and of course the boys could not resist the opportunity to dress up like their favorite Doctors.  Sean dressed in a cream colored suit that I modified to have red stripes...he was the fifth Doctor.  Henry borrowed the scarf Amanda made for Uncle Root Beer and we found a jacket and pants to add to the outfit.  Then we searched through boxes to find the hat my Dad loved to wear that was perfect for the fourth Doctor.  Edward seemed to have the easiest costume as he was the ninth Doctor and had more modern clothes.  We even found a genuine leather jacket that I hope to wear when the weather cools off this fall!

We arrived at the party just in time for the fun to begin.  I sat to the side and watched the boys mingle within the crowd of teens.  Mainly they just wondered through to the seating set up to watch a few episodes.  Then they entered the costume contest.  Without a doubt, Henry won first place (The Tom Baker Doctor will always be a crowd pleaser!).  He won a movie night for two and offered to take me to the movies!  Sean was the unofficial second place although not announced to the entire group and no prize was given out.  Most of all the boys enjoyed themselves with other Who fans!

We spent the next day frantically packing Henry for his week long wildlife camp.  The next day we drove him down to the Corpus Christi area and decided to make a quick stop at the National Seashore on Padre Island.  I had hoped we would be there to see the Ridley turtles hatch but the little critters did not cooperate with us!  We are already planning a trip back to try again in August.  It is only a 3-hour drive away so it would make a nice day trip.  The boys and Zaira still enjoyed the few minutes of ocean waves before heading on our way.  Actually, Zaira did not like the sand at first as you can see in the picture above...but she eventually figured it out and had a good time.

I will save the camp stories for Henry to tell...so check out his blog in the next few days.

During the VBS week and the week of Henry's camp, Sean and Edward were able to enjoy 4-H Insect Camp.  Sean was an assistant and Edward was a camper.  I will save those details for Sean's entomology blog.  All I can say...it was strange and oddly quiet with only the two little ones around most of the day.  But we did not just sit around...I was preparing for our trip to the national WHEP contest for Sean.  I also had to set up the meals for Michael while we were away.

I will save the second road trip adventure for another post.  I will also have Sean help me write a post for my 4-H blog (I have not written a post there in a LONG time!)

The Tale of Two Libraries

We started reading the classic novel, Tale of Two Cities, tonight.  Edward told me that it was fitting for the adventure we had today.  Some of the best things we have done as a family have taken place at the library summer programs.  We take full advantage of these events each summer.  Today that meant going to two different libraries in opposite directions!

We started out at a concert for the children at the San Antonio library.  This particular concert was pretty special…we have been a fan of this singer for MANY years.  We were introduced to Lucas Miller, the singing zoologist, when Amanda was a young participant in a wildlife educator’s workshop.  She was so excited when she came home with the first of many CDs.  Miller sang the songs that related to what we were teaching in our 4-H projects.  We especially loved the Wild...Wild...Wildlife song...but Snakes Aren't Slimy and The Bald Eagle's Song were played often as well.

Miller did not let us down...he had a great performance and we got a chance to thank him after the show.  Zaira and Brendan danced and all of us sang along with the music.  He even surprised us with a couple of new songs!  We also found out he has several books for sale as well.  We will have to check those out soon!

Our library adventure was not over...we took the children home and Michael, Zaira and I headed to the Spring Branch/Bulverde library for an adult program.  There was a one man show (Duffy Hudson) in which we learned about the life of Einstein.  This was a great show because it was both informative and entertaining...actually quite humorous!  Unfortunately, Zaira decided sitting quietly for over an hour was not her idea of fun, so I had to take her out after the first twenty minutes!  Michael on the other hand enjoyed hearing about Einstein’s life, the speed of light, time travel, gravity and space!  

Over the years at these events, our family has had the opportunity to have our picture taken with "famous people."  The actors get a kick out the photo opportunity and we fill our memories with the event and what we learned.  There is nothing like telling someone that you met Einstein and watch their reactions!  We have "met" Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, The Wright Brothers, Martha Washington, Bill Clinton...and many other historical characters!  It is a great way to make the information stick...instead of the "boring" school text!   

I wish all the children could have enjoyed the experience tonight.  Maybe he will come again as a different character in history.  We were told he also acts out Edgar Allen Poe, Dr. Seuss, and Charles Dickens!  

A big thanks to both libraries for helping us have a great experience.  Libraries help to keep the boredom of summer at bay!  The best part...Michael and I got to spend our 21st wedding anniversary doing what we love best...spending time with each other at the library!

Look Who I Found!

I grew up with six brothers and I love them all so much!  They all have their different personalities and quirks...don't we all?  For the most part I can keep track of their whereabouts and activities...HOWEVER, there is one brother who always finds a way to surprise me.

This last weekend we decided to head out for an adventure.  We went to church and then took a drive to Fredericksburg.  We explored the Wildseed Farm...drifting through the various paths of plants for sale and the gardens.  It was amazing to see the fields of flowers grown to produce seeds!  The gardens were so beautiful with shade to beat the summer heat.  We especially enjoyed the butterfly gardens and frog pond!  We also enjoyed a simple lunch in their cafe.

Then we went further into town to find the local hardware store to pick up some supplies to fix our closet.  This particular store also carries a line of furniture, which we love to buy.  The children were climbing all over the furniture and I was constantly trying to herd them out of the store.  At one point, I noticed a woman watching the scene before her and smiling.  As I walked past, I joked that the furniture must be durable to withstand my children.  We both had a chuckle and went on our way!

We made our way out of the store with our purchases.  Michael had to go back in to take care of a last minute item so we were waiting in the van outside of the store.   Then he comes running out shouting, "Michelle Reynolds...get out of the van and get in here...now!"   I was a little taken aback but this urgency but he repeated the directive so I got out and walked into the store.

AND THERE HE WAS...my brother, Damian...I was in shock!

You have to understand...I had not seen him in almost 5 years...He lives outside of Houston and works in the medical field...he was once a traveling nurse and then settled into a job there.  I have talked to him from time to time but he likes to live care-free and not much on plans...I love him for his free-spirit...and his creative mind!  BUT...it is hard to find him at times...I have children he has not even met!  LOL!

How did we end up in the same hardware store on the same weekend?  It was just one of those coincidences that I love to talk about on this blog!  It was an amazing surprise!

Also...there was a woman standing next to him who looked familiar!  I said, "What!?  I was just talking to you!  This is wrong!  We were talking to each other and we did not even realize who the other one was...that is just so wrong!!!"

By this time, customers and store clerks were watching us...we were some kind of event for this small store!  I told Damian that we had to get a picture together as we might not see each other again in a while.  We had a nice lady volunteer so we could all be in the picture.

Oh...and the truth is we MIGHT get a second opportunity to see him...as he has promised to visit our mom next weekend!  YAY!!!  Twice in a week....I hope we can make it happen!

Where Does the Time Go?

Two weeks ago, I planned to write a blog about Sean's birthday...we had a lot of fun!  Unfortunately, the time has just slipped away from me!  So...I decided to combine a couple of events that just prove my point that time goes by too quickly!

First, Sean just turned SEVENTEEN years old!!!  It seems like yesterday I was bringing home this roly-poly little bundle of joy from the hospital!  He was all smiles and curls, which I know is hard to believe for most who know him now.

We decided to dub this birthday his peach fuzz celebration.  Michael started off the morning (after breakfast in bed, of course) with a lesson in shaving!  Sean was getting quite the mustache albeit blonde and not very noticeable.  Michael thought he could use the skill and pulled out the necessary regalia to teach the lesson.  I even have pictures of his first shave!

We later celebrated with a grilled dinner that ended with grilled peaches over angel food cake and topped with ice cream!  However, we had to do some gross boy stuff first!

That's right...we spent the afternoon at our new museum find...Witte in San Antonio is so much fun.  They happened to have a really awesome exhibit about the 'impolite science' of the human body.  I wrote a little bit about this exhibit in my last post.  Let me just say, I was glad we had the chance to enjoy this with Michael or we would not have stayed long.  It was really a guy kind of fun...Mom just does not get it!

Then after a few days, we were able to find a good deal on a new mountain style bike for him  Thankfully, he realizes he is not quite ready for the four-wheeled variety of vehicle!  He loves his new bike and now all the boys race each other around the neighborhood!




The other big mind blowing experience in the last few days was related to Amanda.  She and a friend signed their first lease on an apartment!  Now...Amanda has lived on her own over the last couple of years but this was the first time HER NAME was on a lease.  Very proud of her!  She was so excited!  We were able to help her and her friends move things over to the new place.  I was glad we were a part of this big event in her life!

It is a cute apartment and just the right size.  They need a few items to make it complete but they have a good start.  We were able to supply a bedroom set and other items for the place...they really need another small bed and some living room furniture...sofa and coffee table.  And, the big wish item is a washer and dryer as they have the hook ups in their pantry.  I am sure they will be creative and make it happen!

Great moving buddies!

I went away a proud Momma but with a little sentimental twinge in my gut.  I cannot believe how quickly they leave the nest!  God bless them and help me to hold the little ones while I can as they will be gone soon and I will just have the memories!  It makes me want to keep this blog up-to-date even more!  So b looking for even more posts in the future!