All about Kangaroos

I can't believe HOW MUCH FUN it's been studying for our Wednesday night kid's class!!! I recently told you about the book I read about Oceans, and I have another stack at home of fascinating books!

This week we were supposed to teach about Kangaroos, so I got to do the research....and here are some irresistable facts about Kangaroos:

• There are 45 species of kangaroos, varying in size from 12 inches to 6 feet tall
• They can travel up to 70mph
• They cannot move backwards
• They cannot move their hind legs independently (walking motion) except when swimming
• Some species live in trees
• Males are called bucks, females, does, and babies, joeys
• Kangaroos are herbivores
• Most are nocturnal
• Some species take up to 9 months to leave the mother’s pouch

This website was great.And we made tie dye bandanas from Kool-Aid!

I've been able to upload our black and white lesson plans to the church website now, if you'd like to take a look and/or use them.

Sunday Events

This week is quite full of fun events!

Saturday I went with friends on our Bemidji Tour.

Sunday, we had fellowship dinner at church, and then M. and I drove down to Brainerd to attend their 10th anniversary celebration where we had singing, stories, memories, musical specials, and keg rootbeer afterwards.

Sunday night was nice so we went out for ice cream with friends.

Monday night we had to say goodbye to the Johnsons as they head back home. Then we had some co-workers over for supper.....we made Chili Chicken and Fried Rice, and they brought a yummy dessert called Pistachio Bars.

And we have more guests and activities coming up! It's time to make a list so I don't forget to do certain things (like grochery shop! ha ha)

Touring

Last weekend 7 of us friends decided to "tour" Bemidji.

It was great.....because some of our friends were in town visiting that we don't get to spend much time with....it was great weather.....and there was lots to do.

We started at 8:30 in the morning taking a walk at a local park and reading the historical signs.

Then we went and canoed Lake Bemidji for about a 1/2 hour.

Next we headed downtown for some free coffee, doughnuts, and "tourist" shopping. We stopped at the local chocolate shop, a gift botique, some sculptures, an antique store, and the local sights.

Then we took a "historical driving tour," where we saw Paul and Babe, Chief Bemidji, the old courthouse, the "Gold Coast" of Bemidji, and ended up at the state park

We finished off with a picnic lunch, listening to the waves crash on the shore and a Native American Flute concert in the background. Nice.

Facts about Flounder

I'm reading an awesome book called "Oceans: An activity Guide for Ages 6-9" and I am finding out all sorts of cool things!

Did you know, that when a Flounder fish is born, it looks and swims like a regular fish, and then as it grows, it starts leaning to one side and one eye starts moving, until it is flat, whence it moves to the bottom of the ocean to live as an adult! ha!

Here is a funny folktale about why the Flounder is flat:

"Once, there was a lobster and a flounder who were good friends. Their favorite game was hide and seek. The only problem was, Flounder always found Lobster really easily, because the lobster's antennae were always sticking up and around things. Lobster was getting more and more frustrated at being found, and this was made worse because he had the hardest time finding Flounder. Day after day this happened, until Lobster became very angry. When Flounder came out of his hiding place, Lobster was so mad he rushed over and stamped on the flounder until he was flat. With all that stamping, one of poor flounder's eyes fell into the sand. Then Lobster felt bad about stomping on him. So he picked up Flounder's eye gently, and put it back on, right next to Flounder's other eye. And that is why Flounder's are flat and why his eyes are on the same side of his body to this day." ~ Nancy F. Castaldo

Did You Know.....

A group of cattle is a herd, a group of birds is a flock.

Do you know what a group of jelly fish is called?

(a Smack of jellyfish!)

(Image from Wikipedia's article on jellyfish)

For some interesting articles and pictures about Japanese jellyfish, check out this blog.

"A magnificent marriage begins not with knowing one another, but with knowing God."

~ Gary & Besty Riccucci