3!!!

The highlight of this week was definitely our trip to the zoo!  It was our first time in years, but we hope to repeat it frequently now that we have a family pass again.  This was Rachael’s gift to the family for Christmas last year, but fortunately the clock didn’t start ticking until we used it for the first time.  Don’t ask me why we waited so long – it’s a long and sordid story of gas prices, out of town trips, and procrastination.

I pulled out my phone to snap photos and – wouldn’t you know it?! – the camera was broken.  It’s under warranty but this is the 5th time since July and I WANTED PHOTOS.  Thankfully Deanna’s phone camera was working so she snapped some good ones, but I am going to press for a new phone this time instead of yet another repair.

The zoo was was wonderful, though I was only able to take 7 of the kids this time.  It was a first for one or two of the youngest – I don’t remember just how long it’s been.  It was a perfect fall day – just a little chilly, but warming just to perfection as time passed. Parker studied each animal with his own brand of quiet delight, pointing and jabbering softly to himself and whoever was holding him.

Apparently somebody saw us, too.  An occasional reader emailed me later that day to say she had spotted us but didn’t recognize us until later.  (Note to self: quit procrastinating and answer some email, starting with that one!)

In the new Africa exhibit, we started out at the aquarium, spending several long minutes studying the hordes of fish.  There were big black oscars like the one my parents had when I was little, and cichlids like the older kids remembered from our own tank 10 years ago.  We watched them move about the tank, many of them nibbling at two huge boulders in the center of the tank.  Finally we moved on, looking for more exciting animals.

As we left the exhibit, Rachael tugged at my skirt.  ”Mom, are those hippos?”  I looked again at the massive boulders.  They had little tails right in the center.  And feet at the bottom.  Facepalm.  Hippo butts.

We had a good look at an impressive Nile Crocodile in the tank next to the hippos.  He had double rows of upright scales down the length of his heavily muscled tail, and after a few minutes he slowly opened his jaws wide, showing off rows of gleaming white teeth.  Perry loved him, but I held Parker up to see and his reaction was very different.  He made scared noises and desperately signed, “”All done!  All done!”

Bethany learned that elephants are actually much larger than anteaters.  Maybe she won’t confuse the two from now on.

I intended to spend just a couple of hours there, but before we knew it the clock struck 2.  On our way to the exit, we came across a sandy [man-made] river where kids were invited to splash, play and even swim.  I’m not sure if the zoo actually intends for children to take them up on the offer this late in the year, but I’m a cool mom every now and then.  It was over 60 degrees (or close enough) and most of my kids had a change of clothes in the van.  I let them splash around and get their legs wet, and we called it a day.

We ended with our traditional group photo on the lion sculptures at the entrance/exit.  Deanna was with us too, but insisted on being behind the camera.

Searches that lured unsuspecting visitors into our web on the web:

• reasons to have children, immediately after a search for reasons for headaches.  The first often shows up with searches for how to remove a toilet tank, too.  Is there a connection?  Is the pope Catholic?
• fun with dry ice – this wasn’t funny, but was fun and gets lots of google searches.  Maybe you’d like to see it?
• nursing giveaway – I’m not giving away any nursing.  You’re gonna have to get up in the middle of the night with your own kid.

What did your week look like?

Friends, neighbors, countrymen, lend me your ears! The Founding Fathers Project needs your help.  How is that for mixed metaphors?  I couldn’t resist, though, especially after I accidentally got sucked into 20 minutes of reading Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. I wanted to check the context of the quote (Shakespeare wrote some bawdy stuff, you know!) and forgot just how riveting his writing can be. For Brutus is an honorable man…

But there are only 47 hours left and counting, so I’ll quit reading for now.  Two young men we know – much more honorable than Brutus – are working hard on a project to bring history to life for young people.  We have known Preston and Daniel and their families for years through Vision Forum.  These bright young men are working to raise $15,000 to create an interactive history experience for the iPad.  They must receive the full amount in pledges by Friday, October 28 at 11:39 AM EDT or they won’t receive any of the pledges at all.  It’s all or nothing.

The men of The Founding Father’s Project are reviving tried and true historical content to teach in a fresh and appealing way in the struggle to preserve our history.

Using interactive, state of the art iPad book technology they are creating an app which draws the user into the pages of history and reanimates the framers of our Republic.…

While books continue to be published about our founders and their values, fewer people read… We have been given new access to current and future generations and these creative avenues of communication must be exploited and brought under the dominion of Christ. We must use all the weapons that providence has placed at our disposal and here is a ground-floor use for one of the newest. While George Washington was the sword of the founding of the Republic, Patrick Henry the trumpet, Thomas Jefferson the pen—without men like John Hancock and Henry Morris, who provided the purse, the day would not have been won.

Consider helping these creative young warriors seize the moment… to preserve the truths of the past for which our fathers pledged their lives and sacred honor to secure.

Looking for more specific info?  Here’s what Preston and Daniel are working on:

We are designing an interactive iPad App that will “speak” the language of today’s youth. The Founding Fathers Project App will have theme appropriate, intentionally selected, historically factual, edifying visual, and primary source historical content…all produced in the “language” of today’s youth. We at AppTankDesigns know the language and we believe we can use that language to make America’s providential history relevant to young people.

If you don’t think that’s particularly cool, maybe you aren’t aware of the possibilities.  I wasn’t aware of the possibilities.  Now I see why people are all in a tizzy about these new-fangled iPads.

Using the “learning by doing” method, this app will combine all three learning modalities (for all three types of learners: visual, auditory and tactile). This format can bring history to life using the language of the young and the God designed function of the brain.

I love that they are thinking in terms of 3 major learning styles!  This appeals to the educator in me, and shows me how likely it is to appeal to nearly anyone. I have a couple of interactive children’s books on my Android phone, and would love to see a truly riveting interactive history series like this for my phone, computer, or my children’s iPods.

Would you consider helping these guys today?  Even a few dollars helps if enough of us pitch in, and you might be entered in a drawing to win a free iPad.  Remember, if they don’t get pledges for the entire $15,000 your pledge won’t even be taken.  I’m doing it now!  I’m so serious, I’m not even procrastinating.

We spent the last 7 days in Tennessee on a whirlwind wedding trip that turned into a full-length vacation, thanks to car trouble.  No, not our own car trouble.  We were going to hurry home so as not to miss a Texas visit by my Tennessee sis and her family, but their own car trouble kept them home, so we stayed longer than planned.

This gave the girls time to hit a few thrift stores and expand their collection.

The Circle of Coghlan life

While were there, I discovered that the old lady’s still got it: I jogged 3 miles nonstop.  I guess I should confess that Perry and 2 of the girls were walking beside me while I jogged, so you can adjust your admiration and/or envy levels accordingly.  Nonetheless, I was thrilled.  This was the very sort of jogging that made me kiss the pavement in woozy despair last year, and I was sure I had lost the ability altogether after a full year of being a quitter.  Now I’m jazzed – almost – about taking up jogging again.

In other news, I have proof that I am One Hot Mama.  I may have slightly set fire to my bra.  While wearing it.  I blame the jogging, indirectly, because that caused me to be wearing a highly flammable cotton jogging bra and no nursing pads.  I was using a hair blower to dry a milk spot, and got it a little too close.  When I smelled smoke and saw the scorched spots, I decided it was dry enough.  You never knew I was a bra burner, did you?  Take that, patriarchy hating feminists!

Incidentally, Zulily has cotton nursing bras and camisoles on sale today 2/$11.99.  Just in case you happen to have burned any lately and need replacements.

Recent searches that lured flies into our web on the web:

Ok, you know what?  I see nothing funny.  Maybe that’s because I just drove straight through the night and am now going on 2 hours of snoozing between 6-8 AM.  Maybe our blog had a really boring week.  This week it’s your turn.  Did your blog receive any hits from interesting searches?

Good blog articles I’ve read over the past week:

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