Even Joely knows it looks bad

Today we went and searched pond scum, so appropriatly I wore the uniform.

Joely came in my room when I was putting it on.

SHE BURST INTO BELLY LAUGHS!!!

She kept touching it like it was some strange textile.

It is.

When I walked out of the room, Quentin said it all in a word,

"Mom?"

I said, "Yes I'm wearing my uniform"
"really mom? Why do they want you to look lame?"

So we went and did the pond ecology at Sheldon Lakes State Park.

The boys learned about the food chain in the ponds and put on waders and skimmed the pond for lifeforms. It was a total blast! They skimmed the pond, and put lifeforms in a metal pan, then they put them in a big table on the outdoor classroom for better examination. They captured them in beakers with magnifying glasses.

Joely originally was on board to wade in the mud until she actually stepped in mud, she quickly sat down and took of her boots, and she was ready to go.
Sadly, Robert had to work this morning so he missed all the fun.

Dirty Socks and feet after the "wading"

Enjoying the fruits of their labors.

Here is David with his precious nymph. A dragon fly female lays her eggs in the water and that is where they hatch. They live as larvae for a spell and then morph into a nymph. They can live as a nymph for 6 months to a year. After that they morph into the dragon fly. They only return to the water to lay their eggs and the cycle goes again and again. An adult dragon fly can live up to a year in our forgiving climate, but in most places it's only 6 months.

Mr. almost a Bullfrog. He's still had a little bit of his tadpoleness and he's just getting used to his lungs. It was real neat to see. We also saw several small alligators, but like Quentin said, "where there are baby alligators, there is gonna be a mama alligator."

A green snake crossed our path too, and I screamed like a little girl. David said, "aw mom it's just a harmless green snake." So I told him, "the mambo in Africa is green and small and deadly."

To which my braniac son said,"This is texas mom."

and Quentin said, "Uncle Rex is in Africa."

The big picture in the title, is a sand table with different paw stamps so you can make animal tracks. My friend Melissa said, "I think this one is an opossum" and Alice said,"no it's not an opossum doesn't have claws" and then Melissa said,"how do you think they hold on when they are hanging upside down?" To which Alice said,"they use their little tiny opposable thumbs" And she's right you know!

All in all it was a great day. We look forward to a fun weekend!