I'm Leaving On a Jet Plane....

Well technically it wasn't a jet and we didn't go far but we did get to fly in one of these.

The boys were so excited to be going to the airport. When we arrived there was a plane that had just landed and they went to the door to look at it. They couldn't believe they could get so close.

The trip started out with a great talk about the airport and about being a pilot. I liked that the airport manager told the children about the need for pilots and talked to them about how to become pilots. He also explained what the different areas of the airport were and then pretty much turned the kids loose to explore the terminal. They were especially intrigued with his office which he called the toy box. He had several Lego star wars creations along with numerous other toys on his shelves.

After exploring the terminal we headed outside to tour the airport. We started by watching a plane taxi down the runway and await clearance. Then the children got to sit in an airplane and use the controls. Next we headed to the gas tanks.

As we headed to the hangers to see some airplanes getting repaired this plane came to the tanks for a fill up.

The above plane was getting new engines. We learned that after so many hours of flight a plane has to have new engines installed and that once a year it gets a complete makeover of it's mechanical parts. Everyone was very friendly and answered all of the children's and adults questions.

This is an old war plane that is being made over and will become an airshow plane. We will have to remember to check in with the airport next year to see where the shows will take place.

While we waited for our turn to fly the kids got rides around the airport on the golf cart. They really enjoyed this. Especially when one of the dad's took them through a puddle. With all the rain we've had it wasn't hard to find water to play in. After our flight the kids continued to get rides while watching their friends take trips. The following pictures are all about the ride.

Oldest got to sit in the co-pilots chair while Youngest and I sat in the back. It was really neat to fly over our town and see places that we recognized. The boys both really enjoyed it. We only went 1000 feet up but it was fun to see the boys reaction to everything. They kept saying how everything looked like toys. I got a little air sick which surprised me since I have flown before with no trouble but commercial planes are much bigger with cool air. It was quite hot in the plane and you really feel the altitude changes more. I was ok and managed not to be sick but I was worried for minute or two.

This neat little two seatter came in just before we left. It was really neat looking and was a fun end to a great trip.
I send a HUGE thank you to our local airport for the great trip and the free rides!

Co-Op

We all had a good first day at C0-Op. I was nervous about remembering where classes were and about getting along with the teachers I was assigned to assist. I was also nervous about teaching the kindergarten Spanish class. I am the assistant in that class but the teacher and some of her family got sick and weren't able to make it. The Lord blessed by allowing me to have an assistant that was nearly fluent in Spanish. I think she actually did more teaching than I did! My friend laughed when she saw that I was going to be teaching Spanish because I have a very southern accent and I really just don't pull Spanish off very well but all in all the class went well. A funny moment came when I was getting ready to tell the kids some things about Spain and I thought I'd ask them where they thought people who speak Spanish live. Here's how the conversation went:

Me: Can anyone tell me where Spanish speaking people live?

Girl 1: Mexico.

Me: Good job! Anyone else have an idea of where people who speak Spanish live?

Girl 2: Florida

Me: Um, yes you're right they do live in Florida but I was thinking about Countries.

From the mouths of babes! I also assist in an American History class for high schoolers. We have three girls in that class. One LOVES to talk. The teacher also LOVES to talk. They can out-talk me and that takes a lot. We have another girl who will be happy to say nothing at all all semester and the third falls somewhere in between.

Both boys had a great time also. They came home talking about the new friends they met and the things they learned. Oldest had a magnetics class and learned about things that are attracted to magnets and things that are not attracted to magnets. He also had a Draw, Write Now class that he said he enjoyed but his overall favorite was PE. Youngest said his favorite was the Draw, Write Now class and the Drama class. He is doing a play about Daniel and has been singing a song with hand motions all day.

One thing that none of us enjoyed was the rain. We have had so much rain down here that we are getting flooded. Literally. Some of the area schools had to close today and are closed tomorrow due to flooding. I have never heard of schools in this area closing due to flooding. My friend said earlier that we never got rain days. It's sad. Instead of snow days are children are going to get stuck with rain days. And you can't even play outside in it. As a matter of fact there was a story today about a toddler that was swept away in part of the flood. The water from a flooded creek broke a families mobile home in two and the child was swept away and drown. My heart goes out to that family and to all the other families suffering from this storm.

Co-Op and Contest

Tomorrow is the first day of our first Co-Op. The boys are soooo excited. Youngest laid his clothes out for in the morning so we wouldn't be late. Oldest is really excited about PE and Youngest will be in a musical drama class. He keeps calling it his singing class. I promise to let everyone know how it goes when we get home. After C0-Op we have to do our normal Math and Language Arts/Literature and then we will be off to the vet. I will try to post our Airport trip with pictures tomorrow also.

I'm getting a series of catching up posts ready so everyone can see what we've been up to since my computer went ka-put last Spring. I need ideas for a name though. Anyone have any ideas? If I pick your name I will send you a goody box of surprises. Contest will be open until Sunday, October 11 at 9:00 pm EST.

Eating Right Kids

We all know how important eating right is. We also know how difficult it is to get kids to eat the healthy stuff. I love the ravioli commercial where the boy is happily eating a bowl of ravioli when dad comes in and starts to read the can, which says the ravioli has vegetables. Mom quickly picks up a spoon and starts banging the pots and pans so that son doesn't hear the dreaded vegetable word.
Well Warner Bros. Consumer Products has partnered with Safeway to provide healthier food choices for our children. Each product features Looney Tunes character on the package which catches the kids attention and makes them want that brand. I was recently sent an Eat Right lunch pack which included microwavable ravioli, a granola fruit bar, a fruit cocktail cup, and an apple juice. The kids were very excited. The ravioli was a hit the oldest and even youngest, who does not like the canned spaghetti type products, said that the sauce was good. The rest of the goodies were also a big hit.
There are over 60 items across 18 categories available in the product line. The categories include breakfast foods, produce, portable meals, dairy, snacks,beverages and frozen entrees. The Eating Right Kids line has been formulated to standards based on dietary recommendations and regulations from several federal and state agencies. The Warner Bros. Consumer Products and Safeway's Eating Right Kids initiative was highlighted by the Federal Trade commission for its ability to have a positive impact on childhood obesity. In addition to partnering with Safeway, Warner Bros. Consumer Products has taken the extra step of clearing retail shelves of the majority of foods featuring Looney Tunes that do not meet a "better-for-you" standard. As you are our shopping keep your eyes open for the Looney Tunes characters and you can be sure your child is getting a more nutritious snack.

I'm FINALLY Back!

Hi everyone! Or at least hi to the few people who still check on my blog. I've been gone for a while. First my computer went down and so then I borrowed my mom's laptop but I could only keep it for a short time so I've been without a computer for months. We found out it wasn't worth fixing due to the cost so we had to wait to be able to afford one. Unfortunately Hubby had an unexpected job change and just when we thought things were picking up he's had another. He is officially unemployed right now. He is picking up some temporary work here and there but hasn't found a permanent job yet. So we figured it would be a lot longer before I got back online. I was wrong. My wonderful grandparents surprised me with an early Christmas present and so here I am. I feel like I'm finally part of the world again. It was hard not being able to connect but it got even harder when we started the school year. I really didn't realize how much I counted on the internet for curriculum help and to research ideas and new curriculum. I also didn't realize how much I counted on just the computer without the internet. I needed it to make spread sheets and labels and all sorts of things. I am slowly catching up on my to do list and should be back to regular blog posts soon.
Oh, and I promise not to wait to long to update the look. I like the baseball but that ended a long time ago.
I can't wait to get back into the swing of things and back into blogging. I promise to visit you all soon and see if I can get caught up on whats been happening in your worlds. Thanks for hanging around and waiting on me to get back.