Nature walks

We live across the street from a rather large pond. The boys have come to love the ducks, turtles, deer, and beavers that live in the pond. Anytime we go outside to get into the car, Taylor has to say hello to the duckies and blow them kisses. Taylor has a special bond with the ducks, a bond that I can't use words to describe. He will sit or stand for hours and talk to "his" ducks. He often cries when we don't have time to go visit the ducks. I often talk about the big crocodile that lives in the pond, which seems to be working to keep the boys out of the water. We fed the ducks every Saturday morning and each week more and more come. I'm not sure how we are going to handle the winter months without the ducks! Most afternoons I take the boys on a nature walk, mostly for the exercise and the educational value. THEY LOVE THESE WALKS!
Saturday morning feed.


Riley often tells me that he was in the jungle and he wasn't even scared. Today as we were entering North Oaks to go to school, Riley asked, " Mom what is this jungle called?" I explained to him that it was the North Oaks jungle and he gets to go to school there this whole year. Today was also the start of the first day of the North Oaks soccer team, made up of 3 year old boys and girls. It was pouring rain so they canceled, so next Thursday the team will take the field after class.


Riley not to happy about the group shot.....



Other updates:
Riley is starting to read. I realize that it is word recognition and memory but still the time I have invested in books is starting to pay off. He can also write his name, spell his name, and complete dot to dot exercises. He is learning Spanish in school so I better start studying! Every night before bed, we practice tracing letters, and learning new sounds.

Taylor is 18 months and has learned that public restrooms are quite a lot of fun. As I am trying to hurry to use the bathroom he has climbed under the stall and is splashing away in another toilet. Taylor's vocabulary is expanding by the day and he can easily say 50 plus words. He also says "thank you" and "excuse me". ( my boys may never be clean but they will have proper mannors!) Both boys are looking forward to Halloween, the costumes are already bought and hung.