Glorious Sunday Morning

It is another beautiful day in Central Florida today, the sun is shining, the birds are chirping, what is that unusual sound...a rare Florida Bird, Frog, Gator....no it's me STILL COUGHING!

If you don't homeschool sorry you may not find this as funny as us Homeschooling Moms

*A Homeschool Mom’s New Year’s Resolutions*

I will not be late for field trips, classes, parties, doctor's
appointments, church or any other important events, even if I have to take the baby 'as is.'

I will limit my email/facebook to two hours a day so I can remember to feed the children.

I will quit stealing grocery money to buy more books at the local library sale.

I will never again try to figure out how everything we do & purchase is a tax deduction for education.

I promise not to get mad or yell at anybody before church, even if the children have to go with one shoe and unmatched socks.

I will quit hiding in the bathroom when the children overwhelm me.

I will start a home business to finance my book addiction. I think I'll start with buying and selling books on eBay.

I promise myself I will lose 20 pounds before my high school reunion in June.

I promise to read all the neat books I bought to the children before I sell them on eBay.

I promise to put $20 every week into my Education Envelope so I don't cry in the
vendor hall at our local homeschool convention this spring.

I will go to bed on time so I can wake up before the baby, even if I have to leave the dishes in the sink, again.

I will wash the car every week and clean it out after every trip out of town.

I promise to control all conflict, including screaming, kicking, throwing things, slamming
doors, pouting, fighting, leaving, locking people in the bathroom, and other such childish behavior, when I don't get my way.

I promise to read to the children every night and quit pretending I'm asleep.

I promise not to usurp the answering machine's authority.

I promise not to hog the computer once my husband has come home from work even
though he only wants to play solitaire.

I promise to try to think of one positive thing to tell my husband when he comes home
from work before I unload on him the 20 things that went wrong.

I will try not to buy one more math program.

I promise to teach my children the correct response to store clerks and bank tellers so
they don't reply, 'I don't go to school.'

I promise to quit bribing my children to be quiet by paying them money or candy.

I promise to read all the books I own before I buy anymore.


Enjoy these as I go relax on the lanai and soak up the sun poolside and for those of you who live in the frozen northern tundra...I am sorry. :-(


Blessings 2 U Friends

more photos

So I can't edit the photos I took & they are in multiple emails so here are the highlights

I spied with my little eye...

1. Squirrels
2. Raccoon
3. Armadillo (not road kill but alive)
4. Kingfishers
5. Heron
6. Turkey Vultures
7. White Tailed Deer & Baby
8. Bass
9. TWO 10-12 ft Gators

To stop the slideshow & see the photos close up just click on the pictures

Sunrise Sunday Morning.....

We promised the kids we would canoe around the lake in the morning before it got too hot.
This was their first time in a canoe & manning an oar so it was humorous to say the least.
Sahara rode with Daddy & Tyler with me.


He was a little apprehensive given that there are GATORS in the lakes & us with only a lifejacket & oar to protect ourselves. LOLI must admit it was already TOOO HOT to wear the life vest so I didn't.
At first he wanted to head for the middle then I reminded him if we tipped it would be a long swim to shore with his legs as gator bait.
So we hung close to the shore line hoping to see some critters but didn't see much of anything besides Osprey.

He wasn't keeping time with my rowing so we kept veering into the grass which allowed any spiders in the grass the chance to climb aboard.

Even with the lake 3 -4 ft below it's normal level it wasn't nearly as bad as Lake Louisa.


After 2/3 the way around the lake Tyler figured out that I had been steering the canoe the entire time, even when he was the only one paddling. LOL

The trip to our side of the lake took an hour and then another hour back to the dock where we pulled out the canoes. It was very peaceful but warmer than I would have liked. We will have to come back in the winter when it is cooler.


After packing up camp we headed home the long way through the Green Swamp, poor Skunk Ape must have been napping in the shade somewhere. Maybe another day we will cross paths!

Blessings 2 U Friends

Lions, Tigers & Gators OH MY!

Saturday morning Larry took the tire in to see if we could get it repaired.
After breakfast Sahara & I took the trash down to the dumpster & headed to the dock.
She raced to the end of the dock before I could get off my bike.... I heard her yelling
"THERE'S A GATOR"


Then she spotted another swimming out in the lake


This little guy/girl was about 5ft long



Notice all the little fish just swimming around it?

Well apparently this gator prefers DEAD FISH for breakfast


It snatched up a little dead one & slowly used it's tail to propel itself back




around & into the shade under the dock



The kids wanted to canoe on the other lake but it was TOOOOOO HOT

So around 7pm we drove down the road to Lake Louisa so they could swim


After talking to our favorite Swedish Ranger she said it was okay to go in but there was no lifeguard on duty

So as long as we (the parents) would save the kids they would be okay....lol hmmmmmm


Then the kids got out to the water and realized there is only about a foot of water left inside the 'designated area' due to the drought of the last 3 yrs. So they went wading instead of swimming and a few minutes later the lightening started across the lake so it was time to get out.

So sad to see all the Cypress Trees out of the water but neat to see what normally would not be seen by anyone.







Of course before leaving Sahara found a tree to climb....



No sightings of the Skunk Ape either...:-(