No school but an animal presentation

We took the week off of school because everyone has worked so hard and we are way ahead.  Both girls will be finishing their classes in December and getting their next grade level a couple weeks later.  We won't be sitting around doing nothing.

Everyone still has to practice their piano plus we are still working on our Thanksgiving study.  We will also be playing some educational games that I recently acquired.  When we play them I will take pictures and blog about them.

Today we did play Blokus.  Andrew is finally beginning to understand turn taking and following the rules.  We had a good time.

Dad came home early so we could go to the shooting range to try some more guns.  I still prefer my Beretta but could get a Generation 3 Glock 9 MM.  Maybe I will hit another store and just hold them again and make my final decision.  I really want to get it ordered.

Tonight we had a special animal presentation for the the Girl Scout troop.  I needed the Juniors to learn about how animals use and conserve energy.  Everyone else just got to enjoy the animals.

We started at the bottom of the food chain with Hissing cockroaches.

 Then a tarantula.  The kids were able to touch the cockroaches but not the tarantula.

 A bearded dragon

 A bull snake

 I forgot what type of snake this was - his name is Tiger though

 Finally, a Great Horned Owl.  Her name was Athena.  She lost part of one of her wings due to electrocution and she is now a bird for education.  She just had her beak done yesterday (with a dremel) so she wasn't that happy today.

 Here she is very mad.  We had just watched her go upside down because she was wanting to get away so badly.  They put her away after this.  She was ready to go home and eat.

All 3 kids were great audience members but Andrew was especially attentive and asked great questions and could answer almost any of their questions.  I knew he was paying attention when they asked, "who is next on the food chain after insects?"  Andrew said, "spiders"  He was right.

Skylar also asked many thoughtful questions.  I think her hand was raised for most of the presentation.  Cairn  was able to answer many of their questions too.

By the time everyone left and we had dinner (super late) all the kids were exhausted and ready for bed.