Insectivorous...

A has had a long time interest in carnivorous plants. Our local botanical garden has a nice indoor conservatory with a small collection that we always love to visit in the winter. This fall, however, they have had a special exhibit throughout the conservatory with a few new plants and lots of information.


We have returned again and again over the past week to read and re-read, explore, and examine those plants.


A has been becoming a much stronger reader, and loves being able to study all of the signs that go along with the exhibit without needing me to decipher everything for him. He has discovered a few new plants too - he saw the cobra plant, and read that there is a pitcher plant that is so large monkeys have been seen drinking out of them (monkey cups)!


It is nice to get back into our conservatory visits - as the temperatures drop and it gets dry and cold having a place to walk which is lush and green and thick with moisture is heavenly.


And lots of fun!

Sssssssnakes!

We have been hanging low, working to keep G (asthma boy) virus free. November is always his first big month of ER/Urgent Care visits, nebulizers, and breathing problems. This year we are being extra (extra, extra?) careful. Last weekend was Snake Day at a museum in Milwaukee. The boys REALLY wanted to go, so we all made an exception to our 'crowd' aversion and went. I'm so glad we did!


Snake Day is an annual event - but this year they expanded it quite a bit. There were dozens of volunteers there with so many types of snakes, lizards and other reptiles. So cool.


The boys were in awe. We spent hours going around and around over and over again.


They got to handle snakes, ask questions, see so many types and learn a lot. They were so interested and gentle with these creatures - and admired their beauty.


I am sure this was a day they will always remember!

to sunshine.

While I am dreaming of colder weather, the boys have really been enjoying this burst of warmth and sunshine in November.

The past week has been nicer, it seems, than most of the past 6 months. Such ups and downs with the weather this year, but we'll take this last gasp before the cold arrives.


Ahh, sunshine.

corner view:: water

This weeks corner view is :: water. With two boys we always seem drawn to water, and a few of our favorite parks are at the top of the list because of their large smooth lakes. Last weekend we decided to take the car ferry to our favorite state park. The boys couldn't believe we hadn't taken them on this before - ahem. During tourist season the wait can be long (for a 7 minute ferry ride), but going off season meant we got on right away. The boys loved driving on, getting out and watching the water go by.




Of course once we crossed, the highway to the state park was closed due to construction, so we skipped it and took a scenic drive through amazing fall colors back home instead.

In looking back at some photos the other day, I saw our pictures from the lake this summer, and the boys at the same spot playing 2 years ago.

october 2007

september 2009

Time flies.

To see more corner views, visit::

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fall back.

I love the smells and sounds of fall - although this fall has been so cold, wet and gray it hasn't seemed much like fall! In a way I wasn't surprised that my back 'went out' again when the cold wet weather hit a few weeks back. So - I have been pretty much out with back pain and immobility for several weeks. But after five (long) months of physical therapy, I feel like I have it more under control and know what to do when it gets bad. This time I've been hurting but I have kept it from getting emergency room bad. And thankfully I have been getting better over the past few days. Exercise, ice, no long computer time, no long sitting. So long story longer, I've been away for a bit, but am feeling like I am now on the mend and having less pain every day, and so hope to share more of our busy fall!


It has been nice, in a way, to have this back set-back during the cold wet dark dreary days we've been having. If it had been sunny and gloriously autumn, it would have felt like we were missing out. But with the dark cold, the boys have been happy to work on their projects, putter with science kits, read new books, build things, watch interesting DVDs from the library, create books/comics, play with the rabbit, and just be home a bit more.

Of course we have been out and about a bit - some fun excursions on those days the sun made a brief appearance - out to see the colors and birds and sun. And the early darkness has meant a lot of fun with light sabers, glow stick inventions, pumpkins and all of those other dark loving projects.



More later, but for now, I'm happy to be able to sit at this computer - even if only for a short time! :)