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Tot School

Jul. 6, 2008 • 10:08 PM

We are in the process of finishing our basement to be a game/movie room. It will be great for the family but also to host youth group events. We have really been spending a lot of time trying to get it done so... Tot School was limited this past week.

"Precious" enjoyed coloring one morning. She initiated this herself so I got things out for her. She held up different colored pencils and called out a color. She usually was NOT right but she was trying and when she did name a color right, we cheered for her. We corrected her the other times and she would repeat it. It was purely spontaneous on her part and was great for working on colors!

Another day, she had a lot of fun with an assortment of blocks. Most of these are foam blocks. I keep them in a basket and they can get them out when they want to. She enjoyed this for quite awhile!

We had a summer picnic for our Homeschool group (co-op). The family that hosted it has a gorgeous outdoor environment. Isn't it beautiful?

 In the top part of their yard, they had a samdbox under a playground set. My little ones loved this.

 I recently bought play sand and hope to get our turtle sandbox set back up for them. Since we moved, I didn't get sand in it yet but they had such a wonderful time, I hope to surprise them this week with their own sandbox (again).

Also this past week, "Peanut" got to go to his first (minor league) baseball game. He went with his older sisters and daddy. ("Pilgrim" went with daddy earlier in the season). I am hoping that our whole family goes next to a game! They had a BALL! They got cotton candy and he even came home singing "Take me out to the ballgame!" He was so VERY excited about this outing!

I think we will have more Tot School activities this coming week but sometimes it is nice to have a little break... It doesn't mean they didn't learn things this week. Life is just a HUGE learning experience even when we are adults. We learn so much everyday! I wonder what each of us will learn today?!

Have a great day!

Check out the other Tot School participants Here!

Color Explosion Glow Board GiveAway!

Jul. 4, 2008 • 8:59 AM

The Crayola Company certainly has some really great products. With preschoolers in the house, we love the Color Wonder stuff. The markers/paints only work on the special paper! This gives the kids freedom to be creative without the worry that they will destroy the whole house!

Here is a homeschooling mom that is giving away a chance to win this:

Stop by HER BLOG and leave a comment for a chance to win!

Also- I will be hosting a small giveaway soon for a great summer book! Stop back soon to check it out!

4th of July: Cool Drinks!

Jul. 3, 2008 • 9:59 AM

A few days ago we celebrated my oldest child's birthday, today is my birthday  and tomorrow is our great country's birthday! Lots of celebrating in our house!

I hope you all have a wonderful celebration this 4th of July! Here is a FUN drink to make up and surprise your family &/or guests!

It's very simple! You will need the following drink/juice products:

Layer one: red drink: I used cranberry juice (you could also try Mountain Dew Code Red) This drink should have all sugar content. This is the heaviest so will be at the bottom of the glass!

Layer Two: Blue: Blue Gatorade

Layer three: White : DIET 7Up (Must be diet or use water). This is the lighter drink so it will stay at the top.

(Note: I used an off-brand gaterade drink that was a bit of a lighter shade. I didn't need the white layer as I like the look with just the two drinks.)

Add some fun & festive picks (optional) and serve!

Have a wonderful 4th of July celebration!

Black & White Birthday Party!

Jul. 3, 2008 • 9:14 AM

Last weekend, we celebrated our oldest daughter's 12th birthday! It's hard to believe my baby is 12! She is growing up and making mom old!  She is really growing into a lovely young lady though, she loves the Lord and is very creative and helpful, a true sweetheart!  I am very thankful to be her mom!

She had a black & white birthday party! Can you guess why black & white? Well..... she has always liked zebras and pandas (as her favorite animals.) I don't think it is just because they are black and white- she just likes them. So... we went with a black and white birthday party and decorated with pandas and zebras! Everyone was to wear black and white!

We played some group games (Zebra team vs. the panda team)! We had black and white drinks (made like the 4th of July drinks I am posting here!) We also had dark and light tortilla chips with salsa, some black and white jelly candy, and the cakes and ice cream that were all black and white. The other things were just foods we needed to make a well rounded meal/menu.

Here are the cupcakes I made. (The idea was in a magazine but don't know which one as my mom tore out the article and gave it to me! Thanks Mom!) ...and the birthday girl!

The cupcakes were made with one regular sized cupcake and a mini cupcake. The mini sat on its side on top of the reg.-sized cupcake. Oreos, black cake icing and Junior mints were used to create the pandas!

Look at all the black and white gift bags and wrappings!:

Here are some of her Black & white gifts:

Wildly Cool Slippers:

A few Webkinz: the cow and the cat! (Our children just love Webkinz!)

plus... the Webkinz Panda figurine:

She received many other wonderful gifts,too. (Thanks to all of you who made her feel special!)

Then they all changed into swimwear and we had a water slide down on big hill in our front yard! It was GREAT fun!!

Here is a line-up of most of the kids at the top of the slide.... then at the bottom!

Sweetheart! We  You!

Tuesday Review: Only Hearts Club DOLLS!

Jul. 1, 2008 • 7:28 AM

Tuesday Review: Only Hearts  Club Dolls!

I recently saw these dolls in the family Fun magazine with a short review. They looked really cute. Then I saw them in the store and now bought my daughter one for her birthday!

Here is my daughter's new favorite doll, Karina Grace:

I really like these dolls much more than most dolls on the market right now. The best thing is they are afforable. They aren't as cheap as Barbie yet I feel they are worth it for a sweet doll with a POSITIVE message. And.. they aren't as expensive as the American girl Dolls (which are also very nice dolls).

These dolls look realistic and are in the age bracket of a preteen young lady. They come modestly yet fashionably dressed. The dolls are made of cloth (the bodies) and vinyl (the face). They look realistic and have a cute charm to them. Look how sweet their faces are:

The dolls are soft and bendable allowing you to pose and move her easily.

Each doll has a name and a story. You can go online and read about her interests at The Only hearts Club. There is also a series of books where the characters are these same girls (as the dolls). We do not yet have any of the books!

Here is some of what they say on their website: "The Only Hearts Club™ dolls are the perfect combination of beautiful dolls and hip accessories that are fun and cool and that girls love to play with, while at the same time providing a positive image and message that parents and grandparents want their girls to see and hear. The Only Hearts Club™ consists of a diverse group of bright, cute and energetic young girls  who live in the same community and have formed the Only Hearts Club™ in a bond of true friendship and with a pledge to one another to listen to their hearts and be nice to others. Each of the girls has her own personality and interests. These interests and personalities are developed further in the series of Only Hearts Club™ books. In each story, one of the girls is faced with a dilemma that requires her to think for herself, listen to her heart, and decide for herself to “do the right thing"

Meet the girls Here!

They cost around $15.00 a piece and come with a complete "cool" outfit and a pet. I got our doll though for under $10.00.

Keep your eyes out for these dolls (and books) if looking for a refreshingly new style doll to give to a young lady.

 I give them 2 thumbs up!

Now, head on over to Angela's blog, Homeschooling and Loving it! to read the other reviews! Also check out her other posts! She is giving away a FREE Homeschool Planner!  This planner is getting rave reviews and is 247 pages of organizational bliss!

Tot School: Outside Fun, reading, and Tot Books!

Jun. 30, 2008 • 2:30 PM

We had a VERY busy week outside of school. We are refinishing our basement to be a movie/family room so much work has been done with that. We also had a big 12th birthday party for my oldest! (I hope to post about it soon. It was a black and white party! Can you guess why? You'll have to check back for my next posts to see!)

We still managed to get some things done for Tot School....

While working in the basement, the kids took turns on this sit-and-spin. (Remember those?). They got tired of taking turns and tried it this way:

We also pulled out this great thing (that was given to me) and tried counting:

Another day became a bit musical:

Do you see the blue tape in the center? We had to put that there to give them each a side (for no fighting!). It worked! That was my older daughters' clever idea!

We had outside fun!: Here they are coloring while outside!

My son also made a lasso and a gun out of a rope and stick piece he found! Quite imaginative I thought!

We had some good reading times where my older girls read to "Precious". She really enjoys these times- and what special memories.

Also this past week, I made my little ones each a Tot Book, Carisa's Creations that she posted to share with everyone! (Thanks, Carisa!)

I made the Cars Tot Book for my son and the Nemo Tot Book for my daughter, using her printables. I presented them to my Toddlers before bed one evening. They loved them and looked through them and practiced the skills until bedtime.

My son's Cars lapbook

Carisa's Cars printables are Here! and the cover's Cars coloring picture can be found Here!

My daughter's Nemo Tot Book: 

The paper clip closure at the top was something I had from a past order with Oriental Trading. I am not sure that they still sell these.

The cover picture came from here. (I edited it to say "Learning with Nemo!")

Carisa's Nemo printables are here!

They really enjoyed these and both worked on their own books together. These are so great to work on preschool skills with your preschoolers. They make learning fun and special. You can do these with any theme - whatever your child is currently interested in.

Here is my son working with his Cars number cards! (I laminated them for durability):

Check out the other participants of the Tot School meme! Also if you are interested in making a Tot Book, check out these!

 Have a great week!

Dog-Tired!

Jun. 27, 2008 • 7:03 PM

This came to me in an e-mail. I thought it was so cute and wanted to share it! Enjoy this little SMILE!  Read on! (Smile awaits!)

An older, tired-looking dog wandered into my yard; I could tell from his collar and well-fed belly that he had a home and was well taken care of.
He calmly came over to me, I gave him a few pats on his head; he then followed me into my house, slowly walked down the hall, curled up in the corner and fell asleep.

An hour later, he went to the door, and I let him out.
The next day he was back, greeted me in my yard, walked inside and resumed his spot in the hall and again slept for about an hour. This continued off and on for several weeks.

Curious I pinned a note to his collar:

 "I would like to find out who the owner of this wonderful sweet dog is and ask if you are aware that almost every afternoon your dog comes to my house for a nap."

 
The next day he arrived for his nap, with a different note pinned to his collar:

"He lives in a home with 6 children, 2 under the

age of 3 - he's trying to catch up on his sleep.

Can I come with him tomorrow?" 

Spelling Match-Up

Jun. 23, 2008 • 10:26 AM

Here is a FUN game you can easily put together for some random spelling practice. Even if they are just random words (not on your weekly spelling list , etc.), it is still a great and fun way to review spelling. Even within simple words, the children see how vowel sounds work together, blends, etc. They like matching up the word cards with the items. My children (of all ages) enjoy doing this when I pull it out!

Now.. go and rummage through your toy box and see what little things you can find.  If you have a daughter with barbie things, you can find all sorts of great realistic little things there! The cards are simply index cards with the words neatly written on. I keep everything in a $1 Store tub with lid and keep it in our schoolroom closet. It only comes out from time to time so they enjoy it when I pull it out for them! So SIMPLE yet a Fun way to practice spelling!

 If you don't find many small things, you could use pictures from magazines and glue them on index cards as well but I really think the kids like finding the little trinket toy to place on the card!

Have you posted some fun yet educational (homemade) games? Let me know! I'd love to visit your blog and check out your ideas! Making learning fun is so worth the efforts because the kids learn and love it!

Tot School: Sick

Jun. 23, 2008 • 9:43 AM

This week, we had a lot of:

Running noses

high temperatures

Coughing to throwing up

and ...much rest! (when possible with the busy-ness of our home)

You see.. my tots weren't feeling well.

Thankfully they are on the mend. The noses are still running but they are now back to normal temperatures, playing and eating and being happy!

We did a few things from time to time this week: puzzles, games, movies, and lots of outside play. Here are just a few photos I snapped this week of some of their FUN!

They had a lot of fun with-- the best free toys around--- Boxes!

Stickers came out but didn't end up on any paper!  

There's nothing like smiling faces!!!

And here is a favorite toy. All my kids loved this toy. There is also one in our church nursery. It is a great toy with buttons,levers, and jack-in-the-box style pop-up farm animals.

HAVE A GREAT WEEK!

CHECK OUT THE OTHER tOt sChOol particiapants at Carisa's blog!

Tot School: Summertime

Jun. 16, 2008 • 9:36 AM

This week of summertime Tot School had a little less of planned activities but there was still a lot of creative play on their own- indoors and out.

Here are a few acitvities I did get photos of...

This past week the older children had swimming lessons with their cousins. They were there everyday for an hour so the little ones and I visitied with their aunt and older cousin while the others swam.

One day I brought play dough for them to play with. I like the boards they are using and keep them for the times we take playdough along with us. They are white boards for dry erase markers but work so well for "traveling" play dough.

 That evening we thought we'd surprise the kids and take them to a local carnival. We met daddy after work and the kids were quite surprised.

We got supper with them (and a few ballons) and then a thunderstorm rolled in so we headed back home. (No riding rides in a thunderstorm!)

So... instead we picked up some ice cream on the way home and made (fresh) strawberry milkshakes and played games! It was a fun night for the family!

We found a new puzzle to pull out and she enjoyed that a lot this week! It is a floor puzzle made of foam and has many different lay-out possibilities.

At the end of the week we get to watch their progress with the swim lessons so we did that. Here they are watching their siblings and cousins...and friends.

They also made homemade Father's day cards for their daddy! The little ones did this as well! Here is the whole crew with daddy (displaying one of his gifts)

Have a great week!

Check out the other Tot School participants!

Wordless Wednesday: PACIFING Memories for a Child

Jun. 11, 2008 • 10:20 AM

Wordless Wednesday: PACIFING Memories for a Child 

"Hey, Mom! I remember having one of those!" Sweet (pacifing) Memories for a child!

File Folder Games: Money & US States

Jun. 11, 2008 • 8:54 AM

Here are two more great file folder games. They help the kids learn and practice these facts so ell because they are FUN!!

The Money Game:

To make this one, use money stickers or print out realistic clipart of coins and a few dollar bills. (I use some with the heads side up and others of the coin with tails side up. This allows them to recognize the coins both front and back!)

Make a starting circle and the end could be at a piggy bank!

To play: Allow the children to choose a playing piece. Different colored pigs would be cute if you can find them.

Each child also needs a pice of paper and sharpened pencil. A dice is also needed.

Roll to see who goes first. The first player rolls the dice and moves his playing piece that many spaces. Whatever piece of money he lands on, he must recognize what coin it is and its value, then write that amount on this paper. The next player(s) go in like manner. On the player's second turn (and continuing turns) They roll and move, identifying the coin. This time the amount goes below the previous amount and they get added together. Continue adding the amounts as your turns continue. The first person to the end gets a real quarter. The person with the highest amount also wins (we give them a quarter). You can set your own prizes. This game is great for MONEY and ADDITION Skills!

Another great education file folder game we use is to learn and study the location of the United States!

For this one you wouldn't necessary need to place in a file folder but I think it is easiest. I can stick the cards in a bag and place them inside hen putting away.

You just need a blank map of the United States. I as able to find mini coloring postcards of each state and we like them. Sorry! I looked for them online but can no longer find them. You could use anything even making your own cards- one for each state. Information cards would be fun, too. The shuffled cards lay up-side down in a stack. The child(ren) pick the top card and locate it on the map. (If you are using information cards, they could also read fun facts about that state). This game can be used for independant review by one student or turned into a game format by taking turns.

If you have ideas for file folder games and they are posted somewhere, let me know. I'd love to see or hear about them.  I have many more if anyone would like to see more.

Aren't games great learning tools!

Homemade File Folder Games

Jun. 10, 2008 • 10:55 PM

I made these learning game boards awhile back. They are simple to do and a great way for the kids to have fun together while practicing their school lessons.

We will be doing these throughout the summer to keep "feeding our brains"!

Here are a few basic boards with specific themed spaces. For these I used the round colored stickers (often used for yard sale pricing) and other stickers within the theme I wanted to do.

Here is the bug board:

 If you land on a bug and answer the question correctly you get an extra point. If you land on the red "Ouch" circles, you've been bitten and you lose a turn.

Here is a Mickey & Minnie Mouse themed board:

Here is a different board idea:

It is a travel theme. It has a slide pattern. It reinforces the concept of how you read from left to right then come back and again go left to right.

A few more things you need: Player pieces and dice

The player pieces can be almost anything. I often try to have some themed ones as well. The kids like to choose their character. The pink sea animals are hard plastic and came from the Dollar Store. (I got three whole sets of characters for $1.00. The top animals are pencil toppers. You can also use shaped erasers or small toys that sit/ stand well on their own.

Then we keep everything in here (a plastic file folder tub): including the question cards!

I keep Brain Quest Questions (at various grade levels) with our games. We got all these inexpensively at yard sales & thrift stores. (One or two were gifts). These are great because all children can play at their level. Whichever set of questions is at their levels, these are the questions asked to them. You could also make up your own question cards per child. I can also make up questions from a unit we just studied for the children to review things in a fun way! I usually make up two different colored cards. One color is for the older children while the other color is set for the younger children. (you could use a specific color card per child) to tailor questions just for that child.

Try making some at home with your children. They are great reviews for the summer months especially when your children get bored and want something different to do.

If you make some and post about them, let me know! I'd love to see them and will stop by (your blog) for a visit!

Here is one more game: This is one they really like!

I again used the slide pattern for moving the player's pieces. I thought it appropriate since this reinforces some parts of speech in sentences/ reading.

Using stickers, just randomly run letter stickers in rows. At the end of each row, draw a line with rounded corners taking you back to the left again to start another row of letters. (This line is easy to make using a ruler, then just round the edges.)

Then make up about 10-15 of each card: noun, adjective, and verb. (You could use others if you wish)

The player rolls the dice and moves their piece that many spaces. Then picks a card (That are shuffled and plced face down on the table nearby). Whatever the card says they must come up with a word that starts with the letter they are on and is also what the card says. For example: if you would get the letter F and pick the adjective card, you could say "Fun"!

Have a Fun summer everyone!

Our lessons are lighter but the learning never ends!

Tot School: Preschool Activities

Jun. 9, 2008 • 10:19 AM

Here is our Tot School from this past week!

This week, my oldest son read them a story. This wasn't planned. I just caught them this way!

(Notice the backpack, Gram!)

There was also some computer time using preschool themed learning games:

We had fun with musical instruments:

They enjoyed this so much, they played with these on two different days. (This is certainly a toy I keep away - up high. It is a bit noisy for everyday use!  )

We had a lot of time outside enjoying this wonderful weather! Here "Precious" is playing with the ribbon wand. These are a lot of fun. The kids put on pretty shows of color!

We also had an outside picnic. They had fun riding the kid-sized tractors!

...and they really loved getting drenched with LARGE water guns.

Don't get Mom wet!  (They tried!- Thankfully I had the camera!)

We also saw this baby bird this week:

Here is my favorite picture from this past week:

Have a great week Tot Schooling! Remember they learn so much everyday whether you plan activities or just let them be creative!

Love them and Love your times together!!

Check out the other Tot School participants at Carisa's blog!

Wordless Wednesday: Bucket Hat

Jun. 4, 2008 • 7:22 AM

Wordless Wednesday: Bucket Hat

Visit Tiany's Wordless Wednesday Blog Here: http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Tiany

Visit another Wordless Wednesday site at http://www.wordlesswednesday.com/ 

See other Wordless Wednesday Participants at http://www.5minutesformom.com/

And even more at

www.Fromdatestodiapers.com

and

http://fromtherubberroom.com/

Review: God's Creation Series

Jun. 3, 2008 • 4:20 PM

I thought I'd write up a short review on a great set of books we recently bought to enrich our Creation studies.

These books are great and inexpensive! We bought ours at ChristianBook.com

Book One Space and Time is currently only $5.99 and Book Two Sky & Sea, Book Three Rocks & Plants, and Book Four Fish, Bugs, & Birds are all each ONLY $2.99. It is cheaper to buy the books individually right now.

These books are easy to read and understand. They are in no-way boring. They are full of colorful photos and illustrations, Comical drawings, diagrams, Bible verses, and Fun facts. Kids will see the workings of God's creation on display on each page.

If you are looking for some good books in this area, check them out. (The links above will take you to these books on ChristianBook.com)

Check out more product reviews at Angela's blog site, Byourlove1

Tot School: aquarium, water table, more!

Jun. 2, 2008 • 7:28 AM

This week Tot School started out with lacing cards (actually they are more like puzzle pieces made for lacing.) and also wooden letter blocks:

Here's what they did together with the blocks (Sissy helped them):

Also this past week, we went to the aquarium. It was a wonderful day! It kicks off our unit on ocean creatures! All the kids loved it!

They even got to look at shells (hands-on) while a lady spoke to them about some ocean creatures with shell homes.

You can see more of our aqurium photos in a slideshow here!

We had some very nice weather this past week so we had many days where we could play outside!

Here they are getting a ride from their big sister!

Then I set up an outdoor watertable for them to enjoy! I've seen these before but didn't want to spend $35- $50 on one especially since I don't think we'd get that much use out of it before they grow out of it. I saw the toy at a great store that can be used for sand or water. (It was under $5.00!). Then I used a table and tray from the basement (another score as we are trying to clean out our basement!)

This was a hit! They enjoyed it very much!

Then, after an outdoor lunch, they spontaneously decided they wanted to color on the empty Capri Sun box. I think my daughter, "Princess" started this because they wanted a pirate treaure box for what they were playing. We tore the box in half so they'd each have a side and they had fun doing this for a little while, letting us clean up the yard before heading back inside!

One morning at the end of the week, I found my girls like this:

I love that even though they are 8-10 years apart they all can play happily together!

Hope you had a great week and are having a great start to this week!

If you wish to see other Tot School participants, check out Carisa's Blog, 1+1+1=1

Vote No to parents needing teaching credentials!

May. 31, 2008 • 1:18 PM

Parade magazine currently is asking the public to vote online asking if parents should need teaching credentials in order to teach their children. 

Click below and vote!! It would be nice to see a positive article about homeschooling in Parade magazine!

Parents Magazine online poll

It is very quick and easy! Click above and then vote with a click on their site! It shouldn't take more than a minute or two!

I wonder if they will ever start asking if parents need special training to be able to teach their babies how to walk and talk and eat, etc. (I know it sounds ridiculous but so does the question they are asking now.)

Something to Ponder

May. 31, 2008 • 6:51 AM

Something to Ponder....

"Our conduct has a direct influence on how people think about the gospel. The world doesn't judge us by our theology: the world judges us by our behavior. People don't necessarily want to know what we believe about the Bible. THEY WANT TO SEE IF WHAT WE BELIEVE MAKES A DIFFERENCE IN OUR LIVES. Our actions either bring honor to God or misrepresent His truth."

--From "Feminine Appeal - Seven Virtues of a Godly Wife and Mother" by Carolyn Mahaney

I need to work on keeping my behavior always pleasing to the Lord- dealing with unwanted inconveniences in the way the Lord would want me too (WWJD?) I was convicted by this quote as well as encouraged to do a great job as unto the Lord to bring glory to Him through my actions. May it be a reminder and encouragement to you as well!

Have a great weekend!

Ocean/ Sea Life Unit: Lapbooks

May. 30, 2008 • 4:09 PM

We are starting a unit study on the ocean.

We are doing 4 different lapbooks for different age levels, etc.

We plan to do a preschool ocean creatures lapbook as well as a 6th grade level ocean creatures lapbook. Then my 8yr.old son is making a shark lapbook while my 9yr old daughter is making a dolpins (and whales) lapbook! We plan to do a lot of fun crafts as well. Check back to see those!

If you have some links you wouldn't mind sharing with me, I'd love to know of them. Leave them in the comments or blog them and let me know where to find your post! (Thanks!)

Here are the links I found (so far): Check them out for your own unit study and/or lapbooks!

Ocean Creatures:

Sea World Downloads! These are WONDEFUL!!! (and they are free!)

Realistic Ocean creatures Coloring pictures

Sea Creatures Tab Book (from Homeschool Share)

Fish Defenses Flap Book (Also from Homeschool Share)

Shells Layered Book

Color, Cut & Paste sea/ocean animals : great activity for preschoolers/elementary levels

My Ocean Tresures: This will make a great pocket to hold cards!

Cards for the above pocket!

More cards for the pocket! Could also be a match game, etc.

Under the sea Coloring Picture

Printable TicTacToe: Surf & Turf!

Dive Into the Deep Sea: Neat (older level) printable: interactive moving card & peek-a-boo hole

Great Ocean Background: Just print and allow child to add fish/ocean creatures stickers!

Sea Otters:

Wild About Otters: Printable book

Sea Otter Video

Specifically Preschool Level Printables:

Sea Ocean Animals Numbers Pages 1-10 Count and trace, Very cute!

Make into a book!

Number 1: Seal

Number 2: Eel

Number 3: Whales

Number 4: Starfish

Number 5: Fish

Number 6: Crabs

Number 7: Oysters

Number 8: tentacles

Number 9: Sea horses

Number 10: Shells

and...

Fish Number Cards 1-20 Match Fish Number with number dots

Fishbowl Alphabet Match Up

Stop back for MORE! I plan to list links on Crabs, Octopus, Sharks, Dolphins and whales in upcoming posts - including some crafts!