For our first Green Hour Challenge, we decided to wait for a nice day.  Yesterday was 63 degrees outside.  It doesn't get any better than that for a winter's day! 

We headed over to the Ralston Creek Trail, which is close to our house but we have never been there before.  The trail is paved and is a narrow green belt through the suburb of Arvada, CO.  Houses back up almost to the creek.  We wish the green belt was wider!  The creek is a great place for little boys to start with their outdoor explorations. 

Here are our observations:

1.  We were excited to see a bird that we have never seen before.  It was a black and white bird, about the same size as a blue jay.  It looked like it was wearing "Napoleon's" hat.  When we got home, we consulted "Birds of Colorado Field Guide" and determined that what we saw was a female belted kingfisher.  We observed it skimming the water in the creek and decided that it was fishing.

2.  The creek was very dirty.  It was full of garbage: plastic bags, Christmas wrapping paper, cardboard, aluminum foil, candy wrappers, and cups.  We wanted to jump in and clean up the creek!!  We want to see if there is an organized group that works to clean up the creek (we want to join it). 

3.  There was LOTS of fresh Canada Goose poop on the trail.  What are they eating?  Is this where they winter?

4.  There were leaf prints embedded on the paved trail.  We talked about how humans impact nature (cement over the earth).  Here was an example of how nature impacted something humans made!

Here are the 2 things we want to investigate further:

1.  We want to know what river Ralston Creek runs into.  We want to see if there is a group we can join to help keep Ralston Creek clean.  As mom observed, "Everyone lives downstream."  The water we are living with is the same water that the dinosaurs bathed in.  We don't want future generations to inherit our dirty water.

2.  We will try to find out more about the habits of Canadian Geese.  We knew that they were at one time on the endangered species list.  They have made an amazing comeback and we want to know why there are so many living around our town in the winter.

DENVER OMLET

Butter flaverd spray

1/2 Cup diced ham

1/2 Cup sliced onion

1/2 Cup choped red bell pepper

3 eggs

2 tabelspoons water

1/2 tabelspoon butter

salt and pepper, to taste

1/2 cup salsa

corn tortillas

These are all the instructions I copied.  Make it like any other omlet.

I got this recipe from my Colorado History class today.  If you like omlets you have try this!   Oh yeah, the cheeseburger was invented in Colorado.  Very cool.

by Christian

I was my soccer team's (The Thunderbolts) MVP player last Saturday because I made 2 goals.  I also played every position but I like midfieldman best.  You can go everywhere!!  I LOVE SOCCER!!!!! 

We have been working on a butterfly unit study these past few weeks.  As part of the study, we are raising painted lady butterflies from InsectLore.com.  One emerged from its chrysalis today, which Peter noticed first and Christian is sad to see it fly away.  We also planted a butterfly garden, and today the boys wrote haiku poetry.   Here are their poems:

The Monarch Haiku

by Christian

Orange and black scales.

Breakable wings that flutter.

Beautiful Monarch.

Monarch

by Peter

Fragile butterfly,

Migrate home to Mexico.

Soar through air, Monarch!

A Veteran's Story

by Christian

My Grandpa Bob served in the Signal Corps of the U.S. Army from 1967-1968.  He served in the "Police Action in Vietnam" but most people call it the Vietnam War.  He served in a middle-sized city called Qui Nhon.  His duties were with electronic and verbal communications.  He typed top secret information that he sent via radio waves to Net Control in Saigon.  He remembers the TET Offensive of February 1, 1968, the fighting, the dead bodies on Main Street, the green countryside, Buddhism, and all his comrades that he served with.

I honor your service to our country, Grandpa.  Thank you for your sacrifice. 

Last week we stopped by Raugust Library on the campus of Jamestown College and found a pleasant art surprise.  The college is hosting a "chaplet" display where a person can go to meditate.  There were about half a dozen chaplets all done by different architects.  Each chaplet has an art display.  You can read more about this amazing portable installation by clicking on the following links:

Little Chapels on the Prairie

or if you would like to see inside the chaplets, try this link:

North Dakota Museum of Art

We all enjoyed the exhibits.  It filled the boys with visions of what they want to build and live in some day.  Perhaps we could even make a playhouse so they won't have to wait so long......

The boys' favorite chapel--the "triangle chaplet"

Deep Thoughts......

"But I like jelly on my mashed potatoes!"

From the book Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary

 "This is a good book.  It's funny.  It's funnier to listen to the book on tape than to read it."

-Reviewed by Christian

"Ramona does bad stuff in this book.  She locked someone's dog in the bathroom.  Her mother made her go to her room.  This made me laugh a little bit. " - Reviewed by Peter

We already have a week of school under our belts and so far so good.  Christian has started using Sonlight Curriculum and thinks it is better than what we did last year.  He might even consider liking History!

Christian's First Day of School Picture

Peter LOVES kindergarten and thinks that life is boring without schoolwork!