We had a fantastic trip to the Florida Keys after Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, the outdrive on our boat conked out and we were unable to visit the reefs and go snorkeling. We discovered that winter water in the Keys was too cold for us Florida natives anyway and no one swam in the water (except for the heated hotel pool). No matter, we still had a wonderful day at John Pennekamp State Park. Here are some memorable photos. The ones of the girls in the trees are beautiful, but the ibis and sandpipers were just too fun to pass up! Merry Christmas!

Croc Hunter Jr.

I couldn't resist posting this photo of my budding herpetologist. We borrowed a baby alligator for the Winter Park Fall Festival and this was a Kodak moment! The event went well....hundreds of people came by our tent. The snakes were the biggest hit and they did exceptionally well considering they were handled almost continuously for about three hours. Boo is our PR expert and she did her best to pose for pictures and delight the crowd. Sunshine is her friend! Dispelling myths and correcting misinformation is my favorite part, and we were happy to gently inform well-intentioned visitors that pythons are not venomous, the little lizards that live in our yards are not really chameleons, and reptiles do not secrete samonella through their skin. It was so much fun to see the smiles on children's faces as they petted and held the animals. Some of them were unueasy at first, but before long, they cozied up to their scaly buddy. Our guests were not the only ones to have a good time--daughters helped to man the tent and answer questions, and still find time to visit the pumpkin patch and art center.

Crickey....we'll miss you, Steve!

It is with heavy heart that our family says "Farewell" to the Crocodile Hunter. Steve Irwin stirred something within us when we first saw his television show 5 or 6 years ago. He had such a passionate way of sharing God's creatures that made children (and adults) everywhere feel as enthusiastic as he did about saving their habitats. I appreciated his humor and tenderness that flowed through the TV screen. My daughter (who was in 2nd grade at the time) knew in an instant that she wanted to do the very same thing when she grew up. Well....here we are surrounded by a zoo of reptiles, amphibians, insects, and arachnids with a mission to excite children about the world around them. Using Steve as a classic example, I reminded my girls to follow in his footsteps; find something that you love doing and follow your dreams...By Crickey!

Aww, little babies are so darn cute!!

When the first little nose peeks out of the shell, the excitement in our home is contagious...

Our only batch of bearded dragons for the year started hatching on August 11. We really didn't expect any babies this year as our dragons didn't mate. An interesting anatomic fact about bearded dragons is that they can mate once and lay fertile eggs for years afterwards. Let's just say they have an amazing storage capacity! :) I'm sure some ladies will agree with me that this would be not a good design for people! As of this writing, we have five adorable little babies, one nose sticking out of an egg, and eight eggs left to go. We also brought back a juvenile dragon that we sold to a friend last year (she's moving), so we're expecting 1,000 crickets to arrive at the "zoo" today!

Our present inventory: 10 bearded dragons (not including eggs), 1 Columbian tegu, 4 snakes, 1 turtle, 2 White's tree frogs, 1 tarantula, 1 scorpion, 1 betta, 1 hermit crab, 2 cats, 1 dog (sing with me...and a partridge in a pear tree).

Our new family members have arrived!

I love my exotic pets and I've always wanted to expand. On an impulse I went out and bought two new pets. They're cute! They're sort of furry! They're a pair of arachnids! One is a Chilean Rose Hair Tarantula appropriately named Aragog and the other is an Emperor Scorpion named Ceaser. We thought about calling it Nero at first, but the real Roman Emperor was just plain evil and the girls and I couldn't bring ourselves to honor him in any way whatsoever. My daughter was so happy she just hugged my arm and sort of jumped up and down saying, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" I guess it runs in the family. I have just set up their new pet homes and didn't want to disturb them with portraits, so I added clips of what the species look like instead.

I have to say that I am just SO EXCITED!! It's so cool to have a large spider or a ferocious looking scorpion crawling over your hand. These guys do have another purpose besides my own selfish entertainment. They will help educate children at science classes, camps, and workshops. They are also part of a live animal birthday party business here in Orlando. If you have any questions about these fascinating creatures, post them and we'll respond soon.

Science Camp was AWESOME!!

All I can say is...what a great group of kids! We had between 40-50 students attend who were between 1st and 6th grade. They were both enthusiastic and polite--a teacher's dream! We covered the seven days of creation, completed a notebook for the students to keep, and had a hands-on activity each day. Some highlights were the Diet Coke and Mentos explosion, plant dissection, and observations of a dissected frog, fish, crayfish, heart, lung, eyeball, and owl pellet. I've included some photos, but the picture of the Diet Coke fountain doesn't do justice to the 20 foot peak we achieved!! There is quite a trick to sticking an entire pack of Mentos into a 2 liter bottle of soda before it erupts up into your face. The first time you do it, you get this feeling of trepidation as you wait for the unknown...the volcano of fizz threatening to dampen your spirits (literally). Now I'm pumped for next summer and more camps!!

Since the camp was in the morning, I had the afternoon free to hike in the Smokey Mountains, drive through Cades Cove, go tubing, horseback riding, and shopping in Gatlinburg. The highlight for lots of people seemed to be spotting a bear in Cades Cove. At the very end of the driving loop, a bear was seen and lines of cars had pulled over while passengers and drivers jumped out searching for the elusive creature. Not to be outdone, I pulled my van over to the side and jumped out with my camera, hopping gingerly on the gravel and looking into the darkened woods. Not a great photographer, my first five pictures were pretty much black except for a few trees caught by the flash. At this point the rangers had arrived and were directing vehicles that had stopped in the middle of the road. Fortunately, I was on the wildlife viewing pullover area and had a few minutes left before we needed to move on as well. Just then, the bear clambered out of the woods and I took my best shot. Now I have my picture of my bear in the Smokey Mountains (even though it really looks like a blackish lump). My husband looked at me and asked, "Why did you want a picture of a bear anyway?" I honestly didn't know. We have so many black bears in Central Florida that are invading neighborhoods that they have lost their charm around here. A dear friend of mine has a video of a mother bear and cubs that were trapped in her backyard earlier this month. But for a science teacher who is passionate about life science, it's always a thrill to see a magnificent creature in his own element!

Microscope Activities

As the new school year draws near, many parents want to purchase a new microscope for their students. The best microscope for young students is the Brock Magiscope. It is virtually indestructible, portable, and does not require electricity or batteries. In the rare event that a piece is broken, it has a lifetime warranty from the manufacturer. For high school students, a more traditional scope will provide an experience that prepares them for college level science courses.

Consider having each student keep a science journal for drawing pictures of specimens. Let them draw what they see for a few minutes. When they are done, instruct them to look again and draw a little more for a few more minutes. Some may complain, "But I don't see anything else!" Do not engage in a debate, just repeat the instructions to look, study, and draw some more. When they are done, have them repeat the study and drawing exercise for a thrid time. In the beginning, this may truly be difficult for some students. Encourage them to find just one more detail to add. Soon, they will gain confidence and find more details each time they study. They will also realize that you are not asking them to stare and draw indefinitely, but for just a very short period of time.

Cricket Thermometers!

As I'm typing this entry, I have 500 mealworms and 500 crickets in my house ready to be dinner for our four constantly hungry bearded dragons. The sound is like the great outdoors right here in my home office! We have so many insects in Florida it can look like the ground is crawling away, so we're used to the idea of having bugs around. These guys remind me of a fun project that you can do this summer with your own crickets. (If you don't have a bucket of 500, you can always have your children catch one in the yard or you can buy them at a bait store or pet store for less than a dollar. Be sure they are large enough to chirp!) Count the number of cricket chirps per minute. Subtract 40, divide that number by 4, and then add 50. This should give you an estimate of the temperature in degrees Fahrenheit. This simple activity can be expanded into a full length science project, too. Practice math by converting Fahrenheit to Celsius; just subtract 32 and then multiply by 5/9. For younger students or for a rough estimation, you can subtract 32 and divide in half, but the answer will be off by a couple of degrees. You could also utilize the scientific method and see how accurate the crickets are compared to a real thermometer. Learn about cold-blooded animals and see if the crickets chirp faster or slower if they are outside or inside the house. Finish up with a picture book like The Very Qiuet Cricket by Eric Carle or a book on tape like The Cricket in Times Square. If you try this project, leave a comment and let me know how it turned out!

Welcome to my new homeschool science blog!

It is my desire to help homeschooling mothers who struggle with science at home. I will help you seize teachable moments and provide you with tools that can build family relationships while educating your children.

I am in the process of writing science readers and dissection manuals that can be easily used in your homeschool. Please leave a comment and tell me what you would like to see in your science materials.

Meanwhile, I am still teaching science at Circle Christian School and looking to offer private classes as well. In July, I will be in Tennessee conducting a week long science camp near Pigeon Forge. More details to come!