Ugly Woodpeckers and Sickening Spins

Ryan's reading class performed plays this week putting a bit
of a spin on regular stories.  His group performed the story of the "Ugly Woodpecker."

Ryan is in his egg...he's the one in the red on the right.

The woodpecker family, with the "ugly" woodpecker about to
hatch in the green.  It turns out that the "ugly"woodpecker can't make a whole in the tree with his beak, he can't fly and he can't make a woodpecker sounds.  It's discovered at the end that he's actually a turtle.



Emmalee's been enjoying swim lessons.  On the last day of class, they learn about water and boat safety.  At the end of the serious stuff, they all pile into this boat and the instructors push them all over the pool and put them into some pretty serious spins.  Me?  I'd be getting sick over the side. 
Emma?  She loves it!



Little Girl Dress with Three Matching Ties

Click on over here to take a look!

Day Trip Stop #3: Shoshone Falls

We reached our main destination mid-afternoon.  It was a perfect day to visit the falls.
To read more about them, see here.
The weather was gorgeous, and the water was flowing like crazy.  Once the farmers start needing water for their crops, it'll go down to a trickle.  But, for now?  It's amazing! 
Shoshone Falls is actually a longer drop than Niagra Falls. 

Our first view of the falls.

Emma was a little grumpy from the Dramamine, and was a little nervous about being so close to the falls, so she wasn't too excited about having her photo taken.  When we got home (and it was much too late to remedy the situation), she told me that she had wanted to take another photo with a smile.

Before heading home, we cooled off with
SnoCones.  Yum!
~~~
Our favorite part of the trip:
Bob:  "Seeing all the stuff."
Katie:  "Spending such a nice day with my family and getting to "relive" part of my fourth grade fieldtip."
Ryan:  "Standing and looking at the waterfall because they were just so beautiful."
Emmalee:  "The snocones.  And my other favorite part was the waterfall."

Day Trip Stop #2: Malad Gorge

Our second stop was Malad Gorge.  Read a review of it here.
When you're traveling on I-84 just before Twin Falls, you cross over a short bridge.  It's very difficult to see over, so you might think that it's nothing.  If you take the time, however, to take the next exit and visit Malad Gorge State Park, you'll see an example of just how powerful (and amazing!) nature can be.

My dear son does not like heights...at all!  He'd rather do a roll in an airplane, than walk over this bridge.  But, he did it...twice!

The drop, the force it would have taken to cut this narrow canyon, the evidence of years of continual pressure from the water...this place just amazes me!  (And makes me hope that the builders of this bridge paid very good attention to detail!)

Day Trip Stop #1: Three Island Crossing

For Mother's Day this year, I asked Bob and the kids not to get me anything.  Instead, I asked that we take a day trip to see Shoshone Falls.  I haven't been since I was 18, Bob and the kids have never been, and the run off is near record levels.  We had to delay our trip due to Emma's stomach bug, but we were finally able to go this past weekend.  It was a perfect day.
Our first stop was Three Island Crossing.  Read more about it here.  Briefly, it was a location used on the Oregon Trail to (usually) cross the Snake River safely.  The fourth graders in Idaho spend the entire year learning about Idaho history.  Waaaaaay back when I was a kid, we did the same thing.  Twenty five years ago, when I was almost ten, is the last time I was here.  Back then, there was just a grassy area with a small concrete eating area.  They've redone the park, and it's beautiful.  There's a large overnight camping area, a gorgeous day area and 5-6 cabins, set under the trees, with air conditioning and wooden hanging porch swings.  I wish I had one in my backyard!

They also have a really nice interpretive center.  The kids enjoyed seeing the scenes depicting life for both those on the trail and the Native Americans that lived in the area.

I just have to say that I've very glad we no longer have to travel in one of these!



After touring the interpretive center, we had a picnic on the grass.
It was a beautiful day, and it was nice to be able to enjoy it!

After lunch, we did a bit of hiking.  The Snake River is very high right now, thanks to our very wet (and long) winter.  We saw lizards, cranes, and lots of fish jumping.

Emma hopped onto this rock, posed, and asked me to take a picture.  Little nut!

...and one with a smile.

This is my favorite picture from the entire day!
It's so sweet!

It was a bit hard to get a good picture of the islands, but there's one of them.

Field Trips and Music Programs

Blogger is finally cooperating with me when I try to post pictures, so now we'll play a bit of catchup.  Recently, Ryan's class visited the Bown House.  It was built in 1879 and is one of the oldest houses in Idaho.  It's been restored and is used for educational fieldtrips.  Each room is full of items that would have been used when the Bown's lived in the house.  The classes break up into small groups and move from room to room.  It is staffed with volunteers who teach a lesson in each room.  The kids have been learning about Idaho history all year, so they all really enjoyed it.

The volunteer had Ryan and a classmate hold up the irons that were used in the 1800s and then proceeded to talk and talk and talk.  It was quite entertaining to see the irons go lower and lower as they got heavier.

When you see things like this that have survived for so long, you can imagine how the women spent the long winter evenings.  This is made entirely of hexies and, of course, entirely by hand.  Amazing!



This was the parlor.  This volunteer had some stories to tell, but she wouldn't allow the kids
to sit and be idle, so they each got a quilt block to work on while she spoke. 



Just one word...OUCH!!

Emma had her Kindergarten music program last week.  There's just something about that first music program that is SO sweet!  Here she is singing to Mr. Sun and asking him to please shine down on her. 

After the program, she got to eat hot lunch at the school for the first time.  She chose the yogurt parfait and, after taking her first bite, said "Mom. you gotta pick up your spoon, dip it in here and taste it.  It's delicious!"