Dodge Nature Center

This morning my awesome SIL called offering us an opportunity to go visit the Dodge Nature Center. I have heard great things about it for a long time but we just haven't made it there. It was a fun morning and the kids were able to learn a bit about Reptiles and Amphibians; they were even able to touch some! Wow, these animals really are spectacular - animals are so incredibly fascinating. No wonder kids love them so much. At one point the guide let a tarantula out on the floor to crawl around which was a bit terrifying. Jude is especially into animals and he liked the morning - although he does look a bit freaked out in the pictures.

ABC's coming along

With Auntie Kim practicing the alphabet with Faustina along with the letters we are (slowly) putting up on the wall in her room - It is starting to click!

Faustina signs for "milk"!

Faustina has been watching "Baby Signing Times" in DVD and has apparently picked up a few things. She now knows "food/eat" and "milk". "Milk" is especially cute as she does it somewhat incorrectly, putting her pointer and middle fingers together with her thumb instead of as the image below. This is great- the little one is learning to communicate!




The sign for "milk" is supposed to appear as if you are milking a cow.

Workin' the overhead projector (Latin style)

The University of St. Thomas has recruited me to be a 'poster-boy' (literally) for the Catholic Studies graduate department (cringe!). The photos below will somehow be used in flyers promoting the department with the hopes of recruiting new students with full-time jobs.

So, this is me in action with my 10th grade girls Latin class. We were still reading Caesar at this point.