V is for Violets

Recovering from her concussion is a challenging time.   We have converted her trampoline into a nest of blankets where she can rest.. jumping and swinging and flipping are off limits for a bit.   Sabrina renamed Big Dog "Purply Purply Dandelion Goldie".   Dandelion for short has been dressed in Sabrina's bathrobe and necklaces.   

Resting together.

At school last week the letter was V.   This beautiful project came home and is one of my favorites.   Happy Spring!  (just around the corner!)

Birthday Sunday in Charleston

Sunday- the day after Julie's birthday- we traveled to Charleston.   Our morning started with the pleasant Sunday morning drive to our church on Daniel Island.   Spending the morning at the contemporary service and catching up with our old friends brought us great joy.   We felt very at home and were welcomed as if we have never left the community.
After the morning catching up, we had the best brunch at Poogin's Porch.   Sabrina loved it as the coloring page had a picture of Poogin  (the former dog of the house where the restaurant is now located).   Poogin was a rainbow dog in her coloring of him.  Randy had the best shrimp and grits and Julie had a fried green tomato BLT sandwich!   Yummy!
We enjoyed peaking and glancing at the private gardens around town.   Down Queens, over to Broad, cross to Waters, connect with Legare and then return on Meeting!   What wonderful houses and gardening ideas!  We even strolled down an old dueling alley.   A relaxing day among familiar shops and streets taking in the great city.  
New since we have lived in Charleston is Trader Joe's and going to the store was a piece of the West to the South!   We stocked up on some of our old favorites and had opportunity to  buy some food we haven't had in almost two years!

To top off the perfect day was a dolphin show at Ft. Moultrie.  At one time we counted six dolphins who were coming to the surface and checking out the beach.  There might have been more!  This spectacular pod was feeding yards from the beach.   One literally may have been twenty yards from us when we stood on the beach!   Perfect!   Near sunset, this was a hard scene to leave and put a desire in our hearts to return shortly.

Get well

Sabrina had a fall a couple of days ago and sustained a concussion.   Her best friend from school missed her and drew a picture to cheer her up.   He stopped by the house and they were able to play quietly.   The picture is of the two friends holding hands in the sunshine and walking through the grass.   Friendship is a great medicine!

Tree Climbing at Wormsloe Plantation

Saturday we had a family day on the other side of Savannah at the Wormsloe Plantation.   The sign on the gate says "1733 Wormsloe 1913."  The founder with the last name Jones was the surveyor who worked along side of Oglethorpe to design and survey the city of Savannah as well as other cities in the South.   His house ruins (made of tabby---shell and mortor combination)  are still located on site inside this huge plantation.   

The sign in front said there were 400 oaks inside lining the entrance to the plantation.   The drive is 1.3 miles and the oaks are about 20 feet apart the entire way.

One oak had tipped near the water and was a great climbing tree.

Climb no more, please!   High enough!

Looking at oyster shells.

Hiding in the palmettos with her two giraffes tucked in her shirt.   

The entrance drive with all the beautiful oaks.

Tax Time

Some days we hear things come from Sabrina's mouth and we realize she hears us more than we think or know.   This morning was a prime example of this as we drove to pre-school:

From the backseat of the car, Sabrina is playing with two toys:
Toy 1:  " Would you like to come over and play?"
Toy2:  "I can't.   I have to do my taxes!"

Needless to say I almost drove off the road with amusement to this conversation between the toys.

In time for Valentine's Day

Making Valentines

For too long we have had a bare card table for our dining area.   Finally, we have a bright table cloth which is now finished.

With the hearts, this is perfect for the Valentine's Day holiday and brightness is nice during our foggy mornings.

Free Museum Day

On Friday's walk this huge blue heron came to visit.

Sunday while we were walking downtown were discovered that it was Free Museum Sunday.   We decided to go to some museums that had free admissions that we had not been to in a while or at all.   The first was the oldest mansion in Savannah.   It has been donated to the city of Savannah and is part of the Telfair Museum.   No photos were allowed so we don't have any to post.   However, this mansion had running water to a bathroom with a tub and shower.   It also had a bell system like the one seen on Downton Abby.   

Our last museum was the Railroad museum.

This car was for the executives of the railroad to travel in style.

It was fully furnished with a kitchen, sleeping cars, dining car and bathrooms.

A model of the old train yard.

A steam generator.   This ran much like a steam train and the railroad would use it to power other machines on the property.

The roundhouse.

An old scale with the balance with weights.

Safe.

Fire hose.

A pump cart that was running down the tracks.

The roundhouse

Ships at rest.

The third museum we visited was Savannah Museum.  We saw and interacted with an exhibit on Juliette Gordon Lowe, the founder of the Girl Scouts.   On display were many old quilts and a loom that Sabrina practiced her weaving skills.    Other exhibits were on birds, hats, the fir traders and the Revolutionary War.   Outside of this museum was the actual site of the Battle of Savannah during the Revolutionary War.   Savannah fell to British control and therefore the whole colony of Georgia became a hold for the British during the war.

Disappearing Evidence

Yesterday when we picked up Sabrina she talked about graphing real jelly beans.   Apparently, they were given a bag of jelly beans to sort on this chart.

Then they took to jelly bean data and graphed it.

The picture of the day given to Daddy was the sun shining on the pile of jelly beans.

WE noted that the hard evidence of the real jelly beans was missing from the assignment, but Sabrina had sticky hands and a colorful tongue.   Hmm....

Photo sent from teacher showing Sabrina' s table group working hard on the sorting/ graphing assignment!

Other artwork made with glitter glue.

Wildlife at Tom Triplet Park

Several times a week I walk at Tom Triplet Park with my friend.   Most mornings there is an incredible wildlife sighting.   To greet us off the parking lot usually are a several birds perched on the platform.    At one point it was herons.   This season is the seagulls and anahinga.

A miniature blue heron hiding in grass.   When I went for a better light angle, it took off!

"If I stand still, you can't see me!"

"Ok.  That didn't work.   How about now?   I am hiding in this grass."

"Dang!   You saw me!   I guess I will come out."

"What is that thing you are pointing toward me?"

"Excuse me.   It is breakfast time."

"I am going to stand here silently and watch for perfect fish.   You can leave now."

Perspective in the Carpool Lane

Yesterday, Sabrina was funny in the car while waiting for school.   The conversation went something like this:

S: " Miss Jessie had a birthday last week."
J: " How do you know?"
S: "The numbers tell me."
J:  "What numbers?"
S:  "100"
J:  "Is that her age?"
S: "No.   She is 65."
J:  "Grandma J is 65.   Do you think Miss Jessie is the same age?"
S:  "No."  and thinking about the age number question, she quickly changed topic.   "Miss Jessie is a teacher because the tag (badge) told her."
J:  "So you are saying that the badge Miss Jessie wears with her photo told her to be a teacher."
S:  "Yes.   The tag told her so."

Later while looking at a Hidden Picture magazine she called "Binoculars" "Noculors."
She is reading some basic books.   One she read to us lately was GO, DOG, GO!   We are thrilled with her progress in reading and have been partner reading books or reading and letting her read words in a story.   The carpool lane has become a great time together.

Sunday exploring Ft. Pulaski shore

Last week the temperatures were in the 20-30s with an ice storm and some places around Georgia had snow.   Amazing what a few days can do!  Sunday was in the mid 70s!   So we as a family went to one of favorite places: Ft. Pulaski and hiked out to the point closest to the old lighthouse.   We love this hike and looking through the oyster shells.

Little Miss "Catch Me if you Can!"

Examining a palmetto tree and noting how perfect it would be for a bird to nest here or at least grab some material for a nest!   Lots of bird action noted.   Spring is in the air!

Hopping on shells with a barge approaching!

An oyster shell couch!

The huge barge crossed the Savannah River right in front of us.   Each "box" is a semi truck load of goods heading to the port.   This ship was huge!

The flag at the fort.

Along Victory Drive on the way home we passed this vintage looking Starbucks!

Older houses that have fallen into disrepair.

Boarded up without windows.