Meet Cheeto!!

Last August, we found a caterpillar that was getting ready to spin its cocoon on our fence. In this state, he was vulnerable and a spider was trying to capture him as his treat. This is what prompted us to bring him inside and place him in a small bug container that Max had gotten for his birthday. We then named him Cheeto and took his picture because we knew that soon he would be inside his cocoon!! Its easy to tell why we named him Cheeto!! We did some research on the computer to see what kind of butterfly he would turn into. We were happy to find out that he would be a Spicebush Swallowtail!!! Normally the only caterpillars we find are the ones that turn into moths, so this was exciting!!!! Here is Cheeto when we found him August 25, 2008:
.

.
If you notice the two "eyes" on the back of his head. They are used as a defense against predators, it makes them look like a SNAKE. That very night, he did, in fact turn into his cocoon!!! The research we did told us that because he was the orange color, that was the indicator that he was ready to make his cocoon. They are a green color the rest of their caterpillar life. We also found out that because his cocoon was brown and not green, that he would be staying with us all winter long!!! Here is a really good webpage for reading about our butterfly: http://www.butterflygardeningandconservation.com/butterfly/st/spicebush.php

Here are our pictures of Cheeto in his new and pretty butterfly form:

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

In these pictures you can see the cocoon, the front of the butterfly after it emerged, the underside of the butterfly, my husband and Max feeding the butterfly, and the new bigger home for the butterfly!!!!

These butterflies live in and feed on the leaves of Sassafras and Spicebush trees, and they also feed on the nectar of azalea, honeysuckle, milkweed, and thistle. We fed Cheeto some of my hummingbird nectar last night when he emerged. It has been raining like crazy out and there are no leaves on the trees and no flowers yet, so were researching to see what we should do until Spring is officially here and he has food outside.

You know what I just found out?? Cheeto is a SHE!!!!! Female butterflies have iridescent blue hind-wings, which Cheeto has, and males have bright green.

.

Pretty cool stuff, huh!! :)

xoxo

S

Happy Bee :)

Warmer temps are just around the corner. We are supposed to get close to 60 tomorrow WITH sunshine!! :) This makes me happy!!

We started training with our horses yesterday. They are still young, and they have had the winter to play and be free, but now its time to work again and remember what we taught them last summer/fall. This makes me happy!!

My wonderful hubby has finally started picking up work!! This makes me happy!!

My kids are just really great kids!! They are smart and they are sweet!! This makes me happy!!

I have some wonderful awesome super fantastic friends!! This makes me happy!!

My substitute teaching is going wonderfully!!! I honestly never knew I would enjoy teaching!! I love it!! I love being in a different class, a different grade and seeing how things operate in each classroom that Im a Substitute in. I love the teachers that I work alongside, I love the atmosphere!!! I know in previous blogs I have expressed wanting a full time position and how being a Substitute was a stepping stone towards that goal. WELL......as of right this minute, I am totally and completely at peace and in love with doing what Im doing and thats is being a Substitute Teacher!!!!! I have weighed the pros and cons, as I do and although my mind may change again at some point, right now I am perfectly content. THIS MAKES ME HAPPY!!!

I actually have to get ready to head to school now. I am doing a half day today and tomorrow.

The sun just came out!! :)

Enjoy the onset of Spring and do whatever you can to find peace and happiness within your own lives!!!

xoxo

S

Spring Fever!!!

I GOT THE FEVER!!!

I just got done reading Aimees latest blog post and now she has me wanting Spring even more than I already was!! I noticed the other day while checking the weather that we were going to be in the 50s and mid 50s later this week!!! :) I am so ready for it!!! I get bored with winter so fast. I dont like cold, I dont like snow, the only reason I can tolerate winter is because of my winter clothes, lol. But then I get bored with that and want to wear my spring stuff!! Its time!!! Cmon Spring!!!

My main reasons for loving spring, other than the warmth and sunshine, and the fact that it leads to summer are:

1. My flowers sprouting up because I always forget what I planted!!

2. Warm weather so that I can ride my horse again!!

3. Warm weather so we can put up the trampoline that Santa brought the kids!!

4. Our pool to be put back up!!

5. The walks that the kids and I take around the housing addition.

6. The sound of those super loud frogs in the ponds!!

7. My birds come back!!

8. Sitting out on our deck and enjoying our wooded back yard!!

9. The zoos open!!

10. SPRING BREAK!!!

Spring, Spring, Spring!!! :)

xoxo

S

Fuji!!!!

Well after my mishap yesterday with my digital camera vs. the skating rink wall and having hubby shake his head at me, I got a new camera today!!!!! It will NOT be used on skates!! Lesson learned!! lol It is exactly the kind I wanted at the price I wanted!!! Hubby and I walked up on a deal!!! He had his eyes peeled and was watching the guy who was working in the camera section and sure enough, hubby found us a GREAT DEAL!!! :) The fact that it was EXACTLY the style I was wanting too made it all that more sweet of a deal!!! :) Here is my handsome fella:





Isnt he AWESOME!!!!?!?!?!?!?! :)
Ok, Im back off here to continue spending my day with my super fantastic hubby!!! OH, and I also need to find one of my purses that Fuji will fit in comfortably!!!

xoxo
S

Cameras, skating, and walls, OH MY!!!

So today I had the itchin to go do something!!! The sun was shining and we had been cooped up long enough!! I was first thinking of going to see a movie, but the boys didnt want to see it. Then I wanted to go to DisneyWorld.....lol, ok that wasnt gonna happen in a day!! My next desire was to go to the zoo.......nope, closed!! Then I thought of bowling. Ok, possiblitity. Then I thought of something that I did often as a younster..............SKATING!!! I went to investigate on my computer because the only place I knew of had closed last I knew. I found a place in Plymouth but it kinda scared me. I decided to check the place that had closed and see.............yay, it was open again!!! I didnt really offer the bowling idea to the kids because once I knew the skating place we had gone to as kids was open again, that was where I wanted to go (Plus it was in a town with a Hacienda, done deal!!)!! The kids have all bowled before but skating would be a new adventure for them!! Max was super excited, and so was Hannah!! Brodie was not. Oh well, he would just have to deal with it, Mommy wanted to go skating!! We loaded up and headed out. We got our skates and had to help the kids get theirs on because they had never done this before. Then it was time for them to stand up. LOL There was rolling, and falling, and more rolling, and falling. We held Maxs hand and took him around the rink. Then he spotted the blown up slide contraption they had and wanted to head over there. I told him he had to take a couple more laps around the rink and then he could be free from skating. He didnt really want to but he did it and by the time he was due to stop he had gotten the hang of it a little bit better. Then I helped the bigger kids around. Brodie was more willing to just scooch himself around by holding onto the wall. Hannah held my hand or Rustys hand and went round and round. She got pretty good by the end of our afternoon and even went around the rink halfway all by herself without falling down!! Brodie went around by himself but stayed on a scooching level, then had his own fun watching other people fall down.

Heres my big adventure of the day.....

I got my camera out because it was a new thing for the kids to do and I need the pics for blog purposes, etc. I snapped some shots of the kids, hubby, and myself. I sktaed some more. Then I went back to taking pics. Michelle and Joe were there and skating together so I wanted to get a pic of them together cuz they looked so cute!! Well...............I went zipping in front of them, spinned around, got my camera up and ready, and then FELL INTO THE WALL. My camera smacked the wall, my knee hit the floor, and needless to say, my finger never pushed the button so no pic was captured of the two of them. I was bummed!! My camera is going to need surgery and hopefully it will survive. At least my pics are on the memory card so they are not lost!! So, without further adieu, here are the pics from today!!!!!! :)


.

.

.

.

.

.

Fun times!!! :)

xoxo

S

He does exist!!

This is my Brodie!! I dont think he has made it into many blogs, so in case you were wondering where he went......here he is!!! Brodie is a straight A student and enjoys his video games!!!! This is where you can find him when hes not at school being smart!!! :) Occasionally he will even get up and come out to eat with us!! Sometimes I can talk him into watching a movie with his ole mom, but I think he comes out more for the popcorn than me!! If you ever see him anywhere, whisper these words to him for me.......basketball!!! lol

xoxo

S

Maxs first time bowling!!

Max went to his friend Brocks birthday party on Friday. It was at the bowling alley!! Max has only bowled on the Wii and he is really good at it, so he was excited to go to a real bowling alley!! He got a 98 on his first ever bowling game!!! They had a blast and then it was time for..........LEGOS, of course with Brock and Jack!!! :)









Fun fun fun!!! :)

xoxo
S

Circle the State with Song

The reason for this blog is because Hannah was asked to participate in Circle the State with Song. If you are out and about today and see buses all over our parking lots from schools you may have never heard of, the music festival is the reason why!! The Indiana Music Educators Association puts on a Childrens Choral Festival every year called Circle the State with Song. Out of 18 elementary schools and 9 middle schools around Indiana only a handful of kids are picked to be in this. Hannah was one of those asked!! She has been practicing for months and is at the high school right now preparing for this afternoons event!! We are so proud of her!! Music is her passion so she is really excited to be a part of this!! :)

.

.

xoxo
S

Couple more things....

I got my new glasses today....



Hannah got her new American Girl doll (the blonde) today. She bought her with her birthday money and she joins Savanna (the brunette). Here is the happy lil family!!



Ok, I think that should wrap it up for today!! :)
xoxo
S

Good news!!

I received some good news today!! An unexpected event triggered some good news!! It wasnt awesome perfect news, not yet anyway, but its good news!! And then that good news transpired into another good thing happening!! :) Double yay!!

Just thought I would share my vague good news with you guys!! Please take a moment and smile along with me!! :)

xoxo

S