Newport Aquarium

The elevator to the exhibits looks like a shark cage!

About a month ago, I learned about Newport Aquarium's Homeschool Days and ordered tickets. Darren took the day off of work so that we could make the 2-hour drive down to Cincinatti together. The aquarium in located across the river in Newport, KY. We had a super afternoon exploring the aquarium! There was a LOT to see, and Kyrie was happy that she could check all her favorite aquatics off the list: jellyfish, sharks, seahorses & octopus.

 



We watched a show about the aquarium's shark tank that was given by a diver in the tank.

Mighty Mike, the 800 lb. alligator.

We spent a lot of time in the jellyfish exhibit. It was very relaxing.

(She's standing on her tiptoes!)

 

There were exhibits and shows and hands-on activities, including touch tanks. The shark touch tank was very cool! The water was too cold for Degen, but Kyrie petted several sharks who were resting (she was too nervous to touch the swimming ones). The penguin exhibit was our last stop, and they put on a great show with lots of fast swimming and penguin cuteness. Degen (along with several other children) raced along the front of the tank with the penguins. It was very cute! We had an awesome family day and we all learned a lot. On the way home, we started making plans for next year's visit!

 

The shark in the background of this picture is sleeping on its back. The staff said that several of the sharks like to sleep this way because of how it lets the blood flow in their bodies.

ILove

 

After feeling pretty awful last week, which resulted in a bad dizzy/nauseous spell, Darren convinced me to go to the doctor. While we waited for the doctor, the kids played on the IPads. They were too sweet sharing a chair and commenting on each others' app activities!

(The doctor diagnosed me with a sinus infection.)

Leaf It to Fall!

 

Hands down, fall is my favorite season! I love the weather (especially the gray days) and the trees, the clothes, the food, the holidays... the whole shebang! Last week, we found one more way to celebrate the wonders of fall when we went to a metro park program about leaves. It was a chilly morning, but the kids had fun listening to a story, collecting leaves and doing an art activity. We ended our morning in a giant leaf pile! The kids had a blast!

 

Degen with his leaf rubbing (that Mommy mostly did).

 

Apple Cooking Time

Degen using the apple peeler.

 

I have been in the kitchen every weekend since we went apple picking (and truthfully, every weekend since we started taking crop in from the garden). I love canning in the fall! The summer's heat is made no less bearable by boiling large pots of water on the stove for hours & hours, but in the autumn, you can open a window to feel the sharp, cool breeze and the house gets cozy with the warmth from the kitchen. It also smells wonderful! Canning pickles is not perhaps the most appetizing aroma, but apples, sugar & spice make the house smell like home during the holidays. Yum! I have processed about half of the apples we picked (only half!) and have canned: fancy applesauce, apple smash, cinnamon hot apples and apple butter. We are running out of jars faster than we are running out of apples at this point!

 

Kyrie mixing apples & spices.

 

Before we had even headed out to the orchard, the kids had talked about making an apple pie. So, one afternoon I gathered up my helpers to make one for that evening's dessert. Making a pie involves quite a bit, but they helped peel apples, pour ingredients, mix spices and put the apples in the crust. And, of course, they helped eat it, too!

 

Apple Picking Time

 

We were grateful to be headed out to Darren's boss' land again this year to pick apples from his small orchard. We had a great afternoon for it! We all took turns picking apples from the low branches and climbing the trees to pick the apples that were higher up with a few breaks to try out the produce. Darren did most of the work, but everybody helped pick apples and haul the full buckets back to the van. I don't know how many apples we picked, but we filled up two coolers, two buckets and a bin. It was great to spend a sunny afternoon together surrounded by the beautiful countryside. This was also a great wrap-up activity to our Autumn & Apples homeschool unit! Over the upcoming weeks, I will can most of the apples (eg. applesauce, applesmash, apple butter, etc.). The kids have also requested that we make an apple pie!

 

Kyrie checking out a bird's nest.