critters and stuff

I had fun at Audubon Nature Preschool today introducing our friends the worms ... they will be having a sleepover with the preschoolers this whole week and they got lots of love today.
The kids planted lettuce seeds after taking care of weeding and adding compost to the mended soil this week. I'm always so blown away by little tiny kids' ability to do and absorb so fast and with such enthusiasm!! It really shouldn't surprise me, I mean, I have 2 models of my own at home!! Here's one of them!!!

Ty and I planted some lettuce/mesclun/spinach/arugula in the salad table a while ago and it's looking really good:

We are waiting on the praying mantis egg case we found on our christmas tree this year to finally hatch ... found a baby praying mantis in the preschool garden this afternoon and they kids loved it!! I hope we can bring some to school once they hatch!

I also dug out a bunch of volunteer tomato seedling for the kids to plant at school in recycled toilet paper roll pots next week. They will get to take those home :)

Pet worms hard at work ready to take a drive to school for their first sleepover :P

Don't they look excited??!?

Here are a few of the reasons I LOVE living in almost-country:

Chive flowers that look like they come right out of "Horton Hears a Who"

they also serve as miniature condos for teeny beetles
 

I also love when friends come over unannounced and have a surprise visit. I relocated this black rat snake to the creek in the back yard :)

And to end on a fun note ... Indie loves to sing to the alarm clock. It's got a good beat but you can't dance to it :)