Tuesday, October 07, 2008

Pond Skimming

This was going to be the field trip that I was willing to skip, to tell you the truth. I knew I'd be helping out for "Apple Day" and then again on the trip in a couple of weeks to the pumpkin patch, so I figured I'd be alright to pass up a soggy nature hike and kids getting mucky while pulling water bugs out of a pond. However, Mikayla's sweet teacher called me personally, and yes, sweet-talked me (nothing like feeling needed) and I caved. So, out I went today, a day that fortunately did not rain at all while we were outdoors, and another day of precious memories with my daughter.

This picture shows the kids watching over the bridge for the sticks they threw in from one side of it to appear on the other side:

After the nature walk, we were instructed on how to best "net" water creatures, identify them, and deposit them in the jars of their like-minded creatures (to be released later after we left). It was very cool for the kids - they were so delighted to identify water snails, water boatmen, water beetles, mayfly larve, tadpoles, and other exciting pondlife.

And, of course, this time of year, you couldn't ask for better colors to be appearing in nature.... Behind this pond - that building is the UO Moschofsky Center - right next to Autzen Stadium.

These are the two friends Mikayla most talks about from her first grade classroom. The fellow blonde is Kenady and the brunette is Teja. They are both very nice.

How could you resist a field trip taken with that sweet little face?

1 comment:

Growin' With It said...

waaaaaa for me. salt in the wound why don'tcha?! andrew's class goes tomorrow and i'm sick. boo hoo. papa's going instead. which will probably be way more fun for the little boys anyways! don't you love that place. all kinds of dirt and bugs and leaves and nature...ahhhhh.