Tick Check

Tick Check was the theme for today; we spent the morning and the afternoon outside. The children climbed around on fallen tree branches while I laid out a new garden bed and dug a place for our pond to go. It worked out well, actually, because the dirt being removed for the pond just went right into the garden space. We'll see if the pond actually comes into being -- it is my goal to focus on the four elements for HS this summer and a stream and pond would be a wonderful addition to our homeschool environment! Then they helped me pick up sticks because we were having a neighbor come over and mow the lawn. I did it myself with my mother's beloved hand mower but it was unable to deal with the really high grasses that had sprung up from nowhere. So I had to call in reinforcements -- a gas guzzling riding mower -- and then will use the manual one to trim the grass and maintain my girlish figure at the same time. ;-)

In other environmental causes, I am getting a water filter ball for my showerhead, I think. I am tired of what chlorine does to my skin and my middle child suffers from terrible eczema and I know that it would provide some relief for her as well. I love the Gaiam catalogue and will have to spend some time on their website tonight.

In the afternoon we had a playdate at Jefferson Patterson Park. We spent some time in their Discovery Room and then borrowed binoculars from the lady in charge and went on a nature hike in the woods. That was so much fun!!! We came out of the trail at the exact time the park was closing (except I dashed in and got a Folkmanis puppet to add to our collection -- Dolphin) and it was time to head home and do the second tick check of the day. In the morning I found one on each girl. In the afternoon Becca scored with two, Leah had one, and Natalie had none. I haven't found any on myself today either.