OWL

Our other task of the weekend was to gather information for Walter's first family homework project.  That's right, homework.  His preschool class, called the Passport class, "travels" around the world, learning about the geography, people, and animals of a new place each month.  To start off, for October they are studying Central Oregon.  Our family report was on the Great Horned Owl.  We listened to a short lecture  and met "McKenzie", the high desert museum's great horned owl found injured on McKenzie Pass.  We went later in the weekend as a family to the library, taught the boys how to search for books on the library catalog computers and how to locate books in the stacks.  We read books, cut out pictures in magazines, drew owls and learned to write "OWL".  It was a really fantastic experience to do this teaching and learning as a family and I am thankful to our preschool for being the catalyst.

PS.  None of our stuffed animals have ever been given real names until now.  Bear is called Bear, Monkey is Monkey.  Hippo is Buppo, but that was due to the ever-so-cute pronunciation of a one year old Fritzi.  However.  Times have changed.  The two stuffed owls at our house are now (both!) called McKenzie.  And the boys beds are more crowded each day as the list of "must have" occupants grows, because McKenzie(s) must sleep in bed now.  Of course.