One month into home schooling, we have come to a crossroads. It snowed this week and a lunatic fox has been seen wandering our neighborhood. People are going crazy. Foxes are going crazy. Craziness abounds.
Without further ado, here is a recap of Week 4 in our animal kingdom:
Tuesday kicked off with a giraffe and a giraffe has a powerful kick, capable of killing the king of the jungle if he tries to attack. "Field trips" were a part of each school day and we traveled to Tanzania to learn about giraffes and their African habitat. We also learned about how giraffes enter into this world.
Over five years ago, I entered into the world of parenting. Everything was so new and the possibilities were endless. For new parents of 2020, I hope there is still that burst of endless possibility even if we are all under a canopy of uncertainty. And this is certain - a baby giraffe has a shocking entrance into the world - a mother giraffe gives birth standing up. The initial second of a giraffe's existence is around a 5-foot fall to life.
Each and every giraffe does not hit the ground running. They just hit the ground. But, then they get up and they grow to become the tallest animal on Earth. In order to reach great heights, you got to build from the ground up.
We learned about elk on Wednesday and traveled to the rugged landscape of Utah. My wife and I had scheduled our 7th anniversary trip to Utah this Spring. Our marriage has been full of adventures all over this great country. We won't make it to Utah in this season, but hope is not lost. Plans get changed. Adventures need rerouted. What is important - my adventure team is all healthy. Physically, I was not in Utah on Tuesday but never doubt the power of a childlike imagination. My oldest daughter and I made hunting rifles out of big sticks. We painted them and pretended we were elk hunters. We also vowed to shoot the lunatic fox if he showed his lunatic face.
In my front yard I traveled to Utah with my 5-year-old. Never let your imagination be in isolation. I learned that from my daughter as we fired front yard rifle shots. Note to reader - the fox is still at large.
On Thursday, we headed back across the Mississippi River to the Bluegrass State. I rode a horse one time and one time only and it was in Kentucky. I was with my wife. We did not have kids yet. My horse was Maverick, a true pistol. I recall him not liking puddles, making me extremely nervous that I was going to be launched into the Kentucky wilderness. Maverick would see puddles with his monstrous eyes and make these beastly bursts to dry land. It was a trail ride with a small group of strangers - other than my wife - and of course I was last in line on Maverick and his puddle phobia.
Even though travel is on hold right now, I am grateful for trips down memory lane. I can close my eyes and see myself - with my eyes closed sitting on Maverick - holding on for dear life - praying for no more puddles. I am thankful for a life full of travel and to Maverick, my maniac mustang.
Friday concluded with penguins. We expeditioned to Anarctica. Now, more than ever, we are like penguins. We are huddled up at home waddling around. Penguins are remarkable birds simply for the fact that Antactica is their home. To survive, they make phenonemal treks and sacrifices, but to penguins this is no phenomenon - it is their way of life. Our way of life has been thrown upside down, but we are hanging in there - and there is something fun and phenomenal about it all.
We did penguin yoga where we did side stretches and worked on our waddles. We learned about emperor penguins and the humboldt penguin off the coast of Peru. From the beginning of the school week to the end, our family of four traveled all over the globe. We used the globe that we purchased from Riek's Country Store in Brownstown to illustrate how far we had traveled. Riek's, a mainstay in our community, helped us go to communities all over the world. Thanks Riek's and to all the small businesses that make Johnstown a great place to call home.
I'll end with an imaginary scene. The Emperor penguin, we shall call him Wolfe, of the emperor penguins had to walk out onto an arctic ice sheet and address his fellow penguins. He had to explain to them that effective today, their kind will be practicing 6-feet of social distance. His penguins, who were already waddling and yammering in a mile long huddle, continued to waddle and yammer in extremely close proximity. He then stated that everyone can still go fishing since it is life-sustaining; however, you need to wear a snorkel. The crowd continues to waddle and yammer.
Baby penguins had no idea what Emperor Wolfe was talking about. They started asking their parents if they could get their own microphones and if they could still slide across the ice on their bellies. Parents tried to stop this sidebar yammering, but the kids were not listening. Emperor Wolfe also said that a seal volunteered to deliver fish to the penguins if they did not want to travel to the water. He worked for the local ALDI and was described as "trustworthy". Kid penguins pointed out that seals eat penguins, but the parents were not listening. Emperor Wolfe asked if everyone could remain calm.
And as the sun was going down, all the penguins decided that it was best to start this social distancing. They all had their own opinions on the declaration yet for all penguinkind, they understood what needed to be done.
And because of their teamwork and communication, penguin life moved on. They all lived happily ever after in a "new normal" penguin society.
The End. The Beginning. One day at a time.
Friday concluded with penguins. We expeditioned to Anarctica. Now, more than ever, we are like penguins. We are huddled up at home waddling around. Penguins are remarkable birds simply for the fact that Antactica is their home. To survive, they make phenonemal treks and sacrifices, but to penguins this is no phenomenon - it is their way of life. Our way of life has been thrown upside down, but we are hanging in there - and there is something fun and phenomenal about it all.
We did penguin yoga where we did side stretches and worked on our waddles. We learned about emperor penguins and the humboldt penguin off the coast of Peru. From the beginning of the school week to the end, our family of four traveled all over the globe. We used the globe that we purchased from Riek's Country Store in Brownstown to illustrate how far we had traveled. Riek's, a mainstay in our community, helped us go to communities all over the world. Thanks Riek's and to all the small businesses that make Johnstown a great place to call home.
I'll end with an imaginary scene. The Emperor penguin, we shall call him Wolfe, of the emperor penguins had to walk out onto an arctic ice sheet and address his fellow penguins. He had to explain to them that effective today, their kind will be practicing 6-feet of social distance. His penguins, who were already waddling and yammering in a mile long huddle, continued to waddle and yammer in extremely close proximity. He then stated that everyone can still go fishing since it is life-sustaining; however, you need to wear a snorkel. The crowd continues to waddle and yammer.
Baby penguins had no idea what Emperor Wolfe was talking about. They started asking their parents if they could get their own microphones and if they could still slide across the ice on their bellies. Parents tried to stop this sidebar yammering, but the kids were not listening. Emperor Wolfe also said that a seal volunteered to deliver fish to the penguins if they did not want to travel to the water. He worked for the local ALDI and was described as "trustworthy". Kid penguins pointed out that seals eat penguins, but the parents were not listening. Emperor Wolfe asked if everyone could remain calm.
And as the sun was going down, all the penguins decided that it was best to start this social distancing. They all had their own opinions on the declaration yet for all penguinkind, they understood what needed to be done.
And because of their teamwork and communication, penguin life moved on. They all lived happily ever after in a "new normal" penguin society.
The End. The Beginning. One day at a time.
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