Pandamonium

In the third grade, at the girls' school, the students spend the last semester working on an independent study project.  They each get to choose an animal to study.  Kenna chose the Bald Eagle and Michal chose the Giant Panda.  I think it's fun that one chose the United State's national animal and the other chose China's national animal.

The students are encouraged to go see the animal they've selected at a zoo and to interview an expert who can tell them more about their animal.  We have an animal rescue and rehabilitation center near our house and they have a bald eagle.  Kenna was able to see their eagle and meet with an expert there.

Seeing a panda isn't quite so easy.  There are only three zoos in the United States that have pandas on loan to them from China:  Washington D.C., San Diego and Atlanta.

So this morning the girls and I flew to Atlanta and went to Zoo Atlanta to see the Giant Pandas.  It was great.  There are pandas both inside and outside and the enclosures allow you to get really close to the animals.  We spent a long time watching them play and eat and took lots of pictures.

The girls also loved the climbing wall, the carousel and the bird show at the zoo. 

After the zoo, back at our hotel, the girls were all ready to go swimming when the clouds rolled in and the skies opened up and it started pouring.  So we went and got dinner-to-go instead and then had popcorn and watched "Wreck It Ralph."

It has been a really fun day!

Celebrating Cinco de Mayo

 

 

 

 

 

Spring Time

An Earth Day Project

One of my closest friends, Laura, founded a non-profit organization that provides service dogs to children with autism.  Laura was inspired to begin Good Dog! after her son Elliott received a service dog, Orbit, and she saw firsthand what a powerful change it made in his life. 

This is Elliott and Orbit.

Laura explains, "Like so many families with ASD children, we have explored numerous therapies and modalities in our attempt to find just the right combination to unlock and unleash the beauty living within our son. It is with great joy and pride that we now get to share our amazing experience and – along with the help of our professional partners – the expertise in autism companion dog ownership."

Good Dog! just launched THE Do Good! PROJECT.  It's a fun way for kids to do something good for the environment and help provide a child with an autism service dog.

Dogs love to chew on water bottles, but the plastic can be harmful to them. THE Do Good! PROJECT encourages kids to make water bottle covers out of unwanted clothes.  The covers are simple and fun to make and don't require any sewing or gluing.  And since they're made out of unwanted clothing, they're good for the environment too.

Good Dog! puts the covers on empty water bottles and gives the completed toys away at festivals and other events to people who make donations to their organization.  As a result, dogs get a fun new and safe toy and Good Dog! gets to bring more love and acceptance to the lives of children with autism through autism service dog companionship.

Oh, and dogs really love these toys!

This is an amazing service project for your kids, a scout group or a church youth group.  The project is simple enough for young children and meaningful enough for older children and teens.   The only project cost is for postage to send the completed covers to California.  The best part is that  kids learn about upcycling old clothing and also do something tangible to help a child with autism.

If you want to learn more about how to have your child or group participate in THE Do Good! PROJECT, please email Laura at gooddogautism@gmail.com.   And tell her I said hello!

Celebrating Easter

Today is Easter.  

The Easter Bunny left baskets for the girls on our patio this morning.  He brought them each a scarf, a bracelet, a ring, a "Peace. Love, Sandy Feet." t-shirt and See's candy.  Fashion accessories and chocolate.  It really couldn't be much better in their opinion.

We had a really nice Easter brunch.

 

They gave the girls each a crown when we sat down, which they loved.

After brunch there was an Easter egg hunt. 

And then it was back to the beach and pool!

Michal is in pink and Kenna is in blue.

Happy Easter!

Here Comes Peter Cottontail

It was sunny, beautiful and WARM today!

Our day started with "golf cart decorating" for the Easter parade.  We taped crepe paper and balloons to our golf cart.  We were clearly rookies at this whole decorate-your-golf-cart-for-the-Easter-parade thing because other people came prepared with sparkly egg garlands, giant Peeps, piles of silk flowers and elaborate signage.  They also had candy to throw to the kids along the parade route.

The parade was lead by a fire truck and a flatbed truck with music and the Easter Bunny.  We drove all through the resort, which includes neighborhoods, waving and honking our horn.  It was awesome!  The girls loved it and so did Eric and I.

The girls immediately decided that we need to be here every Easter so we can be in the parade.  I completely agree.

After the parade we went to an Easter Carnival and then the girls and I went to a Cottontail Tea.  It should have been called the Chocolate Tea.  I've never seen so many cute little chocolate desserts.  And we felt it was our responsibility to try almost all of them!

After tea it was back to the pool.

And then it was time for the Easter Games on the beach that included an egg toss and an egg relay race.

 

It was a really fun-filled day from start to finish!

Plus, the Tooth Fairy came last night -- Michal lost a tooth! -- and brought a sand dollar, shark's tooth bracelet and a shell.  She left Kenna a shell too.

Happiness under every pillow.