How to welcome a house wren

I took my five year old to Home Depot's monthly Kid's Workshop.  It's held the first Saturday morning of each month, and my little guy (and my big ones) always look forward to it! 

The had a small bird house kit, which was easy for my little guy to put together with just a little help.  He then painted the house, his shoes, and my hands that were holding it upright for him.   It's a good thing I'm use to my hands (clothes, hair) being covered in paint!

As soon as we got home, he was eager to hang it.  However, I slowed him down, and together we did some research online to determine what kind of bird would like to live in the house, and what kind of bird we want to attract.  As a good landlord, we don't want just any type of bird moving in, but one that will live in harmony with the other birds that frequent our yard.  We determined that a little house wren would make the ideal tenant! 

Would you like to welcome a House Wren to your yard? 


Bird houses make terrific family projects, and are a great way to raise your child's interest in nature.  Letting them build their own birdhouse allows them to take responsibility for it, and increases their concern for your future neighbor.  If you love woodworking, their are lots of plans online, but I really suggest a birdhouse kit.  The precut wood makes building a breeze, and they are less expensive than a trip to the hardware store!  You can find them at Walmart, or Amazon has several to choose from. 

Once you have built and painted your house, choose a location about 5-8 feet off the ground.  House wrens prefer their home surrounded by shrubs or bushes, so a small tree would ideal.  Attach the house to the tree, instead of a pole.  They are social little birds, so it's a great idea to put several houses nearby, creating a little bird neighborhood! 

The little wrens are insectivores, and will pay you back by eating insects from your yard.  It's also a great idea to include a water source nearby for them, such as a bird bath, according to Dogwood Canyon Audubon Center in Cedar Hill, who I seeked out for more advice. 

Once spring arrives, check the house for signs of renters moving in.  The wren will make their nest out of grasses and other bedding they find.  The little birds will hop around the branches of the tree, and treat you with lively little songs. 

Keep Having Fun in the Texas Sun!

Michelle

Mainstay Farm, Cleburne

"What do you mean, I'm annoying?"  I reply to my daughter as we are walking into Mainstay Farm, a Christmas tree farm in Cleburne, for a day of hay climbing, fresh air and sunshine.  A beautiful combination on a December day in Texas. 

"Because", she begins as she collapses next to me after a half hour of bouncing with her brothers on the sunken air trampoline, "you make us do so many chores before we get to go GO anywhere.  It's not fair!"   

Ahhhh..... the chore complaint.  We have had it many times.  As she is only 11, I'm sure there will be many more encores of it to come over the years. 

But Mainstay Farm seems the perfect place to revisit this conversation.

As we bump along on the tractor pulled trailer, exasperated, she defends herself.  "I've asked my friends. They don't have to do ANYWHERE near as many chores as me.  It's like I'm...... Cinderella." 

"Cinderella!"  I retort, pulling out my credit card to pay for the items she is holding in her hands from their cute little gift shop, the Haymarket.  "Don't you think you are being a little ....... dramatic?" 

"If your friends have fewer chores, then it's because they probably don't have as many pets, since caring for them is the majority of your chores"  I know I have made a point here.  Who else has 4 dogs, a cat, a bird and a turtle?  Her silence tells me I am winning. 

"Responsibilities are important", I explain.  Probably not helping myself out of the "annoying" category.  "They keep you on the right track.  They help you from getting lost." 

Walking along the rows of planted Christmas trees, I continue, "Responsibilities help you to grow up tall and straight, strong from bad people and things that would misdirect you." 

"It's important to have fun, but you have to earn it, too.  Take this treehouse for example, it's alot of fun, but someone had to work hard to pay for it, build it and maintain it. 

A good work ethic helps you to stay focused on what is important.  Not to let little things fill up your life, getting in the way of what you really care about.  Responsibilities keep you .... humble." And with hearing that word, either because she understands or she has a flashback of when we sat together reading Charlotte's Web when she was younger, she smiles at me, a sincere, knowing smile. 

Confident that in one lovely, golden afternoon I have set her on her way to fullfilling a life of mature decisions and positive consequences. I take her hand and we walk together toward the setting sun, to gather up the boys and head home, resplendent in her new outlook on life. 

When another mother comes walking up to me, holding my five year old by the hand.  "Is this your little boy?" she demands.  "He's gathered up all the little rubber ducks from the duck races, and ran off and hid them.  No body has been able to play, he won't tell us where they are, and we didn't know who was watching him!  You should be more R-E-S-P-O-N-S-I-B-L-E!" 

Mainstay Farms is located in Cleburne, and a perfect destination for birthday parties, family reunions, field trips and their annual Family Pumpkin Days and Christmas trees. 

My Mommy Tips:

• Wear comfortable, closed toed shoes - there are alotta places to walk!
• Try the old fashioned Boylan's Birch Beer (kinda like root beer) at The Fillin' Station, Mainstay Farm's snack stand, which also offers yummy apple chips and funnel cake! 

Keep Having Fun in the Texas Sun!

Michelle

math at Cedar Ridge Preserve, Dallas

I'm all about hands on teaching with my children,

and I love this activity we did with my five year old

 during a hike at Cedar Ridge Preserve in Dallas. 

It started with a bright metal "1" at the trail head. 

 

Nearby, I spotted a black caterpillar, of which there are many in this area.  

My son picked it up, and we counted one caterpillar and took their picture next to the number one....

And our hike evolved into a math activity.....

What I love about it is that at each number on the trail,

we searched for items unique to the area of that number. 

He found these three pieces of bark with holes in them, from perhaps an insect or maybe a woodpecker before the bark fell from the nearby tree.  We took time to visually locate the tree, and talked about what we thought might have made the holes.  Of course, his suggestion was zombie ninjas...  but it's still a great way to make those connection to nature.   

These are little acorns caps, surrounded by fallen oak leaves. 

We found these old shells under a nearby walnut tree. 

He found these six sticks, and we sang the rhyme..... "This old man, he played 6, he played knick knack on my sticks."   I know, but it's important that the activity is child led. 

Juniper trees are found throughout Cedar Ridge preserve.

We collected these Juniper berries from around number 7. 

I love his dirty little hands!

And acorns from around Number 8.

 

I love the little snail shells we found for Number 9. 

They weren't in the rocks, but in a patch of thick mulch nearby. 
 

 

Not sure what kind of leaves these were, which is okay, as long as you remind yourself

 and your little one of the Poison Ivy rule;

Leaves of Three, let them be.....

Number 11 was my absolute favorite, Possumhaw Berries,

because we were walking along the Possumhaw trail!  

The Possumhaw is a deciduous holly, which means it loses it's leaves each year,

and is left with nothing but these attractive red berries. 

Watch your little ones, because they are mildly poisonous to humans if consumed,

but a winter staples to wild birds. 

They also make a wonderful, native addition to your landscaping!

Oak Leaves

 

Sticks from a Juniper tree

We found many little fossils hidden in the limestone.   

 

and 15 beautiful reminders that it is Fall in Texas! 

 

 We even snuck in a little Language Arts lesson, too! 

My little Leo loves to write his name. 

 

Cedar Ridge Preserve, referred to as "one of the best kept secrets in Dallas" by one of my facebook followers, is maintained by Audubon Dallas, and has over 600 acres, and numerous trails for hikers, runners and nature enthusiast. 

Keep Having Fun in the Texas Sun!

Michelle

Texas ATV Adventures

With my backpack filled with leftover Thanksgiving Turkey sandwiches and bottles of water, we set off on an ATV adventure.....

We rode about 45 minutes, and enjoyed our lunch by a small creek, surrounded by the beautiful East Texas pine trees and fall foliage, before returning home. 
And taking a shower. 
Because we were covered in dirt, and mud.... and happiness.   

My husband usually complains about the 7 mile logging road we must travel to reach our farm, but he loves it when we get out our four wheelers. Surrounded by timber country, it's isolated and fun. 

We purchased our four wheelers when the big kids were still little, and would ride with us.  We added some dirt bikes as they got old enough to ride on their own.   It's a great family activity, and something we look forward to whenever we visit the farm.

 

 

Some top locations in Texas for riding ATVs;  

Bring Your Own

Rocky Ridge Ranch in Decatur, Tx.  Offers day riding, and camping facilities. 

Sam Houston National Forest  85 niles for OHVs, located in Montgomery, San Jacinto and Walker counties. 

The River Run in Jacksonville  ATV park offers daily rides, camping, cabins and even canoe rental on the Neches River!

 

ATV Rentals and Tours  

Big Bend Far Flung Adventures    Enjoy ATV tours, as well as jeep and river tours.


Lajitas Golf Resort and Spa offers 2 and 4 hour guided ATV trips, as well as horseback riding, skeet shooting and river tours through Big Bend.

South Padre Island Adventures riders enjoy private sand dunes. 

Cross Bar Ranch, Oklahoma  If you must, just must, leave Texas. 

*** Disclaimer ***
ATV riding is lots of fun, but can be dangerous. PLEASE always wear a helmet!

 

Keep Having Fun in the Texas Sun!

Michelle

Prayer Mountain, Dallas

How can you not love a place named "Prayer Mountain"? 

Especially with a view like this!!
Located in Dallas, (That's right, Dallas, didn't you know there was a mountain in Dallas?) on Mountain Creek Parkway at Eagle Ford.   

We just stumbled on it by accident. 

Well, not really accident.  We found it because I'm.... well, let's just say I'm curious.  While driving along, I saw a road heading up a hill, with open gates for a church at the top of the hill.  And I just had to have a look! 

And what an amazing look you get at the top! 

Okay, this is a crummy picture, but it's the best of the crummy pictures I took.  Blame the photographer and not the photo.  Trust me when I tell you that the view is amazing!  They say it's the highest point in Dallas County.   

Winding through the cedar and juniper trees are trails for mountain biking and hiking on the over 100 acres of the mountain.  Some are easy, some medium, and a few are much more treacherous and difficult.  We are anxious to return one afternoon for the Sunset Trail, along the west side of the mountain! 

D.O.R.B.A. (Dallas Off Road Biking Association) maintains the trails, and some of the "additions" are kinda crazy!  Look for it on their website as Big Cedar. 

The trails are open 7 days a week, from dawn to dusk.  Parking is near the electrical lines behind the church, which oversees the care of the mountain.  Access to the mountain is free, but if you visit, consider making a donation for work on the trails.  If you are riding, you must have a signed waiver.

After spending a morning exploring the trails, we had a picnic lunch at some picnic tables near the trailhead.  There is a fire pit, grill and even restrooms.  Camping is allowed with permission.

 It's a wonderful place for kids to go exploring, finding caterpillars, snail shells and all things .......kids! 

Although Joe Pool Lake is just a few minutes away, there is also a small, stocked lake for catch and release only fishing.   I love this picture, and the little butterfly I captured fluttering away on the top, left hand side. 

Mountain Creek Church

The property is owned by Mountain Creek Church, a non-denominational Christian Church.  They have services on Sunday morning and Wednesday evening.  It's a scenic location for weddings in their chapel or outside in their gazebo, near the overlook.  Visitors of all faiths are invited to enjoy their beautiful prayer grounds, also.

Texas History Trivia

If the name of the road, Eagle Ford, sounds familiar, it's because no matter where you live in Texas you have probably heard the term Eagle Ford Shale.  Probably the news.  Probably in a discussion about oil.  You might think that they named the road from this 90 million year old sedimentary rock formation, but you would be wrong.  The shale was first sighted in this West Dallas neighborhood of Eagle Ford, along the Cedar Hill escarpment.  Want to understand Texas Geology more?  I found this informative rendering on Wikipedia.

For a similar, interactive 3D example, visit the Botanical Research Institute of Texas (BRIT) in Fort Worth.

 

Keep Having Fun in the Texas Sun!

Michelle

Where do you go to recharge your batteries?

In the weeks before a school vacation, I spend countless hours planning where we will go and what we will do.  I feel that the minute the bell rings, it's like a starting gun.  I'm compelled to fit as many activities in as possible during that short time.  In my mind, like a mantra, I just keep repeating, "We will never have this time together again".  And we won't.  My kids are growing.  I know our family time will get more limited. Nothing is promised.  Each day is a blessing, and I want to make the most it.  I want the days to be perfect.      

But sometimes the days don't go perfect.  Sometimes we need to slow down....

....... and breathe. 

Where do you go to recharge your batteries?

Keep Having Fun in the Texas Sun!

Michelle

Fort Worth Nature Center

One Friday each month I pack up my little four year old, and we visit the Fort Worth Nature Center for their Preschool Discovery Class with his best buddy!  He loves learning about the animals that live in the refuge, listening to a story, and making a craft. 

But today he was a toot. 

Not his normal tootiness, but "extreme for even him" tootiness. 

He wouldn't listen to the story.  Then Mr. Michael told the children he would call out different animals, and asked that they go stand by either a happy face, an unsure face, or a sad face, depending on how they felt about the animal.   

The first animal was a pig.  With visions of cute pink little piglets, or maybe bacon, all the preschoolers scrambled over to the happy face.  Except my Little Leo.  He went to the sad face.  "You don't like pigs?" I asked.  He shook his head no.

The second animal was a cat.  The children all smiled and stayed firmly in place at the happy face.  Except mine.  Apparently he doesn't like cats.  Please don't tell our kitty, it would make her sad. 

The third animal was a butterfly.  My little guy stood alone.  When asked why he doesn't like butterflies, he replied that it makes him sad to see them struggling in spider webs. 

And on it went.  My baby, who is not a baby, is clearly defiant. 

But when Mr. Michael asked who likes bats, the children all ran over to the sad face, while my little one hurried over to the happy face, accompanied by a few others.  Curious, I asked him why he liked bats, and he replied to me, "I like it when you read me Stellaluna, (pronounced Sta-Luna), at night when you tuck me in." 

I love my defiant little guy. 

The Fort Worth Nature Center has lots of wonderful activities, including hay rides to feed the bison, canoe paddling excursions, birdwatching and much, much more!  Check out their calendar of events, or spend a day out walking their trails.  Take your camera, we always see plenty of deer and other wildlife around the refuge. 

I was also told some places to spot some wild turkeys, although I didn't see any.  Apparently, wild turkeys do not make photo appearances for loud, four year old boys.  Who knew?

My Mommy Tip: 

• Call early to reserve a spot for all activities, because they really fill up fast!

Click Here to read about another, less "tooty", visit to the Preschool Discovery Class.