The banana slug races

Remember my desire that I expressed a couple of weeks ago to explore new places this summer? Well, we started a little early. Nothing wrong with that, right? We traveled to Leach Botanical Garden over the weekend and I kid you not, we could have walked there. It is right at the foot of our mountain but just on the other side - the side we never go to. We were really missing out. Funny how some of the most amazing places don't require a trip but are right in your own backyard!

Leach was hosting a children's nature fair and it was all about bugs. This came at the perfect time as my little C has suddenly developed a fear of any bug that flies (even fruit flies!) and also spiders. I am not sure how these fears came about - we have always handled and gently played with bugs and taught the girls that they have their place in our world and are our 'bug friends'. I guess it's just something she needs to work through. C didn't mind the bugs at the fair and even enjoyed seeing the tarantulas (of course she screamed hysterically when we came home and a fly flew past her).

We enjoyed many bug crafts, folk music, birds (Baby L's highlight for the day) and an educational 'Ladybug' nature walk. Each child was given a ladybug backpack filled with fun goodies to use on the walk including a paint brush (to dig into the creek and paint the rocks and trees with water), magnifying glass, a bowl, an animal mask,a bug box and more things that I can't seem to recall at the moment. The girls were very inquisitive and listened so closely, hanging on to every word the instructor told them. They both quickly picked up on the edible plants around them and started snacking down. K even prepared a snack bouquet for the road. There was some disappointment and tears shed at the end of the walk when we had to return our ladybug backpacks but we got through it and now we have plan of making our own nature bags filled with similar goodies. I am thinking that Meg's pattern in Growing Up Sew Liberated might be just perfect.

I can't deny that the real excitement for the day was the banana slug races. That was the reason the girls wanted to go in the first place. Quite entertaining, I do have to say. I wouldn't necessarily call myself a slug person but I admit they are pretty cool. I foresee many banana slug races being held in our own backyard in the near future.

Without a doubt, we'll be heading back to Leach many, many more times this summer.

Don't forget there is still time to enter to win your own weather set from Armadillo Dreams! You can enter here.

p.s - Please excuse the mess as I try to clean up this blog of mine. It was feeling a bit cluttered with the two sidebars and so many links. I hope to be finished with this project by the end of the week.

The banana slug races