Entries from September 2008
It was just another lazy Sunday afternoon, and we were headed to the park to enjoy the great weather when we noticed a small crowd of adults and young children on the sidewalk in front our house. They were all admiring a turtle nestled up against our retaining wall, unsuccessfully trying to make its way to the other side.
After letting the brave children in the bunch give the turtle a gentle pat on the back, we decided to try to move it out of harm’s way, and that proved to be more difficult than we had imagined. When I see a turtle, the words timid and slow come to mind, but this one was feisty and rather spry.
My husband tried picking it up with his hands and it snapped its head around and hissed. So, he got some gardening gloves and tried to scoop it up and it crawled away rather quickly. Finally, we maneuvered the turtle into a cardboard box, which it leaped out of en route to the wooded area where we planned to take it. At last, we settled it down near a stream in the woods at the corner of Northern and Ponce. Phew! Operation turtle rescue was complete!
After spending some time researching our little visitor, I learned that it is an Eastern Box Turtle. And while the species is not necessarily rare it is one of only two species of box turtles in the United States, according to a Davidson College article. Here’s a little more information from the Davidson College article on box turtles:
Box turtles are extremely long lived, slow to mature, and have relatively few offspring per year. These characteristics, along with a propensity to get hit by cars, make the box turtle a species particularly susceptible to human-induced problems.
So, Decatur parents, if you see a feisty little fellow like the one pictured above making its way down your sidewalk, grab some gloves and a box and put it out of harm’s way…again 
Categories: Uncategorized
Tagged: Box Turtles in Decatur, Wildlife in Decatur
On October 4th, Our House, a child care and support center for homeless families located in Decatur, will host an evening of dinner, dancing, spririts and a live auction. The event, called Fall Fantasy, will be held at the Old Decatur Courthouse from 7pm – 11pm and is sponsored by Jim Ellis Audi.
Tickets are $75 per person and 100% of the proceeds will benefit Our House. Silent auction donations are encouraged and greatly appreciated. For more information about Fall Fantasy visit: http://www.ourhousega.org/events.html or contact Mary Lyons at: mlyons@ourhousega.org or (404) 378-0938.
More about Our House:
It is the mission of Our House to break the chains of homelessness by providing quality early childhood education and comprehensive support services for families who are homeless.
To learn more about Our House programs, events and volunteer opportunities go to http://www.ourhousega.org/
Categories: Education in Decatur, GA · Events in Decatur, GA
Tagged: Childcare for Homeless Children in Decatur, Events in Decatur, Our House
Decatur Mom reader, Jennifer, wrote in last month to ask about a topic in which we both have a lot of interest; How do parents find the transition from Montessori school to public school? I recently had a chance to spend some time with my aunt who was a public school teacher for many, many years until she opened her own school. And her opinion was that it varies greatly by child, of course. But she said that she has seen the transition work more smoothly when a child moves from Montessori into a Kindergarten classroom.
She went on to add that in Kindergarten children still work at their own pace and are not usually seated at assigned desks. Therefore, they have the freedom of movement and choice that is familiar enough to a Montessori setting that the children usually do just fine. Public first grade, however, is a different story because the environment is quite a bit different from Montessori. She did not say that children cannot do well when they transition at the start of their first grade year, in fact many of them do. However, her recommendation to me was to keep going with Montessori through elementary or middle, or transition in Kindergarten.
I would be interested in hearing from more parents about their experiences with transitioning from Montessori, whether you transitioned for Kindergarten, first grade, middle or high school. Sharing experiences with transitioning from Montessori to Decatur public schools would be especially helpful. I am quite excited about Decatur public schools and the move to a charter school system, and I look forward to moving my children to Decatur public schools in the future.
Thanks Jennifer, for kicking off this discussion!
Categories: Education in Decatur, GA
Tagged: Decatur Public Schools, Education in Decatur, Montessori school transition
October is Family Portrait Month and Decatur residents and photo studio owners, Michelle and James Hill, will offer discounts AND donate $25 to Operation Smile for each family portrait taken at their Decatur studio during the month of October. Operation Smile treats children who suffer from cleft lips, cleft palates, and other facial deformities.
James and Michelle Hill recently moved to Decatur, GA from Los Angeles, CA. They initially purchased an old brick house in the neighborhood as an investment only…until they were bitten by the Decatur bug. That brick house is now their home and photo studio where they live with their two young children.
This Decatur dad and Decatur mom team support multiple charities and support organizations through their photography and have connected with several Decatur businesses, including Leapin’ Lizards, where you can get a mini photo session and jump for half price on October 11, 2008.
You may also check out James Adam Hill Photography this weekend, Saturday, Sept. 20th and Sunday, Sept. 21st, at Cobb Galleria’s American Baby Faire. Or, visit their brand new blog at jamesadamhill.com, now in the Decatur Mom blogroll.
Welcome to the blogroll James Adam Hill Photography!
Categories: Events in Decatur, GA · Photography in Decatur, GA
Tagged: Decatur Photography, Events in Decatur, James Adam Hill Photography, Operation Smile
There’s always something fun going on for kids in Decatur but here is something for the parents: Our FAVORITE local jumping gym, Leapin’ Lizards, is offering Decatur parents a night out tonight, Saturday, September 20th, from 6 to 9 pm.
From the Leapin’ Lizard’s web site:
Bring your children to Leapin’ Lizards for a safe night of fun, games, laughter and food.
Reserve your escape today by calling 404.371.9700 or emailing us at info@leapinlizardsplay.com. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . We have partnered with several area restaurants that will provide discounts and specials exclusively to our PNO participants. Hurry! Reservations are on a first come first serve basis so book your getaway TODAY!
* $20.00 per child / $15.00 for each additional sibling
* Children must be potty trained through eleven years old.
* Space is limited to 50 children per event.
* Snacks and drinks are included.
My only question is where do you start if you haven’t been out in ages? Cakes & Ale, The Grange, Chocolate Bar, or relax and take in tonight’s concert on the square? Decisions, decisions…We are without a PIT crew (Parents In Town) so it’s very seldom that we get to make these decisions Enjoy your night out Decatur moms and dads!
Categories: Events in Decatur, GA
Tagged: Events in Decatur, Leapin' Lizards, Parents Night Out, Restaurants in Decatur
Visit Hoopla today, Sunday, Sept 14th from 4-6pm for a FREE, fun and healthy Back to School event! Hoopla will feature a cooking demonstration from Decatur mom, Pam, of Cooking for Monkeys as well as free samples, yoga for kids and other health-related information.
From the Hoopla release;
“Back to school is such a hectic time. We wanted to offer our parents a fun afternoon event that the kids would enjoy and the parents would find truly informative” Explains Hoopla co-owner Sabrina Lilly
Hoopla is located at 414 Church St. in Decatur. For more information visit Hoopla at www.hooplakids.com or call (404) 371-9485.
Categories: Education in Decatur, GA · Events in Decatur, GA · Shopping in Decatur, GA
Tagged: Back to School, Cooking for Monkeys, Events in Decatur, Hoopla
