Eggs, Chicks, Bunnies and…the Easter Beagle?

This week we looked for eggs.


And we counted – and ate – at least ten chirpy chicks, along with their peanut-butter haystack nests and Jelly-Belly eggs.

We also counted bunnies – and hopped at the same.


But, at last, the big finish came – and this is really thinking out of the Easter basket – with a visit from Rosie the Easter beagle. Rosie and her friend Bo came to wish us a Happy Easter. Bo, the buck-toothed Beagle, was wearing a rabbit on his head! (Warning: don't try this at home!)

Bo is not just any beagle. It turns out that Bo is the cover dog for a new book called That Dog Won't Hunt by Valerie Blettner. Rescued by Triangle Beagle Rescue of NC from a local shelter, Bo was surrendered to the shelter by his owner, a hunter, because he wouldn't hunt. Bo's story is just one of ten heartwarming stories of dogs saved by rescue groups.

Our thanks to Jeanne Ressner from Canines for Therapy – her visit was very much appreciated!

This Little Pirate

Arrrrrrgh! And what would be sailin' without a new pirate song?
Watch as we learn a new one, step by step.

Blarney-Stone Tales

Q: So just where does a leprechaun hide his gold?
A: Not necessarily under the rainbow. Those sneaky little leprechauns have hidden our gold and we’re on a hunt to find it!

It's a race to find the gold – and find it we do – in our shamrock haystack!

Speaking of races, there's a fabulous Irish derby going on this week. It's a fundraising event for Frankie Lemmon called Derby Days. We were visited today by NCSU's Sigma Kappa sorority sisters Chandler Miller and Madison Moss. Along with girls from other sororities, they were participating in Derby Days, Sigma Chi fraternity's annual fundraising event for charitable causes. Proceeds from this year's event, through sorority competitions, the sale of raffle tickets, alumni happy hours, dance competitions, etc. go directly to the Frankie Lemmon school. A new school, with more children served and more grade levels, is getting closer and closer!

Meanwhile, my friends are learning more each day.
This is a story of one of them.



Another fabulous event: Dancing with Bubbles.
Our thanks to Lisa Wald for these absolutely wonderful photos.




May the road rise to meet you,
may the wind be ever at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and the rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
may God hold you in the palm of his hand.

— an Irish blessing

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie

If you give a mouse a cookie, he's going to ask for a glass of milk.

He'll probably ask you to read him a story, so, you'll read to him from one of your books.

And he'll ask to see the pictures and, when he looks at the pictures, he'll get so excited he'll want to draw one of his own.

What, then, can we conclude from all of this?

If you give a child a cookie, he (or she) will probably want to play the drum.


If you give the child a drum, he'll probably want to march in a parade.

If you give him a chance to march in a parade,
he may suddenly decide to lead the parade!



Question: What qualities distinguish those "ordinary" people who, in a spur-of-the-moment decision, take a leadership role? Can that instinct be taught or is it simply part of a person's makeup?

You decide.

Conclusion: Give a "special needs" child a chance—you may witness spontaneous leadership

— even at age four !!

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss !!

The Whos of Whoville knew.
Horton heard. And now you heard.

Now you know!

Another year has passed for us all.

And a person's still a person, no matter how small.

So share a good deed that made you feel tall !!

Now lets clap our hands...