Perentie Goanna Report by Tate

Perentie Goannas

by Tate Armstrong

(Tate's own spelling/writing)

May 2013

            Did you no that perenties are a gwona lizard? I wil tel you abot the perentie gwona. 

            Perenties are one of the largist lizards. They can grow ovr 8 feat long. They are bron with cream or yeollow spots. They have spots evreawar. Perenties have crvd teath like snackes. Perenties have a fort tung. They have five fingrs on thr back and thr frunt feat. They have long clos. They have powrfol tales.

            Perenties eat ethr reptios and little anamos and birds. Perenties like rabbits and mise. Perenties swolow thr prey hol.

            Perentie enamys are egos and ethr gwonas and snackes. Win perenties theank something is trieing to git tham they hiss. Whin samthing is aftr a perentie the perentie wil run away.

            Perenties live in the Australia desrts. They live ware theare are rocs and sand. Perenties homes are udr rocs or they live brows.

            Perenties are reptios so they lai ags.

            Whin perenties wat to lock arod they stad on thar bac lags. Perenties clime trees. They hibernate in the cod times.

           I thenk perenties are cool. Dont you?

Perentie Goannas

by Tate Armstrong

(Mom corrected spelling when typing)

May 2013 

            Did you know that perenties are a type of goanna lizard? I will tell you all about the perentie goanna. 

            Perenties are one of the largest lizards. They can grow over eight feet long. They are brown with cream or yellow spots. They have spots everywhere. Perenties have curved teeth like snakes. Perenties have forked tongues. They have five fingers on their back and front feet. They have long claws. They have powerful tails.

            Perenties eat other reptiles and little animals and birds. Perenties like rabbits and mice. Perenties swallow their prey whole.

            Perentie enemies are eagles and other goannas and snakes. When perenties think something is trying to get them, they hiss. When something is after a perentie, the perentie will run away. 

            Perenties live in the Australian deserts. They live where there are rocks and sand. Perenties' homes are under rocks or they live in burrows. 

            Perenties are reptiles so they lay eggs. 

            When perenties want to look around, they stand on their back legs. Perenties climb trees. They hibernate in the cold times. 

            I think perenties are cool. Don't you?

More Pics with Papa and Nana

We do not get to see Papa and Nana as often as we wish... so here are more pics. 

 

 

 

 

Papa Time

Not that Papa didn't get his time as well. But, his sort was of a different activity level. It consisted of playing chase, tag, throwing balls...

A game of tag gone crazy - Papa takes a tumble.

Papa gets Kezia.

Zane just desperately wanted in a picture while playing with Papa!

When Papa sets aside time to do some work, the kids "join" him by reading nearby.

Katiree has prayed and prayed to be able to be with Papa and Nana. She was thrilled!

Sweet Kez with her Papa - she knew just who he was - thanks Skype for making this possible!

Nana Time

Papa and Nana came up from Arizona in April. Answers to prayer:
1. They came.
2. They got on the airplane (They were #11 and #12 on the standby list and there were 6 seats left on the plane. However, seats opened up and they got on!)
3. Nana had a hard day on Friday when they came. We prayed that she'd get to enjoy her time with us and with the family that traveled from Seattle and Cheney to see her. God answered!

We enjoyed wonderful times...

Putting puzzles together

Reading books

 

And the famous "love for walker" goes on.

Kookaburra Sits in the Armstrong Tree

The kookaburra was a creation that I made up - using the idea from Thanksgiving of making birds with handprints. The kookaburra is an Australian bird that even has a song about it. While known for it's laughing call, there are actually different types of kookaburras. The Laughing Kookaburra is the largest and most widely known, but there is also a blue-winged kookaburra!

The Echidna Craft

The echidna is the only other monotreme in the world - and amazingly enough, these creatures are also found in Australia! They remind us of a porcupine, but cuter. Our versions consisted of painted styrofoam balls, golf tees (cut them down so they aren't so long, but save one pointy piece to use as the snout) and toothpicks for the echidna's spines!

Starting - 4 golf tees (cut down) for legs, pointy part of golf tee as snout, toothpicks for spines.

Tate is carefully putting toothpicks into the styrofoam ball.

Kezia loved this part!

Finally, use a Sharpie or other marker to poke holes for eyes and make them black.

 Kezia's and Katiree's echidnas 

Tate's and Zane's echidnas 

Mr. Platypus

We continued in our journey through Australia to study the platypus - the odd creature that seems to be part duck, part beaver and part otter. Only, its simply an amazing creature! A monotreme - a mammal that lays eggs. God has a great imagination!

Our platypuses were not nearly as fancy as His - but the kids had fun!


First, cut the pieces out. I found a printable paper for the platypus parts. I had to enlarge it and print on brown cardstock (you could print on white and let them color it), but it worked. We used brown paper bags that we stuffed with papers we were going to recycle. I folded the top of the bag down into a triangle and stapled it so that the bill would glue over it nicely.

Then we attached pieces with glue and held them on with clothespins.

We used big googly eyes for the fun of it!

Five little platypuses sitting in a row...

Up close and personal

And one sweet little girl with her platypus!