Janet Tubbs: Creative Therapy for Children With Autism, ADD, and Asperger
Alison Hansel: Charmed Knits: Projects for Fans of Harry Potter
Richard Louv: Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder
Amanda Blake Soule: The Creative Family: How to Encourage Imagination and Nurture Family Connections
Katrina Kenison: Mitten Strings for God: Reflections for Mothers in a Hurry
Our Book Study begins at the end of this month!
Ann Ball: Catholic Traditions In The Home And Classrooms: 365 Days To Celebrate A Catholic Year
The Big Book of Catholic Customs and Traditions for Children's Faith Formation
Michaelann Martin: The Catholic Parent Book of Feasts: Celebrating the Church Year With Your Family
Ohio Sisters of Notre Dame of Chardon: Saints and Feast Days: Lives of the Saints
Elizabeth Foss: Real Learning: Education in the Heart of the Home
This book never leaves my nightstand!
Maureen Wittmann: Catholic Homeschool Companion
Lots of great essays, by lots of great writers!
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Hundreds of dewdrops to greet the dawn,
Hundreds of bees in the purple clover,
Hundreds of butterflies on the lawn,
But only one mother the wide world over.
~George Cooper
I'm wishing you all a weekend of peace and joy! And to all my mama friends out there ~ make sure you do something nice for yourself ... you deserve it! :)
All the names I know from nurse:
Gardener’s garters, Shepherd’s purse,
Bachelor’s buttons, Lady’s smock
And the Lady Hollyhock.
***
Fairy places, fairy things,
Fairy woods where the wild bee wings,
Tiny trees for tiny dames ~
These must be the fairy names!
***
Tiny woods below whose boughs
Shady fairies weave a house;
Tiny tree-tops, rose or thyme,
Where the braver fairies climb!
***
Fair are grown-up people’s trees;
But the fairest woods are these;
Where, if I were not so tall,
I should live for good and all.
***
(by Robert Louis Stevenson)
My mind is very much on flowers this week. First of all, everything is blooming right now ~ the trees, the shrubs ... the lawn. ;) The landscape is a riot of color! And second of all, I'm making up my garden list for this year, considering what I'd like to grow in containers on the deck. (I had given some thought to raised beds in yard, but they will have to wait for next year - we have too many irons in the fire at present!)
But here's my plant-wish-list so far ...
Flowers ...
Vegetables ...
And Herbs, as I can find them ...
I'll bring this list to the nursery this weekend - or maybe next, depending on the general craziness of the holiday crowds. I am looking for healthy seedlings for the most part, though I know some of these things do well (maybe even better) planted from seed. We'll see what I find! I'd like to do my planting on Memorial Day weekend, just like my grandpa used to. :)
Well, have a great weekend, everyone ~ and a Very Happy Mother's Day, too!
Look who paid a visit to the feeders early this morning!
Bill first spotted the raccoon on our roof, as it was closely inspecting the chimney. (Hmmm.) Next thing we knew it was in the seedtray, feasting away. It was not at all concerned with us, even after I opened the window and clicked and beeped away with my camera. I find it surprising (unsettling maybe) that a raccoon was out and about in the daylight hours. Aren't they supposed to be nocturnal? The other odd thing was that it was alone - when we've spotted racoons before there has always been a small gang of them.
It was damp overnight, and it's quite drizzly still - I think we might head outside in a bit to scout around for tracks in the muddy areas. I love this passage about raccoon prints from the Handbook of Nature Study:
"What country child, wandering by the brook and watching its turbulence in early spring, has not viewed with awe a footprint on the muddy banks looking as if it were made by a very little baby? The first one I saw I promptly concluded was made by the foot of a brook fairy. However the coon is no fairy ..."
(A brook fairy? How sweet!)
So now the small raccoon puppet has taken its place on the nature shelf. Later today, Earlybird and I will make up a small story about our encounter, including the blue jay and the red squirrel puppets as well - the two creatures who were brave enough to challenge the coon for the seedtray this morning.
I have also dug out Raccoons and Ripe Corn by Jim Arnosky, which is such a nice book, and the focus of a wonderful Reading Rainbow episode in which Lavar does some nature study with Mr. Arnosky himself! Don't you just love Reading Rainbow? :)
And, hey! Just as I was about to go to press, so to speak, look what I found in, of all places, the laundry pile!
A quick internet search has me wondering if this might be a cave cricket. We've found one or two before, only those were dead. Now that we have a live one in our possession, we have made a temporary home for it on our nature shelf (a tall glass jar with a pierced paper towel for a lid). We placed two bottle caps inside - one with a bit of water and the other with a bit of crushed pineapple. We're not sure if this is at all appropriate - or even appetizing - so we'll watch the cricket throughout the day and see what transpires. If he looks at all distressed, we will release him - only not back into my laundry pile, lol!
So where do I go when we have a new nature study subject to consider? Why to Amazon of course! And consequently, I now have Chirping Crickets and Quick as a Cricket in my cart. ;) I usually cross-check titles with my library, but I happen to have a gift certificate to use up, so I think we'll splurge a little. :)
Good picture books are such a fabulous investment, anyway. I can think of no better way to expand upon nature studies than to follow up with a few (or many!) good books. So while I'm here, I'd like to mention a few other nature-themed picture books we have on display this week:
The Salamander Room ~ This was recommended by a friend after I described our recent woodland surprise. It's the dreamy story of a little boy who finds a salamander and imagines a scheme for keeping him happy and safe in his room. (Or at least we assume he is imagining it - that might be up for debate!) His mother questions him repeatedly (in a kind, not reproachful way), but the boy seemingly has an answer for everything, and a plan to meet his new pet's every need. A sweet and cheerful tale, it invites conversation about what living things need to live well.
The Tree in the Ancient Forest ~ A beautiful story told in the tradition of the Mother Goose verse, "This is the house that Jack built ..." It begins and ends with "This is the three-hundred-year-old tree that grows in the ancient forest ...," and in between it explores the life that thrives beneath, inside and all around this majestic force of nature. It is very much a circle of life story (the owl follows the vole, the marten follows the squirrel), but in a gentle and lyrical way. It's from Dawn Publications which publishes fabulous nature books, both fiction and non (including the well-known Sharing Nature with Children series by Joseph Cornell).
Our Apple Tree ~ I bought this book without even opening the cover - the
cover itself appealed to me so! (See picture below.) The story, and the illustrations inside, did not disappoint. A pair of tiny apple tree elves describe the seasons of their tree to the reader - beginning with winter's rest, and the various wildlife that frequent it (nuthatches, pheasants and honeybees). By the end of the story, the elves and their tree are quietly sleeping again, and we are left with a happy sense of completion - and a recipe for apple crisp. Apple tree books are generally thought of as autumn stories, but I think May is a perfect time to start talking about apple trees ~ when the branches are laden with their magnificent blooms, and the whole cycle of life has begun. This little book would be perfect to bring along on a picnic at the orchard - and don't forget the sketch pads!
Well, this post has meandered all over the place - from the birdfeeders, to the laundry pile to the bookshelf! And now I must be off to get this day started. Looks to be a rainy one, which is okay ~ we have much to do (and apparently to see!) within the four walls of our home.
Have a good one, my friends!
Many homeschoolers relish the practice - or at least the idea - of keeping a nature journal. Really, it's a wonderful tool for channeling those lessons learned through formal, or informal, nature study. Personally, I love the idea of a handmade journal, filled with notes and drawings and maybe even real-live (or once-live) specimens. This is my ideal form of nature journaling - for myself as well as my boys - but so far our attempts at paper journals have pretty much fizzled. We're good for a week or two, and then those new notebooks gets put aside.
I have not given up hope, though. (I'm nothing if not hopeful!) After much contemplation, I have come to think we will do better with one big family field journal instead of aiming to keep up three or four. After all, for the most part, we experience nature all together, and those experiences are all the more fruitful because they are shared. I think (and hope) the same reasoning will apply to a journal. This is our summer goal #1, and the cornerstone of our summer project, Forest School (details soon!), so stay tuned to follow along with our progress. :)
But in the meantime, I hate to see our nature study go by without chronicling it in some way, so I turn to the wonders of virtual reality; I post our photos and nature notes here at my blog (and in turn at my Nature Corner for storage). But because my boys don't regularly tune into my blogs, I also keep a nature shelf up-to-date with their little finds and other symbols of the season (books, puppets, etc.). In this way - through the notes and photos and tiny treasures brought home - bit by bit, we capture the everyday nature that makes up our world ...
If you love the idea of nature journaling, but find it a challenge to work it into your already busy home-learning life, consider an online journal (or in other words, a blog). You don't have to go public - it can be made private, and available only to those folks with whom you share your password. If you have a digital camera, uploading pictures is so quick and easy (believe me, if I can learn to do it, anyone can). And jotting down brief observations daily or every few days, could not be easier. For a better idea of the possibilites of online nature journaling, check out my Nature Blogroll over on my righthand sidedar - there are many lovely sites there to peruse. :)
But finally, it's on to my photos for today! I have scads of them piling up, and since Spring moves fast around here, I'd like to share them before they get outdated! Thanks for listening to my thoughts on nature journaling, and thanks for checking in to see what we're up to!
The first tender shoots of what I believe to be lilly-of-the-valley.
The bleeding hearts are, at last, in full boom.
This is a red-winged blackbird at a local park.
This is an earthworm the boys found; it was huge. (A nightcrawler?)
The sky-view from where I stand as I push Earlybird on the swings. :)
Tree buds a week ago - they've since opened!
Another tree-in-the-sky shot. (I just love photographing trees.)
A busy bee at a local park. (Unidentified tree.)
Can you see the robin in the evening light?
The last bit of sunset.
Photograph by Bookworm ~ a baby dragonfly (?) resting on my hat!
A killdeer we spotted at a nearby lake.
A mourning dove pair nestled in an evergreen. (See his mate?)
I loved the way these tree buds (blossoms, leaves?) looked in the sun.
We found an owl pellet at the base of this tree, so we think this is a nest!
These will become helicopter seeds in the fall!
A lovely but unidentified flowering tree, pretty against the blue.
A johnny jump-up I'm attempting to press.
A morel mushroom we found in our yard; now it rests on our nature shelf.
As you can tell, I get as much pleasure - and education - out of nature study, as my boys do! And this is another good reason for working on one journal all together ~ none of us is an expert. Even though I wear the teacher's (and mother's) cap, we're all learning right alongside each other. As with so many things in our life, this is very much a joint venture. :)
Well, I must be off now, but if I may, let me leave you with a quote from one of my favorite nature handbooks ...
"The chief charm of nature study would be taken away if it did not lead us through the border-land of knowledge into the realm of the undiscovered. Moreover, the teacher, in confessing her ignorance and at the same time her interest in a subject, establishes between herself and her pupils a sense of companionship which relieves the strain of discipline, and gives her a new and intimate relation with her pupils which will surely prove a potent element in her success. The best teacher is always one who is the good comrade of her pupils." (Handbook of Nature Study, Anna Comstock)
Oh my goodness. I was all set to write a glowing review of Cranford (the new Masterpiece
miniseries that began airing last night), because I liked it - I really, really liked it. Everything about it was just to my taste - quirky and interesting characters, gorgeous settings, absorbing plot - but OH, those final ten minutes!!
(If you haven't yet seen Cranford, and plan to, you might not want to read any further.)
Bill and I were completely stymied by those last two plot developments. How shocking and sad!! I can understand the death of Deborah (symbolic of the change coming to Cranford) - though I was certain she had just fainted - but little Walter?? Oh, was that necessary? I suppose the death of a child was all too common a reality in the mid-1800s in England (or wherever you lived). But still. I kind of felt like the rug had been pulled out from beneath me!
Heartbreaking as the episode's conclusion was though, I am determined to continue with Cranford and savor the story as it unfolds over the next two installments. Programs like this are so few and far between, and I can only watch Pride & Prejudice so many times. ;)
One thing I love about British film and television, is how all those familiar faces pop up as you're watching. Just for fun, here's a rundown of who showed up in Cranford ...
From Harry Potter:
From Pride & Prejudice (BBC version):
From Pride & Prejudice (2005 version):
From Sense & Sensibility:
By the way, if you missed last night's episode, you can see it online here. (Or you will be able to very soon.) I'm also thinking about ordering Elizabeth Gaskell's book - though my nightstand is currently quite full. Has anyone read it? Is it true to the miniseries? (Usually that question is asked in reverse!) And if you are watching the Masterpiece production, what did you think?
Well, I'm off now to get our Monday rolling ... have a great one, my friends!
~Secret Places~
"Every child needs such a place, a place that invokes the processes of the imagination and the possibility of transformation. A place that is at once a haven from the adult world and a source of mystery and wonder, a place that a child can discover and shape and lay claim to, simply by virtue of his or her own presence there, and deep observation."
I love this short and sweet chapter; it makes me want a quiet little spot all of my own! But it also makes me think about how much my boys would love such a place. And like each of the chapters before it, it really gets my maternal wheels turning ...
Children thrive on imaginative play, and a secret place would welcome them right into that world. Because whether they are imagining themselves to be pirates or just curled up reading a book, there's an element of pretend to it all. Here, they are on their own, and they are in charge (more or less). In these little places they can dream up all kinds of things to do, or to be - or they can just think about what's going on in their life. We grown-ups know the need for "alone time" all too well; I know I do my best thinking - and imagining - when I have a quiet little space for myself. Our children may not ask for it themselves, but that need is still there. The trick is figuring out how to provide it for them.
Because for one thing, we can't really let our kids just meander off into the woods on their own, as our parents and grandparents once allowed. Years ago most kids, like Ms. Kenison, just found these places on their own. I have a hunch most kids today would need a little direction.
And for another thing, most modern homes lack the kind of nook-and-crannies that older homes had in spades - every square inch, it seems, is accounted for. But inside or out (or both) this is a good time to think about how we might provide such a spot - a little haven of peace and mystery - for our children. Now that spring is here, look at your yard with fresh eyes, and see what you might come up with ...
I remember my own secret places quite well. There were a few cozy spots inside our house, but it was outside where I found most of my alone time. When I was little, we had a brook that ran through the backyard. Beside its north bank there stood a large boulder. I would climb that boulder (quite a brave feat in my mind at the time!) and just, well, sit. I think I remember "fishing" with long twigs and watching for rabbits to come out of the woods. Everything was quite overgrown and you could hardly see our house from the spot. My spot. Looking back on it, I recall feeling like I really was off in the wild somewhere. :)
The other outside secret place was at my grandparents' house. To the left of their house, just beside their small side yard, rose a hill. Near the bottom of this hill was (and still is) a small brushy wood. And at the top of this hill was a wild patch of tiny blueberries. Here I would climb, dixie cup in hand, and sit and pick and imagine. Some of the neighbor kids would join me here, too. There were trees for climbing and when you got near the top - you could see the whole neighborhood! Oh my, that feeling!
As much as my boys are outside - and they're outside a lot - I really can't let them off by themselves. We have wonderful woods behind our house, thick with fields and trees and a meandering river; an adventureland to be sure. But you know, we can explore it together all we want - we're just not comfortable letting them out there all on their own ...
So, I'm working on a few ideas. :)
~ For one thing, a tree fort. Every child (especially, I think, a boy) should have a tree fort at some time in his life, don't you think? Our neighbors - whose children are all grown - have a cool tree fort in their backyard. It's dilapidated now, unfortunately.
~ But a tree house is a big project, and we're knee deep in projects around here, so ... my next idea is a stick house. I saw this project in Earthways. (A book about which I cannot say enough!) Basically, you set up several long poles or branches as a base, securing them against a fence or a tree. Secure them together twine and then let the kids start weaving branches, twigs, grasses, vines and leaves all around until its filled in. (Leave a space for an entrance.) I have just the corner in mind for this, too - far from the house, but still within its boundaries. :)
~ Next on the list of possibilities would be a sunflower house or pole bean tepee. This would be a fun gardening project for the summer.
~ Finally, another idea which we've done in the past, is to set up a tent in the backyard for the summer. The kids can use it as a "clubhouse" of sorts and even sleep out in it at night (dad sleeping alongside of course).
And with an eye toward the fall, we're finishing off a portion of our basement as a playroom, a space that will be devoted to the boys. Not that it will be all that secret, but it will have a cozy den-like feeling to it, I hope. :)
So, there you have my thoughts after chapter eight ~ and now I'd love to hear yours! Please leave a comment if you have time, or a link to a post at your blog. Do your children have a quiet spot to call their own? Are you, like me, brainstorming ways to provide them with such a place?
"In choosing these places, and the things that go into them, we learn about who we are and what we love. We learn about the power of place, how to partake of the world's subtleties and secrets, of the human need for sanctuary."
Thanks for stopping by, my friends. Enjoy your weekend, and I'll see you all again sometime soon. :)
May brings flocks of pretty lambs, skipping by their fleecy dams ... 
It's no wonder it's called the merriest month of the year - there is just so much to love about May! And it's no surprise this post is a day or two late - the call of "the wild" gets stronger every day. :) I hardly ever find myself at my desk anymore - and boy, does my inbox show it!
So, what follows is just a sampling - of things to do, things to notice, and things to remember this month. I hope you might find something useful in my ...
~Themes & Plans for May~
Nature
Folklore
Food
Faith
Household (& Garden)
Life
Book Basket
