By Sun and Candlelight

Our Afternoon Farm Stop

While Bookworm was at Art Class yesterday, Crackerjack and Earlybird and I took advantage of the gorgeous spring day, and paid a visit to a long-favorite farm. 

I say "long-favorite," because when Bill and I were first married we lived up in this area and this farm holds many fond memories for me. I would bring a baby Bookworm here once a week (at least!) to visit the animals and have a snack at the bakery.

Their main greenhouse is so lovely ...

And their bakery has many fresh and tempting selections. (Happily, the apple cider donuts are always in season.)

(Doesn't Crackerjack look so much older in this picture? It's hard to believe this kid will be 13 in August!)

At EB's request, I gave the boys pennies to throw into the farm wishing well bucket.

(I love that they still love to do this.)

And just look at all the vibrant dahlias!

I will definitely be returning to this farm over the next couple of weeks (before Memorial Day anyways, our traditonal planting time). There were so many wonderful annuals, perennials, herbs, vegetables, etc.

I was particularly thrilled to find out they will have morning glory plants for sale in a couple of weeks. I will definitely snatch up several of those!

Now, once EB spied the play area, we settled ourselves in at a picnic table, because we knew he'd be a while. And that was fine, because we had at least an hour to kill. EB absolutely LOVES playing in sand (or dirt) with trucks, STILL at 10 years old. (Because he's developmentally delayed, he still enjoys toys, tv shows and activities that appeal to younger children.) But I have to laugh at this picture, because look at the little fella just behind EB, all hands-on -hips and furrowed brow ...

You see, when EB appoached the wooden play structure there were several younger children already engrossed in play. He wanted to use a couple of the sand trucks (which had been piled up on the caboose) and his "intrusion" was not so warmly received. At least, not at first ... after a few tense moments, EB had won the crowd over.

Because this is my child, when he first walked up to the crowd (my homeschooled autistic child, mind you) ...

"Hi guys! How are you doin'?"

"I'm [Earlybird]! Who are you?"

"What are you playing? Can I help, too?"

"Hey, guys - let's work together!"

And so forth ... :)

("Socialization" is highly overrated, lol.)

Meanwhile, CJ and I sat and chatted at the table for a bit ... I have no idea what I said to him here that prompted that face, lol. 

I guess he's just reaching that age where he's not all that keen on having his picture taken.

While EB played on, CJ and I checked out the farm animals ...

The goats ...

The chickens (and turkeys and rooster) ...

The pigs ...

And the bunnies - though I didn't get a picture of them, because next thing I knew, EB had had enough of playtime and wanted something from the bakery. So back inside we went ...

My guys ... how I love spending my days with them.

EB had a cider donut and CJ picked out a muffin - one for his older brother, too. I myself had a tall, creamy iced coffee ... which SO hit the spot!

Before we left the farm, we weighed and purchased our rhubarb, which I used to make last night's souffle. I LOVE the experience of buying food from a farm and then serving it that night at our table. We are really enjoying our farm "studies" this year. 

***

Well, my friends ... it was a much quieter day for us today. Not so much in-and-out ... and as much as I love truckin' about with my boys, I do relish those days when we can just get our stuff done here (theirs, mine) with few interruptions. I myself got a lot of housework done, in anticipation of a busy weekend. I loathe wasting weekends on housework, so whenever possible Friday is a big "catch up" cleaning day for me.

I squeezed in some fun though - I worked on my newsletter and my clippings journal. Catching up with my creative side is a priority, too ... whenever I can manage it!

And as I finish this post, the day's wrapping up, and it's practically the weekend! So I'm going to sign off for now ... but you know I'll be back very soon ...

Have a good night, my friends!

❤ 

Spring Nature, Spring Books

Happy Wednesday, my friends! I hope your week's going well. :)

I put the learning room back together today - meaning, I moved out the "table for four" from Easter Sunday, and returned the loveseat to its rightful place. (Mama's reading chair, too.) It felt good to sweep up, sort out, and then settle things back where they belong. :)

The library corner needed to be set up again, so I retired the "March" books and set out the April nature-related books. Our theme this month is "our marvelous earth."

The books you see above are as follows:

Little Farm by the Sea

Grow It, Cook It

Wildlife Gardening

Recycle!

Compost!

Miss Rumphius

The Golden Guide to Endangered Animals

A Guide to Northeastern Butterflies

Respect the Earth Flashcards

Mother Earth's Children

The Nature Connection

First Nature Encylopedia

Whoever You Are

This Year's Garden

Wonders of Nature 

 Naturally Fun Parties for Kids (I just got this book the other day and Earlybird is enthralled! I can hardly get it back in "my" pile, lol.)

*

Now, yesterday we met up with some of our homeschooling friends and took our kids on an informal nature walk. ("Informal" in that, the parents walked and talked - the kids mostly ran ahead.) I provided a "scavenger" list of things for the kids to look for at this time of year, and I'd like to share it here with you all in case it might be something you can use. :)

Take a look around and see what you can find ... use all your senses to “Search for Spring!”

*

signs of nest building

buds

a spring flower

three shades of green

a fresh smell

mud

tracks in mud

a new bird sound

an early spring insect

a fiddlehead (young fern)

a migrant bird

an amphibian or reptile

earthworms

running, dripping or trickling water

a cold spot

a warm spot

something red

something yellow

something blue

something purple

something that has more than 3 colors

*

Have fun, and remember to be gentle with Nature!

I hope this list might inspire you and your kids to go outside and "search for spring." We had a lot of fun finding it for ourselves!

:)

Have a wonderful evening, my friends ... I will see you here again very soon!

Afternoon Outing: Lovely Latte, Pretty Papers

My friends, I had such a nice afternoon! I was able to meet a very dear friend of mine for "tea" while I was out and about. We met at the most adorable cafe not far from where my boys take their art classes, and honestly I wish I had had my camera with me because I was so charmed by this sweet little shop! It was a small place, but airy and bright and there were all kinds of little treats and gifty things like local preserves, quirky wooden signs and herb-scented laundry detergent. There was even a little wine corner and some microbrews in a fridge!

(Needless to say, I'll be visiting again soon!)

Now, the menu featured all kinds of interesting brewed teas, but I actually skipped over the tea, and chose instead a quite potent and very tempting "raspberry mocha latte."

Oh my.

I may pay for indulging in such heady caffeine (especially so late in the day), but it was deliciously worth it!

Well, after catching up for a bit, Lynne and I went our separate ways (with a promise to do 'this' again soon). But as it happened, I had a few minutes to kill ... and as it also happened ... my favorite paper-craft store was right across the street!

So naturally I popped in to take a quick look around and as usual, I spied so many new and beautiful things! (This place is like a candy store, I tell you.) In under 10 minutes I had picked out some pretty pastel papers and coordinating embellishments, keeping my "new" planner and "Spring Newsletter" in mind.

Here's a peek at my purchases: 

Don't you just love all those soft, springy shades? They feel just right for this time of year ... plus I have such a weakness for "vintage" and "Victorian" things. :)

So I have some new supplies to work with, and while my planner is (once again) underway, my Newsletter is still just a bunch of notes in a notebook. ;) Speaking of the Newsletter - I'm hoping to have it ready to go sometime soon after Easter. (I'd like to say before, but I'm sure that's overestimating my time and energy, lol!) It will be loads of fun to work on it, though, and I must thank you all again for your enthusiastic response!

***

Well my friends, I must now sign off for the night ... the kitchen timer is due to ring in oh, about seven minutes. Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing in my day ... I hope yours was a good one!

Have a nice night ~ I will see you again soon!

❤

Humble Pretzels with EB

(And other Saturday stuff.)

Today was such a changeable day - bright and sunny one minute, dark and gray the next ... we even had snow flurries this morning! So very like March. :)

Well, early this "very March" morning Bill took the older boys into Cambridge, to attend a special program at M.I.T. So Earlybird and I had the whole day to ourselves. We spent part of our morning at Whole Foods (Nana came too) and then the rest of the day we just puttered around the house. It was a little too cold to spend much time outside, so after lunch I suggested we make pretzels with a bag of pizza dough I had in the fridge. Pretzels are a traditional Lenten food ... but it's always fun to work with bread/pizza dough! And as you can see above, our pretzels were very humble attempts, indeed ... but they were tasty!

I thought I'd share a couple more pictures with you before I sign off. It's been a while since I've done a "Friday Felines," so let's start with a sleepy Archie ...

... and an Ollie who insists he's not too big for this basket.

Here's some of my planner "puttering" laid out on the counter ...

And here are my older boys this afternoon, standing in front of M.I.T.

Bookworm has attended SPARK (and its fall counterpart, SPLASH) a few times before, but this was Crackerjack's first time. The classes - taught by M.I.T. students - are offered to kids in grades 7-12, and it's really quite a production! The classes my boys took included "Greek & Roman Mythology," "Introduction to Zombie Defense," "The Most Challenging Puzzles," "Environmentally Benign Design," "Peanut Butter & Jelly Robotics" and "Light Saber Dueling." It was a very full day and a really great experience!

Happily, Bill and the boys are home now ... so it's time for supper and the usual evening routine. Before I go though, I'd like to say I am absolutely LOVING reading all your Spring Thoughts. What joy this season brings to us all, in so many ways! I'll have to do a post about my own favorite things springs sometime soon.

And thank you, also, for the wonderful bake sale advice - I'm taking lots of notes this weekend!

Now, tomorrow night Bill and I will be watching part two of South Riding ... and I'm hoping it's a little better than last Sunday's showing. Monday morning I'll have a discussion post up where we can talk about SR and/or any other shows or movies we might have seen over the weekend.

So my friends, I hope your weekend's going well. As always, thanks so much for stopping by ... I will see you all again very soon!

:) 

Field Trip to the Farm!

Oh, what fun we had today!

This afternoon we attended a field trip to a local Audubon center. We hadn't been on a field trip in a while, so this was a nice treat for us all. What made it all the nicer ... Bill took the day off to join us, and drive us out to the farm in the RV!

And it was such a glorious day ... nearly 60 degrees and so bright and sunny. As usual, I took TONS of pictures, so I thought you all might like to see them. :)

Here's the entrance to the farm ...

And my guys heading down the path ...

First we hit "Bird Hill."

Where we saw ...

Crows, ravens, pheasants, hawks (as below) ...

... barred owls ...

(We called them, Sarah and Percy and Bill ... anyone know what book that's from? It's a favorite of ours.)

And finally, a great horned owl!

(I know it's hard to see through the grated fencing, but if you click on the photos they will open up and the birds should be easier to see.)

Next, we headed over to the sheep & goat barn ...

... where we met two little lambs who were born just today!

So precious ...

Inside this barn (all around the farm, actually), there was a lot of interesting info posted, like this lambing chart:

And this "Sheep to Sweater" display board:

Though the air was cool, the sun was quite warm. We were very glad we wore boots, because there was lots of mud ...

... and melting ...

And much dripping everywhere.

This is what 'early spring' looks like in New England!

Here are a few more farm animals we met ...

The rooster.

(Noisy fellow, he.)

The sow.

(Just two years old, and already a good mama.)

Some goats.

(These are the sun-loving youngins.)

Next we encountered a chicken on the path.

Quite free range, and almost friendly.

And here we have the Barn Cat.

Clearly, striking a pose.

And just look at these guys!

A flock of wild turkeys taking advantage of well-stocked feeders.

Earlybird was most fascinated by the farm equipment - the tractors, and harvesters and such - but we could just not get him to slow down for a photo! But I'm still going to post this one because it shows how tall Bookworm has gotten recently!

(If you remember, I'm 5'5." He's over 5'7" now.)

Next ... while Bill, Bookworm and Earlybird stayed with the larger group, Crackerjack and I headed up to the Audubon Shop with our friends ...

Such a delightful shop - a nature lover's absolute haven!

Well, I was weak of course, and bought a few things - with my member discount naturally! I bought a solar system place mat for EB, two new field guides (one for butterflies, another for dragonflies) and new nature journals for myself and the boys.

After saying goodbye to our friends, CJ and I headed back out. For a moment, we contemplated venturing down this intriguing path ...

But in the end, we stayed put and explored this neat solar-powered structure:

Very cool! 

More solar goodness:

And one more picture of me and my boys ...

It really was such a nice day. :)

And here's my "chauffeur," ready to escort his brood home ...

 

Once safely home, we set about our evening routines, and then a call came in from my friend, Kim. Kim (of coupon binder fame), was the one to organize this field trip, and she called me from the road to alert me to the rising moon!

I was so glad she did because I was not even looking outside, so caught up was I in all the "catching up." And what a nice way to end a very nice day ... standing outside in the cool (but not cold) dusk, watching the Full Sap Moon emerge in all its March glory ...

I feel so recharged after this day spent outdoors, in the "country," getting fresh air and reconnecting with friends we have not seen in a while. It makes me want to plan all kinds of fun spring outings ... my "Nature Club" wheels are now turning!

*

Well, I hope you all had a nice Wednesday ... wherever it took you. Thanks so much for stopping by ... have a nice night and I will see you all again soon!

We took Nana to Neverland!

Our Advent Tree note this morning read:

Today we're taking Nana into Boston to see Peter Pan!

And oh my gosh, was it a wonderful play! 

(Sorry for the blurry pictures - for some reason my old camera just wouldn't cooperate!)

Now, many years ago, my mum took my brother and I to see Peter Pan - back when Sandy Duncan played the principal part. It was 1979, so I was 10 years old, and I still remember that experience ... it was magical. This new "three-sixty" production originated in London, back in 2009, and is currently traveling the world; Boston is hosting the show through New Year's Eve.

Now, unfortunately the weather today was just awful - we had chilly downpours all day. So instead of taking the T in, as we first planned, Bill volunteered to on drive us there and back. EB came along for the inbound journey - and we had a nice ride around downtown Boston admiring the architecture and Christmas decor (as well as the many construction sites and general midday chaos).

The show was held inside a newly constructed tent on City Hall Plaza.

Inside the tent was a lobby (with snacks and souvenirs) and a circular hallway that ringed the inner theater itself. Here we found a series of interesting posters exploring the history of the Peter Pan tale - its author, origins and many dramatic interpretations through the years.

We were not allowed to take pictures inside the theater itself, so I have nothing more to show you, but I can say it was a fabulous production and we all enjoyed it very much. My favorite parts of the play?

Bringing 'Tink' back to life with a theater-full of fervent whispers:

"I believe in fairies."

The adherence to original text.

The ramshackle crocodile - what a fantastic roar!

The Neverbird and the Mother song.

The singing scalliwag pirates.

And, this:

"To live would be an awfully big adventure."

 *

Leaving about 4:30 p.m. Bill waiting, van idling, on nearby Tremont Street - here's what we looked back at as we drove away:

Lovely!

And now we're home safe and sound, with another wonderful memory to tuck away.

I hope you all had a nice Wednesday - is it mid-week already?!

Thanks so much for stopping by ... I will see you all again very soon.

:)

Off to the Tree Farm!

Yesterday was a beautiful day here in New England! It was very mild for this time of year (nearly 70 degrees) and the sky was filled with both wintry clouds and shards of weak sunlight. As Bill had the day off from work, it was a perfect time to go find our Christmas tree!

So right after lunchtime, we all hopped into the van and headed to the farm ...

There are lots of farms in our area, but this one is just so lovely ... In fact, our very first homeschooling field trip ever happened right here - an apple picking hay ride with our (then) new homeschool support group. :)

After getting the 'skinny' from the farm hands, we drove out to the field to find our tree ...

Apple trees in late autumn are so beautiful. So withered and wild looking ...

Now, here's the thing ... we just couldn't find a tree we liked! They were either too short or too spindly. And we wanted a big tree this year!

So we headed back down to the farm to take a look at the pre-cut trees.

EB can get a little funny about tree cutting - for some reason it unnerves him! So a few times he retreated to the van to watch something fun on his iPad. 

But the sights and sounds of the farm proved too much to resist ...

Cute little Santa workshop.

Cute little guinea fowl!

Cute - not so little - boys!

Feeding the beautiful fallow deer.

Aren't they gorgeous?

(They kind of remind me of Archie and Ollie in their coloring, and sweet faces.)

Though EB was certain this was one of Santa's team. ;)

Once we had a tree picked out (a 7 foot Fraser fir, just cut the day before), we headed inside the farm shop to pay ... and peruse.

At last it was time to take our tree home!

But first, Bill secured it to the van ...

... and then we were off!

Continuing our "farm field trip," we stopped at Whole Foods to pick up a few things.

I could spend gajillions of dollars at this store. It's so fun to shop here!

 

We were home by three, with the light fading fast and a cool wind picking up.

Bill and Bookworm brought the tree in ...

It fits great in the sitting room corner!

Needless to say, the cats were simply amazed.

"For me?"

Checking it out ...

Ollie's intrigued. Archie's sampling.

After a quick look around, Ollie - cool, calm and collected - returned to his open window, taking the high road, as usual.

Archie, meanwhile ... well, he took the low road.

He simply would not leave the tree alone! He ate some needles, climbed some branches and as you can see above, drunk some of the water. (No additives here - just plain old water.)

(We're hoping once the novelty's worn off, Archie will give it a rest. Lol.)

And now we have our tree, all set up in the sitting froom corner.

We need to let the branches drop, and then the lights can be strung and the branches can be adorned with all kinds of things.

(Mostly, unbreakable things.)

~**❤**~

Now, I will certainly be posting more on our tree as we go through the week. Hopefully we'll have it all decorated by the weekend!

So I hope you all are having a nice week ... I can hardly believe December 1st is just two days away! Are your Advent calendars ready to go?

Our is not quite ... so I guess I'd best get to work!

Have a great Tuesday, my friends ... I'll be back here again very soon.

:)

Wordless Wednesday {Everyday Moments}

{at home}

{at work}

{and play}

{with the cats}

{at the fair}

{:D}

Well, I can't think of trains ...

... without thinking of my EB. :)

(Oh my ... was he really once that little?)

Earlybird is a HUGE train buff (just like his Papa). He loves to read about them, talk about them, watch them on TV ... but nothing beats seeing them in REAL LIFE!

These pictures were taken a few several years ago, on a cold February "Daddy" day. (Daddy Days are those spontaneous adventures that only daddies seems able (and willing) to pull together.)

This is a local transportation museum, and obviously, EB was focused on the old steam train stationed outside.

Trains are so awesome! (As in, "super cool" and "awe-inspiring.") They're big, powerful, and carry with them so many stories, so much of America's history. But I will always see trains through the eyes of a child ... as the daughter of a model railroader, and now as the mom of a train crazy kid ...

More train pictures can be found at this week's Snapshots around the World post. Stop by and check them out!

Hope you all had a nice holiday weekend!

:)

Tree Week!

First of all, I hope you all had a nice weekend, and a lovely Easter Sunday. :)

Today begins "Tree Week" in our homeschool ... and that would be because, A. Friday is Arbor Day and, B. we just ❤ trees!

I kept our "tree" activity for today very simple (since it was rainy and cold and we were all plumb tuckered from weekend festivities). So after dropping Bookworm at the library (where he volunteers once a week) the younger two boys and I stopped at our local supermarket to search for things that come from trees ... 

To this end we found: apples, pears, dates, oranges, lemons, limes, coconuts, bananas, nuts - ETC. - as well as magazines, newspapers, toilet paper, paper towels, tissue paper, packages of copy paper, cardboard cereal (cracker, cookie, etc.) boxes, paper shopping bags, store flyers, and even my purchase receipt ... phew! 

Trees give us a lot, we decided!

Here are a few fuzzy photos we (Crackerjack and I) took on my new phone:

These would be the apples and pears.

This would be me.

This is Earlybird walking (dejectedly) away from a bin of marshmallows. (And he was so sure there were such things as Marshmallow Trees, too!)

Pretty sure "Cheese Puffs" don't grow on trees either ... but we still bought a bag.

And so our Tree Week is off and running! More details to come, but for now I wish you all a happy new week, and wonderful start to the new Easter season!

Have a great night, everyone ...

:)

Poinsettia Day!

Today's Advent tree note read:

"Daddy's home today! We'll bake biscuits for breakfast and read about The Legend of the Poinsettia. Later we'll visit the nursery and bring home a plant for our mantle."

(Officially, National Poinsettia Day falls on December 12th, but as we were busy that day with a family party, I decided to schedule our own "poinsettia day" for one day this week.)

Well, the biscuits were delicious (stuffed with cheesy, scrambled eggs) and EB half-listened to me read TLotP while working on a coloring page I found online ... and after breakfast we all bundled into the minivan for a family field trip to the nursery. (Lol, the older two never know what's coming next. What? Close our math books, grab our coats? Happy faces all around.)

To be honest, Earlybird was more enthralled with the Christmas trees for sale in the lot (and pushing the oversized nursery cart up and down the aisles) than he was with the multicolored* plants inside, lol. (Poor Bill got outside duty with EB while I savored the steamy warmth of the greenhouse inside with the older boys.)

*Oh, and by multicolored, I really do mean multicolored! There were the expected red, burgundy, pink and white plants of course - but also - purple, blue and fuschia! 

Now, maybe I haven't been poinsettia shopping in a while, but this really struck me as odd! I insisted on purchasing traditional red plants, but the boys talked me into one sparkly blue plant as well. Crackerjack said he wanted it for their bedroom - he has plans for a Star Wars Christmas corner I think.

Here's our Earlybird marveling at the pretty Christmas plants ...

... and Crackerjack and Bookworm, smiling for Mum's camera. :) 

As you can see from their garb we're in the midst of quite a cold spell here in New England; the balmy greenhouse was a nice escape from the frosty weather. (A quick weather note here ~ a major snowstorm is predicted for Massachusetts late this weekend. Maybe we'll get a white Christmas after all!)

Well, from there, our day got quite busy as we grabbed a quick lunch and headed out to our December Nature Club meeting (a homemade suet feeder activity hosted by my friend Ketylina at her lovely home - more on that later!).

So we're home again at last, and supper's bubbling away on the stove. Bill's getting some work done, the older boys are playing Wii, and EB and I are watching "Dogs 101" (a favorite show of his). Obviously I'm also working on this post! 

As a final touch to our poinsettia day, I had planned to pull out our sweet little poinsettia fairy to hang on our tree, but - gasp! - we can't find her! I made her a few years back (details in this post) and I just can't imagine where she's disappeared to ~ but if I can't find her, I may just have to make her again. Hmm ... an excuse to stop by the craft store tomorrow? Maybe that's not so bad after all ... ;)

By the way, in a comment today, Lynn B. asked if I'd share all my Advent tree notes sometime - and yes, I'd be glad to! I'll write up a post (possibly this weekend) with the notes we've done so far and my plans for next week. I must say, this has been my favorite Advent countdown yet. :)

Well, thank you very much for stopping by today; I hope you had a nice day too. See you all again very soon!

Morning at the Tree Farm

Bill took the day off from work last Friday so we could take the boys to a tree farm. The visit served two purposes ~ for one, we needed a Christmas tree! (Our brief stint with a pre-lit tree came to a disastrous end last year.) And for another, this month we're focusing our nature study on evergreens - and a tree farm was a great place to kick things off!

I thought I'd share some of the pictures I took of the farm and the kids. As usual, I took lots and lots of photos - we even got a family shot (thanks to the kind farmer) for the Christmas card! 

 As you can see, the day was quite cloudy - and let me tell you, it was cold!

Finally we found our tree:

(It might not look it here, but it's an eight-footer!)

Earlybird was a little sad we were actually taking it down, so he and I walked around the farm (examining evergreens) while Bill and the older boys felled the tree with a handsaw. (All I could think of was that scene in It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown when Linus wails, "You didn't tell me you were gonna kill it!" Lol)

Once the deed was done though, EB was eager to help ...

   

The tree was baled for easier transport ...

Once our trees - we also bought a smaller tree for the yard - were secured to the roof our van we headed home. But first we made a quick stop at yet another farm for a snack.

My three sons. :)

It was a really fun morning ~ and now we have big glorious tree in our dining room, all lit up and adorned with cherished decorations. Best of all, my house smells like evergreens - like a Douglas Fir to be exact (the variety of tree we chose). 

I'll have a post up soon with pictures of our tree all set up, and a few other cozy Christmas spots around the house. In the meantime, I hope you all have a very nice week. And Happy St. Nicholas Day!

November Nature: A Quaking Bog & Solstice Hill

Our Homeschool Nature Club met for its November meeting yesterday and it was truly a fantastic experience! The reservation we explored was breathtakingly beautiful, and the day itself was just perfect for November ~ bright, blustery and brisk. Considering all the dank, dreary weather we've had recently, we really lucked out! 

At this month's meeting we explored a pond, a "quaking" bog and the highest hill in the county. I hope you enjoy these pictures from our day ...

A narrow but sturdy boardwalk allowed us to journey through the bog out to a large open pond. On either side of the walkway the dampness was pretty deep! (See the walking stick below - it had just been stuck in the ground beside the path.)

At this time of year there was not much still growing, but the moss was plentiful. 

As you can see, the afternoon sunlight made the bog shimmer in an almost ethereal way ...

A few things we noticed on our walk out to the pond ...

A tiny solid drop of sap ...

A carnivorous pitcher plant!

Tiny cones/seeds of some kind.

A few mushrooms popping up here and there.

Finally we reached the end of the boardwalk and the quiet pond in all its late autumn glory:

Two of my intrepid explorers. :)

By the way, the reason they call this bog "quaking" is because it is literally a mat of vegetation resting on water-logged muck. When the children jumped on the semi-solid earth next to the walkway, the trees around us trembled (or quaked) in response! As you might guess, this unique site really captured the kids' collective attention!

After thoroughly exploring the bog habitat, our group headed uphill ...

Stopping to climb a tree on the way ...

And take some pictures of the lovely setting ...

We passed through a beautiful, golden wood ...

And finally found ourselves at the very top the hill, the highest point in the county. 

A set of "solstice stones" rests at the crest of the hill, marking the four cardinal directions, as well as the points of the solstices and equinoxes.

The kids mostly enjoyed clambering all over it. ;)

But it was the view of Boston in the distance that really amazed me ...

*Note: This picture was not taken by me, but by my friend, Beth - whose awesome camera I covet. ;)

While the kids ran around and had snacks, the moms chatted and walked about, enjoying the pretty surroundings.

I spied a gorgeous birch tree ...

And a crabapple (?) of some sort. Very autumnal looking, don't you think?

 

But before we knew it, the late day sun was slipping behind the trees and the air was growing colder ...

We piled back into our cars and headed home in all different directions, each family taking home another nice Nature Club memory.

Thanks for stopping by everyone! I hope you've all had a good week ... it was another busy one here! Really looking forward to Turkey Day next Thursday - and there's plenty to do to get ready - but I'll be back here again just as soon as I can. :)

Happy (Sleety, Sloppy) Monday Morning :)

Sorry I've been quiet for several days now ... we've been busy, busy, busy!

The picture above shows you what we did yesterday (with Flat Stanley tagging along). We met some friends at the Wheelock Family Theater in Boston to see a production of  ANNIE. It was wonderful! 

Today is a cold, rainy day - not the nicest of weather, but better than it started out anyways - it was dark and sleeting at 6 a.m.! Our week looks to be a bit quieter than the last ...

Thanks for all the kind comments on our Gratitude Tree - and thank you to The Crafty Crow  for featuring our project in a post last week! A couple of readers asked about the acorn template I used, and to be honest, I'm having a hard time finding the one I used! (I printed out all 25 acorns right away and didn't bookmark the page.) I originally found it by doing a google image search for "acorn template" ... but when I do it now, I can't find the one I used! I'll keep looking and if I find it I will post the site here. I barely looked at the site, I just grabbed the image and moved on.

So that's all for right now ... I'm sneaking a few minutes online while the boys dig into their morning's work (Algebra for Bookworm, Ancient China for Crackerjack and lantern coloring for Earlybird) ...

Be back again - just as soon as I can! :)

Cornstalks and Moonlight ~ Fun on the Farm

We had SUCH fun last night at the corn maze! The weather was perfect for this tradtional fall outing - if maybe a wee bit cold. (OK, make that freezing, lol!) But the Hunter's moon was a hair's breadth from full and it was just rising as we approached the farm ...

I know that photo is a little fuzzy, but I had to post it, if only to remember how incredible it was to drive up to the farm and see this *enormous* moon rising up out of the low purple clouds.

Here are a few scenes around the farm ...

Wasn't the sky just beautiful?

 We met several homeschooling families here, who came from all over to enjoy the corn maze together. After a short instructional video, our large group was split up into bands of 5 or so. Each band received a puzzle/clue map as well as a flag which could be waved if you happened to get lost. Then we all entered the maze ... which was HUGE! It was dark of course, so we all had flashlights ~ though really, with the bright moonlight the lights weren't all that necessary. As it so happened, after all the kids were split up and parent chaperones assigned, Bill and I were left to ourselves! Lol, we were a cozy band of two, so we joked it was like a "date night" for us. (And this being our anniversary - 17 years today! - it was an especially nice treat!)

The maze was bustling in some places, and fairly quiet in others. We encountered a few bats flitting through the stalks, which was quite a surprise!

 

This was the view from the top of one of the bridges somewhere deep in the maze.

Bill and I found the exit in about 30 minutes - we were the first of our group to make it out, so we got ourselves some hot cider and settled in to wait for the rest of our gang. 

It was such a great time - some wonderful memories were made - and let me tell you - after all the (frosty) fresh air and exercise, we all slept very well last night!

The Full Hunter's Moon will be rising once again tonight, so don't forget to take a peek. Try to look close to rise time (5:47 p.m.) because the moon is especially magnificent when it's low in the sky ...

 

Thanks for stopping by - I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! :)

Through the Woods, Down a Cave, Up a Tower ...

Our field trip on Monday was fantastic! Truly, one of the best we've been on. We followed a ranger through a local forest reserve and learned - not only about the local flora and fauna - but lots of fascinating New England history as well! (A tale that involved pirates and treasure and earthquakes and explosives - the kids were all ears!)

"Ranger Dan" led us deep into the woods, down inside a cave and then way up high in a stone tower! Here are some pictures I took on this glorious October day ... I hope you enjoy them!

Walking by the reservoir ...

A steep climb up to the cave ...

These great boulders were left behind by a glacier during the last ice age ...

And here we have the entrance to the cave itself ... the site of suspected pirate's buried treasure.

 

This is "Flat Stanley" ~ we are escorting him around the area this week. A schoolgirl from California sent him to me!

The ranger led us down in two groups - it was so dark and wet and slippery. To be honest, it was pretty creepy!

Needless to say I didn't go down to the very bottom of the cave. I left that to my braver (and more sure-footed) companions, lol.

After the cave, we walked a bit further uphill to this magnificent tower:

It was built in the 1930s for observation. A steep spiral staircase inside led us to the very top of the tower where we had *incredible* views of the surrounding area.

This would be Boston in the distance.

And the Atlantic ocean ...

 

After we left the tower, we started our descent back to the base of the park. As you can see it was an absolutely idyllic autumn day. 

 

Thanks for taking the time to stop by and look at my pictures today. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend ... I'll be back again just as soon as I can. :)

Fun Times at Lego KidsFest

We took the older boys into Lego KidsFest Boston yesterday and it was a really fun time! Lots to see and marvel over - and lots of inspiration for our Lego-crazy kids. :) Rather than slog down this post with the 30-odd pictures I took though, I made up a photo album with pics from our visit. If you'd like to check it out, it's over there on my right-hand sidebar.

Did you all have a good weekend? Ours was nice - busy but fun. I didn't do a lick of lesson planning over the weekend - or any kind of planning for that matter! - so I'm pretty much flying by the seat of my pants this week, lol ...

Anyhoo - things are off to a dark, rainy start here in my corner of the world. Really feels like Fall today and this kind of weather puts me in such a nesting mood. Flannels for the beds, candles for the windows ... definitely an "afternoon cup" kind of day. :)

Well, that's all I have time for at the moment ~ hope your week's off to a good start!

Class Photo, 2010

September 1st, 2010

The whole world is our classroom ...

A Trip to the American Textile Museum

Last week we attended a field trip to the American Textile Museum in Lowell, Massachusetts. The trip included a guided tour of the museum as well as two excellent classes: "Junk to Jackets" and "Technical Tools." Crackerjack took the former; Bookworm took the latter. 

Here are the class descriptions:

From Junk to Jackets (Grades 3-10): Learn how recycling is used in the textile industry to make cloth, and consider its ecological impacts. As a colorful and educational keepsake, students will fill "ecological containers" with layers of materials showing the steps of the scientific process invented to convert plastic soda bottles into knitted fleece fabric. Students will do experiments revealing material characteristics and illustrating advances from nanotechnology research used to make modern fabrics even better!

Technical Tools (Grades 6-12): In a hands-on lab setting, work in teams to problem-solve how to overcome the technical difficulties experienced by the early US cotton industry, and experience the challenge of inventing that transformed the US during the early Industrial Revolution. Figure out Eli Whitney's inventors' success secrets as you engineer your own solutions. A world events timeline provides an international perspective.

This was our first visit to the museum, but I knew we'd get there one of these days (and I have a feeling we'll be back). Our history focus this year is the Industrial Revolution, and Lowell was one of the most important cities at that time. In fact, I believe it is known as the birthplace of the (American) Industrial Revolution.

I have a ton of pictures to share - no really, a ton - so I've made up a couple of photo albums instead of bogging down this post with jpgs. You can find my pictures in the two new photo albums on the right hand sidebar - one is called "ATM Field Trip" and this has the bulk of the pictures I took on our tour and in the boys' classes. The other album is called "Apron Exhibit" and it holds the pictures I took in the museum's special exhibit, a tribute to the 1950's and the apron phenomenon. Sorry these photos are not of the greatest quality, the lighting was fairly dim throughout most of the museum and we were not allowed to use flash photography. 

I hope you enjoy the pictures and if you are in the New England area - whether you live here or are visiting some day - I highly recommend you pay a visit to the American Textile Museum. The people who led us through the day were friendly, enthusiastic and so helpful. I look forward to another visit this spring!

In our Yard this Afternoon ...

... we spotted this magnificent (Cooper's?) hawk! We had just arrived home from a morning field trip when I noticed a large bird swoop through the neighbor's yard and into our own. 

 He's gorgeous of course, but not at all welcome. Just yesterday the boys and I watched 5 (FIVE!) red squirrels playing in the yard, running between our rooftop and the trees out back. I hate to think of them out and about with predators like this hanging around ...

Anyhoo ... we spent the morning at the American Textile Museum in Lowell, Massachusetts. I have LOTS of pictures to share from the museum tour and the homeschool classes the boys participated in - but I will have to get those up later this weekend. In a nutshell, it was a fantastic experience - the perfect complement to our current Industrial Revolution study!

Well, that's all for now - just a quick check-in as the week comes to a close. I hope you all have a great weekend - I'll be back here again just as soon as I can. :)