Outside...

Playing ball.


Watching big brothers.


Showing mommy things.


Searching for bugs.





Nibbling on basil he grew himself. :)



Eli Makes a Pitfall Trap

In order to catch bugs to study in science and to supply his museum with specimens, Elijah made a pitfall trap with his brother and daddy.


First they dug a hole.





Next they placed a jar inside.








When they were sure it was flush they covered the sides and around the top with dirt.








The nosey weenie dogs looked on...








The last thing they did was to create some elevation with stones and lay a tricky cover ontop of the stones. They placed some fruit in the jar to attract the insects and waited. Tricky, huh?








They have so enjoyed collecting the bugs out of it. VERY BOY FRIENDLY! I had meant to do this with them for years now. We were so glad we did this one.

Homemade Bug Habitats

Supplies:
Empty food container
Marker
Something to cut with
rubber band
1 knee high panty hose





Draw three circles on the sides of your container and cut them out. Have someone help by stretching the panty hose knee high out while you carefully push in the container. This will take two people. Work carefully!





This is what it should look like when you are done. The little cuff is handy when you have a bug in your hand. Simply put your hand in the hole, the bug will be in your hand, pull the knee high up your arm and open your hand. Once the bug is released you can slowly pull your hand out. This was such a neat bonus. I can't tell you how often the boys will lose a hard won buggy friend because they get out of the habitat when they try to put it in.








After your little visitors are inside twist up the end of the knee high and fasten with the rubber band.





Remy is never going to leave those butter containers alone now! Hee hee...

The Bliss it is to be Remy

Remy is so enjoying the spring. The world is coming alive and I can't keep him inside. If I assign him something to do in school time he quickly finishes and runs outside before I notice he is done. I so enjoy watching him. I will sneak to the door and watch him without his knowing. He thrills my heart. :)


One afternoon I asked him to take me on a tour of his collection of visiting "friends".


First up was a water beetle he found in the pool. He put it in an old Sea Monkey tank that he bought at a yard sale once for 10 cents.





Next up was something that warranted his silly terrified look. He bought this habitat at the Dollar Tree and inside it is some sort of spider. He says it is a girl and that she made an egg sac.








He found these insect eggs on a leaf outside and he has them inside of a habitat...waiting to see what they hatch out to be. It looks like a flower on each end!





He found this habitat in the dollar section at Target. He has inside of it his pride and joy at the moment. He tells me this is a Bess Beetle that he found with his friend Elijah when we were visiting them a while back. He also tells me that Elijah is his BEST friend and that they are so much alike. He says that he wishes Elijah was one of his brothers. :)














I look forward to learning from my sweet 2nd grader this spring and summer as he explores his patch of earth called home.


I must make a plea to all mothers of a son or daughter that desires to be close to nature in this way. I know how hard it can be to allow it, to be comfortable with it. I was the most girly-girl EVER and bugs EEEEKED me out! Slowly I have been overcoming it. Find field guides, find out what is okay to handle, how to handle them, and how to keep them for at time to observe. Buy or keep anything that can be a habitat. Let them do this. This type of child will make themselves known, I promise, be gentle with them and don't allow your own predisposition to quelch who they are instinctively. We are all wonderfully and fearfully made with our own unique purpose. Don't be caught stifling the ones who have been intrusted into your care. Deeply love them and find a way to love even the parts you can't understand. If you can't, find someone who CAN help them in this area. I am so humbled by my little nature boy. I see things in a way I never would have without him. I am better for him.

Remy's Various Critters...and a Remy Funny!

I am so happy that Remy can now find and catch and release so many little animals. It was about to kill him, the winter. He was sick and tired of not having anything to catch. ;)


He found these one day on a tree. They were TINY!!!





This really pretty visitor stayed for a while.








Remy has caught lizards of course. And this next set of critters were found and he exclaimed they were mating.





Which led to him saying something that almost had Matthew falling into the pool as he was cleaning it and ME unable to breathe from laughter. Are you ready? Well, first do you remember this POST? Well, now you do. HEE HEE. Well, we were all sitting there after the mating bugs flew away and he brought up the mating lizards he has seen. He says, "So, Mommy, aren't you glad that daddy doesn't climb up onto your back for you to have babies?" There it is! Enjoy! Have a great laugh! OH BOY, what are we going to do with this one? I will tell you that no one answered his question. HA HA!

Finally!

Remy was able to catch and hold CRITTERS! Spring is on its way!!!!!!!!!!


We found this bug on our bushes.





We went for a walk and found this guy lounging in the water.





Awww, look at her, ain't she a beaut! *giggle*





I love the eyes!





Now, if the weather goes to cold again, I may need to send Remy off somewhere because the whinning will be TOO MUCH!

Cricketology

Another child-led project in our home took place from Remy's interests. You all know he adores bugs. He checked out this library book on Crickets.

This book led to cricket keeping. We found some habitats and they both made a cricket friend to tend to. It was so fun to see Remy read this book first, all by himself, and then to light a passion for reading it in his brother. Elijah had to read it and then he also had to have a cricket pet.

I really enjoy these two scientists!

Remy and his Animal Rescue.

Matthew went to the store and when he came home he had in his hand a very sad Monarch Butterfly. He had found it in the parking lot. The butterfly had been hit by a car and he thought Remy might be able to hospice the poor dear if anything...

Remy made up some sugar water and put it into a makeshift bowl. He tried to get him to eat, but he was in shock. :( How diligently my young animal man worked to save him.

That night I saw the poor dear in spasms...and I knew it was the end. Sure enough the morning dawned with Remy finding the poor creature still. He mourned his little friend and then told me that he would forever belong in his collection of bugs. Atleast he had a safe place to rest as he passed on and he wasn't on the hot pavement.

I am really in awe of Remy's attachment ot all things animal. :) He is so special to me in that way. I never saw the world like I do now.

Geocaching gets you out into nature

We had another geocaching day. :)

We started out here...

Remy tried to save this guy. :( He had really been through it.

This guy was hiding in the leaf clutter.

I love the moss in Louisiana. It just hangs everywhere.

Matthew and Remy dared the slope by the water and found this huge shell!

Remy found some black moss and decided to bring it home to place on my countertop. *urgh* I really must get him a collection spot set up. The photo doesn't really show how black it is. Remy wanted to take it to the guy at the chinese food store to see if it was the same black moss they put in the soups.

We didn't find the cache at this location but we found so much to keep us occupied. :) That is the beauty of geocaching. :)

Next up was this cache.

Are these two making baby snails???

Elijah found the cache!

Elijah found a birds nest in our yard when we came home for the bathroom and snacks.

Yes, there is a cache hidden here, we didn't find it. :(

But Matthew did find this one!

And we played on the equipment while we were there.