Helping Things Grow

I didn't do the big garden with the boys this year. I couldn't give the time to it that it would need. We did give the boys garden goodies in those Easter baskets again this year. The finally decided to plant and play with those garden things they were gifted one HOT day.


Noah hung out in the bouncer.





Piper thinks she is atleast part human and should be in on the gardening fun. Look at this outfit Remy put together. He said that it went together because both the top and the bottoms were blue. Ba ha ha ha ha! He reminds me of my dad, so much!





One of my favorite things I own is that owl watering "can".





These are sunflowers that I helped Noah plant. He really enjoyed his science lesson. :)














Noah is always trying to get to Remy's habitats. He loves to see what is in them and he wants to be allowed to play with them in just the way he desires. Remy came up with this for Noah. He gave him a clean habitat with a fake lizard in it. How cute is that? Look at Noah's mouth in this photo.








I have so loved the summers in this house. This year and last year I did not. I am so ready for fall. It is just harder to have fun in this heat with a baby. I was always told that it would be easier with Noah because he was a summer baby. I must say, I feel it is easier when the weather is cooler.

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.

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!