How to Stay Cool in the Summer Heat – Link-up Party!

Welcome to the fourth week of our Fun in the Summer Sun event!

Each Monday until September 7th
Mama to 4 Blessings along with Harvest Moon By Hand,
Adventures of Mommydom, Sweet Diva, and Sweet Phenomena
will be hosting Fun in the Summer Fun link up events.

Here’s the line up:

1st Monday of each month: link up your “Kid-friendly summer activities”

2nd Monday of each month: link up your “Kid-friendly summer crafts”

3rd Monday of each month: link up your “Kid-friendly summer recipes”

4th Monday of each month: link up your “How to stay cool in the summer heat”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

During the past week we’ve had temperatures in the upper 50s and 60s – very unusual for this time of year…even for Minnesota.  Trying to stay cool this week wasn’t a problem…it was trying to stay dry with all the rain and thunderstorms. 

So, we ended up doing what we do on some of the hottest days of summer: we stayed inside where it was a comfortable 68-70 degrees.  Thinking of the traditional ways to stay cool on hot days (e.g., playing at the beach, running through the sprinkler) didn’t sound interesting to the girls when it was 59 degrees and overcast outside.

Here are some ways that we stay cool…even when the temperatures aren’t over 100 degrees like they were a few weeks ago:

Visited the zoo, conservatory, and Japanese gardens – alternating between being inside (with air conditioning) and outdoors (in the “heat”)

The day we visited the zoo, there were many volunteers who had hands-on learning stations and stations where there were small animals that you could see close up.  We were very excited to see the new area for the polar bears – 15 year old brothers. 

One of the polar bears enjoying being outside.

The zoo also is holding thee polar bears from the Minot zoo since there is flooding in the area.  They are quarantined for 30 days, and then they will see if the Minot zoo can take them back (if it isn’t damaged) or if the bears will be able to be let outside.  We’re going to check the zoo again in a few weeks and see if there will be more polar bears out. It’d be nice to see them.

Since I homeschool the girls year round (with a modified schedule during the summer), the zoo was a wonderful way to learn about animals and plants.

Olivia listening to a volunteer talk about the

gecko he was holding.

This was inside near the tropical exhibit.

After spending some time inside seeing a quail, tortoise, and other small animals, amphibians, and reptiles, we headed back outside to walk through the Japanese garden.

Then we finished the day by heading back inside to the conservatory and the summer flower display.  It was a spectacular ending to a wonderful day!

Overlooking the summer flowers in the conservatory

under the glass ceiling.  The fragrance from the flowers

could be smelled even before entering the room. 

The flowers were so beautiful – the lilies and roses were very fragrant, and seem to invite visitors in to enjoy the flowers.  Many of the flowers seemed to be so large for their type – particularly the lilies and hibiscus.

This hibiscus was at least 5-6″ wide. 

The plant was covered with beautiful flowers

just like this one.

Ate cool dishes (rather than hot ones)

Even though it hasn’t been particularly hot recently, one of the best ways to stay cool during the summer is by eating “lighter” or “cooler” dishes.  Making salads with fresh, organic vegetables from the garden is one of my favorite ways to cook on hot days. 

Below is a recipe that I made this week that we all enjoyed (except Olivia who doesn’t like spicy food).  It is from Ross Turnbull, Executive Chef at the Princeville Resort (on the island of Kauai in Hawaii).  It isn’t a salad, but it reminded me of a place that gets hot (Hawaii) and the lighter, “cooler” fare they serve during the hot months.

Pineapple Salsa.

Pineapple Salsa

Ingredients

2 Cups diced fresh Maui gold pineapple
1/2 Cup fine diced red bell pepper
1/2 Cup fine diced red onion
1/2 Cup fine sliced scallions
Pinch fine chopped habanero pepper
2 Tbsp fresh chopped cilantro
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1 Tsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 Tsp fresh chopped mint leaves
Hawaiian sea salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a plastic bowl and allow to marinate one hour before serving.

Drink lots of water and fresh lemonade to stay hydrated

I’ve made quite a few beverages during the past week – all with lemon in them:  honey gingered lemonade; cranberry lemonade; watermelon lemonade; and rhubarb strawberry slush. 

Out of the beverages, the favorite one was rhubarb strawberry slush that used rhubarb from the garden and strawberries that we picked at a local berry patch. 

Below is a picture and recipe for the Rhubarb Strawberry Slush that we enjoyed. What I like about this is that the frozen rhubarb-strawberry juice can be frozen and used anytime throughout the summer – particularly the very hot days when a refreshing beverage would be needed.

Photo source

Rhubarb Strawberry Slush

(Taste of Home magazine)

Makes 22 Servings/Prep: 40 minutes + freezing

Ingredients

8 cups diced fresh or frozen rhubarb
1 package (16 ounces) frozen unsweetened strawberries
3 cups sugar
8 cups water
1 package (3 ounces) strawberry gelatin
1/2 cup lemon juice
11 cups ginger ale, chilled
Rhubarb curls, optional

Directions

In a Dutch oven, bring the rhubarb, strawberries, sugar,and water to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5-8 minutes or until rhubarb is tender. Press through a sieve; discard pulp. Stir in gelatin and lemon juice until dissolved. Transfer to a freezer container and freeze, stirring occasionally, until firm. May be frozen for up to 3 months.

Note: I froze the liquid in a 9″x13″ pan.  After it froze, I took it out of the freezer and let it thaw a bit.  Then,  I cut it into 24 pieces.  Next, I placed the pieces onto a cookie sheet and re-freeze.  At this point, they were placed into plastic bags and kept in the freezer to use for individual servings.

To use frozen rhubarb mixture: In a punch bowl or several pitchers, combine equal amounts of rhubarb mixture and ginger ale. Or for one serving, combine 1/2 cup rhubarb mixture and 1/2 cup ginger ale in a glass. Garnish with rhubarb curls if desired. Serve immediately. Yield: 22 servings (1 cup each).

Note: If using frozen rhubarb, measure rhubarb while still frozen, then thaw completely. Drain in a colander, but do not press liquid out.

Set up a birdbath

Birds enjoy taking a quick dip on a warm day just as children do.  Either use a birdbath that’s available at a local store or make your own by inverting a garbage can lid in a base of flat stones or bricks.  Fill it with some water and a few small rocks (for a landing place).

The birdbath is near a birdfeeder (with seed) and hummingbird feeder.

There’s a bird drinking water from the birdbath, and

a robin in the background in the flower garden (it has a small pond in it).

The birdbath is near the hummingbird feeder and birdhouse that the wrens are using, so we can watch and hear the birds.  The baby wrens were born within the past couple of weeks, and both wren parents are flying back and forth non-stop to find tiny insects and worms to feed the babies. 

Now it’s your turn!  What are some ways that your family stays cool during the summer?

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Simple Woman’s Daybook

FOR TODAY

Outside my window…it’s still dark.  However, the first hint of morning is showing to the east where the sky is a lighter shade of indigo.

I am thinking…about the male goldfinch who kept trying to get into the house yesterday.  He kept flying to and grabbing onto the ledges by the living room and kitchen, and visited the family room and dining room windows as well.  The cats were fascinated by this bird who seemed equally as interested in them.  Wonder if he’ll be back today.

I am thankful…that a respite worker is coming today for three hours. I need to have a few hours to get some things done; and I like knowing that Sophia and Olivia are having fun with Mary.  She’s taught them how to play croquet; and they enjoy playing board games and being outside with her.

From the learning rooms…the girls are getting ready for the county fair and showing some projects they’ve been doing for 4-H.  They’re also practicing their demonstrations (this will be the first year for both of them). Went to the zoo the other day and learned a lot about different animals and Japanese gardens/tea ceremonies (the zoo has a conseratory and Japanese garden which are both beautiful).

In the kitchen…we’re going to be making fresh strawberry pie on Saturday which we’re excited about.  Fresh strawberries are finally ready to be picked.  Making a few salads this week using lettuce and herbs from the garden; and trying some more beverages using fresh seasonal fruit (rhubarb and strawberries) combined with homemade lemonade.

I am wearing…a hooded sweatshirt and pajama shorts.  It’s still early morning and no one is awake yet…except some of the cats.  The dogs went back to bed after going outside and having breakfast.

I am creating…a window star for a customer later on today.  Have been helping Sophia and Olivia with embroidery projects.  This year I haven’t done as much embroidery and quilting as I did last year.  I want to start doing that again.

I am going…to the grocery store today to get some ingredients for food I’ll be making for friends and family who will be visiting during the upcoming week.  Have 3 visits scheduled for the next week – two of which are with people I haven’t seen for a long time.  Saw a friend who I’ve known since the late-1980s on Monday.  It’s been nice re-connecting with people again.  Seems like a lot of time has been focused on caregiving and homeschooling recently.

I am wondering…how I’m going to get the yard and gardens looking more presentable before Saturday’s guests and Monday’s 4-H club tour (with one of the stops here).  Between cleaning the house and the rain, I haven’t had as much time as I’d hoped to work on the gardens. 

I am reading…Another Place at the Table – A Story of Shattered Childhoods Redeemed by Love by Kathy Harrison which is an incredibly good book about a woman who was a foster parent to more than one hundred children.  Read 14 chapters yesterday morning…couldn’t put the book down.  Will be starting another book this morning – All That Matters by Jan Goldstein.

I am hoping…that my back pain goes away today…or at least diminishes a bit.   

I am looking forward to…looking at pictures I took earlier this week.  I enjoy looking at pictures and remembering what I saw or experienced. 

I am hearing…Gretel (the dog) taking a deep breath. The fan. Quiet. Complete peacefulness. Birds singing outside…the wren already singing away at 5:20 a.m.

Around the house…everything is off the carpeted floors since I spent the majority of yesterday vacuuming all the floors and then deep-cleaning them with the carpet cleaner.  They look so much better this morning.  Almost don’t want to put anything back down.

I am pondering…the impact that Alzheimer’s has had on my dad over the past year.  I looked at some pictures yesterday from last summer and it’s amazing the effect the disease has had on him in just one year.  I am so thankful that he still knew who I was on Father’s Day…but there were some times when he looked at me with blank stares (which I’ve never seen him do until Sunday) that were quite sobering and sad.

One of my favorite things…watching the wildlife here.  Enjoyed watching the goldfinish yesterday; listening to the baby wrens chirp whenever one of the parent wrens brings in food; seeing the woodpecker at the hummingbird feeder; watching a robin take a bath in a big puddle in the driveway; and seeing a huge rabbit jump in the backyard and hop to the hostas under the apple tree.

A few plans for the rest of the week…getting ready for guests on Saturday, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday (each day are different people/groups of people).  Going to an event that celebrates summer at a local historical museum.

Here is picture for thought I am sharing…of one of the peonies that are blooming.  These are ones that have been here for well over 15 years.  The Chinese peonies (that I planted a few years ago) just started blooming this year.  They’re a beautiful shade of red with yellow centers.

To see other people who are participating in the Simple Woman’s Daybook during June, please click HERE.

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Spring Bird Study – Outdoor Hour Challenge Spring Series #3

This week we focused on the Outdoor Hour Challenge Spring Series #3: Spring Bird Study that is at the Handbook of Nature Study website.

Throughout this post, three different typefaces are used:
– Bold – are words from the Handbook of Nature Study website.
– Italics – are words from the book titled Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Botsford Comstock.
– Regular – are my own words.

Inside Preparation Work:


As part of our spring nature study this week, we will prepare by learning about some familiar bird songs. Read about the “Songs of Birds” in the Handbook of Nature Study on pages 42 and 43.


The following exerpts are from the Handbook of Nature Study (the book) that I found interesting and shared with the girls:

In most cases only the male bird sings, but a few exceptions are recorded…the female rose-breasted grosbeak and cardinal grosbeak, which sing under some conditions.

Birds do most of their singing in the early morning and during the spring and early summer months.

Some ornithologists have developed complicated systems of recording bird songs as musical scores.  Wilson Flagg and F.S. Mathews are well-known names in this field.  Such a method has its limitations because many variations of bird songs cannot be indicated by the characters used in writing music.

The song of the warbling flycatcher.

A Year with the Birds by Wilson Flagg

The song of the green warbler.

A Year with the Birds by Wilson Flagg

The song of a bird written as music is not usually recognizable when played on a musical instrument.

Here is a link to a page that will help you learn about to listen to and then identify birds by their calls:  Songs and Calls.  This link has wonderful examples of bird songs divided by rhythm, pitch, tone, and repetition.

It also has a spectrogram which visually illustrates bird songs.  There were a few birds of particular interest because we have quite a few that visit our yard regularly: American goldfinch, house wren, rose-breasted grosbeak, black-capped chickadee, and cardinal.  As we listened to the spectrogram for each of these birds, we read the description about the songs:

“The American goldfinch’s long, varied song lets you see how lots of different sounds look when they’re translated into a spectrogram.”

American goldfinch that was being banded

at a local nature center.

Sophia, Olivia, and I were able to watch how this was done.

“The cardinal’s song is a series of sweet, slurred whistles. Watch the curving lines on the graph as you listen to the pitch changing.”

Olivia thought it was “neat” and Sophia thought it was “interesting.”

Brainstorm a list of birds you know that live in your area. Pick two or three to research on the All About Birds website. Look up each bird and listen to their bird songs. Challenge your children to imitate the bird song and to listen for it when they go outside.

The girls came up with the following list of birds that they know live in our area:

– Goldfinish
– Cardinal
– Catbird
– Brown-headed cowbird
– Red-Winged Blackbird
– Pheasant
– Nuthatch
– Blue Jay
– House Finch
– Mourning Doves
– Sparrow
– Wren

Olivia picked these birds that she was interested in hearing their songs: brown-headed cowbird and red-winged blackbird.  Initially, she thought the cowbird sounded a lot like the red-winged blackbird.  Then we she heard the blackbird she was able to distinguish it from the cowbird since it sounded more “squeaky” and “high-pitched.”

Sophia picked the following birds that she wanted to listen to their songs: pheasant and house wren. We hear both of these birds regularly in the yard and pasture; and hear them on our nature walk for the Spring Bird Study.

Male Rose-Breasted Grosbeak that was at

one of our feeders.  The grosbeaks have a beautiful song.

Outdoor Hour Time:


Spend your 10-15 minutes of outdoor time this week looking and listening for birds. You might try going out several times during the week at different times of day to listen and observe.


This will be a week you can work on a few minutes of quiet time while you are in your backyard or local park. Remind your children that if they are quiet even for one minute they might hear a bird or other animal. One minute can see like a lifetime for young ones so use your good judgment on this activity.

Sophia and Olivia making marks in their nature journals

every time they hear a bird song.

We spent time outside in our backyard since there is a variety of birds that regularly visit us each day.  We walked to and then stood in different locations (e.g., deck, by the apple tree, by the pine trees in the backyard, and several places on the nature trail). 

Olivia walking out on the nature trail

to listen to birds.

One of the things Olivia mentioned was that she heard so many birds singing all at the same time.  One would start and then another and another.  “I couldn’t tell the old birds from the new birds.”  It did sound like – a constant symphony of birds singing and calling to one another. 

This bird kept singing while

we were on the nature trail

As we listened to the birds, there were some that were easily recognizable and we knew their songs and calls:  red-winged blackbird, mourning dove, house wren, American goldfinch, and pheasant.  However, for the majority of the bird songs and calls we were hearing, we couldn’t identify which bird was making the sound.

It would be nice to have someone skilled in identifying bird songs to come here and listen to the birds with us and say, “Oh…that song is from the purple finch.  That one is from the blue jay.”

Follow-Up Activity:


Take a few minutes to follow-up on any interest that came from your outdoor time even if your children were interested in something other than birds.

We were noticing that a lot of milkweed is starting to grow now throughout the nature trail area and backyard.  I flipped over a milkweed leaf and saw a tiny yellow ball.  The girls and I are hoping that it is an egg.  So, we brought the leaf in and it is in the butterfly observation holder. 

We’re hoping that this is a monarch egg

that’s on the underside of a milkweed plant.

We also were happy with the gentle rain that fell the night/early morning before our nature walk.  Temperatures had reached over 100 degrees during the week, and there had been no rain recently.  Having rain – without the thunder/lightening and hail – was a welcome sight and sound.

Rain drops on one of the irises

in the morning.

Review the bird songs you learned and practiced during your preparation work. If you saw an unfamiliar bird, try to identify it using a field guide. Learn more about identifying birds here on this page: Bird Identification Skills.  If you do not have a field guide, you can try this online bird site to help identify birds: WhatBird? And this website for additional information as well: AllAboutBirds.

We tried to identify the bird above since it was pretty far away from us and we didn’t have binoculars with us.  It had a small crest on its head which seemed more pronounced when it sang.  When we came back indoors, Sophia looked at the Minnesota bird book and found one that looked similar to what we saw:  Tufted Titmouse.  The name means “Small Bird,” and comes from Scandinavian and Old English words.

However, looking at more pictures of this bird on the internet, led us to believe it may be another bird (perhaps the feathers on the bird’s head just moved so they looked like a crest when it sang).  Looking at the picture of the bird we saw, we noticed it had a spotted chest and was more brown in color.  Looking athe Minnesota bird book again, we found the female rose-breasted grosbeak which looks just like the one we saw.


Don’t forget to look up any birds you identify in the Handbook of Nature Study and see how Anna Botsford Comstock suggests you learn more about that particular bird by reading the narrative and the accompanying lesson.


Allow time for a nature journal entry.  You can print the pages from a coloring book, complete them, and then adhere them into your nature journal or you can use the black line drawings as a guide to sketching your bird directly onto your journal page.

After the walk, the girls worked a bit on their nature journals.  They wrote the names of some of the birds they heard and recognized and counted the number of songs they heard.  Sophia wrote a brief description of the walk and what the day was like (e.g., cool, cloudy).

Looking to the southwest from the nature trail.

Other Activities

I ordered a book from the library that should arrive soon.  It’s called The Music of Wild Birds: An Illustrated, Annotated, and Opinionated Guide to Fifty Birds and Their Songs by: F. Schuyler Mathews and illustrated by Judy Pelikan.  Mr. Mathews was referenced in the Handbook of Nature Study.

What intrigued me about this book is that the description said, “As Mathews points out, the music of wild birds is everywhere – in poems, children’s nursery songs, as well as in the works of the great composers: the Black-billed Cuckoo’s call appears near the close of Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony; the Nashville Warbler’s song is found in the opening bars of Rossini’s Carovale, and the Meadowlark’s song is remarkably like the first two bars of Alfredo’s song in La Traviata.

“He reveals how a bird’s character is reflected in its song: the Baltimore Oriole is a sharp-billed, sharp-witted character, and his remarks are as incisive and crisp as the toots of a steam whistle. And he reminds us of the words of our great poets – Wordsworth, Emerson, Sir Walter Scott – and their descriptions of the very same birds and their music.”

A black-capped chickadee at the feeder.

We hear the chickadee singing almost every day.

Found this poem about a bird that’s commonly seen around here throughout the year: the black-capped chickadee.  It’s called The Snow-Bird’s Song Poem and it’s by F.C. Woodworth.  The girls both liked the poem…especially the part about the stockings, shoes, and little frock:

The ground was all covered with snow one day,
And two little sisters were busy at play,
When a snow-bird was sitting close by on a tree,
And merrily singing his chick-a-dee-dee,
Chick-a-dee-dee, chick-a-dee-dee,
And merrily singing his chick-a-dee-dee.

He had not been singing that tune very long,
Ere Emily heard him, so loud was his song;
“Oh, sister, look out of the window,” said she,
“Here’s a dear little bird singing chick-a-dee-dee.
Chick-a-dee-dee, chick-a-dee-dee,
Here’s a dear little bird singing chick-a-dee-dee.

“Oh, mother, do get him some stockings and shoes,
And a nice little frock, and a hat if you choose;
I wish he’d come into the parlor, and see
How warm we would make him, poor chick-a-dee-dee!
Chick-a-dee-dee, chick-a-dee-dee,
How warm we would make him, poor chick-a-dee-dee!”

“There is One, my dear child, though I cannot tell who,
Has clothed me already, and warm enough too.
Good morning! Oh, who are so happy as we?”
And away he went singing his chick-a-dee-dee.
Chick-a-dee-dee, chick-a-dee-dee,
And away he went singing his chick-a-dee-dee.

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I is for Investigation – ABCs of Homeschooling

On 5 Kids and a Dog, there’s a series called the ABCs of Homeschooling.  This week’s letter is “I.” 

 ….is for Investigation. 

When I think of homeschooling, a lot of what the girls and I do relates to investigation.  Every day there are many ways to learn through investigation.  Below are some pictures of how the girls learn by investigating.

Investigating the Environment

Sophia and Olivia exploring the pond.

The  girls enjoy exploring the pond, pastures, and nature trail on an almost daily basis.  Seeing a variety of birds, toads, and frogs – sometimes ones we’ve never seen before – leads us to identification guides to help us figure out what we’ve seen. 

We use the Handbook of Nature Study (both the book as well as the blog that offers Outdoor Hour Challenges) which has been a highlight of learning about the environment.

Investigating New Ideas through Reading

Reading outdoors in the early fall.

A key part of homeschooling is reading, and the main curriculum that I use (Sonlight) offers a wealth of high quality, “living” books that cover history, geography, literature/reading, and science.  We make at least one trip to the library per week, sometimes as often as two or three times, to check out new books as well as books on CD. 

Reading aloud, listening to audio books, and reading independently happens on a daily basis.

Investigating Wildlife and Anatomy

Sophia examining parts of a skull
using a disposable fork and ruler
(having more “scientific” equipment would be nice).

Living in the country provides many opportunities to discover living wildlife – eagles, hawks, foxes, minks, deer, pheasants, and owls.  By traveling to different parts of the state and country, we also have seen birds and wildlife that we normally would not see here which is exciting.

We also have seen plenty of wildlife that no longer is living.  Going on walks with the dogs has provided close-up views with some animals that walked too close to the road. 

Sometimes, after winter, an animal’s bones remain in the ditch.  Although this is kind of gross, I have used plastic bags to pick up the bones and lots of bleach to clean them.  In that way, the girls have been able to learn about the anatomy of different animals (like a coyote, for example) – something they would, at best, only be able to read about if they didn’t live where they do.

Investigating the World Through Geography Lessons and Travel

Olivia balancing on a rock in
Grand Marais, Minnesota.

A major part of homeschooling is learning about the world.  We are wrapping up a multi-year ABC journey around the world where the girls learned about a different country for each letter of the alphabet (with the exception of “X” since there is no country that begins with that letter).  Starting this fall, we will be starting with a multi-year study about each of the 50 states which we’re very excited to do! 

Traveling – within the state, throughout the country, and to foreign countries – plays an important part in homeschooling.  Learning about different cultures and ways of life; different types of land; and food all help the girls appreciate the world they live in.

Investigating Math and its Connection to the Natural World

Sophia measuring the length of a worm.

Learning math facts is one thing…but when the girls can apply math skills that they’ve learned to real life, the facts and skills make even more sense.  The girls enjoy measuring things – for example, how long something is (like the worm shown above), the distance between an animal’s tracks, or how deep a woodpecker’s hole in the tree is (see the photo below). 

Sophia measuring the depth of a hole
made by a woodpecker.



Investigating Science and How Things Work

Learning about electricity and circuits;
and getting a lightbulb to work.

Both the girls enjoy science and doing experiments.  When I was in elementary school, I don’t remember doing many science experiments.  In junior high, I recall dissection lessons (worm and frog) and using bunsen burners.  In senior high, there were limited experiments as well. 

It’s too bad because the highlights for science for the girls (and me) have been the hands-on experiments we’ve done which have enhanced the lessons and reading materials.  For topics that were a bit more challenging (e.g., electricity), doing the experiments made all the difference for the girls in terms of comprehension and retention.

Investigating History and Cultures

Sophia and Olivia taking a look at a mummy
when studying about Egyptian history and culture.

From the start of homeschooling the girls when they were Kindergarten, history has been a fascinating subject for them.  A few years ago, we read the entire American Girl series and Little House series (both which focus on American History).  When we began using the Sonlight curriculum, the girls were introduced to world history. 

Sophia has moved onto learning about American History at a much deeper and broader level than she did when she was younger.  She will continue with American History next year before learning more about ancient cultures and world history.

We covered some of the ancient cultures when the girls were much younger.  Learning about Egypt and the ancient Egyptians was very interesting for us all.

Investigating Music and Creative Expression

Sophia playing a wrench xylophone
at the Minnesota History Center.

Music has played a central part of homeschooling.  In the early years, music was focused on listening to CDs of various types of music by a variety of artists.  The girls also enjoyed playing child-size percussion instruments at home, and large-scale instruments or unique instruments (like the wrench xylophone pictured above) in public.

Currently, the girls are both taking piano lessons, and Sophia is starting to learn to play the harp.  Olivia wants to play the guitar or the piccolo (though she has to learn how to play the flute first).  In addition to playing instruments, the girls also sing in a children’s choir and perform at least once a month during the school year.

Olivia painting a tree with a paintbrush

and her handprints.



Creative expression is also done through painting, drawing, coloring, handiwork, pottery, ceramics, and sewing.  Having ways to express oneself through the arts is as critical of a component to homeschooling for us, as is any core subject (e.g., math, reading, science). 

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Ideas for Kid-Friendly Summer Activities + Link Up Your Kid-Friendly Summer Activities!

Welcome to the first of our Fun in the Summer Fun event! Each Monday until September 7th
Mama to 4 Blessings along with Harvest Moon by Hand,
Adventures of Mommydom, Sweet Diva, and Sweet Phenomena
will be hosting Fun in the Summer Fun link up events.

Here’s the line up:

The 1st Monday of each month: link up your “Kid-friendly summer activities”

The 2nd Monday of each month: link up your “Kid-friendly summer crafts”

The 3rd Monday of each month: link up your “Kid-friendly summer recipes”

The 4th Monday of each month: link up your “How to stay cool in the summer heat”

Here are Harvest Moon by Hand’s
“Kid-friendly Summer Activities”

This week, the girls and I did some fun activities as a kick-off to summer.  Since we homeschool year-round, many of these activities tie into different academic subjects – like math, science, health, physical education, and reading. 

Make a Summer Activity Bag

Before we get started with any outdoor activities, I wanted to make a Summer Activity Bag that would have things that would make our time outside more enjoyable.  The idea came from a past issue of Family Circle.

I picked a bag that we weren’t using.  It’s one that I got from a craft fair several years ago; and it’s made from a felted sweater (a great way to reuse).  

Summer Activity Bag.

The girls and I collected the following items from around the home for the bag:   
– bug spray (handmade using a combination of essential oils from Wyndmere Naturals and water),
– all-natural bug lotion (no chemicals that are harmful to people or the environment),
– sunscreen (Burt’s Bees makes one that is chemical-free),
– anti-itch cream,
– bandaids,
– antiseptic wipes,
– insect after-bite care,
– lotion, and
– ice-cream or special treat money.

In another water-proof bag, I put swimming-related items:
– spare flip flops
– towels
– swimsuits
– small broom, and
– baby powder.
The broom and baby powder are great for getting sand off feet and bodies. 

By putting together these bags, we can simply grab them on our way out the door and have everything we need for spur-of-the-moment fun. 

Start a Change Jar

We started collecting change in a jar on the first day of June.  On the last day of summer, we’re going to estimate it, count it, and then plan a special purchase.  (Hopefully there will be lots of quarters…and significantly fewer pennies!)

The jar is simply a clean salsa jar.  I spray-painted the lid green, and added a hand-written label with the words “Spare Change.”

Jar to collect change during the summer.

At the end, we can do something fun

with the money saved.

Create a Retreat or Fort

The July/August 2007 issue of Country Home had a picture of a hideaway in a forest of pine trees. 

Summer hideaway.

Photo from Country Home.

As you can see from the picture, red and white fabric was hung between the trees, and the ground had a variety of red and white throw rugs.  There were pillows, low chairs, and a table with a picnic set atop.  The girls thought this looked like such a fun idea, and they wanted to make something like that here.

Country Home explained, “To make a hideaway, either choose a location that has trees, use canopy poles…” or use an existing structure with at least three or four sides.  “Tie clothesline around the trees, and hang fabrics (e.g., blankets, quilts, tablecloths) on all sides using curtain clips or clothespins.” 

The pine trees in the backyard have boughs that almost touch the ground.  So, we decided to use the arbor instead since it isn’t being used for anything else. 

Arbor that we thought

would make a good fort/retreat.

We have the volleyball/badminton net set up

next to it…hopefully the ball or birdie

stays in the right area.

As much as I would have liked to go to the fabric store and purchase nicely-coordinated fabrics and curtain clips, I thought a more important lesson for the girls was to learn to make do and be resourceful with what you have on hand. 

So, I went through my fabric and found some rather large pieces – all in the blue/green/purple color range.  Rather than using clothesline that we didn’t have on hand, we used twine since that was an item that we had a surplus of (thanks to bales of hay).

Sophia attaching two pieces of fabric

together with clothespins.

With a large piece of soft flannel, I made four pillows for the girls stuffed with wool from sheep I raised many years ago.  With the leftover fabric, I made a matching ground cloth/tablecloth for picnics, reading, or relaxing outside.

The girls wanted to use the pillows and ground cloth I made

as soon as I brought it out. 

When the pillows and ground cloth aren’t being used,

I put them in a bin that can be left outdoors. 

This will protect them from the rain and sun.

Of course, once we had the hideaway set up, we had to do something fun…like have a an ice cream treat on an 82 degree evening. 

The girls enjoying their ice cream treats on a hot evening

in their new hideaway.

When it’s cooler outside, the girls thought of some other things we could do in the hideaway:  have a picnic, play a game of cards, or read a story.

Hang Up a Hummingbird Feeder

We enjoy watching the hummingbirds that visit us; and providing food for them is a wonderful way to observe them up close and for longer periods of time.  According the May 2007 issue of Family Fun, “With wings that beat up to 80 times per second, these little birds literally buzz about searching for nectar.” 

Hummingbird in flight at the feeder

that we put up in the backyard.

Although there is pre-packaged hummingbird food (which I choose to use at least for a few times at the beginning of the season), you also can make your own by stirring 1 part of white cane sugar into 4 parts of water.  If the hummingbird feeder has red on it, there’s no need to add red dye to the water-sugar mixture. 

Go on a “Mystery Trip”

My parents use to coordinate “Mystery Trips” with a senior group to which they belonged. About a month before the Mystery Trip, they would go on a drive to explore different sites that they thought the seniors would enjoy. 

I thought this would be a fun idea to do with the girls, except I don’t have the luxury of going (without the girls) a month ahead of time to plan a trip.  So, I told them on a Saturday morning that they had a half hour to get ready because we were going on a “Mystery Trip.”

“A Mystery Trip? What’s a Mystery Trip?” Olivia asked.

“It’s like a surprise…I know where we’re going, but you don’t.”

“That sounds like fun!  Do I need to bring my swimsuit?” she asked.

And so began the many questions from the girls:  Have I been there before? Is it far away? What should I wear? Do I need to bring some money? And so on.

The first stop was at a bakery that we use to go to periodically.  It reminded me of times when I was growing up and taking a walk to the bakery a few blocks away on a Saturday morning.  It was always such a treat to pick out something special for breakfast. 

First stop on the Mystery Trip:  the bakery.

The girls enjoyed a treat for breakfast.

After that, we did a few errands (living 14 miles away from the closest town makes it necessary to group errands and activities together).  Then, we began driving on a road that we normally don’t go on. 

“Where are we going?” Olivia asked. 

“To the next surprise,” I answered.

“Is it far from here?” Sophia asked. “Have I been there before?”

“Maybe…maybe not. And, yes, you went here many years ago,” I said. 

They had no idea where they were going.  Even pulling into the Wildlife Science Center for their annual Canine Carnvial didn’t immediately bring back any memories since the girls were only about 3 and 5 years old at the time (they are 8 and 10 years old now). 

By the time we walked in, however, parts of the previous visit did come back to them.  “Oh!  I remember this!” Sophia said.

The girls examined pelts from different animals

including this wolf as well as a black bear, and mountain lion.

However, it was what they saw at this visit that interested them even more:  a spotted skunk (who was descented), a fox, gopher snakes, wolves, wolf pup, coyotes, bear cubs, red-tailed hawk, and screech owl. 

The girls were able to observe the animals up close,

and the animals watched them closely as well.

They enjoyed watching the Minnesota Search and Rescue’s dogs go through an obstacle course; and met one of the dogs named Olive. 

Olivia picked Olive’s information card (kind of like a baseball trading card), and thought she recognized her as one of the dogs at the event. She asked the handler if his dog was Olive.  Sure enough, she was Olive.  Needless to say, Olivia was very happy to be able to pet the dog on her trading card.

One of the Minnesota Search and Rescue dogs going

through the obstacle course.

The girls learned some new facts about wolves.  One they they learned was that wolves are inefficient hunters (thus, being part of a group is a good thing, even though they have to share their food).  On the average, a wolf catches only 6 in 100 deer.  Not a high success rate.

Five week old wolf pup at the Wildlife Science Center.

It was very playful…and

looked like it had incredibly sharp teeth.

The girls both had a lot of fun, and got to see some wild animals they normally wouldn’t encounter on a daily basis.  It was interesting to see the screech owl and red-tailed hawk at such a close distance.  Normally we see them flying overhead or perched somewhere. 

So, to be able to see the patterns and colors of the feathers; to have the owl follow the girls as they moved slowly around it, and to see their size up close rather than seeing them in the distance or in a picture in a book…it was a real treat for us all.

A screech owl. 

It weighs about as much as a stick of butter.

Doing a monthly “Mystery Trip” to some place within a 50 mile radius of home would be fun to do.  Next time I’m going to add a few more surprise destinations within the trip and stretch it out a bit more.
 

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Frogs and Toads

The girls and I have been seeing a lot more frogs and toads up close recently when we’ve been doing our nature walks and working in the flower garden. 

It’s been interesting to see a variety of frogs and toads, and to compare pictures I’ve taken with those on the internet to determine the type of amphibian we saw.

Olivia showing the Wood Frog that she and Sophia captured.

Sophia’s taking a look at the flower garden

that we were working on.

The girls were excited to be able to observe the Wood Frog up close and create a temporary home for it in the wire and wood carrier. 

Wood Frog that the girls captured and released.

In the evening earlier this week, we were working in the flower garden.  All of a sudden there was movement to the right of where we were working.  Looked closer and there was an American Toad trying to blend in with the stone.

American Toad found in the flower garden.

The American Toad is easily recognizable by the line going down its back. It will be near ponds and water in early spring, but then spends the rest of the season in drier areas.  They hibernate by burrowing backwards into the ground, and do so with other American Toads.  They spend the winter several feet below the ground.

Another amphibian that we saw while we were on a nature walk was the Northern Leopard Frog. This one was rather large compared to other frogs that we’ve seen here.  It also jumped pretty high which was startling…especially when leaning in to get a closer picture.

Northern Leopard Frog by the edge of the pond.

We’re going to continue to look for more frogs and toads here, and hopefully be able to add some different names to the list throughout the summer.

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52 Weeks of Giving – Week 19 – Ducks Unlimited

This week has been rather challenging in terms of time.  Olivia is now going to the local elementary school for 1 1/2 hours-2 1/2 hours per day three times per week to help address a couple of learning disabilities she has that were recently diagnosed and that are making reading and spelling more challenging.

Olivia also had an orthodontist appointment this week in preparation for getting braces next week.  She has a crossbite that must be fixed, and now is time to do this.  It’s about a four-month process, and the one part she’s looking forward to is getting to pick out the wire color each week when the braces are adjusted.

In addition to these additional appointments during the past week, I was at my parents’ home (the girls’ grandparents) for almost a full day on Thursday.  My parents were having volunteers from Keller Williams help them as part of RED Day.

Given the time crunch, we chose this week to support Ducks Unlimited.  I made a donation on behalf of the girls so they could become “Junior Greenwings” (younger Ducks Unlimited members). 

By joining Ducks Unlimited, Junior Greenwings participate in the conservation, restoration, and management of wetlands and associated habitats for North America’s waterfowl. These habitats also benefit other wildlife and people.

According to the Ducks Unlimited website, “there are more than 60,000 young people who love the outdoors and care about protecting wetlands across North America.” 

In addition, the organization “…is the world’s leader in wetlands and waterfowl conservation.  DU got its start in 1937 during the Dust Bowl when North America’s drought-plagued waterfowl populations had plunged to unprecedented lows.  Determined not to idly by as the continent’s waterfowl dwindled beyong recovery, a small group of sportsmen joined together together to form an organization that became known as Ducks Unlimited.  It’s mission:  habitat conservation.”   

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Outdoor Hour Challenge Spring Series #2 Weather Observations

This week was a good one to do the Outdoor Hour Challenge’s Spring Series #2 Spring Weather Observation since there has been a variety of weather:  warm (in the 60s) and cold (in the 30s); rainy, snowy, and no precipitation; and windy and calm. 

As with other posts:

Bold Typeface – is from the Handbook of Nature Study website where the Outdoor Hour Challenges are found.
Italic Typeface – is used for quotes from The Handbook of Nature Study book.
Regular Typeface – reflects my words.

Inside Preparation Work:


Read pages 851-854 in the Handbook of Nature Study. This section is not exactly about weather, but it ties in nicely with some springtime observations of the sun and its path. You might like to construct the Shadow Stick (page 852 #13) and make observations over the next few weeks and months with your children.

We ended up not doing this because for the majority of the week the weather has not been sunny.  However, it does sound like it would be interesting to do, so we will revisit making a shadow stick during the summer when there are more sunny days.

At the very least, look up your sunrise and sunset times to calculate how much daylight you have now that it is spring in your area.

There’s an interesting website that will create calendars with different information that you want that relates to the times of sunrises, sunsets, moonrises, and moonsets as well as other items that you can select for a personal calendar.  We found it interesting to compare the length of daylight and how much it had increased over a period of one month (1 hour and 27 minutes for our town). 

Look in the section “The Relations of the Sun to the Earth” for this week’s reading.

Outdoor Hour Time:


Your Outdoor Hour time this week can be spent making observations about the weather. Enjoy whatever spring weather you are currently experiencing and spend 15 minutes outside looking at the sky, clouds, wind in the trees, dew on the grass, mud puddles after a rain, or whatever else you can experience in your part of the world.

Bailey (the pony) joined Sophia, Olivia, and I

on our nature walk this week.

A few things that we observed on our nature walk that didn’t relate to weather or clouds were: (1) a robin sitting on her nest; (2) male and female pussy willow plants growing near the pond; and (3) perennials growing in the garden.

A robin sitting in her nest in the oak tree.

I was able to see her build part of her nest

when I was on another nature walk.

The other thing we noticed is that the male pussy willows have moved from the catkin to the pollen stage, and now onto yet another stage. 

Male pussy willow that has been through the

catkin and pollen stages. It’s in a third stage now.

In willow trees, male catkins grow on one tree, and different-looking female catkins grow on another.

Female pussy willow. 

The plant has more delicate leaves and

doesn’t produce the catkins (as does the male pussy willow).

According to the Naturalist’s Almanac, “When bees first start looking for food in the spring, they head straight for the willow trees because willows are among the earliest pollen and nectar producers. The hungry bees gather some pollen from the male trees and then visit the female trees for nectar. The bees pollinate the willows unwittingly while they themselves are gathering food.”

After we were done with the walk, we took a quick look at the garden to see how the perennials are coming along.  The rhubarb has grown quite a bit in a few days.

The rhubarb is growing quickly. 

The raspberries are growing leaves (both the cultivated domestic kind as well as the wild kind), the strawberries are coming up, and the catnip had plenty of leaves so the girls could both pick some of it for the cats to enjoy.

Olivia picking catnip for the cats to enjoy (which they did!).

Suggested Observations


Have your children describe any clouds they see in the sky.

These clouds were moving in from the west.  The girls described the clouds as “white” and “fluffy.”  They noticed that the entire sky was not covered, and that the blue sky was showing (quite a change from the morning sky which was completely overcast, gray, and very dismal as it rained heavily for most of the day).

A bright sky and bright, white clouds

moving over the farm from the west.

Notice how hard the wind is blowing by how things are moving: leaves rustling, trees bending, etc.

There were little ripples in the pond, but the trees were not moving much.  There have been much stronger (and scarier) winds here…this one was a pleasant, mild one.

There was a slight breeze, but it was warm enough

so the girls quickly took off their jackets.  

Notice the wind’s direction. Where is it coming from?

The girls faced in the direction that the wind was blowing, and determined it was coming from the south. 

The girls and Bailey are walking towards the

south part of the pasture.  Notice the puddles…there’s

quite a bit of standing water after a day of heavy rain.

Describe the temperature of the air and/or look it up on a thermometer.

It was 54 degrees around 4:15-4:30 p.m.  It was comfortable weather to be outside and do a nature study.  However, it was about 11 degrees colder than yesterday afternoon at about the same time.

54 degrees means no coats and

almost “shorts weather” in Minnesota.

Notice any precipitation that you may have this week: sprinkles, rain, mist, sleet, snow, fog, hail.

There’s been quite a bit of precipitation this week: sprinkles, rain, sleet, and snow.  The pond has fluctuated a bit with its depth and size, but seems to be of some depth which is nice.  There were two ducks swimming in the pond in the late-afternoon.  This is a special treat because the pond usually isn’t that deep for waterfowl to swim in – even at this time of the year.

The girls standing in one of the many puddles in the pasture. 

The water in the puddles is quite murky. It may be because

the grass hasn’t grown in much yet and

there’s quite a bit of dirt showing still.

As we were exploring the pond area, a sudden movement on the ground startled us.  We looked down to spot a frog.  It let us look at it for a rather long time before hopping off to the southwest pasture.

Northern Leopard Frog by the pond in pasture.

We were surprised at how large this frog is – many of the ones that we see here are rather small (an inch or two in length).  They can grow to be 2″-3.5″.

According to the Minnesota DNR site, “The leopard frog is called that because it is spotted, like a leopard. This was once the most widespread frog species in North America. But since the 1960s, its population here and throughout the United States has declined.”

The DNR site continues, “Minnesota’s leopard frog has been on a steady decline since the 1960s. Red-leg disease, pollution, pesticides and the loss of wetlands and other habitat are the main reasons. Leopard frogs are harvested for bait and for use in biology laboratories.”

If you made a Shadow Stick, make sure you spend one day marking the board every half hour from 9 AM to 3 PM. This experiment will need to be repeated again in June, September, and December if possible. (see page 852 #13)

We didn’t make a shadow stick because almost every day this week it seems like it has been either raining, sleeting, or a raining/snowing combination. We will make one to use in June, September, December, and March.

Follow-Up Activity:


Be sure to complete your Seasonal Weather notebook page. If you completed previous weather notebook pages, pull those out and compare the scenes you recorded in Autumn and/or Winter. Note that your days should be getting longer and any other differences you can find between the observations made in the past and now.

The girls and I each did an entry in our nature journals.  In addition to what is shown below, each journal will include at least a couple of photographs from today’s nature study to add a different visual element to the entry as well as bring back memories of the time spent outside together learning about nature.

Olivia’s nature journal.

Sophia’s nature journal.

Sophia also did a second page in her journal listing some of the things she saw and heard during her time outside. 

Sophia’s list of things she saw and heard.

Some of the 26 items on her list included: green grass, mushrooms, moss, a bird house, a baby pine tree,bird calls, the dogs, the sun, and chimes. 

My journal entry.

Extra Information on Clouds


If you observed any clouds, you might like to download this lesson plan and cloud identifier activity for your children. This is a handy tool to use in cloud identification.

A few minutes before we started to head indoors,

the sun began to shine and try to move from behind the clouds.

Another view of the clouds – a bit more

to the northwest than the previous picture.

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52 Weeks of Giving – Week 17 – Helping the Birds

This week for the 17th week of the 52 Weeks of Giving challenge, the girls helped the birds who are starting to build nests by creating nesting containers for them. 

Olivia making a bird nesting container.

Each of the girls filled a wire container normally used for bird suet with a variety of items:

– wool yarn cut into small pieces
– sheep wool
– horse hair

Sophia adding sheep wool to her bird nesting container.

They hung the nesting containers on two different trees near where birds made nests last year.  The wrens are starting to make their nests now, so hopefully we’ll see them visit the nesting containers and take some of the items in them. 

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Outdoor Hour Challenge – Spring Series #1: Year-Long Tree Study

For this week’s nature study, we focused on the Outdoor Hour Challenge’s Spring Series #1: Year-Long Tree Study – Spring Tree Observation.

(Please note:  for this post, bold-face type is from the Handbook of Nature study blog; type in italics is from the book “Handbook of Nature Study” by Anna Botsford Comstock; and words in plain type are my own.)

“Like a friend is a tree,

in that it needs to be known

season after season and year after year

in order to be truly appreciated.

A person who has not had

an intimate, friendly acquaintance with some special tree

has missed something from life.”

(Anna Botsford Comstock, A Study of a Tree)

Inside Preparation Work:


Read pages 625-626 in the Handbook of Nature Study: Spring Work. This part of Lesson 172 should give you lots of things to think about as you prepare for your spring tree study observations. If the tree you chose to study has a section in the Handbook of Nature Study (check the table of contents), you might want to read the lesson for your particular tree in preparation for your Outdoor Hour time as well.

The Handbook of Nature Study suggests measuring the height of your tree using a stick 3½ feet long and a measuring tape. See page 626 Lesson 172 #4 for details.

We did not measure the height of the trees since it was very windy and cold outside as well as overcast.  To measure the tree as explained in the book, the day should be sunny so that the ruler and tree both cast a shadow.

Outdoor Hour Time:


Now that spring has come, it is time to check on your tree from your Year-Long Tree Study. If you are just starting out with a tree study, pick a tree from your yard that you can watch through all four seasons. Spend 10-15 minutes of your outdoor time using the ideas from the Handbook of Nature Study to do some focused observations of your tree.


Simple Suggestions for Spring Tree Study:


Pick a tree in your yard or on your street and look for its new leaves and blossoms if appropriate.

Sophia picked a maple tree in the far south pasture (where the nature trail use to be).  This is tree that we planted many years ago.  When it was transplanted, it was no more than about 6 feet tall.  There were some buds, but it is still too early for leaves.

Sophia by the maple tree she’ll be studying for a year.

Olivia picked a white pine in the backyard.  This one was transplanted in the backyard around 1999-2000 at about 10-12 feet tall. 

Olivia by the white pine that she’ll be studying for the year.

Olivia’s pine had plenty of green needles. It was interesting that some of the tips of the needles were brown and the rest were green.  We didn’t see too many needles like these bi-colored ones.

White pine needles on Olivia’s tree.

I picked my favorite oak tree in the northwest pasture.  There are buds on the tree, but they are so high up that I couldn’t examine them.

My favorite oak tree in the pasture.

Is it just beginning to show leaves? Can you tell if your tree has all of its leaves yet?

None of the trees had leaves.  It’s still too early in the season.

Sophia’s tree had some buds on it.

Can you see any insects or birds in your tree?

We didn’t notice any insects or birds in Sophia’s or Olivia’s trees.  However, my tree had a robin building a nest.  The robin flew to a tree limb with a long piece of grass hanging from her beak. 

Robin with some grass for her nest in the oak tree.

She put it down in the nest, then hopped in the nest.  She would stand up, sit down, move a little, stand up, sit down, move a little, and so on.  Read in a book that birds do this to create the shape of the nest.

As a side note, in the book “Exploring Spring” by Sandra Markle, it said, “A male [robin] will stake out a claim as big as half an acre.  Then the proud landowner will patrol the perimeter of his territory, repeatedly stopping at selected perches to sing.” It suggested trying to observe one male on his regular rounds and seeing if you can map out that robin’s territory.

Collect a few leaves to use for leaf rubbings in your nature journal. You could also make a leaf bouquet.

We did bark rubbings directly on the tree instead of leaf rubbings. 

Olivia doing a bark rubbing of a white pine tree.

This is a bit challenging to do, and the rubbings didn’t quite turn out like we envisioned.  However, it made us notice the difference in bark on the same tree as well as how the bark differs between the types of trees (maple, white pine, and oak).

Compare two leaves from the same tree. Are they exactly alike?

We were unable to do this since the leaves aren’t on any of the trees.

Use your nature journal to record a sketch of the leaf and any blossoms.

We each will place a photograph of the buds or pine needles (depending on the type of tree each person had) in the nature journals rather than sketching them.  Olivia also taped some of the pine needles into her nature journal so she could touch them. 

How has the tree changed since autumn? Winter?

We just began the year-long tree study, so we haven’t explored each tree closely in autumn and winter.

Follow-Up Activity:


After your outdoor time, complete a nature journal entry using the notebook page. Photos of your tree are a good record in your nature journal as well.

The girls did the first page of their nature journal about their trees based on what they collected and observed.  At a later date (once the photographs are developed), they will do another page in their nature journals.

Sophia’s nature journal entry about the maple tree.

Olivia’s nature journal entry about the white pine tree.

My nature journal entry about the oak tree.

Another activity we did was suggested in the book “Exploring Spring” by Sandra Markle called “Surprise Package.”  The activity said, “…each spring bud is [a surprise package].  To find out what’s inside, pick a swelling bud rom a tree or bush and carefully open it. 

Tray of spring branches with buds…ready for dissection.

Sophia cutting open a bud with a knife.

Then use a pin to separate any tiny leaves you find inside.  How many leaves are there?  Compare this number with what you find inside a bud from a different tree or bush. 

Inside one bud, were these separate leaves/petals.

Don’t pick more than one bud from each plant, though.  These leaves are needed to produce food.”

While we were dissecting the buds, I cut some of the thin branches for the girls so they could see what they looked like on the inside. 

The inside of a twig.  It had a white, solid center

that was surrounded by a green layer. 

The bark encircled the green layer.

And…only because I read a few jokes to the girls and got the groans of “I-don’t-believe-you-just-told-that joke,” I felt like I needed to include a couple of them here.  These are all from the “Exploring Spring” book:

What bird is a thief? (A robin)
What bird is there every time you eat? (A swallow)
What flowers do all people have? (Tulips)

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