Our trip to the Nature Museum

For quite some time I'd been wanting to take the children up to the Nature Museum in Charlotte but the right time never seemed to "happen"...until last Saturday! Daddy finally agreed to take us and we were all excited! It is a nice little museum with a very neat Butterfly Pavillion. The children enjoyed all of it and have already asked me when we were going back...here are some pictures.

This owl was kinda scarey!!

Big sis is pointing out the butterflies.

A butterfly

In the beautiful Butterfly Pavillion.

This little guy was so cute!!!!

Some adorable chicks!

Checking out the bunnies.

The cutest bug I've ever seen!!!

This one too!!!!

They loved this little area...there were books...

need I say more?!

Nature Study

Once again we took to the outdoors to see what we could see. Last week Big Sister had said that she wanted to learn more about ants so that was our main focus for the day.

Sunday night while I should have been sleeping I got on the net and read the sections from the Handbook of Nature Study Book about ants. You know there's a lot to notice about those tiny things!!!

With my questions in mind I prepared Big Sister for our time. We got a basket and filled it with a magnifying glass, a jar (she wanted to collect some ants to keep), a small shovel, a napkin to cover the jar and a rubber band to close it up with.

She was quite excited to be on this little excursion!! (She is definitely the more adventurous of the bunch!) We marched right over to an ant hill (there's plenty to choose from in our yard!) and began to investigate.

With the information from my previous night's reading in my head I tried my best to answer her questions. After checking out the little creatures with the magnifying glass for a while we decided that it was time to collect some and take them inside. That was interesting!! Both Brother and I got bit a few times!!

With some ants succesfully dumped in our jar we took them inside to watch as we worked on our Nature Journal page. She did a great job!! While working on her page she was eating strawberries and decided that it would be a good idea to share some with her ants. Plop! In they went!

Those poor little ants are still in hiding though! I think that their sudden displacement shook them up quite a bit!

Later this week we are scheduling a nature walk to see what we can hear. Outdoor Challenge #2 is "Using Your Words." Check back later to find out what that means!! Oh! I also plan to try to do something with beans!!

Outdoor Hour #1

After obediently following the lesson from the Handbook of Nature Study blog I felt more prepared than ever to "conduct my first nature study." Sometime after lunch the kids and I took to the outdoors to see what we could see.

If you have read anything about Charlotte Mason and her methods she is very clear in the fact that the parent or teacher should allow the children to direct the lesson. In other words Mom needs not to talk and direct so much but allow the children time to explore and discover on their own and then come to you with their questions.

Well I was excited about trying to do this and I kept repeating to myself, "Let them lead, don't drive this time with them, let them discover." That was very hard because I have a bad habit, I feel, of "thinking" for my kids sometimes.

Anyway things of off to a pretty good start. We took some time to look at some beautiful leaves and plants that we have growing in our lucious backyard. Now I'll have you know that out of the four children we have the oldest is afraid of all things creepy and crawly. She has always been like this. I never knew how to help her so I feel the blame on that one. The problem with this is that she spends a lot of time telling us, "I don't want to be out here, oh! watch out there's a bug!!" etc. This wouldn't bother me so much except for the fact that our little guy seems to adopt some of her fear and apprehension. I don't want them to be afraid of the outdoors by any means and was kind of worried that this would sabatoge the whole experience.

Well as things would go the oldest, while looking intently at some "baby pinecones" stepped in an ant hill and I think the whole neighborhood heard about it!!! She was pretty discouraged and jumpy after that. Then she got hot and wanted to go inside. Instead of getting frustrated I told her that she was welcome to go inside and we would join her when we were done (same thing I told her before we even went outside) but she decline and hung in there for the rest of the time. YAY!!!

We we were able to find some nice leaves and rocks today. That was the extent of our Nature Study! About 15 minutes of analyizing the plants in our yard and looking for the best ones to dry out and keep. Here are some pictures.

Our treasures!!

Her flower...or weed? A nice branch!

Her contribution!!! ;)

Once inside and with all our treasures spread out I asked what they were interested in the most, what they wanted to study about more. Biggest sister said, "Cats!!" and Big sister said, watch for it now, "Ants!!!!" Sisterly love!!!!

I think we did okay! I do feel that we will need to take baby steps so as not to overwhelm the oldest...or frustrate *anyone else*...but today was a good start!!!

Nature Study

As I sit back and think of my childhood I can easily remember spending MANY a day outdoors!! My sisters, cousins and I were always doing something, climbing something, or pulling some "treasure" out of the neighborhood dumpster. (Yeah, gross I know, I'd go nuts if my kids were to do that!!!) Our neighbors would always ask us if our feet were ever touching the ground!! We just did SO much outdoors!! We loved it!! Yet with all of our outdoor time I don't really remember BEING outdoors!

Let me explain!!

I recently realized that you can be outdoors (exist) yet not really BE OUTDOORS (experience)!! Although I spent much of my youth climbing, searching and discovering our neighboorhood I never really climbed, searched or discovered NATURE!! The gigantic eucalyptus tree that we had right outside our door just happened to be there, I never really thought twice about it. I never (or at least don't remember) touching it out of curiostiy, wondering what was under that bark or what else those smelly leaves could do...I found out later that you can use them to make tea!! My aunt did that once when I was older! I was never interested in the "behind the scenes" of it all.
Fast forward to all too many years later and I find myself the homeschooling mother of 4 children. Now I find myself wanting to give to them the best of what the Lord enables me to give! The best of what He, through His divine wisdom and awesome direction, leads me to.

Enter Charlotte Mason.

I've been aware to the Charlotte Mason method for, oh, about a year and a half to 2 years now. I've just kind of "lurked around the corner" at different websites, blogs etc. just trying to take it all in and understand her philosophy. I have found myself falling in love with much of what she believed in and how she taught but none more than her philosophy on Nature Study! This just a snippet of what Charlotte Mason had to say on the subject, "It would be well if all we persons in authority (Moms, Dads etc.)...could make up our minds that there is no sort of knowledge to be got in these early years so valuable to children as that which they live in. Let them once get touch with Nature (God's wonderful creation) and a habit is formed which will be source of delight through life. We were all meant to be naturalists, each in his degree, and it is inexcusable to live in a world so full of the marvels of plant and animal life and to care for none of these things." In my own words, "Shame on us if we do not give the children in our care frequent exposure to the wonderful world God created so as to create a true love and interest in His marvelous handiwork!!"

God gave to Adam and Eve in the very beginning, not a house made of bricks with a nice yard and fence but an expansive GARDEN to be enjoyed and taken care of!!! If that was His original plan then shouldn't we today strive to follow that desire and introduce our children to this masterpiece we call Nature?! Well, the desire of my heart to begin a Nature Study as a part of our lives has been, to say the least, overwhelming!! My only problem in getting started was the HOW and WHAT of it all. Praise the Lord I came across this wonderful website http://handbookofnaturestudy.blogspot.com/2008/09/where-to-start-with-outdoor-hour.html Barb, the lovely lady who runs the blog, has done a wonderful job of breaking down nature study into small manageable lessons and steps! We have just begun our study this week and I am excited to do it!!!

So follow along with us to find out #1 if I can even do this!! and #2 if this is someplace that the Lord is leading you. Everything that we do and all the things that we introduce our children to come from a desire to show them how awesome and wonderful our God truly is. What better way to show them that then by studying something that only HE can create...Nature!!

"The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth his handiwork." Psalm 19:1

Nature Study

As I sit back and think of my childhood I can easily remember spending MANY a day outdoors!! My sisters, cousins and I were always doing something, climbing something, or pulling some "treasure" out of the neighborhood dumpster. (Yeah, gross I know, I'd go nuts if my kids were to do that today!!!) Our neighbors would always ask us if our feet were ever touching the ground!! We just did SO much outdoors!! We loved it!! Yet with all of our outdoor time I don't really remember BEING outdoors! Let me explain!!



I recently realized that you can be outdoors (exist) yet not really BE OUTDOORS!! Although I spent much of my youth climbing, searching and discovering out neighboorhood I never really climbed, searched or discovered NATURE!! The gigantic eucalyptus tree that we had right outside our door just happened to be there, I never really thought twice about it. I never (or at least don't remember) touching it out of curiostiy, wondering what was under that bark or what else those smelly leaves could do...you can make tea out of them!! My aunt did that once! I was never interested in the "behind the scenes" of it all.



Fast forward all too many years and now I find myself the homeschooling mother of 4 children. Now I find myself wanting to give to them the best of what the Lord enables me to give! The best of what He, through His divine wisdom and awesome direction, leads me to.



I've been aware to the Charlotte Mason method for, oh, about a year and a half to 2 years now. I've just kind of "lurked around the corner" at different websites, blogs etc. just trying to take it all in and understand her philosophy.



I have found myself falling in love with much of what she believed in and how she taught but none more than her philosophy on Nature Studies! This just a snippet of what Charlotte Mason had to say on the subject, "It would be well if asll we persons in authority (Moms, Dads etc.)...could make up our minds that there is no sort of knowledge to be got in these early years so valuable to children as that which they live in. Let them once get touch with Nature (God's wonderful creation) and a habit is formed which will be source of delight through life. We were all meant to be naturalists, each in his degree, and it is inexcusable to live in a world so full of the marvels of plant and animal life and to care for none of these things."



In my own words, "Shame on us if we do not give the children in our care frequent exposure in the wonderful world God created so as to create a true love and interest in His marvelous handiwork!!"



God gave Adam and Eve in the very beginning, not a house made of bricks with a nice yard and fence but an expansive GARDEN to be enjoyed and taken care of!!! If that was His original plan then shouldn't we today strive to follow that desire and introduce our children this masterpiece we call Nature?!



Well, the desire of my heart to begin a Nature Study as a part of our lives has been, to say the least, overwhelming!! My only problem in getting started was the HOW and WHAT of it all. Praise the Lord I came across this wonderful website http://handbookofnaturestudy.blogspot.com/2008/09/where-to-start-with-outdoor-hour.html The lovely lady who runs the blog has done a wonderful job at breaking down nature study into small manageable lessons and steps! We have just begun our study this week and I am excited to do it!!!



So follow along with us to find out 1# if I can even do this!! and 2# if this is someplace that the Lord is leading you.



Everything that we do and all the things that we introduce our children to come from a desire to show them how awesome and wonderful our God truly is. What better way to show them that then by studying something that only HE can create...Nature!!

Nature Study

As I sit back and think of my childhood I can easily remember spending MANY a day outdoors!! My sisters, cousins and I were always doing something, climbing something, or pulling some "treasure" out of the neighborhood dumpster. (Yeah, gross I know, I'd go nuts if my kids were to do that today!!!) Our neighbors would always ask us if our feet were ever touching the ground!! We just did SO much outdoors!! We loved it!! Yet with all of our outdoor time I don't really remember BEING outdoors! Let me explain!!



I recently realized that you can be outdoors (exist) yet not really BE OUTDOORS!! Although I spent much of my youth climbing, searching and discovering out neighboorhood I never really climbed, searched or discovered NATURE!! The gigantic eucalyptus tree that we had right outside our door just happened to be there, I never really thought twice about it. I never (or at least don't remember) touching it out of curiostiy, wondering what was under that bark or what else those smelly leaves could do...you can make tea out of them!! My aunt did that once! I was never interested in the "behind the scenes" of it all.



Fast forward all too many years and now I find myself the homeschooling mother of 4 children. Now I find myself wanting to give to them the best of what the Lord enables me to give! The best of what He, through His divine wisdom and awesome direction, leads me to.



I've been aware to the Charlotte Mason method for, oh, about a year and a half to 2 years now. I've just kind of "lurked around the corner" at different websites, blogs etc. just trying to take it all in and understand her philosophy.



I have found myself falling in love with much of what she believed in and how she taught but none more than her philosophy on Nature Studies! This just a snippet of what Charlotte Mason had to say on the subject, "It would be well if asll we persons in authority (Moms, Dads etc.)...could make up our minds that there is no sort of knowledge to be got in these early years so valuable to children as that which they live in. Let them once get touch with Nature (God's wonderful creation) and a habit is formed which will be source of delight through life. We were all meant to be naturalists, each in his degree, and it is inexcusable to live in a world so full of the marvels of plant and animal life and to care for none of these things."



In my own words, "Shame on us if we do not give the children in our care frequent exposure in the wonderful world God created so as to create a true love and interest in His marvelous handiwork!!"



God gave Adam and Eve in the very beginning, not a house made of bricks with a nice yard and fence but an expansive GARDEN to be enjoyed and taken care of!!! If that was His original plan then shouldn't we today strive to follow that desire and introduce our children this masterpiece we call Nature?!



Well, the desire of my heart to begin a Nature Study as a part of our lives has been, to say the least, overwhelming!! My only problem in getting started was the HOW and WHAT of it all. Praise the Lord I came across this wonderful website http://handbookofnaturestudy.blogspot.com/2008/09/where-to-start-with-outdoor-hour.html The lovely lady who runs the blog has done a wonderful job at breaking down nature study into small manageable lessons and steps! We have just begun our study this week and I am excited to do it!!!



So follow along with us to find out 1# if I can even do this!! and 2# if this is someplace that the Lord is leading you.



Everything that we do and all the things that we introduce our children to come from a desire to show them how awesome and wonderful our God truly is. What better way to show them that then by studying something that only HE can create...Nature!!