Shades Mills

Our weekly Shades Mills outing almost didn't happen after another rough school morning.  The full moon this month is wearing us out with bad attitudes and crankiness and poor sleep.  

Once there, we almost left early due to lingering attitudes and a dumped water bottle on Zoe!  But we sat in separate spaces, gathered our thoughts and kindness back, ate an early supper and continued on.  Happily the second half of the day was much better than the first.

I am rarely disappointed with time spent in nature.  It may take some time (in this case a few hours!), but we always leave in a better mood.

Attempting to build a tee-pee.
It was a short lived endeavour.

Blue damselfly (I think).

Getting ready to race down the hill.

Dragonflies mating?
or fighting?

We watched them for a few moments and then realized
that the dragonfly on top had taken the head off the
other dragonfly!!  It was pretty gross.

Decapitated dragonfly.
Adrianna "explored" it further.
I didn't.

Dragonfly wing.
Cool details.

"Threenager"
Sums him up entirely.
Good gravy he has been a LOT of work lately.
Not even nature can take the 3yr old out of the boy.

Furiously (and I do mean furiously) trying to crawl.

Collecting Goose feathers.
She wants me to buy an ink pot so she can try dipping
them in ink and using them as a quill pen.

Adrianna caught this baby fish.
The girl can catch pretty much anything.

Park

After a rough morning of school, we decided to walk to the park and library for the afternoon.  The park was deserted!  The kids had fun doing some of the riskier activities that they can't do when younger children are around.  Riding bikes in the bandstand (and off the side!).  Leaping off the play structure.  Flying off the swings in gigantic leaps.  Apparently there was a lot of energy to burn!

Getting ready to leap.

Straddle leap off the swing!

Running/Riding off energy on the bandstand.

Climber

Monkey.

Benji's nature collection.

Happy after a quick nap.

May Hours Outdoors

I've tracked out outdoor hours for two months now.  Our May hours were boosted with a camping trip.  If we can manage to keep our momentum, we should be able to log 1000 hours outdoors this year.

April: 75.25
May: 146.75

Total thus far: 222

I think we are off to a great start.

It Worked!

A few weeks back, Adrianna caught a Woolly Bear caterpillar, gave it a suitable habitat and watched it create a cocoon.  She kept the cocoon and three weeks later, out came an Isabella Moth.  So cool!

Cocoon.
See the opening at the front where the moth came out.

Caterpillar shell.
It was left behind inside the cocoon.

Isabella Tiger Moth.
Freshly out of the cocoon.

Now Nate and Benji are trying to do the same thing with this large green caterpillar.  This guy is one of many that is falling from our trees.  This guy landed on Zoe while she was laying on a blanket in the middle of the yard.  

The birds are having a feast.  

Birds, Butterflies and a Pond

We attended a homeschool nature class at the RARE conservation area.  The focus was on birds, butterflies and pond life.

Learning about birds nests.

Catching bugs and butterflies.

Catching tadpoles.

Momma Toad (or Poppa Toad?) with tadpoles.

Jars of pond life.

Diving Beetle Larva.

Art Lessons

Adrianna's artwork from her art lesson at the Homer Watson Gallery.

Art Lessons

Nate's artwork from his art lesson at the Homer Watson Gallery.