March 31, 2010 - Easter Garden continued, and a search for Spring

This project is going in stages... the seeds aren't really cooperating, unfortunately, but we'll see. For now I suppose I could just say it's a rocky hillside :)

After lunch today we went out for a "Signs of Spring" walk, to go along with today's part of our spring project which was naming and drawing some of the things that tell us Spring is on its way. And even though the temperature has been up and down and all over the place, we found...

a tiny bit of green!

more green!

buds on branches!

bigger buds!

tiny buds on a bush

a magpie's nest where mama bird was busy busy

and of course, puddles, and MUD!

Curriculum Swap Day

Oh. My. Goodness.

Wow, were we ever blessed today.

The homeschooling group in the next town organized a curriculum/book exchange. Primarily it was one family who had years' worth of books to unload as their last children approach graduation, but a few others brought things to share, and then later on ANOTHER mom appeared with all of her materials from years of homeschooling.

Needless to say, those of use who were just starting out hit a real goldmine.

The books I went with plans to get were these two:
Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Botsford Comstock
Paddle to the Sea by Holling C Holling

Those two alone were enough to make it worth the drive.

But I came home with a bag, a small box and a large tote all FULL of books for PreK, K, early elementary up to about grade six, plus a few that will be useful later. World literature, world history, and physical sciences from a Christian perspective. An entire one-year multi-level science curriculum for elementary students. Both sizes of Cuisinaire Rods and some of the books to go with them. "For Instruction in Righteousness." "Book of the Centuries."

And so, SO much more... I am blown away. And boy, do I have some organizing to do.

The girls enjoyed the day, too, because while mama was digging through boxes and stacks of books, they got to spend time playing with the other kids and C hit it off with one of the girls, which was especially nice. :)

March 30, 2010 - Easter Garden

Step one in our Easter centerpiece.

Ann does a beautiful variation:
http://www.aholyexperience.com/2009/03/make-easter-garden-visual-parable.html

I love that, but a little more complex and costly to buy the plants. Maybe next year. Then I saw another one... much simpler:

http://mustardseeds.typepad.com/my_weblog/2010/03/tutorial-hill-of-calvary.html

That is the route we're taking this year. I think it's brilliant :)

March 29, 2010 - Spring is in the Air!

We are working through "Bugs, Blooms and Babies" to mark the beginning of Spring.

We've done a little of the paper crafting in it, but today's project was a little more hands-on as we made pine cone bird feeders to hang in the tree on the front yard. So far no little birdies have found them, but hopefully we'll see something in the next few days!