Karate.

I'm generally of the thought that when the boys are ready, show repeated interest, and take action to take a class, we will do it. I don't just sign them up for classes on my own - unless those 3 things happen. Of course, at their age they don't know what is out there so we do chat about what type of classes are available as their interest is piqued along the way. Most of the time they are not interested in the group instruction dynamic, and we do so much as a family that we cover most of their interests.

As A is getting older, he is beginning to independently request to learn more about things he is interested in, and ask specifically about classes, outings, or activities. One interest lately has been karate. After looking up everything he could about local schools and class options online, we went to observe a class last weekend. He loved watching so much that he wanted to start n-o-w!!! The owner brought him onto the floor for a second class so he could participate a bit too. We asked if this is what he wanted, and he answered with a very enthusiastic YES! He surprised me by asking about his gi (!?), which is the uniform, and did indeed receive one to wear to class. Monday was his first full class, and he had the biggest smile - literally from ear to ear - the entire time. He laughed and giggled and smiled for the full 30 minutes - bursting with joy. He went again today for a fundamentals class, and he loved it (and did NOT want to leave). This is all from a boy who is super intense and usually has a hard time with new situations and places, transitions, groups of unknown people, and loud places. I think that since he picked this all out himself and is in control of the decision, it paved the way for him to relax and enjoy himself. And, he obviously chose this because he is indeed ready for it.


It is fun to watch him learn and grow - I see him going from that little kid to the next level and I am awed by his energy and enthusiasm! Love it! Now G, he wants to take a class to do somersaults - still working on that request!

loose change.

The boys have been interested in money lately. For A, he wants to know how much coins are worth, how many bills the coins equal, how much money it is in relation to things he wants to buy or how much things in our home cost. G is interested in that he wants bubble gum, and is whatever he holds in hand enough for bubble gum? Of course I should mention he has never had bubble gum, but loves the idea of it.

So, both boys have been collecting coins. Digging in my purse, finding coins in the car, and asking to put any coins we get as change into the "money bowl". I have used this big wooden bowl for change for years, and when the boys were old enough to put things in their mouths, it went up high. As they get older, they want the bowl down where they can add to it and see how much is in there. They have been adding to the money bowl for months now. They recently decided that the money bowl was full enough and we needed to go shopping for a few things they were saving for. We discussed how most places wouldn't take 30 pounds of coins and that we needed to go to the bank to trade it for bills! So we poured the coins into a portable container and headed to our local credit union. The boys were disappointed to discover that the coin counter was in a back room and they could not see it. As the woman left with their coins, we heard a familiar voice. One of our neighbors now works at that credit union and was behind the counter and offered to take the boys back to watch! We went to the back room and the boys used a little paddle to push the coins into the opening as it clinked and whirred away, counting.

When it was done it displayed a total and printed a receipt. Wow. They had saved over $300 in change! :) We took our receipt to the counter and our neighbor counted out the bills. The boys each put spending money in little zipper coin pouches that they were carrying, and the rest went into their savings. They were so excited!

I love how every day experiences often turn into the best learning moments - all on their own. Awesome.

Let the show begin!

I think performing must run in the family. When I was in Kindergarten I was (repeatedly) in the Principal's office due to my penchant for getting a bathroom pass, locking myself into a stall, and singing Aretha Franklin songs at the top of my lungs, echoing through the entire building (lovely acoustics). From there on out I was always performing something... So I'm not surprised to see the love of performance in both of the boys. Daily they are putting on shows for anyone who will listen. They sing, dance, tell stories, put on puppet shows. Heck, they pop out their yoga poses for perfect strangers walking down the sidewalk.


We picked up a wood puppet theatre over the weekend for them and assembled it today. They were so excited - much better, it seems, than the make-shift stage... So today was a day of shows. Many shows. Lots of shows. We had boys singing and telling stories, heads shoved through the hole. We had puppet theatre - stick puppets, soft animal finger puppets, dinosaur hand puppets, and any and every figure they could think of. It was awesome.


I have a feeling there will be many more shows to come. I don't mind being the audience. I get to clap and cheer, and watch their amazing creativity just expand exponentially. And sometimes they let me sing along.

wildflower bingo.

This is one of our new favorite games. It is wildflower bingo. We found it a few weekends back at a local kids store. Each playing card is filled with the plant squares, and the selection cards have the image and name on front, and info about each plant on the back. The boys always insist I show the image, read the name, and read the back info each and every time. We played a lot of wildflower bingo this week while we were all sick.

On our pretty rural drive back from picking up our CSA box this week, A started yelling that he saw purple clover - you know, from the game! The rest of the ride home they looked out the windows scanning the roadside for plants they could identify - chatting with each other about each new thing. Since then the both boys have continued to point out MANY different flowers that they now recognize - wild bergamot, horsemint, sunflowers, goldenrod, butterfly weed, violets, and cattails. I admit, sometimes they identify something that does surely resemble what is on the card, but we might not be entirely accurate...but they are indeed identifying many things accurately (and enthusiastically). How cool!

There have been many new plants that they want to know about now too - and for those of you in the area, we found a nice easy to use online resource of what is in bloom here. And, of course, now that they are interested in plants in the area, they want to know what EVERYTHING is, and A was excited to find that there are wild things just growing out there that you can EAT. So, on to a new fun adventure!

Birdwatching.

We have had so much more rain today (many inches)...and once again tornadoes throughout the area. What a June.

One of A's favorite things to do lately is watch and identify birds. Our neighborhood has been so full of birds this year and watching so many right from our own porch has sparked a big interest which is carrying over to birdwatching on our walks/hikes as well. He wants to know about their eggs, nests, songs, what they eat and if they migrate. We have found so many great resources which are good for kids ... books, sticker books, bird watching logs, bird song Cd's, and some great websites and birding blogs. Here are just a few of our current favorites:




Backyard Birds of Summer by Carol Lerner
















Beginning Birdwatcher's Book: With 48 Stickers


This is a favorite because it is a birdwatching log for kids. You see a bird, you place the sticker, read about the bird, and can add notes about where you saw it.








Bird Songs: 250 North American Birds in Song

This is a digital audio book - you look up the bird, and then play its song - or vice versa - so you can instantly match a sound with a bird.







Birds, Nests and Eggs, by Mel Boring










We have so many great birding books right now (we have several in our sidebar reading lists), but have found we are also visiting some great birding websites and blogs to find out more about what we see (or hope to see). Here are just a few:

Mike's Wisconsin Birding & Digiscoping Blog

American Birding Association

10,000 Birds

Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center

And when Dover's eggs hatch we will reach a whole new level of birdwatching!

Dover.

A few of you may remember my post from when we made birdhouses, and A had expressed interest in finding a special home for our friendly "Dover" - a mourning dove who has been visiting us for a few years now.

Over the weekend, we discovered that a mourning dove had made a nest in the hanging flower basket on our back deck. We were a little worried at first, since we use our deck a lot. We read and play and do crafts there, and the spot the dove chose is right at the stairs where we go in and out of the yard a LOT each day. But the bird seems dedicated, even with us passing by!

The boys are very excited, A in particular. Dover is his favorite bird, and from the haggard protruding tail feathers, we know it is our bird. A is excited that Dover has a partner. He wants to know all about doves and their nesting habits. We discovered many interesting things...

-Doves are not good nest builders, so will often place twigs or other materials to make a light barrier/nest in hanging baskets or on eaves where there is a support in place.

-Doves share nesting duties, so there is always a dove on the nest. We read that often the male will take day duty, the female night duty.

-Male and female doves look alike, so you may actually think that the same dove is sitting there 24/7 for weeks...but when they trade spots, there is time to eat/drink.

-Doves can be nervous and fly away, but will usually return to the nest quickly.

-Mourning dove nesting cycles are relatively brief about 28 days for the entire cycle. The first half is spent incubating the eggs (almost always two) while the second half involves brood rearing of young doves (called squabs). Doves may nest several times during the summer.

-Part of brood rearing involves feeding squabs on pigeon milk - a milk-like substance secreted by the crop gland of adult doves and pigeons.

The boys can easily watch Dover & partner by standing on their picnic table - so they spent a lot of time looking and talking to the bird yesterday. We had lawn work to do, and when the weed whacker came out the dove took off for a bit. That gave us enough time to take a peek inside, and sure enough, one tiny egg. The boys got to look at the nest and the egg and were very excited.


A wants some more books on doves so that we can be sure to "do the right thing" to ensure dover's success. We only have a few more weeks of waiting, I think, before we get to see the new arrival!


We have seen a few birds dragging twigs and grass into the painted birdhouses the boys made too, so I think we will have an exciting summer of birdwatching right here in our tiny yard!

OUTSIDE!!!

Two little boys. Perfectly sunny 60-something degree day. They did NOT want to come in the house. They played happily outside for hours and hours. I love being able to enjoy the sun and watch the boys make up games, tell stories, pretend and act out scenes, and putter along all day. Children are truly happy when outside in the sunshine, playing on the grass (I just can't get much work done!!!!).


My boys, who fought and cried much of yesterday (cloudy, windy and cold) were happy ALL day today. They dug holes, caught bugs, played basketball, kicked soccer balls, raced with trucks, dug in the sand, drew on the chalkboard, cut dandelions, rode their bikes, played at the park, had a camp-out, watched birds visit our yard, and helped with the garden.


I'm tired just typing about it, but they just kept going and going! Only tonight, after dinner, did they want to sit down and do quiet stuff. Somehow they still had energy, even then, to sit happily focused reading, working on their sticker books, and writing.

Tomorrow looks to be another warm sunny day! I have 3 more flats of plants to go in the garden - and we now have the canopy on our gazebo for a nice shady spot to sit and take our projects outside! Until then...

May Faire.

Today we visited the May Faire at a local (ish) Waldorf school. We like to attend many public events at this school - they are well run, it is a beautiful place, and everyone is super friendly. Today was a great day to be outside - nice and cool. The boys played and wandered and explored for hours. There were animals to visit(goats, lamb, rabbits, guinea pig), a fairy glen, musicians, games, crafts, food, and big open spaces to run and play in. And, of course, the May Pole with a May Queen, dancers, and an orchestra of students.


For G, the big hit was the cookie table (!), a wooden "pirate tower", sandbox, and play area.


For A, he loved the animals, the May Queen (!), and one special ride. The Flying Fox. We didn't know at first if he would do it.

Well, he did. Fearlessly.


Several times. Look at that smile. It was high and fast - he LOVED it and didn't want to leave!


We hadn't realized that A was watching the May Queen - but when he bolted into the cake walk to talk to her, we realized he wanted to be introduced. She was a sweet girl (one of the students), and spoke with him a few minutes. He was so happy - he asked about her dress, her crown of flowers, and said "I've never met a real May Queen before!" She curtsied and said "Well, nice to meet you", and my sweet, sweet, 5 year old did the deepest bow he could, and replied "Pleased to meet you too." (heart wrench!!!)

Before leaving we visited a few vendors who were also moms from the school. One had hand made soap from her goats milk - the boys LOVE good soap, so we selected several. The other mom had beeswax and honey from her farm, and of course we couldn't pass that up. We now have several pounds of beeswax. Ah, it smells SO good. I can just put a big block under my pillow, right?


What a fun day!

Scribble.

The boys get over-done sometimes. Today my sister and my nephew came to visit (we haven't seen them in AGES) with my mom. The boys were so happy and played and talked and performed (oh yes, song and dance!) for the longest time. So when everyone left, the boys were done. Over done. When they are running in circles shrieking at each other I like to go to a corner and start on something quiet. Reading a book. Setting up a puzzle. Or drawing on the chalk board. Inevitably, within a minute or two, both boys will be with me, participating quietly, focused. All the tension released, both relaxed.


Tonight I went and quietly started drawing. A and G both came over immediately and started drawing with me. I did outlines and major shapes and shading, and they scribbled inside the forms to fill in color with me, and rubbed chalk on its side to create shading. It was fun to see them watching my hands and then trying to create shading with the use of line and color. When we were done, A ran a soaked dripping sponge over the whole piece, watching the color run off and disappear. Happy again!

And the Wind Blew.

Well, I think our warm weather teaser is over. Today the heavy winds started, followed by rain and cooler temperatures. The forecast for the next week is all cold rain during the day and rain or flurries at night. Sounds like April!


Today, despite the wind, we had a great time visiting a Biodynamic farm which is about one hour south of us. I have known about Angelic Organics for quite a while now - there is a film (great, by the way), a book, and a learning center with classes and events. So when my blogging friend Laura invited us to join her homeschooling group for their farm tour outing today, I was very excited!


The wind was a constant companion today - it roared every single moment. But that did not dampen the spirits of the kids in the group - they got to be outside at a farm all morning! They dug soil, compared hard pack mono crop corn soil to the rich compost fertilized living soil at the farm. They climbed trees. Washed hands under a pump. Used a composting toilet. Visited hens. Played and visited young kid goats and their goat mamas. Saw chicks. Toured a greenhouse full of young seedlings. Looked at plants growing in the earth and watched as tractors worked in the next field over. Played in the mud.


The wind was ever present - and it does wear you down with its relentless hammering of your senses, but after a few hours we retreated into the cozy learning center building to chat some more, bottle feed a few orphaned kids/goats, and then eat our lunches together and chat before heading back home. The boys were happy and tired - and so muddy that I changed them into new clothing before buckling them up and heading out. We made it home just as the rain started - perfect timing!


What a great place to visit - I definitely want to return!

What a Day!

Today we walked inside a double helix, pet sharks, traversed ALL of the Great Lakes, climbed into a ship (hanging from the ceiling), operated a robotic dinosaur, appeared on a tv, stood in the middle of a lightning storm, ran a remote submersible, and even walked on water. Quite the day for two little boys!


Where were we? We visited a science museum - Discovery World in Milwaukee. One portion of the museum is science, robotics, design, and technology - very cool things to see and do. The other side is an aquarium which included an area with some great lakes history. The aquarium, of course, was big for the boys and we spent hours there.

They also have a very cool large scale model of the Great Lakes which shows each lake, all of the large cities on the shores, major landmarks, and then fish and animals which inhabit each of the lakes. Very cool. There was even a rainstorm over Lake Ontario, mist over Lake Superior, and locks to open/close to allow ships through.

We walked through the entire museum more than once - so much to see and do there.


What a great day!

Earth Day Bags.

We tried making freezer paper stencils recently, and it was one of those active involved small child crafting disasters. You know - we all have them - realizing that it was not working, but unable to stop the little fingers in the midst of happily creating...something...blob-like. SO, when the bag idea came up as one of our leading up to Earth Day projects, well, I decided to keep it simple (I'll save the freezer paper projects for me!).

The boys both have handmade bags for carrying things and use them all the time. But in talking and reading our Earth Day themed books, they asked why they didn't also have their own shopping bags. They know we carry ours along to the store, but they shop too (A said for things like toothbrushes and snacks!), and they need bags! So, we found plain canvas bags - small enough for kids, but yet big enough to carry a few things. We also picked up a few iron on patches.


I first sewed a border on the bags to make them look a little nicer. The boys then chose their sayings. We went over and over all of the possibilities of what the bags could say. It was important that they chose their OWN sayings, so my suggestions such as "Go Green" and "Earth Day Every Day" were enthusiastically rejected! :) They started with ideas such as "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Take Care of the Planet", and "I have to live here when I grow up so take care of it and be responsible!" - and we streamlined those down into words that fit on the bags (and for which we had the letters). They ended up with "Take Care" and "It's My Future". Perfect!


We then ironed on the letters and earth and we have bags! The boys loved peeling off those transfers to see the images underneath. They are very proud of their bags and are sleeping with them next to their beds tonight. Sweet boys.

National Poetry Month.

The Swing

by Robert Louis Stevenson

How do you like to go up in a swing,
Up in the air so blue?
Oh, I do think it the pleasantest thing
Ever a child can do!

Up in the air and over the wall,
Till I can see so wide,
River and trees and cattle and all
Over the countryside—

Till I look down on the garden green,
Down on the roof so brown—
Up in the air I go flying again,
Up in the air and down!

April is National Poetry Month. I have always been fond of poetry, and as a musician, always felt my song was my outlet. Poetry has always been there for me - silly rhymes, ballads, traditional lullaby's, jump rope ditties, and then into adulthood the classics, the contemporary, the spoken word, performance art.

Children have a natural love of poetry - rhymes tickle the tongue and bring joy to words and thoughts, develops rhythm and memory. There are so many awesome books out there - and we are going to be reading some of those over the next few weeks.


I'm going to be putting some of our favorites in my side bar book list as we go this month. Tara has some good recommendations posted already!

A few other places with book ideas:
-Children's Book Council
-Poetry for Children blog

Do you have any favorites??

Nature Walk - Buds and Birds.

The weather this time of year is pretty up and down. Freeze, snow, hail, ice, warm, sunny, cloudy, foggy, thunderstorms, thundersnow (yes!), wind... We know it as spring here in Wisconsin. We have been getting out as much as possible for our nature walks and green hour outings. This weekend it was cold but not too windy. Many hiking paths in our area are closed right now to preserve the trails, so we found a few other places to visit!

One nature walk was at our local botanical gardens. It is interesting, because only here have we seen buds, growth, and birds (lots of birds!). So while it seems everything is still asleep throughout our area, the moment we entered the outdoor gardens it just exploded with activity. Birds singing, chirping, flying, fighting, flaunting. Busy busy busy. Buds on trees, flowers pushing through the snow. So much to see and hear. We walked and looked, and also took time to stand and listen to the cacophony.

So many signs of spring.


Flowers pushing up - A particularly liked the white snowbells and crocuses coming up through the snow and leaves.


In addition to the new growth, we also saw what was left behind from last season - peeling bark, pods, seeds, leaves. So much beauty!

I love that we can take pictures of the most interesting plants, trees and birds on our walks, and then look them up when we get home. A has a bunch of favorites from the weekend - time to get searching!

Viruses, Bacteria and Micro Bugs - Oh My!

The past month has been filled with viruses, bacteria, minute insects, and all kinds of parasites. A discovered this microscopic world, and so we have been exploring it together. His first interest was viruses and cells - what viruses are, and what our body and our cells do to combat them. Oooh, he loves that. Then he became interested in bacteria in addition to viruses. Fascinating. Finally, in a book about electron microscopes (he wanted to know how we can see those small things), he discovered micro bugs. Mites, lice, ticks, parasites, nematodes...he wants to know. He loves this stuff.


Over the past week he has started drawing these things on his chalkboard while looking at his books. Animal cells, plant cells, mites, viruses. He has asked for my help with a few things - wanting me to draw a mite so he can then try to draw one too, or asking me to write out a difficult word such as salmonella. But otherwise, he has been doing the drawing and the lettering as he goes this week - and my little guy who loves to spell but doesn't like to write has been happily labeling each thing with small careful letters.

I love watching how he thinks and learns and becomes so interested in things. I try to remember to just hop on board and go with his interest - and each time we ALL learn something new.

Here are two of his favorite books this week:



Bill Nye the Science Guy's Great Big Book of Tiny Germs
by Bill Nye









Micro Bugs (Up Close)
by Paul Harrison