Here are some of the things that I was able to capture that we did this week:

Fall Vocabulary Words

Patterning: 2 x 3 pattern. These patterns were from out RightStart Math Lessons.

For some reason it is blogger is turning my pictures. Here I made a number matching birthday candle game. A little someone turned 3 on Monday! Here they had to put them in order of smallest to largest.

Pattering: ABBABBABBABB

Made wreaths with real leaves!

Puting the days of the week in order

Patterning: ABABAB

Last week I purchased a Butterfly Garden Kit. As soon as we got it, I got online and ordered our 5 caterpillars! We are so excited for this science/nature project! We may have to wait about 3 weeks for the caterpillars but we will just have to be patient. Once we get them we will put them in our butterfly house and watch them make the cocoon around themselves then we will witness there breaking forth as beautiful butterflies. Then we will pray for them and release them into the wild! I just pray for no tragedies!

SURPRISE #1
God himself gave us a head start! The day I ordered our caterpillars, my husband had come in from outside. When he was sitting at the dining room table I notified him that there was a butterfly sitting on his shoulder! I quickly reached for the butterfly house that was still in it's box and we captured this beautiful butterfly! My four year old was absolutely tickled!

We have a branch with blossoms in it and an orange slice and some sugar water drops on the branch for food.

SURPRISE #2
My son was standing and watching this little butterfly in his house and he wasn't moving. I explained that butterflies need a rest too. Well, while my son stood watching and waiting for movement, he was playing his harmonica. Just then this butterfly came to life and danced all around. When he stopped playing the butterfly sat still. Then he played again and sure enough he fluttered all around in there as if he were on stage. You could almost sense this creature was making himself beautiful cause he knew others were watching.... but only when the harmonica was being blown.
Fluke?

We tried it again later and we witnessed another beautiful dance of the butterfly!

Here they are trying to get this beauty to fly away. They took turns playing the harmonica to get it out of the house. Once he flew off. We found him on our siding. He actually flew on Gabe's hand but I wasn't quick enough to snap a picture of it.

What fun! Thank you our Heavenly Creator for every detail... known and unknown to us.
Your intricate details are truly remarkable!

I am so exciting for the kids to make this little worm house! (Cause I won't be touching ANY worms). I came across this excellent tutorial on how to create a worm house out of things you should have in your home and yard.

This will be our next 'sunny day' project (it is raing today- although it is likely a good day to find worms easily). From what I hear you will be amazed at how quickly and fast worms mulitply. The soil they live in (is called castings) is gold for your garden too! We just may have to make a few of these!

Hymn: For the Beauty of the Earth
(Listen to it here)

1. For the beauty of the earth,
For the glory of the skies,
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies;
Lord of all, to Thee we raise
This our hymn of grateful praise.

2. For the wonder of each hour
Of the day and of the night,
Hill and vale and tree and flower,
Sun and moon, and stars of light;
Lord of all, to Thee we raise
This our hymn of grateful praise.

4. For the joy of human love,
Brother, sister, parent, child;
Friends on earth and friends above;
For all gentle thoughts and mild;
Lord of all, to Thee we raise
This our hymn of grateful praise.

5. For Thy Church that evermore
Lifteth holy hands above,
Offering up on every shore
Her pure sacrifice of love;
Lord of all, to Thee we raise
This our hymn of grateful praise.

6. For Thyself, best gift divine,
To our race so freely given,
For that great, great love of Thine,
Peace on earth, and joy in heaven:
Lord of all, to Thee we raise
This our hymn of grateful praise.
Lyrics: Folliot Sandford Pierpoint
Music: Conrad Kocher

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For the Beauty of the Earth
Folliott S. Pierpoint, 1835–1917

Not much is known about Folliott Sandford Pierpoint, the author of this hymn. He was born in the town of Bath, England. The inspiration for this hymn text is said to have come to the young author as he was strolling about his native town one day in the late spring, entranced by the beautiful countryside with the winding Avon River in the distance.



I have been reading a fabulous book by Sharon Lovejoy called Sunflower Houses: A book for Children and Their Grown-Ups.


This book opens up a world of discovery for children in the garden. She gives great ideas of how to FULLY enjoy your garden and to make your children be a large part of planting, watering, observing, and enjoying it. Some of her ideas that I like (some I will try this year, others will have to wait for another year) are:
Sunflower Houses, Growing a Zucchini in a bottle, a sundial garden, butterfly garden, making dolls, hats, crowns, tea cups and scaucers .... all from specific flowers, a rainbow garden, floral clock garden (arranging flowers in pie shape and in order of flowers that open at various times of the day), worm boxes.... the list goes on.

Lovejoy has allowed me to allow my kids to explore the earth and she has allowed me to see the earth from a child's perspective. To dig and get dirty. To be creative with plants and flowers. To not be afraid to pick flowers. To treat gardens as a playgroud of sorts. To listen to the bugs and butterflies and to even taste SOME flowers that are safe for tasting.

She lists plants, flowers, fruits and vegitables that are ideal for children to grow. Ones that grow fast, some that are big, and ones that grow easily. I don't know about the kids but that is just what I need when it comes to gardening!

I am sure I will be posting some of these experiences as we enjoy the beauty of the earth!