A New Springtime

Mini Outings

This summer we had some very close to home mini outings. Just spending some quality time together at a local pond or playground, bringing a few snacks and enjoying a few hours out of the house was good enough for us.

We were blessed with a brand new beautiful play scape at our local park. This one has a great natural woodsy theme!

It is always so rewarding for me to see my older children still helping and actually still playing with their younger siblings! having even older children who have already moved out helps me keep in mind how fast these times go by and how precious each moment with them really is.

Time and life are so precious and I have learned that it doesn't take a lot of money or things to make kids happy, a bit of outdoor space and some good old imagination are what memories are made of!

A blanket, some books, some snacks and some kids make for an afternoon of fun!

My girls are getting older and I am seeing these next five years as some very important bonding times. Just being with them and talking or lending and ear is important for all of us.

Little mini outings are great in spring, summer and fall to build relationships with family. Kids and adults are never to old to spend some time having some good old fashion outdoor playground fun close to home!

 

Summer Fishing

On our way...

across the tracks...

to the river...

the young fisher boys and girls go!

Casting...

waiting...

reeling...

pretending...

sitting...

as mama watches from a distance!

 

How to Keep the Kids Off of the Electronics for the Summer

Keeping the Kids off of the electronics in the summer can be a challenge, so coming up with a fool proof plan is the key!

I like to challenge them to a good old fashion contest! This year it will be called, The Summer  Bucket List Contest.

• Each child should come up with at least 10 things they want to do for the summer as a start.
  
• If they do the activity they can write it on a strip up paper and attach it to their bucket
• They can also come up with other non-electronic activities and do the same , filling out the paper and attaching it

 Ideas:

• read a book
• an art project
• take a bike ride
• keep a journal ( each entry counts as 1 activity)
• nature drawing
• write a letter to friend or relative
• make jewelry
• bake a dessert( s'mores, cookies, strawberry shortcake)
  
• cook a dinner
• plan a local trip or picnic( library, park, trails)
  
• chalkboard art
• puzzles ( fish, beach, ice cream, ocean themes)
• build a fort
• basketball
• badminton
• soccer
  
  The prize is usually a $20 or $25 gift card to a local store. This year we decided on Family Dollar. That will go a long way in this five and dime type store!
  

Summer is a great time for being creative and making memories! There is nothing wrong with allowing time for  the computer or movies but keeping the mind fresh and awake is the best way to pass the time away!

Kids love to participate in these type of contests and it is always very easy to accomplish the goal of minimum media time because of it. They actually have fun coming up with their own ideas so they can be the winner!

(I give small consolation prizes to the others) maybe $5 a piece for participating but I do not tell them until the contest is over because they will settle for the smaller prizes.

The Imposter Has Arrived

The imposter bird of the nest has hatched. It was the one first placed in the nest by the catbird. It is not the egg of the two house wrens that built the nest and laid the other two eggs. My daughter loves it none the less! She thinks it is so cute!

Black Bear Black Bear What Do You See?

We had a furry black visitor last week. It was a very naughty black bear. Naughty, because he dumped over our trash can and dragged out the stinky contents to rummage for something to eat.

Even though he was naughty, we still enjoyed his company! He gave us a bit of excitement for the day as we watched him lick the mint chocolate chip ice cream from the discarded container.

He really wasn't interested in us at all and after he raided our garbage he began to mosey about our yard. I think he was enjoying all of the attention. Black bear, black bear what do you see? I see a bunch of silly people looking at me!

Henry David Thoreau & Walden Pond for Kids

I love seeing my kids do art work. Being creative has always been a part of my life because my grandmother got me involved in her arts and crafts! She was so patient and kind showing me how and what to do with each project we shared.
My thirteen year old daughter enjoyed  using water colors and pastels to create this picture of Henry David Thoreau. It is her interpretation of one of the illustrations in the book, " If you Spent the Day with Thoreau at Walden Pond".

She drew a picture of the map of the pond from the book as well.

For English Grammar, I had her write a paragraph about the book and decorate it with some print-outs from the internet. We will end our school year reading from the journal that Thoreau kept while he lived at Walden Pond and take a field trip to Concord where the Pond is located.

Something Is Cuckoo

The other day we discovered this nest and eggs over a wreath on our front porch.

Something was weird, there were 2 eggs alike and one different.

My daughter pulled out a book we had read the day before and said, " Hey it's just like the one in the book."

Sure enough, she was right! on one of the beautifully illustrated pages was a picture of a nest just like the one on our porch. It must be the workings of a cuckoo bird or a cat bird. They place their eggs in another bird's nest so the other bird raises it.

 

 

Spring Copywork and Nature

Ahh, Spring has sprung and after a  the winter we  had here in New England, it is  more welcome than ever before! It is a great time to read some Spring themed poetry and exploring the yard for new life!

A favorite seasonal poem book is "Be Blest" by Mary Beth Owens.

A great way to do English Grammar in the springtime is called Copy work. Have the kids copy a poem paying attention to the punctuation and spelling. It gives them an appreciation for good literature as well!

Right now my daughter, who is in sixth grade, is copying this poem called, " Nest Eggs" by Robert Louis Stevenson illustrated by Tasha Tudor.

Hunting for signs of new life in our front and backyard is always a treat especially when we find ...

I hope you have a blessed Spring!

 

Cotton Plant Stems DIY

I decided to try and make some adorable cotton plant stems. I first saw them on, " Fixer Upper" an awesome HGTV program. I then saw the idea of how to make your own at Prodigal Pieces blog! Both of these ladies have great ideas.

Found in my backyard...

cut open seed pods and hot glue gun 2or 3 cotton balls together and then to the pod itself. You can glue pieces of potpourri to the bottom as well. I saw a bag of brown potpourri at the Dollar Tree which would work just as well. You could then glue then to ordinary sticks.

This one I cut off the stem for another project.

Add a burlap bow and a $3 tin from target and...

you have a cute way to welcome family and friends to your home!! Come on over to Shabby Nest's Frugal Friday for more ideas!

Bless My Blooms

Winter this year has been so very harsh. Every few days we have gotten snow and the temperatures have been below zero at times. This makes me long for green grass and blossoming trees but since there is none of that right now, I like to bring some blooms into our home!

 I like to get bulbs because they are a fun and easy way to accomplish a small indoor garden that will bring some outdoor nature into our home.

We like to use small pebbles and gravel to plant them in. The younger kids like to help with the planting. 

Kids get such a sense of accomplishment when they participate in these kind of activities. they love to watch them grow each day and see the fruit of their labor.

These bulbs are actually paper white  bulbs. They will grow about 12 inches high and produce little white blossoms with a touch of orange around the center. I hope they grow nicely in our home and bless us with their beautiful blooms!

Come to the Linky Party at Shabby Nest's Frugal Friday