Wondrous Weather

Here in Houston it has rained for two days in a row!  It only totaled about 3.5 inches, but it helped to alleviate some of the drought we've been facing since about January.  3.5 inches might sound like a lot to some of you, but by this time last year we had about 18 inches fall.  So we are still in a major rain deficit, but this nice soaking helped with a number of things.

It helped to put out some of the wildfires in counties around Eastern Texas.  It helped to water our scorched backyard.  It gave the birds a much needed bath.  Dirty birds.  It helped to drive down our record heat wave.  And it gave us the perfect opportunity to talk about the weather.

Usually, talking about the weather is a sign that a conversation has stalled.  Not so for the Becker household.  We took this opportunity to use our senses.  What were the things we heard?  Thunder.  Birds singing their rain songs.  What colors did we see in the sky?  Shades of grey.  Bright white and blue.  What did we feel when we were outside?  Raindrops slowly falling.  The hot sun on our faces.  Yes, indeed.  The rain gave us an opportunity to discover.

It also gave us the opportunity to learn about weather systems.  Why it rains and how to predict the weather were a couple of the things we got to discuss.  This week I am encouraging Orry to draw pictures of the weather he experienced that day.  Today the drawings were done outside with chalk.

Opportunities to discover something new happen everyday.  We just have to be open to seeing them.  Sometimes it means that we have to look down and dig through the dirt a little.  Sometimes it's as simple as looking up and noticing the birds in the trees; finding a nest to observe.  And if we are lucky, our children will make the opportunities for us by asking curious questions.  We are all so lucky to live in a wondrous world!