Nurturing a Naturalist

Nature and I have a lukewarm relationship.  Half the time, I love it.  The other half the time, I don't love it. I love rays of sunshine peeking through rain clouds.  I don't love sunburns.   I love flowers and butterflies.  I don't love flying insects that bite/sting.  I love birds and the melodious songs they sing.  I don't love bird poo on my car every morning.

Many a mother, I'm sure, has come to point in their lives where they have to overcome their dislike of things for the sake of their children.  Maybe you had to eat more veggies so little Johnny would know, by example, that eating veggies is the cool thing to do.  Maybe you had to watch Barney a time or two.  (Or worse, Caillou.)  Me, I had to stop screaming like a wild banshee and kill a wasp a time or two.   And so, I'm getting over my "don't loves" of nature to embrace my inner naturalist (and I should specify that I'm not referring to those who like to go around "naturally", rather those who love to explore nature).  

I'm taking the time to stop and look at those creepy, crawly things.  The boys really do love this.  We caught a baby lizard and let it run up and down our arms, giggling with sheer delight.  We saved many an earthworm.  Blugh.  We've listened to the cicadas and even found a few shells hanging on the trees.  We discovered that something ate all the leaves off our tomato plant and we found the culprit:

A hornworm

Here's its frass (a fancy word for poo)

But it's not just the creepy crawlies that the kids love.  They also love bird watching (probably because I love bird watching) and predicting the weather.  And recently, HMNS Sugarland (for you Houston moms) put in a new exhibition called Animal Secrets.  Kids can explore (indoors, at that!) different habitats and learn about the natural world and the animals that can be found in the different habitats.  The exhibit was designed to develop empathy for the natural world by encouraging role play (pretending to be chipmunks and finding hidden acorns and storing them inside a tree that big enough for 3 kids to fit into...so cool) and giving them a hands on experience with various natural materials (real wood blocks made from sections of tree branches, real animal pelts and skulls).  It's a great exhibit and I encourage everyone to try and visit.  It runs until September 9th.  (And when I say everyone, I mean everyone.  It's an exhibit from the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry.  It travels, so if it comes near you, go!)

Now for a DIY section.  Some things to do/make at home to further assist in viewing and exploring nature in your backyard.  

• a bug box
• a butterfly net
• a garden (the tinier, the better)
• pressed flowers
• a bird journal

I can't wait to get out there, explore nature, and make my own bird journal!  At least that's what I keep chanting to myself.  Here's to a hot relationship with nature.  But not like this.

A Wild Thing

Troy isn't home this Father's Day.  Boo!  We sure did miss him.  Maybe that's the best part about him being gone on Father's Day.  We really got a taste of life without him (sort of) and now we really know that life with him is way better.  But not to worry, we will still celebrate when he comes home!

So, instead of dwelling on the fact that my better half is missing, I'll tell you a little ditty about my own dad.

I have a lot of fond memories of my father.  My dear, kind, patient, generous father.  Let's see.  There's the time that he took me fishing and I refused to used the bathroom off the side of the boat.  He had to take me back to shore and I don't remember him once yelling at me or even rolling his eyes.  Another fond memory is riding bikes with him.  This was back in the day when safety concerns weren't as high as they are today.  No helmets.  No fancy schmancy padded bike seat with a reclining feature that's been crash tested.  It was a plastic seat attached to the back of the bike with a nylon strap across the lap.  But boy, did I sure love to get placed in there and go for a ride with the wind in my hair and my daddy's back in my face.  I also remember having "fight nights" with my dad.  He would get out a big blanket and roll us up like burritos and then, you guessed it, pull the blanket really fast thus sending us rolling across the carpet, laughing until it felt like our sides would burst.  Another favorite of "fight night" was when my dad would get on all fours and drape the blanket over his back.  He made one very ominous tunnel that he would then coax us to crawl through.  He would let us get through a couple of time, unscathed.  Then he would collapse on us and tickle us, again, until we laughed so hard we thought our sides would burst.

But my favorite memory has to be when he would read Where the Wild Things Are.  He was great at reading that book.  Maybe it was because he had it memorized for 4 years before I even came along.  I was watching and participating in a mastered work of art.  That book just lends itself to audience participation.  Oh, the terrible roars!  And I'm sure you would have thought us rabid if you were witness to the gnashing of terrible teeth.  With the rolling of terrible eyes and the showing of terrible claws, there would be no doubt in your mind where the wild things really were.  The most satisfying part of the book, in my opinion, is the last page.

A couple of weeks ago, I had the extreme surprise and pleasure of watching my father read Where the Wild Things Are to my children.  He pulled out a copy that was falling apart.  Its once crisp white pages were yellowed.  Needless to say, it had seen better days; the days of my youth.  He read them the story, of Max and his wolf suit, and their attention was rapt.  You should have heard the wild rumpus!  It sounded the same as when I was a wee one.  Much like a scene from a John Wayne movie with cowboys and Indians, I imagine.  The following morning Isaac came down the stairs wanting to hear the story again.  He was hooked.  So with a new copy in hand, my dad read to them, again, the story of the Wild Things.  Oh, joy of joys!

I'm so thankful, on this Father's Day, for my father.  Jeffery, king of all wild things.

Dragging in June

Three days until Orry's birthday.  I can actually only say that for another 3 minutes.  Crikey.  Well, if you are wondering about our list, you can check on it here.  Not much as changed.  15 more things to do.  Too little time.

Here are some pictures of the most recent things we did:

The grandparents came for a visit

We picked blueberries with our friends

We played at a new exhibit at HMNS Sugarland

And we saw the Transit of Venus

That last event was quite a thrill.  The kids really enjoyed it.  Well, the ones that saw it did...

We've gotten off to a slow start in June.  Maybe it's the heat.  Maybe it's the fact that Troy is working this month and is gone from the house for 12 hours a day, 6 days a week.  Whatever it is, we've got to shake it off and finish that list!  Here's to more motivation!!  Maybe we can squeeze at least one more thing in before Monday...

I-S-A-A-C

My little guy turned four yesterday.  Geez.  It's so strange to think that he's one more year away from kindergarten.  He's always been my little guy.  Here's a picture of what he looked like day before yesterday.

No lie.  

Today he can spell and write his name.  He can count to 11 with no mistakes, most of the time.  He can read LEGO "destructions" and build a flying reptile all by himself.  And he pees standing up.  What a proud mother I am.  

We didn't celebrate his birthday too much today.  For one thing, we just got done celebrating at his grandparents house.  He got a bike and LEGOs.  He had a cake and blew out candles.  He ate one of his favorite meals, Mamita Donna's red beans and rice with sausage.

The birthday boys

For another thing, we are having a birthday party this weekend.  So I think it's okay that we played it low key.  He got a happy meal and a chocolate cake.  And he got to play, all day.  With LEGOs and Orry and Annie.  Lucky. 

So here's to you, my little bubba dinosaur lover.  I hope you have another wonderful year full of growth, health, and happiness.  And don't forget the dinosaurs.  Lots and lots of dinosaurs.

Almost There

14 more days to go.  Eekkk!  I guess we'd better get to it, then.  18 things left to check off the list!

There was the Mercer Arboretum and Botanical Gardens.  I guess you could say that I cheated a bit by putting these as separate things to do.  They are the same place, but they are separated by a road.  But can you blame me for taking a short cut?

We had our Parish Picnic for church.  It was a fiesta.  Hands down, best photo.

The Williams Tower, near the Galleria, and a clear shot up Orry's nose.

Not on the list, but more exciting than the tower, the Water Wall.  Can't you just tell that Annie is so excited to be there?  She can't contain herself...

Almost more exciting than the Water Wall, a dead pigeon.  I think he flew into Williams Tower.  

Definitely more exciting than the above three combined, the LEGO store in the Galleria.

Orry got to fly a kite thanks to our dear friends, the Bentrups.

Ahhhh!  The new paleontology hall opened up at HMNS!!  It's super spectacular and I encourage everyone to go and see it.

Isaac got a bike for his birthday!  Thanks Mamita Donna and Papa Jeffery!  He really likes it and they both had a blast riding bikes.

Orry caught the first fish of the day!  A 16+ inch redfish.  A keeper!  We'll be eating it soon.  He was a bit grossed out by the blood. 

Added bonus, driving the boat!  Look Ma, no hands!

Look the gator!  No, seriously.  We saw quite a few gators while riding and fishing.  It was a bit unnerving fishing with them so close.  

And finally, waterballon fun.  Even though they had a hard time popping the balloons, they had a good time trying.  And they eventually popped them all.  

Will we get through all 60?  I don't think so.  But we are having a great time trying.  And tomorrow we will surely check another thing off our list as we celebrate Isaac's 4th birthday!  The time sure does fly when you are having fun.  

Leggo My LEGO

Up until this week Isaac has been very content to watch Orry build LEGO sets.  Sometimes he would peek into the big box of LEGO toys, maybe even attempt to click a few bricks together.   But this week, that all changed.  Isaac was very insistent that he put a set together.  So I humored him.  Little did I know that I would be the one with all the giggles.

 He did very good for his first try.  He put all the pieces together by himself.  I was simply there to help him find the pieces that had gone astray and to help him understand some of the symbols in the instructions.  It probably took him a solid hour, but he completed the set and was ready to work it again.  (It was a Creator set, for those of you who know LEGO.  It is one set of bricks that can be built into three different things.)  I didn't get any pictures that time because I was too busy having my mind blown at just how focused he was on completing this task.  It goes without saying that I could wipe the grin off my face.  My little boy is growing up!

So the next day, I took some photos.  This time he went for the log cabin set.  Here's how it went:

So many pieces...

Building the walls...

Putting in the table and chairs...

The fireplace, complete with bull horns

All that's missing is the roof (and can you find the chicken leg?)

Oh, and don't forget the water and the duck.

It took just about everything in Orry's power not to take over the project.  Orry is a faster builder.  He doesn't ask as many questions as Isaac.  He's had more practice.  But lucky for us we have plenty to sets to keep them both occupied.  It has actually been a strange week.  Isaac's new interest in the LEGO toys has renewed Orry's interest.  I find there is less fighting when they are together if they are both working on a set.  And they do interact with each other.  Orry has been very helpful, giving pointers and telling Isaac where his mistakes are.  It's quite nice, I must admit.  Quiet too.

Now, as for that problem of the tiny pieces that somehow always go missing....

My Only Request

This Mother's Day I had one thing on my mind.  Breakfast in bed?  Not a big deal.  Chores?  Would be nice if someone else did them, but no.  Relaxation?  Hmm, maybe. 

Snowcones.  Yep, that's right.  All I wanted to was to hunt down an ice cold, sugary snowcone.

Here I'm enjoying a coconut snowcone.  I can thank my smart mother for my love of the coconut flavored cone.  As a child who grew up in the hot hot South, snowcones (or snowballs, as they are also called) were a familiar summer treat.  The coconut flavor (as well as pina colada) is clear and thus is not capable of staining clothes.  

Clearly I didn't inherit my mother's sensible side.  Luckily no one spilled on themselves (with the exception of my child-like hubby).   But even if we did, nothing could have ruined our day.  We were headed to the beach!  

I know that by now you must think that we are beach bums.  And I'd have to say that you might be right.  We just can't help but head down there when we have free time.  Somehow, the waves and the wind seem to make you forget all about everything.  Just what a mom with an overworked brain needs every once and a while.  And here's the special treat that magically appeared on the beach.  

Well, to some passerby it might seem like magic.  To me it was more like a simple combination of gratitude and kindness.  Love built that sandcastle.  And I loved it!  

It was a great Mother's Day.   I'll leave you with more pictures of our snowcone/beach adventure.

I hope all you mothers had a happy Mother's Day.  May you all be celebrated every day of the year.