Feathered Friends~

My dad cut cedar off his farm and had it cut into planks.
He gave us some to make bird feeders for our many Feathered Friends~

Scott came up with the design all on his own~

Everyone loved them so we filled them and hung in many trees~

It is one of great joys to watch the birds and look through our books to identify them~

Loving Nature is Loving God!

Nature Bird Study~

We are following a wonderful nature book and this week we were to observe nesting birds~

It just so happens the same birds come back to a nest nestled up on the gutter right outside our bedroom window~

The kids stand and watch the birds flying in and out of the nest!

We went out looking for other nests and chose pinecones for bird feeders~

 We spread them with peanut butter and covered in birdseed then hung on our tree~

I had grand plans that they would draw birds while I read the huge stack of books pictured above~

 But as you can see, they had their own ideas to draw so who I am to get in the way~

 I'd say everything they drew are masterpieces~

 We even made our own little bird watching window complete with books to identify with~

A fun day in Nature!

Birds Everywhere~

We have nests of eggs and baby birds all over our yard so we pulled out our bird books~

 And painted bird nests with a fork~

 Beautiful Art Stories~

It is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all.
~ Laura Ingalls Wilder

More Bird Books~

I reserved another stack of bird books and Savannah picked them up at the library for us~

 Literacy going on naturally around our house:

Payne copying words off the dishwasher like the repair man just did.

SJ dressing and bringing her owl friend, Swoops, for mystery reader (all her idea).

 Everyone sculpting with playdoh while listening during read aloud.

Our bible time books are amazing...

I heard about Read Aloud Bible Stories from a podcast on Read Aloud Revival #22~

 We have also been watching Caldecott stories via DVD and LOVE them!

Make Way for Ducklings!

We have also spent much time outside soaking up God and nature~

Kids don't need many toys to play, of any particular one. 

What they need most of all is unstructured time.

 (Simplicity Parenting)

Fun Friday~ {Bird Nests}

We read the cutest book called Mama built a little nest~

 We gathered all our supplies including a box out of recycling to make our patterns for tracing.

Everyone did a great job tracing a bird nest then painting it with a FORK~

 Traced and cut out a mother bird then painted eggs and baby birds in the nest~

We have several nests around our house we are observing 

and SO hoping to get a glimpse of our very own little bird family!!!

We continue to enjoy Burgess Bird Book and Trumpet of the Swans.

More bird books next week.

The Bird Box~

EK and I put together all the necessary items needed for superb bird watching~

 A tackle box with art supplies, Bird Logs, and Bird guides~

Today they watched for birds right outside our windows~

 And recorded observations in their logs~

There is something of the Marvelous in all things of Nature.
~ Aristotle

Bird Unit Study~

Scott went out to clean a nest from our light this weekend and got a sweet little surprise... 5 baby birds.

SO he left them alone and have watched the mother bird fly in and out of the nest about a 1000 times each day.

We got back to school this week and I decided I would read a bird book for FIAR to begin a Bird Unit Study~

EK pulled all her bird books and spend tons of time researching the bird nesting in our light.

She even schooled the other littles.

We are spending lots of time on the floor so they can come to me~

AND Amelia has been spending time teaching art lessons~

All in all a good start back even with a 'sick' mom as the littles refer to me. :)