In the Sparrow's Nest - Homeschool Blogger

2009 Homeschool Blog Awards

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 09:32:00 -0600

The voting for the Homeschool Blog Awards for 2009 is now open.

Thank you so much if you nominated my blog for Best Photos and Artistic Content Blog!

If you have enjoyed the nature photography featured on my blog I would very much appreciate your VOTE!

The Colors of Autumn

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 06:22:00 -0500

Autumn for us this year has been very wet. Lots of rain and overcast skies. But, on those beautiful sunshiney days we've been sure to get outside to enjoy the brillance of the fall colors. Cranberry Red, Flame Red, Pumpkin Orange, Deep Purple and Golden Yellow are some of the colors we've been appreciating. Here are some photos from a couple our nature walks so I can share the beautiful colors with you.

Be sure not to miss getting outside during this wonderful, beautiful time of year with your children!

During the last few weeks we've been studying Deciduous Trees, I also wrote a post over at Shining Dawn Books about studying trees with Preschoolers and Toddlers. Check it out too if you'd like!

Migration and Hibernation

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 20:21:00 -0500

As the winter season approaches many animals are preparing for what lays ahead. Plumeting temperatures and lack of food drive many animals to migrate or hibernate. Yet still some stick around to tough it out by adapting. This last week we've been busy watching the many signs of animals preparing. We've seen large flocks of migrating birds, insects disappearing, animals foraging for food to store up and many, many more.

Just two days ago my son came running in the house with a Monarch stuck on his jacket proclaiming that the poor thing just flew right over and landed on him. I was shocked that it was still here since I figured they were all well on their way migrating south.

Also, I shared previously with you a photo of our backyard groundhog. Well since the temperatures are plumeting even more he's been getting a bit more daring by allowing us to get closer to get a photo! He's fattening up for sure, looks plumper than the when we saw him the day before! Soon, he will snuggle down deep in his burrow for a long winter snooze.

We are trying our best to enjoy these wonderful creatures because we know it's only a matter of time before we will have to say goodbye for the winter. What signs of animals coping with the cold are you observing? If you have a chance check out our newly released unit, Coping wih the Cold - How Animals Survive the Winter Season, over at Shining Dawn Books. It is a perfect nature study for this time of year and throughout the cold winter months!

Spinning Plates

Sun, 11 Oct 2009 17:16:00 -0500

I imagine it like one of those talented entertainers, such as jugglers, who can spin six or more plates on the ends of tiny sticks all at the same time. Except I am not talented to do so. Whenever I get too many things on the schedule, I feel like a juggler trying to keep all of my responsibilities spinning at the same time effectively. It never fails that at least one of those plates comes tumbling down crashing to the ground. This past couple of weeks one of the plates that has fallen has "blogging" written on it! So sorry I've been missing for so long. I'm truly struggling to balance everything in my life right now. BUT, nevertheless I'm working on it, slowly.

So if you are still with me, thank you! And I'd like to share a couple of photos of signs of fall. The local groundhog has been visiting our yard daily to fatten himself up for his upcoming long winter's nap. This is the best photo I can get of him with my zoom all the way in. He's very jumpy, at the slightest sound he takes off running as fast as his little stubby legs can go and hops back in his burrow.

The second photo is of one of the many cool air foggy sunrises that I've been enjoying.

I genuinely hope to be back to my regular blogging schedule soon. Until then, I'm praying that you are enjoying the crisp Autumn air in your neck of the woods.

It's Goldenrod Time

Sun, 27 Sep 2009 17:34:00 -0500

The goldenrod is yellow,

The corn is turning brown,

The trees in apple orchards,

With fruit are bending down.

- taken from September by Helen Hunt Jackson

Crowns of Goldenrod are showing themselves across the fields and along the creeksides. This is a sure sign of Autumn around my house. On my nature walk just a bit ago I snapped this photo of one with the sun beginning to make its descent in the western sky behind it.

There are other signs of Autumn showing themselves all around. Be sure to take a nature walk this week with your children and make a verbal (written if you want) list of what signs you are observing. Here are a few things we have noticed:

Fall Wildflowers - such as the Goldenrod and all kinds of Asters
Lowering Temperatures - temperatures this week will be mostly in the high 60's
Migrating Flocks of Birds - we are just starting to see them
Leaves Changing Colors and Falling - leaves are just beginning to change colors and fall off the trees, especially the early sleepers like the Black Walnut
Insects Diminishing - because of the cooler temperatures we are seeing less and less butterflies and bees
Clearer Skies - less humidity in the air makes for crystal blue skies; this is a GREAT time for cloud gazing
Less Daylight Hours
Squirrels and Chipmunks Gathering and Cracking Nuts

What signs are you seeing in your neck of the woods? Or perhaps you are on the other side of the equator and are beginning to enjoy the signs of spring!

Noticing Details - Seeing Nature Up Close

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 15:55:00 -0500

For our nature walk today we visited the empty lot next to our suburbia house, which is a place we frequently go for nature study. While I recommend visiting different places for study, I also recommend visiting the same places often too. You might think that we'd tire of walking and studying the same areas; however I've found that just about each day we can find something new, something interesting that we hadn't noticed before. Especially through the changes in seasons there are many new discoveries to be had right in the same area.

This is very beneficial in the area of observation skills. By visiting the same place multiple times you are able to notice more and more things that perhaps you hadn't noticed before. Just like when you watch the same movie more than once you notice something different you hadn't before; except with nature study the scenes never get old because the canvas is always changing. Back in the winter this same field was covered in sparkling ice.

Also, the more experienced we become in our nature study the more details we notice in things. It seems kids are particularly naturally good at this, I'd venture to say even better than adults at noticing the details in God's creation. They've taught me to look closer and then closer again.

Another way to notice details is using the modern technology of macro photography. There have been so many times that after a nature walk I've uploaded my photos into our computer and looked at a photo and have been in awe of something I'll see that I hadn't noticed when I was taking the photo. Such as in the case of this closeup of a Queen Anne's Lace wildflower that has gone to seed. I never noticed the little thorns all around the tiny seeds. Obviously God's gift to the seed to help it spread by latching itself on to travelers passing by. The kids and I marveled at this photo for several moments talking about how amazing it was.

We also marveled at this photo of an ant hill that I took while we were out there. Somehow macro brings even grains of dirt alive.

Another detail we noticed was that while something may look quite dead such as the above Queen Anne's Lace or this Thistle below, by noticing the seeds it once again becomes just as interesting to us as when it was fully in bloom. We think it's amazing that God gifted this wildflower with the ability to spread by wind! Isn't it beautiful?!

Of course we were obliged to help it along by pulling some of the seeds out and tossing them in the breeze.

If you havn't been much into the details of nature before, start now. The next time you are out on a nature walk alone or with your children, notice something simple, something that maybe perhaps you might not have noticed for it's lack of flare. Then lean in and look closely. What do you see? Then look closer even closer. What do you see now? It just might be the most amazing thing you've ever seen.

Classical Music Journal

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 19:19:00 -0500

This month we have moved on to studying a new composer, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

I have made up a journal/worksheet for my kids to grab and use. If you would like to download the Classical Music Journal, click on the link below.

Week-at-a-Glance

Sun, 13 Sep 2009 13:41:00 -0500

This past week has been super busy...thus the lack of blogging. So here is my attempt to catch you up with a "little" of what's been going on.

Last Friday (9/4) we took a field trip to the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati with students from our co-op. This went along with the Civil War class that the kids are in at co-op.

After that, friends were in visiting all Labor Day weekend. Our friends have a total of eight children, here are their two oldest girls with Hannah. These girls are like sisters, they've grown up together.

On the schoolfront, we finished up studying Paul Cezanne and Frederic Chopin by painting outside and listening to a CD of Chopin's compositions.

We've started our studies on Fruits and Nuts. You can check out my post on that at Fun with Fruits and Nuts over at Shining Dawn Books.

On the nature front, lots has been going on. It's the beginning of Autumn for sure. There's a crispness in the morning air, and the clear blue skies signify very low humidity. It's been so beautiful!

With the onset of cooler temps seems the frogs have gotten a lot slower moving because at one time last week Alex had seven frogs in his aquarium! I'm encouraging him to enjoy them, for it won't be long before they suddenly disappear. The boy seriously loves frogs!

We've immensely enjoyed the Corn Moon. This is the best shot my camera would give me.

And oh how I've enjoyed the cool and foggy sunrises.

And the birds have already been flying overhead in massive migrating flocks...yes indeed, Autumn is on it's way.

So, thus why I've been out frequently trying to get this photograph of the Monarch that frequents in the field next door...I know that they'll be gone soon too. This one blessed me today by holding as still as could be while I photographed away! I do believe he was seriously enjoying the nectar in the Red Clover.

And last, but not least, I've still been busy with my wildflower photography. Here is just one of the many I've been capturing lately. There are many varieties of Thistle blooming right now, this one is the Canada Thistle.

Oh, and also our home school co-op officially started back up this past Friday, yippee! Our first day was a huge success!

So what's been going on in your neck of the woods?

Happy Labor Day Weekend!

Sat, 5 Sep 2009 19:43:00 -0500

My Daddy and Me

Thu, 3 Sep 2009 06:28:00 -0500

This is my Daddy and me.

This photo is from this past weekend. We were on one of our many nature adventures to one of our favorite local parks (can you see the flowing creek in the background?). My sweet hubby was with us this time to take the photo. My Daddy and I share more than our good looks (), we also share a deep love of God's creation. On our nature walks we often talk about how wonderful it'll be walking around Heaven together with our Lord exploring His creation. When we discover new things on our walks you'd might think we were both kids again, we get so excited.

At the end of this year he will be retiring, praise the Lord, after working as a carpenter and shop foreman at the same company for over 45 years. He went to work to help support his family (his Mother and siblings) when he was only 15 years old, when his Daddy died. And he's never stopped supporting a family since then. I can't wait until his retirement; there are promises of more frequent nature adventures together.

He just recently got his dream camera, equipped with a totally cool lens! So, we've been having fun with that. Here are some photos from our nature trek together that day.

Skipper Butterfly

Shelf Fungus

Huge Millipede - the largest we have in Kentucky!

It curled up into an armored ball when we messed with it.

And then took right back off again.

A Buckeye tree loaded with fruit

Good thing Daddy always has is trusty pocket knife on him cause I really wanted to see one of those Buckeyes inside!

Oh, and one last photo...my kids love to go fishing with Grandpa too; Grandpa tells me that Gabby caught this fish all on her own. My Daddy likes to tell "fish stories" too.