Counting Butterflies

This has been a birthday weekend.  We celebrated our oldest God daughter's birthday on Saturday.  She is such a sweet girl, very much a princess.  I'm super excited about the fact that her parents decided to homeschool earlier this year.  I've enjoyed sharing my humble journey with them.  Their oldest is a month younger than my third grader.  Back to our sweet princess, though.  She turned four!  Which means she will begin some preschool learning and do school with her brother.  I thought I'd help her out a little and give her a nice gift so she can practice her counting a la Charlotte Mason this year.

I sewed a set of ten bean bags with all kinds of very pretty fabrics and included just a little lavender in them to wake up some senses.  I thought the book, Counting in the Garden by Kim Parker, was just absolutely adorable and so feminine.  Not to mention all the nature included in the book.  I hope she enjoys it.  Now, I have to go buy some more masculine fabric to make some for my boys.  Our last set, which I used to help my now kindergartner to learn counting, is pretty much scattered all over the house.  We need a new set!

Where do the butterflies come in?  Well, her mom is such a creative lady that when we got to the party my kids were more than thrilled and excited.  We didn't know what to expect, but had a hint from the invitation.  There was a merry go round and we guessed that one...But there was also a butterfly pavilion.  My kids were ecstatic.  We have been going to the Butterfly Pavilion at the Natural History Museum since we started home schooling.  This was the first year we didn't make it out there.  And for several weekends now I've missed having my camera with me when we've seen these beautiful winged creatures.  Including at the party.  Our friend never seizes to amaze us.  As we were leaving she hands each child a party box and warns me of its contents, so be careful.

We get home and each one gets to open their box...one, two, three, four, five, six...beautiful monarch butterflies in our house!!  The kids quickly get their butterfly tent and a clear container with a colander on the top.  They rush outside, mind you it is dark by now, to cut some flowers and leaves.  "Oh, no we don't have any milkweed or lantana in this yard," says my oldest.  "We have to ask Poppy to bring some tomorrow, Monarchs like those plants," she continues.  "Dandelions, we have those,"  and off they go to cut some. Quickly our favorite butterfly books get pulled out for inspection and review. 

In case your wondering these are some of our favorites:  Monarch and Milkweed by Helen Frost, The Butterflies Come by Leo Politi, Butterflies in the Garden by Carol Lerner, Where Butterflies Grow by Joanne Ryder, and Magnificent Monarchs by Linda Glaser.  Can you guess which is the most common butterfly we see around here? ; )

Ah, yes we did celebrate another birthday on Sunday, but not before the kids took out the watercolors.  Then they had fun releasing them and watching them flutter away.  It was a wonderful weekend.