Autumn Leaves Crunch

We headed to the park, as usual, for our Monday afternoon outdoors time and some nature study inspiration.  Today was an extra special trip:  Dad was around, woo-hoo! This meant we could drive two cars and take six bikes with us!!

As we walked the trail I couldn't help but just admire the leaves on the trees.  In California you tend to notice the evergreens more than the deciduous, but there are a few trees that still give us that autumn color inspiration.


California Sycamore - Platanus Racemosa

 



 

and

 

American Sweetgum - Liquidambar Styraciflua

 

 

The second thing about these trees that always give us just a bit of the autumn feel is the leaves we see on the ground.  We don't get to see many leaf piles, so we have to settle on those few that we happen upon.

But you want to know what my kids favorite part of all these leaves is:

 

The CRUNCH they make when you ride your bike over them!

The Scarecrow

I just had to share : )  We had our annual Halloween Party with our home school group today.  The kids always look forward to this get together.  They play games, have lunch and just enjoy their friends.  The costumes are always cute, sweet and mostly home made.

Let me back track just a bit before I go on.  In a September post I shared the books that were going into our nature study area book basket.  A particular book in my list that has been a joy is The Scarecrow by Caroline Rush.  This has turned out to be such a sweet gem.  There is a little bit of whimsy and nature study all in this cute living story book.  My boys have looked forward to our weekly short chapter readings.  It's been difficult to keep to just one chapter per reading as it is a small book ; )

Each chapter starts with the old farmer hiding in the pea stalks waiting to listen to a pair of field mice. The older mouse tells stories about how each part of the scarecrow just happened upon this particular scarecrow, currently their autumn home.  The chapters usually end something like this:

"And that is the story of the straw," said the older mouse.
 That night, as the old man walked home to his tea, he smiled.
"I always wondered where those two ducks went to." And he whistled as he walked home

Well, back to my Halloween party:  my oldest son decided on his costume this year.  I'm sure you've guessed what he chose ; )

A Day at the Pumpkin Patch

We do enjoy our annual visit to the ranch this time of year for their fall pumpkin patch displays.  The kids had so much fun riding the cow train and tractor wagon; petting the animals; and just enjoying the beautiful fields of sunflowers and pumpkins.

Dad enjoyed chasing the kids through a dried wheat labyrinth and then they spent some time finding their way through a very tall green corn stalk maze.

He's coming!

Our pumpkin picks were great this year.  The kids can't wait to start carving and cooking with them.  While we were waiting for dad, great aunt and grandma to carry out the two filled wagons of pumpkins the kids noticed a few milkweed plants filled with monarch caterpillars. (we really have to plant some of these in our backyard)

Another great year at the ranch.  Our fall reading has really helped the kids enjoy this trip and the season so far.  One last picture of our day:

My husband joked that if I could I probably would take this home and fill it with books ; )

Fall is Here!

Like I mentioned in my last post: it's been hot around here!  It never fails, though, just around this time of year the little signs start popping up.  The big maple at the bottom of the hill is changing colors, the birds start flying in big numbers, the winds pick up... But our biggest aha moment was this Monday when we made our weekly trip to our neighborhood park.  We've been sitting under the same oak tree all summer.  Some of the kids will bring their nature journals along and make entries.  Mama found a perfect one this week: the leaves right above us.

I've been checking my favorite etsy stores for some fall Montessori & nature activities for my little guys.  They've really enjoyed that there is always something waiting for them to do in this little spot.  I put several counting and sorting type activities for them in a basket and on the table:

For my bigger kiddos I've enjoyed having an identification chart on my frame and

our book basket.  We have our usual favorites that we enjoy this time of year, but I only put some new titles in the basket this season.  Our inspiration this fall comes from Dorothy Sterling's Fall Is Here! and Tasha Tudor's Pumpkin Moonshine (we can't wait for annual pumpkin picking).

 

The new to us titles include:

* Fall Is Here! by Dorothy Sterling
*The Scarecrow by Caroline Rush (daughter of Mary Norton)
*The Very Best Pumpkin by Mark Kimball Moulton
*From Seed to Pumpkin by Wendy Pfeffer
*A Forest Year by Carol Lerner
*Into the Pumpkin by Linda Franklin (more of a halloween book, but some neat illustrations)
*Witches, Pumpkins, and Grinning Ghosts by Edna Barth

Weekend Trail

It was another hot weekend around here, but we had planned to go on a nature hike with my sister in law and her boyfriend.  So we did!  My husband picked a short and very shaded trail:

It is located behind the Chumash Indian Museum (we're scheduled to tour the inside next month with our California History group).  The kids enjoy a rest stop near the huts and village area;  their favorite part of this trail:

As the trail was getting clearly narrow and full of poison oak we decided to stop.  We turned around to head back but not before climbing a very steep incline that led to some cool rocks.  A new adventure for the kids so climb we did! You'll forgive me but I didn't take pictures of the inside of a small cave the kids found.  You see I made the climb with a toddler on my back...thank goodness for my Ergo ; )  I was busy trying to figure out how I'd get down and making sure nobody would slide off!!  I did manage to take this shot of the outside:

And let me say thank goodness for husbands ... he carried the baby down :D

The Rainbow



taken by my little sister on Labor Day in our backyard : D



The Rainbow

by David McCord

The rainbow arches in the sky,

But in the earth it ends;

But if you ask the reason why,

They'll tell you: "That depends."

It never comes without the rain,

Nor goes without the sun;

But though you try with might and main,

You'll never catch me one.

Perhaps you'll see it once a year,

Perhaps you'll say: "No, twice";

But every time it does appear,

It's very clean and nice.

If I were God, I'd like to win

At sun-and-moon croquet:

I'd drive the rainbow-wickets in

And ask someone to play.

Just One More Beach Day: Part 3

Dad is working the entire Labor Day weekend so on one of his days off this past week we decided to have one last run at the beach before fall becomes apparent.  What a beautiful day:

We've seen so many things on our trips to the sand this summer, but the kids did not expect to see one of these trotting along the shore, yes, it's a horse!

I think that even topped off observing the washed up elephant seal in July and all the porpoise I could never catch on camera! I enjoyed the breeze and light wind.  Even those elements were noticed by the kids and they couldn't help but have small talk on how that was affecting their waves and booggie boarding for the day ; )  After a few tries my boys and I were finally able to take a picture of a flock of bird's amazing V formation (hope you can see them).  Bird formation just always gets oohs' and ahs' from my little guys:

And lastly, our summer beach study couldn't be complete if mom didn't do something, I mean make a nature journal entry, of all the seaweed specimens the boys kept bringing me : O After all we've compared at least three different kinds, taken them home and looked at them under a microscope all summer.  When I was done I got a "that looks good mom" and they moved on to something else ; )

Have a wonderful Labor Day weekend all!