The Figeater Beetle and Science for My Boys

Have you ever felt like your kids don't think your interesting?  I sometimes do!  There are plenty of times while I'm outside watering or doing yard work that I'll call my boys to see something and there response is "oh, that, we've seen it...it's a ___" and walk away.  But last Friday I had a break through.  Sitting on our window screen was this huge colorful bug:

Figeater Beetle (Cotinis mutabilis)

 I called the boys to see it and this time..."Wow, what is it?!"  Mad rush to get our tweezers and a plastic container for further observation of course ; )  They looked at it, turned it around, used our scopes, took pictures and on and on.

My second grader decided to take out the watercolors and add an entry into his nature journal while my first grader and I did some research on the computer.  We discovered that the Figeater Beetle can be found in California and other humid monsoon areas like Texas.  We have no figs in our backyard so can only guess that our awful humid hot weather brought this huge beetle to our area.  This was interesting!

This is a post that really I'm laughing at myself while I write.  I have four boys and all would rather be outside all day; typical active, energetic little guys looking at things.  But, alas, I'm still a teacher! A planner!  What could my second grader (and brothers) actually enjoy reading for science this year?  I looked through the books I've been slowly collecting and I picked three that I thought would interest him.   Interest being the key word here.  Hmm ... bugs, plants, and animal hiding places!  So good old Mr. Glenn Blough seemed to have everything I needed.  For his first term I chose Discovering Insects by Glenn Blough along with our First Field Guide Insects and to just let him do what he does best: explore outside.  After all, I shouldn't worry to much past this ; )

We had just read the first few pages a couple of days prior to our discovery.  Needless to say my sons were thrilled to spend the afternoon with the Figeater Beetle or Junebug (as it is also called). My boys like figeater much better!  Especially after they saw this short you tube video titled "The Attack of the FigEater Beetles". After we were satisfied with our findings the boys went up our little hill and let him go : D

Boys Science & Nature Study Check!

Crape Myrtle's and First Hook

Our first day is past.  The books got assigned; the planners handed out; the excitement of new beginnings and learning.  After a full mornings work, we headed down to the park with our essentials.  We spent a few hours under the shade of a gorgeous Oak Tree.  The kids always find things to keep themselves occupied, nothing out of the ordinary.  My girls on the other hand... well, they both continued with the spirit of a new school year.

My fourth grader took out her nature journal and made her first entry while under the "pretty wrinkly paper like flowers" (as she described them) of a Crape Myrtle (Lagerstromia):

My oldest has never been interested in much of handicrafts.  She enjoys baking and cooking but does not consider herself artistically creative or crafty.  She is my bookworm!  Yesterday, while I was crocheting, she decided she wanted to learn crochet this year too.  I was so excited and quickly looked in my crochet bag for a hook and ball of yarn.  Her first hook:

Nature Study, check!

Handicrafts, check!

Farewell to Lazy Summer Days

It has been a roller coaster summer for us, yet we managed to maintain true to our lazy summer days philosophy.  My friends know that any park day we happen to meet at, I am always sure to carry a few essentials: picnic basket full of water bottles & snacks, my planning notebook/file(s), possibly a tote filled with books and my crochet bag.


Park Day Essentials!!

I spent the summer letting my kids relax & play while I finished putting together our 2012-2013 school year. Oh, yes, and worked on a little crocheting in between just for me ; ) I was struck this year by how much more confident I was in planning our Charlotte Mason education.  I have successfully transitioned my oldest (and myself) from our textbook, workbook, packaged curriculum days.  I continue to glean from the wonderful resources I have listed on my side bar and found some new titles/options on my own to create a year catered to each one of my children using Ms. Mason's philosophy and methods.  The most fun has been going on my used book sale trips and finding wonderful living book treasures to include in our year.  The hardest part is eliminating choices.  I can't wait to share our picks with you as we start to use them. 

Battle Ship round 1

I was watching my kids play Battle Ship at the park today and I couldn't help but notice how they were plotting coordinates and thinking strategies to get the right hit.  Well, to say the least, it struck me!  This is what I've been doing for the last few years.  I plot and strategize and hope for the right hit.  I continue to learn something new from Ms. Mason but I'm pretty sure I've got a handle on living our education the way she describes.  I'm certainly not plotting blindly anymore.  I see the strategy and now we're living it.  I think myself fortunate that there have not been many misses in my CM or other choices so far; just a few detours and adjustments.  And now, with a few Charlotte Mason years under my belt, I'm really hopeful that our choices are sure to be well received and used by our children. 

Battle Ship round 2

We start our first pre-run week tomorrow.  I like to introduce a few subjects the first week and allow the kids to ease into their full schedule by week two or three.  This gives the kids a chance to transition and also gives me a chance to feel for any needed adjustments; although, changes can still be made as we get further along.  The girls (7th & 4th grade) have been waiting patiently to dive into their history, literature and science book selections.   My boys (2nd & 1st grade) will also be pleasantly surprised by the choices I've made for them.  And, can you believe it, my four and a half year old pictured above is ready to start some small step reading and math this year : O  I'm going to take it slow for his Kinder year but I have a feeling he is going to catch on pretty quick.  He picked up so much from his brother learning to read and work on math last year.  Which leaves my two year old; whom, I expect to just be two.  A handful to say the least.

I hope you are all enjoying what may be for some the last few summer weeks.  As for us, we bid farewell to some wonderful lazy summer days.  I should admit, there is no way of getting away from the heat so I'm sure my kids will still be jumping in a few pools and getting some park day sun in the afternoons. After all I wouldn't be a true CMer if the lovely outdoors weren't still involved ; )

Sea Shore Fun Part 2

We finally made a fun trip out to the beach.  The entire month has been crazy busy around here and to say the least Dad has been trying to keep up.  (He's doing a great job too!)  My California boogie board riders were ready to hit the waves and sand yesterday:

We were there for several hours and the kids were non stop the whole time.  The weather and waves were just right for them.

But enough about fun; lets get down to some nature study. The kids have been enjoying our sea and sea shore readings. They were more than ready to point out a few things all along the beach coast.  We picked a spot and drew a square on the sand:

Within the small square we found several things that we've talked about like a birds feather, seaweed, rocks, shell fragments and even some sand crabs.  After we were done with our square my sons had a blast collecting sand crabs and comparing their sizes.  They filled a bucket with sand/water and couldn't get enough of watching them burrow into the pail.

We also had a very unexpected lesson on sea life and it's dangers.  A huge Elephant Seal was washed up on the beach.  The kids were very intrigued and did walk over to take a look.  Our kind guess is that it was old or maybe met a propeller before washing up to shore.  While we were there two different tractors showed up but it was clear this massive animal would not budge.  We left before we could see it be taken away.  It was sure a topic of some talk.

And wouldn't you know it: mom forgot the discovery scopes : O  We did have plenty of plastic baggies to bring home some samples of our treasures: sea weed, rocks, sand, and even some washed up sand crab shells that we will enjoy examining more closely.

It was a good day!

A Quiet Independence Day

Today will be a quiet and still day at home; a perfect day for reflection.  Holidays feel very different without Dad around, but, alas, work is duty and sometimes it happens.  So instead of a nature walk (like last year) we will snuggle up with a couple of our favorite history authors and read about our Independence Day.  Afterwards, I've already had a request for some silly 4th of July themed movies to watch too.  And much later, we'll try to watch some fireworks from the top of our little hill and I will try to start a pit fire for some smores (yes, this will be a first for me!). 

The 4th of July Story by Alice Dalgliesh and Birthdays of Freedom Book 2 by Genevieve Foster

At dinner tonight, I'll be sure to pull out one of our favorite year round poetry books and read the following:

Prayer on Fourth of July

by Nancy Byrd Turner

This is the birthday of our land;

May all her days be in God's hand.

May all her ways between the seas

Be ways of quietness and peace.

May her good flag shine high and bright,

And all the nations trust its light.

For peace and blessing may she stand,

America our Land!

Have a blessed 4th of July everyone!

Summer Nature Area: Seashells part 1

I'm not sure how many times we'll make it to the beach this summer.  Truth be told the kids have already been out there twice this spring; a very leisurely drive on the PCH to get to Will Roger's Ranch and the other for a scout's beach clean up day.  The second beach outing and this cute little book, The True Book of Pebbles and Shells by Illa Podendorf, were the inspiration for our nature study area this summer about seashells and the seashore:

A few months back I asked another favorite Etsy artist, Aly from The Handmade Classroom, if she could come up with some shells for my little guys and our table.  They turned out just wonderful.  Her work is really neat.  I put some blue paper on a tray which holds our handmade seashells, homemade matching game, and our yardsale stubby pencil find.  All have been a hit with the little ones:

Also on the tray is a glass mason jar full of seashore treasures my kids collected at the beach clean up. (Since I took these pictures, the boys have managed to add some drift wood and wild flowers to the tray; from our trekk last week):

A few magnifying glasses are tucked underneath the table for easy access.  There is one in particular that we can't wait to take with us on our next trip to the beach.  I have to say this was not a cheap purchase at the homeschool convention I attended last month, but the kids have already had such a great time with this small field microscope.  It's ingenious, really.  There are two types of clamps; one for small clear boxes and the other for slides or baggies.  The boys have already enjoyed the clear boxes very much. They put a spider one day and it didn't take long for us to be able to actually see the spider spinning a web!!

In case you're wondering, it's the black one and it's called The Discovery Scope.  It comes with the black case and plenty of supplies; the pipet is just in case you want to put some liguid in one of the baggies.  I'm so excited about this field naturalist scope kit.

The kids love going through our bookshelves and helping me pick out books we already own to put in the basket.  I've actually enjoyed filling it and just letting them meander over and pick one.  We might not get to read them all cover to cover but we come pretty close and their curiousities do get piqued.  I also try to include a mature pick for my oldest; this time around it's Rachel Carson's The Edge of the Sea.  She just finished Sea Around Us so I thought she might want to continue with the trilogy. The rest are pretty well appreciated by all the kids.  In our book basket he have:

Pacific Intertidal Life by Ron Russo (small little book but a great field guide; part of a series)
The True Book of Pebbles and Shells by Illa Podendorf (great water color illustrations and our inspiration)
The Sunlit Sea by Augusta Goldin (a Let's-Read-and-Find-Out-Science book)
The Curious Fish by Elsa Beskow (whimsical and great illustrations)
Far from Shore by Sophie Web (written in a naturalist journal style)
All About the Sea by Ferdinand Lane (informational, All About Series)
Night of the Moonjellies by Mark Shasha (picture book, the kids like this one)
The Little Island by Margaret Wise Brown and Leonard Weisgard (another favorite picture book)
One Small Square: Seashore by Donald Silver (field guide type, One Small Square series)
Who Lives at the Seashore by Glenn Blough (we're really enjoying his books)
Along the Seashore by Margaret Waring Buck (very much like Blough but for an older child)
Under the Sea by Anna Milbourne and Cathy Shimmen (my little ones enjoy this series)
On the Seashore by Anna Milbourne and Erica-Jane Waters
Following the Coast by Jim Arnosky (you can't go wrong with Arnosky books)
The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister (cute picture book)
Mister Seahorse by Eric Carle (we also like A House for Hermit Crab but can't find it!)
The Seashore Book by Charlotte Zolotow (another great picture book!)

Whew...we are ready for the beach and some seashore nature study!!  Now, to get dad to drive us there ; )

Little Keepers Welcome Summer Tea

The girls had a lovely time at their Little Keepers end of the year tea yesterday.  My daughter's and I spent all morning getting ready for our tea lunch.  We decorated with a nice bright summer quilt, glass mason jars for drinking and some quick scrap booking bright papered ornaments: 

We also did lots of cooking up of some delicious eats:



Lemon Zest Meringue Cookies: this was the first time I've made these. They didn't turn out like they're intended, but, oh, were they sweet, sticky and addicting!



Flying over the Rainbow Fruit Skewers.



Tulip Garden Butterfly Cucumber & Cheese Bites.

Mini Bear Claws and Strawberries.

I didn't take a close up of our Sunshine Mini Egg Fritas and Brownie Dirt Covered Flowers, but they were also very delicious.  The girls had a chance to chat and participated in a round robin of poetry readings.  I had also made a set of story starter cubes with some summerish themes; garden, beach, and princess fairy tales.  O.K. the last one is not summer but this was meant for little girls ; )  They seemed to get the hang of it and enjoyed a few rounds as well.  Our youngest Keeper got to take those home.  Then, like any other meeting, the girls seemed to have the best time playing on our little hill.  Boy, they don't need story starters when they go out there!