I spontaneously decided to read some books to Emma and Abby that I had checked out of the library. They were both nature-themed picture books. Nothing too unusual about that. But the ideas they inspired and the energy and motivation to carry them through were nothing short of divine. I suddenly thought of going to Nelson Water Gardens and knew that we should go there. I asked the girls if they wanted to go, and they enthusiastically replied that they would love to. So we got in the van and headed toward the Water Gardens, and the thought came to me that it would be great if they had Nature Notebooks to draw pictures of the plants and fish and whatever else we would see there. So we went to the grocery store near there where I found the perfect little notebooks for them that were composition books with primary writing lines and a blank space at the top where they could draw a picture. The notebooks were discounted and the last two like that. I got them colored pencils and regular pencils, and they were as excited as if it were Christmas.
We continued on to the Water Gardens, and everything was lovely as it always is. I usually just admire the lily pads and lilies and all of the fun garden ornaments and beautiful pots that they use to make the disappearing fountains that they are known for. I started to think that maybe I could actually buy something this time. I looked around at the plants they sell and wondered if they had any Tropical Milkweed. I had just told my kids that morning that I wanted that for Mother’s Day. I found some and upon closer examination of one plant found that there were quite a few Monarch eggs on it. I asked a worker there how much it was, and he told me how much, I told him I wanted it, and he carried it to the front for me. When we were done looking and enjoying the gardens we went in to pay for my plant, and the clerk used a 40% coupon on it, so I got a great deal on my Mother’s Day present which came fully loaded with butterfly eggs!
Then we went to the park. The girls hung out by the pond for hours. I read and took pictures of crazy squirrels most of the time. The girls found a duck egg and took it home to try to hatch it.
On the way home, the moon was a beautiful shade of pink. We called it a strawberry moon. Then the girls saw a shooting star. What a glorious day in Nature that started with reading a couple of picture books!
A Great White Egret
Lots of ducklings following the mama
Lots of ducklings following this other mama
The Great White Egret and a duck behind in the picture doing the “bottoms-up” position. What are they finding to eat? I couldn’t see small fish in the water, but there was some plant life near the edges.
Abby feeds the squirrel a walnut.
Squirrels look so cute when they sit up and eat and hold the nut in their little hands.
This squirrel came right up on the table where I was sitting.
He kept creeping closer and closer to me. I started to get a little frightened by his lack of fear and his nearness.
And then this happened! Too close!!!
And then this crazy squirrel flattened himself on the bench beside me…
Let’s go back to the cute ducklings.
Abby and Emma love the ducklings.
The duckling tells us what he thinks about the tight grip Emma is holding him with.
Now let’s go back to the Water Gardens.
Emma and Abby are working in their nature notebooks drawing Coi.
The blues of these pots are so pretty. And the little girls are beautiful.
Nature-inspired Art, Writing, and Science Learning through Nature Notebooks
Those Coi are BIG fish!
Nature Notebooks give kids a reason to write.
I sure love these little girls of mine. I’m so glad that they love to explore nature. We have lots of fun together!
This spoke to me – “Home of the Brave”. I love Americana! And I’ve been feeling brave and full of energy for the first time in a long time. For which I praise the Lord and expect more and more as the Lord heals and restores what the enemy has stolen.
"Oh that God would give every mother a vision of the glory and splendor of the work that is given to her when a babe is placed in her bosom to be nursed and trained! Could she have but one glimpse in to the future of that life as it reaches on into eternity; could she look into its soul to see its possibilities; could she be made to understand her own personal responsibility for the training of this child, for the development of its life, and for its destiny,--she would see that in all God's world there is no other work so noble and so worthy of her best powers, and she would commit to no other's hands the sacred and holy trust given to her." -JR Miller
