Around the Preserve with a Touch of Spring Fever

These photos are from the same trip a while back to the pond, so please don't let this blog delude you into thinking I get out a lot, because I really don't. In fact, I still don't like that part of blogging, as what a reader often reads or sees is the better stuff, not the "real" life happenings that occur day to day. My photos often help me through to the next time I can get out. The view of the sky is from the vantage point of laying down on the edge of the bridge to rest. I'm a bit nervous with heights at times, but also am known to thrive on a bit of fear of that sort, and the stone soaks up the heat, which feels fabulous! Fortunately, there are benches throughout, but the bridge still comes in at a handy stopping point. I can't resist marveling at the mossy bench shown above. It's as if there is an unwritten rule that no one that no one is to sit on that one as not to disturb it's natural beauty and growth. I posted it as it's just charming to me. I think when we go next there will be a lot more growth other than this skunk cabbage and the marsh marigolds. In just a couple of weeks time, we have more in our yard than that day as all seems to be bursting forth. I did capture a great trout lilly, which I was thrilled over, but the photo didn't do it justice as the speckled folliage of the lilly was hidden by some of last falls leaves still about. At any rate, we are dreaming of our next trip soon as we know the bluebells will be out but I have to just awake to that day--the one I know I will feel capable of going--so no planning much in advance lately.

Day to day here, we are schooling at a varied pace, but then again it is spring fever time in full swing. We've had the children taking turns being ill which tends to put a damper on organization and our schedule and all have been a little bit down about it. So, we began brainstorming at gathering time two weeks ago what we could do to help ourselves and the solution has been to get in our core subjects and then treat ourselves to diving into subjects that aren't necessarily in our lesson plan book. Also, it is funny to me that the girls have both asked to do so many of the activities we used to do like raising painted lady butterflies, doing spelling words in shaving cream, making home-made play dough and generally a lot of art as well as crafts are going on. It's kind of funny to see the girls, now so much older, doing some of these once loved activities again, but it feels right as I'm not sure how much longer we will pass this way again or if we will. By the way, if you have not indulged in shaving cream play, you have not really lived. It feels incredible and actually one is never too old for it.