Stuff Sprouting



We spent a lot of time outside this week before the big heat rolled in and the storms brought the humidity. We went to the Farmer's Market this Wednesday, but there were not very many vendors so we stopped by the park before gymnastics.  The kids had a blast swinging and sliding. 

 We also spent a lot of time in our own backyard watching the chickens eat and beg sandwiches off us as we eat lunch.  L-bug and Ro-bear decided to start studying nature while we were outside and got a notebook to draw the things they find outside.  L-bug tapes samples of the plants in the book and draws some pictures too, and I drew a honeysuckle with them. 

 L-bug found a fly today and we read about them in The Handbook of Nature Study we haven't drawn him yet, but I figure that will be on the list of things to do later today.  Ro-bear has also taken up a fascination with ant hills.  We watched ants going into the ant hills at the park the other day and she kept asking what it looked like inside.  I meant to show her a video of the aluminum ant hill castings, but kept forgetting until this morning.  She loved the videos and kept watching them even when YouTube turned us onto the Copper Vs. Videos.  She loved those too, especially the copper vs the coconut with the coconut milk in it came on.  If you haven't checked out copper vs videos and you like lots of smoke and metal, I'd suggest you go look them up sometime.  They are kind of fascinating.  The ant art are also really neat.  I never imagined how long ant hills really are.  One we watched was over two feet deep underground. 

Out in our yard some exciting things have been happening.  Spring plants are bearing food and summer plants are starting to sprout. 

 We planted some corn, zucchini and peppers last week and they are already popping up out of the ground.

 Ro-bear took a green pepper from dinner one night and planted all the seeds in a pot.  One of them is sprouting. 

 Our peas are so lovely and very tasty.

 The strawberry plants are producing about one strawberry a day.  The kids and chickens share.  If the ants got to the strawberry first the chickens get to eat.  I tried to take a picture of the chickens enjoying their berry, but they devoured it too quickly for me.  Here they are begging for more. 

 What are your favorite outdoor activities in the summer?


Thanks for visiting and I hope you're having a lovely time.