Cold & rainy today but it does NOT MATTER; in our world as NOTHING CAN DAMPEN OUR SPIRITS!!

 
We are constructing bird nests today!  We line paper bowls with plastic wrap. Clear glue is applied to the wrap, then small branches, grasses, twigs etc.  These materials are pushed into the glue & to conform to the shape of the bowl. The children had gathered all the bits & pieces on an outing which made it very personal. Just like birds do in the spring!  The very last step is to place a bit of moss at the bottom of the nest. THE PERFECT TOUCH FOR THE BABY BIRDS TO SNUGGLE WITH!  We made eggs out of play dough & when dry, the “Little Peeps” can paint them & add to their nests.  Everyone was “chirping” this week…

“Get Involved-the world is full of wonder and discoveries. Help us out!”
~Don Comb, founder of New England Biolabs

We started our day inside discussing bird nests.  Why do birds build nests?  What do they use for materials?  How are bird nests built?  Basically, a short course in “EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT BIRD NESTS.”  We headed outdoors to gather grasses, twigs and all sorts of natural materials to incorporate into nest building.

First time this year in the garden & I am getting EXCITED to plant with my friends.  We walked to the stone bridge and watched the swans make their way through the frigid water.  Overhead, clouds were dancing their way across a back drop of ultramarine blue.  EVERYTHING WAS RIGHT IN OUR WORLD……

“Look deep into nature and then you will understand everything better…”
~Albert Einstein

I will admit, I do get “carried away” with some of my ideas but I CAN’T HELP MYSELF!!!  Last week we made hand prints so… Why not Footprints???

I picked up some books at the library to show the kids different animal tracks; the DIFFERENT SHAPES & PATTERNS animals make & WHY.  (For me, this is the BEST PART as I can actually SEE the kids trying to figure out a logical response as their facial expressions change.)  All right then, let us remove our shoes & socks… AHHH.  Wiggle our toes, stretch our feet.  What is the PURPOSE of our feet? Let us walk around & FEEL how our feet work…hold us upright… balance…run… walk etc.

 
LET’S MAKE “FOOT TRACKS ” ( This is when PRECISE orchestration becomes IMPERATIVE !!)
1. Everyone stand in line
2. What color do you choose?
3. Wiggle your “tootsies” into the paint
4. Step onto the clean paper…
5. Wash your feet
EVERYONE DONE!! YEAH

***FOOTNOTE
“Those who dwell, as scientists or laymen, among the beauties and mysteries of the earth are never alone or weary of life.” ~ Rachel Carson
PS. ALL THE FOOL’S SHOW UP IN APRIL…BE 1 & HAVE FUN !!!………

“For small children to develop an early awareness of the interrelationships of plants, insects, birds, and small mammals. PROFOUND LESSONS LEARNED EARLY IN LIFE ARE APT TO BE LASTING.”
-Lady Bird Johnson, Wildflowers Across America
1988

I am 72 years young and one of my most precious keepsakes is a clay hand print. The hand print must be almost 80 years old and every time I see it, I am flooded with wonderful memories. Today is the day to pass along wonderful memories to my “Best Friends.”  I made some “clay” with baking soda, cornstarch, & water. Each child was given a portion to roll and flatten. Hands were pressed into the clay leaving an indelible mark for their parents to treasure, then a keepsake for themselves, then to pass to their children, grandchildren etc.

P.S. Everything I have done for the past 8 years has been greeted with love, enthusiasm, and positivity, which in turn have left “INDELIBLE MARKS ON MY HEART!”

It’s Spring!  Time to start seeds!
We planted radish seeds ( yes “The Little Peeps” adore them in a veggie dip I make) & cat grass for our FFF (feline furry friends…. Helps with digestion).
We put some holes in the bottom of egg cartons, add potting soil, water, & in about 4 days the cat grass will germinate.

——————————–
VEGGIE-DIP RECIPE**
Carton Hood Cottage Cheese
Grated: carrots, radishes
Snipped: chives
Sea salt, pepper
Scoop of mayonnaise
MIX, refrigerate overnight.
Experiment with crackers OR
As a delicious accompaniment
for chicken OR “straight-up plain”.

I LOVE it when “The Little Peeps” ask me questions.
It lets me know they are so very excited about learning.
Today, the subject is:
THE MIGRATION OF BIRDS
1.How do birds know when
to migrate?
2.How do migrating birds
find their way?
3.How do birds fly?
With help from books I brought in, we sat ourselves down in the back of the room and EVERYONE had
Something to add to the
Question & Answer Session. (In hindsight, I should have videoed the whole thing as it was priceless!)
From there, we headed to our assigned seats. A sheet of white paper was placed in front of each child on which they drew two circles; one for the bird’s body and a smaller circle denoting it’s head. ( A LOT of Elmer’s Glue filled in the circles.) On the center of the table, were bits of soft colorful fibers and feathers, all to be placed into the glue ANYWAY YOU CHOOSE!! It truly is amazing to watch the children make decisions as each time it empowers them with confidence!!!!!
An eye was added along with pipe cleaners for legs & a bill.
A new species of bird has been discovered at NEB by “The Little Peeps” who have named it THE TEAL BIRD.
“Children are our most valuable natural resource”
…….Herbert Hoover……
31st US PRESIDENT

This was my kind of a day. It was sunny but wrapped in a breeze. We headed to the garden where we nibbled mustard greens and I was pleasantly surprised. The majority of my “peeps” really, really loved the taste! Snack next week will be greens of lettuce, kale, mustard, spinach with dried cranberries and pumpkin seeds served with a raspberry vinaigrette dressing. And topped off with a slice of french bread.
We headed to our favorite hill where we spent time going up and down any old way we chose!
A lot of laughter and happy chirps from my “Little Peeps”.

We used salt marsh hay and it needed to be spread.  And, Yes, we have years and YEARS of experience. What a great job!
We planted flower seeds and we will transplant them into our garden in a few weeks.

The deal today was to take a walk but, THIS time, we had no idea where we were. We followed a path down through the marshes. There was a felled tree across our
path which caused us to stop!!  Oh my!  Where are we? How do we find our way back  Anybody???
After a pause, a little voice peeps ” We go back the way we came”.
Lesson learned and a fun time was had by ALL!!

We dug worms to add to our vegetable gardens.  We need the best garden ever as we will be donating our produce to The Open Door Food Pantry to help families in need. I know we can do this!
Our time was also spent walking along the bridle path where we were joined by a chorus of red winged blackbirds who serenaded us. Very peaceful!