Living Science

Above is the nest in a bush right by our back porch. The robin has been kind enough to make it in a place that can be scene from our dining room windows, so we can often look on without disturbing her. This picture was taken just a few days ago, you may be able to see that one bird had hatched. There were four eggs. As of today, there are three chicks and they have gotten quite large, we can make out their wings and it is so neat to see their little beaks stretch up for food. The mother still sits on them often, or stands on the edge of the nest and just watches them. I feel quite sympathetic towards her, I would like to gather up all of my children and sit on them sometimes, too, and they keep her busy with their demands for food just like my brood. I will try to put up more pictures, I am hoping that we will be able to watch them learn to fly, though I may just cry when they all leave the nest.

The science lesson below began when Texas Mommy posted about cups of seeds in the kindergarten classroom. I shared her fond memories, and got my kids filling some cups the very next day. We had set up a makeshift garden box that would hold our plants once the frost was past, and we went out there to fill our cups with dirt and seeds. The kids must have dropped some seeds, and while we were having a great time watching our plants sprout inside this lettuce appeared in the mulch outside. We have enjoyed it in several salads! Sadly, many of our seedlings did not survive the transfer to the bed as we have had several very intense storms. The tomato plants are still growing, however, and I am hoping to add some other things to the bed. The children were so excited that a pumpkin seed sprouted and was beginning to flower as we have studied the life cycle of a pumpkin each fall, but that one was a victim of the heavy rains, too. Perhaps I can get some more seeds into the ground soon and still have pumpkins by fall.