Nature Study Tuesday - wait nature study is on Monday right????

 The boys did not let me forget that "we did not go on Monday and we need to study nature!"  So, we went to the park Tuesday because evidently we have made nature study a habit (inward evil chuckle at making this a habit). We picked up Cooper's best buddy Luke and headed out to the park that is commonly referred to as the hippo park or pocket park and our favorite name for it "the stink park" since it is right by a waste water treatment facility.

Five boys at a park all with bicycles and plasma cars and all had a good time.  Trees were climbed, stick sword battles fought and nature was explored observed and even sketched from memory the next day.

Graham noticed the moss growing on the concrete.

"I'm a beaver!"

Fungus growing inside a hollowed out tree

Nature Study Buddies

No water bottles for this crew, I now only go to the park with my trusty 2 gallon water cooler

My rules of tree climbing - "Don't climb anything you can't get down from by yourself."  Seriously, there is a natural internal tether kids have to the ground.  If they know you are not going to come rescue them, they will 99/100 times not climb too high.  Even when they call me to come help them, I only offer footing advice and stand there in case of a fall.  It is far better that they learn the courage to take that blind step backward than to be rescued over and over again.

"Quick momma take a picture of me being a sloth!"

Graham has brought a twig to the stick fight.

Chinaberries and my new super pretty nail polish.

I have to admit this is my watercolor of the different berries I saw.  I get better sketching out of the boys when I sit and do it with them.

Marshall's sketch of the culvert covered with moss and a blue jay

Cooper's culvert. He drew in what he thought it would look like with water.

Cooper's sketch of the tree he climbed, a spider web he saw, and his bike.