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Nature week and weather week

First two weeks down and we're still going strong!

Week 1:  Nature week

First thing we did for nature week was to plant a garden.
Austin planted daisies and beans, and Jackson planted mixed flowers and eggplant.
Our little garden is growing like crazy!  I should have snagged a picture, but I will post picture in a future blog.  The only thing not growing yet is the eggplant and some parsley that I planted.  We're still hoping they're just late bloomers. -HA!  See what I did there??



Next, we went on a scavenger hunt!
We found things in nature and the boys learned that nature isn't just in the woods or fields, but that nature is all around us- even in our neighborhood!  That thought had never occured to them.
They took pictures of everything they found with their Ipads.




We also took a little field trip to the Lubbock Lake Landmark.
Honestly, it was a lot more fun than I remember.  They had a little booklet that led the boys on a scavenger hunt around the indoor museum and around the outside exhibits of extinct creatures that used to roam this area.  Jackson loved being outside and going on a hike through the wild flowers, and Austin loved the scavenger hunt inside.


Above, the big boys are checking out an old bear that used to roam this area.
Below, Austin is reading about some of the wild flowers on our hike.


It was a little bright outside...
And hot.


The wildflowers were beautiful, and the natural landscape really impressed the boys.  It was hard for them to imagine Lubbock before people settled it.



Week 2:  Weather

Weather is one of Jackson's favorite camp topics, and mine too!
The first activity we did was an experiment about the water cycle.
This little experiment was GREAT!  It's still hanging on our back door because the boys love to check it to see where their bag is in the water cycle several times a day.
Originally, I made a little picture with water cycle vocabulary on a sandwich bag, and then I filled them with hot water.  I cloud forms quickly, so the boys learned about evaporation on condesation within a few minutes.  Then the evaporated water gets too heavy and it rains.  So fun!
Harrison also loves to check on the water cycle bags all day.  Every morning he runs to the back door asking, "Open, peas?!"  He's adorable!


Hahaha!  I just noticed I spelled "precipitation" wrong on one of the bags.  Oops...


Next, we made a little water cycle art.
The sun is on top, then clouds, then strips of evaporation (white drops going up) and precipitation (blue drops falling down) into a body of water.
They turned out pretty good!  Although, Jackson didn't want any help and got super frustrated with the evaporation/precipitation strips.  Most days he's great without a nap, but other days he needs a little extra rest. But don't we all...


Looking back, this pretty much turned into a water cycle week.  Austin finally understands the concept though because of these little water cycle bracelets.  It's hard to see their pony bead bracelets, but the green beads represent the land where water begins, clear represents evaporation, white represents clouds, blue represents rain, and yellow represents the sun which makes the cycle possible.  This was by far the boys' favorite activity!


Harrison LOVED stinging the beads on the pipe cleaner!



He's so dang cute!
He made his own bracelet-


We also made  a sun print.
The boys made pictures with construction paper and pennies and they're out in the sun baking as I type this up.  Yeah... we got a little behind last week because we had so much going on with daddy leaving town, his birthday, and Father's Day.  I need a vacation from my weekend!
Poor Jackson's picture (purple paper) keeps getting blown by the wind.  I figured the pennies would weigh it down enough, but not so much...  It's being held down by rocks now and his pennies are random now.  Oh well, it'll still work.


Now, if you've made it this far you get a treat!
Here are some random adorable pictures of the boys!

I don't know what it is about pictures of my boys holding hands and walking together, but I can't get enough of them.  It makes my heart so full!


Harrison trying on some glasses.
Look at that face.  Just melt your heart adorable!



Wow, I just realized that these pictures are basically a Walmart ad.  I don't even like Walmart!  We just happen to have a new Walmart in town and we were checking it out with grandma.
We are not Walmart endorsers.

And one last picture of Harrison playing being "sick".
He makes himself a little bed and tells me, "I sick", and then pours on his best sickly face.
Don't you just feel terrible for the little sicky boy?


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