Archive for April, 2010

Life is bursting forth through every blade of grass, tree leaf, flower and even in the smiles on the faces of passersby.

As I write, I am listening the the chirping of our baby chicks- one day old and making it on their own in a plastic container in my living room. The sheaths on their feathers are breaking as little feathers emerge.

Out the window the backyard is radiant.

April Showers Bring May Flowers.

The apple blossoms are in full bloom.

Peas and lettuce are growing and looking scrumptious!

Tulips and daffodils are punctuating the green with lovely streaks of color.

Blossoms on the blueberry bushes remind us of tasty treats to come.

And the perennial garden is filling in nicely.

This is the joy and celebration of May Day. To spend time playing in the dirt, picking flowers, making baskets, dancing the May Pole to lively music, and enjoying festivities with friends and family.

I am excited to participate in a May Pole this weekend; other great May Day activities include: making dandilion necklases, or forsythia wreath headresses, or delivering home made May flower baskets.

Whatever you do on May Day- celebrate this fresh new life beaming from every nook and cranny.

And while your at it, remember this is my favorite holiday.

In case you’re inspired to make your own May Pole, here are some great simple instructions.

As always, the best thing to do is enjoy whatever you can get to- even if it’s just stopping for a moment to smell the flowers.

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Thank you for participating or stopping by Backyard Mama’s Children and Nature Blog Carnival. Everyone is such an inspiration.

Check out previous carnivals if you haven’t been here before- there’s a wealth of great information here!

Please remember to follow the rules and link back to this post by adding a line such as “this is part of the Backyard Mama blog carnival” to the end of your post.

Mcklinky will close at 11:59 pm April 29th.

Future Topics:

May 5th- Writer’s Choice (generally involving children and nature).

May 12th- Three outdoor adventures you are planning for this summer. (May involve kids or how to involve kids).

Now unplug and head outside! ~ Shannon {The Backyard Mama}

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Rainbows occur when sunlight bounces off water- it’s a dance of water fairies and sun (fire) fairies. (Highly technical here!)

The sun rays (light) split as they enter the water and are refracted creating all the colors of the rainbow.

On Earth Day, we were blessed with perfect weather all day and then an evening rain storm just as the sun was setting.

We snuck out for a pizza dinner at our favorite local dive and on our way home we saw a full arching rainbow.

And this one was REALLY special because it was Jeremiah’s first memorable rainbow and I want to share it with you.

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Last week my mom, Jeremiah and I set off on a little journey to CT to pick up these lovely little chicks. They are now living in our playroom!

Have a great weekend folks and don’t forget to spend most of it OUTSIDE!  ~ The Backyard Mama

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I think the best thing to do with kids on Earth Day is to spend your day playing outside. Maybe structure sometime to venture out on a hike or dig in the garden- but spending time together under the blue sky and on the green grass- is the best.

Now, that’s what I think everyone needs to do everyday. So what makes it special on Earth Day? Do it with intention.

Rather then spending your Green Hour outside, unconsciously having fun; put your heart into it… get connected with the Earth.

Maybe you need a physical connection: roll in the mud, dig in the dirt, climb a tree, catch a frog, dive into a fresh water pond, learn the song of a bird, hug a tree, or maybe even eat a worm.

Get connected.

Anyone can pick up garbage, or plant a tree; outstanding people feel up-lifted and nurtured by doing this.

A couple weeks ago I lead a  workshop for early childhood educators on Linking to Nature. I really think one of the most important things for caregivers to do is explore their own beliefs and limitations about playing outside.

So, of course, we went outside on a scavenger hunt and got connected to nature.

Each group got a list of items to find outside. It was a windy, cold day and even this self-proclaimed “nature nut” had a tough time hanging out in that weather!

Despite this, these teachers did it and upon returning to the classroom, I asked them to create something with their items.

Here’s what two groups made:

Here in my backyard, this is what we’re planning to do for Earth Day- we’re gonna head out to the pine forest and create Earth Sculptures- some might even call them “alters” to the Earth.

Above all, my intention will be to share with the children the magnificence of our World and honor the piece of the Earth that we live with.

I’ll be sure to take pictures and share them here later this week!

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Thanks once again for joining the Nature and Children Blog Carnival link-up. I’ve enjoyed each moment reading all the spectacular posts submitted the past few weeks.

In honor of Earth Day I am keeping the links open until 11:59 pm 4/22/10. Share what you did for the day (or stay unplugged)!

I am a part of such an outstanding group of nature lovers and each of you make my connection to the Earth a little better every day.

Thank you- from the bottom to the top of my heart.

Come back next week too! (Ain’t this kinda fun- like a mid-summer campfire cookout?)

Themes:

April 28th Mayday and Kids

May 5 writer’s choice

Please remember to link back to this post and other then that- unplug and get outside!

~ Shannon (The Backyard Mama)

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I’ve been doing some spring cleaning; but unlike most folks who clear the clutter and re-organize inside, I’ve been outside, spreading compost, planting seeds, expanding the garden- beautifying my little piece of this great planet.

And then I came across a gnarly, nasty stump, and for the past two weeks I’ve been chipping away at it, lopping one feeder root after another till today; success and a job well done!

So, I am really feeling connected to the root kingdom right now; and I got to thinking- this is really a metaphor for removing the “stuck” stuff in my life.

We’ve all got “those things” that we want to get rid of, belief systems, ideas, traditions, rules, that set limitations on beautifying life. And they get really rooted in their, like the stump, there are big roots near the surface, lots of smaller off shoots, and then a deep feeder root that’s big and deeply rooted at the core.

Well, so long as we’re diligent, persistent and steadfast, it is possible to uproot those limitations, to break free from the “stuff” that binds us and then voila:

There’s space to fill in with new ideas; or new soil- fertile grown in which to plant flowers or bushes, fruits or vegetables; this is beauty to nourish my senses and my soul.

Thanks to the root kingdom for setting me FREE!

This is part of the Steady Mom 30- minute blog challenge- “say it with me only in 30 minutes”!

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My Mom and Rob’s river front home post flood.

Backyard canoeing! (Could have been dumpster diving).

Scrap wood set a side to build a chicken coop- floating down the river!

Where no to drive during a flood. These are flood waters of the Wood River at Woodville- Alton Road Bridge.

Jeremiah enjoying a rest after a long walk. Check out the bridge in the background.

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Tonight after dinner we went for a walk to the pond.

When we arrived at the pond, we listened for the ducks and geese and looked for the beaver, then we started to head home, but decided to walk through the woods to the waterfall.

The air was a little chilly, but not cold and the sun hung low on the horizon.

As we walked we chatted about glaciers, kettle ponds, and how the big huge boulders were placed all over by ice a long time ago. 

The path winds along parallel to the pond; we sat and watched a flock of geese swim through the water, then one made a bunch of noise and took off into the air; the others followed.

We saw the reflection of the sun in the water as we sat on a big boulder and hung our legs over the edge.

When we arrived at the little dock and the waterfall, we planned to swim and canoe and wade in the water later this Spring in warmer weather.

On our way home, my son choose to cut through the woods rather than follow the path, he turned to me, “Mom, this is a real adventure.” And that it was- we climbed over logs and stumps and rocks, finally arriving in our neighbor’s backyard.

When we go home, we ate a little snack and he headed to bed (and me to the computer).

I love to share these precious moments with my son in nature- so straightforward, rewarding and simple.  This is why I wish for every person to have a connection with nature as a foundation for life!

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Thank you for stopping by! I’m really enjoying linking up with other nature friendly blogs each week.

If you’re here to participate, please remember to follow the rules and link back to this post!

 April 21st the topic is Earth Day and Kids.

April 28th the topic is May Fun for Kids in Nature!

Thanks for your support and I look forward to reading each and every entry!

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Today we made a trip out to our compost pile and found hundreds of happy little worms turning our “waist” into fertile soil.

I’ve been spending time lately thinking about what I want to grow for myself this year: in the garden, in my life, in my community. I’ve started planting the seeds by 1) heading out to the garden and planting peas, lettuce, spinach, garlic, onions, broccoli, and kale; 2) taking my ideas of how to connect children and nature into the broader Rhode Island community through workshops; and 3) starting a blog carnival each Wednesday here at Backyard Mama.

I am starting to see the fruits of my labor which fills me with satisfaction.

Of course there are disappointments too: some of my lettuce didn’t come up, some peas floated away in the flood, not all workshop participants were enthralled with my ideas and the first carnival was much more successful than the second.

It’s through these expereinces that my soil becomes richly fertilized. The mistakes or failures that I let go of, fall to the grown like leaves from a tree and as they are transformed through my thoughts, they become the compost of next year; ever reminding me that what I let go of today, will feed me tomorrow. 

One reason I love to learn lessons from nature is the simplicity of the life cycle: birth  (springtime), ripeness (summertime),  death, (autumntime), and transformation (wintertime). As I connect inside to these outer processes, letting go becomes as simple as breath.

Many thanks to my worms for reminding me that my thoughts can turn the ”waist” of my mind into rich fertile soil in which to plant the dreams of my lifetime.

This post is part of the 30 minute blog challenge over at Steady Mom. It’s a delight to share my thoughts with all these great ladies!

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I’ve been having computor trouble and lots of kids to attend to. So sorry if this was a drag for you today! Hope it will work itself out. Now I have written and re-written this post so many times.. I am off to my favorite nature place to recover from getting this together! Thanks for joining!.

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This past week we have had a lot of rain here in Rhode Island… and as I went walking down the street with my mother and son, looking for puddles to splash in and run off streams by the edge of the road to dam- up, I remembered the Spring rains of my childhood.

We lived in an incredibly unique community- as a child I rarely had adult supervision- we played in the creeks and forests, meadows and up and down the roads. In the Spring we headed to the creek, inner-tube in hand, and floated the rapids, splashed, made mud pies and laughed.

The creek we played in was about 3 feet wide on a normal day, but doubled in size in April. There were a few pretty wild rapids that were just daring enough for a young adventurer to experiment with white water.

When we were worn out from being cold and wet, we’d head over the a big hill ;with tons of small run-off streams and we’d build dams and re-direct the water flow to make little ponds and float boats. Eventually the dam would break, and boats float away; of course we’d start over- this took hours of focused excitement!

This deluge of 2010 brought back so many wonderful memories- I had a great time digging trenches to keep the rain from pooling next to our foundation. I watched as my garden became completely submerged in water. I splashed in a puddle got soaked, then heard a saturated tree crumble in the woods.

As I sat down to write about my favorite outdoor place of childhood- I realized that this special place was where ever I was outside, breathing fresh air, experiencing the elements, and enjoying the excitement of company.

Thanks for participating once again in the Nature and Children Blog Carnival. So many wonderful people joined in last week, I encourage newcomers to read the entries.

Welcome to the second Nature and Children blog carnival with the theme: favorite place in nature from your childhood.

Please remember to link back to this post and follow the rules.

April 14 theme: Writer’s Choice (must have to do with children and nature generally)

April 21st Kids and Earth Day!

Off to play! ~Shannon

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I love the innocence of children.

Today I watched as my little ones ran through our flower garden, full of blooming daffodils they planted in the Fall.  Jumping and singing and being totally present in their play.

A few weeks ago my son wrapped up blocks and gave them to me as presents. Then built me a “sink” (not sure why he picked a sink maybe it’s where I spend most of my day) but this is what he created:

He loves to craft and create and listens eagerly to us as we discuss modifications to the house or the yard.

Then in his play (like with his sink) he imitates everything he has heard (learned) from us adults.

I’ll admit, when I see him in the garden digging holes and “planting”; or building houses; or planning yard projects like adding compost to one side of the yard and moving rocks from one place to another; or when he gathers his tools to get some dirt from the forest.. I really smiles inside and out- because I know that as he imitates me, he is learning to care for the Earth.

We’re planning to pick up garbage for Earth Day, what’s your plan?

This is part of the Steady Mom Blog Challenge- dare I tell you the truth? Start to finish post time- 12 minutes.

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