5 Orange Potatoes

Our outdoor “classroom”  is full of color-

And the difficult learning of patience.

Here is Rainy waiting-

and waiting-

and waiting!

Finally!

A new microscope with new slides to view is an afternoon well spent! The microscope is- My First Lab Duo-Scope Microscope and the really cool box of 25 slides is- Celestron 44410 Prepared Microscope Slides. The microscope is very easy to use and has dual lights, one below the slide and one that shines from above for a different type of observation. The box of slides includes a bee face, dog intestines, blood smear, and many other cool things.

Shop update- I have added a lot of plush to my 5 Orange Potatoes Etsy shop over the last few days- new mini hedgehogs, mice, hootenannies, a star-nose mole, and a seahorse. Hop on over for a look.

“That’s all.”

The curricula today-

Amphibians-  Gray Treefrog, it was nice to actually see one of these little guys which we hear every night in the warm summer months.

They camouflage so well. This guy really looked like the Pin Oak’s bark, including the lichen that grows on it.

COEXISTING-  the two Gray Hairstreaks are sharing the mint flowers with a Pearl Crescent. Actually there are 100s of these small butterflies, including skippers and sulphurs, wasps, and bees all over our blooming mint right now.

Patterns in nature- a Buckeye butterfly’s concentric circles.

Literature- Charlotte’s Web, an Ohio black and yellow garden spider (underside picture). Did you know that there are 7 segments to a spider’s leg?

  If you are participating in Outdoor Challenge Mondays, be sure your blog link is below; if you still want to participate let me know and I’ll add you to the list.

5 orange potatoes, the five of us,little eco footprints,potje thee, silverpebble, the work of childhood, searching simplicity, love living simply, strasilo, semi-handmade, this little kitchen, school time adventures, heirloom seasons, the loving path, a place like this, the magnifying glass, pebbles in the water, chocolate eyes, we are here, rosy-posy, oakbee farm, my year in haiku, time to craft, child in harmony, serendipity, secret water, free flowing ways, se7en, a smile a day, where ada likes to wander, wide open campus, what are we doing today mom?, chasing domestic bliss, dim sum, bagels and crawfish, adventures of a flake, frontier dreams, the snail’s trail, goose and binky, over the crescent moon, it’s a wild life, my world edenwild,the binker files, lil muse lily, foursquare schoolhouse, obaitori, boys in the woods, bumbles and light , wonder in the woods, terrallectualism, semi-crunchy mama, Gwynneth, All Things Beautiful, we are here, shivaya naturals, free to learn and lovin it, moment to moment, being brooke, roots & wings co, little greenapple farm, 5 Orange Perks, home made simple, mommy and me, the child’s paper, jeszie, leaping greenly spirits, living and learning, for love of my oceans, earthboys, mummy do that!, pacific northwest nature for families

“That’s all.”

Yesterday was Fauna’s 9Th birthday. She had a full day of friends, lemonade (she helped with a lemonade stand), the park, and chocolate cake! Her favorite gifts were her new roller blades and a pair of bright yellow walkie talkies. I can tell  she is growing up because she didn’t really ask for toys this birthday.

Araina was all smiles yesterday too.

Fauna was happy to see the hedgehog below in her gifts, she has been begging for her since the day I made her!

I made her a chocolate cake with chocolate icing; with raspberry jam between the layers and raspberries sprinkled on top. The raspberry mixed with all that chocolate is so yummy!!!!! Now to get over the fact that next year she will be 10!

“That’s all.”

I’ve been putting it off too long, I’m finally adding to the 5 orange potatoes etsy shop!

Petunia, the star-nosed mole. She has a winky eye and a dirty rump!

Lavender Lady, the hedgehog is of course a lover of lavender.

Take a visit here to see more.

“That’s all.”

This is my favorite time of year to be in our back field; the wildflowers are amazing! It’s the perfect place for us to gather Queen Anne’s Lace for our many Eastern Black Swallowtail larvae.

Fauna was in a wacky mood throwing seeds on herself (and us). Really now, how cool is her shirt????

Nature treasures

We haven’t looked up the owner of this nest yet, but it is quite pretty with the dried flowers and grasses throughout; it was given to us by my high school librarian, she said it was on her porch light and feared the babies didn’t hatch due to the heat of the light. Fauna is dying to dissect them to see what’s inside! She could do it too, this is the girl that was helping a friend dissect a frog that went belly up when she was 6. She’s my little Beatrix Potter.

See the little monarch caterpillar on the milkweed leaf below?

Hi baby!

Araina found another new friend, I love her happy expression over a caterpillar! Seriously now, we have over 25 EBS larva. We are picking Queen Anne’s Lace multiple times during the day now to feed them all. I keep suggesting that we release some, but Araina won’t have that! She doesn’t want the birds to have them for a “tasty treat.” She struggles with that part of nature.

Araina’s new friend munching on Queen Anne’s Lace.

Little ladies running wild and free!

  If you are participating in Outdoor Challenge Mondays, be sure your blog link is below; if you still want to participate let me know and I’ll add you to the list.

5 orange potatoes, the five of us,little eco footprints,potje thee, silverpebble, the work of childhood, searching simplicity, love living simply, strasilo, semi-handmade, this little kitchen, school time adventures, heirloom seasons, the loving path, a place like this, the magnifying glass, pebbles in the water, chocolate eyes, we are here, rosy-posy, oakbee farm, my year in haiku, time to craft, child in harmony, serendipity, secret water, free flowing ways, se7en, a smile a day, where ada likes to wander, wide open campus, what are we doing today mom?, chasing domestic bliss, dim sum, bagels and crawfish, adventures of a flake, frontier dreams, the snail’s trail, goose and binky, over the crescent moon, it’s a wild life, my world edenwild,the binker files, lil muse lily, foursquare schoolhouse, obaitori, boys in the woods, bumbles and light , wonder in the woods, terrallectualism, semi-crunchy mama, Gwynneth, All Things Beautiful, we are here, shivaya naturals, free to learn and lovin it, moment to moment, being brooke, roots & wings co, little greenapple farm, 5 Orange Perks, home made simple, mommy and me, the child’s paper, jeszie, leaping greenly spirits, living and learning, for love of my oceans, earthboys, mummy do that!

“That’s all.”