All Aboard

Today the children and I jumped in the car for an unplanned adventure. We set our course south and headed down the open road. With infinite possibilities stretched out before us we laughed and sang songs until our course steered us to....The Railroad Museum. What a wonderful surprise it was discovering this small gem. The "museum" was a collection of antique railway cars open for exploration. T and O had a blast climbing up each platform and peaking into times gone by. Each car was a snapshot into the forgotten past....

I found the trains themselves to be quite beautiful...I was especially drawn to this deco stylized hand rail.

We had an amazing afternoon, I will have to throw caution to the wind more often and set out on the uncharted path.

The National Arboretum

Last week I had the immense joy of visting the National Arboretum.   As luck would have it the cherry blossoms were peaking and the sight of them was simple breathtaking.  Each blossom became a poem, beckoning me to read it...savour it. 

The arboretum is also home to am amazing bonsai collection. I find the art of bonsai fascinating...the discipline and devotion involved is so inspiring.

This specimen has been in training for nearly 400 years. 

Above all it was a glorious day to share the beauty of spring with my children.  And Jedi battles with Grandpa of course.......

Quilt Update

Well here is the long overdue quilt update. The quilt top and back are complete and basted. Today I will drop off my quilt sandwich at the local shop for it's machine quilting. Then comes the binding...I am a bit intimidated by this step. It may take a few attempts but I am confident I can do it...it's all about having the right attitude. This is to be a baby quilt for my dear friend Dixie's new daughter. I have named the quilt "Triumph" for my victory over quilt phobia and Dixie's HBA2C! So here it is......

Wordless Wednesday

Easter.....A Bunny Tale in Pictures

On Island Time

Yesterday was a glorious spring day here in the Mid-Atlantic. We took full advantage of the weather and visited our local barrier island.  This island has three half mile hikes that are perfect for small children.  We were able to do the salt marsh, and maritime forest hikes but were unable to do the dune hike because of recent storm flooding.  These hike are only doable for a few months each year....the flying insects are insaitable once it warms up!  

We also visited the island nature center and took full advantage of the touch tank. We are currently studying invertebrates in science and were able to observe echinoderms, mollusks and crustaceans in the nature centers aquariums.

We capped the day off with a frolic on the beach, where E got sand in his toes for the first time. I am so lucky to live in an area that boasts such an array of natural habitats. My little nature explores are always ready for their next adventure.

Wordless Wednesday

Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head

This mornings spring showers brought a welcome excuse to get wet and muddy!  While T was finishing up school O did a hands on weather study:) She merrily laughed as she jumped from puddle to puddle.  The grey skies certainly didn't put a damper on her spirits.

Later, T joined her to perform buoyancy experiments in our newly formed backyard lake. First we collected various yard objects: twigs, pinecones, leaves, barks, and stones. We then hypothesized which would sink and which would float. Objects that float are considered positively buoyant and inversely objects that sink are deemed negatively buoyant. The idea of buoyancy was summed up by Archimedes, a Greek mathematician, in what is known as Archimedes Principle: Any object, wholly or partly immersed in a fluid, is buoyed up by a force equal to the weight of the fluid displaced by the object. From this principle, we can see that whether an object floats or sinks, is based on not only its weight, but also the amount of water it displaces. Next we built craft stick rafts to further explore buoyancy.

We then added various objects to the rafts in order to determine how chaning an objects mass affects it's buoyancy.

I love how homeschooling allows me to turn even the most mundane object (puddles) into learning opportunities. We all had a blast and were amazed by how educational a good rain storm could be!

Bulbs, Bulbs, Everywhere...and Corms Too!

Outdoor Hour Challenge-Winter Series #10  Early Spring Bulbs

While it is now officially spring we completed this challenge last week when it was still "winter". We walked around our neighborhood searching for the welcome sight of spring bulbs and corms. These bright flowers seem to shout out "hooray for spring", it is a much needed reminder that spring will indeed return again. We were able to find crocus, daffodils (jonquils), and hyacinth.

"Daffodils" (1804)

I wander'd lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o'er vales and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host, of golden daffodils;

Beside the lake, beneath the trees,

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine

And twinkle on the Milky Way,

They stretch'd in never-ending line

Along the margin of a bay:

Ten thousand saw I at a glance,

Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they

Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:

A poet could not but be gay,

In such a jocund company:

I gazed -- and gazed -- but little thought

What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie

In vacant or in pensive mood,

They flash upon that inward eye

Which is the bliss of solitude;

And then my heart with pleasure fills,

And dances with the daffodils.

By William Wordsworth (1770-1850).

Wordless Wednesday