New Year, New Life

This week the children and I are studying seeds. I think watching a seed sprout is a wonderful way to celebrate new beginnings in the new year. Leah found a seed in our supposedly seedless clementine, that was what started it. She was adamant about planting the seed and growing a clementine tree. We struck gold with the next fruit too -- an organic Golden Delicious apple. Now we have a small greenhouse in the center of our dining room table with two little labeled pots in them. I got some avocados... I can't wait to see what the children think of those big seeds!

The book to go along with this has been Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert. This is Rebecca's absolute favorite book right now and she reads it repeatedly to her little stuffed bear.

To accompany this theme we have also filled up our two bird feeders with a lovely mix of bird favorites. Here are some bird seed notes:

Blue Jay loves peanuts and striped sunflower seeds

Cardinal loves sunflower and safflower seeds

Chickadee/Nuthatch loves peanuts and striped sunflower seeds

Brown-headed Cowbird loves finely cracked corn and white millet

Grosbeak loves sunflower seeds

Common Grackle loves sunflower seeds and finely cracked corn

American Goldfinch loves sunflower seeds, golden millet, and thistle seeds

House Finch loves sunflower seeds, white millet, and thistle seeds

House Sparrow loves sunflower seeds and millet

Mourning Dove loves finely cracked corn, millet, thistle and safflower seeds

Purple Finch loves sunflower and thistle seeds

Junco loves sunflower seeds, finely cracked corn, white millet and thistle seeds

Song Sparrow loves sunflower seeds and white millet

Tufted Titmouse loves sunflower seeds and peanuts

White-crowned Sparrow loves sunflower seeds, white millet, and peanuts

White-throated Sparrow loves everything!

Woodpecker loves sunflower seeds


I hope soon to get a birdbath since birds are more attracted to feeding areas where there is water.

The Burpee catalogue came today so the children have been looking at the beautiful colorful pictures of fruits, vegetables, flowers, and herbs. I personally would like to get some organic seeds for our garden -- gotta request a catalogue from Seeds of Change.