Ladybugs and Butterflies

Yesterday Natalie and I read Casper, the Caterpillar by Celeste Foster and Waiting for Wings by Lois Ehlert. We didn't do anything more than that, though. The plan is to install our Ladybug Ranch in the yard and plant a rosebush underneath (I got a miniature rose at the grocery store while I was doing my shopping, it is called "Karina Parade"). You can purchase ladybugs and set them free in your yard but, according to the directions that came with the habitat, they won't hang out in their Ladybug Ranch during the summer; however, they will come hibernate in it over the fall & winter if they have seen it around and gotten used to it. As far as attracting butterflies, Lois Ehlert's book gives a list of plants to put in your butterfly garden. I also really like her book because it shows a variety of types of caterpillars and butterflies, instead of just one. I think sometimes kids are inadvertently given the impression that that monarch butterflies are the only butterflies that exist. Money is tight for homeschool projects right now though, because I am saving up for the Waldorf teacher training Barbara Dewey is holding this summer, so I think that an extensive ladybug/butterfly habitat in our yard is probably not going to happen. Instead we will move on to the other insects recommended for our study this week: mosquito, firefly, and honeybee. Next week is Spiders. The final week in June is supposed to be the Food Web/Recycling but we have a houseguest coming so I'm not sure what we are going to do. Most of the ideas given in the curriculum are more academic than what I like but I know Jenn is going to want to see some school, and I don't want to lose momentum. We'll probably do a lot of Good Earth Art. I love that book! It will be nice for Jenn to see and participate in some projects, and it gives us the flexibility to also go to the beach, the park, the aquarium, etc. when she feels like getting out of the house and doing stuff. Last time Jenn came down I asked her if she wanted to do anything and she said no so I sat down and started to knit and continued to carry on with life as usual for a while and a day or so later she came to me and said she was bored. :-)


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