Day 2 SoL Story Challenge: Mr. Grey Squirrel

We bought our first bird feeder at the town Harvest Festival last fall, just after we had moved into our new house. I remember feeling like we were really "here" when I hung the bird feeder from a branch of a tree in our back yard. "Here," as in Vermont, as opposed to Brooklyn, where we had previously lived, and had no back yard, and no need for a bird feeder.

Of course, hardly any birds eat from our bird feeder because the squirrels always get to it first. My mother just calls them "squirrel feeders" for that reason. That's okay. We enjoy the squirrels.

We think that there is one squirrel in particular who must live in the trees right behind our house. Of course, it's impossible to know for sure if it really is the same squirrel, but we like to think he's "our squirrel." L. calls him Mr. Grey Squirrel. We've seen him in all four seasons. We've watched him swing  bravely from the very highest branches. We've watched him boldly taunt our squirrel-killing terrier. We've watched him play and chase other squirrels. Once, as L. will tell you, we even saw a whole pack of squirrels. True story.

My co-slice-of-life-challenge-author, Little L., will tell you all about it here, at bed time, in her pajamas:

Leaf Collecting With Your Tiny Scientist

On your next walk outside, collect some leaves!

Try to gather up a variety of shapes, sizes, colors and textures. Your little one will have fun noticing the tiniest details.

Set up a box somewhere in the house where your tiny scientist can have fun taking leaves out and putting them back in. Babies love filling and emptying!

And for grown-ups here are some great sites for identifying trees! Once you look up your tree you can try using the name of the tree as you talk about leaves with your little munchkin:

What Tree Is It?

LEAF Tree ID Key

Tree ID App for iPhone

Make sure to use lots of descriptive vocabulary to talk about the size, color, shapes and textures while you're talking with your baby about the beautiful leaves you collected! Talking to your little guy or gal is a great way to keep them interested and immerse them in the world of language and words that scientists use.

Treehuggers

This morning the weather is BEAUTIFUL here in sunny Brooklyn, so Baby L and I went for an extra long walk with Indigo to enjoy the breeze and the sun. And on the way, L made a new discovery--TREES!

Every tree we passed was reason to stop, look up, wave to the branches, touch the bark, feel the leaves, and for Baby L, to say an approving, "Aaaah."

If hadn't been for L's coos, it would have been just a regular walk around the neighborhood, but she reminded me to stop and appreciate the trees. It's so easy to take them for granted, isn't it?

The next time you go for a walk in the park, a stroll down the block, or a hike on the trail, maybe you'll stop and appreciate the trees with your tiny readers. Talk about the height, the shapes of the leaves, the colors, and the names of the trees if you know them. Doing this gives your little ones experience with science, the outdoors, builds vocabulary, and models that trees and the environment are worth appreciating and thinking about.

Like they say, stop and smell the flowers-- and the trees too!

A Poem For Earth Day

Dear New York,

If it isn't too much trouble,

would you please

put your litter in the trash cans?

Also, it would be much appreciated

if you recycled a bit more.

And while you are thinking of it,

would you mind taking the subway

instead of driving?

Or at least carpooling?

It would also be nice

if you could bring

your own bags to the grocery store.

And could you please

bring a reusable mug to Starbucks?

And maybe, just maybe,

stop buying bottled water.

Sincerely,

The Earth

* Day 22 of the KidLitosphere Poem-A-Day Challenge for National Poetry Month.

Spring

Heart born in autumn
Smile born in winter
Shadow born in summer

* Day 2 of the KidLitosphere Poem-A-Day Challenge for National Poetry Month.

Our Favorite Song Lately

You Are My Flower

The grass is just as green, the sky is just as blue
The day is just as bright, the birds are singing too

You are my flower, that's blooming in the mountain for me
You are my flower, that's blooming there for me

The air is just as pure, the sunlight just as free
And nature seems to say, it's all for you and me

You are my flower, that's blooming in the mountain for me
You are my flower, that's blooming there for me

So wear a happy smile and life will be worthwhile
Forget your tears but don't forget to smile

You are my flower, that's blooming in the mountain for me
You are my flower, that's blooming there for me

When summertime is passed and snow begins to fall
Just sing this song and say to one and all

You are my flower, that's blooming in the mountain for me
You are my flower, that's blooming there for me

~ Sung by the Carter Family