I have really wanted to do a post about nature study for a long time. And this is really not one. It is one of my favorite aspects of this CM lifestyle. I think when it really became wonderful for us is when I stopped sending my children outside to do it and started taking them outside with me as I did it. I began keeping a nature journal. I don't record as often as I should, my hands after all are often full, but it is a treasure to me now.

I had a friend recently ask me how I knew the names of so many plants and things.(I really don't)  I explained that if you just learned one new species on each nature walk you took, think of what you would learn and know over a lifetime. That is my goal, for myself and my children, each walk to learn to identify something new. And when I really know it is when I have recorded it in my journal because the mind only can know what it tells itself. That's how we process. So that brush drawing or sketch is really my narration of what I've learned and then I never forget it.

On the Blueridge Parkway

One of my favorite nature study lessons. We were possum sitting for friends.

Narration after all is what we all do when we are excited about something, have had something big happen in our lives or we are upset. We "vent", "share" and "process" with others.

Sliding Rock. It is amazing how the river bed becomes just this rock. Only my brave children slid down!

Curtiss loved it.

I wish this wasn't blurry. Ladies Tresses. Isn't it neat?!

Here is a cicada Ben found right as he was ready to shed his skin.

Climbing out

Wings plumping as the blood gets flowing. It was truly amazing to sit and watch it all unfold.

Our goal is to be out in nature one half day and one long day each week. It's been a total fail lately. Or if we do get out, we don't journal. Ok, well a fail in the last couple weeks. We do have a 9 week old. I am learning instead of beating myself up for these "failures" to just keep plodding along or I just tend to want to give up. It's just too rich to give up on! So I will keep fighting the chaos that can ensue when you are trying to get nine people packed and out the door, I will keep guarding and carving out the time. Because the fruits of what we have succeeded in are just too rich to not continue to pursue.