Our Insect Lore Painted Lady Butterflies

We have always enjoyed hatching butterflies around here as you can see in our monarch photo essay.

This spring, before the monarchs arrived, I grew impatient and ordered a painted lady butterfly hatching "kit" from Insect Lore.

We haven't been dissappointed at all!! We ordered the kit, which includes a great habitat we will use for other things, and a coupon to send away for 10 caterpillars.

The caterpillars arrived and we thought they were dead because they were not active like monarch caterpillars, but they all lived and all made a crysalis.

So far 6 of the ten butterflies have hatched---sadly, one will not be hatching because it was "lost" when Luke knocked over the habitat.

We have been feeding the butterflies with sugar water sprinkled on fresh carnations at the bottom of the habitat.

I can't wait when we have a butterfly release in a few days.

I also look forward to using this habitat for our monarch hatching. I love all the room we will have to observe our monarchs and all the other "creatures" we seem to collect over the summer.

Wordless Wednesday

A rose-breasted grosbeak out Grandma and Grandpa's kitchen window.

It's May 9th--it's Mother's Day...

and there is snow on the ground.....

Happy Mother's Day!!

Happy Mother's Day to the best Momma there is, my Momma!!!

I love you, Mom!! ;-)

The Eyes Have It

Gracie
Luke

Kimberly

A great day to turn 5

Looking at the sky on Friday

An afternoon sky over Oneida Lake from Verona Beach

Head over and share your sky on Friday!

Happy 5th Birthday, Luke!!

Kimberly's New Hula-POOP

Wordless Wednesday: Sweet Kisses!!

My babies are both 4 this week!!

It is getting harder and harder to take a good "twin picture" as the kids get bigger.

I have a million good pictures of Kimberly, a million good pictures of Luke, but to try and get them to both look good, while looking at me, is beginning to become impossible.

As most of you know, Luke and Kim are the same age for 3 days every May-our "Irish twins".

This year was a first because Luke was quite upset by this event--namely Kim's birthday. He just couldn't understand how this could happen. First off, Kim got to have her birthday first, and secondly, he thought he would wake up on May 3rd and Kimberly would be as big as he is. (In fact she is only a smidgen shorter--but that is enough to give Luke the self-esteem boost he needs)

He was relieved that Kimberly didn't become bigger overnight, and now he is counting the days until he turns five!

The 3 year old "twins"

2 year old "twins"
My sweet one year old "twins".

I can't believe that are so big now!

Kimberly in candlelight

Westward Expansion Book List: Part 1

We have been enjoying our journey into the west with our study of westward expansion.

We have been on our trip now for 2 weeks and we are all learning so much!

We have used alot of Elizabeth's unit which can be found at Serendipity.

I wanted to list the picture books we have enjoyed in these first 2 weeks before I forget about them in our excitement to join the California gold rush!

If you click on the picture of the book's cover, you will be taken to the Amazon link.

We used If You Traveled West in a Covered Wagon as our "textbook".

Of course, the family read-aloud was Little House on the Prairie.

I am very happy to say that even Luke and Kimberly enjoyed it, sitting quietly for up to an hour while I read.

The great series of books, My First Little House Books, added a lot to the past two weeks. They were perfect for the littlest kids, but the big kids also enjoyed them because the pictures are awesome. The picture books followed the chapter book so nicely, things were decribed word for word, and the pictures helped with "technical" terms, such as nose feed bags and fording a river.

You Wouldn't Want to be an American Pioneer was just the book to keep Mark's interest. Of course, he is a 10 year old boy, and what could be better than the gross, yucky stuff of the pioneers life.

These two picture books are very fun. We all enjoyed them.

These last two books are the books that Gracie, 8, used for her reading books these past 2 weeks. They were easy for her, but we all enjoyed having her read to us!

Stay tuned next week for our California gold rush books.

Some of our other fun of the past weeks was, learning to spit (Mr. Edwards style),we made prairie sunbonnets, and homemade butter and cornbread.

The Birthday Girl

Happy 4th Birthday, Kimberly!!

Gift Of Love – Randy Travis
When you were born

There in your mother’s arms

An angel told me always you will be

A gift of love from God to me
Though your road is long

I’ll be right by your side

Through changes you’ll see always you will be

A gift of love from God to me
Love took flight the day you came into my life

There is magic in the way I feel

Hearts opened wide gazing into your eyes

I’ll be there for you

As long as I am alive
I have never loved

More than I love you

A gift for free always you will be

A gift of love from God to me

A Dress-up kind of night

Laura-Daniel-Amy

My teenagers have the great priviledge of attending a wonderful little school--Holy Cross Academy. The smallness of this school allows all the kids to grow together in their faith and friendships.

One thing that is looked forward every spring is the high school formal dinner dance.

It provides the kids an opportunity to dress up and enjoy the many friendships that are nurtured at school.

My beautiful "middle" girls--Amy and Laura

(when did these "middles" become so grown-up)

Laura
Amy and friends Michaela and Megan

Steve and Amy

Amy and Laura

Amy

Laura and friend Sadie

Everyday I thank God for blessing me with this beautiful children---beautiful on the ourside, but also, more importantly, on the inside!!