September 19th

Summer goodbye....Happy Equinox to all our friends and families!

Another busy and beautiful day of Wren's Nest!! We were happy the rain storms stayed away, for it was our last summer day together and we had some exploring to do. Our morning started with blocks, a hunt for a missing puzzle piece, big letter floor tiles, and some watercolor painting.

We were introduced to our weather station, something we will check at the start of every day. It was a misty, moisty morning and as we closed our eyes to smell the weather many of the children exclaimed that it smelled sweet! Others noticed the smell of mud and also rain. We admired the puffy,  rolling clouds and wondered if it would thunder. After recording our observations Sarah helped to measure the wind (not too windy) and we got excited about the first snow when we will be able to see the snowflakes under our magnifying glass.

Before snack we gathered for our morning circle. This was a special circle because we all received our animal cards. Each of us picked a card for a different animal, a totem that will stay with us throughout the year at Wren's Nest. 

After snack we pulled on our boots, gathered rain gear, and set off to explore Rocks-a-moss and Fortlandia. We scrambled up the slippery mossy rocks to the tippy top of the hill, and from there spotted the huge smooth boulder and huge downed tree, this is the spot that captivated us for the remainder of the morning. We minded for some quartz crystals, made repairs to the fort roof, crafted leaf bugs and fern crowns, and had so much fun.

Once we filled up our hungry bellies with some lunch it was time to get a little cozy. Katie read us some great picture stories, we colored in our floor books, and explored the nature table.

 A curious carrot

We gathered together again and Samantha told us the story of Jumping Mouse. Although Jumping Mouse is little, he is brave and curious and completes a perilous journey with courage and kindness. "You will reach the far-off land if you keep hope alive within you..."

As all of you well know, we spend lots of time exploring the beautiful land around us. Inevitably there will be bumps, scrapes, and bruises along the way. Luckily our Mother Earth provides us with all the good medicine we need. So we started work building our "nature first-aid kit." Common Ground was very generous to let us harvest some healing goodies from their garden. We gathered calendula blossoms to craft into our healing salve and for our tummy tea we harvested anise hyssop, mint leaves, and wild ginger root. We will be working on many pieces of our nature first-aid kit in the coming weeks and I will share recipies with all of you as they come! 

Taste testing mint and anise hyssop leaves!

Wow! What an awesome 2nd day :) 

Next week Samantha and I are planning a visit up to the pond to see how the land and animals are transitioning into autumn. It looks a wee bit chilly so be sure to pack a warm layer, boots for shallow splashing, and a change of dry clothes just incase! 

Can't wait to see you all on Monday and please contact me with any questions!