Ladybird Beetles & Butterflies

This year Pierce and Zoe are studying flying creatures, so we've been raising ladybird beetles and Painted Lady butterflies. We got them both as larvae and have been observing them grow. Most of our beetles have matured, a couple are still pupae, and a couple died. We plan on releasing them in the next couple of evenings, as our yard is *full* of aphids! The caterpillars were amazing to watch, as they grew so fast and so much! All of them made chrysalids. This morning we woke up to one beautiful, newly emerged butterfly!


*I would love to show you pictures of all of this, but Stephen dropped my camera a few days ago and broke it :( so I'll have to use stock photography for now. I hope you enjoy it nonetheless.

Photo Credit
Photo Credit

Nature Outing

Twice a month, we go on a nature outing with a group of other homeschoolers. There are so many great places to go around here! We look forward to these as the highlight of our month. We get out in the great outdoors to play, to fellowship with other homeschooling families, and to spend time with families who are considering homeschooling, of which there seems to be a surge right now. When Lauren was 3 we got involved with a homeschool group and just began listening and learning. It's good to be an encouragement and help to others now that we're the experienced ones. Usually the outings start out with an organized game, then free play. The boys' usually like to build forts, while the girls enjoy finding fish, flowers, and unusual insects. Everyone comes home filthy and thoroughly exhausted!