glimpses of september

One of the things I am really loving about starting school with Lyddie is that it is helping me make sure to take time to do things I've always wanted to. Since I have a reason to make a specific lesson plan each week, I am being sure to include things that, in the past, I wouldn't do as regularly as I wanted.

One of these things is going on nature walks together.  This is something my girls and I love to do but it has often gotten shuffled to the side.  Since the weather is still beautiful I am making sure to get some of these in now.  I am hoping to continue in the winter with a bit of flexibility around the weather, but since I do not think it's detrimental for kids to be outside in the cold or even the rain as long as they have good clothes and gear, in general I think we should be able to carry on.  Our favorite place is the Yakima Arboretum.  I've written about the arboretum many times but I am continually thankful for this outdoor refuge of beauty.  It is really well maintained and has a beautiful collection of trees and plants, and a bird-watching/bird-feeding screen that we will revisit in the winter to see what kinds of birds we can observe together.  I brought along sketch books for myself and the girls but my theory on sketching nature at this age is to leave it alone unless they initiate pretty much.  Lyddie loves to draw so eventually she took a break from running through paths and bridges of the Japanese garden  and found me under the pagoda with the colored pencils.  Her sketches are so pretty and I love watching her intently study the object she's going to draw and then doing her best to replicate it in her book.  

I plan to go to the Toppenish wildlife refuge, back to the Arboretum a few more times, a couple parks in town, and visit some sites along the Yakima River Canyon.  I think that should get us up through the fall and then I'll decide what we can manage in the cold season after Christmas.