Nature Journal
(This one’s for me. The more scattered-across-many-networks my internet life becomes, the more important it seems to archive things here, where I will always be able to find them.)
She says nature study is her favorite part of the day. It isn’t an everyday thing—not the journaling, I mean—just once or twice a week. She especially loves the “talking part,” the part where we look at (smell, touch, sometimes taste) a sprig of this or that, studying it closely, discussing its characteristics. “So,” she’ll say, with the same inflection used by my elderly neighbor back in Queens, no nonsense, ready to dish. “So. Let’s look, Mommy.” I ask leading questions: leaf shape, growth pattern, texture, scent. She peers closely, so serious. And then suddenly in the midst of all this Careful Observation she’ll flash a grin: “This is awesome.”
“Alternating leaf pattern. It was hard.” 🙂
“It was [a] pattern too.”
(And lest this sound too perfect, let me add for the record that none of her sisters demonstrated much interest in nature journaling past the age of, oh, maybe eight or so. They all moved on to other pursuits. Which is fine! I have marveled at every age. Six is delicious, and fleeting, and full of wonder. I’m savoring it.)
Ellie says:
I’m forever saying this age or that age is my favorite but truly: six is delicious and fabulous and glorious. I never had a six year old who wrote! Go Rilla! 🙂
On September 14, 2012 at 4:16 pm
tanita says:
It is delicious that she identifies what is “hord” and still feels it is awesome anyway. So, so cool of a life skill.
On September 14, 2012 at 6:18 pm
Melissa Wiley says:
I forgot to include the cutest bit of all. Her original caption for the Friday entry was “ALLTRNATN LEIF PADRN.” She worked it out by herself while I was occupied with Huck and showed me, glowing with pride, when I returned to the room. “See,” she explained, reaching for the book we’d been reading earlier that morning: D’Aulaire’s LEIF THE LUCKY, “I copied LEIF from here.” Bounce, bounce, giggle. Then, suddenly grave: “Is it right?” So I had to tell her the correct spelling. I was kind of sorry she asked—her mistake was so dear.
On September 14, 2012 at 6:33 pm
sarah says:
What a keepsake! I just adore invented spelling. I hope to get nature journals up and running again this year. The girls enjoy doing them, but unfortunately it’s something that seems to easily fall by the wayside for us. Such a valuable skill. We are doing Lewis and Clark now. Perfect impetus for starting nature journals!
On September 15, 2012 at 3:19 am
kimberlee says:
This just makes me swoon. Love love love it.
On September 25, 2012 at 7:23 am