Spring Is In Full Swing

Now I realize that several (or all of you) may be thinking that spring has been over and done with for awhile.  And while the warmer than usual temperatures we have been having all spring long might lead you to conclude that, it is in fact spring for exactly one more week.  Just so we have that clear...  :)

This year, my son has been super excited about all of the wonderful things that happen during spring.  Last year he really could have cared less, but this year he is so interested in all that nature has to offer.  First and foremost, he LOVES flowers.  It has become a daily event (well, it probably happens several times a day knowing him) that we go around together and check out all of the plants.  We see how they have grown, which ones have grown buds, and which ones have started blooming.

He is posing with the Lilly that has grown taller than him.
The yellow ones off to the side are his favorite flower.

His brain is truly a sponge and he is just so naturally interested in the world around him and so thirsty for knowledge.  It truly is amazing to see all that he has learned, and the best part is he doesn't even know he's learning things, he's just having fun.  At age 3, he knows the names of more flowers than I probably knew at age 20, no joke.  As we look at all of the flowers, he says things like , "Look, the Lillies have buds!" or "Look! That one is about to open up!".  One day I even caught him talking to the one Hosta buds.  He said, "Hello little buuuuuuuuuud.  You need to open up so I can see you and smell you!". 

Speaking of smelling flowers, it's not unusual for him to smell the yellow Lillies picture above (his favorite) and have yellow pollen all over his face.  FYI - that stuff stains your skin, and it doesn't come off easily.

Something new that we are attempting this year is growing plants from seeds.  So this is part of our daily checking, looking to see how our seedlings have grown.

He is posing with all the seedlings in our new flower bed at the back of our property.
He is most excited about the Sunflowers we planted back here.

The other thing that my son is excited about is all the wildlife we have this year.  Since we got rid of our dog, who must have scared most of the animals away, we have gotten to see quite a few little creatures up close.

The fish pond is where his two outdoor loves, plants and animals meet.
He loves to see the Lillies blooming as well as feed and watch the fish.

This year we put up a Hummingbird feeder.  We have had several Hummingbirds this year (though I think they are more interested in the flowers by the feeder than the feeder itself) and as soon as I solve the ant problem we are having, hopefully we will have a lot more.  I love coming home and having my son run up to me and tell me stories about the Hummingbirds the saw that day.

We also have many other birds.  We have seen some Blue Jays and Cardinals, and a Robin has chosen to make our tiny red leaf Maple tree its home.  My son was excited to discover that the nest has eggs, and he can't wait for them to hatch.

The tree they are in is very small so the nest is low enough that we can lift my son up and he can see in.

We also have a ton of rabbits this year.  We have always had rabbits around where we live, but our dog kept them out of our yard for the most part.  The kids love to look at them in the yard.  And while they are cute and fluffy and neat to look at, they have become a bit of a pest for me.  I had to put up a fence to protect my Morning Glories since they chewed several of them off to a nub and may soon have to put one up around the back flower bed unless I want all of my Sunflowers to disappear.

Where is my daughter at in all of this?  (You might be asking yourself this since I didn't mention her.)  Well, we normally do all of our exploring while she's napping right now.  One time when we were looking at flowers, she picked up a shovel and dug up one of my Morning Glory seedlings and she will routinely pluck off flowers and buds if you don't keep an eye one her. 

Sincerely,
The Nature Lover