Around the Spinney

Homeschooling

  • Arctic Hare

    Arctic Hare

    Burgess actually refers to the Arctic Hare in his book, “The Burgess Animal Book for Children,” as Snow White. The Arctic Hare is really an incredible animal to survive in such a cold climate. What are some questions that you have about him? Here are some of ours: And the answers: One thing we really…

  • Marsh Rabbit

    Marsh Rabbit

    Peter Rabbit is so surprised to hear that any member of his family would be caught swimming in water for the pure joy of it in Burgess’ classic “The Burgess Animal Book for Children.” Do you think it’s true? Here are some questions you might be wondering: They are certainly rabbits that make their habitats…

  • Chore Rhythms as Core Rhythms: Laundry

    Chore Rhythms as Core Rhythms: Laundry

    Teaching our children how to care for themselves, their people, and their spaces doesn’t have to be difficult when we think about teaching them how to do it step by step. Many of us were thrown into it when we had to figure out how to cook, clean, and care for ourselves after we left…

  • Year 6 of Homeschooling

    Year 6 of Homeschooling

    Last year flew by for us. We settled into a new house, and all of us went through developmental stages in between the seasons, terms, lessons and experiences. We enjoyed the nature around us and loved settling into a place that we can call our own. We are so grateful for all that last year…

  • Bubbling Bob, the Bobolink

    Bubbling Bob, the Bobolink

    What a fun sentence full of alliteration: Today our Burgess bird is Bubbling Bob the Bobolink! Writing that this morning is a great start to the day. Bobolinks… ever heard of them? Unfortunately, this is a bird that is getting harder to find. If you are hoping to ever spot one you should look in…

  • Weaver, the Orchard Oriole

    Weaver, the Orchard Oriole

    Baltimore Oriole you’ve probably heard of before, but Orchard Oriole? Maybe not. The Orchard Oriole exchanges the beautiful orange of his Baltimore cousin with a chestnut brown. The females are very different from the males, wearing yellow and green feathers. Here is a video of what an Immature Male looks like, much more like the…

  • Egyptian Koshari and Oom Ali

    Egyptian Koshari and Oom Ali

    We have been studying our way through Africa with Heritage Mom’s Amazing Africa heritage pack and the other day I had an idea… why not spend some time traveling through Africa and trying some of the national food in Cast Iron while we study these amazing and diverse countries. So, we started with the first…

  • Downy and Hairy

    Downy and Hairy

    When we started The Burgess Bird Book, I just couldn’t wait to get to Chapter 11, Drummers and Carpenters. I knew that’s where Peter Rabbit would learn the difference between a Hairy Woodpecker and a Downy Woodpecker. I fought the temptation and was able to wait patiently for the day when we would read it…

  • Teeter, The Spotted Sandpiper

    While reading The Burgess Bird Book, I realized very quickly that I have a soft spot for small birds with long legs. I could watch them for hours. When we lived in Dubai, my husband and I loved to spot Plovers, watching as they circled and diverted our attention, protecting their young. You may not…

  • The American Woodcock, Longbill

    The American Woodcock, Longbill

    Here we come to a beloved chapter in the Burgess Bird Book, chapter 9. We fell in love with Longbill, who’s Writing Page you can see above, very quickly and I’ll tell you why… You’ll have to tell me yourself if you can resist his irresistible moves when you see them here: This rocking back…