Last Night's Supermoon

Here is a picture that I took of last night's supermoon just as it was getting dark outside.  It was the biggest and brightest full moon of the year.  Grace, Jack and Eve knew that the "supermoon" was coming since we had been talking about it all week.  They were SO excited when I surprised them last night by going into their rooms (after they had been tucked in and gone to bed!) to let them know that they could go outside to see this beautiful site.

Last night's supermoon:  14% bigger, over 30% brighter and approximately 15,000 miles closer to Earth

Our Hike Through the Woods to Cascade Falls

Playing in the Rain

We have had a long stretch of rainy days.  Today as I watched Grace, Jack and Eve happily playing in the rain, splashing in the puddles and making mud pies I thought of the following quote:

"Childhood is that state which ends the moment a puddle is first viewed as an obstacle instead of an opportunity."

Painting Our World

Grace, Jack and Eve painted our Earth as a way to celebrate Earth Day last month.  They used blue & green paint and blue & green glitter to paint our world onto paper plates.  We talked in length about our world - especially how we can protect and preserve our Earth.

Grace's Earth

 Jack's Earth

Eve's Earth

"We only have one earth, so we have to take care of her."
- Senator Gaylord Nelson

Learning About Our World

In preparation for Earth Day last month, we have been studying about our Earth.  Eve has been learning about our world be exploring our globe.  We have been talking about how our world is round -- just like a ball.  Eve loves to turn the globe and to find the colors of the different countries.  One of Eve's new favorite words is "gobe" for globe!

Grace has always loved the book Me on the Map by Joan Sweeney.  Grace has been reading this book since she was two years old.  This book has led us to find our own special place on so many maps!  It is this book that helped bring about Grace's love of geography many years ago -- specifically learning the location of our fifty states (and all of their capitals!) and countries around our world.

Jack loves looking at and learning about maps.  Jack has learned so much about continents, countries, states, capitals, borders, physical features and cultural monuments by exploring maps in detail.

More Earth Day activities to come...

I will be back very soon with some pictures.  I'm sorry to have been away for so long but I took a little break from the computer to enjoy lots of outdoor time with Grace, Jack and Eve last week.  I also enjoyed every minute with my Mom and Dad, who came for a visit over the weekend!  

Happy Birthday Pepere!

Have a great day today.

We love you.

Mackworth Island

Eve, Jack, Grace and I went to Mackworth Island yesterday.  Some of the things we love about this island are looking for beach glass, building fairy houses and walking along the beaches.  It was a beautiful day. 

Higgins Beach

Grace & Jack

Jack

Eve 

Scenes from Boston

Eve sitting on a duckling in Boston's Public Garden

Jack and Grace reading the plaque about the Make Way for Ducklings statue

Jack sitting on Mrs. Mallard 

Jack and Eve watching the swan boats

Grace at Boston Harbor

Jack taking in the sites at the Public Garden

Jack and Eve admiring the boats in Boston Harbor

Grace greeting a police officer and petting his horse in the Public Garden

Eve takes over the Public Garden!

Jack sitting under the bridge in the Public Garden watching the boats

Jack and Grace

Jack watching the subway trains in Boston's T station