Peep!

Can it really have been a month since I last posted? Yikes! Stomach flu, visiting children, and winter doldrums have left me with little motivation to do anything but get through each day. I refuse to complain about the long winter...It will only make spring that more wonderful when it finally gets here. Maybe summer will get here first. She's welcome too!

We set our alarm clock for 12:57 on March 20th. That is when spring arrived on the calendar. Our school had a mob flash dance as soon as the alarm went off. We sang and danced to this Happy song...

Then it was back to work. The work of watching chicks!

Whenever I have had the chance to go to the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, I spend most of my time looking at the chicks hatching. It is my favorite part of the whole museum. I'm always disappointed that I have to move out of the way for people who are shorter than I am.

After years of dreaming about hatching my own chicks I finally did it. Since we studied life cycles in science, it fit into the curriculum perfectly! It has been one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Hearing a chick make peeping noises before it even shows signs of hatching is just the most delightful thing in the world.

There are some important things to keep in mind before trying this yourself! Find someone who is willing to take the chicks once they are too big to stay in your classroom. Make sure that people are will to take roosters and hens! I was lucky to have three people tell me they are willing to take any or all of our chicks.

Once you place the eggs in the incubator DO NOT open the incubator. Whoops! I didn't know that. Luckily, my eggs made it anyway. The temperature and humidity needs to be fairly consistent and opening and closing the incubator can kill young chicks. Imagine the excitement in our classroom when students were actually able to see four eggs hatch.

Chicks poop. They poop a lot! Changing the bedding material frequently is important as is proper hand washing after handling the chicks. We handle our chicks a lot! We read to them and I had one little guy telling them how to regroup before subtracting! It will be a sad day when they fly the coop!

Finally, you will become attached. You will hear chicks peeping even when they aren't anywhere near. You will find yourself having to go back to school to check on them every night after supper and staying for several hours holding and talking to them about your day. You will marvel at their growth and worry about their development.

I have been putting Sparty, Clover, Martin, Cutie, Boxer, Wilbur, and their siblings out in the hall for the rest of the school to enjoy. If I see anyone near the box, I watch carefully. I make sure that no one harms MY babies. I couldn't help but think of how much more God loves and watches over me. He bought me with His Son Jesus Christ and now He cares for and protects me. "...how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings..." Luke 13:34
 Of course you can check out these books about chicks on Amazon...

Spring Flowers Freebie!

Welcome Spring!

FINALLY...I have good news! Spring has arrived. Not only do the birds know it, but now we are all rejoicing over the melted snow, warmer weather, and the April showers! Spring is my favorite season of all. It is  filled with so much hope, and possibility. Capturing my love of spring and birds is this clipart by Kari Bolt. I love her work and I'm having so much fun making activities using this awesome set. Here is a peek at one of the printables I made to help my owlets further their understanding of contractions. Click HERE if you would like a copy for your class, too!

Grade Onederful...Thank you so much for the spring art project! My students loved making flowers to go along with their butterflies. I have to bite my tongue from time to time. They each had their own idea about what their daffodil should look like. It wasn't the same picture I had in mind, but it is so important for children to learn to express themselves without being hindered by a teacher who is a perfectionist! We praised God that only He could make a flower more beautiful than we could...Plus His smell way better, too!

Looking for Spring in all the Wrong Places!

I've been looking for spring in all the wrong places. Even though the past week was called "Spring Break", I saw very little evidence of it. Finally today I realized I've just been wrong in my approach! I'm using Five for Five to show you some of the places I've looked and failed at finding my beloved friend, Spring!

1.  I looked locally. My girls and I went to feed ducks. We found a most unusual duck, but we didn't find Spring!

A Melanistic Mallard Duck! A melanistic animal is like the opposite of albino!
To see more click HERE!!

2. I looked around the house for Spring, but only found Easter eggs!

Of course it's an owl!

3. I looked for Spring in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. What was I thinking? We get a lot of snow where I live. A lot! Nothing prepared me for the amount of snow I saw in Houghton Michigan, home of the Michigan Tech Huskies! Look at all this snow...

There was at least a foot of snow covering the ground.

I really wouldn't want to drive here in the winter, or spring!

4. Maybe I could find Spring in one of the shops downtown. Chickadee Jubilee would love this place! I love it too, but no spring found here!

5. I finally found Spring. She was in the loveliest places I know...A book! I love the bright pictures and feeling of spring that I get from Kevin Henkes, My Garden. What a great book to share with my Owlets after our break. The Book Fairy will be leaving this awesome book  in the classroom for us! I've made a freebie that goes along with this book and you may get it HERE.

Thanks for the Link-Up Casey! It gives me something to think about all week long!