st andrew’s day nature walk
even though our boy was up coughing in the night, the sun and warmer air urged us out today to gather holly for our Advent wreath and look carefully at the natural world that surrounds us even in the city. this was a wonderful way to celebrate this feast day that is close to our family’s heart. our Andrew was the one up with the sick child and then out the door early to teach all day. and just now he is home, but gone again in the afternoon dark to the grocery to pick up things for our celebration dinner: fish tacos and guacamole and beer for one!
we have been so encouraged in our nature walks by Barb at Handbook of Nature Study. we have set out on a weed watch–observing Queen Anne’s Lace through the chances and changes of four seasons. and we have loved peeks into Barb’s nature journal and the monthly newsletter and nature grid. we use ours for reading practice!
this feast day also marks the beginning our this family’s Advent celebrations. things are very similar to last year. we are unwrapping a Christmas book each day (just books from our stash and the library; nothing new!), and working through a series of Jesse Tree ornaments and readings. this year we are using the set found here, and our readings will be coming from The Child’s Story Bible by Catherine Vos. this book has been a treasure, and it’s the book that the children’s great grandma Kathleen read to her girl and boy!