Did you know that roly-polies are actually crustaceans, like lobsters?Ha! Neither did I!
Did you have any idea that a garden snail's average life span can be as long as 5-10 years?
Whoa! That's quite a commitment.
Yesterday was such a fantastic Charlotte Mason lite education kind of day -- a homeschooler's dream, if you will. We didn't crack open any texts. We didn't do our reading lesson. And you know what? We just pretended not to remember about *gasp* our copywork and dictation.
This was a day that the Lord had made and we were rejoicing and being glad in it!
A very nice way to spend the first moments of the morning is enjoying the mama and papa bird that tag-team the breakfast duties to 3 screaming baby-birdies on the house hanging outside our kitchen window. I could watch those open-wide beaks atop scrawny necks peeking out through the little hole to the parent on the perch all day.
My littlest ones are pretty good creature wranglers and have been out for hours a day most of the past few weeks digging up bugs: Roly polies, worms, broken-winged butterflies and snails. I think snails are our favorite because they slide and slither and 
retract. And they're pretty cute too -- especially if you find one along with their spouse and offspring and build the family a little snail house complete with twig furnishings. *grin*Yesterday, while I was Googling snails and learning about their
operculum and remarkable lifespan, Dumpling came in with a roly-poly that was covered on her underside by many little white specks. I decided they must be eggs.As I tried to focus my camera on such a small subject, and at such a close range, I discovered that the specks weren't eggs. They were moving. They were babies! The mama roly-poly was birthing her babies all over Dumpling's hand. (As it turns out, her egg sac was opening.)
So we marveled for a few moments and then I told Dumpling to take Mama Roly-Poly outside and set her down with her babies in the grass. A moment later, outside but still watching and marveling at what's happening in her hand, this 6-year shouts to me an exclamation of delight and awe...
"Mommy! She really is pooping kids!"
10 comments:
What a fantastic moment to have captured! I love the days that go like that. I feel so purposeful when we are just following where exploring our world takes us. Unfortunately I am too much of a control freak to be an unschooler--I must do my curriculum and have abit of a panic attack if I get too far off schedule :)
How interesting. I had no idea roly polies are crustaceans just like lobsters. I'm trying to figure out how on earth you'd dip them in the melted butter. Tweezers?
LOL
That's a pretty amazing photo, the one of the mama and the tiny babies. Talk about timing. And your daughter's remark just cracked me up.
Yesterday sounds like it was just a lovely day for all of you.
LOL! Sounds like a great day!
Sounds like a great day. Too funny!
Too funny! Your daughters are very brave to find all those little critters. I used to be when I was younger . . . guess I've lost some of that. What fun and great lessons to be learned!
When it came up in bloglines, the strike through in the title wasn't there.... lol.
Fabulous day! I love it when that happens.
Well, I believe Miss Dumpling just moved to the head of Health Class! What a delightful day. Spring is my favorite time of year in our homeschool, and this is why.
This is just precious! What a moment. We love bugs at our house. My daughter would have been beside herself!! Thanks for sharing the pictures.
In response to your comment on my blog, just tell me when your homeschool convention is...
:~D.
How incredible to see! A lesson literally in the palm of her hand!
Thanks for sharing it with us - my boys were impressed - "Those are girls holding those bugs?" :)
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