May Twitterature: The Books on My Nightstand

I'm linking up with Anne at Modern Mrs. Darcy again for this month's Twitterature, where we report what we've been reading--the good, the bad, & the ugly--in short, pithy blurbs replete with hash tags and affiliate links because, well, every little bit helps, right? :)

What I've Read

 

Hamlet, William Shakespeare

"Get thee to a nunnery!" Was Hamlet mad? Grief-stricken? Whatever the case, this classic tragedy is filled with parenting lessons, teenage angst, & humor. #revengeisneversweet

The Hidden Art of Homemaking, Edith Schaeffer

My go-to source for inspiration as a SAHM. Tons of ideas on how to make your home a haven and use your God-given talents in the process. #homemakingisanart

Mourn Not Your Dead, Deborah Crombie

4th in the Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James series. Highly respected major murdered in his home but mourned by none. Appearances aren't always as they seem. #Britishwhodunit #Texan author #beachreading

 

What I'm Currently Reading

 

All Shall Be Well, Deborah Crombie

3rd in the series (yes, I'm going backwards). Follows Duncan's investigation of his neighbor's suspicious death.  #veryAgathaChristie #morebeachreading #greatseries
 

Madame Bovary, Gustave Flaubert

One woman's quest for fulfillment, which continually leads to disappointment. Very evocative, especially for 19th century, pre-Hollywood lit. An easy read for a classic, but a bit disconcerting even in the 21st century. 

The Passionate Mom: Dare to Parent in Today's World, Susan Merrill

My new favorite mothering book that's really encouraging me to be more intentional with my time and attention to my kids. #passiontakesaction



That's what's been/is occupying my nightstand. What about you? 

Have you been reading any good books that I need to add to my Goodreads shelf? Please leave a comment sharing your suggestions.

 





Linking up to Twitterature. I hope you'll join us!
 
 

{Note: This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting my family & this blog.}

Linking up to these great parties.

If you would like to have posts delivered to your inbox, click: Growing in His Glory. Or join us on Google Friend Connect, Facebook, Twitter, & Pinterest.

Preschool Science: Ladybugs

  *Did you know ladybugs go through metamorphosis like butterflies? I didn't.

*Did you know ladybugs are actually beetles? I didn't.

*Did you know their bright coloring tells birds not to eat them because they don't taste good? I didn't.

These are just a few facts we learned from our recent preschool science project on ladybugs, which was inspired by Maureen of Spell Outloud's post "Spring Preschool Science Planning." As a mom of 7, Maureen knows how to homeschool a variety of ages, including toddlers and preschoolers, and she has a knack for making learning fun--something I definitely try to do with my kids.

Here's what we did:

First of all, I ordered the Insect Lore Ladybug Land from Amazon. Right now the kit is on sale for $14.06, down from $19.99 {price subject to change}. The kit includes the following: An observation habitat with magnifying lid and watering pad, pipette, activity guide, full instructions, & mail-in coupon for 15 to 20 ladybug larvae and food.

Once Ladybug Land arrives, you need to either mail in or order online the ladybug larvae. It will arrive about a week later in a plastic tube filled with all the food needed until the lady bugs become adults. It is imperative that you put the larvae into Ladybug Land immediately. I did not and we lost about 1/3 of the larvae. Also, be sure to add water with the pipette (included) every other day. 

Then wait and watch. There's a magnifying area on top of the observation habitat where you can see the larvae up close and personal. 

The larvae look like tiny crocodiles. I've never seen anything like it.

Ladybug Larvae

When the larvae began to pupate, we watched as they stuck to the side of their home. We talked about the changes that were occurring inside, comparing the lady bugs to butterflies and their process of metamorphosis. 

Approximately 4 weeks after our larvae arrived, we had ladybugs. They were in the pupa stage for about a week. Only 5 of the 13 larvae we received survived to the ladybug stage, but that in itself was a miracle because there were days I completely forgot to water them. Once the ladybugs "hatch" from the pupae stage, you have to add chopped up raisins or aphids (if you can find them) for ladybugs to eat. 

Once the ladybugs eat the raisins (or the raisins start to mold :) ), we set them free. We released the ladybugs in the morning in our front yard. The older girls were afraid to hold them, but the baby and I did. 

Books on Ladybugs

I highly recommend the following books, which I bought for our science project:

We also read these books, which we already owned:

 

Ladybug Coloring Sheets & Activities

In addition to ladybug books, the girls colored pictures of ladybugs from here and here and did various counting and pre-writing activities.
 

Links to other ladybug activities:

Ladybug Life Cycle Cards {FREE from Montessori Print Shop; beautiful photo cards plus coloring sheets}

Ladybug Lapbook {From 1+1+1=1}

Ladybugs on a Leaf Math Printable {From The Measured Mom}

 In Conclusion

All in all, learning about ladybugs and watching their metamorphosis was an amazing science lesson!  My toddler was too young to appreciate the process, but she did spend a lot of time looking at "the bugs" and asked LOTS of questions. My 4.5 year old enjoyed reading the books and doing the activities but didn't spend much time observing the ladybugs. Maybe she's still too young or ladybugs aren't her thing. Still, I thoroughly enjoyed learning about ladybugs, and when my girls are older, I certainty plan to revisit this science project. I've cleaned my Ladybug Land so we're ready to use it again in the future.

Have you ever studied ladybugs? What about butterflies, ants, or praying mantises? What should we study next?

{Note: This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting my family & this blog.}

Linking up to these great parties.

If you would like to have posts delivered to your inbox, click: Growing in His Glory. Or join us on Google Friend Connect, Facebook, Twitter, & Pinterest.