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{Straight From the Heart} *Explore Your Backyard Wonderland* 6/2/00
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EXPLORE YOUR BACKYARD WONDERLAND
By Mary Emma Allen
(E-mail: me.allen@juno.com)
Do you have a backyard wonderland, a place behind your home where
you and your children can explore the fascinating natural world around
you? It does not need to be a large expanse of land, simply your own
backyard.
When my daughter Beth was small, we found we didn't have to
wander far from our home to discover an enchanting world that provided us
with enjoyment and entertainment and shared activities.
Birdwatching
From our kitchen window, we saw a multitude of birds. Although
we were not experts at identifying these birds, we'd count more than a
dozen different kinds just within the backyard and garden area of our
home.
Children are greatly interested in birdwatching, if someone takes
the time to encourage them and share this pasttime with them. They enjoy
looking the birds up and trying to identify them in a bird book. They'll
make lists in their own notebook of these birds and write down the dates
they've spied them.
Butterflies, bees, ants, caterpillars, lightning bugs,
grasshoppers, crickets, any bugs, for that matter, around your home area
furnish interesting watching for a youngster.
Planting Seeds & Exploring
Children love to plant seeds. Let them have a small plot of dirt
to experiment with, in which they can plant flower and vegetable seeds.
This also gives mother and children an opportunity to search through
books about plants and gardening to learn how seeds grow.
They'll also enjoy taking a magnifying glass and exploring the
backyard with it. Stones, plants, flowers, bugs, twigs and branches will
be seen from a different aspect and provide fascination for them and you.
Precious Moments
Even if you leave some housework undone, it's important to grasp
these precious moments with your children. It's up to us as parents to
encourage their abilities and their inborn sense of wonder and urge them
to use their imaginations to keep from getting bored.
Take a walk with your children around the backyard or around your
block. (I've also explored the city with a two-year old for sights of
birds and flowers, ants and caterpillars.) Let them enjoy an outing with
Mom.
A Closer Bond
Surprisingly, you may find, as I did, that you're having as much
fun as the children. You'll come back to the house with the cobwebs
swept from your mind, ready to tackle your work with renewed enthusiasm.
In addition, you'll sense a closer bond with your tots because
you took the time to heed that cry, "Mom, come look!" and explored your
backyard wonderland with them.
(c) 1999 Mary Emma Allen
me.allen@juno.com
Email Mary Emma and let her know what you thought of her writing!
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Mary Emma Allen is a journalist, columnist, children author and
writing workshop teacher.
E-mail: me.allen@juno.com
Web site: http://homepage.fcgnetworks.net/jetent/mea
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Special Thanks:
From: cybercatz2@earthlink.net (Loyd & Janet Wood Jr.)
6-1-00
I wanted to take a moment to thank you all for your special thoughts, prayers,
and condolences that you all have sent to us. We are very grateful
for the friends that we have met, through this rough journey that we
have been traveling. We will miss Sarah teribly, but we are also
thankful that she is not suffering any more.
Please friends, lets not loose contact now that Sarah has gone to be
with the Lord. I promise I will write as often as I can, you are all
very good friends and we treasure those friendships.
till next time.
Loyd
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Thought For The Day:
"The secret of success is to be like a duck--smooth and unruffled on
top, but paddling furiously underneath."
(William H. Danforth)
Verse for the Day:
"I labored more abundantly than they all; yet not I, but the grace of
God which was with me."
1 Corinthians 15:10
Kid's Thought for the day:
"Open your eyes under water."
Parent's Thought For The Day
"A parent's children and garden both reflect the amount of weeding
done during the growing season."
Coach's Thought For The Day
"Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes
off the goal."
(Hannah More)
Deep Thought For The Day:
"He who lives in glass house dresses in basement."
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/_/\/\ MICHAEL T. POWERS
\_\ / THUNDER27@aol.com http://members.aol.com/Thunder27/index.html
/_/ \ "For I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but
\_\/\ \ Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body I live for the Son
\_\/ of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." Galatians 2:20
Video Imagery (Michael's Video Production Business)
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seconds my mom was crying and my dad did too. They said it was
the best Christmas gift we could have given them!! You did such
a beautiful job! They were so suprised and so touched---they
really, really, really loved it. Thanks for helping to make it so
special to us all. My mom mentioned how the songs were perfect for
the video too! Thanks again!"
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