Living Science~

In our family, we usually focus on "living history" but today we had a wonderful opportunity to study science up close and "living!"

On our way home from picking a friend up from school,  I saw a turtle crossing the road in our neighborhood. I spotted it at the last second, literally as I was about to drive over it~ HOPING that my tires did not get it.  Thankfully, the tires missed the turtle, and he was still trying to cross the road after we drove by.

Initially, I kept going.  Then I thought, being the homeschooler that I am, that THIS was a teaching moment!  And I needed to take advantage of it.  So, I pulled the van over, unloaded the kids, and we went to help the turtle cross to the other side of the road.  AnnaClaire, picked the turtle up without hesitation, and carried him over to the grass.  The turtle was a spritely little fellow and the children enjoyed watching him for a bit.  

Then someone asked if we could bring him home.

So we did.

  

We had my friend's 15 year old son in the car with us, and he identified our turtle as an Eastern Box Turtle.  And JM graciously held our turtle the rest of the way home, since we had no container to put him in. He held him even as said turtle, ummm how shall I say this...., went to the bathroom. And as I apologized to JM while the turtle was "in the process,"  he replied with the typical teenage answer, "no problem, Mrs. H."  Gotta love a boy like that!

Well our little turtle friend, lovingly named Traveler (since we found him along the road) certainly provided an afternoon of entertainment and learning for the kids.  I did tell everyone that when daddy came home, they were going to load in the van and go release Traveler at one of our nearby parks that has a pond.  

 

I was only hoping that Traveler would survive the afternoon of turtle loving until daddy arrived home.  

 

He did!

And so, before dinner, he was set free.

  And somebody was soooo sad to see him go....

And now, and I'm sure it comes as no surprise, we are waiting for our 2 books about box turtles to arrive from Ama*zon. 

Oh, yes, we are! They were ordered before we even let the turtle go!

And if you're wondering which books we ordered, they can be found here and here. 

 I SO wish we lived on some land, like my sweet friend. Truly a dream of mine.  But, alas, all we've got is just a small suburban neighborhood lot. But I'm SO thankful that today God provided this bit of nature for us to study!