Daffodils in Winter

Caleb in the daffodils.

Two tone with small trumpet

I love all of you crazy people who like to read my stuff. You make me happy to write. I guess I just crave the immediate feedback and attention. It's one of my weaknesses. I have a very hard time with delayed gratification. I'd rather do something immediately. Read something immediately. Buy something immediately. Eat something immediately...have I mentioned that I've put on ten pounds in the past five months? Urk. Yeah, I'm jogging again.

Magnolia Tree

It was the first day of spring when we went out to the Arboretum again. I have to say, my lessons have been very uninspired this week. I hate to say so, but the weather has gotten under my skin and I've been having trouble motivating myself to do anything. When in doubt, arrange for a field trip or two. So the kids and I went out to Lisle to see what was up at the Arboretum. We've gone there at this time of year a few years running because the Arboretum is beautiful in the spring. They have groves and groves planted with daffodils, and when they bloom, they are simply gorgeous. With the early spring, the Magnolias are blooming too, so I went out to see the blooms before they are gone--either blown or nipped by a late frost.

more magnolias--a bit blown

We cataloged at least six varieties of daffodils. I say "we," but the kids did much of the finding. Looking for differences amongst the blooms kept them busy and interested while we were drizzled on. I hate taking the kids on trips and then hearing: "It was fine until we got bored." No boredom. Not today.  The (very) early spring showers and early spring blooms gave me respite from my early spring gloom and we finally got back to the task of reasonably effortless learning.

Bright yellow-large trumpet

"The hills flat-lands are alive with the sound of music!"

Trillium-not quite there yet

We spotted Trillium (not blooming yet) and Shooting Star (blooming) as we walked through the woods.


We saw wild strawberries (no fruit) and the aforementioned daffodils in great abundance. As we walked through the woods spotting hawks, ground squirrels, squirrels and robins, the kids and I relaxed together. "Hey Mom," Hannah laughed when we encountered a dozen or more robins on the path in front of us. "It's a robin 'hood. Get it?"
After showing Caleb several varieties of Trillium, he shook his head. "I think that I know why biology was invented," he informed me. "This is too much to remember."

Double petal variety

Angry Bird

Just as it began raining, this hawk landed in the tree right in front of us. I wish I had a better photo, but if you can spot him, please know that he's in a tree about 15 feet up. He was huge! He just stared at us, annoyed, as we insisted on taking his photo.

Cream with a large yellow trumpet

cute, tiny daffodils

Young magnolia tree--protected from deer with fencing

We came home to our own daffodils which are already dying as the early spring turns to late-early spring.