One of the tremendous joys about being with my boys full time is that we fill our moments and days with small things. We watch they "baby flowers"- daffodils turn from just leaves or a bud, into a blossom. We walk the perimeter of our yard surveying for anything new. Ann Pelo in the book she edits called Rethinking Early Childhood Education has a section about how to Cultivate a sense of place — of belonging to a particular patch of earth and sky — and a connection to the earth and its creatures. To cultivate such a sense of place in my boys' world is so important to me.
For this reason we note the landmarks of the natural environment and those of the urban environment. In our yard it is quite easy and safe, but as we venture out into the urban world of sidewalks, streets and shops,our stops alternate between natural finds and driveways. The boys call out "baby flowers" as well as "no cars" as we pass by driveways or stop at crosswalks. Instead of the changing plant life we notice the changes in shop and restaurant window displays.
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