JC Raulston Arboretum
Written by admin on June 18th, 2008We had a special treat today! I took my second son for his end-of-year testing, which took us very close to North Carolina State University. I checked on line to see if there were any Japanese gardens in Raleigh that we might see and found that the JC Raulston Arboretum at NCSU had a Japanese Garden that was open and free. I knew it would be the perfect treat for us after testing.
The Japanese Garden and Lath House were AMAZING. If you get a chance to go, you should!
I just love this stone lantern. I want a Japanese lantern for my garden so badly. I am on the look-out, but have not found one yet that is just right and the right price (they are expensive), so I’m still looking. I could make one from cement board…
My youngest son was intrigued by the shapes of some of the trees.
I was trying to get a picture of my second son admiring the Japanese crepe myrtle. I did not realize I captured my youngest son saying shhhhhhhhh. He was annoyed with his sister who was talking too loudly for him to “enjoy the plants.” 
A picture of me and my only child who inherited my very dark hair.
Princess of the Universe may be a PEST, but they love her and she sort of endears herself to them at times.
I was pleased that my children were so interested in exactly what the plants were. They were surprised to find some plants that we also have at home but just did not realize their Asian origins.
The lath house was gorgeous. Very inspiring and way bigger than I expected once inside.
The shadows thrown from the slats in the lath were really something. The “dance of light and shadows” as my second son would say, was beautiful.
Beautiful bloom.
Three of my sweet children.
This zig-zag wooden bridge is designed to keep out evil spirits.
One last photo in front of the very beautiful pond full of very large goldfish.
Next, it was on to get some lunch and get home.
SCHOOL LESSONS
Yesterday we started something that I plan to do daily through the summer. It is something we might have teatime with on certain days. It is short and sweet and is intended to accomplish a multitude of tasks. It is to:
- help my youngest son gain confidence in reading aloud and improving his handwriting.
- help my second son (severe dyslexia) with his spelling.
- give my daughter an outlet for her very creative side
We sit down with a picture book, so far just using a book full of beautiful pictures of Japanese gardens, or go for a nature walk for inspiration. We then each write a Haiku poem to be glued into our “Japanese journals.”
We are not writing directly into the journal because we want it to have the feel of a scrap book and we want it to be a very pretty finished product. We are also gluing in any ink paintings we feel inclinded to put in.
Here are our poems from yesterday. I’ll let you wonder who did what!
~~
The great tempest sea
roars with glee at being free,
shockingly lovely.
~~
The bright pink flower
reminds me of fantasy.
That’s what makes me glad.
~~
Sunshine and water
blossoms beautiful flower
this cycles our life.
~~
Ancient stone lantern
stands solemn beneath old trees
soft breeze speaks to me.
~~
As Pooh would say,
Happy Winds-day!
Lynn
The Hundred Dresses
The Family Under the Bridge
Caddie Woodlawn. With the Wisconsin big woods theme, goes along great with a FIAR study of The Raft.
A Charlotte Mason Companion: Personal Reflections on the Gentle Art of Learning
Pocketful of Pinecones: Nature Study With the Gentle Art of Learning: A Story for Mother Culture. Sweet fictional story about a newly homeschooling mother who incorporates nature study.
Nature Crafts for Kids: 50 Fantastic Things to Make With Mother Nature's Help
The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady
The Endurance: Shackleton's Legendary Antarctic Expedition
The Usborne Internet-Linked Book of Knowledge
What Your Fifth Grader Needs to Know
for you to leave a comment, but you can also e-mail me at lynn AT thehealthyhomeschool.com
18
PM
I’m all choked up - it’s so lovely reading about your amazing children……….but also because I could have met you there today, Jasmin and I planned to head in that direction to the NC Museum of Art and it’s just minutes from the Arboretum. (We actually didn’t make the museum but are going tomorrow!). I go to the Arboretum often - when I worked at Dix Hospital nearby, I often drove over and ate my lunch on a bench!!!
I think you wrote the final Haiku, and Princess of the Universe wrote the second. The boys, I’m not sure - one is perhaps a more gentle soul than the other - but they are both so talented!
Have a gentle evening in this respite from the heat.
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PM
Mary, I would have loved meeting you there. We are still planning a trip to the museum and I’ll let you know when we go. We want to take a picnic.
As far as today, I had no idea when we would finish testing or if we’d even get to go, so I didn’t tell the children until we pulled into the arboretum parking lot!
Also, aside from the time factor, I wasn’t sure what kind of mood Joe would be in after testing.
Lynn
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PM
What a nice day to share with your children! I like your summer lesson plan for creative writing.