Here at Home Sweet Home, we love science, animals and astronomy. So I decided to use one of our favorite things to study as a theme for this carnival. I hope the living creatures you find here will add to your enjoyment!

Owls are often thought of as wise creatures. This is possibly an idea that has roots in Ancient Greece because the owl was the symbol of Athena the Greek goddess of knowledge. Over the years owls have been depicted as messengers and counsellors in stories and cartoons.  There is some evidence that owls use mammal droppings around their nest to draw in dung beetles for food, this does show cleverness on the part of the owl.

Maureen at Trinity Prep School advises us on how we can be enlightened readers instead of merely informed readers in her article  Are You An Enlightened Enabler?

Maria at Homeschool Math Blog shares her wisdom and love of math by giving us advice on how to motivate our children (and ourselves) on how to enjoy math studies in Motivation to Study Math.

Christina at The Perils of Parenting and Other Ponderings  shares her expectations of the perfect Mother's Day and some advice about  How Not to Ruin Your Own Mother's Day with Unbiblical Expectations. 

Karen at The Thomas Institute is a wise owl! She has a great appreciation for classical music and she found a wonderful teacher assistant in Themes to Remember. Read more in her post Book Fair: Music Selection.

The Raccoon is considered by some to be a pest and by others to be one of the cutest creatures out there. The Raccoon is highly adaptable and has learned to adjust to changes in its natrual habitat by becoming a pest in suburbs and cities. It is an opportunistic creature eating from trash cans and living in attics.  It is a nocturnal animal and if it is spotted in the day, it can be a reason for concern as this may indicate it has rabies.  It has long been believed that raccoons have a penchant for cleanliness because they have been noted dipping their food in water. In reality, this is probably a habit that relates to the fact that much of their food comes from streams and they have to fish it out.

The Tutor at Apollo's Academy shares with us her nocturnal adaptability and washing skills as she goes through a night that didn't turn out the way she had anticipated in Partly Cloudy, Chance of Rain 40%. Personally, I am wondering if she had black circles under her eyes that would rival the mask on the raccoon!

Dinomomm at Urban Homesteaders and Homeschoolers reminds us to be aware of the opportunistic businesses that are springing up in response to the increased number of homeschoolers. And she reminds us that we don't have to respond to every great opportunity out there in order to teach and raise our children in Room to Grow.

Wile E. Coyote is not a good example of the Coyote species. They are adaptable, clever creatures that have flourished in spite of man's taking over of their habits and in spite of the fact that ranchers kill them every chance they get.  They are handsome creatures, related to dogs, but not easily tameable. They used to be found mostly in the plains, but now can be found throughout the United States. Coyotes live in packs with an alpha male and an alpha female being the leaders.

Betsy at Sweet Home Tennessee shares how she adapted the idea of another to fit the space in her home and how she uses this clever adaptation to create children who think for themselves in The Bored Wheel.

Dinomomm from Urban Homesteaders and Homeschoolers  has a great post, Top Dog!, about discovering who the alpha is in your home.

Henry at Why Homeschool talks about the conflict between public schools and parents in his post Who are responsible for children? Teachers or parents?  Just like ranchers keep trying new ways to contain coyote population without being accountable for their actions, public schools get to use children as guinea pigs and yet not be accountable when things don't work out.  So be adaptable like the coyote and spread to places homeschoolers have never been before!

Parrots are known near and far for their ability to mimic the sounds of people and other animals. And on top of that, they are beautiful to look at!  It takes patience and teaching on the part of the parrot's owner, just like it takes patience and interactions on our parts to impart new information to our children. And Parrots make great animals to take to show-n-tell day! They are colorful, talkative and can do tricks!

Deana at Chinglish--Christian Bilingual homeschooling in Taiwan has experience with living in a foreign country and speaking two languages interchangeably. Find out the additional benefits in her post: And how do you say that in Mommy's language? *bilingual education*.

NerdMom at NerdFamily doesn't want to just parrot other homeschooling programs out there, she is interested in a mixture of options and in Education Styles she examines two options and mulls over the pros and cons of both and how they would fit with her family. She is looking for input from the blogosphere, so be sure to stop by and throw in your two cents worth!

Amber at Our Little Homeschool Farm does a great job of show-n-tell with her post Carding The Wool! Amber's children make this look easy, but she assures us that it just ain't so!

There are lots of mammals that spend a substantial amount of time teaching their offspring the ways of the world...you know how to hunt, how to hide, how to survive. But I picked tigers because they happen to be my daughter's favorite. Cubs will spend their first two years learning living skills from their mothers before going out on their own.

Chickadee at Three in the Nest shares a great idea for some 'sneaky' ways of teaching narration skills to her children in Mommy Tells A Story.  The result is that not only do the children appreciate Chickadee's storytelling skills, but are anxious to develop their own.

Sherry at A Bibliomane Amidst Butterflies shares how after a brief false start, she came up with a teaching method that appealed to her love of books, art,  music, and nature in her post, A Day in the Life of an Ambleside Child. And her daughter is avidly learning from her mother's interests and abilities.

Sherry at Semicolon shares how she handles preparing her children for attending college in her post, Homeschooling High School, Part 3: The Reality. Her children will be well rounded when they are ready to head out on their own.

When I think of chimpanzees I think of children at play. When observing them in zoos, I have seen them swinging on toys, climbing jungle gyms, tickling, chasing and wrestling with their friends.  They play with their friends and their parents and just seem to be busy enjoying life. However, don't let those funny faces fool you, they are smart. They have been known to use a variety of items as tools.And  they can be serious when the need arises. They are adept at signalling other chimpanzees and animals of the forest either alerting them to a tree full of fruit or warning them that a predator is near.

Jaminacea at Just Call Me Jamin shares her End of School Year Ideas so that your little chimps won't get restless this summer and will have a great time celebrating their past year's achievements.

Mistresninos at B* Avenue Boys School is banging on the trees to alert us to a must read book that helps explain how our public education system got to where it is today in her post John Dewey & the Decline of American Education.

David at Bruggie Tales suggests starting with the comedies in order to gain a true enjoyment of Shakespeare. In How can you get children interested in Shakespeare?  Start with his comedies! he shares how his family has grwon to appreciate The Bard.

Steve at Dad's Corner encourages us to be our kids' helpers in Finding the Spark. He says: "Homeschooling is one avenue for education that truly encourages inventiveness and ingenuity. Rather than force our children to fit in, we let them explore their potential in as many ways as there are children in homeschooling."

The world has been fascinated with Emperor Penguins since seeing the movie March of the Penguins. And if you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it! All of God's creatures are driven by the desire to procreate so that the species can continue. But this amazing creature goes to great lengths to survive in a very harsh environment. Both parents are required to raise their young and they have to work carefully together because there are a multitude of steps along the way where things can go wrong. These amazing birds know their purpose and work together with the whole community to achieve it!

Denise from Everything Heart-N-Soul, questions the purpose of American Education in her post, Above all, Get wisdom.

Just like the devoted penguin parents, Karla from Let's Get Real says Don't give up on Your Boys!  They will also learn, even if they don't like workbooks!

Just the name of Army Ants strikes fear into people when they hear they are on the move.

These amazing and destructive creatures work together to kill and eat up to 100,000 animals in a day. Together they can kill lizards, snakes, chickens, pigs, goats, scorpions, and many other animals. They also climb trees and eat birds plus insects that may live in trees.  There are benefits of an army ant colony on the move. Villagers appreciate them killing the pests living in their huts, they use the soldier ants for medicinal purposes (the huge mandibles can close open wounds), and there are ant birds that eat the ants.

Cindy at Our Homeschooling Adventures shares what it is like homeschooling as a military family. Her husband is a Marine and as with everyone in the service, he often has to move from base to base. Military Homeschooling Life gives them the freedom to do that and for the children to have uninterrupted time with their dad when he is at home. 

Spunky at Spunky Homeschooling tells us we need to pay attention to a state and national movement towards standardized testing and our children having certificates to say they are qualified to work or be admitted into college. In his post, Teach to the Test, Please! he discusses how the school system is geared towards creating worker ants and not individuals and the children of homeschoolers may be affected by this.

Ian at Musings from a Catholic Bookstore talks about how boys have a natural interest in playing war. They will even use sticks for guns or turn legos into weapons even if you don't provide those toys for them. Instead of being concerned about their natural inclinations, he suggests exploring War!!!  Introduce to them the concept of heros and chivalry and raise them up to be men you can be proud of.

The American Bison has an amazing history. Before the Europeans arrived in North America en masse, it is estimated that the herds of Bison were 30,000,000 to 70,000,000. There are accounts of looking across the plains and only being able to see a sea of bison. By the late 1800s, there were less than 1500 left. Thanks to conservation efforts, the numbers are now back up to over 300,000.  We can only hope that we will learn from their history and protect animals that are endangered today and that we can maybe save them from the brink of extinction like we did the American Bison.

Gentle Mommy at The Rivendell School has a passion for history and her daughter shares that passion. It is through their study and the others like them that we keep love of the  past alive and hopefully our mistakes near to heart.  For the love of history will have you sharing their obvious enthusiasm for things long gone.

There are many majestic birds in the world. Hawks and Eagles seem to be the proudest of the species. The Red-Tailed Hawk is my son's favorite, so I thought I would profile it.  The Red-Tailed Hawk has a wide range, is fiercely territorial and soars high above us when migrating along the Appalachian Mountains. It is the most common and widespread hawk in North America and has increased its range in the last 100 years, displacing other hawks.

Home Skooler at CrossView Academy is proud of her daughter, Kristan, who shares what it is like to be Truly Free and soar higher than the birds!

Dana at Principled Discovery shares her pleasure at having the freedom to teach as she wants to, as allowed to her by the founders of our country in her post, Educating for Liberty.

 

 

Butterflies are one of God's most beautiful creatures. When I look at them, I see how much God enjoys coloring. Every one is unique. And there are about 1000 species in the world. And as if their beautiful colors weren't enough of a gift from God, their very life cycle reminds us of the life of Jesus and of Christians.  I envy artists who can capture the sights of the world around us and I am glad they have the talent to share their visions with us!

 

The Headmistress at The Common Room shares the details of A Memorable Field

Trip to see the works of DaVinci. She shares how, even though the day wasn't the perfect trip imagined before hand, that years later, her memories focus on the beautiful works of art she saw.

 

 

 

Golden-capped fruit bat, said to be the largest bat in the world, is in danger of extinciton.  They only live in the Phillipines in caves and the rain forests of  Maitum, Sarangani.  It has a wing span of at least 5 feet and weighs about 3 pounds. 

 

Marla at Schultz Shenanigans shares about her families interesting field trip to Historic Forestville and Mystery Cave in Minnesota. Unfortunately,  her children don't share a bat's fondness for dark spaces!

 

Christine at The Thinking Mother tells about an invasive plant she learned at during a recent Audobon class in her post Nature Study: Invasive Plant: Garlic Mustard, or, Ignorance was bliss. Turns out mankind does not have the monopoly on being a pest to the environment! Do you have any pretty flowers in your woods?

 

 

Beavers bond for life once they find a mate. This is a rare trait in the animal world.  The parents raise their young together and the kits will stay at home learning engineering and life skills until they are 2 years old.  The beaver is second only to man for its ability to change the landscape. It's engineering feats have the added benefit of creating homes for others while creating a home for themselves.

 

Denise at Let's Play Math shares how teaching math bonds leads to better understanding and can be learned in some fun and innovative ways in her post: Number Bonds = Better Understanding!  If math isn't your thing, you will find great ideas here!

 

Queen of Carrots from Introducing the World shares how using a variety of approaches can still get the job just like beavers us a variety of wood to build a home. In TTIR, Part 5: Languages Foreign and Domestic she reminisces about being homeschooled. She remembers various language programs her family did and how worthwhile they were.

 

 

If there is one word in the American language that embodies gentle dignity, tireless strength, and fierce love of freedom, it is "Mustang," an enduring emblem of the American spirit and way of life.  Mustangs spend their days running, grazing and playing with one another.Most times the games are for survival skills, sometimes the Mustangs loook like they are just out there having fun!

 

Barbara at the Imperfect Homeschooler feels that children should be allowed to play freely without adult structure. Remember the days when we left in the morning to play and came back at night?  So how about Shedding the Adult Agenda and let your kids direct the play! After all, no one knows how to play better than a kid!

 

 

African Elephants are truly magnificent animals. What is it about these giants  that fascinate adults and chlildren alike?  Is it their wrinkly skin that doesn't fit their bodies? Their majestic appearance? The trunk that can spray water like a fire hose but also pick up a small peanut? Is it the mystery that surrounds the elephant graveyards? Is it the way they care for one another? Whatever it is, I hope they will be around for a long time to come.

 

Life can be full of wrinkles. Some small and some very big and heartbreaking. Beverly at About Homeschooling  shares with us A Few Tears on Mother's Day as there were some happy moments and some sad ones.

 

 

 

 

The Giant Galapagos Tortoise  is an amazing animale to watch and perfectly suited to his environment. When Darwin saw this amazing creature (that can weigh as much as 600 pounds and live for 150 years) and other unusual creatures on the Galapagos Islands, he felt like this was proof of evolution. 

 

Kathy at Through it All shares how her homeschooling methods evolved over time as she gained more knowledge of what was out there and found what did and didn't work for her family. You will enjoy her post: The Evolution of a Homeschooler which is a fine example of the adaptability of homeschoolers!

 

Go here for the archives of previous carnivals.

 

Next week the carnival will be held at Principled Discovery.

 

I'd like to thank everyone who has helped out. A big thank you to all the participants in this carnival. And thanks to all those who help promote the Carnival of Homeschooling.

 

If you are interested in submitting a post, click here for information.

 

And now I am off to take a nap!