Animal, Vegetable, Mineral

Oliver has a deep love of nature.  I wouldn't be surprised if one day he changes his name to Leaf and chains himself to an old oak in an attempt to save it.  He's that kind of guy.  What is Oliver's idea of a great day?  It would be finding a baby lizard in a garden glove or discovering a sprout growing over one of his seeds.  Our house is covered with plastic or glass containers filled with dirt, seeds, insects or water.  Here is a sampling:

Animal

Frog Habitat

Fish/Water Bug Habitat

Cricket Habitat

Lizard/Moth/Fly/Grasshopper/Worm Habitat

Snail Habitat

Vegetable

Oliver is fascinated by seeds.  He is amazed that a piece of fruit or a tree can come from a single seed.  Oliver collected several seeds on our hike today to plant in the yard.

He also saves the seeds from each piece of fruit he eats to dry and plant at a later date.  Should I tell him we can't grow a mango tree at our house?

Oliver planted a strawberry in this plastic container a couple of weeks ago when he noticed the little seeds on the strawberry.  He watered it diligently and nothing happened.  I finally planted a sprig of sage when he wasn't looking.  It was better than Christmas morning around here.  Oliver was dancing and thanking Jesus.  I feel bad about lying, I really do.

 This lucky plant was rescued by Oliver at the market.  He brought it home to plant on the porch.

Mineral

What about our delicate Pearl?  She is a nature lover as well, but prefers dirt above all else.  Set her down in the dirt and she will smile with gratitude.  First, she takes her time gently flicking the dirt with her fingers.  She then waits for the right moment when no one is looking and quickly shovels handfuls of soil into her mouth.  I have become a pro at mouth scooping.  Here is Pearl in heaven.

This dirty girl ends up getting at least four baths a day.  It's a good thing she loves water, too!