I’ve always been a firm believer in giving children time to explore and discover on their own. Lately it’s been paying off. Just the other day my two oldest boys (Jonah, 9, and Murphy, 7) came across a bird’s nest just as the eggs were hatching. They came back thrilled and couldn’t wait to tell me about the little beaks poking from the shells. The following day, they came across a box turtle and watched as it dug a hole, laid its’ eggs and covered them back with dirt. What are the odds?

I suppose they could’ve read about this in a textbook, but it certainly wouldn’t have been as inspiring.

Pictured above: Murphy, my 7-year-old, proudly displaying one of his finds.