Saturday morning at the Barone house was spent making bird houses from the kits Daddy picked out and purchased over Christmas. Being the girls are using "Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day" for science this year, it fit right in.

They really enjoyed their little project, especially the painting part. We noticed that Hope stayed in the lines quite well, and Tori did too for the most part. You can almost see Hope's house, Tori attempted to take her photo after Joe hung it.

A quick note on the "Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day", if you are trying to teach your children about creation, I've found it is equally important to build the ground for all the "why not(s)?". If I'm going to tell them something is truth, they should also know what makes the opposing arguments or theories an untruth. I truly feel this book does an excellent job with not only elaborating on creation, but it gives scientific facts, and biblical verses that line up opposing the other theories.

As I have read through this book with the girls I am finding myself amazed at the design and complicated details of birds and their habits. For example:

Did you know?

1) Molting for most birds is just before mating. Often gradually, and when they do come back in, they may change color to adapt to the changing seasons and its environment. Further, when a bird molts, it looses its feathers symmetrically, and some species even have their own molting sequence.

2) Migration studies have proved that migrating birds take the same course each year, they not only use landmarks, some use constellations. In one study, scientists placed migrating birds in a large planetarium with stars reflected on the ceiling. The birds changed the direction they were flying when the researchers changed the constellations of the stars on the ceiling. Some birds also have magnetite inside their heads, using the earths magnetic fields like a compass.

I wonder how anyone can deny a designer of life, or say it all came from a big bang. The discussions we have enjoyed during our reading has planted so many little seeds in their hearts, sometimes leading to discoveries that bring their own personal revelations. As a parent, when I see "the light come on" it is a truly awesome experience and rewarding moment to cherish. It would seem the simplest conclusion to state, one does not find such defined and unchanging order from chaos nor happenstance.