A while back, when I was homeschooling my oldest child in kindergarten, we were doing a one week unit study on honeybees. Thank you My Father's World! As was a routine occurrence for us back then (tougher now that I have my little ones), we went to the library and checked out all of the books we could find on the subject. Well...that wasn't enough. Silas took such an interest that we began YouTubing honey bees. Then, we called people who knew people and went on a beekeeping field trip with friends and family in tow.
This friend of the family was very knowledgeable and GREAT with the kids!
This "week long" study turned into months and now it's been a few years. And now my husband and son just finished up attending a series of beekeeping classes.
Well, last summer, Silas finally talked his daddy into beekeeping. Now we have thousands and thousands of pets. Honey Bees! They are a true testament to how amazing God is! The fact that they do what they do and they do it well! How creative and detailed God is! There are many verses in the Bible on honey, which lets us know the importance that God puts on them too!
In the beginning of this journey, we learned all about the biology of the bee. We learned how they run a hive, who does what job, and reasons why they are so important. We read about beekeeping too, but being out in it helps us learn so much more at a much deeper level. I love to learn about most anything, but to see my children (Yes, my other kids are now interested.) have such a passion for learning gives me such joy!
These are some pictures of my husband, my five-year-old (Camden), and a friend of the family who got into beekeeping the same time we did. We were doing a routine hive check. At the time, we only had one kid suit, so that's why Silas isn't out there. We had to take turns.
Here they are just opening up the hive.
My husband is inspecting a frame to make sure all is healthy and well.
Now everyone is inspecting.
Camden is using the smoker to calm the bees. Although, I think he got a little too close! Oh well. He's learning!
Here's a look into a hive.
If you look close, you can see the bright white shiny larvae inside many of the cells. After each one gets good and fed for a while, a worker bee will seal up the cell. Then the bee will mature before it chews through to get out. You can see the covered cells.
You can also see a couple of new adult bees emerging from their cells and getting ready for their first job, which is cleaning the cells.
Bee's everywhere!!!
Camden is using the brush in attempt to clean bees off of his daddy. It's a horse hair brush, so as not to hurt any of the bees. But, with Camden, anything is possible!
Now he is brushing the bee's from the top, so that when the next box is set on top, no bees will be injured in the process.
As you can tell, these next pictures were taken by a way better photographer than me. My sister-in-law captured these of my amazing husband rehoming a swarm of bees who decided to park in a bush right beside our church doors as church was letting out.
Kind of like a bundle of grapes!
So, you see, our family has embarked on an interesting journey. I am sad I don't have any pictures of Silas, the one who started it all. I will be sure to post some pictures of him beekeeping, the next time he gets out there.
Have I learned anything from this journey? Absolutely! A million things! But there is something I would like to share with you. I know this may seem a little extreme to let our little ones talk us into something like this, but I do want to use this post to encourage you. If your child has an interest, whether it be photography, or cooking, or piloting a plane, please pay attention. Am I saying go buy your little pilot an airplane? No. But sometimes, go beyond the pretend play. Study with them. Take trips. Meet people. Don't ignore it, and don't squash their interests because they seem too extreme. Many kids are interested in things that go beyond what kids are supposed to like. It's fun to imagine, and some things will have to stop there. I really can't help Camden have a dinosaur zoo right now. But, I know that I can expand his knowledge and he can go places, and he can meet people. And who knows, maybe I'll develop and interest in that too. Our whole family loves our new hobby. Maybe you'll love your child's new interest too. If not, I can promise you this. You will love watching your child love it and watching him dig deeper and discover! An indescribable feeling!!! Plus, it may be an avenue that God uses for our kids to help us live a little!