We are in the process of moving. We are very excited, but also worn out! Between packing up our stuff at the old house and moving things in the new house and making it "ours" we have been very busy. Maggie is totally beside herself. Not only does she have a big backyard to play in, but there is a swingset and a great rope swing but there are several kids in our small, quiet neighborhood. The biggest excitement for her is her good friend Heather is one house away. I am excited because there are already 7 raised garden boxes that are sitting there waiting for me to plant our garden! We have been picking peaches off the tree and watching the apples growing on another tree.
Maggie's Papa is coming up in the next couple of weeks to build her a house. Can't wait! We are going to put it under the Mimosa tree.
The downside to the house is the people who lived there before us didn't take good care of the front or backyard. So we are doing a lot of cleaning. Honestly, Chris and I aren't too bummed out about it. We love yard work, we love to fix things up, so we are having fun planning and figuring out what we are going to do with it. The backyard has a great two level deck that is going to be a lot of fun to have! Can't wait for BBQ's in our backyard!
I got a great unit study on Dirt from Lesson Pathways. Maggie has been having a blast playing in the yard. She was out in the front side yard the other day with her dolls, she was dressed up as Snow White and was making "mud hot chocolate" for her dolls. She is having a blast in the dirt, so why not throw a bit of education in there too!
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Flat Sarah does Las Vegas!
Here is our first update from Flat Sarah on her trip to Vegas!
My dearest Maggie,
I have arrived in Las Vegas, Nevada! It is very hot here, it is a pretty big city with lots of lights and signs flashing. Las Vegas is a very big vacation place where people come and spend lots and lots of money in the casinos, eating at the fancy restaurants or buffets and just having a good time. There are lots of places that look very similar to where you are right now, there are tons of Churches, stores, schools, parks and houses. The family I am staying with has 5 children Joey (who took the pictures) is 15, Kayla is 17, Jessica is 12, Brianna is 10 and the baby Micah is 1. I have been having lots of fun with them especially watching Sesame Street with the baby he LOVES Elmo and all his friends. Tonight I am going to church with the family and will include a picture tomorrow.
Here is a picture of me, Jessica and Brianna! I will send some more tomorrow.
Sounds like Flat Sarah is having a great time! Thank you Michele and family for taking such good care of Flat Sarah! :)
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Out of the mouth of my babe.......
I love my daughter!
We were watching TV and a Nutrisystem commercial came on. A woman came walking from behind a picture of herself at her former weight. Maggie said, "wow, she's skinny" and I mumbled some comment back. Our conversation then went like this:
Maggie: I don't want you to be skinny.
Me: Why?
Maggie: Because then you wouldn't feel like my mom. I like you squishy.
Then she laid her head on my belly.
Made me feel good. :)
We were watching TV and a Nutrisystem commercial came on. A woman came walking from behind a picture of herself at her former weight. Maggie said, "wow, she's skinny" and I mumbled some comment back. Our conversation then went like this:
Maggie: I don't want you to be skinny.
Me: Why?
Maggie: Because then you wouldn't feel like my mom. I like you squishy.
Then she laid her head on my belly.
Made me feel good. :)
Friday, August 21, 2009
Nature-The Ultimate Playground for Kids!
Every year parents spend hundreds if not thousands of dollars on toys and activities for their kids. While many of things are great for keeping young minds and bodies active, many of them are unnecessary. Sure kids need structured play, but they also need “free” play and this is easy to do when the world’s largest playground is right outside your back door. Why not let them play outside? I don't know about your children, but Maggie could spend from sun up to sun down outside. There is a swingset she plays with and other toys, but more often than not she spends her time galloping the backyard singing and making up stories and acting them out. She seems to have the most fun when she isn't playing with anything.
Every toy, book, and TV show that comes out has been designed and redesigned several times in order to make it educational and entertaining for children. The great thing about nature is that, while being entertaining and stimulating to the imagination, it’s also educational. Nature can teach children the basics of science, economics, and creativity.
It’s cheap. Depending on where you live, exploring nature is usually pretty inexpensive, if not free. It may mean going out in your backyard, local park, or perhaps going to the local nature center or state park (which usually have low cost fees or memberships). This way, you don’t have to pay for expensive toys, jungle gyms, or memberships to expensive entertainment centers, but you still get the benefit of stimulating and educational play.
It makes them think. Lately there’s been a trend in education towards inquiry based learning. Researchers have found that if students explore and experiment to figure out answers on their own, they’re going to learn better, and retain more information. It also helps them develop skills to be able to learn things on their own later. What better environment to learn things than out in nature. There are lessons for kids of all ages to discover about the world around them.
It may help the world. Everyone these days is trying to be more green and more environmentally conscious. What better way to help do your part than to get your children interested in their own planet than right now when they’re young and impressionable? What might be a fun time for them now, might be a future hobby, career, or world saving invention.
It’s fun. While it’s easy to forget, childhood isn’t just for learning about how to be an adult, it’s also about having fun. Nature gives kids a chance to use their imagination and be free to just be kids.
While unstructured play outside is great for kids, you can also find a lot of places offering structured classes and learning sessions for kids that focus on the natural world. Check your local park, zoo, or museum. There’s a good chance they have classes you can sign up for, and since many of these places are not for profit, they’re usually affordable as well as informative.
Across the world, there are millions of dollars being spent to help promote sending your kids outside to learn from nature. That’s because spending time in the outside world is so important for developing minds. It can also be a great escape for you as well.
There is a great book by Jennifer Ward called I Love Dirt! Maggie and I love it. It has 52 different activities to help you and your child/ren discover the outdoors. I love how she even broke everything down according to the seasons. It's a great start if you can't think of something on your own and want to do something fun with your kiddo outside!
Every toy, book, and TV show that comes out has been designed and redesigned several times in order to make it educational and entertaining for children. The great thing about nature is that, while being entertaining and stimulating to the imagination, it’s also educational. Nature can teach children the basics of science, economics, and creativity.
It’s cheap. Depending on where you live, exploring nature is usually pretty inexpensive, if not free. It may mean going out in your backyard, local park, or perhaps going to the local nature center or state park (which usually have low cost fees or memberships). This way, you don’t have to pay for expensive toys, jungle gyms, or memberships to expensive entertainment centers, but you still get the benefit of stimulating and educational play.
It makes them think. Lately there’s been a trend in education towards inquiry based learning. Researchers have found that if students explore and experiment to figure out answers on their own, they’re going to learn better, and retain more information. It also helps them develop skills to be able to learn things on their own later. What better environment to learn things than out in nature. There are lessons for kids of all ages to discover about the world around them.
It may help the world. Everyone these days is trying to be more green and more environmentally conscious. What better way to help do your part than to get your children interested in their own planet than right now when they’re young and impressionable? What might be a fun time for them now, might be a future hobby, career, or world saving invention.
It’s fun. While it’s easy to forget, childhood isn’t just for learning about how to be an adult, it’s also about having fun. Nature gives kids a chance to use their imagination and be free to just be kids.
While unstructured play outside is great for kids, you can also find a lot of places offering structured classes and learning sessions for kids that focus on the natural world. Check your local park, zoo, or museum. There’s a good chance they have classes you can sign up for, and since many of these places are not for profit, they’re usually affordable as well as informative.
Across the world, there are millions of dollars being spent to help promote sending your kids outside to learn from nature. That’s because spending time in the outside world is so important for developing minds. It can also be a great escape for you as well.
There is a great book by Jennifer Ward called I Love Dirt! Maggie and I love it. It has 52 different activities to help you and your child/ren discover the outdoors. I love how she even broke everything down according to the seasons. It's a great start if you can't think of something on your own and want to do something fun with your kiddo outside!
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Breakfast Yum!
This morning we made homemade Cherry Oat Scones. We started out gathering all of our ingredients and getting them "Maggie ready" so she could participate in making breakfast. We also got our teapot and teacups out so we could make some tea as well. We have made this recipe once before. If you read my old blog you probably will recognize the recipe. And possibly the picture! They were delicious! Good enough to share the recipe! So here it is!
Cherry Oat Scones
Preheat oven to 375 and place rack in center oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1/3 cup dried cranberries or cherries (we used cherries)
Zest of one lemon or orange (we had lemon)
2/3 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into small pieces
Cherry Oat Scones
Preheat oven to 375 and place rack in center oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1/3 cup dried cranberries or cherries (we used cherries)
Zest of one lemon or orange (we had lemon)
2/3 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into small pieces
Pink Sprinkles: optional!
Egg Wash: 1 large egg & 1 tablespoon milk or cream
Add all dry ingredients and mix together. The add in butter using two knives or a pastry blender. Cut in butter until it resembles coarse crumbs. Add the dried fruit and zest and mix until combined. Stir in buttermilk, (adding more if necessary) and mix just until the dough comes together. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead the dough four or five times and then pat, or roll the dough into a circle that is 7 inches round and about 1 1/2 inches thick. Cut this circle into 8 triangular sections. Place the scones on the prepared baking sheet. Make the egg wash and brush on tops of scones. We then sprinkled pink colored sugar on top. Bake for about 15-18 minutes or until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from oven and transfer to wire rack to cool.
Egg Wash: 1 large egg & 1 tablespoon milk or cream
Add all dry ingredients and mix together. The add in butter using two knives or a pastry blender. Cut in butter until it resembles coarse crumbs. Add the dried fruit and zest and mix until combined. Stir in buttermilk, (adding more if necessary) and mix just until the dough comes together. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead the dough four or five times and then pat, or roll the dough into a circle that is 7 inches round and about 1 1/2 inches thick. Cut this circle into 8 triangular sections. Place the scones on the prepared baking sheet. Make the egg wash and brush on tops of scones. We then sprinkled pink colored sugar on top. Bake for about 15-18 minutes or until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from oven and transfer to wire rack to cool.
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