Thursday, January 7, 2010

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Sheep week continues! Today we had fun gluing wool onto a paper sheep. They are so cute. Sarah brought her knitting supplies to show us how she can spin wool into thread, then wind it on a bobbin. She showed us how to card wool, and also demonstrated using yarn to begin knitting a hat! Thanks for your help, Sarah!

Ask your child in PreK to recount our story this week--her is a quick synopsis:

Little lamb decides to hide in a bush while his mother and the other lambs are locked safely in the sheepfold for the night. When night comes, little lamb realizes that he is in danger when he heres a wolf. He tries to use his head to open the sheepfold gate, and so does his mother to no avail. His mother tells him to hide in the middle of a thorn bush for safety through the night, so little lamb listens and hides. The wolf tries to get little lamb all through the chilly night, punching thorns in his face and side with each attempt. Finally, as the sun comes up, the wolf moans off to the woods and little lamb can come out of his hiding place. The farmer lets the sheep out of the barn, and little lamb's mother comes to find him. She takes him to the brook and washes him, then feeds him nice green grass and allows him to sun in the field all day after a chilly night in the thorn bush.

Cinderella visited us today . . .

Violet's dad visited while dropping off this morning. He helped Violet and her friends with the felt dinosaur board.

Numbers . . .

Water break . . .it's cold outside but hot upstairs in our school!


Building with Lincoln Logs. . .

The children reading a book together . . .

Look how will ordered the numbers 0-9!
Violet and Auggie visited the store with their parents . . .

Sarah and Auggie show the kids how to card wool . . .

Cole carding wool . . .

Siler winding the bobbin . . .




Using a tool to start knitting a hat . . .

The aftermath of black bean and rice day . . .

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Tuesday and Wednesday, January 5-6, 2010

We having been talking about sheep and warmth all week. On Tuesday, the children drew pictures of sheep with beeswax crayons. Today, we had fun watching Keith's mom Anissa shear one of our sheep a bit, both with clippers and with scissors. Kari washed the wool, and it was fun to feel it and see it clean. We also baked bread today and enjoyed it with warm bowls of homemade organic chicken noodle soup. We feel a cold front moving in, we think, so this week's study is particulary relevant to us!
Shape dominoes . . .
Buildling a tower . . .
Putting numbers in order 0-9





Kari leading Bob on a halter--not an every day occurrence!
Annissa grooms dogs for a living (Best Lil Groom Shop in Texas), but today she's helping us with our sheep!




Janie holds on to Bob for dear life!

PreK wanted to visit the store--they loved the wooden toys!
Kari washed the wool . . .
Lucy feels the wool . . .

Chicken noodle soup for lunch . . .


~~TUESDAY~~
Making guacamole for afternoon snack . . .




Hudson loads up the food wagon for morning feeding--Liam is the puller!

Gabrielle and Violet have fun together--love your hat, Gabrielle!!
Drawing sheep . . .

Ham and egg quiche for lunch with organic flax seed bread.

Monday, January 4, 2010

Monday, January 4, 2010

Welcome back to school, everyone! It was good to see all of the children. All of them look bigger, and lots of their chubby little faces are getting slimmer as they grow!

Today we began studying wool and warmth--very appropriate given our sheep Bob and Spencer and how exceptionally chilly it will be this week. Try singing "Baa, Baa Black Sheep" or "Mary Had a Little Lamb" together as a family. Maybe point out any wool garments that you have. We'll be shearing (or snipping) some wool from our lambs for art projects and sensory exploration. We'll post some pictures of our day tomorrow! Stay warm!

Sunday, January 3, 2010

Menu for 1/4 - 1/8/2010

Welcome back! We're excited to see all of our little ones return to the farm. We're looking forward to cooking homemade chicken noodle soup, baking and enjoying our handmade Twelfth Night bread this week!



Monday 1/4
AM Snack: Bananas, water bottles
Lunch: Taco salad with grass-fed ground beef, pesticide-free grape tomatoes, all natural cheese, romaine lettuce and organic tortilla chips, organic milk
PM Snack: Homemade guacamole, organic tortilla chips

Tuesday 1/5
AM Snack: Fresh pineapple, water bottles
Lunch: Breakfast quiche with all-natural ham, buttered wheat bread, fruit salad, organic milk
PM Snack: Homemade Twelfth Night bread, organic raisins, water bottles

Wednesday 1/6
AM Snack: Organic red delicious apples, water bottles
Lunch: Homemade organic chicken noodle soup, homemade organic wheat bread with organic butter, water bottles
PM Snack: Cream cheese & all-natural multi-grain crackers, water bottles

Thursday 1/7
AM Snack: Organic fruit pastries, water bottles
Lunch: Black beans & steamed basmati rice, steamed organic broccoli, organic milk
PM Snack: Annie's organic snack packs, organic raisins, water bottles

Friday 1/8
AM Snack: Orange wedges, water bottles
Lunch: Homemade tuna noodle casserole, steamed organic mixed veggies, organic milk
PM Snack: Colby Jack cheese sticks, all natural pretzels, water bottles

Saturday, January 2, 2010

Hang Those Bikes Up!

Needing to save some floor space in the garage? Try these ladder hooks from Home Depot. They are $5/each and work great for bikes (or sawhorses, or hoses, or extension cords, or ???). My husband says these are found in the aisle with ropes, fasteners, and hooks.

~Leslie

Bamboo Toast Tongs . . . A Step Toward Independence

My girls are 6 and 9 1/2. They are rightfully asking to take on cooking tasks in the kitchen. My husband and I aren't ready for burners alone just yet, but the girls are great at stirring things while we are present. How can we show our confidence in them without stressing ourselves out completely? Well . . . I am proud to announce that much to their parents' delight, my girls can make coffee virtually unassisted. There were a few strong pots, but now things are just right, and they DELIVER!!

A second successful independent cooking venture at our house has been using the toaster (after an incredibly stern and scary lecture about nothing going into the toaster but these wood tongs and with the toaster positioned far away from our sink, Dad). Now the world of waffles, toast, English muffins and bagels is theirs when they need a snack, or when we haven't started breakfast yet and they are ready for a little something. Oh, an I do use them when I am taking bagels out of the toaster. Can anyone explain to me why the smooth skin of a toasted bagel is hotter than molten lava?

At school, we use these tongs for fine motor activities like transferring cotton balls from one bowl to another. My son managed to snap a pair apart recently, and they shouldn't be placed in the dishwasher. We keep our tongs in a kitchen drawer under the toaster so they are handy for little hands.

These tongs were found at Central Market for $1.99. I have purchase several other pairs at Crate and Barrrel for about $3/each. Happy toasting!

Leslie

Friday, January 1, 2010

There's a new rooster in town and his name is........



I'm not a wine expert but enjoy a nice glass of wine every now and again. I typically drink white--Chenin Blanc is my favorite but have ventured into the reds lately. There are a myriad of choices out there and I usually try to buy local Texan wines. I have, however, fallen in love with a brand that has a price [HEB had the Cab on sale for under $6 during the holidays!] that can't be beat! Met Rex Goliath......

We enjoyed the Cabernet Sauvignon over the winter break. The merlot is great, too! You will most likely enjoy a taste of Rex Goliath at the January Evening of Indulgence! You won't want to miss out, ladies.