Baking

Another project we did was bake a coffee cake! The boys are really enjoying doing cooking & baking, so I've been trying to include them more in projects & planning. The hardest part is that Elie always wants to help too! She wants to be on the same chair, wants to measure with the same cup or spoon & don't even think about not letting her use the mixer!! So when the recipe says 10 minutes prep, figure 20-25 depending on how much pushing & shoving there is!

Origami

We've been having a pretty nice winter break. I haven't been stressing too much about what we are getting done, especially since Nate is gone & very obviously on break in California w/his dad. But I did find some books about origami at the library,so we did some of that! We talked about the shapes, lines of symmetry & just how hard it is to follow someone's instructions! But it was fun & we plan do more today. Obviously, we started w/the very easy origami kids book! And hey, I needed it just as much as they did!

Dental Disclosing Tablets

My Mom sent the kids some sour gummy candy recently. I also found the dental disclosing tablets that our dentist sent home the last time we were in. So the boys had a great time discovering just how much gunk those candies left on their teeth. It was impressive. And yes,they did get it all the purple dye off their teeth after a couple tries!

Park Day

We met Luca's friend today at a local park. It was a bit chilly [in the 50's] but lots of energy was expended & that was the goal. ;)

Japan Brochure by Niles

If you click on the individual pages, it should allow you so see them closer, so you can actually read what he wrote.

Acrostic Poems

Jumping Samurai
Attacks
Peasants
Attacking
Nippon

Samurai
Attacking
Mormons
Urangatans in Mountains
Reunion
Attacking
Italy

Niles was shocked to discover how the Japanese treated missionaries [hence the Samurai attacking Mormons in the above poem]. He's really enjoyed learning about their culture and does actually talk about more than their warrior spirit. We're working on a travel brochure and I will scan that info in when we're done, to show that. ;)

Haiku by Niles

Cherry blossoms, spring
play, fire, work, music, festivals
poems and dancing

Fun, earthquakes, mountains
tsunami, typhoons and death
destructive waters

Islands of the sun
Is beautiful with Nature
and its past and present

The land of beauty
and courage and great battles
undying peacefulness

Stone Soup

This week at our Kindergarten co-op, Colleen had the kids reenact the book Stone Soup. There are several editions of this book, as the story, in various forms, exists throughout the Europe. We have a version by Jon J Muth which we've read in honor of Samurai Week, as this one is set in China and uses Chinese folklore in the characters of Hok, Lok and Siew. They are deities which bestow health, wealth & prosperity. In this version, the villagers have become suspicious of strangers and even their neighbors and won't help each other out due to famine, floods and war. The book shows the villagers learning to be giving and rediscover happiness. The monks trick them into this by making soup, starting off with three smooth round stones, and the villagers end up bringing everything else.

For the reenactment, we had villagers and soldiers. We had a big pot and put in the veggies and the rice, etc. Then the kids played outside for awhile as it cooked. It turned out very well & Elie loved it. So did Niles. Luca had mixed feelings about the whole veggie thing. ;) But it was a fun activity and we have some leftovers for lunch today!