Thursday, November 05, 2009

Burn's Park, a log cabin, and a grasshopper

Instead of waiting around a phone call anxiously yesterday, we decided to venture out and enjoy the beautiful weather! We headed out to Burns Park, and just drove around enjoying the beauty.



I have never stopped at this cabin, but have always seen it driving by, so we stopped today. It was cool for them to visually see it, it seems much like the Ingall's home as described in the Little House in the Big Woods books.
We had also been in search of some pretty fall foliage, but I was disappointed, until I saw these 3 trees as we were leaving the park. This was the best color I could find.

News....

I have the best news ever to share with you over here....!

Wednesday, November 04, 2009

Wordless Wednesday

2 weeks

He's 2 weeks old! check it out.... here


Tuesday, November 03, 2009

Making our own butter/Johnny cakes


We are reading Little House in the Big Woods right now, and doing a lapbook to go along with it. Also, my mom got Noah a Civil War, and a Pioneer project book for Christmas last year, and we are pulling some things out of there. The book mentioned cooking Johnny Cakes, and then also the process of making their own butter. Those were 2 projects in our book, so we tried them. We had a recipe in each book for the Johnny cakes, I chose the one out of the Civil War book b/c they could be baked, and the other one had to be fried, but I think they would have tasted better. These that we made, were just gross. That is the best way to describe them. They had no taste...but it was good to see, and really sympathize with the Civil War soldiers. The book said that something they ate all the time, and rarely even had butter or molasses to go on them. Poor guys!


For the butter, we got Heavy Whipping cream, and let it sit out until it was room temperature, and then poured it in a glass jar.

Then, you had to shake the jar for 10 minutes....you see that shaking action going on?



After 10 minutes, the milk had seperated from the curd, so we strained it out....then you have to rinse the butter until it runs clean

Add some salt to it for flavor, and there you go! It really just tasted like plain whipping cream to me, but with the salt added to it, it tasted o.k.

Monday, November 02, 2009

Our pretty little visitor


When Leah and I got ready to go to the store yesterday, this little lady was on the top of my vehicle. Her wings were torn in 2 places, so she couldn't fly, so the kids were excited to get to hold her. Clay was sweet enough to go in and get the camera at my request and take these pictures. Then they carried her out to live on Noah's pumpkins he is growing.









And my favorite.....the curled up tongue!


Saturday, October 31, 2009

Happy Halloween!

Yesterday, we made Halloween cupcakes. They were meant to be made by me, and taken to Z's daycare for his Halloween party. But, since little bit didn't allow me to sleep any the night before, I was squeezing in a nap, instead of getting him ready to take to daycare, (I am so not motivated to ever take him now that Talan is gone). I decided to let them all just decorate the cupcakes b/c they really enjoy that.
Warning: Don't any of Noah's....he iced his with his fingers....
Warning #2, don't eat any of Rachel's....she licked her fingers while icing hers
Leah's may be safe....but I am still glad I just iced my own!
Mine are the orange ones in the cupcake carrier


When daddy got home, we carved pumpkins
Let the kids draw their own faces....
Saved a few seeds to use for beads out of an Indian craft book, and then, Clay roasted the others. Have you ever had Roasted Pumpkin seeds? They are Yummy!
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Friday, October 30, 2009

Our Costumes

Here the kids are in their halloween costumes. We went to Monticello to the Fall Festival at church there on the 17th, so we have already celebrated. It gets expensive dressing this crew for Halloween, but luckily, living in our area, I can keep my eye out through the year and get deals. Leah wanted to be a horse last year, but I just couldn't pay $20 for it. A couple of months after Halloween, I found the exact horse at a consignment sale for just $3.00. I got Noah's Darth Vader on sale 1/2 price after Halloween last year, and Baby Z and Baby T's at a savers store for$3 and $4 each. Rachel was stressing...she didn't know what she wanted to be, and was the only one without a costume. Then, at another consignment sale, she found the unicorn, for $8.00, still had the tags on it. I had not planned on my girls and boys matching each other, but I thought it ended up being cute that they did. We took Baby T's costume up to his home yesterday and dressed him up to take pictures. You can see them here...





Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Book it!

Did anyone do the Book It program through school when you were young? I did, and I loved getting those personal pan pizzas! Our homeschool newsletter sent out information that Book IT offers a program for homeschooling families too. I get to set the reading goal for my kids each month. I set a goal to start off with of 10 regular books, and 2 chapter books for Noah and Leah to read. I wasn't really sure what was realistic for them, but this seemed to be a good fit for them. (I think that at least 1 of those chapter books for both of them was one they had already began reading, but I let them use it, just to encourage them to finish the book.) I don't have a specific goal for Rachel since she can't read alone yet, but Leah and I both read to her all the time, so I let that count for her.
The kids were so excited to get their coupons! Those personal pan pizzas were SO yummy!! It is great motivation to get them reading!



Wordless Wednesday